Chapter 2 Escaping the Base
Ash can't believe that Lillie and Gladion have come to his rescue, but he has a lot of questions that needs some answers.
Ash: How did you know that I am here?
Lillie: (Sighs) It's a long story. (Then starts to remember what happened before coming to save Ash)
(Flashback an hour ago)
In Telnor Town of the Torren Region, Lillie, Gladion, and Lusamine are in the lab as they are having some business with Professor Sylvan.
Lusamine: Thank you for helping us, Professor Sylvan.
Sylvan: It's nothing. But we have to be careful about the cults. They are nothing but trouble here in this Torren Region.
While the adults are talking, Lillie and Gladion are wandering around the town, but they hear the voice of Mew and they are confused.
Lillie:Who is there?
The sound appears once more, and the two siblings look at each other and nod. They decide to follow the sound to see who is calling to them. Lusamine notices them and she is confused.
Lusamine: Lillie? Gladion? Where are you going?
Her voice doesn't reach the two of them as they rush to the north into the forest, Lusamine can only sigh, knowing that Gladion can take care of Lillie.
Lillie: Brother, what do you think that sound is from?
Gladion: I have no idea...
They stop moving once they see the grass rumbling. From the grass, they can see a black and white-colored Pokemon with blue glasses in front of them. The Pokemon seems to recognize Lillie and Gladion, as he waves his paws to them in worry.
Lillie: I have never seen this Pokemon before...Does it somehow know us?
Just then, three more people arrive at the scene, the middle one is wearing a white dress, while the left one is a man with black prism armor, and the right one is a child with pink clothing.
White-haired woman: That Pokemon is a Delta Pikachu.
Lillie: A Delta Pikachu? Does that mean there are also Pokemon with different typings just like Alolan Forms?
Black-armored man:You can say so, but now it is not the time for this, chosen ones. We need your help.
Gladion: (Confused) Chosen ones? Do you mean us?
Pink-dress girl: Long story short, we need to rescue your friend, he was kidnapped by the Cult of Darkrai all the way from Kanto. This Pikachu is also his.
Lillie: Wait, our friend? From Kanto? And with a Pikachu? Does that mean you are Ash's Pikachu?
Pikachu nods as he is showing worry, Gladion realizes that Ash is not nearby and Pikachu is concerned.
Gladion: So you want us to save Ash, right? Where is he?
White-haired woman: The people that kidnapped Ash...their base is just over there in the Shady Forest.
Lillie: But how can we trust you? Ash is dead a year ago...
Lillie remembers that after hearing the news from Mallow and the others, she has been crying for days in her sleep, she hasn't moved on for months and Gladion has a hard time comforting her.
The three people decided to show their true forms, as the human forms are gone and are replaced with the forms of the Legendary and Mythical Pokemon.
Lillie: Necrozma…Mew…and even Arceus…
Necrozma: Yes, with our abilities to disguise, we developed human forms so we won't be detected while coming to ask for your help. Right now we should sneak into the base so we can save Ash.
Mew uses her powers to disguise Lillie and Gladion into cultists, and the three of them are also doing the same thing as well.
Gladion: They are not comfortable…
Mew: I know, but we have to hurry or Ash is going to die.
They rush into the base as they try to act like them, but when they learn the location of the prison, they find the leader of the Darkrai Cult, and they are nervous.
Leader:You there. (Points at Lillie and Gladion) I need you two to follow me to see how our prisoner is doing. As for you three, our ritual is about to come, I need you to go there and standby.
Lillie and Gladion can only nod as they follow the leader to the prison cell.
(Flashback end)
Lillie: And that's the whole thing.
Ash nods as he's glad to know that the other three are Arceus, Mew, and Necrozma in their disguise.
Ash: But who are the people that kidnapped me and my mother?
Arceus: They are the Cult of Darkrai. The Torren Region has, as far as we know, always been under the threat of different legendary-worshiping cults. There are five cults currently in power. The Cult of Darkrai, Abyssal Cult, Infernal Cult, Sky Cult, and a group simply called "Perfection." All of these cults are extremely dangerous and should be treated with extreme caution.
As they go to the door, they find that it is locked and it needs a fingerprint to use. Since they are under disguise, none of them can use the scanner.
Mew: Ash, Lillie, Gladion. I have a special ability, and that is I can use Transform to change my form and disguise us into something else. But I need to find a DNA to do it."
Ash: How do I find the DNA?
They decide to check the top floor, as it is a former ritual place. Ash, Lillie, and Gladion notice a pile of blood on the ground and they can only stare in shock.
Lillie: Human sacrifice...I can't believe there is something like this...
Mew: But those blood has DNA, I can use it on Ash.
Mew uses her powers to disguise Ash into a Darkrai Cultist, and Ash is very amazed at the ability.
Ash: This is so cool...
Mew: I hope you like it, but we should check out the ritual first before leaving...
Ash: (Widen his eyes in horror) Don't tell me that my Mom...
They quickly rush to the ritual room, and they are a little relieved to see that the one in the ritual circle is not Delia, but they are still worried about how the sacrifice will begin.
Grunt: Hey, you looked like the last person that was sacrificed, are you his brother or something?
Ash can only shake his head, knowing that the DNA was from the last person that was sacrificed. And they see that the grunt in the circle is pleading.
Persephone: And so we begin…
Grunt: (Begs) Miss, please, you can't do this! I don't want to die!
Persephone: (In a cold voice) You swore when you joined that you would give your life for us, how is this any different? Activate the ritual circle!
Then the floor becomes to glow red, with the person in fear.
Persephone: Darkrai! Lord of the darkness! I call upon you to enter our world! In return, I offer you the soul of this loyal servant, to be bound to your world of nightmares forever! Voco Vvirtutem umbrarum dominum!
Then Ash, Lillie, and Gladion are shocked to see the person floats into the air and disappeared, leaving a pool of blood as the nightmare Pokemon comes out from it.
Persephone: Darkrai, the lord of nightmares... You are the great balancer of this world. You punish the great and slay the immortal. It has been a year since I saw you last. You remember what occurred then? We accomplished something incredible that day. I thought finally, you had accepted our offer to join us. But you fled soon after, never to be seen again. But now I call upon you again… (Reach her hands wide) Darkrai, why will you not join me? I know my brother has seen you time and time again…Why do you favor him over me? I beseech you, Darkrai, join me. Join the cult that has worshipped you for so long. With my guidance and your power, the world could be ours.
Arceus uses Telepathy and tells him not to do it, Darkrai knows that his mother is here, and he nods and he goes into the shadows and disappears, not wanting to do anything with Persephone.
Persephone: (Curses)...Well, isn't that just lovely. It's probably gone off to Selene City to see my sister again… What a waste of a grunt…
She steps downstairs and two grunts approach her, Persephone is not in a mood as she yells at them.
Persephone: And what do you two want, exactly?
Grunt: Miss, please. I am confident that if we had another try, we could trap Darkrai here! We don't know why it didn't work this time, but if you'll just give us another chance…
Persephone: (Annoyed at what the two grunts are doing and sends out Houndoom) Get out of my way. Fire Blast.
Ash, Lillie, and Gladion are shocked to see that the two grunts are turned to ashes just like that. They know how the leaders of the cultists are that ruthless and they seem not to care about their grunts.
Persephone: I am going to go check on the prisoner. None of you had better follow me.
After that, they see Persephone leaves the room, and some of the grunts are returning to their work.
Necrozma: I think we have our chance to leave the base.
Ash: But what about my mom?
Arceus: I haven't seen her while we explore this place, she might have escaped the base, or perhaps the worst thing had happened.
Ash widens his eyes in horror, he has to hope that his mother isn't killed by those cultists while rushing out of the base into the Shady Forest. They decide to hide in the house that they rent in the forest, it is also where Lusamine is waiting for them.
Lusamine: (Scolds) Gladion, Lillie! What were you doing? Running off on your own?
Lillie: I am sorry, mom, but look who we found.
Lusamine: (Turns to Ash) Ash, no way, we thought you were dead since we heard the news that your house was burned…
Ash: I would have been if it wasn't for Lillie and Gladion to save me…(Frowns) But I didn't save my mom or my other Pokemon…
Arceus: Don't worry, they are fine here. (Ash turns to Arceus in shock) I mean some of your Pokemon, I didn't retrieve every one of them...
Lillie: Why some of them? What happened?
Ash then proceeds to tell them about the betrayal, Lusamine, Gladion, and Lillie are furious about what happened, and Lillie is the sadest of them all.
Lillie: I am so sorry that you suffered this much…how can they do this to you?
Gladion: (Nods) I thought they were your friends, I guess we are wrong…
Ash: I am glad that you two are my only friends left… (Turns to Pikachu, realizing his different body) But what happened to you? Pikachu? You looked different.
Arceus: We can explain it later, but first. You three are our Chosen ones, with Gladion being chosen by Necrozma, Lillie being chosen by Mew, and I chose Ash.
Lusamine: (Still surprised to learn that the three figures are actually Legendary Pokemon) But why do you choose my children and Ash?
Arceus: They, along with 6 more people, are destined to defeat all 5 cults in this region.
Lillie: (Shocked along with Ash and Gladion) We? stop cults?
Mew: We have no other choice, but you did well when you were infiltrating the base of the Cult of Darkrai.
Lusamine: (In disbelief) Lillie? Gladion? You did that?
Lillie: I am sorry, Mom. I want to save Ash…
Ash then hears what Lillie said and he starts to blush, maybe she is the "mate" that Arceus has told him about, and Ash basically has a heart attack because of it.
And I'll end this chapter right here. The next chapter will be the Pokemon Ash will be using, I hope you like it.