This story contains elements of The King of Fighter franchise, but I don't think I have enough to use the crossover tag. This story will have a dark tone, while still trying to keep the world true to Pokémon games and anime. Without further ado, enjoy the story.
Chapter 1
When a hero lives long enough, he becomes...
What is good? What is evil? This is one of the questions that every great philosopher throughout mankind has asked himself at some point. A soldier who kills an enemy would be considered good in the eyes of his people while he would be considered evil by the family of his adversary. A bandit who steals to feed his family is considered good by those who live with him, while the owner of the market where the robbery took place, considers him bad for taking away his source of profit.
In the end, everything is subjective. As a great mind said in the past, 'nothing is absolute, everything can be changed.'
Ash Ketchum is a young coach in the prime of his teens, who traveled across Kanto, Johto, the Orange Islands and Hoenn, always qualifying for league tournaments and even winning the championship title in the Orange Islands and had recently been the first to complete the challenge Battle of the Frontier of Kanto, qualifying him as a great exponent of the new generation of trainers.
But that's what the public knew, his closest friends knew that the young man was much more than just a talented coach. From the beginning of his journey spotting Ho-Oh, the legendary Pokémon known for heralding the emergence of heroes throughout human history, to several clashes against legendary Pokémon, which earned the boy respect from many legends.
His sense of selflessness reached levels that bordered on insanity, having literally died to Mewtwo in an attempt to stop the clash between the clones created by the artificial Legendary Pokémon and their original versions, only to be revived by the tears of his faithful companion, Pikachu.
Another moment where the young man put his life on the line was at the Temple of the Sea, where he deliberately gave up the only way to escape a horrible death by drowning, by saving his friend May Maple and her Pikachu, putting them both in the only survival module available. Ash almost drowned in an attempt to activate the time security system with the crystal he was holding, but joining forces that not even he knew where he had taken it from, he managed to fulfill his mission, surviving against all odds.
His altruism extended to humans as well, as he always put others' desires ahead of his own, something that was always a source of appreciation for the friends he made along his journey.
But as stated earlier, the concept of 'Good and Evil' is subjective. Where in a moment a person is considered selfless and pure in heart, it only takes a chain of events for the same person to be considered a monster in human skin, it only takes a spark, a motivation good enough to shake someone's convictions.
Every person has his weak point, something that when hit, shows the darkest desires in his heart. No human being has the privilege of being totally immaculate. Everyone has darkness, the difference is that while some embrace it, others ignore it and try to live according to what society considers as fair and correct.
And by a misfortune of fate, the once considered chosen would start his path towards darkness.
It was a pleasant afternoon for the group of youngsters who were still rejoicing over a certain messy-haired coach's newest conquest. Ash had been the first to win the Battle of the Kanto Frontier, after defeating the Battle Pyramid King and his trio of legendary golems, an impressive feat considering Brandon's historic streak, which lasted for 12 years without suffering a defeat.
The group had decided to rest under a tree on the side of the road that would take them to Terracotta, the group's last stop before heading in opposite directions. Ash and Brock would go to their respective hometowns to rest and plan their next journey, while May and Max would head back to Hoenn. May still hadn't decided what to do, as she had been invited by Drew, her most expressive rival, then to Johto on the next pageant circuit, where both he and Soledad and even Harley would compete. At the same time, she didn't feel completely sure that she was prepared to go on a journey alone, and since the events at the Sea Temple, she couldn't get the actions of her best friend and mentor out of her mind.
Ash had put his life on the line to ensure she was safe, and while she was afraid, she was also touched by her friend's actions, and when the temple emerged and he didn't show up, her heart broke. She had never felt such anguish in her life at the thought that her mentor had died to save her, and when he emerged with the powers of the sea crown, May felt a relief and joy like she had never felt before.
After these events, she grew very close to the trainer, and began to see him in a new light. Where before there was only one friend and mentor, there was now someone she looked up to, and whenever Ash interacted with a girl his own age during the group's travels, May felt an anguish and urge to get closer to her friend.
It all took a turn for the worse when Ash ran into an old friend from his hometown, Leaf. The girl initially didn't recognize her friend, but after hearing her voice, she ran and hugged him, much to the surprise of the group. What shocked everyone even more was the fact that when Ash recognized who she was, he was just as excited as the girl, and since then the pair have been inseparable.
Leaf had said that she was on a training trip after failing for the third time to qualify for the Kanto Pokémon League, and she was disheartened. She said that she thought about giving up, and when Ash heard her intention, he promptly tried to cheer her friend up, saying that he would help her in any way he could, and if Leaf wanted to, he would act as her mentor, teaching her everything he'd learned over the years. .
This made May gain a dislike for the black-haired girl. She was seeing her best friend and mentor treating a girl who had just come along, the same way he had treated her for the past two years. He was her mentor, not some girl who had just arrived.
The brown haired girl tried to disguise her dislike for the other girl, talking to her when asked, but never making any effort to start a conversation between them, and another thing that started tension in the group was something that was both girls' mutual interest. .
Ash's attention.
Leaf missed her childhood friend and wanted to spend as much time with him as possible, monopolizing all the attention of the poor boy, who was naively unaware of the discomfort he was causing his newest student and friend.
Leaf's provocative nature did nothing to lessen tensions in the group, as he would occasionally flirt with the boy, and dense as he was, Ash would not notice and let the advances happen without having the slightest idea of the impact his apparent approval generated.
Brock was the first to notice May's discomfort, and he looked pityingly at his old friend. He knew that Ash would have a serious problem to solve in the near future and he hoped that everything would work out normally.
Max was the youngest of the bunch, and he liked to tease his sister whenever he could. Seeing how attached Leaf was to Ash, he teased May that Ash was replacing her, and this often made May lose her temper.
May's discomfort even affected her interaction with Ash, as she was increasingly afraid to start any conversation, and what was once a simple lack of trust slowly turned into frustration, and then hatred.
She was angry with Ash for ignoring that she also existed. All her attentions were for her childhood friend and it hurt her as she was jealous of the duo's interaction. She wanted to have what they had, and she soon realized what was happening, and it scared her.
She found that she was starting to see Ash as something more than a friend, and with Leaf's arrival, she felt threatened, seeing someone trying, and succeeding, to get Ash out of her life. She had admitted to herself that she was attracted to the boy with the messy hair, and that was even more motivation for her anger at the boy.
As they always said, there was no fury in hell like that of a woman scorned.
Every time Ash tried to talk to May, the girl responded angrily, using few words and trying to quickly end the conversations. And when Leaf tried to talk to May, she couldn't even hide her dislike anymore, ignoring the girl, much to the group's confusion.
Ash didn't like to see his two friends treating each other like that, and more than once tried to talk to May about it, always being rudely ignored by the girl in the red clothes.
Tension in the group reached its limit as Ash spoke to Leaf about the achievements in the Battle of the Frontier, while the girl eagerly responded to him. Leaf sat next to Ash under the tree and laughed at every innocent comment the boy made, taking the opportunity to tease the boy, making some comments about his appearance, leaving the young man blushing with embarrassment while his Pikachu laughed on his shoulder.
May saw the duo's interaction from afar and a strong feeling of anger and jealousy rose in her heart. She'd expected Leaf's double-edged comments, but seeing Ash starting to understand the reason for the advances put her on high alert.
Seeing the boy blushing at Leaf's comment was the final straw and May in the heat of the moment made a comment that started the whole mess.
"I don't know why you two are so excited, winning a Pokémon battle isn't that impressive." Said May influenced by her anger. This surprised her brother and Brock, who looked blankly at the girl, and Ash didn't understand the reason for the comment either. Leaf looked at the girl not understanding why she had said that.
May saw that she had become the center of the group's attention and indignantly glared at Ash.
"What's it? I didn't tell a lie. If it was a Pokémon contest and you lost a battle, you wouldn't have the opportunity to challenge the same contest again, unlike gym battles, if you lose the contest you have to go for the next one. Much harder than a simple Pokémon battle." Said the girl. Her passion for contests added to her accumulated frustration made her comment on something she always kept to herself.
The comment left Ash hurt at his friend, but also angry. He liked battles more than contests, but he never looked down on the contests his friend loved so much. He even studied contests to be able to help May, doing his best to improve the girl's performance. And hearing it from her hurt him.
"Do you really think so, May? I understand that you like contests, but that doesn't justify belittling what I worked so hard to achieve. It took me many years to win a title of expression, the least I expected was respect for my achievement." Ash said with obvious frustration in his voice.
May scoffed and looked at the boy with disdain. "Well, maybe if you weren't a failure you would have won some Pokémon league, you've played the league in three regions and never won, and now you go back to your home region and win a second-rate championship. Do you really think this compares to a big festival? If you think so, I suggest you rethink your future as a coach." May's comment left everyone with their mouths open, even May's own Pokémon who were with Ash, Brock and Leaf's Pokémon eating food fit for their kind, were shocked to see what their trainer had said.
Surprisingly it was Leaf who spoke up. Looking indignantly at the girl who was insulting her friend for no reason, she decided she wasn't going to let her get away with it. "How dare you say that? Ash spent two damn years helping you improve as a coordinator and now you come along and start belittling your achievement for no reason! I wonder if you really are friends with him." Leaf said looking indignantly.
May did not believe in the girl's audacity, she had barely arrived in the group and already felt entitled to judge whether or not she was Ash's friend. "Listen girl, I didn't give you the freedom to talk to me like that, I barely know you and I didn't give you the right to speak your mind about me." May said furiously.
Brock feared things were going too far and slowly guided Max closer to him, hoping things would calm down.
Ash looked on with a mixture of hurt and sadness seeing two of her best friends fighting, and tried to mediate the situation.
"Hey, we don't need to fight, let's talk and try to work it out, I'm sure May didn't want to talk to me like that, and Leaf, you can't judge May's friendship with me, that's not right." As Leaf looked at the floor in embarrassment, May looked livid at Ash.
She didn't have the patience to deal with the trainer, she had things to do with the girl in front of her and she was going to get it done.
"Ash, shut your damn mouth! Didn't your father teach you not to meddle in other people's business?" May said dismissively, and that made Leaf's eyes widen while Ash was in shock.
None of his friends besides Leaf knew, but talking about Ash's father was a taboo no one wanted to break. The poor boy looked at the ground and clenched his fists in anger. This caught May's attention, and when Ash looked at her, the girl wanted to cry.
Her friend who always showed his happiness and joy, optimism and courage, now looked broken, the look of pain in Ash's eyes was something that made a feeling of guilt rise in the girl's heart. May regretted what she said and quickly tried to apologize.
"Ash, forgive me, I..." She couldn't finish her sentence as Ash turned and ran towards the forest near the group's camp. While Brock and Max didn't understand her friend action, Leaf was furious.
This bitch had the audacity to talk about her friend's father and thought a simple apology would do the trick? She was sick of it.
Rushing towards May, Leaf stopped in front of her, and when May looked into her eyes, Leaf slapped her with all her strength, knocking May to the ground and leaving everyone in the camp in shock.
May, eyes wide with Leaf's action, looked at the girl as she placed her hand where she received the slap, and cringed in fear when she saw the look of absolute anger from the black haired girl.
Leaf shaking with rage looked at May and repulsed by the girl spoke. "You bastard, you don't know how much you've hurt my friend. Did you know that his father abandoned his family when he was five? Five damn years and the kid had lost his father. Hell, you don't even know his name isn't Ash Ketchum. Ketchum is his mother's surname, but my friend omits his father's surname because of the danger he poses. I can't believe he considered you a friend one day, look what you did. I know you don't like me, I don't understand your jealousy, he's like a brother to me for Arceus's sake! Now I'm afraid of what he might do, the poor thing must be on his mind a mile a minute."
Leaf began to cry at the thought of her dear friend whom she considered a brother. She met Ash's father, and even as a child, she could never forget that sly look. Years later her mother told her that Ash's father was a renowned criminal in the criminal underworld, and abandoned his family because he had another parallel family. Delia went through a lot to raise her son alone, and if it weren't for Professor Oak's help, both she and Ash would be living on the streets.
The girl looked at May still crying and with hate spoke to the girl. "You bastard, I swear if my friend gets hurt, I'll never forgive you." And then Leaf ran in the direction Ash had followed.
May was on her knees looking in shock at what the girl had said, while Brock and Max had a look of sadness on their faces seeing their friend in this situation, and Max was even sadder that his sister was the cause of Ash's suffering, he loved her. his sister, but Ash was his best friend and she had hurt him.
The girl on the floor still holding her injured cheek slowly stood up and looked in the direction Ash and Leaf had followed, and a feeling of regret took over her heart.
"What have I done..." were the girl's last thoughts.
He didn't know where he was running, all he wanted was to disappear, to be alone. He couldn't believe May had said so many horrible things to him. He belittled his achievements, offended his childhood friend, but what hurt him was commenting on his father.
Ash didn't talk about him for two reasons. The first was because he had abandoned his mother, so he didn't deserve to be remembered as his father. The second was the danger the name Bernstein posed for his family.
Only his mother, Leaf and Professor Carvalho knew his full name, which was Ash Ketchum Bernstein. His name was purposely withheld for his and his mother's safety. His father had many enemies and after abandoning his family, both Ash and Delia became easy targets.
Life after his father's abandonment was very difficult, he remembered the times he went hungry while he saw his mother crying in the kitchen holding the family photo that had his father. Leaf's late mother helped them at first, but her friend's mother passed away two years after her father abandoned her, causing Leaf to be adopted by Professor Carvalho, which led to the family once again having no support.
It was only on Leaf's account that Professor Carvalho learned of the situation the Ketchum family found themselves in, and promptly helped them. The teacher was like a grandfather to Ash, for even after everything his father had done, he still felt love for him. It was a mixture of love and hate for his father that always left him confused. He loved him for being his father and hated him for abandoning him.
As he ran, the feeling of anguish in his chest increased and soon a huge pain took over his body.
Ash fell flat on his face to the forest floor as he writhed in pain. A red energy took over his body as he trembled. His eyes that were blue turned to blood red, and in his agony he didn't notice his body gaining defined muscles, increasing in density. His once baggy clothes were now glued to his body, but the poor boy hadn't noticed that.
In desperation from the agonizing pain he felt, Ash screamed at the top of his lungs, and his screams echoed throughout the forest.
Leaf ran through the forest not caring about the cuts she received on her body from having bush bumps against her skin, the pain didn't matter as her friend and brother needed her help. She desperately searched for Ash while screaming his name. After a few minutes of running her course, she was surprised by a huge red light rising high in the sky, and then an agonized scream echoed.
Leaf felt her blood run cold as she recognized whose voice it was, and her heart clenched with worry, she ran to the source of the sound.
After a few minutes, she arrived in a clearing and saw Ash lying in a crater, but he was different from how she knew him. A reddish energy was all around her body, and speaking of body, for some reason the skinny boy had turned into a wall of muscle. He wasn't insanely strong like a bodybuilder, but he was sculpted in such a way that the muscles had been trained to be used.
Deciding to leave these details to be explained at a later date, she approached with concern, only to stop her advances as Ash slowly rose to his feet.
The boy turned her around and the look that was directed at Leaf scared her to the core of her soul. Blood red eyes, no pupils, a face now angled without any baby fat, and a look of contempt as she assessed her.
Ash reached out his right hand and opened it, causing the energy around his body to disappear, only for a red orb to take over his hand. A mischievous smile that didn't match the kind boy she knew graced her face, and worriedly, Leaf tried to talk to her friend.
"Ash, are you okay? I don't know what happened to you, but let's go back to camp, everyone is worried about you, even that girl May was sorry after I got some sense into her head. I'm not going to ask you to forgive her, but at least come back with me." Said Leaf pleading, only to be surprised by a mocking laugh coming from Ash. She looked at him uncomprehendingly, and saw the boy smirking as she admired the red orb in his hand.
Turning his attention to Leaf, Ash spoke in a tone that didn't belong to the boy. "Am I okay? I am doing great! I've never felt so good, I feel like I can do anything." Leaf didn't like Ash's tone as he slowly backed away in fear.
The boy noticed and smiled at his friend. "No need to be afraid Leaf, I have no reason to hurt you, I..." Ash didn't finish his sentence as he knelt in pain again, holding his head.
In his mind several images began to appear, with one in particular standing out. It was a huge airship-shaped craft that was flying over Kanto, and soon after, the image shifted to the interior, where a couple of well-dressed young blondes were in a luxurious salon.
The man was a teenager with short blond hair, red eyes like Ash's, and as well-built as the trainer. He wore a tight green tank top with black suspenders and gold accents. Expensive-looking green pants and a gold belt with gold laces on the sides. He wore green fingerless gloves with gold accents. His outfit ended with a pair of well-polished brown dress shoes.
The man was practicing strikes of some unknown martial art, while a girl happily played the piano in the hall. She had blond hair like the boy, with two neatly curled braids, in a haircut that resembled royalty. A pink tiara adorned her head and her dress was a blood red prom, strapless that showed off her cleavage, black gloves that elongated to her shoulders, white sandals and thin black stockings that went down to her thighs. Her eyes were red just like the man's, and she looked fondly at him as she played her music.
The duo's attention was directed to the hall door, which opened to reveal someone who made both their eyes widen. The girl stopped her music and the man stopped his blows, with the couple lining up side by side in a sign of respect.
The man wore a white shirt with a red suit on top. His pants were the same red, and a pair of fingerless gloves adorned his hands, one of which held a glass of wine. Luxury black shoes completed the outfit. His hair was blonde the same shade as the couple, but it was a little messy. A blond mustache adorned his face as he approached the pair and grinned mischievously, his red eyes having an ethereal glow.
Both the man and the woman bowed in respect, earning an approving smile from the man.
Suddenly the three people turned their gazes to seemingly nothing, but Ash knew they were looking at him. The girl smiled fondly, the younger man had a slight smile on his face, while the larger, older man wearing his suit smirked as he said something that made Ash's eyes widen.
"Very soon you will be reunited with your true family…my dear son."
That was the last thing Ash noticed in his vision before he lost consciousness.
Leaf struggled to bring Ash, who was now heavier from his muscle gain, to the camp while he was unconscious. Not only had he gained mass, he'd also gotten a little taller, now being just a few inches shorter than Brock. His new physique startled everyone, as May looked at him and blushed at the changes in her friend and recent love interest. Her thoughts weren't the least bit innocent, but soon the girl came out of her reverie while everyone was worried about their friend. Her breathing was weak and it scared everyone.
Fearing the worst, Leaf brought Flygon and Pigeot, two flying Pokémon she owned, and split them into two groups. Pigeot accommodated Max, Brock and May, while Flygon would take her and Ash. May thought about protesting Leaf being with Ash on the trip, but decided against it. The health of the boy she held dear was more important than her jealousy, and soon everyone hurried off to the Terracotta Pokémon Center.
It was a tense four hours into the journey, with Ash's breathing getting weaker and weaker. When they arrived at the Pokémon center, May climbed out of the Pigeot and ran to the front desk, coming shortly afterward with Nurse Joy and a team of first-aid doctors, who quickly placed the poor boy on a stretcher and took him to the ICU. Everyone was worried about their friend's health, and May was the most impacted.
She felt it was her fault for Ash's current situation, and she feared that something bad would happen. Her heart filled with fear and guilt thinking that if anything happened, the last thing Ash would remember of her would be the mean comments she made. When they arrived at the front desk, May sat down in a chair and began to cry softly. The group looked at the girl with mixed feelings, as while Brock and Max went to comfort May, Leaf looked on in doubt as to what to do.
The girl had hurt her friend with her words, but it was obvious that she cared for Ash far more than as a friend. Although Leaf was angry with May, she was also mature enough to know that this was not the time for fights, and surprising everyone, she sat down next to May and hugged her. The girl in the red bandana's eyes widened as she saw Leaf's action, and soon her emotional collapsed. May hugged Leaf as if her life depended on it and burst into tears as she repeatedly apologized.
Leaf stroked her back trying to soothe the poor girl. She might have been resentful of what May had done, but she couldn't bring herself to hate the girl seeing her in this state.
Crises tend to unite even the greatest opposites, and with what happened to Ash, two girls who had a huge appreciation for the same boy came together.
Her love, albeit in different ways, for Ash, was greater than any intrigue between them.
The hours passed slowly for the worried group that looked expectantly at the entrance to the ICU, fearing for Ash's health. Brock was trying to distract Max by talking about food for different types of Pokémon, the younger boy was visibly shaken to be witnessing a situation that had never been in his life before.
Leaf and May started talking about different topics, trying to take their minds off the dire situation they found themselves in. The guilt May felt was eating away at her inside, and while she didn't currently have the opportunity to apologize to Ash, Leaf was a different matter altogether.
"Leaf, I'd like to apologize for what I said to you at camp. I was frustrated you know? Ash is one of the most important people in my life, and since a certain event I..." - the girl blushed and looked at the ground embarrassed, making Leaf raise an eyebrow in doubt, and soon understanding where the girl in front of her wanted to arrive. A mischievous smile crept across her face, she loved teasing material, and here was a gold mine for her.
"Well, who knew my friend would win a girl's heart. Well, you are beautiful, and if you improve your attitude, I have nothing against you." Leaf's comment made May's face almost glow with embarrassment, but Leaf's tone took on a more serious tone, breaking the relaxed atmosphere of the conversation.
"May, I'm going to be honest with you. I'm still angry, not at your obvious antagonism to me, but at the way you spoke to Ash. He's the most selfless, kindest boy I know, and his words hurt May. I saw it in his eyes when he ran into the forest, he felt betrayed. You're very important to him, and it's not me you need to apologize to. I just hope you haven't crossed a line from which there's no turning back." Leaf said in a solemn tone as silence once again settled in the waiting room.
Tears began to form in May's eyes, and she hugged Glaceon, who had jumped into her lap feeling her trainer's anguish.
Pikachu had done something similar to the arctic fox, jumping into Leaf's lap as the girl calmly stroked her ears, trying to calm the poor electric mouse.
May let out a weary sigh and began to caress her old companion, whispering to herself.
"I hope so Leaf. I don't want to have spoiled everything..."
Meanwhile, in the ICU, they tried to save the boy's life, who was rapidly losing his heartbeat. The medical team didn't understand what was happening, the boy had a perfect physique, he was young, apparently he didn't consume alcohol or smoke, no health problems and here he was close to having a cardiac arrest.
While Nurse Joy was in charge of Pokémon, she was still just a nurse. The person in charge of treating humans at the Terracotta Pokémon Center was Doctor Steiner, a man in his mid-50s, with gray hair showing small signs of baldness, wearing a typical doctor's outfit, looking at the newest challenge in his life. career.
The first step in treating a patient with a heart condition was to understand the cause of the problem, and the boy simply had no reason to be in this state. Her blood test showed normal blood oxygen levels, optimal levels of iron and other nutrients needed for her body to function properly.
His physique was impressive for his age, and the boy had no trace of muscle-enhancing drugs, which ruled out the possibility of a steroid overdose. With no apparent injuries or infections, the boy was healthy, but still his breathing and heart rate slowed over the hours.
All through the night and into the early morning, the medical team tried to find a way to help the poor guy, and exhausting their possibilities, Steiner with a weary sigh knew he would have to deliver news that those poor kids weren't prepared for, but it was his work and duty as a doctor to be able to give news, whether good or bad, about his patients.
Nurse Joy took the boy on a stretcher with full life support to try to keep him breathing, towards a recovery room. Seeing her friend in that situation walking down the hall created despair on all her friends' faces, as Leaf cried and May put her hand to her mouth in shock. Ash had been accommodated in a room just down the hall, and Dr. Steiner had joined the group.
Everyone looked at the doctor expectantly, and with a tired look, the doctor did his job.
"First good night everyone, I know it's hard to see a friend in this situation, but know that we've tried everything in our power to help you. Does the boy have any relatives who are his legal guardians? If he does, I recommend you get in touch." The doctor's tone made everyone feel sick, as if something was happening to Ash. Brock as the eldest of the group took the lead and passed the data of Delia Ketchum, his friend's mother, to the doctor. And with a nod, he continued his explanation.
"The patient Ash Ketchum does not present any injuries, presence of harmful substances in his body or diseases, in a simplistic way, his body is perfectly healthy. But his vitals are rapidly deteriorating, we've tried everything to find an explanation, but nothing in current medicine can help your friend, I'm sorry, I've tried my best, but patient Ash Ketchum shouldn't make it through this dawn before he perishes. " As Steiner had a frustrated look on his face and clenched his fist, a silence filled the room.
Brock was in shock, his friend was dying and for the first time, there seemed to be no way to save him. Ash had been through life-threatening situations several times, hell, he literally died in one of them, and now hearing from a doctor that Ash wouldn't survive until the end of this morning, tears of sadness and frustration welled up on the normally composed young man's face. .
Max started to cry when he heard that his best friend was going to die. Ash was like an older brother to Max, teaching the boy so much about Pokémon, helping him in his difficult times, and even defending him from his sister's wrath when he overreacted to his provocations. The child trembled in fear for his friend, and Brock seeing this hugged Max with pity, trying to calm the young man while also trying to organize his thoughts.
Leaf was crying silently, she couldn't believe what was happening. Her best friend, her brother, who she had just met again after nearly five years, would permanently depart from her life. It wasn't fair, Ash never did anything bad to anyone, he always helped everyone, and what did he get out of it? Nothing, absolutely nothing! It wasn't worth saving the world so many times so you couldn't enjoy your own life in the end. He would never fulfill his dream of being a Pokémon Master, he wouldn't be able to fulfill his ugly promise to her to mentor her, but the worst thing for Leaf was the fact that she would never again have the opportunity to speak to the most important person in her life. life. She had already lost her mother and never knew her father, Ash was all she had besides Professor Oak and now she was losing one more precious person in her life. It just wasn't fair to her.
May froze in shock at the doctor's words, there was no way Ash would die like this, he was too strong for that. She saw her friend and crush survive so much adversity, he even swam to a temple at the bottom of the ocean just to save her, and he lived to tell the tale. The poor girl just couldn't accept that Ash would die in a hospital bed like this.
With tears in her eyes, she ran to the room where Ash was housed, startling Nurse Joy who was leaving the room. May looked for her friend and froze at what she saw.
Ash was lying there, with IVs in his veins, a machine analyzing his heart rate and a machine artificially working his lungs. The scene broke the girl's heart, and slowly she approached with tears streaming down her face.
When she reached the side of the gurney, she took one of Ash's hands and began to stroke it slowly, while looking at the unconscious boy.
"Ash, I'm sorry for what I did, I don't know what got into me, but seeing you paying so much attention to Leaf just gnawed at me inside, you're so important to me, you're the one who taught me how to be a coordinator, made me learn to love Pokémon, saved me countless times, and showed me wonderful things on our journey." As she spoke, May increased the volume of her crying and with her other hand, caressed the boy's face tenderly.
"Since you saved me in the sea temple, I started to see you in a new light. You are kind, selfless, loyal, and I even started to think you were beautiful." A dry laugh came out of the girl as she couldn't control her emotions.
Looking at Ash with a mixture of fear, anguish and affection, she held him as if he was going to disappear at any moment. "I got closer to you, and when Leaf showed up, I felt like you were replacing me with another girl, and that hurt me so much Ash. My jealousy turned to anger and look where that got us. Ash, you're too important in my life, I love you so please I beg you, come back to me, to our friends, to your mother, don't give up, you're stronger than this, please Ash, don't me leave, I can't bear to live knowing that your last memory of me will be our fight, please Ash…" All of May's feelings spilled over as she hugged Ash's torso as she cried.
While the girl was talking to her unconscious friend and crush, the group had entered the room to follow her, and when they heard May talking to Ash, they decided not to interrupt. Seeing the girl declaring her love for the normally dense boy shocked everyone except Leaf who already knew about the girl's feelings.
Brock had always thought Ash and May were close, and in the last few days he'd noticed that they'd grown even closer to each other. He suspected that something like this could happen in the future, but he didn't expect May to express his feelings in this way. If it weren't for the morbid moment they were in, he would be congratulating his friend on her courage.
Max still didn't understand about things like love, but he saw that his sister cared a lot about his friend.
Leaf though sad, had a slight smile on her face. She knew how difficult it was to say what May revealed to the person she loved, it was a challenge for any girl and a spark of respect rose in her heart for May.
Pikachu slowly walked towards his unconscious trainer, and when he got close, he jumped on the stretcher, walking towards his trainer's face, catching everyone's attention and May hugging Ash. The girl in the red bandana looked at her crush's main Pokémon doubtfully. Pikachu looked at her and for a moment considered throwing a thunderbolt at the girl who had been the trigger for his friend's situation, but then backed off from that idea. He knew how much Ash appreciated the girl, and the Pokémon could see the pain and regret in May's eyes, that was punishment enough.
Pikachu rubbed his cheek against May's arm and moved towards Ash's face. He looked up and with tears in his eyes licked his trainer's face in an attempt to wake him up. This scene again broke the hearts of everyone in the room, seeing the Pokémon trying to wake up its trainer. Everyone knew about the connection between Ash and Pikachu and feared for the yellow rat if Ash really perished.
Hours passed and Ash's vital signs grew weaker and weaker, much to the terror of everyone present, and the group knew that the fateful moment was coming. Brock had called Delia to report what had happened, and the poor woman had passed out in shock. So Brock called Professor Oak to report the situation, and even with shock in his eyes, the old Pokémon Professor ran to the Ketchum residence to help the poor mother.
All that was left for everyone was to prepare for the worst, and try to enjoy their friend's last moments among the living.
Meanwhile, a huge airship-shaped ship, so large that it resembled a castle, soared high in the skies of Kanto. Sky Noah was a marvel of human engineering, fueled with a nuclear reactor, she basically never needed to land, always being in the skies.
This was the property of the infamous criminal underworld lord of arms, Rugal Bernstain. The man who was well past forty still had a jovial and intimidating face as he stood in his office approving the latest shipment of orders made by a mercenary working in Sinnoh, his name was Hunter J or something, he didn't care , he had many customers.
Finishing with approving the orders, he looked at a small portrait on his desk of a young woman with brown hair that was falling down her shoulders and back, wearing a pink summer outfit while Rugal himself a few years younger, wearing a casual, unusual for his character, he hugged the woman with a smile on his face.
On the man's lap was a young black haired boy with fluffy cheeks and smiling innocently. A sad smile appeared on the man's face as he looked at the portrait.
"It's been 11 years since I left you, Delia, Ash. Sometimes I wonder if it was worth conquering so much money and power, if I can't be with the ones I love. I have Adheleid and Rose here with me, but I'd like to have the rest of my family here with me. I know I lived a double life, I kept two families at the same time, but after Catherine's death, all I have left are my two children from this relationship, our blood brings us great power but it transforms us, I was not always a lord of crime, and look where I am now. If only I..." Rugal's eyes widened when he felt a strong pulse of energy, he knew very well what kind of energy it was, and quickly ran to the control room of the huge ship.
Sky Noah's entire operations system was controlled by an Artificial Intelligence, so human handling was never required. But the command room was not for piloting, but for drawing up action plans when it was necessary to carry out some mission or urgent request for a VIP client. Rugal's employees ran busy through the corridors, stopping to greet him whenever they saw him. But the man had no time for formalities, and as he entered the room, he asked everyone to leave with a tone of finality.
Soon he was alone, or so he thought, for sitting in front of a computer was his son, Adheleid.
The young man appeared to be about 17 years old, with blond hair similar to his father, the red eyes characteristic of the Bernstein family, and dressed in luxurious and absurdly expensive clothes, consisting of a green tank top glued to his defined body, black gloves with golden details. Suspenders with gold accents, green pants and polished black dress shoes. At his waist a belt held his pants while gold laces were at his sides.
The young man without looking at his father, spoke as he fiercely typed on his typewriter. "I see you felt the energy too, Dad. I've already plotted the coordinates of his current location, as he continues to wildly pulse the latent energy in his body, even if now in smaller amounts, and Dad, I think you'll be pleased to know who it is." Adheleid got up and called Rugal to look at the computer screen, and his eyes widened when he saw a boy being taken to a Pokémon center in Terracotta, if the radar was correct.
His surprise was not at the boy's physical size or his energy, after all, if he had the same latent power as his family, having a body prepared for combat was natural. What shocked him was the fact that he instantly recognized who the boy was. His wineglass in his hand fell to the floor, shattering and startling Adheleid, and when the young man looked at his father, his eyes widened as he saw a scene he thought was impossible.
His father was crying, the great Rugal Bernstain, the devil in human skin, considered one of, if not the most dangerous man in the criminal underworld and war trade magnate, was crying. He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming, and worried, he turned to his father.
"Dad, you're fine, I've never seen you act like this before." Said Adheleid worried, Rugal looked at his son and composed himself, wiping his tears with a handkerchief embroidered in gold in the pocket of his red suit, and smiled at his son. It wasn't the smirk his father wore before he performed some act to harm his enemies, nor was it the smile he wore when he had the opportunity to participate in a fight, but a serene smile Adheleid couldn't remember seeing before.
Rugal placed his left arm on Adheleid's shoulder and said calmly. "Adheleid, go talk to Rose, we have an urgent trip to Terracotta. Don't be late, I will request a helicopter from the Sky Noah hangar and a team of our best elite soldiers." As Rugal spoke, Adheleid was shocked again, his father was moving his best soldiers to a small town in the far reaches of Kanto, but he had learned never to go against his will, his father did not become a crime lord lavishing compassion, he was brutal when wanted and Adheleid didn't want to be on her bad side.
Nodding to his father, and with practiced grace, he bowed to his father and headed for the control room exit, and before Adheleid went out into the hallway, a sentence from his father made him widen his eyes.
"Adheleid, my son, today is a joyful day for our family. After 11 long years, our family is finally closer to being complete. Your little brother has awakened his powers, it's time to bring him home. Go talk to your sister, we have a member of our family to rescue." And with that Rugal turned his attention to Sky Noah's communicators, making contact with the Helipad in the hangar of the huge ship.
Adheleid was in shock, and soon a determined smile appeared on her face. He knew Rose would be ecstatic with joy upon receiving the news and quickly hurried to the quarters of his esteemed sister, who as usual was practicing at her piano while dressing like a princess.
Two pairs of red eyes stared at each other, and the music stopped. Rose rose from her seats and with practiced grace, bowed to her brother and smiled serenely at Adheleid.
"Dear brother, to what do I owe the joy of your visit? He was practicing my newest composition for when someone all dared to challenge him." Rose had adopted a cruel look on her face as she smirked at her comment. Adheleid sighed and brought his hand to the back of her neck, scratching her head shyly. He loved his sister, but she had pulled too much of her father's sadistic side for her own good.
Returning to her focus, Adheleid quickly caught her sister's attention. "Father requested us for an emergency trip to Terracotta in Kanto, he is moving his elite men for our and our target's safety. As she said that, Rose's eyes widened and then a look of interest came into her eyes. Was her father personally going on a mission, and with his elite? Something big was happening, and a life on Sky Noah, while luxurious, was boring, so something new happening always excited her.
With interest in her gaze she asked her brother. "And may I know what motivates our esteemed father to personally go on a mission?" Adheleid smiled at her sister and the joy in her voice informed her of the best news her family had received in years.
"My beloved sister, today is a cause for celebration in our family as one of our own will return home. Our little brother, Ash Bernstein, has awakened his powers, and our father will bring him to our humble abode." As she said those words, Rose brought her hands to her mouth in shock, and tears welling up on her face, she hugged her brother and practically ran out of the room, going against her normal personality of an unwavering lady.
She looked at Adheleid and the rush in her voice called out to him. "What are you waiting for, my little brother is alone around filthy commoners and as his dear sister he doesn't know yet, it's my duty to bring him and take care of him while he's with us here at home, come on Adheleid, hurry up or I I'll tell Dad you're disobeying his orders." As Adheleid swallowed hard at her sister's last comment, a serene smile soon appeared on his face. His family was getting together, and he understood his sister's excitement.
At a slower pace, he walked towards the hangar, as his father was waiting for them to make the trip.
With a determined gaze, Adheleid looked up at the blue sky as he reached the top of Sky Noah. Winds made his blond hair sway as he swore to himself that he would bring his brother home safely.
Family meant everything to him, and blood of his blood had been alone long enough, it was time for his esteemed little brother to come home.
It was five o'clock in the morning when Ash's vitals began to waver, to the horror of everyone present. Doctors and nurses rushed in trying to stabilize the boy, and soon the heart rate sensor went silent, signaling that the boy's heart had stopped.
One of the nurses took May and Pikachu against their will from the boy while Dr. Steiner took a defibrillator and applied the electrical charge to his patient's chest, causing Ash's body to bow in shock, then fall back onto the gurney. The process continued for two minutes as May cried intensely while trembling in fear. Leaf hugged her as she also cried, Max made low crying sounds while Brock held him looking anguished at his friend.
After a few more tries, Steiner stopped and with a nod from his assistants, he let out a weary sigh and glanced at his watch.
"Time of death, 5:23 am, turn off the devices and bring me the death form." Steiner maintained a nonchalant tone as he focused on recording his patient's death.
The doctor's words made despair take over the group of friends. Brock was forced to send Pikachu into Ash's Poké Ball against Ash's wishes when the Electric Pokémon started generating electricity, thinking about using a Thunderbolt on his trainer to try to wake him up. Max hugged Brock while crying into his chest, Leaf put her hands to her mouth seeing her friend passed out.
And May had lost the strength in her legs, falling to the floor on her knees. Ash, his friend, mentor and lover, had passed away. She brought her hands to her chest and screamed in agony, making everyone in the room shiver as they looked pityingly at the young woman.
She had lost the person who had quickly become the most important person in her life, her world, an agonizing pain in her heart. At the thought of Ash dying thinking she hated him, a lump formed in her throat. She didn't want to live, he was her world, her love, without him nothing mattered, May wanted to be with Ash wherever she wanted him to be, whether in hell, heaven or even another life. She slowly stood up and staggeringly walked over to the body of the person she held so dear, and held her hand as she caressed the face of the boy she loved.
"Ash, stop playing around, come back to me, please. I don't know what I'm going to do without you, I would trade anything, my career, my talent as a coordinator, even my own life, if it was enough to bring you back. You are everything to me, without you in my life I don't know what I'm going to do." May hugged him and cried desperately into his chest as the medical staff left the room in a sign of respect.
Glaceon, the faithful Pokémon of the girl who was crying over her loss, approached her with her ears drooping, and rubbed her body on May's legs trying to get her attention. May returned her attention to her Pokémon and gently picked it up in her lap. Glaceon jumped on Ash's chest and licked his cheek as he nuzzled the boy's face. Crying silently, May petted her Pokémon.
"You liked him too, didn't you Glaceon? He helped me raise you even before you hatched from your egg as an Eeve." May's voice broke as she hugged her mate, crying silently. "Just like me, you're going to miss Ash, aren't you? It hurts so much Glace, I don't know what I'm going to do now." While May and the others mourned the painful loss, two military helicopters landed in front of the Pokémon center, and quickly ten heavily armed soldiers ran out and entered the Pokémon center, causing panic to everyone present. In another helicopter, three people got out, these easily detaching themselves from the soldiers.
The first was Adheleid, who gracefully jumped to the ground and held out her hand to help Rose down, which her sister happily accepted. The sibling couple stood side by side while their father, Rugal, finished talking to the pilot of his helicopter and joined his children.
With a determined look the imposing man entered the Pokémon center with soldiers saluting and guarding the perimeter, with Adheleid and Rose close behind.
The screams reached the ears of the group in Ash's room, and they were soon startled when three heavily armed soldiers entered with weapons drawn and pointed at everyone.
One of them violently pushed May away from Ash while pointing his gun at her, causing the girl to look in horror and fear. The other two soldiers guarded the perimeter of the room as they aimed their weapons. One of them looked at the teenagers and with an authoritative voice showed his intentions.
"Do not make any suspicious moves, I am authorized to use lethal force if necessary. No one approaches Mister Ash without authorization from our commander." Everyone looked surprised at the way the soldier was addressing Ash, and then footsteps were heard in the hallway. Not long after, a certain trio of beautifully dressed blondes entered the room.
Rose looked and when she saw her brother lying on the gurney, she ran to his side and hugged him as she spoke with indignation.
"How dare you leave my dear brother in this plebeian dump, Father, let's go home immediately, breathe the same air that these poor pathetics are doing harm to my brother!" Rose spoke with a demanding tone while Rugal smiled at his daughter's actions, sometimes she reminded him of more of himself for his own good.
Adheleid, being the most composed and sociable of the three, looked around the room and approached, bowing slightly as he introduced himself.
"Forgive my sister's comments, but we are ecstatic to find our lost brother after so many years. My name is Adheleid Bernstein, eldest son of the esteemed Bernstein lineage." As she introduced herself with practiced ease, Leaf's eyes widened when she heard the boy's last name.
"Bernstein? The only one I know of with that last name is…" Shock set in when she understood what it was all about. Rugal looked at the girl with curiosity, and after some time he recognized her and approached her.
Leaf looked at the huge man with the mustache and tensed, while Rugal smiled amused at her reaction.
"Leaf, look how you've grown. That chubby, wide-cheeked girl turned into a beautiful lady from what I can see, your mother must be proud of you." Leaf's look of shock turned to sadness as she looked down. "My mother passed away a few years ago Rugal, but that doesn't justify why you show up after so many years, how dare you show up now that Ash is dead? You know how much he suffered because of him, Delia and he almost got your house to live in, they went hungry several times while you disappeared without justification! You have no right to show up and pretend that everything is normal." Her comment made the soldiers threaten to open fire out of such disrespect to their commander, but Rugal raised his hand to stop them.
He ignored the girl's comment and approached his son, and when looking at the boy lying down, a mischievous smile appeared on his face.
"Is Ash dead? There is, as if something like that is enough to stop a Bernstein from continuing to breathe. All he needs is a little stimulation." After saying this, a red energy appeared in Rugal's hand, surprising Leaf as it was the same color as the energy that surrounded Ash. The blond haired man raised his fist and shoved his hand forcefully into Ash's chest, causing the boy to widen his red eyes at the check of everyone in the room.
Ash coughed as he held his chest, he breathed in quickly and looked around the room quickly. He recognized Leaf, May, Max and Brock, even Glaceon who was in May's arms was present. Then he noticed the armed men around him and tilted his head in confusion, but when his eyes connected with the man in front of him, he opened his mouth in shock as he spoke in disbelief.
"Dad?" Said Ash in a whisper, Rugal smiled and nodded. He looked at his youngest son and spoke to the boy after 11 long years.
"My son, I am glad to see that you have finally awakened your heritage. I know it's all very confusing, you must have felt incredible strength when you awakened your strength, and in case you were wondering, your physique and height are fruits of your power, the blood of warriors flows in the veins of our Ash family, and now you too are a purebred Bernstein." While Rugal spoke excitedly, Rose approached her brother again and looked at him with affection, to the confusion of the boy who had never met the beautiful woman.
She reached out and caressed Ash's face, much to the shock of everyone in the room and jealousy of a certain brown haired girl.
"Ash, my dear little brother, after so many years, we finally met. I am Rose, your sister and I assure you that you will never be alone again." After uttering this sentence, she hugged Ash affectionately, who was now sitting on the gurney, and the still confused boy reciprocated, feeling comfortable with the contact. After a long minute, they parted, and Adheleid approached her, bowing and extending her hand in greeting, which Ash reluctantly accepted. The blond haired young man smiled at his little brother's confusion and introduced himself.
"My dear brother, I am Adheleid Bernstein, eldest son of our esteemed family. You don't know how happy I am to finally meet you, I will make sure to organize a party to honor your return to our home." Ash was confused by the comment.
"House? But I already have a house in Pallet with my mother, and I was going back there when I arrived in Terracotta." Rugal smiled and ruffled the boy's hair, to Ash's discomfort. "Foolish boy, you are at the Terracotta Pokémon Center, and about your house, don't worry, I will visit your mother soon, I have unfinished business to attend to. But for now, you will come back with us, we have been apart for too long and now that you have awakened your lineage, it is dangerous to be without guidance." As he spoke, everyone knew that Rugal wasn't giving him a choice. While most were surprised by the man's statement, May protested.
"You're not taking Ash anywhere, he's going home with me and..." She stopped when she saw the hateful gaze of the boy she loved in her direction, and her heart sank at the sight of it. She tried to get closer, but one of the soldiers stopped her.
Ash remembered May's comments, and she had hurt him fundamentally. She was the most important person to him, Ash wasn't as dense as everyone thought, he had come to see the girl as something more than just a friend, but after the way he treated Leaf, and the mean comments made to him, Ash didn't want to be around the girl, she had hurt him and he wanted distance to organize his thoughts. He was still confused by the fact that his father showed up with two brothers he had never met, and the fact that Rugal said he would talk to his mother encouraged him, finally his family could be together again. Ash was still hurt by his father, but his excitement overcame his fear.
"Dad, when are we going home?" he asked excitedly, which earned smiles from the blonde trio and incredulous looks from his friends.
"Now my son. Adheleid, help your brother to our helicopter, we're on our way. The local police force should already be on its way, I don't want to have any unnecessary problems."
His eldest son agreed and helped Ash to his feet and slowly the newly gathered family headed for the exit, with soldiers escorting them. May stepped in front of the exit, causing the three soldiers to point their weapons in threat.
The girl ignored it and looked at Ash. "You can't be serious about going with these freaks, ASh, look around, they have armed people at their command, they're not trustworthy people, you didn't even ask about your Pokemon, what the hell happened to you?" Ash looked indifferently and asked his brother to continue his stride, making everyone pass for a shocked May.
As they leave, she can hear Ash talking in the background, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Who cares about Pokémon, if you want you can have mine, Adheleid, let's get out of here I'm very confused and I don't want to deal with ungrateful and fake people." Said Ash, obviously giving a hint to May, who came out of the shock of Ash not caring about his Pokémon and felt hurt by the boy she loved's comment. And helplessly, she watched the soldiers escorting her crush family as they left the Pokémon center.
When the sound of helicopter rotors was heard, the group ran only to see that the soldiers, Ash, Rugal and Rose were gone.
May started to cry as she looked at the helicopters disappearing in the distance in the sky.
Ash, the selfless boy who shaped her into the coordinator she was today, now hated her, and had abandoned both her, her friends and Pokémon.
She was shaken, but her passion was alive and that was more than enough motivation. Did he hate her? Alright, she just needed to earn his trust again.
She loved that stupid boy and would go to the ends of the earth to get him back.