Hey Guys. Welcome back to Chapter 49 of the story! The more and more I think about this, the more and more I'm shocked about how far this story has come, and more importantly, how much this story has left to go. This is, arguably, the most important chapter of this story. I do not exaggerate when I say that.

This chapter right here is literally the entire foundation of this fanfiction. The motive and drive I've had since beginning this story over a year and a half ago has come down to this chapter. I meant to land this chapter as the half-century mark even, but I've got another plan for that one next chapter. This story has become something sensational, and I intend on seeing it through.

This is the LONGEST chapter in this entire story; Over 8,000 words! I know, but this chapter is seriously a doozy. It is the most important chapter in this entire fanfiction. You will find out soon enough how drastic this entire chapter is.

As I've mentioned before, I have no idea whatsoever how much longer this story will go for. It could end at Chapter 60 for all I know, and it may end past 100 for all I can say. If I was guessing, I would say this story has about 25 chapters give or take left to work with. I have a few more major battles to type, and I still have to reveal the plot… but that will be revealed shortly… and at that, closer than you think.

Please Follow, Favorite, and Review the story! Each one counts guys, and each one just supports what I'm doing and drives me to keep typing! Hope you all enjoy this chapter, it explains almost everything.

ReignZ Present… 10 Minutes Chapter 49

Last Chapter…

Ash closed the door behind him and Heredin looked at him, almost with a calculating glance. Ash cocked his head gently to the right, bewilderment filling his eyes to the brim. Heredin stopped his glance and sighed. "You certainly have your father's eyes don't ya?"

Ash's brain lost all coherent thought. He was shocked by these words to the core of his being, never in a million years did he expect that to come out of the man's mouth. Heredin could clearly see the shocked look that he was emitting and Heredin spoke quietly. "You never knew your father Ash, I'm sorry to hear that." Ash opened his mouth to speak but Heredin held up his hand and Ash was silenced. "You don't need to say anything Ash, don't worry."

Ash tried to find his words. For a good few seconds, he was speechless. This man in front of him perplexed him to no end whatsoever, for starters, how did Heredin even find him, let alone who to look for, and how did he know his father? How did the KSO become involved with Rocket in the first place?

His train of thought was cut off as Heredin spoke. "You must be confused, and have many questions. Please, ask them, it's why I was to talk with you in the first place." Ash shook his head, which was already spinning rapidly. He didn't know where to start, in all truthfulness. "I… how did you even know it was me? How did you know where to find me?"

Heredin nodded slowly and spoke after a moment of contemplating. "I knew it was you because I knew your father closely." Ash pursued that thought. "You knew my father?" Heredin nodded and smiled softly. "Your father, Drakel Ketchum, was my closest friend. He and I became very close over the years."

(AN: Made Up Name, I did a little research on who Ash's father is, and there are far too many different choices and theories for my taste, and I don't feel like having to establish anything to a specific theory, so Drakel is purely made up. Pronounced Drake-el.)

The gears in Ash's mind had begun to turn and rotate. "Wait, but that would mean—" Heredin smiled and spoke. "Your father was one of the best agents here at KSO, because like me, he had a special talent that many of our agents did not have then, and do not have now… the ability to harness and wield aura."

Ash's eyes bulged in shock; his father had been an Auramancer! "B-but… my mom said my dad was drunk lunatic…" Heredin's eyes widened in surprise and frowned. "W-what? W-why would she think that? Your father loved your mother to his dying breath! Why would she say such a thing?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"That's how you were able to find me! You tracked my aura!" Heredin's frown left his face and was replaced by a small smile. "You're just as perceptive as your father too, it would seem." Ash was confused. "Wait, come to think of it, how come you were able to even tell it was me though? We met before, how come you couldn't tell then that it was me, since we were so close to one another then? You know, back at Prism Tower?"

Heredin looked at Ash for a moment or two, staring at him with narrowed, curious eyes. He saw by Ash's posture that he was telling the truth; he honestly had no idea what had happened, he could just tell by staring at him. Heredin, after another moment, finally spoke. "The reason I couldn't tell it was you was because your aura hadn't fully developed yet, therefore, your unique core was still unidentifiable and I couldn't tell it was you."

Ash blinked. His aura core hadn't fully… developed? What did that mean? He pondered this for a moment or two before suddenly, he gasped. Just before Heredin had burst into the room…

FLASHBACK FROM LAST CHAPTER…

Ash's eyes were closed, and he was in a deep thought process. He couldn't believe Rocket was going this far just to take control of the Pokémon world. His aura flared angrily, he couldn't let this happen, he had to stop them, no matter the cost! And then, in one fluid burst, Ash's aura flared a royal blue so bright everyone had to cover their eyes to prevent the light from blinding them.

Ash felt the flaring die down and he looked around in bewilderment. He sat there for a moment, contemplating what just happened. He stared at John, who too had a shocked look on his face.

FLASHBACK END

Ash spoke. "That flare up that I had, that was my aura core being fully developed!" He exclaimed. Heredin nodded. "When your core was mastered, it means you have officially mastered aura in a sense of power. Aura can be used to do many, many things in our lives, and people are finding new ways to use it every day, in a power sense, however, your aura will not continue to get stronger purely on its own. You must now train it unlike never before." Heredin said.

XXXXXXXXXX

Heredin smiled back. "Look Ash, I just wanted to let you know in person that you have the full support of the KSO no matter what happens. If this "Out of World" army truly does come to fruition, then we'll be right there beside you, backing you up the whole way. Now that your aura development is complete, you have a good handle on every ounce of power you control, and now can wield it to face off against Rocket. May you use it well." Heredin said.

Ash nodded his head, and all of the sudden, Heredin snapped his fingers, and WHOOOOOOSH! Ash felt himself zip through some sort of barrier, and he was teleported right back into his suite's living room, where everyone was still sitting. Everyone was taken completely off guard by his random and sudden appearance. John immediately sprung up and out of his seat, Daniel fell backwards in surprise, Keeghan flipped over the small table in the middle of all of the seats and crashed down to the floor with a loud BANG! All the girls were momentarily frightened, but the only person whom was usually there but not currently present was Gary.

"ASH! You scared the hell out of us man!" John sputtered with a completely exasperated tone. Ash took a deep breath and then explained to everyone what Heredin had told him, about how his father was an agent of KSO, how Heredin recognized the sudden burst of aura development and was able to match it to Ash's when it looked like his father's, how the KSO would back up him and the LOS if they needed help against an intergalactic invasion of sorts, and everything else they spoke about.

The girls were staring amongst one another, Daniel looked perplexed, Keeghan seemed to understand and John had an odd look on his face. "Well, while you were gone, Gary told me he's waiting for you in the other room, I don't know what it's about, but he seemed really serious about something. Just letting you know." John told him quietly.

Ash nodded and then walked into the neighboring room, and saw Gary sitting in the chair directly across from the door, and he motioned for Ash to sit down. "Ash… we need to talk."

Present… Somewhere Across the Universe…

The cloaked man watched as the two people dressed in black robes, one man and one woman, approached him fearfully. The cloaked man could practically taste their terror of him. It somewhat satisfied him… Somewhat. He hissed. "Where… is the final piece?"

The woman had enough to speak. "M-my lord, we w-were unable to find the piece that you seek. P-perhaps the information given to us—" she began but was cut off by the cloaked man shouting words and then her dropping lifelessly to the ground following a small flash.

"M-my lord…" the woman's partner was on one knee, pleading fearfully to the man who could easily take his life right there.

The man hissed. ".. I… was the source of that information… and you still failed me. For that… you shall pay… with your life." The man shouted the same words as before and the pleading figure dropped lifelessly to the cold ground.

He waved his hand, and four cloaked men quickly grabbed the lifeless bodies and dragged them out of the room just as a scrawny man, who was trembling madly, walked into the room. The dark lord sighed aloud. Not the blathering idiot Again… He clenched his jaw, preparing for what he expected to be bad news.

"Ah… my servant returns… what news do you bring?" The little man got on his knees and was about to open his mouth to respond, when the Dark one screamed a word and then with a flash of red, the little man was crying and screaming in agony. After a moment, the flash of red halted, and the man shakily got to his feet after a moment of recuperating.

The dark one scowled. "Do not disappoint me again, or you shall meet a swift and unhonorable death… do I make myself… clear?" He sent a sinister smirk to the little man, one that nearly made him pass out in fright. "Y-y-yes m-my lord… I will not fail again."

Then, at the end of the grand entrance hall that they were stationed in, a man ran in, he bowed before the dark one, and immediately, he could sense that this man was baring… good news. He smiled, staring at this man, waiting for the information to be presented.

"My lord. I come baring good news! We have almost completed the process of breaching, my lord. We only need another day or so and the piece so which you require to breach through, and then we shall be ready!" The dark one stared at the man, and his lips curled into a smile. Things… for the most part… were going perfectly according to plan.

Ash and Gary…

Ash was looking at Gary, and Gary stared ominously back at Ash. Ash didn't need to be a genius to realize something was very wrong and Gary's facial expression showed it all. Ash could practically see the pain in his eyes, clearly, something was bothering his friend, and Ash was determined to figure out what that thing was. What perplexed Ash the most, was that Gary rarely showed this emotion: sadness. Gary looked so pale and so defeated that it was rather staggering. Ash carefully chose his first words. "What's up Gary?"

Gary motioned once more. "Ash… please sit down… there's… something you oughta know." Ash took the seat that was in front of Gary and stared at his friend, waiting for him to say something, anything at that. Ash really couldn't remember a time where Gary looked this lost. Gary was always smart, cunning, ambitious and most importantly, a good friend. The fact that something had shaken Gary up this badly meant it was very serious.

Gary took a deep breath and began. "I know you've had a rough going the past couple of days and I know it's probably taken a toll on you, and I'm sorry for that."

Ash blinked. "That's it Gary? You don't have to…"

Gary interrupted him. "I wanted to apologize, because I'm not done with dropping this stuff on you. There's something even more important I need to speak with you about." Ash couldn't help but let out a groan of disbelief, could he ever catch a break? Apparently not, much to his disappointment. One moment he was being told that Giovanni was dead, Rocket was trying to summon forces from not of this world, his mother had lied to him about his father, and now, there's something else to worry about too?

Gary took another deep breath and spoke as though each word was weighted heavier and heavier. "It is time you learned why I formed the LOS, and what it truly is meant for."

Gary stood up and began pacing, and by this time, Ash had a terrible feeling in his gut, one that said it wasn't all Gary was going to talk about. Gary paused and looked down at Ash before continuing. "What really happened that day… the day that everything fell apart for me." He spoke calmly and carefully.

FLASHBACK… INTRO OF CHAPTER 24…

Two people were walking down the road holding hands. One was a dead drop blonde, and the other was a certain Gary Oak. Daisy smiled happily when they reached her hotel room in Pallet Town. She kissed Gary happily on the mouth and whispered. "See you tomorrow Gary." She playfully swung her hips and walked inside. Gary had a cheerful grin on his face and thanked his lucky stars for meeting her.

He was whistling a merry tune when all of the sudden, a small ball of fire flew out of the night sky and nearly pelted him if not for his quick reflexes. He was preparing to call out a Pokémon when he realized the fire did not originate from a Pokémon at all. It was a gas fire.

He followed the trail of smoke when it reached… HOME! He broke out into a sprint, charging across hills and rocks to reach his destination. He tripped and fell onto the grass, but quickly rolled back to his feet. He was about to call out his trusted partner when he smelled the air again and paled visibly. It wasn't a gas fire.

It was a GREASE fire. Any attempt to put out the fire via water would only worsen the situation. The rest of his Pokémon were not with him, what choice did he have? His mind suddenly directed him to the worst possible option; rushing in alone. He spotted the laboratory, which was engulfed in fresh flames. He ran as fast as he could to it, praying his grandfather was still alive.

Gary charged through the side window, which he knew was the weakest window they had. He hurled himself at it, and embraced for impact. Almost immediately, a blinding pain attacked his back. The searing glass shredded into him as he crashed onto the floor of the living room.

Everything was burning, the smell of grease and smoke filling the air. He coughed a few times out of blinding pain, and then proceeded to navigate the rooms in desperation. He entered the main laboratory while dodging a falling piece of wood from the ceiling. He paled, the building's structure was collapsing. It would be destroyed in just a few moments or so. As if by a miracle, someone cried.

"G…G-Gary! Is that you?" He whirled around and saw Professor Oak trapped underneath a burning log, gravely wounded and missing his glasses. His face was charred and was bleeding profusely with a nasty gash across his left cheek.

"GRAMPS!" He yelled. He began to try and lift the burning log, only to cry in pain when the fire began attacking his skin. He backed off when this happened. "Gary! Wait!" Oak began again before Gary growled and tried lifting once more. Once again, the pain returned and he tried to continue. He roared as the log began to move up but was shoved out of the way by the only other person in the room; Professor Oak himself.

"G-Gramps!? What are you…" He began before three more logs collapsed in between Gary and his grandfather. "GRAMPS! Oh No!" He raced to move them but Oak's voice made him stop. "Gary… I need you to do something for me. I'm 78 years old. I've lived a good life, but now you must carry on my legacy." Gary felt himself tearing up.

"W-w-what do you need me to do gramps…" He whispered, choking back tears. "Go to the main laboratory, there is a small, black safe. There is my will… and a pokeball. The safe password is . Open it, the Pokémon inside of it is now YOURS. Do not question…" He continued talking before an explosion shook the home. Oak frantically cried. "Quickly! You must do it, now!"

Gary nodded quickly, but tears began spilling out at a rapid pace. "I-I… I can't lose you Gramps…" Oak weakly grinned. "I'll… always… be… with you…" He was cut off as a giant log fell on top of him, crushing him completely. His hand was the only thing that Gary could see, and Gary heard him whisper. "…I love… You…" Then his hand grew limp, and his grandfather was gone.

Gary sobbed softly and held his hand tightly. He looked in soft disbelief but then with determination. He would live on for him, it was his dying wish! He got up in a Flash and rumbled over to the main lab while covering his hands over his face to protect himself from burning debris. He slid down to open the safe.

He frantically entered the code muttering it back to himself knowing that any second could be his last. He swung the door open when he heard a soft clicking noise to indicate he had broken the lock. He saw a stash of cash, a booklet, and a master ball. He stuffed the cash and booklet in his pocket, then gasped as he saw the pokeball begin to move and shake rapidly. Gary swung his head to the ceiling and saw the roof collapse. In one last move of desperation, he pressed the button on the pokeball in hopes that he would be saved by a miracle.

But it seemed the miracle would not happen, for all he saw was a blinding light and then all went dark for Gary and he went on to live his next life, wherever it may be.

Flashback End…

Ash was silent as he took in all this information. So that had been what really happened that night: Gary had been on a date with Daisy, he had come back to find his home in flames. In desperation, he went to try and save his grandfather, only to be presumed dead after the tragedy. Many thoughts that Ash had buried for the time being were now emerging, and he would be damned if he didn't get any answers. Gary sensed this and spoke calmly. "Ash… you must have a lot of questions, please, ask them before I proceed."

Ash paused, thinking about all of this for a moment. "So… do you know what caused the fire?" Gary held up his hand. "I'm getting to that Ash, don't worry. Anything else?"

Ash spoke. "How did Rocket even find out you were still alive?"

Gary bit his lip harshly. Ash could clearly see this caused his friend a great deal of discomfort. Nonetheless, that didn't stop Gary from replying. He spoke with a strained voice. "When I formed the Legion, I needed to recruit allies, and at that, I needed to do so quietly and yet swiftly. I knew what I had to do." He sighed and walked to the window before staring out at it with a hard expression before he continued.

"Back then, I didn't know who to trust." He chuckled aloud. "Hell, I still don't even know who to trust." He waved his hands through his hair, agitated and angry. He continued after a moment. "I was unsure of who I could trust with my identity, because as far as the world knew, I was dead. I thought you were dead too, so I didn't know who the hell I could trust."

Ash cut him off. "What the hell do I have to do with any of this?"

Gary raised a finger at him. "Don't worry, like I said, I'll fill you in on everything, just… please let me talk." Ash grumbled something but allowed Gary to continue talking either way. "I was starting over, I was completely restarting my life, leaving everything and everyone behind that I've ever known. My Pokémon were in that fire, my research was in that fire, my life's work was in that fire. Everything I had ever done in my life was forever gone that day happened Ash. It changed me, I became an entirely new person, because I had to."

He continued. "So, I did my research alongside Mewtwo to narrow down who we believed would be the best candidates to become LOS Elites… the first of the Legion. There were 5 elites… five people I put all the trust in the world into and expected that they gave me the same trust back. Their names… were Porter, Charles, Brittney…" Gary hesitated and continued. "Harley… and Savior." Ash's eyes widened in absolute shock. Four out of the original Five members of the Legion other than Gary had betrayed him, whether it was for Rocket or not. Gary shook his head sourly. "I… trusted them all with my identity." And with that sentence, the final sentence clicked into place.

"Harley was the one who told Rocket your identity." Gary nodded sadly. "Harley has a powerful voice, and for that reason, he was able to attract followers to the Legion, and for that skill, he was invaluable. He was, in short, unreplaceable. It did not change the fact that he betrayed the Legion. That happened a couple years ago. I never imagined he corrupted anyone else, and I couldn't fathom when he truly changed sides."

"Once Brittney was revealed to be a traitor, I knew things were getting rough, but that was why I kept secrets in the first place, because it seemed as though everything that I told people would backfire on me. Sadly, it seemed as though the lack of truth-telling is what lost me two of my final three original commanders." He spoke quietly.

Ash immediately consoled him. "What happened to them what not your fault. You may have killed them, yes, but you were their leader, their general! The fact that they were willing to go so far just to get you to tell them some sort of stupid secret is unbelievable!"

Gary smiled weakly. "Still… it does not change the fact of what happened." He went back to the story at hand. "Regardless of who I appointed to be commander or not, I knew that the five of us could not single handedly bring down Rocket and all it stood for. My original plan… was in shambles. It had failed before it could even begin. We lost a very key component to the plan that we would need to succeed… it was so close to us… and then… it vanished."

Ash was perplexed. "What was this key component that you're talking about?"

Gary looked at Ash with a small grin. "You."

Ash blinked a couple of times. "M-me? Why me?" Gary spoke again calmly. "I'm getting there. But… when the fire happened, do you know what it just so happened to be nearly coincidental with? The FOLT sabotage." Ash's mind went backwards to a full relay. Come to think of it, he couldn't remember when he had recalled reading about the fire at Oak Laboratories. Was… was it really that close to the boat sabotage? Could those two events have been connected?

Ash spoke slowly. "You… you think the fire and the FOLT Cruise are connected?" Gary nodded. "Precisely." Ash shook his head. "B-but why? And how, for that matter? What's the connection between them? It doesn't make any sense! Something is missing Gary… and you know it!" Gary shook his head slowly. "No… nothing is missing… because I know something that nobody alive on this planet knows that is not on Rocket's side."

Ash stifled a small chuckle. "Care to enlighten me?"

Gary nodded and replied. "Of course. As soon as I recruited some commanders, which took a couple weeks, I was ready to set out to find you. I knew how much you hated Rocket as much as I did, and just as I was about to set off to try and find you…" Gary didn't speak, waiting for Ash to fill in the blanks. Ash's eyes widened in shock. "… I was presumed dead."

Gary spoke quietly. "I was… devastated. I had lost one of my best friends, and rivals of course, and my grandfather all in a ten day period. How did that happen? I knew what it was… but there wasn't anything I could do about it."

Ash leaned in. "What do you mean… You knew what it was?"

Gary sat back down and reached underneath the carpet that the table was sitting on. He pulled out a small, brown booklet. Ash's eyes narrowed a little at seeing the object. "What is that Gary?" Gary looked at it for a moment before murmuring quietly. "I told you before when I opened that safe… there was Cash, a Master Ball that contained Mewtwo… and a booklet."

He tossed it in front of Ash. Ash stared down at it. It was plain, and some of the pages were beginning to turn yellow on the outsides. The cover was a basic brown, and there was a small piece of brown string keeping the booklet closed. Gary looked at Ash. "Read it." Ash looked down at the booklet and carefully undid the tiny string and carefully, Ash opened the book. He was unsure of what he would end up seeing, and what he did see, completely stunned him.

He expected something drastic, something evil, something so brilliant it would knock his socks off. It was none of those things; because the booklet was entirely empty. Ash stared at it in confusion. "Wha—" he murmured incoherently under his breath for a few moments, and began flipping through the pages rapidly, hoping something… anything would be there. The effort was all for naught, the booklet was completely void of anything.

Ash tossed the book back onto the table in absolute disbelief. "Its… it's empty? Isn't that Professor Oak's will? He left you with nothing?!" Gary stayed silent until Ash had calmed down a little. He spoke quietly. "That… is not where Gramps left his will." Gary chuckled softly. "At first, that's what I first thought as well when I pulled that booklet out of the safe during the fire… but…"

FLASHBACK (INTRO OF CHAPTER 25…)

Gary cried out and stumbled backwards. He collapsed and stared in disbelief at Mewtwo whose face was void of any emotion. Gary was fighting to find the right words, all he could sputter was,

"W-w-wha… W-what happened?" Mewtwo looked at him and said quietly. "The Laboratory was Destroyed. All the research the Professor ever had was gone. Pokémon died as well. In the end when the town finally managed to put out the fire, the found Professor Oak's body underneath all the rubble, but… you… well… they couldn't find yours, so they assumed your body had been disintegrated."

Gary was shocked. He couldn't believe the drastic turn of events. One day he was making out with Daisy Waterflower, the next his old life was sent to rubble. But another question was, why? Gary knew Gramps like the back of his hand, a Grease fire didn't add up. It just didn't. He faintly recalled something else. The fire had been burning the hardest in the Family Room.

The room was used to watch tournaments and spend time with family and Pokémon alike. But that wasn't what was odd about it. What was odd about it was that all fire's generally burn the hardest wherever they begin. For a Grease fire, the fire would Start in the Kitchen! So… the question remained; Why did the house catch on fire in the first place? Was it really a grease fire at all? He had so many questions! Mewtwo broke Gary's chain of thoughts by snapping his fingers, and all of the sudden…

POP!

They teleported back into the room they had started in. Gary was wearing a simple T-Shirt and Khaki Shorts. Mewtwo held a small cardboard box. He quietly said. "Just before you blacked out at the laboratory, I managed to grab this box. It contains your Grandfathers will, everything you must know." Gary blinked. "W-what do you mean?" Mewtwo paused briefly then continued. "Open it." Gary slowly took the box from the Pokémon and carefully opened it. He peeked his head inside. In the small box, were 3 small items. One was a belt of Pokémon, the next was a necklace, the final was a small piece of paper.

Gary held up the Golden Necklace. It was beautiful, a solid golden chain of brightness, a pokeball in the center, dangling from the chain. He then looked at the belt of Pokémon, and opened each one, growing more and more shocked with each one. Finally, he looked at the piece of paper.

Just before he was about to read, Mewtwo interrupted his thoughts. "One more thing…" Gary turned to the Psychic Pokémon. "The Professor was very clear about something, one, and only one person may ever hear what is written on this paper. The name is written at the bottom of the paper."

Gary stared at the Legendary and slowly nodded his agreement. He then flicked his eyes downward to begin reading. The more and more he read, the more and more his eyes widened in shock. He felt tears brimming in his eyes, and he stopped to wipe them. After he finished reading, he went back and reread it again, he couldn't believe what he was reading. Once he confirmed what he was reading was indeed the truth, he didn't even know what to feel. He felt as though a Machamp had used a Dynamic Punch on his skull three times over. His head was spinning. Finally, he regained focus.

"Mewtwo."

Mewtwo looked back at his trainer. "Yes Master?"

"We have quite a bit of work ahead of us."

Flashback End…

Ash was staring at him. "So… you're telling me that the Professor had his will entirely separate from the booklet? Why would he do that? What is the booklet for?" Gary sighed. "I'm getting there. I read what his will said, and suddenly everything made sense. All I could think about was finding you." Ash was still bewildered. "I still don't get it, WHY did you house burn down in the first place? WHY was I targeted on the FOLT Cruise? WHY were you hellbent on finding me? ANSWER ME GODAMN IT!" Ash roared in a rage.

Gary stared at his friend for a moment before saying quietly. "In Gramp's will… it does not say this on the paper… but… the will is only supposed to be read by one person other than me… and one person only."

"… You." Ash's mind stalled. "What… why would the Professor want me to read his will?" Gary carefully removed a piece of parchment from his pocket and unfolded it carefully. Ash's eyes widened slightly. He whispered. "The Professor's will…" Gary nodded slowly. He spoke quietly. "Ash… if you read this… your life will never, ever be the same. Do you honestly want to read this?" Ash looked at his good friend and after a moment or two, nodded his head in agreement. Gary held out the parchment and Ash read the words that the Professor wrote on the paper.

Dear Gary…

Hello my dear boy, how are you? If you are reading this… I have passed away. However, you should know… that I am writing this paper on the night you and Ms. Waterflower went on your luxurious date. You were 16 years old, and for another reference… Ash was 15. I know you will be feeling pain and sorrow as you read this letter, and I do not blame you for such thoughts. You have the right to mourn me, but, in this letter, I will not be talking about what items you shall take or not take, we will be talking about something much, much more important.

I have asked my dearest friend to guard this letter with his entire wellbeing. He has sworn to protect it, and, should it be, protect you. You must know that everything I say in this letter is strictly confidential, my dear boy. You will know whom you can trust with this information, my dearest friend will likely tell you how to know who it is. Furthermore, let me also say that I've lived a wonderful life, helping people and Pokémon alike. Watching kids grow up like yourself has been the joy of my life, and although I may pass away in Physical form, I shall always be with you in spirit. I have always loved you Gary, you were my heart and my life. You are a blessing on this fair world, and many people will soon learn to depend on you.

But now… on to more pressing matters. Gary, I do not know the state you will be in as you read this message. I do not know if I am panicking by writing this letter, and I also do not know if this letter will ever find its way to you. But… should it find its way into your hands… there is much you should know, and there is much more to everything in Pallet Town that meets the eye. Perhaps not the town itself, but… a very distinct member of it.

You see Gary, when you were not even born,, I would commonly chat with everyone in the neighborhood quite often. I had much more time on my hands, and I would go around town, talk with people, get to know them better. I felt as though I was gaining more and more friends, and I truly enjoyed every moment of talking with them, discussing Pokémon and life itself. My life felt complete. And then, I met a man that I would never, ever forget. His name… was Drakel Ketchum.

Drakel was a man like I'd never seen before. He was tall, perhaps a few inches over 6 feet tall. He had lightning shaped marks on his face, and a smile that could melt the coldest of hearts… how ironic in a way or two. Getting off topic there, Drakel was a man who loved to travel, but he despised anyone and everyone who worked for the organization known as Team Rocket. It was because of that very reason, that he swore an oath to the KSO, which stands for the Kalos Special Ops. He swore he would do everything in his power to forever eliminate the threat of Team Rocket, once and for all.

I didn't see him all too much after that, he was always overseas. However, I did what I could to put some information together on just how good he was at his job, and as it turns out, he was the best at what he did. He was, to put it simply, flawless at his work. He was the most efficient agent of his time, and for that, he got a great deal of respect, not just in Pallet, but around the world. One day, Drakel came over to the laboratory, and we shared a drink together. And then… he told me something that I never knew about him: Drakel Ketchum was an Auramancer. An auramancer is someone who can channel their own inner power and use that power for mystifying effects. It explained how good he was at what he did, and that wasn't all. His wife, Delia, was pregnant with a child.

And he was certain this baby would have the same powers he had. So, he and Delia had a son. They named him Ashura Ketchum. That year, Drakel was the happiest man on the face of the planet. He had everything in the world. His job was amazing, he had a loving family back home, he had friends on nearly every corner of the world and he was helping Kalos by preparing a special squadron that would forever thwart the plans of Giovanni and Rocket, and bring them to justice. They were preparing to go on the offensive.

Everything was going his way… until one night. He arrived home in a frenzy, he was disheveled, frantic, almost crazy. I had never seen Drakel like this before, and I asked him what was bothering him. He told me that somehow, he had gotten his hands on some sort of plans. I asked him what he was talking about, and according to him, he said that he had found the plans for a Rocket Battle Station… a fortress. He said that it was the largest and most terrifying thing he's ever seen… but the catch was that the fortress was not yet made. Hell, they had just started construction of it.

These plans showed everything about this fortress, it's weakness', it's strong points, every single feature about this fortress was said to be on the plans. He, in a moment of wildness, had stashed the plans away on a thumbdrive of some sort and placed it in a random spot, one that nobody would ever think to look unless he removed it from its spot… or… his son mastered his own aura and was able to find it himself. He told this to me… and Delia Ketchum. He said that there would be an item that would guide his son to the location of the thumbdrive, or else the secret would die with him. The following day, he handed me a booklet, a plain booklet, and simply told me to keep it safe for him, just in case. I never questioned him for it, but was very confused when the booklet just appeared empty. I kept it nonetheless.

One month later… Drakel Ketchum vanished from the face of the earth. To this day, nobody knows what happened to him. I was devastated when Drakel was confirmed missing. About half a year or so passed, and he had already been declared dead. Kalos Special Ops was unaware of anything, and they said that Drakel had been in between missions and break time in Kanto, so it's unsure if he was killed in Kalos, or if he even never made it there. But, what I do know is that Delia Ketchum changed even more. She was very… secretive before Drakel vanished, but after he was gone, about six months after he disappeared, she vanished as well.

The rumor on the street was that she left to search for him, but nobody knew if that's what really happened. Either way, she left for around a year. Around that same time, Kalos Special Ops got heated; they believed with all their hearts that Rocket had taken out their best operative and they wanted revenge on them for that. So, without any proof other than rumors, they began a manhunt for Giovanni. I couldn't stand the man, personally, as most people couldn't.

But… there was one person in Pallet who could, seemingly. This is the reason I am writing all of this in the first place, but Gary, you and this other person deserve to know the truth of what I saw. Today, as I write this entire paper, I decided to pay Delia a visit as a friend. I walked up to her home and I saw her window was open, and then I heard her speaking about a man named Giovanni. I was unsure if this was the Giovanni, but I opted not to go inside, but listen carefully to see what happened.

Finally, after listening to her and another man talk back and forth for quite some time, I couldn't help it. I peeked my head in the corner of the window, and what I saw shocked me. I saw her speaking with a Rocket Grunt. She was talking about Giovanni, and how "It pains her how much she loved him." I couldn't help but realize that this was the secret she had been holding all along; she had been having an affair with Giovanni all this time, right under our noses!

I couldn't think straight. I panicked and stumbled backwards, accidentally bumping the windchimes outside. I made haste back to my lab, but as I retreated, I couldn't help but fear if she saw me. That is why I am writing this entire paper to you, my dear boy. You must stop Rocket, you must stop Giovanni, and if you have to, you must stop Delia Ketchum. Do whatever you can to stop them. Forge alliances, build your army, and then erase Rocket from the face of this earth. The fate of Pokémon and humans alike could be rested on your shoulders.

My dear boy, you must now find Ash. He is rumored to be travelling somewhere in Kalos. You must find him, and ask to forge a clan with him. Name it what you will, but Ash is the key to defeating Team Rocket. Of this, Drakel and the KSO were certain. According to Drakel, he believed that Ash would become the single most powerful auramancer the world had ever seen, and for that reason, he needed to go on his journey, and be trained by the Kalos Special Ops in aura to be ready to locate the thumbdrive your father hid.

Why the Kalos Special Ops have not yet picked him up is beyond me; something may have developed recently or far prior. However, no matter what happens, you must promise me something Gary. You cannot show Ash this message until after he masters his aura. If he was to find out that his mother cheated on his father with the leader of the group that all of us hate, I can only imagine how rash of a decision he will make when the time comes.

Gary, you must stop Rocket. You must find Ash. You must create a group that Rocket will forever learn to fear. You must be a hero, my boy. Your destiny and Ash's, though not the same, are similar. You two will be glorious, but you must find him before it is too late. If you receive this letter at all recently, then you understand why I likely have passed away. If you receive this letter in years to come, and Rocket has already fallen, then you need not worry. All you need to know then… is that I love you.

Much Love…

Pokémon Professor Samuel Oak.

Ashura Ketchum (AN: Remember that Mewtwo said that the only person who should ever read this has their name at the very bottom of the paper.)

Gary looked at his friend, waiting for a reaction… any reaction at that. Ash was holding the parchment so close to his face that Gary couldn't even see how his face was. He couldn't see any emotions whatsoever from Ash just by looking at his body. After a minute of pure silence following the end of the paper, Gary slowly pushed down the paper to see Ash's face, and what he saw stunned him.

Ash did not appear angry. He did not appear sad. He wasn't surprised, and he wasn't mad. If Gary could pick one word to describe how Ash looked, the word he would've selected would've been "emotionless." He honestly couldn't depict anything from Ash's face, body expression, or posture. Gary just watched his friend closely.

Ash's mind was dead. The words he had just read from the good professor had just scarred him for life. He couldn't comprehend what had just happened. He could hear his own heart pumping. The blood was rushing to his ears. His face was getting paler and paler. He couldn't think properly, if everything was fitting together as perfectly as he was seeing it… then it all made perfect sense. When Daniel had spoken earlier, Ash had noticed Gary's reaction to it, the shock and disbelief coloring all of his features then. Ash now knew why.

He stared at his friend before whispering. "Is… is this really happening?" Gary got up and wrapped an arm around his friend. Ash couldn't handle the stress much longer. He felt the tears brimming up rapidly, the more and more he thought about all of this the closer he was to a mental breakdown. And to be frank, Gary wouldn't have blamed him one bit. After all… Gary knew what Professor Oak's will had essentially just confirmed. And these were the thoughts that were roaring in Ash's head, the thoughts that were attacking him and his mind mercilessly, and then… he remembered that last words his mother had ever spoken to him.

"NO! I WON'T ALLOW IT! HE CANNOT DISCOVER IT!"

At this point, Ash's mind, which was trained enough to handle anything that came its way, collapsed. He felt the emotions that he had bottled up for so long come out in a rush. He cried into Gary's shoulder, letting the tears flow from his cheeks in small waterfalls. His life would never be the same… ever again.

His Mother… had cheated on his father.

His Mother… had gone into hiding with Giovanni.

His Mother… had ordered the hit to kill his father.

His Mother… had killed Giovanni.

His Mother… had killed Professor Oak.

His Mother… had ordered the FOLT Cruise destroyed.

His Own Mother… had tried to kill him.

His… Own… Mother… was the Leader of Team Rocket.

AN: I told you this was a huge chapter. 8,000 words up and down. But let's talk shall we? Ash's own mother is the Leader of Team Rocket. Most things will be explained next chapter, as Ash and Gary begin to fit all of the puzzle together and explain everything aloud. This is, by far, the most important chapter of this entire story, undoubtedly, so I want ya'll to make sure to follow, favorite, and review the story! It means a lot to me guys!

So now… what will Ash do? He now knows his mother is controlling the most dangerous terrorist group in all of the Pokémon world. He knows his own mother killed so many people, forever scarring certain families, and forever affecting the way the Pokémon world thinks. He knows that his mother killed Daniel's father. He knows his mother killed Gary's grandfather. He knows that this entire time… His mother has been controlling Clemont, Serena, Harley, Brittney, and all of the Rocket grunts…. But what will be his plan to stop her?

Will he be able to stop her from trying to summon forces from another world to bring the world of Pokémon to its knees? Will he even tell anyone else? Keep on reading to find out guys. I wanted to thank you all for tuning into this very special chapter… because now… we've officially hit a landmark. Now… it's all action from here… save next chapter.

Thanks all… till next time.

ReignZ