Chapter 2
"Light"
I could have destroyed Mewtwo then and there, but something stopped me…Maybe it was that……that…friendship……that we had developed……Whatever it was…it was one of my mistakes. By letting Mewtwo go free, he was able to gain the assistance, if not the trust, of the true Mews, excluding Nekiro and myself…
* * *
I fled the small clearing, leaving Mewtwo and Nekiro behind. I headed home, to Pallet Town…I didn't know what I was planning to do once I got there, but I felt the need to return.
I felt a slight presence behind me and glanced back. Nekiro was following closely behind. There was something different about him though…a sadness in his eyes…
Ash……what are you doing…? he asked so softly.
I glared at him. It wasn't his business to worry about me. I didn't know why he was always trying to make it his business. He should know better and just leave me alone.
I decided to ignore him.
I could see Pallet Town in the distance…My home…
A human town? That's where you live? Are you crazy?
I shook those thoughts out of my head.
Of course that's where I live. That's where I was born and have lived all my life…
…You've changed, young one…
That strange voice caught me off guard and I practically skidded to a stop. I glanced all about me for the source of the voice. Nekiro stopped beside me in confusion.
What's wrong, Ash? he asked.
Shut up, I snapped.
Wha…!?
I could feel his dejection…but I had no time to worry about him.
Who are you!? I demanded to the new voice, Show yourself!
I felt a swelling in temperature…Something was approaching.
…Very well then, Ashura.
From out of nowhere, a huge bird of fire and brilliant colors appeared before me. The light that shone from its feathers was almost blinding.
…Ho-oh… Nekiro whispered.
I glanced at him and saw that he had his head bowed down in reverence. I looked back at the bird…It was beautiful, really…It was as if he brilliance of the sun and the beauty of a rainbow had been molded together to form a single awesome creature that lived and breathed like everyone else.
The air surrounding the bird shimmered in the heat and the light, but I stayed steady and focused on the bird.
……Haven't I seen you before? I asked.
I felt it smile at me.
Indeed, we have, Ashura. I still remember that day when you first left Pallet…A beautiful day, indeed.
Yeah right, I scoffed, All that for what? For this? For everything that's happened to me?
Everyone must face their own obstacles, but everyone does need some help along the way as well. I am the guardian of this realm. Since the day you were born, you have been under my protective care…
What!!? You mean all this time, you-!!??
Don't be angry at me, Ashura. I was only doing my duty.
You and your duty, I muttered, Listen to you! You sound just like Nekiro!
Nekiro stared at me at the mention of his name.
You're all trying to protect me! Don't you get it? I don't need your help! I can make my own way! I don't need you!!
Ho-oh shook her head slowly. Please don't misunderstand me, Ashura. It's not just you that I am protecting……As you know, not too far from Pallet Town there is a ruin that modern humans have named Pokémopolitis. That was a sacred realm in its time, and I reside not far from there. I protect all that surrounds me. Today, Pallet Town is the city of which I guard…That you came from there, and also evolved into the most powerful being that I know of, isn't mere coincidence.
So you're saying that this was planned all along?
No, Ashura……It could have been anyone that reached the point where you are now……or it could have been no one at all. There are always two possibilities…You might even call them backups of each other.
You see, we knew since the end of the Great War that a Dark Mew would come into existance some time in the distant future…We also knew that there was a possibility that the Dark Mew could be stopped before it could begin to destroy the planet and its inhabitants. This effort would have to come from a "pure one"…
There are many definitions of "pure". We didn't know exactly which one was meant by the prophecy. Like all things……only time could tell.
…Since that time, I have been monitoring everyone from Pallet Town, looking for the possible "pure one", and even the Dark Mew. When you and the other four trainers left Pallet Town last year, I could feel that your heart was powerful, and I also felt Gary's strong will to succeed. Both were equal in strength. I gave you both an extra consideration of how powerful you would turn out to be. At the time, the prophecy could end up in any form, but I knew at least one of you would be involved…somehow…
Gary…
I felt the anger boil up inside of me. Once again, it was Gary who had equaled me. It was Gary who had been in the spotlight. It was Gary…who had once been my friend…It was Gary……who betrayed me……
……It's obvious now who plays the biggest role in all of this, Ho-oh continued, ……but which role you play……
Ho-oh trailed off and peered down at me…looking inside of me……where she had no business to be looking.
…Is it really that hard to figure out? I asked coldly.
She seemed to sigh. …It's harder than you can imagine, Ashura. I can feel a strong change inside of you…but you are still Ashura Ketchum…the boy from Pallet Town……the Indigo League champion………a small Pikachu's best friend…
Ho-oh looked into my eyes, and I stared right back at hers. They were soft and brown, a contrast to the rest of her fiery body.
Let me go home.
Ho-oh blinked at me in surprise. Is that all you want?
Yes, and you're in my way.
Ho-oh continued to stare at me, trying to figure me out, looking at me from the inside…Then I saw her eyes widen and I knew that she knew.
You are the Dark Mew… she whispered in horror, I didn't want to believe it…
Well, now you know, I replied.
* * *
I don't know for sure where those words were coming from. They were coming from inside me, yes, but it didn't really seem like it was me that was saying them…I call it the Disease…This Disease that has been haunting me ever since I first entered that fog…Or maybe even earlier than that…Maybe it afflicted me that day in the woods…
……Or maybe I'm just making up excuses to ease my conscience……I didn't have a virus swimming around inside of me that day. No one had gone and done anything to my mind……It must have been me…
* * *
I can't allow you to enter Pallet Town then, Ho-oh stated stoically.
……I think you will, I answered.
Ho-oh gave me a strange look…amazement? Fear? One of those…
What do you…?
Move.
But I just told you, I can'-
You can, and you will.
What are you talking about Ashur-
I'd had enough. I shot a Psychic blast straight forward. I didn't even have to aim. Ho-oh was only a few feet away and directly in my path.
Ash! Don't! Nekiro yelled, too late.
A loud, shrieking cry rang through the air, Ho-oh's voice remaining beautiful even in its pain. The bird fell backwards then plummeted towards the earth, gathering speed as she fell. I wasted no time continuing on my way.
Ho-oh!!! Nekiro screamed. For once, he left me alone and dove after the bird.
I hoped that would be the last time I had to blast Ho-oh out of my way. If she had really been telling the truth about protecting me before, then it wouldn't do any good to put her to any real harm.
"…Hooooooo-ooooooohhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!"
From behind me came the screaming cry of an injured pride and body. I glanced back to see Ho-oh rising up to a level height with me. I could see that her eyes no longer were calm and tranquil, but blazed with fury. She let out another cry, no longer using mind-speak, but fueling her animal rage.
She shot towards me faster than anything I'd ever seen before. I Teleported to a spot higher up and watched as she zipped through air. When she realized that she hadn't hit me, she flapped to stop herself then looked up at me again with that same anger.
I thought you were supposed to be protecting me, I chided.
I can do that no longer, she answered, You have become a threat to this land and everyone in it.
With that, she flew up at me again. This time I didn't even have to Teleport to get out of the way.
When she was above me again, she glared down at me and I saw a ball of fire begin to appear before her. As I watched, it only got larger and larger, raising the air temperature much higher than it had been before. Finally, it shot straight at me.
I countered with a swift Psychic attack that burrowed through the flame and dispersed it, then hit the unprepared bird of light. Ho-oh was wracked with the painfulness of the attack, then began to fall again.
Ho-oh! Nekiro yelled again.
I'd almost forgotten about him.
If this is bothering him so much, why doesn't he try to help her?
I didn't want to have to do that, Ho-oh! I called down to her.
My words must have stirred something inside of her, because she rose back up this time rammed me with her beak. Before I could react, she lit her body on fire and me with her. I had to struggle to summon up a small protective shield, but after that I know what I had to do.
Forget the fact that she was supposed to be protecting you. She didn't do a very good job of it, did she? After all, look what happened……And now she's just in the way.
I think she knew what I was planning on doing, because she tried to shake me off, but I clung tight. I reached out with my mind and inflicted upon her as much pain as possible. The fire receded and the natural light that was shining from her feathers dulled as the blue light of Psychic took over.
ASH! What are you doing!!? Stop it!
It's about time he decided to do something…
I ignored him and hit Ho-oh with one last blast as deep within her as I could. The light instantly shut off and she drifted apart from me. As I watched, she began to fall and spiral, plummeting down to earth without moving a muscle. In seconds she crashed to the earth, and still didn't move.
I looked at Nekiro. His mouth was hanging open and he was staring at Ho-oh. I couldn't think of anything to say to him, so I headed to Pallet Town. After all, it would be a waste to have cleared the path but not taken it.
* * *
I've heard that Ho-oh is supposed to be the bird of life, with the ability to revive itself if it passes away…That was the last time I've ever seen it…Maybe that myth wasn't true…