Chapter 428

"Friendship?" 2

Ash blinked, it was surreal to see his friends again. "Guys," He gawked.

Brock and Misty both smiled.

"Ah," He extended his arms, pulling them into a hug, "I missed you guys." It was real; he felt the warmth of their flesh against his. It wasn't a mirage; they were really there with him and in his arms. "Wait until you hear about all that's happened."

"Pika?" The mouse quizzically chirped, yanking on Ash's hair.

"What is it, Pikachu?" Ash pulled himself away from Brock and Misty. He turned to his electrical companion, unsure of what had made the mouse agitated enough to pull his hair.

"Pika." The mouse pointed to Misty and Brock.

"What is it?" Ash questioned. He turned to Misty and Brock. They smiled at him. "Well, guys," he waved his arms, "Say something. We haven't seen eachother in forever and-"

But not a whisper escaped their lips. Brock and Misty stood, rooted in the same spot like sentient trees of flesh with irremovable smiles on their faces.

"What's going on?" Ash turned to Roman, then to Alexa.

Alexa, now clad in shorts and a tanktop, "I didn't do anything," she innocently shrugged. Then, her demeanor shifted, "But he did."

Ash gawked, "I thought you said he was gone."

"He was." Alexa stated, "But now he's here."

Suddenly, the woods darkened, the insects scattered across the dirt and leaves and hid. The wind collected into a hollow funnel, twisting the swing-set into a knot.

Ash and Roman both readied themselves, pokeballs in hand.

Then, Brock and Misty's bodies darted forward. Slamming into Roman and knocking him off balance and into the dirt.

"Don't hurt them!" Ash called over the shadowy whispers in the wind.

Roman turned to Malietoa, his Rhydon.

From Brock's waist, a pokeball cracked open and in a flash of silver-light, the long metallic snake Steelix emerged and ensnared the Rhydon with its tail. Binding and restraining it.

(Where is he?) Ash surveyed the area but The Fiend was nowhere in sight.

From Misty's waist, a pokeball opened. Through the light, her Starmie appeared. The purple starfish spun in the air, levitating until it was in front of Roman.

Without a single word from her lips, the Starmie glowed, emitting ultraviolet light.

Instinctively, Ash quickly shielded his eyes.

"Aargh," Roman groaned, blinking his eyes, "I can't see! I CAN'T SEE!" He shouted, temporarily blinded by the pokemon's Flash attack.

(Darn it.) Ash hissed, "Where are you? Come out and battle!"

"Pika!" The mouse growled, its cheeks jolting with electricity.

Then, the lights of The Firefly Funhouse switched on, emitting an eerie sallow glow of light from the windows. The lights sent a chill down Ash's spine.

The lights of the house darkened and deep from within the woods a cold voice whispered, "…Let me in…"

In the distance, between the hollow path of thorny trees a single oval-shaped white light shined, dangling in the darkness like a firefly.

"Get ready, Pikachu!" Ash commanded.

"Ka!" The mouse leapt off his shoulder, preparing for battle.

Then, Ash felt a swift draft across his belly.

"Huh?" He glanced down his belt of pokeballs were gone. "What?" He turned and standing beside the knotted swing was Alexa, holding onto his belt.

"He made me do it." Alexa shook her head in fear, "I'm sorry, Ash."

"No!" Ash groaned as pain shot through his ankles and an intense heat fired up to his kneecaps. His legs, why wouldn't they move? Why couldn't he get to Alexa to retrieve his pokeballs? Was this the power of The Fiend?

Ash turned to the single light in the distance. It brimmed brighter, outlining a pair of lips, a mouth that was the canister that held the light. Above the mouth there was a nose and tangled beard. A human head?

Clutching a handful of the severed-head that held the light was a monstrous creature with blood-spattered chalk-white skin, a shark-like mouth of decayed sharp teeth, chin-length amber-orange dreadlocks and sallow eyes.

The Fiend slowly strode through the woods, eyes targeted onto Ash.