Ch 11 Night of Truths
Ash was leaning against the doors of the elevator as a slowly went down from the headmaster's office. He was thinking to himself why didn't he open up more with his uncle what questions could he ask about his mother questions you never got to ask questions, regret not saying he closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead he knew why you just too afraid. Fear was always something he dealt with since his mother's passing. Fear of loss, Misty and her sisters tried to help when they adopted him encouraging him to speak his mind and not the bottle it up.
But ever since coming to Beacon Academy he felt like he was back at square one. Frustrated by his own fears he punched the wall making a massive Dent as the elevator shook from the shock. Accursed to himself as he removed his fist tiny drops of blood dripped down to the floor. He took out a special handkerchief the one Misty gave to him on his 14th birthday and wrap it around his hand. When he was done he couldn't help but stare thinking back to the time when it was the two of them and Brock traveling together learning about Pokémon and discovering new ways to battle.
Simpler times.
He clenched his hand into a fist holding handkerchief tightly, he wasn't going to let fear take hold of him but he couldn't tell everyone everything at once it would be too much for them and for himself. Making his way back to the dorm room he thought of each of the girls in his team.
Ruby was definitely a reflection of his past life energetic stubborn always striving to be the best she could be.
Weiss very intelligent very Stern and rule-driven but had a kindness to her and the defiance but not being limited to what she could be.
Blake The Mystery of her and the wait she seemed very similar to himself in his mind. But she also had special charm about her probably the cat ears he thought.
Finally Yang she was definitely more mature than her half-sister confident both in her personality and her body the way she flaunted it when they were paired up.
'I wonder if she does that on purpose or is that just her natural characteristic.'
He let out a sigh and decided to sit back against a tree outside near the dorm room he could see the light on where Team Ruby was resting he could use his Aura to listen in on them but that would be rude. Then one of his pokeballs opened up and Lucario stood Beside him.
"Master you seem very troubled this night was the dinner with your uncle unpleasant?" Ash smiled at his friend and said "no it's more on the lines whether or not to open myself up to who I am truly."
"Master I do not think you should clarify yourself as a monster."
Ash lost his smile and tightened his chin "What I did that day is monstrous nothing can justify that."
"Even though he might have deserved it."
Ash glanced over at Lucario both eyes Sharp stared hard and long at each other in a way trying to convince the other. Ash closed his eyes and conceited "I don't like that part of me but it's a part of me that I cannot deny."
Lucario sat down next to his master sighing to himself "I'm not asking you to deny yourself you one must accept that this something you have in your life. But you need to be careful on how you present it you just can't tell them in a way that makes you the villain already. I can feel that that's what you want to do to push them away."
Ash stood up and walked ahead a few paces he looked up at the stars as Lucario continued "your sisters accepted you when you told them what makes you think that they are no different? Isn't this what they want for you? Life with friends once again. Life on this island continent is like a whole new world than the one we are accustomed to."
Ash still stared out into space Lucario continued "This entire part of the planet has been quarantined for decades even when you became Pokemon Master they were many dark stories and rumors that would come from here. You saw for yourself when you saw the Grimm. The people here have to fight off these kinds of monsters in a life-and-death situation and sometimes they have to make the hard choices in order to keep going."
Ash look back at his friend "How does that justify what I done?!"
"What do you mean Ash?"
He froze when he heard the Young voice... he slowly turned and saw Ruby nearby in her pajamas behind her was Blake Yang and Weiss. All in their pajamas to.
"We heard you talking we tried calling out to you from the window but you weren't paying attention" said Weiss.
"So Ruby decided to go down invite you to come up but I see that there's more going on then we realized." Blake added folding her arms.
Ash mentally kicked himself and glared at Lucario who just Shrugged his shoulders at his master. Ash let out a deep sigh and said "there are some things I haven't told you about myself some pretty dark and twisted things in my past."
Ruby walked up to him slowly and reached out to hold his hand she held it but he did not let her. She frowned and looked up at him and said in a calm quiet voice "whatever it is we can help you even if it's something from your past maybe we can help or at least understand."
Ash looked at her Silver Eyes entranced by their beauty as a reflected the Stars but that the innocence in her voice the truth of she really wanted to help him it's almost like a dagger into it is cold exterior.
He says "fine you really want to know."
They nodded and gathered around him he leaned back against a tree and Pikachu popped out of his pokeball now as he sat on his lap rubbing his head against his stomach and comfort and support. From this Ash smiled and rubbed his ears then Pikachu hopped over to Blake and nuzzled inside her lap and the cat faunus couldn't help but drool a little staring at the mouse with mischievous eyes but she freed her focused so her attention on Ash.
"After my mother died I continued becoming a Pokemon trainer but I was very serious I no longer wanting to be sidetracked by random Shenanigans but one thing that was constant got my journey what is the involvement of Team Rocket."
"Who was this Team Rocket said Wiess "it sounded like a really bad band or something."
He couldn't help but laugh at that reminding him of their antics "No Team Rocket was a criminal syndicate that operates in kidnapping Pokemon but secretly we're also using genetic experiments on Pokemon to create powerful Pokemon in order for them to create an army. But when I was 13 traveling in the Johto region I discovered one of these Pokemon his name was Mewtwo. He was a clone of a rare legendary Pokemon known as Mew. Mew is rumored to be the ancestor of all Pokemon having all Pokemon genetics tied to it. Also many believed that this Pokemon had tremendous psychic powers. Powerful enough to take down even the strongest of Pokemon with one hit. Mewtwo was supposed to be a more powerful version of Mew but it was used and manipulated by Team Rocket. He rebelled and escaped from one of their labs along with other clone pokemon. I was able to keep him safe and hidden from Team Rocket but he did not trust humans not even me."
"How then did you win it's trust if cared for him?" Ruby asked with some curiosity.
"I healed it's wounds after he had beaten some Drones..." Ash looked down muttering to himself. "He knew i had no interest in him but he threatened to kill me if i was fooling him." Wiess and Ruby flinched at that.
"Now among them there were two members of Team Rocket that used to chase me all the time to try to catch Pikachu apparently because Pikachu was far more powerful than any other Pikachu ever recorded. But they were amateurs and morons most of the time in a way they were more a comical nuisance to me when I started taking Pokemon training more seriously but one day when I was 15 I returned from another tournament and traveling through the forest I had discovered their secret headquarters."
Ash could still see the base in his mind. A strange collection of towers of white steel among the green trees. "In deep in the forest away from any civilization. I snuck in to try to get pictures and information so I could give it to the government officials so they can make arrest and capture Team Rocket and end them once and for all but when I got in there I discovered that it was more horrible than I could ever imagine..." He paused as he was reminded of memories he wanted to keep buried. "the Pokemon that were there were being abused and experiments upon. And those who did not survive or tossed aside.." he paused his eyes filling with tears and anger remembering the image vividly. "But what set me off that day when I heard their boss a businessman named Giovanni to supposedly was the gym leader, I heard him saying that once they were ready they were going to attack cities with their new Pokemon enhancer drug. A drug that was supposed to accelerate Pokemon's abilities and raising their attack power almost tenfold but I heard him saying that they were going to use Cerulean City as their target and I snapped." Ash trembled as he covered his eyes and gritted his teeth. Ruby wanted to comfort him but Lucario raised a paw when she stood up. He shook his head and whispered 'he needs to let this out'
Ash continued still not looking at them "That was where I was living that's where my sisters were.. this man was threatening to take away my family I could not let that happen not when i have the chance to stop it. So, I snapped and I went into a rage."
The girls wondered what he meant by this Yang had an idea but remained quiet about it.
Ash then formed an Aura Sphere showing it off to them.. "Aura users it's a very rare ability where I come from, semblance does not exist outside of this continent so it's probably easy to say the ability to use your aura could be a semblance to some people. But I'm getting off track... Aura users are very rare to use your own life force as a where most people who have aura use it as a healing property but even more rare used as a weapon, but in ancient times there were those who could use in weapons and into battle. When I first studied aura I have learned that there is a very dangerous yet powerful techniques Some were considered unnatural even by Aura users. Other techniques are so horrific that they can cost you your soul."
Team RWBY was in awe of this revelation; his power was truly that powerful. "One such technique known as puppet Frenzy which allows a person to control the aura of others but it drains their Aura to the point where it kills them especially if you yourself using it can't control it properly."
The girls gasped as Ruby now holding Pikachu she says "you know that technique?" Ash was quiet his eyes in under his bangs he looked up his eyes were hard and sharp "I mastered all of them."
The girls flinched is tone with sharper and more Sinister than before dripping with malice. "I used it on those scientists making them fight each other hurting each other as they hurt the Pokemon when they send their agents to stop me I forced them to kill each other I made them my puppets I made them start hurting each other bring their Pokemon but then turning on each other unaware of what was going on or what has happening. Their screams and begging I can still hear it sometimes." Now the girls were feeling uneasy about this. Ash having this much baggage and malice didn't seem to fit his persona or at least what he been showing them.
"Until I finally got to Giovanni I fought him in a traditional Pokemon match but when he tried to escape I grabbed him and threw him across the room attacking him with my own hands I beat him even when he was screaming out for mercy I did not listen I hit harder and even crueler even when a fire broke out and the building started to burn I grabbed him by his neck choking him out clenched his fists as if to demonstrate how he did it to a scientist earlier. I clutched squeezing the life out of him. But I taunted him as well his hands shook a little moving it back resting it on his forehead closing his eyes and gritting his teeth hating the memory hating himself." Ash was gluching at his heart now "I smile loving the way he was begging for mercy how he screamed out that I was a devil but he could see it in my eyes that I was a monster but all i did was laughed saying being hypocritical as he was the one manipulating and hurting Pokemon for his own advantage I used my aura to drain his life until he was nothing more than a corpse in my hand."
The girls were shocked by for the few weeks they had known him he didn't seem like the man he was describing. Lucario seemed solemn faced "Then the base exploded the fire apparently reached one of the fuel tanks at the bottom of the base the explosion destroyed the facility and everything in it. I use my aura to protect me but after the adrenaline wear it off after the anger finally subsided I hated myself I vomited at the guilt that was clutching me I took an entire year off of Pokemon training horrified by my actions I even turned myself in to the G-men the international police force but they didn't arrest me because there were no evidence tying me to the facility even though I gave great detail of my account they couldn't legally arrest me on any charges but they kept an eye on me for a while seeing if I would do this kind of act again but I was too afraid of myself too afraid of the monster I created inside my soul that I could become such a monster." Ash was weeping now "Why did I live on, I become just like them a monster that needs to be put down..?"
Ruby stood up suddenly and slapped Ash hard. He was shocked as she stood above him "That's enough! You are not a monster"
he looked up in Surprise "the Ash I see before me is no monster, true I have no idea what happened that day but I can look at you and say with confidence that you are no monster. You regreted your actions that day and It still seems to haunt you. No monster would find gilt in what he did. You are my friend Ash Ketchum and I will not accept you calling yourself a monster."
"But Ruby.."
"no buts Ash have you ever done something like that since?" He shook his head no he did use his powers to stop criminals but he never ever killed or even hurt people like that again. She smirks saying "There you go you are not that person did you lose control probably but you saw what happened when you did and try to be better and you are better can you not see that in yourself."
Staring at her the bewildered by her outburst. He looked away saying Ruby "you don't understand this kind of power"
she says "Nope I do not but I do know my friend and I know we can get you to master it and become a better person from it."
He was silent but smiled "you're as stubborn as I was when I was your age."
"Well I think they got what they deserved though I don't agree how they got it" Weiss chimed in Ashh turned towards her she looked away closing her eyes being smug "I didn't realize you could have such a temper but I can tell that your heart was in the proper place I don't know if I would have done anything different if someone was trying to attack my family."
Blake said next "I understand trying to stop someone who enjoys hurting others when I was with the White Fang I knew people who just wanted to hurt humans because of what they had been through some just wanted to hurt people because it was easy better and taking responsibility or being the better person."
Yang joined in "I know it's hard to control your power especially when you're very new to it."
he said "I wasn't a novice when it happened though I never really put my aura into practice like that since."
she says "there you go you were a novice in fighting. That's when you started training to use your aura properly and with restraint." he nodded his head an acknowledgement "you've been thinking about it for a long time, haven't you?"
Ash says "I've thought about that moment every day since I've kept it for two years the guilt that's what I done I didn't know the backstory you're the history have some of those people or if they were truly bad or just kids who were looking for a place to belong I was just so angry that day that I left my power control me and I'd never want to do that again."
The girls all stood up and helped him stand up saying "then we're going to help you train so you will never lose control again" Ruby smiled "and we're not afraid of you because we know who you are here.." she poked his chest "and I am always right when it comes to knowing people." She beamed that him "you Ash Ketchum are a good person." he stared at her and bewilderment he couldn't help it start laughing a true heartfelt laugh the other girl started to laugh too Lucario smiled he hadn't heard his master laugh ever not once since becoming his Pokemon 'maybe with them Master' he thought 'he'll be able to laugh like that more often'
Next Chapter 12 Dancing and Sabotage