Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN POKEMON!
Without any further ado, let the story begin!
Chapter 4: Burden from the Past
At Ash's hideout where Meinshao was still holding Lillie hostage, Ash was kneeling down in front of a tombstone who he confirms to them to be his best friend's and partner, Pikachu's.
"What do you mean that grave is Pikachu's? Tell us!" Kukui yelled, as Ash glanced backward.
Absol growled loudly, forcing Kukui to step back in fear as the Disaster Pokémon turned circles around the Alola Region Professor threateningly. Right as Ash looked back at the stone, as he laid fifteen pieces of pink and blue flowers.
"If you don't know what happened, then I'll tell you. And just so you know, I neither need your sympathy nor pity." Ash told the two of them as he stood up.
"It all started 3 years ago, when that happened."
(Flashback, 3 Years Ago)
Ash who was walking down the road back home from the forest of Route 1, with his best friend on his shoulder as he breathed in the air of his home region with a huge smile on my face.
"Well the Alola League came to a draw, both Lycanroc and Silvally got knocked out in the end at the same time. What a bummer!" Ash yelled, as Pikachu patted his head in relaxation.
"Pikapi." The Mouse Pokémon told him as Ash gave him a cheeky smile.
"Right, there will be a sudden death round for the Alola League in just ten days! So, we let's do our best!" Ash cheered, as did Pikachu.
They decided to leave their Alolan teammates behind to do their own personal training, and he could probably guess too that Gladion was doing his own training right about now and probably harder than before.
"Let's hurry and get back home, and we'll-" Ash stopped in his tracks.
Both Pikachu and himself looked into the forest to see a differently coloured Absol, who narrowed it's eyes at them before walking off into the wilds, causing Ash and Pikachu to tilt their heads.
"Was that an Absol?" Pikachu nodded.
Amazed by the sight of the shiny Disaster Pokémon, the duo continued down the road back home. Meanwhile in the air near them, a rainbow coloured net-like portal ripped open in the skies, as a small white creature came through before flying off into a distance at a rather high speed.
Back in Pallet Town, Ash stood at the entrance of his hometown to admire the view, before breathing in the air of his home.
"Feels good to be home, doesn't it, buddy?" Pikachu nodded before breathing in a lungful of air, as he let out a loud 'chaaaaa'
He ran down the hill towards his house, and upon opening the door. There was no one inside said area, other than a not placed on the desk itself. And gaining a high amount of curiosity, Ash picked up the small piece of paper before reading what was written on it.
Dear Ash,
I am writing to tell you that, your friends were with me to wait for you in the house but we decided to do a little shopping until you arrive. We want to congratulate you in your battle during the Alola League, and we know it was a draw, we believe you will win the sudden battle rounds!
So until we come back, please rest while you can and possible train if hard and win the Alola League!
From your mother,
Delia
Ash set the note down before walking outside of the house, as Pikachu was still sitting on his shoulder.
"I guess everyone won't be back until who knows how long, so in the meantime why don't we train in Professor Oak's ranch?" Ash suggested as Pikachu flexed his muscles, making Ash laugh in joy.
They travelled their way up to the Kanto Professor's, and upon reaching said building. Ash opened the knob of the door, and just as he suspected no one was inside the building. Ash sighed to himself, as he walked over to the ranch, he looked at the beautiful green scenery before him as did Pikachu.
The fact that he didn't see his old Pokémon was the fact that he guess, they went to keep the area safe and sound especially Bulbasaur since he was the ranch's ambassador.
"Why don't you say, we get started buddy?" Ash suggested.
Pikachu quickly leaped off of his shoulder as he stood on the grassy plain, ready for his training.
"Alright, let's start off with the power of your Iron Tail, use it on that rock!" Ash yelled.
Pikachu leaped into the air before turning his tail into steel, as he brought it down against a rock or in their case a boulder which was five times Pikachu's size, as they only manage to break a average chunk of it on their first blow.
"Not good enough, huh? Try it once more!" Ash encouraged.
Pikachu once against leaped at the boulder, before bring down his steel-like tail shattering a much larger chunk of the boulder this time, as he stood back on the ground with a smile on his face.
"Not bad, if we keep this up, we might even deal Gladion's Silvally a great amount of damage." Ash told his best friend, who jumped in joy.
They continued their training for the past hour, and to his surprise, neither friend nor family has returned yet and all he could guess is that they went pretty far.
"We've been training for nearly an hour, where exactly are the rest?" Ash questioned himself, as Pikachu shrugged his shoulders in negative response.
Deciding to take a short break before training again, Ash could hear an explosion coming from inside the lab. The duo quickly ran inside the lab, and to their surprise nothing was even inside the area, other than a few blown up computers and destroyed devices.
"What happened here?" Ash questioned.
They took a few more looks around, and like the last time nothing was around the room. In just a few minutes, Ash felt a chill down his spine as he heard something float down behind him, the Kanto Trainer slowly turned around to see a white creature, the size of an origami staring right at him.
"It's a… Kartana!" Ash yelled, as Kartana swiped down upon him.
Both Ash and Pikachu swiftly dodged to the side, as the Ultra Beast sliced through another two device and one machine as said objects exploded in bright flames.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt, quickly!" Ash ordered.
The Mouse Pokemon's cheeks instantly sparked, as he fired a huge volt of electricity at Kartana, but due to the Drawn Sword Pokemon's extremely small body, the Electric type move missed it's mark about five times.
"Damn, it's just too small for us to hit it." Ash growled.
Kartana's body suddenly took up a bright glow as it charged at Pikachu who ducked down to dodge the attack, and like before, the Ultra Beast simply sliced through the ground as if it was a thin piece of paper.
"Why must it be here, of all places?" Ash thought with fear.
"Pikachu, quickly use Electroweb!" Ash ordered.
Pikachu leaped into the air before firing a electrical net-like attack at Kartana, who's body simply took up the same bright glow as it sliced through Pikachu's Electroweb, as if it was yet again a paper.
Both Ash and Pikachu widen their eyes in shock, as Kartana float down slowly. Ash slowly reached into his pocket to try and grab a Z-Crystal to use, but all the tension with the battle accidentally made him scatter all his Z-Crystals as they dropped on the ground.
"Oh no!" Ash yelled, as he tried to grab a crystal.
As he was doing so, a sound of something being hit could be heard, making him raise his head. His eye widen to see Pikachu smashing an Iron Tail to Kartana's side, whist being hit by the Drawn Sword Pokémon's Sacred Sword attack.
Both Pokémon flew backwards, as Kartana flew into a machine which exploded upon impact, meanwhile Pikachu crashed into a debris of broken machine, bleeding rather profusely from his stomach as Ash ran to him.
"Pikachu! Please tell me you're alright!" Ash yelled.
He quickly grabbed hold of his best friend, who was panting really hard due to his severe injury. The door bashed opened to reveal Officer Jenny and four other male officers, as well as a few of Ash's friend and family.
"What have you done, young man?" Officer Jenny questioned in demand of the situation, though Ash was not answering.
They looked around the area, to see the entire lab in chaos and not only was the whole place in flames, machines and devices were also destroyed and crushed beneath the fire and rubbles.
"What have you done to my lab, Ash?" Professor Oak asked in devastation to his workplace.
Ash quickly turned around to see a lot of angry faces, but as he stood up the whole room gasp in shock of Pikachu's severe condition.
"Where's Kartana?" Ash asked, though the rest were confused.
"Are you trying to push the blame to someone else, young man? It's clear that you're guilty here, and that Pikachu is the proof of what we need." An male officer retorted harshly, as Officer Jenny narrowed her eyes down at him.
Though before she could move on with what she does, Ash's friend glared at him though Misty was the first to talk.
"You're horrible to do this to Pikachu, how could you!" She screeched.
"We don't know who you're trying to blame, but trying to excuse you're way out now is impossible." Tracey added.
Officer Jenny soon stood in front of the devastated young man, as a male officer who was done checking on Pikachu, who was still on Ash's arm whispered something into her ears, as the sole female officer widen her eyes in shock.
"Ash Ketchum, you're hereby under arrest for Pokémon mistreatment and any other source, you have the rights to remain quiet, that Pikachu in your arm is all the proof we need." She told him, before locking both his wrist on cuffs.
"No you got it wrong, it wasn't me!" Ash yelled, as Officer Jenny glared at him.
"Pikachu is already dead, you're the only one here! Who are you trying to push your crimes too!" She retorted loudly, as everyone friends and family gasped in shock.
She forcefully brought the young Trainer to the door as Professor Oak looked at Ash with both eyes of sadness and disappointment.
"Because of the lost of Pikachu, Ash. I'm hereby revoking your license permanently. All I can say is that I'm very much disappointed in you." The elderly man sighed while shaking his head.
Max and the few of Ash's friend were the next he saw as the bespectacled boy looked at him with eyes of anger due to Pikachu's condition.
"How grain can you be in training a simple Pokémon? You even let Pikachu die in a place as peaceful as this, get a new life!" He yelled in his face, as Delia was the next to walk up to him.
"I can believe that Pikachu is dead, and maybe they are right. You should have done something different." She said sadly.
While Officer Jenny was dragging him out, hateful words were heard from almost everybody present. From within the rubbles of a destroyed computer, Kartana flew out with burn marks off over it's body as it flew off unseen by everyone.
But before the female officer could load the young man who still had his deceased partner in his hands into the car, an shiny Absol leaped out from nowhere as it created a claw of darkness energy.
"Sol!" The Disaster Pokémon roared, before slashing Officer Jenny bringing her to the ground.
Absol quickly brought Ash away into the forest, as the male officers went after it. Only after a few hours of running, they stopped in their tracks as Ash simply kneeled on the ground with tears rolling down his eyes.
"Why… why does it have to be like this?" He asked, as Absol looked at him with eyes of sorry.
"If only we were more careful, maybe if I didn't drop those damn crystals, Pikachu might already still be alive!" He yelled.
He cuddled Pikachu's body before throwing his Z-Ring onto the ground, as rain started to pour down. Ash screamed loudly in both sadness and agony, whist Absol could do nothing but watch silently.
(Current Time)
"It's been 3 years since I've abandoned my name and humanity." Ash said dryly.
"They wanted me to do something else, get a new life. Well, they have it and no one is going to stop me in what I do best." Ash added, as he turned around to his two captives.
Kukui and Lillie were shocked beyond believe, as the Alola Professor looked him in the eyes as he started to speak.
"You still have your old companions, Pokémon and even the Z-Ring which Tapu Koko bestowed upon you. Are you going to throw them all away, answer me!" Kukui yelled, as Ash chuckled darkly in malice.
"Companion? What a useless notion, the death of my best friend has already push my old Pokémon's back beyond believe, I WAS the one who has been ABANDONED!" He retorted, as Kukui recoiled in shocked.
He took up his Z-Ring before looking at Primarina, who blast it with what seems to be a Sparkling Aria attack. With water streaming off his wrist, Lillie could see a black coloured paint dripping onto the floor as Ash smirked at them.
"I already told you before, I have abandoned everything. My love, my trust, and my identity, there is no need for me to keep something as useless when I was still a Trainer, Kukui." Ash told them, as he looked at the both of them.
"I'll give you guys a chance, you can cry your disbeliefs if you want, you can find those who wanted me to get a new life. Though the next time I see you, you'll be nothing but mere corpses." He threatened, before turning his back against them.
With a swift movement, Mienshao knocked both of them out before lifting them up as Ash looked at the Martial Arts Pokémon, who was a little fearful since it didn't accomplish what it was told to do.
"Forget it, load them onto a raft. Let them drift to shore, I don't care." Ash instructed.
Meinshao nodded before walking off, Ash looked into a distance as Mienshao threw the two unconscious people onto the raft, though a thick mist appeared as the small boat started to sail far away into the unknown.
Kukui who was still unconscious as Lillie soon woke up inside what seems to be a studio, as the blonde woman got up with a loud groan of pain.
"Are you finally awake?" A voice questioned.
The door creaked open to reveal a woman with straight yellow hair with a black headset with blue and red colour covering on the left and right side with attachtments that nearly reached the ankle of her legs, while wearing a blue sparkling dress with a fluffy ocean coloured scarf around her neck, while too wearing a pair of purple high heels.
"Yes, I am. Who are you?" She answered as the woman smiled at her.
"My name is Elesa, you're in Nimbasa City in the Unova Region." She introduced herself, before sitting on a sofa as Lillie looked around.
She held onto her head, which was still throbbing in pain as the blonde woman sat back down on her given bed.
"How did I get here? Or rather, how long was I out for?" She asked, as Elesa put a finger on her chin in thoughts.
"For about four days, and to answer on how you got here. My Eelektross found you on an wooden raft, that drifted here from who knows." She answered.
Lillie quickly got up before collapsing back down forgetting about her injury, as she growled in pain.
"Don't get up to quickly, you're still hurt. Though I can say the same to that man beside you." Elesa told her.
The door immediately flew open as a tanned girl where a pink dress, looked angrily at the Nimbasa City Gym Leader.
"Elesa, do you know how long we've been waiting!" She yelled, as Elesa jolt up in shock.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Iris. I totally forgot, I was taking care of two patients after all." She told her, before getting up.
The Electric type Gym Leader followed Iris out the door, as she gestured for Lillie to follow them which she follows suit.
And upon reaching the outside, Cilan and his two brothers were sitting at the audience seats, Clay was standing at the side of the stage, Lenora was sitting on the right side of the stage by the edge, Burgh who leaning against the wall near the ground level of the stage, Skyla was lying on one of the audience seat, Brycen surprising was balancing on a wooden plank on a ball, Roxie was squatting on the ground with her guitar connected to two big speakers and lastly Iris who arrived alongside Elesa sat on a chair that was placed on the stage.
"Where's Cheren and Marlon?" Chili asked, as Brycen opened his eyes.
"They said that there was an emergency, so they couldn't come."
Elesa clapped her hands before sitting on a red chair as everyone turn their attention to the stage.
"I can assume everyone knows why we're here, right?" She asked, as Clay chuckled.
"That's obvious, so let's start." Clay answered.
Elesa nodded as she gestured for Lillie to come out.
"First off, I got someone I want to introduce to you. i found her by the harbour on a raft with another man, who unfortunately hasn't woke up yet." She told them, as Roxie strung her guitar creating a deafening music.
"How is this introduction related to our current case?" She asked, before playing her guitar once more.
"We'll never know unless we ask, and you're going to wake up the patient by accident, Roxie. Please refrain from connecting your guitar to your speakers, when we're indoors in a quiet place." Cress told her, as Roxie sling her guitar behind herself.
Lillie slowly walked out with nervousness written all over her face, and upon stepping out into the open, every single Gym Leader gazed at her direction as she gulped loudly before bowing at them.
"My name is Lillie, I came from the Alola Region." She introduced as Iris nodded her head.
"I'm Iris, the Gym Leader of Opelucid City. That's Cilan, Chili and Cress, the three brothers and Gym Leaders of Striaton City. Lenora, the Gym Leader of Nacrene City, Burgh, the Gym Leader of Castelia City, and I'm sure you've met Elesa, the Gym Leader of Nimbasa City." She started.
"That's Clay, the Gym Leader of Driftveil City, Skyla, the Gym Leader of Mistralton City, Brycen, the Gym Leader of Icirrus City and lastly Roxie, the Gym Leader of Virbank City." She finished her introductions.
Lillie nodded as Elesa gestured for her to sit down, one which she follows as Brycen leaped off of the plank.
"Let's get back on topic, we for now know that Pokémon Hunter Wraith is on route of capturing the Legendary Pokémon Tornadus." He started.
"And according to Cilan himself, who fought him first hand. He possesses the Legendary Pokémon Regirock, a transportation Pokémon Salamence and lastly an Absol." Iris told them.
She sighed loudly before tossing the papers aside, before leaning back on her chair. Whist Lillie opened her mouth.
"Erm, if I might add something?" She questioned meekly as Cress nodded his head.
"Certainly, miss Lillie, please go ahead." He answered with pure politeness.
She nodded her head before looking at them.
"He also possesses the Mythical Pokémon, Deoxys. The Legendary Pokémon, Regice. A Mienshao and Primarina." She told them, as they widen their eyes.
"If I may ask, young lad. How did you know all this?" Clay questioned, as Lillie sighed loudly.
"Firstly, I fought him alongside my friends though we lost miserably, and secondly, I was capture by him alongside Professor Kukui personally." She told them.
The whole room was silent, as Roxie strung her guitar forcing Lillie to cover her ears as the Poison type Gym Leader look at her with a big smirk paste across her face.
"You said you were captured by him personally, can you tell us who he is?" She questioned, as Lillie was a bit taken back.
"Please, Roxie, Wraith is his name what else could there be?" Skyla retorted casually, whist the Virbank City Gym Leader looked at her.
"You're too casual, Skyla. Pokemon Hunter always uses a codename, you know?" She smirked.
Skyla sighed loudly before sitting up straight, before waving her off though she was about to say something until Lillie's voice cut in.
"I can tell you if it's dire, but can you please promise me you won't release this to the public?" Her statement greatly confused Burgh who raised an eyebrow.
"Why would you ask us to do that, young lady? Is it really that big of a secret, or is he our friend?" He asked, as Lenora signalled for him to keep quiet.
"You will be shocked when you hear me out, and in fact he IS my friend. I don't know if you will believe me, but his Ash Ketchum, the one who fought in the Alola League three years ago." She told them.
Iris immediately slammed her hands on the table as Lillie jump in shock, as she looked at Lillie.
"That's outrageous, there's no way that's true!" She yelled, before sitting back down.
"The Ash I know is too kind and stupid to be doing this, there's no way what you said is true and linked." She dismissed, as the door creaked open.
"It's in fact true, Iris."
Every Gym Leader turned their head towards the doors direction, as an elderly man with a strong build wearing something similar to a teacher's outfit, as Iris immediately stood up.
"Mister Drayden, why are you here and what do you mean?" She mused out as Drayden simply nodded.
"I'm here because I heard that you guys were having a conference, and to answer what I mean-" He stopped as he looked at Lillie who simply stared at him.
Drayden closed his eyes before speaking once again.
"Just look into her eyes, are those not eyes of sincerity?" He told them.
Every single last one of the Gym Leaders stared into Lillie's eyes, as Roxie decided to sit on the ground with a big sigh.
"Oh dear god! This is just one trouble after the other, what the hell is going on?" She exclaimed loudly.
"I'm afraid I have the same sentence as you, Roxie. This is actually pretty absurd." Cress agreed, as Skyla was in thoughts.
Most Gym Leaders were in thoughts until Iris brought in a question.
"But why would Ash do this?" She asked, as Drayden looked at her.
"The better question is, how are we going to stop him? Details from Cheren already came in, that he is on his way to Milos island and we all know what rests there." Dray redirected, as Elesa got up.
"I'm going ahead to give Cheren and Marlon a hand, you guys find a way to beat him." She told the rest.
The Nimbasa City Gym Leader soon left the room, as did Clay and Skyla.
"I'll try and get Alder to help us in this battle, I'm afraid it's going to get messy." Drayden reassured the rest, before walking out the door.
"I guess we better be going, not like anything is going to happen by just sitting here." Roxie grinned, before dashing out the door.
Slowly one by one, the Gym Leaders left the room until only Iris and Cilan were left with Lillie.
That's Chapter 4, things are escalating very quickly downhill.
A/N: I hope you guys remain to love this story! ^w^, if you do please go ahead and R&R and tell me if I can improve!
Otherwise,
PEACE!