Well, I've been home for a few days now, and Christmas is over, so I figured I might as well start my story up again. The next couple of chapters pretty much serve to set up the "journey" referred to in the story's description. I guess that's about it, so here it is.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Edge of Tomorrow: Chapter 4 – Illumination

Jade lay on her back on top of her bed, once again staring aimlessly at the picture she held before her. The pictures were of her great-great grandfather, Ash Ketchum. Many of them also featured his daughter, Jade's great-grandmother Daisy, but there was none of her great-great grandmother, which confused Jade. She had spent the entire night studying them, trying to figure out why on Earth he was appearing in these dreams. It didn't make any sense to her. Was he trying to tell her something? Something in the future he was trying to give warning to? The more Jade thought about it, the more confused she became.

And the necklace. What did it have to do with all of this? Jade had already realized that there was more to the Soul of Celebi than just its looks. She had noticed the dreams began the night her mother had given it to her, and now looking at these pictures, there it was. Her great-grandmother was wearing it prominently in them, as did her grandmother and mother before her. She had traced it back to its origins in the family, but still it gave her no answers. Could this jewel really be causing her visions?

Jade sighed, placing the pictures down on the floor. She grew weary; it was already well past her bedtime. Figuring she'd question her mother about all of this in the morning, she removed the Soul of Celebi from around her neck. She reached to put the necklace on her nightstand, but feel asleep before her hand reached there. Still clasping the Soul of Celebi in her hand, Jade drifted off into slumber. The jewel glowed a bright green color in her hand as she did.

**********

"Hey Glen! Haven't seen you around here in awhile."

West smiled as he shook the hand of Dr. Jake Tanabe. The two were old friends who worked together on many of the R Corporation's secret projects.

"Hey Jake, good to see you."

"How'd you get in here? I thought you left the company years ago."

"Oh, well, I…I was given special permission. Lorenzo and I have patched things up, so I thought I'd drop by and see what you and the boys are working on nowadays."

West chuckled in his mind. He had no special permission to be here. Still, getting in was laughingly easy. No one had even bothered to remove his security clearance from the building's central computer. He simply walked up to the underground laboratory (he was one of the few who knew its secret location), spoke his name and had his retina scanned at the main entrance, and he was in. West figured they might have overlooked something so simple as that; still, even he didn't expect it to be that easy. And Jake was a far too trusting friend. West knew he'd gather something useful here for his mission.

"Well, I know you were adamantly against Project Genesis," Jade said, "but I guess the Boss probably filled you in that we're already well into it."

"Yes, he gave me all the details," West said, rolling his eyes. "So you gonna give me a little peek?"

"Sorry, buddy, I'm afraid that's strictly off limits to any outsiders, even you."

West cursed himself in his mind. He really wanted to see how far they had gotten with the project, maybe even throw a little wrench in it if he could. Still, he wasn't too concerned. That wasn't his goal.

"How about the PokéBall technology? I think you could give me a little info about how far you guys have progressed it. I did re-invent that technology, you know."

"I know, I know, Glen. PokéBall creation was a lost art until you came along. Sure, come with me."

West smiled as he followed Jake through the laboratory. He was taking him right where he wanted to be. He couldn't stand the fact that Lorenzo had stolen all his inventions when he left the company. But, there was little Glen West could do against the mighty R Corporation or his former friend. Lorenzo had control over all his hard work. It was work that he needed for his mission, and he had a plan to repossess it.

"Where are the Quarantine balls?" West asked.

"They've been in storage for quite some time," Jake explained. "Doesn't look like we'll be needing them now that Project Genesis is in full swing. The computer the houses them is right over here."

Jake motioned to the console a few feet away from them. West studied the computer carefully. It had a view screen and control panel on the front of it. The special PokéBalls were obviously stored on digital form inside of it. If he had only a few moments to himself--

"Dr. Tanabe!"

It was Jake's EPA. Someone was trying to contact him in a very urgent voice. Jake raised wrist to his mouth and spoke to the digital screen that had popped up on his EPA.

"What is it?"

"Specimen AB-692 is going into cardiac arrest," the man on the screen said. "I suggest you get to the other side of the lab in a hurry or we might lose another one."

Jake slightly shifted his eyes over to West, hoping he hadn't heard too much of that, then whispered "I'm on my way." Jake lowered his arm and turned to his friend to bid a goodbye.

"An emergency, I take it?" West asked, a smile lighting up his face once again. The words "perfect timing" quickly crossed his mind.

"Nothing to serious, but they need my expertise," Jake responded quickly. "I better get going. Sorry to cut the visit short, my friend. You know the way out."

Jake turned and headed to where he was needed. West pretended to leave until Jake was out of sight, then shifted his attention back to the computer console. Working quickly in case anyone showed up, he grabbed his EPA and installed it into a socket designed to hold such devices.

"Gavin, upload PokéBalls," he commanded.

"Error," Gavin replied. "System is password encrypted."

"That's right. Well then, I guess we better test out that new system cracker I created for you. Do it quickly."

Gavin hummed as it interfaced with the system, trying to crack the code in a hurry. West looked around impatiently, hoping no one would show up to foil his little scheme. If he was caught now, everything would be ruined, and worse things could happen if had to be dragged back to Lorenzo's office. He knew how ruthless "The Boss" could be. West stopped himself there, not wanting to consider that outcome any further. He looked back to Gavin, whose screen flashed as it slowly gathered the numbers of the password. A few seconds more….done. West smiled as Gavin entered the system.

"Hurry, make sure you upload each and every Quarantine Ball."

A few more moments later, the upload was complete. Glen West chuckled as he removed his EPA from the console and reattached it to his wrist. Walking off quickly, he knew his work was done here. It was on to the next part of his plan.

**********

"I can't just stand around here and let Pikachu die! There has to be something I can do!"

Ash paced furiously around the emergency room as his Pokémon still lay asleep on its bed. He clenched his fists hard, angry that, day by day, his best friend in the entire world was slowly slipping away from him, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. He had never felt so helpless in his entire life. Misty sat in a chair in a corner of the room, trying to nurse their infant daughter to sleep. She wanted to console her husband, but she didn't know what to say. There really wasn't anything that anyone could say to make someone in his position feel any better. Misty felt lucky for not having lost any of her Pokémon yet, but she knew, sooner or later, she'd be in the same situation. It seems like it was something every trainer in the world had to come to grips with.

"Hang in there, Pikachu," Misty said quietly. "I'm sure something will come up."

Ash shook his head. He wasn't so optimistic. There was no cure for the PX Virus, he and severely doubted there'd be one in the next few days, because that's all his Pokémon really had left. He rubbed his hand across his forehead, trying to find some clarity. Ash had always been one who believed in miracles. He had been the beneficiary of several during his early days as a trainer. Still, his faith in them was being tested now. As the time ticked away on the clock, that faith waned. He was left there, standing in the middle of the room, wondering if life had at least one more in store for him. A tear fell from his eye as he realized, this time, he might be out of luck. He sat down on his chair, beside Pikachu's bedside, and bowed his head.

"Hey, you can't go in there!"

The voice from the hallway outside the room shook Ash from his misery. It sounded like Nurse Joy's voice, but he wasn't quite sure who or what she was yelling at.

"Let me through! I gotta duty ta do!"

"You'll be infected! Please, don't do this to yourself!"

"I'm sorry, I'm on a mission!"

The familiarity of that voice immediately stuck Ash. It was unmistakable. He hadn't heard it in ages, but still, in rung in his head like it was yesterday. That high-pitched tone, that accent, it just had to be.

And there it was. Standing in the doorway to the emergency room was a small, white Pokémon. It breathed heavily and looked terribly exhausted. Slowly it raised its head and looked Ash in the eye. He wondered if this was the miracle he had been praying for. There couldn't be any other explanation as to why it was here, now. It would be quite the bizarre miracle, but--

"Dere…gathering," Meowth spoke, almost out of breath.

"Gathering?" Ash asked. "Who's gathering? Why are you here?"

"Dey…sent me…to get you. Dey want you."

"Who?"

"Da Celebi. Dere gathering. Dere isn't much time. If you want ta save your Pokémon, follow me."

Ash stood up. Misty saw that determined look in his eye. The look he had when he felt there was something he had to do and nothing in this world could stop him.

"Ash, what?"

"Go leave Daisy with Brock, and tell him if he wants his Pokémon to live to give them to you. Go get your Pokémon too."

"Ash, I…I don't understand."

"Neither do I, but something tells me this may be our only hope."

Ash leaned over to Pikachu's bed and removed his sick Pokémon from where it slept. For the first time in days, Pikachu opened its eyes and looked into Ash's. It tried to speak but was too weak. Words weren't coming from its mouth, only short breaths.

"Everything's going to be alright, Pikachu. Just hang on."

**********

"I'm telling you, Bradley, these dreams are trying to tell me something."

Jade watched as her best friend shook his head on her EPA's monitor.

"I think the only thing they're telling you is that you're crazy."

"I'm serious, Bradley."

"Fine then, what do you think they mean?"

"I don't know, but I'm almost positive it has something to do with the Edge of Tomorrow."

"Right, Jade. Hey, if you ever get there, make sure to send me a postcard. I have to go."

Jade didn't even bother responding, she just terminated the call. She couldn't believe the lack of faith some people had. She turned to find her necklace. It lay on the floor from where she had dropped it during her sleep the previous night. Slowly she walked over to it, bending down to pick it up. Her curiosity about the mysterious jewel was starting to overwhelm her, and she decided it was about time to get some answers. She picked it up. It reacted. An almost blinding green light burst forth from the stone. Jade shielded her eyes from the intense beams of light and covered her palm over it, trying to stop it from shining. It didn't. Now completely confused about the jewel, she left her room with it in hand to find her mother.

Mrs. McCloud was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. As she poured cereal into a bowl, Jade entered the kitchen and walked up to her, trying her best to cover up the light that was continued to emanate from the Soul of Celebi. It was beginning to fade now, but it was still fairly bright.

"Good morning, dear," said Mrs. McCloud.

"Mom, I think this necklace you gave me for my birthday is broken," Jade said, holding up the jewel. Mrs. McCloud dropped the box of cereal she was holding when she turned and saw that it was glowing.

"What's wrong, Mom?"

"It's…it's glowing."

"Yeah, what does that mean?"

"The attic…quickly, the attic."