Chapter 45: Mt. Rose Climb
Ash and his friends arrive at Mt. Rose's Base, they didn't see any signs of Malde or Lillie. " ...they're not here yet. I've been waiting for ages. What if... what if they don't show? What is Reukra l-" Nora says.
"There they are." Malde and Lillie appear in front of them, and since Zachary is the first time seeing them, he can't help but feel a little weird.
"Lillie..." Ash mutters, remembering the last encounter that she injured him.
"Let's get down to business. You need us to get up the mountain. And we need the shards of the Augur's Crystal. So if we-" Malde says, but Alice cuts him off.
"What, no! Absolutely no! We can't do that."
"...what do you know about the crystal?" Malde asks.
Emily knows that they are in trouble, she says, "Um...she means..."
"I am not asking you to get it for us." Malde says, still in a calm tone.
"Wait, what?" Damian says in confusion.
"We just don't want it in Zenith or Persephone's hands. Once it's in your hands- or anyone else's- we can acquire it easily." Malde says.
"I... okay. We're not pushovers, you know." Nora says, not knowing what to reply to the old man in front of her.
"Mhmm. Go, Lillie. Disguise yourself. Go through the checkpoint and get this over with." Suddenly, the tentacles on Lillie disappear, but she looks emotionless and then walks away.
After a while, the ladder appears from the top of the mountain. Malde says, "Perfect. That ladder should get you up and down the mountain without having to go through the checkpoint."
"Um...thank you for your help?" Gladion says with an uncertain tone.
Malde starts to walk off but pauses. He says, "Your sister, she doesn't talk much anymore. I'm sorry if we've caused you pain. But she's happier now."
Gladion feels a little annoyed, he says, "Are... you controlling her? Did she... choose to leave us?"
"I didn't say she chooses, but she is happier." Malde then disappears out of their sight, probably with the move Teleport.
Emily looks at Gladion's pained and angry face, she is worried as she asks, "Gladion?"
"That jerk...The next time I see him, I really want to strangle him for twisting Lillie's mind..." Gladion clenches his fists.
"No..." Ash says as they all turn around and face him.
"What do you mean no?" Nora asks her brother.
"If she is really happier like that...I guess we should leave her." Ash says with a tear on his face.
This causes them to get shocked. "Ash? What are you talking about?" Damian asks.
"Yeah, we have been working so hard to save her, you want to throw her away?" Taen asks.
But before Ash can reply, Gladion grabs his collar and says, "You...I guess I was wrong, I should let Lillie befriend you..."
"It ... it hurts, but it would be the right thing to do." Ash says, then he shows his determined face and says, "But it has to be her choice."
Gladion suddenly drops him to the ground. Ash continues, "I need to know if this is what she wants. I can't just abandon her. I swear I'm going to find her and I will get her to talk. But for now..."
Ash stands up and says, "Let's go show these cultists how to actually cure a disease!"
The others nod as they start to climb the ladder. Gladion says, "Ash, I am sorry, I know that you won't abandon Lillie..."
"It is fine." Ash smiles. And just as they are climbing up the mountain, they find a Hidden Grotto and they see a Pokemon that they haven't seen before.
"It looks like another one of the Delta Pokemon..." Ash says.
"That is a Delta Trevenant." Alice says, "And I never thought it would look pink..."
Ash decides to battle it using Drapion's help, and in the end it is captured.
Delta Trevenant: The Guardian Pokemon: Fairy and Fighting Type. It guards the forest and would lay down its life to protect weaker Pokémon.
Back in Selene City, Tobias and Diana are talking in the gym about what will be happening. Diana says, "I wonder how Ash is doing now."
"He should be fine, with his friends, he can beat Zenith and his cult for sure." Tobias replies. "But now let's talk about Persephone. I mean, you did meet her again a few days ago, right?"
Diana nods and says, "As usual, but this time she was asked by the Augur to bring Ash back to the base for unknown reasons."
Just then, Calreath rushes into the room as Diana is surprised. "Calreath? What? Shouldn't you be at work?"
"I'd like to be, but the people of Amphitrite sort of having a different plan for my life nowadays. There's no time to explain. I've already seen the people of Selene City eyeing me, too. They must have seen the broadcast Zenith put out."
"What broadcast?" Tobias asks.
"It is a long story, but I'll tell you on the way." Calreath says. "Also, bring the Legendaries, we may need their help as well."
Diana and Tobias nod as Cresselia and Darkrai are back into their Pokeballs. But when they leave the gym, Persephone appears behind a wall.
"I knew it...I KNEW IT!" Persephone says. "I KNEW Darkrai was following my awful brother and sister around. I KNEW they were luring it in somehow."
She yells, "I could have been a member of Timeless as well! Just why? Why didn't Darkrai choose me?"
She punches the wall, much to Zoroark's surprise. Persephone's fists are covered in blood and she says, "There's got to be something else going on. What does Tobias have that I don't? What does Diana have that I don't that Darkrai is after? Doesn't matter. I'm going to tail them. I'm going to bring them to justice for what they did to me."
She then laughs menacingly, "Then Darkrai will be mine!"
With facing the harsh coldness and the heat, the group reaches Dayraan Town.
"So we have arrived..." Ash says. "Dayraan Town."
"Yeah, when we go to the Rose Crater, then we will find the Infernal Base." Zachary says.
Just then, they hear someone says, "Alle Hoopa Ring!" And then a pile of snow comes from the sky and covers them.
After popping their heads out of the snow, Ash asks, "Who did this?"
"Are you surprised?" Then a Pokemon comes from the sky. Alice says, "What...a Hoopa?"
"Hoopa is Dad's partner." Nora says, "What is he doing here?"
"I told you not to do this again, Hoopa." Just then, they see Marey and Baraz walking towards them. Ash asks, "Maray? Baraz?"
"It is good to see you again, Ash." Marey says. "Though I am sorry that Hoopa is playing pranks with you again."
"Yeah..." Ash says with a groan. Nora asks, "Brother, who are they?"
Then Ash tells what happened in Dahara City, and then Taen says, "Are you serious? 10 Legendaries fighting in a city?"
"Yeah, but thanks to Arceus that they are returned to normal." Ash says. "By the way, what are you guys doing here?"
Marey says, "You do know that Adam is Hoopa's chosen, right?"
"Yeah, speaking of which, you know my Dad?" Ash asks.
"We do know. Before he became the Chosen, it was our Grandfather. But that is when he visited our city, he was chosen by Hoopa. But the truth is, Hoopa couldn't come with him because of the rings, so he would sometimes come to us...until last year he got missing."
"So Hoopa was one of the reasons why Dad sometimes went missing?" Nora asks. "I can't believe that he would hide a lot of secrets to me."
"Well, that is like him." Baraz says. "But Ash, the reason I called you here is to ask you to return Hoopa to your father and this Prison Bottle."
Ash takes the Bottle and says, "But why now?"
"We have seen the prophecy." Marey says. "It is better that Hoopa goes with him."
"Okay." Ash says, then the siblings thank him and leave using the Hoopa Ring, and Ash temporarily captures the Pokemon.
Since it is nighttime, Ash and the others take a rest in the Pokemon Center, thanks to Zachary, he manages to break Nurse Joy and the visitors inside the Pokemon Center from control, so they can have a rest without being bothered by other people.
But Ash can't sleep, he is looking at the Prison Bottle, the Quartz Flute, and the six mysterious scrolls, when they are training back in the Crystal Caves, Ash has gone to the Misty Way which is close to Crossroads south of Vipik City. They use Surf to find the puzzle and Ash manages to play it and get it.
"So that is only two more scrolls to unlock Meloetta's ability..." Ash sighs. "Mom...Dad...Lillie...I promise. I will save all of you, so we can be together again..."
Nora and Zachary can't sleep because of thinking of their damaged family, with their mother and father being missing, their brother being a cult leader, they decide to talk to Ash, who is also awake at this time. Zachary asks, "Brother, you can't sleep as well?"
"Yeah, and you two? I think it is obvious since there are too many things that happened ever since I come to the Torren Region and I really wanted to fix everything." Ash sighs.
"I think I know what you mean." Nora says. "But can I ask you a question? I am not forcing you to talk, but I just really want to know."
"It is fine, Nora. We are a family and you can just ask me. It's not that I am hiding something from you." Ash says.
"Okay, back in the Cave of Steam, I asked you a question about the girl who captured your heart. That girl is actually Lillie, right?" Nora says.
Ash starts to blush and he asks, "Why do you think Lillie is the one that I loved? I mean, there are a lot of girls outside and why do you think it will be her?"
"Do you really have to ask that? Even I think that it is obvious." Zachary smirks. "I may only meet her once back in Utira Library, but ever since we are reunited in the Fiery Caverns, Nora and I can see how you are always thinking of her and how you space out when we mentioned Lillie."
Ash says, "It is true...of all the females, I don't know why, but I feel a lot when she is by my side...the feeling makes me really nervous. And after she was kidnapped, I finally realize that I have fallen in love with her and I can't let go of that feeling."
"That is why we are going to save her, I am sure she also loves you." Nora says. "But for now, we should rest so we can stop Infernal Cult."
"Indeed, Zenith is our brother and we can't let him go on a darker path. He needs to know his errors and he needs to know that we still care for him." Zachary says.
"You're right. Thanks, I really need this talk." Ash nods as he goes back to sleep, with the other two also go back to their rooms for rest.
Well, Ash has his father's Hoopa, which means that Ash has the three stuff that reminds him of his parents and Lillie. I hope you like it and the next chapter will be the Infernal Cult battle, will Ash manage to save his brother Zenith from going into a darker path? Or will the prophecy of one of them betraying them will happen?
