Last Time On TMOM:
The Tree of Beginnings is on the attack. After narrowly avoiding death, Ash came upon Lucario fully accepting his own. With their friendship in jeopardy, can the group find their way back out?
Quote: "I don't want to become part of a fucking tree!"
Chapter Twenty: Disillusioned
Or you could die and we need you alive
I'm more than willing to die
Your wife needs you alive, son, I need you alive
Call me son one more time!
-Lin-Manuel Miranda
Ash had hoped that they would split up. That the horrible last words would have been enough to spread a distance between the two of them. But Ash hadn't recovered from his encounter with the crystal creature. Lucario had been spared the unfortunate consequence of expending too much of his own aura. The crystal had simply released him, whereas Ash had to fight for his own life.
Which meant Lucario was at full capacity in energy reserves. He caught up to the teenager easily, even after having given Ash a sizeable head start. Ash had stormed off with considerable energy at first. But as soon as the adrenaline had worn off, Ash hugged the walls again.
This concerned Lucario. He might have even asked for an explanation if Ash hadn't so roughly pushed away his attempts to help. The human didn't trust him anymore. So Lucario stayed out of arm's reach but never pulled too far ahead. Ash's pace was agonizingly slow. He was on the verge of total exhaustion, but he still pushed his battered body onward.
Ash said nothing about where they were heading. Lucario knew he was desperate to find Pikachu, but perhaps the recent encounter had only spurred him on. Or perhaps he had suspected a similar phantom tempted the others.
Even with Ash's silent treatment, Lucario could surmise a few things. He figured Ash must have also encountered the crystal creature, or else he wouldn't have known to warn Lucario about it. Lucario could also tell that Ash's aura was dim. Fatigue could drain one's aura, but this seemed a step beyond. His aura had become a weak, sputtering candle that the boy was only just keeping lit. If they were on speaking terms, Lucario might have warned Ash. But they weren't, and Ash seemed already aware. He wasn't attempting to use wave in any capacity anymore, anyway. He had discarded it as clearly as he had the necklace Aileen had made for him.
They were within the tree's gnarled branches now. Lucario searched for the others, spotting a cluster of auras in the tunnels ahead of them. When Ash paused against another wall, catching his breath, Lucario thought to encourage him with the news. It perked the boy up a little. But unfortunately, it had the added effect of causing him to shorten his rest and stumble the rest of the way towards the others.
They fell upon the human's small camp. Around a small storm lantern huddled the three remaining members, talking barely above a whisper. Upon seeing Ash, Aileen leaped up and engulfed him in a tight hug. It surprised her that the boy fell into her embrace, collapsing on top of her. James and Kidd rushed to their aid.
Ash wasn't yet unconscious but could no longer stay upright. He mumbled half-formed apologies as the humans rushed him over to the nearest sleeping bag.
"What happened to him?" Aileen asked. She hadn't demanded it of Lucario, but it was clear there was no one else who could have answered her question.
"I believe the same thing that happened to your companion, Jessie. But Ash here was somehow able to walk away from it."
The other whirled upon Ash, seeking confirmation. The boy could only weakly nod in the affirmative. He tried to explain how dangerous the crystals were in as few words as possible. But his mind was murky in his exhaustion and he struggled to string complete thoughts together. It wasn't long before he fell into an uneasy sleep.
They rounded back on Lucario, as the pokemon knew they might. He couldn't fully relay Ash's story, but he could own his own experience, at least in part. He carefully edited it, leaving out the temptation, making it sound as if the crystal amoeba snuck up on him. And through that, they were all able to piece together what had happened to Jessie.
"The crystal isn't interested in Lucario for some reason, but it took Jessie. It tried to take Ash. How did he get away?" Kidd, ever pragmatic, asked. Princess Aileen looked equally interested in the answer. Lucario couldn't blame them, for at the center of it hid the key to their own survival. Only James had withdrawn from the conversation. He busied himself looking after the unconscious Ash, placing a cold compress to the boy's fevered forehead and over checking the boy's pulse as if it were in danger of changing from one moment to the next.
If the others were a bit more intuitive, they would have realized why James was trying to throw himself into caring for Ash. Lucario could see it written in his aura. The man was grieving intensely. But he was trying his best at keeping it at bay. For now, they were still in danger. For now, Meowth still needed rescuing. For now, he needed to stay strong and keep fighting as the last rocket member standing. Until 'for now' had passed, he would need to keep going.
Lucario looked away from the heavy emotional musk suffocating the young man and back to the two women in front of him. "I'm not entirely sure myself. But I suspect, based on his condition, that Ash must have used his own aura to get away."
Aileen's face fell. Kidd, too, looked unenthused by such a response.
"So we can't do the same to protect ourselves," said Aileen in a small voice.
"Unfortunately, no."
"And looking at the state Ash is in, I assume he'd be unlikely to perform his little miracle a second time," added Kidd, unable to help a glance back in the boy's direction. Their eyes followed a similar route. Lucario didn't relay to the others the state of Ash's current wave signature. But he didn't have to. The boy had never looked more diminished in his life; almost on the verge of disappearing.
"I believe our best course of action would be to avoid the crystals and their attentions," Lucario said, breaking the terse silence that had fallen over them. "As soon as Ash has recovered enough to travel again, we must push. Rescue the stolen pokemon and then get out of this tree immediately. We cannot separate, even for a moment. Every moment we linger is a moment your lives are further endangered."
The group of humans nodded along with the pokemon's grim assessment. Aileen looked close to tears. She excused herself to join James at Ash's bedside.
Lucario wished he could comfort the troubled princess. But a part of himself still felt detached from them. Not just removed from this group of humans and their current plight against a carnivorous tree that had no interest in pokemon. But from this timeline in general. Since encountering the mirage from his own timeline, Lucario had felt himself pulled further and further away from this one. Logic told him that these were humans, just as Sir Aaron had been. Empathy urged him to feel for them in their fear and pain. And yet the numbness persisted.
Ash's scream still echoed in his ears. His accusations hung heavily over his head. There was no way to deny what Lucario had been willing to do because he had wanted it. He had hoped for a chance to end this endless nightmare. Hadn't he seen the same hopelessness in the young boy and called him out on it? Of course, it made him a hypocrite. He was one.
He told Ash to live while simultaneously looking for a way to end his own life. It was no wonder Ash wanted nothing more to do with him.
They waited a handful of restless hours for Ash to regain consciousness. The instant that he was, they were ready to carry on. Ash didn't resist their impatient efforts, following suit as soon as he was able. The brief rest had somewhat restored his body but had done little for his spirit. Lucario could tell that it would be some time before Ash could even muster a single spark of wave.
The group of humans started back up the tree, pressing closer together than ever before. Aileen kept tight at Ash's side, supporting him when his pace lagged. James and Kidd took point, being the only two pokemon trainers of the group with usable pokemon. Lucario kept to the back, making sure that nothing tried to sneak up on them.
Ash kept glancing down at his own pokebelt. After the second or third glance, Aileen asked him what he was looking for.
"The lock your father put on my pokeballs is almost up," Ash explained, showing her the ticking countdown still scrolled across the top of his pokeballs.
"Well, that's good news," Kidd chimed in. "We might need the extra firepower."
Ash frowned at Kidd's choice of words but said nothing. Instead, he just reattached his pokeball to his belt. Ash couldn't wait to see his old friends again. He didn't even care what sort of help they might provide. It is just enough to have their companionship after having been deprived of it for so long. But unfortunately, Ash still didn't know how to feel about Charizard.
If any pokemon might be useful in this situation, a fire-breathing dragon might be it. Ash didn't know if he could trust Charizard. Worse yet, Ash still wasn't sure he could even trust himself.
Ash detached Charizard's deactivated pokeball and purposefully moved it to the back of his belt. He didn't even want to be tempted into releasing the dragon accidentally. Not yet. Not when the others might be hurt.
Their upward hike had been going well so far. Though the crystals were plenty in number, none of them reacted to their presence. There were no phantom smells or haunting music lulling them anywhere. Ash had the half hope they might make it the rest of the way with no other issue.
Perhaps they had already paid the toll. They had suffered enough, and the tree was willing to let them pass the rest of the way unharmed.
When Kidd stopped walking, the others, with their heightened paranoia, were instantly on alert.
"What's wrong?" James asked, peering over the adventurer's shoulder. She had been walking for some time with her display pad out. It was this that she stared anxiously into now, her face lit up by the back-light display.
"I — I don't know," Kidd admitted, frantically tapping and stroking her fingers across the display. "My drones stopped responding."
The others, who hadn't been informed of Kidd's extensive tech, looked confused. Ash, on the other hand, let out an exasperated sigh. He had been just about the chastise the woman for continuing her Mew hunt when something caught the corner of his eye.
"Look out!" Ash screamed, only just able to push Aileen behind him.
Something dropped heavily from the ceiling, the impact knocking James right off his feet. It looked similar to the crystal in composition except that it had seven beady yellow eyes strewn across its shiny surface in the shape of an upturned cross. It let out a series of angry beeps before charging up like an over juiced battery.
Ash placed himself protectively in front of Aileen. Thankfully, the two remaining pokemon trainers were quick to react. Kidd released her twin Weaville, and James called upon Weezing. The pokemon encircled the attacking crystal, cutting off its route to the humans. Still, the ice beam laced through the air, nearly striking Ash and Aileen both.
Lucario leapt to their defense. He had no issues in joining the other pokemon in the fight. In fact, his attacks seemed to have far more impact. Weezing couldn't get his poisonous gases to affect the inorganic pokemon. And just as they had with Regirock, the Weaville's claws just clanged uselessly against the pokemon's hard outer shell. Wave left a mark, causing the creature to turn its full attention to Lucario.
"Get the princess out of here!" Lucario snarled back to Ash.
Ash nodded, grabbing Aileen by the arm and yanking her after him. She didn't fight, too terrified to argue. She stumbled after him, wiping at her cheeks to brush away frightened tears. The tunnel they were in had emptied onto a full branch. The two teenagers swayed on the edge, not wanting to cross the smooth cylindrical surface if they could avoid it.
The noise of the battle behind them threatened them forward, but slowly. The branch wasn't too treacherously narrow that the two of them couldn't cross comfortably, so long as they kept in single file. But one misstep and it would be the last thing they'd ever do.
Ash couldn't resist looking over the edge. But all he could see were the many hundreds of branches below and the low clouds that passed among them. They were so high that they were standing in literal clouds. The realization made Ash feel lightheaded, which wasn't a welcome sensation when one was traversing a bridge.
They had made it halfway when a sudden explosion from behind them rocked the tree. Ash dared a glance back, horrified to see the crystalized pokemon had broken its way through. He held onto Aileen, grateful that she had gone first. Not that it would matter much. If the pokemon wanted to kill them both, it only needed to rip through Ash. He would have been as insurmountable as tissue paper.
"Ash!"
"I know, I see him!"
"No, look!" Aileen was pointing ahead, not behind. Ash turned back to the front and peeked over Aileen's shoulder to see where she was gesturing. He was struck dumb, unable to believe what he was seeing. But the small spot of yellow jumping up and down excited on the other side of their branch could have been no one else.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried, his voice so small and far away but still enough for Ash to hear.
"Pikachu? Pikachu! Hang on, buddy! We're coming!"
Pikachu screamed out a warning. Ash only just pulled Aileen down in time before a hyper beam sliced through the air where their heads had once been. The two teens looked back, noting that the crystal was no longer alone. Regirock had joined its compatriot in trying to destroy them. Ash supposed that it just couldn't resist the second opportunity for them.
"Just keep going," Ash shouted at Aileen, pushing her forward as urgently as he could without knocking her off balance. They were fully within the wind tunnel now. Their hair was whipping across their faces; momentarily inhibiting, temporarily blinding. They couldn't react to the sound ricocheting all around them, even when an attack seemed to come far too close. They could only focus on running forward.
Then a beam struck the branch directly ahead. Ash couldn't tell if it was an energy blast or a frosty gale. Either would cause an obstruction, but it was hard to say which one. It was too late to slow down. Aileen leapt over the scarred branch, landing neatly on the other side. Ash was a second too slow.
He found out that the beam had been an ice beam. It encased the place where the beam struck in a thick sheet of ice. Ash had assumed he could leap over it as Aileen had, but underestimated where the ice would start.
His worn-out sneakers had no traction. He didn't even have time to goofily swing his arms. In one motion, Ash flipped spectacularly onto his back. He knocked the wind out of himself.
Ash heard Aileen and Pikachu both screaming for him. Clearly, the terrorizing sentinel pokemon had no intention of staying back on the other side of the branch. They had chased after the children. Their heavy footfalls made the crystalline branch tremble. Ash rolled to his side just before Regirock had leveled a blow to his head. He crawled and scrambled between the pokemon, hoping to squeeze past and make a run back the way he came.
But the ice pokemon was more massive than Ash had thought. It was the same girth as the branch and there was no feasible way past him. Ash was left sandwiched between the two dangerous creatures. Ash held up his hands, hoping that the pokemon might understand the gesture.
"Maybe... Maybe we can just talk about this."
The more crystal-like of the two assessed the situation and responded with a quick succession of beeps. Regirock responded in kind. Then both pokemon took a swing at the human.
Ash did the only thing he could in such a situation. He threw himself off the branch.
Aileen only just caught Pikachu before it tried diving off after its trainer. But she screamed right alongside the Pokémon. The two watched helplessly as Ash disappeared into the clouds below. Aileen heard Regirock and the pokemon she knew as Regice making a slow turn in their direction. She hugged Pikachu tighter to her chest and backed up. Then, when it became painfully apparent that the pokemon intended to come after them, Aileen whirled about, sprinting towards the tunnel that Pikachu had emerged from.
The terrible pokemon duo chittered, eyes flashing, and followed her.
Ash didn't scream. He knew that falling from this height would kill him. But he also had been keeping track of how much longer the timer on his pokeball lock would last. He had hoped to stall longer on the branch. A last glance at Squirtle's pokeball, the pokemon he kept in the front position of his belt, indicated a full minute left. A whole minute to stave off two angry pokemon built like bulldozers. But he had to manage it somehow because he had no other choice.
Ash was a terrible student in almost every subject. His mom used to tease him that he just didn't have a brain meant for academics. And Ash agreed with her. He was built for action, movement, motion, and decisions. He always excelled in physical activities and sometimes even in the sciences, provided he was just in charge of setting up experiments and not puzzling out why they worked or failed.
And Ash had a rare talent of timekeeping. He didn't know why he had been wired that way, with a skill more useful as a party trick than anything else. He used it to count down the seconds to lunch. Keep track of the final inning of a soccer match. He could keep perfect time, ticking down the seconds with the accuracy of a stopwatch.
You think this might have helped him with being more punctual, but that was neither here nor there. At least he was always aware of exactly how late he was.
Ash never would have suspected he could have used it to save his life. He had been counting since encountering those two behemoths and was still counting as he fell to his presumable death. He mouthed the numbers, keeping his eyes squeezed shut and hoping that the count wouldn't be cut prematurely short.
Five... Four...
Ash rolled his body about in the air. It wasn't easy, but he somehow changed his backward plummet to a forward-facing position.
Three...
Ash made the mistake of opening his eyes. The wind burned and the sight of the ground incoming nearly made him lose count.
Two...
Ash grabbed Charizard's pokeball and maximized it into his hand, gripping it directly in front of him. He shouted the final number, followed by the name of his chosen pokemon.
"One! Charizard, go!"
The dragon materialized in the air below Ash, neatly catching his trainer only moments before impact. His wings caught the air and propelled them back up into the frigid air. Ash clung onto his Pokemon's back, heart hammering and breath caught. It was all he could do to just hang on as Charizard fought the strong air currents to climb back up the distance he had fallen.
A loud roar echoed through the tunnels. Aileen paused, just for a moment, unable to place the sound. But Pikachu knew the triumphant roar only too well. His ears perked up and he squirmed out of Aileen's grip, bounding up onto the girl's head.
"Pikapi's alive!" Pikachu cried happily, knowing full well the stranger wouldn't understand his words.
Aileen tried to reach up to hold the pokemon again. She was afraid of continuing to run with the pokemon untethered.
"Pikachu, no," Aileen said, somewhat desperately. She kept glancing back at the way they had come, half expecting Regirock and Regice to lumber into view at any moment. "We need to keep going or else those things are going to catch us."
She pulled the pokemon off the top of her head, much as he continued to try to squirm free. Pikachu wouldn't normally be so tolerant of a stranger. But he had a soft spot for girls ever since Misty. And Pikachu could see that the human had been with Ash, helping him. That was enough to offer a temporary trust.
With Pikachu once more close at hand, Aileen resumed running. She had no time to think, no time to mourn. She didn't even want to consider what made that sound behind them. Another pokemon they would need to run from? Or was that the sound of the crystals planning to swallow them up? All Aileen knew was that she didn't want to die. She was quite full up on adventure to last her a lifetime. If she could just make it home, she'd be quite happy to never leave it again.
So when the tunnel they had taken had somehow curved back around to the tree branches, Aileen was quite horrified. Except this time, the path had opened up to open sky. There would be no branch to cross here.
Aileen looked about the mouth of the tunnel, hoping for some handholds — something, anything! But the rock face was smooth. She couldn't find any purchase anywhere.
And then, as if matters couldn't get any worse, something large and heavy landed on a branch that was maybe ten feet away from their hidey-hole. The series of beeps and clicks could only signify one kind of creature. Aileen reluctantly looked over at another sentinel, this time that of Registeel, a bulbous pokemon made of concentrated organic steel.
"No," Aileen breathed, retreating into the tunnel. But that's where Regice and Regirock were waiting for her. She could see their backlit silhouettes looming up out of the darkness. Aileen's voice choked up in her throat. She wanted to scream, but only managed a frightened hiccup.
Pikachu started charging up in her arms, the wayward sparks numbing her hands. She winced and pressed herself hard against the tunnel wall. Then a voice she hadn't expected to hear again called out her name.
Aileen squeezed her eyes shut tight. This is the crystal. This is when it swallows me.
With her eyes closed, she didn't see the fire attack launched Registeel's direction, dislodging it from its perch. But she heard it. She yelped again, crouching down into a ball. Pikachu had scrambled out of her arms before she could stop him.
"Aileen! Hurry! Jump onto Charizard's back!"
It didn't sound like the sort of thing a crystal might say to lure her in. She blinked open her eyes, startled to see Ash standing by the tunnel's opening. No, not standing. He was straddling a large pokemon — a Charizard, the same one he had used during the pokemon tournament. She didn't think the crystal would have been able to manifest that detail. It was something she had forgotten herself.
Aileen abandoned the tunnel wall and snatched up Ash's outstretched hand like it was a life preserver and she a drowning victim. He was smaller than she was, but somehow still managed to pull her onto Charizard's back behind him. Ash didn't even blush when she wrapped her arms around his chest.
Pikachu followed, leaping into his trainer's arms.
"Alright there, buddy?" Ash cheerfully greeted his favorite pokemon. The Pikachu embraced his human, rubbing his cheeks against Ash's own. Ash took in the moment, and then promptly returned to business. "Okay, get us the hell out of here, Charizard!"
The dragon pokemon let out a roar in the affirmative. It kicked off the wall, only just avoiding the twin beams that Regirock and Regice fired off at them. Charizard twisted about in the air, leveling his own fire blast down the hole. He roasted the two pokemon quite effectively, but Ash had a feeling it would be far from enough. The two had already proved themselves formidable opponents.
Charizard continued to fight against the wild air currents, dodging the thinning branches as he flew them to new heights. The air was thinner and almost frosty. Ash urged the pokemon to land, afraid that they might climb higher than their bodies could acclimatize to. Charizard found a nearby outcrop to land on.
After touching down, Ash could tell that his pokemon was exhausted. Charizard was always pretty good at hiding his own weakness. But the powerful air current must have been a challenge to cut a path through, even more than Charizard had been willing to let on. The dragon's breathing was labored and his limbs were trembling with exhaustion. He gave Charizard a kind scratch underneath his chin, reminded again of this tough little Charmander underneath it all.
"Thank you, big guy," Ash said.
Charizard leaned his head against Ash's hand. He wasn't able to verbalize like a human, but Ash understood. He rubbed back the tears in his eyes. "Sorry. I missed you too."
He returned the pokemon so that he could rest back in his pokeball for the time being. And Ash returned him to the center position on his belt.
When Ash turned back to the others, despite having removed themselves from one precarious situation, they seemed less than thrilled. Aileen had already taken a quick look around the small chamber they had landed in. Crystals lined the walls, forcing her to stay as far in the center as was possible. Pikachu, too, despite being ecstatic at their reunion, was not thrilled to still be within the confines of the tree.
"More crystals. They never stop," Aileen muttered, gesturing to threatening rocks.
"Unfortunately, I think the whole tree is made up of the stuff." At Aileen's alarmed look, Ash backtracked, "I think those body snatchers can only emerge from the crystals themselves. At least, I'm pretty sure it would have chased me otherwise."
"How did you get away last time?"
Aileen was rubbing her arms. Ash wished he could surrender his jacket for her comfort but he was freezing too. Charizard would have been a welcome addition to their group if he could fit through the tight tunnels.
"Lucario mentioned wave, right? That's what I did. At least, I think that's what I did. I was kind of desperate at the time. It almost had me."
They shuffled on through the tunnels for a bit, with Pikachu leading the way. They hadn't really discussed a heading. Ash wanted to regroup with the others somehow, or what was left of them. He had no idea how they had fared against Regice or why the pokemon had got past their defenses. It didn't bode well, however, and Ash hoped they could rescue whoever was left.
Without his wave sense, Ash didn't know where Pikachu was leading them. He suspected it might have been to the others. But it could be towards Meowth and Mew, who had to be somewhere close to these higher boughs of the tree.
"Why is the tree attacking us?" Aileen said in a small voice, so small that Ash almost didn't hear her. He glanced back at the princess, startled to find that she was crying. He hesitated for only a moment before pulling her into a cautious hug. She returned the embrace only too eagerly. Ash felt his face growing warm but didn't want to pull away until she was ready.
Aileen eventually pulled herself together and let go of Ash. "Thank you," she said.
"I'm scared too," Ash admitted. "But we just have to keep moving. We'll find the others and we'll get out of here."
Aileen nodded. "Okay."
She took his hand. Ash didn't pull away, knowing it was comforting her to have someone close. He would be unlikely to say so, but Ash felt comforted as well. He felt better than he had in days. With Pikachu back on his side and his pokeballs fully activated, it was as if Ash had had a limb restored to him. The warmth inside was lifting him up and keeping the numbing chill back.
The dawning twilight had overtaken the horizon, splashing the Tree of Beginning into various shades of orange and purple. From this high vantage point, they could see the colors and feel the dying sunlight. The sight tossed a quiet shroud over the group. Where Pikachu and Aileen were sobered by the sight, anxiously noting the remaining minutes of light they had at their disposal, Ash felt oddly... happy.
And for the first day in many, Ash wanted to find a way out — find a way back to life. He enjoyed the touch of sun on his face. He looked forward to a decent meal. Ash actually looked forward.
Ash stared into the dying light with a light heart. He knew he could do this now. He was back to normal. No aura. Just his pokemon. And with them back at his side, even Charizard, Ash felt whole.
It wasn't perfect. It couldn't be after what happened to William. But Ash thought he could see a future for himself, one as a trainer. One where he was a bit wiser, a bit more world-weary and cautious, but one where he was still there.
They couldn't touch him. He no longer would let them. And that made Ash feel braver. A bit more like his old, reckless self. Ash smiled widely at the sunset, leaving Aileen and Pikachu somewhat confused.
"Are you okay, Ash?"
"Yeah. Just had a crazy thought." Ash turned to Pikachu. "You're leading us to Mew, right, buddy?"
Pikachu nodded. Aileen glanced between the two, pokemon and trainer, curiously. And when Ash turned back to her with an expectant look, Aileen still didn't understand.
"I thought we were trying to find the others."
"All of the others. Jessie too."
"Ash... Jessie is—"
Ash cut her off with a nod. "I know. She's in the tree now. But Mew has a sim- simple... bio... connected?"
"Symbiotic?"
Ash snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "That. Mew is that with the tree. The tree is attacking us because Mew felt threatened by us. Mew isn't evil... Pokemon aren't evil — no matter what their trainers might ask them to do," Ash paused for a moment, his eyes taking on a distant look. Then he continued with, "I think we can convince Mew to give us Jessie back."
Aileen stared, temporarily tongue-tied. She blinked rapidly, pushed her hair back behind both ears, and turned the concept over in her mind. It sounded ludicrous. But so did the idea of a tree swallowing people whole. Was it actually possible to simply ask Mew to stop?
"I've done it before," Ash said, answering her unspoken doubt. Aileen continued to stare, but this time at Ash. He seemed so confident, even more so than when he was in the pokemon tournament. It was as if the restoration of his pokemon had rejuvenated him, transforming the anxious, self-conscious teenager back into a self-assured pokemon trainer.
"Done what before?"
"Talked to legendary pokemon. I've helped a Celebi time travel. I've even assisted some ancient bird pokemon out on the Shamouti islands." Ash ticked the encounters off on his fingers as if they really weren't more than just casual meetings. "Well... we didn't really talk. Not... all of them talked. But I worked everything out with them. They seemed really scary at first, especially when you don't really understand them. But I think I get this Mew now. I'm sure we can convince him we aren't the bad guys."
Aileen's stare was becoming a bit of a wide-eyed gawk. His previous tale of acquiring one of the forbidden pokemon moves seemed to make more sense in this context. The boy was a walking legendary pokemon magnet.
It would be easier to believe that Ash was lying. But she couldn't see a reason that he would. Not in this situation. Not right now. And certainly not to give him such unadulterated confidence.
"Ash... you are telling me that you have not only run into... one legendary pokemon but... three?"
"Actually, six. Maybe seven if you count Entei... although he was a fake. I guess the Unown are legendary though, right?"
Again, Aileen was staring. Ash didn't seem to notice. He was too busy trying to calculate how many of the pokemon he had encountered could qualify for a legendary bracket. That it was giving him so much pause was only more baffling for the princess.
"Ash, you do realize that most people only encounter a legendary pokemon once in their lifetime, right? That's why they are called legendary."
Ash frowned. "Hang on. I can check my pokedexter and see if Unown are actually legendary pokemon."
"No, Ash. That's not the — look. I'm just really surprised. How have you run into so many rare pokemon before? Not only that, you can use wave? Just who on earth are you?"
Ash smiled, but this smile was weaker, more unsure. He shrugged, "I'm just Ash Ketchum."
"Just Ash Ketchum," Aileen repeated.
"And I'm... um," He hesitated for a moment, looking as if he wasn't sure he wanted to say the words. But something inside spurred him on. He locked eyes with Aileen and said, "Someday I'm going to be a pokemon master."
It had meant little to Aileen. In fact, it was a rather absurd answer that made her laugh. But to Ash, saying those words again was like reclaiming a long-lost thought. It had been a while since he even considered going back to the trainer he was before Will's death. But now, it felt cemented. That soft admission was so much harder to say than the first time he shouted them to a whole swarm of angry Spearow. Less danger in these words, but far more pain.
Aileen's laughter made Ash's smile bigger. He joined in, leaving only Pikachu to stare at the strange hysterical humans. It didn't matter if Aileen didn't trust in his plan. She didn't have to. She would see.
Everything was going to be alright.
Lucario had been searching for the two children ever since they had been separated. He barely waited for the other two humans to keep up as he jumped from ledge to ledge. Once the sentinel pokemon had departed, Lucario had felt out with wave to find where the two had gone. Ash's aura was impossible to find. Lucario tried not to fear the worst. The boy's aura was already weak from his previous encounter with the crystals. The further away he was, the more difficult it would be for Lucario to pinpoint his location. Lucario had to hope that this was the only reason he couldn't find the boy.
Aileen's wave, however, sung out from across the tree, heightened and brilliant with her terror. He led the others to her, following the trail of destruction the tree's pokemon left in their wake. It should have been simple to catch up. But Aileen's aura caught up with several other pokemon's and gained significant height on them. Lucario didn't recognize the large flying pokemon that yanked her further up the tree. But he thought he saw something of Ash and Pikachu's aura flickering amongst them, and that gave Lucario hope.
"Are we getting closer?" James asked, bent over his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
Kidd was farther behind. Her healing leg still hadn't gotten to a point where she could sprint. Even at her best, she would have had found it difficult to keep up with Lucario. Most humans would.
"I sense them overhead. They've paused for the moment. We should be able to catch them up."
"Oh thank goodness," James wheezed. Kidd didn't say anything, but it was clear how she was leaning against the cavern wall she shared in James' sentiments.
Lucario felt a momentary pang of guilt for how he was treating these humans. Just because they were not his close companions did not mean that they deserved to be disregarded. After all, they had been invaluable in helping Ash reach the tree so far.
"We can take it slower," Lucario said, wishing to do anything but. He wanted to scout ahead to at least let Ash know they were on his heels. But for the humans' sake, they couldn't separate.
In their fight against Regice, the crystals had tried twice to yank the humans in. Once with James, who had made the mistake of taking a stand with the crystals behind him. Lucario had anticipated the crystal's move long before it became a reality. He stepped between James and the crystal, repelling the assault.
Kidd's near-miss was far more sneaky and worrisome. The crystals on the ceiling had tried to drop its amoeba down on her head. Lucario only saw the attempt before it was nearly too late to act. He kicked Kidd out of the way just before the gelatinous blob had fallen on her. It was sloppy and Lucario's kick had bruised the human's side. She would have been more upset if she hadn't realized how he had just saved her life a second time.
Though it took far longer than Lucario would have liked, they did eventually catch up to Ash. He must have heard their footfalls and stopped to wait. Though Lucario had tried to mask his own noises, his human compatriots were far less practiced. They also wanted to be heard, James even calling out Ash's name as they turned the last corner.
Ash had his hand on his pokebelt and Aileen shielded behind him, but otherwise seemed relieved to see them. Lucario checked the state of the boy's aura, pleased to see it in a more stable state. It was nowhere near as strong as it should be, but no longer in its life-threatening stage. He even looked happier, cheeks more flush and eyes brighter. The reason for the transformation undoubtedly was the little yellow pokemon perched on his shoulder.
He had found his other half at last.
It surprised Lucario that the sight cheered him. A happy ending for someone. It had been a long time since he had seen such a thing.
"You're all okay," Ash smiled. He didn't even try to jump out of the way when Kidd pulled him into a tight hug. She followed up the action by pulling Aileen into their hug, too.
"God, I thought we lost you two," Kidd said, her voice rough with emotion. "Don't scare me like that. What would I tell your father, Aileen?"
Aileen looked embarrassed. Perhaps such a thought had crossed her mind as well. What sort of thing would be told to her father, to her kingdom- tourist trap, that it was now. Would people talk about her in the same way they had Sir Aaron?
But then how could they, when she had done so little?
"I thought for sure the tree would have tried for you guys while we were separated."
Ash's words shook Aileen out of her own self-pity. She was grateful to cling on to any distraction from her own thoughts.
"It did," James spat, glaring out at the surrounding walls — as if he suspected another attack even now. "Thankfully, Lucario was with us. He kept us safe."
The humans all turned to look at Lucario. Though Lucario could tell most of them were shining with gratitude for him, he couldn't help but feel threatened. Mostly due to the look that Ash leveled him. It was clear he still wasn't forgiven for his actions earlier. The boy was doing better, but there was still a wound.
The others could sense it as well. Though they hadn't enough wave sense mustered amongst themselves to even feel out the signature in a leaf, the tense body language and silence between Ash and Lucario spoke volumes. The group parted to give the two space, anticipating the incoming argument as subtly as a missile to the face.
Lucario braced himself with a deep breath. "Ash, I—"
Perhaps the boy would have heard him out. His scowl had been set, but he didn't seem closed off completely. His arms were uncrossed, and he hadn't turned away. There was a possibility, however small, to repair their fragile friendship. But unfortunately, they were interrupted.
Aileen's scream cut through the air, jolting the others into action. While Lucario and Ash had been facing off, the tree had struck again. This time latching onto the Princess. The amoeba had stretched out of the nearest crystal and latched onto her wrist.
"Don't be afraid, my dear," the gelatinous creature twisted and pulled itself into an uncanny facsimile of her father. "I'm just here to bring you back home."
"No, no, no!" Aileen cried, prying at the jelly fingers about her wrist. "Please. I don't want to die."
The jelly Roman grinned, its teeth discolored the same brilliant orange as the amoeba. "I'm your father. I'm not going to hurt you. When would I ever hurt you, princess?"
Aileen shrieked again as thick green vines latched around her middle. These were not of the amoeba's creation. Ash had summoned Bulbasaur, ordering his pokemon to keep a solid hold on the Princess. The humans had all kept their distance from Aileen, knowing that they could easily be consumed in her place. But Pokemon could act. At least Ash suspected they could. The tree would not consume them, just as they wouldn't consume Lucario.
Lucario and Pikachu had taken more the more aggressive approach. Even without Ash's command, Pikachu loosed bolt after bolt on the false King. Lucario, too, was tossing his aura spheres. But the bolts just danced off the creature's skin. And the amoeba twisted apart to avoid the spheres. Both pokemon watched in horror as Aileen continued to be pulled into the crystal.
Bulbasaur slid across the floor. Ash rushed to his pokemon's side, taking it up in his arms to help tug Aileen back from the edge. He called for the others. James, Lucario and Pikachu all caught on to Ash's plan and joined in on the morbid game of tug of war.
But Kidd hesitated.
Aileen was sobbing, her arm stretched to its limit. Her fingertips were already sinking into the crystal's surface.
Ash screamed out for Kidd's help.
The woman met the boy's eyes and smiled. The look froze Ash's heart. He almost lost his grip on Bulbasaur, watching helplessly as Kidd detached her pokebelt and then marched over to the crystal.
"Shh shush. It's going to be okay," Kidd said gently to Aileen. The girl was too hysterical to respond. Kidd sunk her arm into the crystal and somehow, from the other side, wrested the teenager's hand free.
Suddenly released, Aileen and the others tumbled backwards into a messy heap. Aileen was the first back to her feet, scrambling back for Kidd's hand. But the woman had already sunk more than halfway. With no one to hold her back, she went quick.
"No! Kidd!" Aileen shrieked.
But there was nothing they could do. It happened so fast. One moment, Kidd was there, smiling sadly at them all. And in the next, she was gone.
Ash hoped that the crystals would crack and splinter as they had for himself. That they would explode as they had for Lucario. But in the seconds that followed, the realization that Kidd would not be coming back became a hard reality.
Aileen screamed out again, piercing through the painful silence. She sobbed into her hands. Bulbasaur, the softie that he often was, couldn't help snuggling up to her. She wrapped her arms about the brave little pokemon but couldn't stop crying.
And although Ash didn't join her in tears, he couldn't find it in himself to move. Instead, he was left staring at the shining crystal that had now swallowed up two of his companions. He felt the blame for their loss. Just as strongly as he felt to blame for Will.
It was James who was the first to his feet. He held out a hand to Ash, who stared at the offering blankly.
"Come on," James said, just loud enough to be heard over Aileen's weeping. "We have to keep moving."
To Be Continued…
Please Read and Review!
Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving if you celebrate it. This update is coming out pretty early since I'm pretty eager to get this story finished before the end of the new year.
Thanks to those who reviewed last time: YumeTakato, Moss Stories, Shaveza, Chimera608, and Thor94. It's always nice to hear from the readers!
You can expect another chapter sooner than usual since it's actually already written. I'm going to release the next chapter in 1-2 weeks depending on how quickly I write the 22nd chapter. We are almost at the end, guys! Are you excited? Cause I'm excited!
See you all next chapter!