Faith in a Child
Chapter Fifteen: Last Goodbye
Meowth sat up to a ringing sound in his ears. At first he thought it was just his head but it as he stood up he revised that the ringing came from some sort of alarm. Meowth blinked trying to remember what had happened. It had been such a painful kick. It took him a couple of minutes to realize what had happened exactly and that he was alone in the room now.
"Dey left me?" Meowth said hurt in his voice. He sniffed back his tears and blinked.
"Hold up. Dat aint no alarm clock! Maybe dey got captured," Meowth's eyes brightened at this thought, "Now it is up tah Mighty Meowth tah save dem."
Meowth dashed out of the room and down the long corridor without a care in the world. He had just made it to open door that led to Zai's room when he stopped dead.
"You bastard!" Ash's voice rang out.
Meowth blinked. He took a quick peek into the room and saw a lot of black cloaks and feet. Being small had its advantages and disadvantages. He snuck into the room past all the cloaks and into the shadows. He watched Ash who was sitting before a tall man. The twerp was strangely glowing a black color. This freaked Meowth out a bit till he saw Jessie and James.
"What is going on?" Meowth hissed staring at the two best friends he had. They were frozen standing side by side with the other cloaked people.
Then something caught Meowth's eye. It was the stone on top of the tall man's staff.
"I know Jessie and James wanted to be good guys in this mission but I didn't say I had to. That thing has to be worth something," Meowth smiled greedily. He rubbed his hands together and smiled at all the things he could buy.
"But until then..." Meowth receded back into the shadows.
Zai smiled at Ash's insult. Apparently, it hadn't stung as much Ash wanted it to.
"Oh Ash. I never really intended to kill your father. He just got into the way. He saved you that night but…"
"Why were you after me in the first place?" Ash shouted interrupting Zai.
Zai looked a bit taken a back by Ash's sudden question. He smiled and stared as Ash in an amused way.
"I would of thought you would of figured it out by now."
Zai began circling Ash making Ash very nervous.
"Aw. Ashy boy. You have know idea how it is to be alone. It consumes you. It tears you apart and leaves you wanting to die. I was like that all my life. Alone. I had been abandoned at the age of two. My mother left me to die. I have hated humans since. I hated everything.
"You couldn't possibly understand being helpless to the mercy of wilderness and harsh conditions of this world. I wanted power. I wanted people to lie at my feet. Whether they were dead are not did not matter to me. As long as I was more powerful," Zai smiled as if his past was a sweet fairy tale.
Ash didn't say a word. He could believe that Zai wished such horrible things. He grew up in a terrible way. It didn't add up to why he wanted to kill Ash though.
"I slowly gained power. I studied arts of magic. Long forgotten dark arts that humans did not have the capability to work. I was frustrated. I could not work the powers of the arts.
"But one day, it worked. I can't remember the spell… but I cast it. My blood did contain magic! I was so thrilled. I began increasing my power. I stole the lives of others. Their deaths made me more powerful. This was hundreds of years before you were born, Ash. People were stupid. They had only primary weapons made by what they could find. Stones, clubs, sling shots. They were easily defeated."
Ash gritted his teeth. Zai knew that those people were defenseless. He was as worse then anyone Ash had ever met. He cared nothing. He only slaughtered people.
"Back in those times," Zai continued watching Ash with a smirk on his face. "People were rather peaceful. Most of them at least. They interfered with no one else's business. They barely saw anyone outside their village. That's why no one could stop me. No one tried. Nothing like me had ever happened to the world before. They were just hoping I would go away. But I didn't."
Ash clenched his fist; his finger nails digging deep into the palms of his hands.
"I remember one village I attacked. I had just killed everyone in the village except a little girl and her grandma. The grandma was trying to protect her. She screamed and struggled; keeping the child away from me. She told the child to run and turned to me. I remember her last words as if they were my own…
"You fool. That child will be your downfall. Keota! She will lead another- the true Chosen One. Ash Ketchum will crush you," Zai stopped for a moment studying Ash's face. Ash's expression had not changed. He still looked angry.
"That old woman was smart," Ash growled, "You killed her, didn't you?"
Zai grinned, "You know me all too well."
"She was Keota's Grandma! How could you destroy her family?!" Ash screamed in fury. He tried to fight the mist that was holding him down but he was too exhausted.
"You foolish child. That grandma was just another meaningless death. You have no clue how many people claimed someone would be my downfall. That I would not succeed. They were all wrong," Zai grinned taking a seat at his throne. "The pokemon legendaries saw what I was doing a decided to stop me. The people of the planet and the pokemon united in combat with me. By that time I had several followers. I wanted more. I kidnapped children and raised them in the way of the dark arts and then soon I discovered how to use this crystal."
Zai pulled out a beautiful slender crystal. It glowed a bright crimson red in his hands. Ash blinked.
That is the crystal Mew was talking about!
"This crystal was found in a mine by one of my most loyal subjects. Its mysterious power destroyed half the crew. It was carefully brought to me. I learned its power was unlimited. Only ones with magic in their blood can use it or they perish. Just like that crew.
"This crystal is so powerful I couldn't control it. I had to make a staff to control its magnificent force. This staff here," Zai smiled lifting his staff. "It helps me control the power. This crystal gave me everlasting life. I can control people with it. It uncovers they utmost desires and most sincere fears. And turns it against them. It steals their life leaving the rest of them to me."
"Then where does the life go?" Ash asked rashly.
Zai grinned happily, "To the orb."
Ash blinked in puzzlement. Zai grinned once more, "The orb was sort of like a spiritual world that the crystal creates. The life is paced there for all eternity. Don't even think you can save them… But you'll be with them soon."
Ash noticed that the weakening was the aura's doing. Zai was killing him as he talked. But somehow Ash was lasting longer then James and Jessie. Maybe cause his fears and desires we not as easily turned against him.
"The legendary forces did a surprise attack on the tower I made home one unfaithful day. They carried a girl with them. At once I realized she was Keota. The powerful Pokemon tried to protect her. But she would not hear of it. She told them she only need Moltres to fight me.
"They made it to my chamber but I was able to lock Moltres out. Keota fought me. She avoided me, hiding throughout the tower. She managed to steal my crystal. But she couldn't find the way out.
"Moltres kept trying to find her but her attempts were useless. I found her in the orb room. She couldn't break the seal of the orb with the crystal. She had failed the planet. I turned her into my servant," Zai smiled evilly.
"You sick –" Ash almost cursed. Zai grinned happily, "Yes. Let that anger fill you!"
Zai's words struck Ash hard. He regained his calm. Zai only reminded him what Mewtwo had told him only a few hours before.
"Let your heart be the guide. If you cloud up your focus with hate and fear, Zai will win.
Zai frowned as he saw Ash's anger drop. He missed…
"The Pokemon had managed to beat me in one way or another. The pokemon stripped me of my powers. I could no longer hurt this planet. I vowed to return to power. But the pokemon ignored my words. They sentenced me to life on earth as a helpless human. They brain wiped me and sent me to live a solitary life in the mountains. My life could not be destroyed. That is why they did the next best thing.
"One thought never left my head though. Two words, Ash Ketchum. Keota could not be returned to normal as with the others so they imprisoned them in the crystal. The crystal too was hidden. It took me till now to find it. I remember traveling for a clue to why I was cursed with eternal life.
"I found a battle being shown on a TV set in this rundown bar. It showed your father's match. I watched him win the title with little interest. But then… they said his name. Jeffery Ketchum…" Zai smiled even more broadly as Ash cringed, " I knew I had to find you and destroy you till I could remember everything. And then I saw a man with your last name. Maybe… I saw him run to his family. He hugged and kissed one girl. I spotted the ring on her finger. I knew then. This man was married to a girl which name was told to me by the bartender. Delia Ketchum… I knew at an instant. It was their child I must kill. And the boy would be named Ash.
"I had destroy that whole family if I could. Finally you were born. It was all over the news. Pokemon Master's boy was born! I was thrilled. My long wait had come at last… And of course your foolish mother named you Ashton Ketchum. I knew now that my search had ended. It took me a long time to find you. You were already three. You had gone on a outing with your father one night. To the pokemon stadium…" Zai's voice trailed off.
Ash remembered now…
Ash skipped happily along, trying to keep up with his father's long strives.
He had taken them to the Indigo Pokemon Stadium. Ash loved it here. His father would always tell him of the many battles and fight fought here. Ash loved it a night the most. He and his dad would sit in the bleachers looking down to the stadium that gleamed in the twilight while Jeffery told stories. The stories his Dad told were so vivid that Ash could almost see the battle before him. Almost hear the cheers of the thousands of people.
It was so wonderful to curl up his father's lap and fall asleep listening to his voice. That was something Ash missed most about his father. His voice.
But today Jeffery was not telling stories. He took Ash out into the middle of the stadium and told him to close his eyes.
"Now don't open them till I tell you," Jeffery smiled.
Ash obeyed giggling with delight.
"Okay. Open them."
Ash opened his eyes to see pokeball in his hands. Ash blinked.
"What? This is just a ordinary pokeball."
Jeffery smiled at his son's disappointment. He placed a hand over his son's and smiled, "It's warm…"
Ash blinked. Jeffery continued, "There is pokemon in there. A pokemon that can feel, think, hear, and act…"
"Like us?" Ash interrupted.
"Yes. Pokemon need us as friends. Not as masters. When you look at this ball what do you see?" Jeffery asked wisely.
"A red and white ball…"
"No.."
"A round red and white ball…"
Jeffery laughed. His laughter made Ash smile.
"No. Ash this is a device used to contain pokemon. When this ball hits the pokemon its yours… all because this ball says so."
Ash blinked again. This was one of the most confusing discussions Ash had ever listened to. Even more confusing then the birds and the bees.
"What I am trying to tell you is that pokeballs may say the pokemon is your but pokemon are alive. They are warm. They live. Humans must never claim a pokemon. They must become friends first," Jeffery smiled.
Ash nodded slowly getting the point.
"Okay… But my tummy hurts," Ash groaned.
"Are you hungry again…"
Ash didn't want to remember what came next. He knew the rest. Zai came running in.
He took out his gun and shot out at him. Jeffery leapt in front of Ash.
He remember briefly of Jeffery laying on the ground rubbing away Ash's tears from his cheeks.
The last words…
He could hear them now. Before his sobs and Zai taunt drowned out what his father tried to tell him.
But now...
"Ash. Don't cry. I may leave but you must go on Ash."
He finally knew what his father and Mew meant. He couldn't dwell on his friends. He couldn't blame himself anymore.
Ash looked up at Zai. He was laughing. His plan was working so far. But his plan had suddenly backfired.
"Zai!" Ash said suddenly and sharply.
Zai turned. His gaze met Ash's. Zai turned pale. Ash's amber eyes were filled with confidence… Ash was no longer afraid. The mist surrounding Ash faded.
"No! Impossible! How could this be happening!" Zai screamed.
Ash slowly rose to his feet his eyes not leaving Zai for a second. A slight smirk appeared on Ash's face, "Impossible things are happening everyday."
To Be Continued…
Please R + R!
Oh yeah! One of my favorite parts! Yeah!