Of Light and Darkness

Scenario 2 - Revival



Chapter 3: Bonds



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"Now that we've grown up together, they're afraid of what they see."

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Friendship.

What exactly is it?

The union between two people from a common interest?

The simplicity of communication between two people?

The ideal of being with one another no matter what the cost?

That sounds like another concept entirely...





Ash, Misty and Brock had just arrived at Pewter City sometime in the evening. The trio had reunited again two days ago, the journey wasn't too demanding on the trio and was in fact almost uneventful. They remembered the times long past, seeming to be almost as if they occured a thousand years ago.

"The place hasn't changed much." Ash noted curiously, expecting it to have grown much more seeing how Pallet had changed from a small nowhere town, known only for Professor Oak to a towering city, known for so much more afterwards.

"Mmm-hmm." Brock nodded. "Yea, surprised, aren't ya?"

"Uhh, Brock, how've your brothers and sisters been anyways?" Misty asked curiously.

"Well, they've grown quite a bit and help me out every now and then at the Gym, and I got them assisting me at my breeding shop, it's made life easier for me on most accounts."

"Well, shouldn't we go in now?" Misty motioned the others into the city, with a elegant turn that sent her long pony tail in a clean, smooth swish. The others followed without a second thought.



=================

S c e n a r i o

Chapter 3 - Bonds

R e v i v a l

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Where's he?

The One?

I sense him.

Maybe I'm just imagining things.

But it feels...

* * *

The trees danced gently with the wind, with the sun as their spotlight, the green leaves followed the winds steps precisely. Meanwhile the clouds sailed slowly yet surely across the heavens, quietly observing the ground below them.

* * *

"Light.." Ash looked up to sky.

"Ash?" Misty looked at him quizically.

"Nothing. Come on, let's go on." Ash continued following Brock's lead.

Misty nodded and followed as well.

* * *

A simple-looking building made of stone stood before the group. It looked simple enough with a large stone doorway as a large sign reading simply "Pewter City Gym".

"Wanna take a look?" Brock asked intently.

Ash blinked a bit before finally saying "Uhh..alright."

"Sure." Misty said happily.

* * *

"W...w..wow..." Ash looked awed at how renewed the gym was.

On the wall stood a giant scoreboard. Large speakers took up all the upper corners of the room, the gym had plenty of seating, the original dusty, somewhat rocky arena was replaced with a much sleeker one made of smooth, polished stone.

"Impressive, huh?" Brock said smugly. "It cost an arm and a leg, but it was practically remade in every way, shape and form."

"It shows.." Misty said in awe.

Brock turned around to face his old friend.

"So, how about a pokemon battle?" Brock took out his pokeball and bounced it gently up and down his hand.

"Uhh.." Ash looked a bit shocked at being challenged so suddenly, he then came to his senses and took out a pokeball swiftly, "Alright, it's a battle!"

"Alright then, take your position." Brock instructed Ash to the other side of the gym, Ash swore he could see his reflection in the sparkling stone.

"Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash almost instinctively took out the ball and tossed it to the arena where it cracked open, a bright red ray of light came out which quickly formed into a Pikachu.

"Onix, go!" Brock tossed forth his own pokemon which formed the collosol stone serpent.

"Now, we'll see how your pikachu has done since I've last seen it." Brock grinned.

"Same with your Onix." Ash returned the verbal challenge.

* * *



One.

I sense you.

Your current challenge is nothing.

Compared to what lies ahead.

* * *

"Pikachu, thunder shock!" Ash ordered the little pokemon for his attack.

"Say, how did you get Pikachu into a pokeball anyways?" Misty asked Ash.

"Long story, it's not too important anyways, he runs around all he likes at home, but anywhere else, I just take him in a pokeball." Ash replied.

Ash saw the long stream of electricity from the small creature rushing towards the giant serpentine creature...

It never reached it's mark.

The roof suddenly caved in, just missing the duellists and spectator in the arena. A figure in a long dark flowing cloak descended from the open spot where the roof once hanged. Ash wasn't sure if he was falling or if he was somehow floating down. Once he landed, he started a bizarre, rhythmic chant.

"I am the one who is the enemy of the weak race you call the Light.

I am the one who lurks in the darkest shadows of the night.

I am the one who shall strike you down like a blade.

I am the one who is called......Shade."

He stood tall, around Ash's height, his face shrouded in the shadow of the cloak, the cloak was black and covered his entire body, black boots only furthering the idea that this being had far more in common with a demon than any mere human.

"So you're the One. You don't look so great to me." Shade walked through the smoke and debris from the roof.

"MY ROOF!!!!!!" Brock was nearly to tears seeing the debris of the roof which was part of the reconstruction that his gym went through. "You're goi..."

Brock was cut off, "Silence, fool!" Shade said angrily.

"So, what did you come here for...Shade, isn't it?" Ash asked calmly.

"I came here as a messenger of a new era, or, in a matter that would be of more importance to you, to inform you of my presence. Your types must not be allowed to survive in this world." He turned to Brock and Misty, "That goes for you also, in case you were paying attention."

"Y..you.." Ash was shivering in nervousness.

"We will meet again, Ash Ketchum. I'm usually quite unmerciful, but I'll make an exception, seeing as I'd like a challenge for once." Shade lifted up his hand. "Prepare yourself, the times are changing." A large dark ball of energy grew from his hand which suddenly morphed into a small pillar which wrapped around Shade. When the pillar dissapeared, Shade was gone.

"Well, I suppose that cancels this match." Brock said sarcastically as he returned his Onix. Ash followed suit.

* * *

"So, what are you going to do about your roof?" Misty asked Brock.

"I think that first, I'm going to cry over it for a few months, then, I'm going to fix it."

"Wouldn't it be better if you skip the crying phase, shell out some cash and pay someone to fix it?" Ash cut in very curtly.

"Hmm..I suppose it'd be better doing just that."

"Anyways, you can do that later, we gotta get a move on..." Ash, becoming impatient urged the people to move on.

"RING! RING! RING! RING! PHONE CALL! PHONE CALL!" A phone machine started spouting out it's message, apparently having survived the cave-in, the phone machine came rolling towards Ash as the appliance picked up the phone for him and handed it him.

The machine's video screen showed Professor Oak. He had a serious expression on his face.

"Ash, Misty, Brock, it's imperative that you return to Pallet City at once."

The Professor wasn't speaking with the kindly voice he voice, his voice was serious and for all intents and purposes, wasn't going to take any bullshit.

"What's going on?" Ash asked in a tone.

"It'd take too long to explain it here, just come to Pallet City right away."

"Yes sir." The trio said simultaneously.

* * *



The elderly professor explained the whole story, prophecies, Indigo National Guard being destroyed and all.

"So, what's the Third Sign?" Misty asked.

"The Third Sign...", Oak went to the bookshelf and took a large, dusty tome, he quietly flipped several pages, "Ah, the Third Sign: 'Time's river flows to divide the followers of Sun and the followers of Moon. The sands and the river of Time will be clogged with the blood of the fallen. The followers will use the aid of the ones bestowed upon their Leaders.'"

Ash was rather confused, "So..that would mean what?"

Oak looked down, "Do you remember the news reports of a 'Charizard' neutralized by the ING?'"

"Yea.."

"Well, that was no Charizard. It was one of a new breed of Pokemon. I had some photos of it faxed to me by Colonel Solomon of the ING." Oak handed the photos to Ash.

"It doesn't look much like a Pokemon." Misty commented looking at how humanoid it was, only the rather abnormal proportions of it's head and body and a beautiful diamond shaped like an eight-pointed sun on it's forehead making it look like any sort of Pokemon.

"Why would someone like the National Guard want this destroyed?" Brock wondered.

"It was all a plot by the Colonel. He sent out one of his Captains, which of whom made his skeptisms explicit to the Colonel, to neutralize it. The ING suffered several casualties that day. While that was probably not the only NewType found, it's the only one I know of that has appeared." Oak answered quickly.

"But, Professor, what's my role in all of this?" Ash asked Oak nervously but eagerly.

Micheal Oak sighed quietly, "Well..do you remember seeing the Houou?" Oak looked at Ash, knowing he'd remember.

"WHAT?! You saw the Houou?" Misty and Brock asked eagerly, wondering why he'd never told them before, but a glance from Oak put them in their places.

"Well, you see..lemme read you a passage from the Book of Prophecies, the First Sign to be exact: '..And when the mighty Pheonix flies over the one who will overcome, thus it will be annoucing the arrival of the Light's Savior.'"

"Savior?" Ash looked confused.

"Yes, you see, in legend, or, as it has been proved now, in fact, the Houou flies only over saintly or holy people."

"Ash, saintly.." Misty did a little mocking laugh.

Ash agreed with Misty for once. Of course, he didn't state his agreement, for she would only take another shot. Ash knew that he had changed from the happy-go-lucky, devil-may-care boy of the past, to someone different, less open. He didn't socialize much with any trainer who challenged him in hopes of becoming the next Ash Ketchum, rather, they simply existed as people for him to challenge, and more often than not, be crushed along with their dreams.

"Well, either way, Ash is our only hope in, as cliche as it sounds, saving the world." Oak said grimly.

"Does the Book say anything about what my mission is?" Ash asked.

"Of course. 'The Light's Savior shall unite the soldiers of Sun to overcome the Moon and the Darkness.'"

"What's our role in this?" Misty asked, refering to herself and Brock.

"You..have no prophecized role in this. You're allies of our Savior, nothing else. You might as well consider yourselves spectators in this whole damn event." Oak said bluntly in a deadly serious tone.

"I am to suppose that these new Pokemon are the 'soldiers of Sun'?" Ask asked, quite well expecting his idea to be the correct one.

"I believe so, but of course, there's also the 'soldiers of Moon'"

"Do you have any additional information on these?"

"Well..actually, I've working on something like that..." Oak took out a small chip, "Hand me your pokedex, Ash."

Ash did as the Professor instructed.

"This is a very peliminary pokedex upgrade. It has the barest idea of what each one of the NewType Pokemon are, it's all according to the Book of Prophecies." Oak said.

"So, is there anyway we'd be able to get you new information?" Brock asked.

"Yes, use the Pokecenters. Just send me any pokeball containing a NewType, I'll take all the genetic information from it, I'll quickly send it back to you while I do research on the information you sent me, getting more information about the Pokemon itself, it's abilities, etc."

"Alright..I have a different question though." Misty asked with a curious expression on her face.

"What is it?"

"Where's Gary?" Misty realized his absence all this time.

Oak sighed sadly, "He's dead. He jumped off a cliff and was killed instantly. The loss in the Pokemon League to Ash was too much for him to bear.", He looked to Ash, "Why didn't you tell your friends?"

Ash was thrown off by the word 'friend' as well as the actual question itself "I..I didn't think it was that important, sir."

"Professor, what about the apparent media reports that ING Headquarters was destroyed by a terrorist attack?" Brock stood like a soldier while asking Oak the question.

"Under any other circumstance, I would believe it, but the NewTypes' arrival and knowing Solomon, it was definitely -not- a terrorist action. It was more likely an attack by a NewType." Oak said plainly.

"So what exactly are our goals here?" Misty asked, brushing her long ponytail to one side.

"I believe an overview is in order before I dismiss you, indeed. You and Brock are simply spectators, you have no prophecized goals here, simply assist Ash and don't hinder him. Ash's goal is to unite the prophecized 25 'soldiers of Sun', or for simpler reference, Light Pokemon to prevent the Apocalypse. I'm certain that there are a few things unprophecized.."

"Like a Dark's Savior?" Ash interuptted quickly.

"D..Dark's Savior? Where'd you see this??!"

"Pewter City Gym, someone calling himself Shade."

"I'm fairly certain this is the equivalent to your rival, Ash. The Dark's Savior possibly has a similar mission to yours, involving the other 25 prophecized 'soldiers of Moon', or Dark Pokemon as opposed to the Light." Oak responded with a studder in his voice.

"I belive that I have told you everything you need, please contact me if you have any questions. You are dismissed."

No sooner had the three left that Oak turned to the book once again, trying to find something on a Dark's Savior.

"Let's see where it goes from here.." Oak thought out loud.

* * *



"Guess Shade's not the only 'Messanger of a new era'" Ash said cockily as he and his companions stood outside in the center of Pallet City.

"Shall we spend the night here?" Misty suggested.

"I suppose." Ash said uncertainly, "My mom might not want any visitors." He tried thinking of something to keep them away from there, he didn't know why, he just didn't..want them there.

"Well, let's check it out still!" Brock said eagerly.

"Well...alright, let's go." Ash said with a nervous tone to his voice.

* * *

"My! How you're friends have grown Ash!" Ash's mother exclaimed very enthusiastically, "Care to reintroduce yourselves to me?"

"I'm Misty, I'm now 17. Pleased to see you again." Misty did a little faux curtsy.

"I'm Brock, I'm currently 18. How're you?" Brock bowed.

"Do you wish to spend the night here?" Ms. Ketchum asked eagerly.

"Yes, of course Ms. Ketchum." Brock said in his usual formal manner around women that were not Officer Jenny or Nurse Joy or anyone remotely his age, give or take a year.

"Your rooms are over there." Ms. Ketchum pointed upstairs.

* * *

"My mom might not want any visitors" Misty said mockingly, "Yea, right!"

The three were in the guest room, Ash was making the beds.

"Cut me some slack, will ya?" Ash said while fluffing the pillows, sounding oddly like his old self.

"Hmmph." Misty also sounded like her younger self as well and even looked like her old self for an instant, exception of course, being the incredibly long red ponytail and the sudden more conservative dress style.

"Stop being so rough on Ash, Misty!" Brock acted out his old role as mediator, "It's been only two days and already you've gotten hard on the poor guy."

Misty sighed, knowing him to be correct and calmed down.

"Well, it's starting to get dark, I say we watch good old-fashioned TV and then get some rest, what do you say?" Brock suggested, sitting down upon the bed.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Misty said contently.

They turned on the TV in the guest room, there wasn't much on except for some old movies, the news and some re-runs of various old shows. Brock flipped the channel to an old movie, it was in faded color, probably dated sometime around the early 2040s. No one in the room was really paying attention to the movie.

"I was wondering..." Ash looked up to the ceiling.

"Hmm, what?" Brock looked toward Ash.

"I was wondering about this whole 'Savior' deal."

"What about it?"

"What if I don't succeed? What if I let the whole world down?"

"I'm sure you won't fail, isn't it prophecized that you'll overcome?"

"I'm sure it is, but I always believe that destiny can change and prophecies can suddenly become nothing but stories."

"You have to brighten up Ash, if you don't, your negative thoughts will probably prevail and you -will- fail everyone." Misty said urgently.

"I suppose so.."

"I think it's best if we get some sleep." Brock noted, seeing the clock read 11:00pm.

* * *

They had left the house after each eating a hearty breakfast, (and after Ash endured the 'Ketchum farewell ceremony' as he had come to call it: Being kissed and hugged and 'I love you'-ed to death until he could finally get out of the hold). Everyone was standing outside the gates of Pallet City.

"Well, I suppose this is farewell to Pallet, once again." Ash said.

"Yea, come on, let's go." Brock said.

They were walking along, all in very good health, the sun was shining through the trees beautifully. The path was clear and uncluttered, the wind calm and caressing. The sky was only partially cloudy, the clouds themselves being white and puffy.

* * *

The threesome wasn't too far along the path when they heard a rustling in the bushes.

"What's that?" Ash looked to his side, quickly taking out his Pokedex.

"Not a valid Pokemon." The Pokedex said in it's droning voice.

"Huh?" Ash looked on as the bushes rustled even more as a girl popped out of the bushes.

"Hmm..odd, I don't think that's any kind of Pokemon." Misty looked at Ash grining slyly.

The girl was young. She was dressed in white trousers, a grey shirt and a blue denim jacket, she also wore a small wooden cross on her chest. Her eyes were red and her long hair dark blue currently very ruffled and tossed up, but no doubt very flowing when combed properly. Her body was fairly attractive, slim, but not a twig.

"Sorry for confusing you, but.." The girl began, her voice was clear and soft before Ash cut her off.

"First off, what's your name? Secondly, why were you in the bushes?" Ash said in a somewhat demanding tone.

The girl was thrown off by his quickness to interupt but answered politely, "My name is Arisa Tanaka. I was in the bushes because..I was following you for some time."

"Following us?" Misty said.

"Yes, I've been following you since you left the gates of Pallet City." Arisa took out a comb out of her pocket and started straightening her hair.

"...Why?" Brock looked at the girl, no doubt captivated by her.

"I don't know, I'm a wanderer. I just go wherever and follow whomever I feel like." She said in a light and airy tone.

"Well, you can follow me any...*oof!*" Brock was elbowed decisively by Misty.

Arisa giggled politely, "I think I'll do just that. As for your offer...Brock isn't it? I'm sorry, but I decline your offer," She answered Brock's unasked question, "maybe you can try again sometime." She closed her eyes and smiled politely.

"Well then, so you want to join us, Arisa?" Ash asked.

"Hmm..I think I shall." Arisa looked at Ash, then at Brock and finally at Misty.

"Are these guys alright?" Arisa whispered to Misty.

"It depends on your tastes." Misty whispered back.

"Oh I see." Arisa winked at Misty and then looked back at the others.

"Well, shall we get going to...?"

"Pewter City." Ash answered quickly.

"Strange girl." Ash whispered to Brock.

"She can be as strange as she wants to be." Brock said in his dazed voice.

Thus, Arisa Tanaka, a simple wanderer among the woods, joined Ash and his group. Ash didn't know what to think of her.

'She seems like a nice enough girl..but just how does she know?' Ash thought to himself.

* * *

Go forth Savior.

Your current destiny has been decided.

That you could not change.

But the end of the journey.

Where you stand will be decided by you.

If you stand at all.



To be continued...