Chapter 104 Walking in the Void
When Ash wakes up, all he can see are stars and he is standing on a path made of stars. Pikachu is by his side, and they seem to be waking up at the same time.
Ash: Where are we? All I remember…I was being controlled, but who was I battling with?
As he walks further, he finds a Healing Shard and uses it to heal his Pokemon, and then he also spots an officer in front of them.
Station Master: Station master here. We've got your boarding passes. Another one for Reborn City, huh? They sure have been pushing that new League. Just between you, me, and the ol' battered fence post, I hear Reborn City's kind of a dump. Why anyone would wanna go there is beyond me. And yet, buncha you ambitious Trainer-type folk have been headin' out in droves. But off you go now. Train's leaving any minute.
Just then, the man just disappears, and Ash is confused as to what is going on. He continues forward until Ame suddenly appears and pushes him away before disappearing, and in front of him are the dead bodies of the passengers.
Ash: What's going on here? Are those people…just where am I and what is this place?
As he tries to run past the dead passengers, he finds Julia.
Julia: So you're Ash? I'm Julia, captain of cheer and pep, and all things bubbly and bright! Oh, pop quiz! Are you going to take on the Reborn League?
Oh, pop quiz! Are you going to take on the Reborn League?
Ash: I am.
Julia: Correct! That was the only thing you could ever do anyway! I'll be looking forward to your challenge, so go on! Get down to the Grand Hall already! (Disappears)
Ash: Please tell me that I'm still dreaming…
As he continues further, he finds Victoria.
Victoria: Hey, are you Ash? I'm Kiki. It's a pleasure to meet you, but is everything okay? I heard something happened at the station... Well, you're here, so I guess you're all right. Ame asked that I bring you in for salvation too. Don't worry, it shouldn't take long. Let's go inside. (Leaves and disappears)
And then he suddenly meets Cain, and he seems to be confused as he is.
Cain: Heyyy, you're cute. You come around here often?
Ash: Is it time for some jokes, Cain?
Cain: Ahaha, just kidding~ Man, Ash, I am SO glad to see you. I mean, I thought I had stars in my eyes, but I guess it was just you~ But really, I've been wandering around here for a while and I was starting to get worried. I have no idea how I got here, or what's going on, but what do you say we stick together until we figure out what's what in this place? Then again, there's only one path, so I guess that won't be hard. C'mon, let's go~
But as Cain leaves, Ash sees that he's running off the path and disappears, no matter how he tries to call out to him, he is just not there.
Ash: Now I'm starting to hate this place…
Then he moves forward and finds Julia again.
Julia: Hihi, Ash! Welcome to the Super-Duper Ultra-Hyper Electro- Dazzle Happy Boom-Time House of Cheer! Just ignore all the superlame reality junk. I need more banners! And streamers! And... hm...Ways to cover up the persisting revelation that the best years of my life are already behind me and from now on everything is an inevitable decline! Wait, is that a safety hazard? Oh, who cares?! Anyway, don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're the one he chose! As former captain cheerleader, I have to convince myself that the Onyx Trainers' School's honor depends on me! OTS, we represent! We pack a punch and don't relent! All right, all right, all right! I'm wired so let's—
And before Ash can say anything, Julia disappears again. The next one that appears is Fern, and Ash realizes that they are now walking on a memory lane, but somewhat differently.
Fern: Ash. A little birdie told me you were coming here to challenge my sister. I'm forced to ask myself, why? Here's what I think, Ash. I think you don't deserve to challenge her. I think you're not good enough. Not even I was good enough. Maybe you don't understand why I'm doing this, Ash. It's not like it's a matter of pride. But you're worthy. And I never was.
Then a door is blocking Ash's way through, so he has to go back and find another door. And once he manages to find another path, in the end, there's Florinia.
Florinia: ... Please notice...
And Florinia just disappears like that, and Ash continues to move forward, only to see Corey falling off from the sky, just like what he saw from the Beryl Bridge.
Shelly and Cal are next. It comes with three scenes, the one is the two of them staring at the scene from Lapis Ward, then the confrontation with Dr. Sigmund, and the last scene is how Cal pushes Shelly away and causes her to run. Although the last one wasn't true, Ash can feel how Shelly feels about it. Then Cal is alone, and there are a lot of Blake staring at Cal, who has changed his hair back to blue.
Heather: What are you doing, you stupid creep?! Let go of me already!
Sigmund: The subject lashes out with verbal and physical aggression, and refuses to listen to either instruction or reason. Let's begin an initial treatment at 100 volts.
Heather: Do you really think you can get away with this, you dirty old man!?
Sigmund: Ah – she scratched me. Restrain her. And make that 110 volts instead. Now, Heather, just hold still. You might feel a little shock…
All Ash can hear are voices from Heather and Sigmund, and for some reason, Ash is the one taking the shock, and he can feel pain from it as he realizes how the children from the orphanage have to survive from that.
Ash: That sure is painful…
Then he walks forward and finds Anna in the middle of the road.
Anna: Oh, it WAS you! Your light shines brightest in the darkness after all! So make sure you never, ever, ever stop shining, no matter what happens~ I know this is a little backwards, but just hang in there, okay? She should open a path for you... Unless... Hey, Ash? If two stars fall, passing like ships in the night, do you think they would wish upon each other? If that would happen, then which wish would win? Maybe we just have to chase them to the horizon to find out!
Then Anna jumps off from the road, much to Ash's surprise, but he continues to move forward until he sees a group of family surrounding a person who is dead. One of the people that is standing within the group is Sigmund.
Ash: So that girl must be the same one I saw back in Shade's Gym…
After running a while, he finally manages to find Cain.
Cain: Oh, geez, there you are. It's really you this time, right?
Ash: I want to ask you the same thing as well. But I guess we're real this time.
Cain: I lost you before, and I've been seeing some really weird stuff down here... Earlier, I saw a version of you... but I think it was from the past? You didn't seem to even see me at all. It was pretty cold.
Ash: I was the same, seeing a lot of different versions…
Cain: But I thought we were gonna stick together, ahaha... Listen... I keep feeling like there's something just behind me. So really... Stay close this time, okay? Let's go slow together.
Ash frowns as Cain is walking off the path and disappears again. But he knows he has to continue, and he is surprised to see that Kiki is next.
Kiki: Welcome, once more. I return as well, striking in perfect immobility, with all the fury that my soul may harbor. Because that is all I can amount to. "Defeat the inner chaos?" Did you think I was only talking about zen of the mind? I could be centered to dead-zero and I will still end up—
Then Kiki disappears again, and Ash walks forward, only for the Garchomp to slash right in front of him, but to his surprise, the attack causes pain, but does not damage his body.
Kiki: How is it FAIR that I had to be the one to go!? How is it FAIR that my body had to be the one KILLING itself?! I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS. Do you think I was SATISFIED? Do you think I didn't have DREAMS?! Do you think I knew a SINGLE GODDAMN THING about staying CALM?! Defeat the inner chaos? I AM MADE OF CHAOS! AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT THAT! Unlike these whiny, self-absorbed children whose greatest problem is what their FUCKING HAIR looks like. They have NO idea what it's like to wake up one day and suddenly hear that despite EVERYTHING they have EVER sought to do with their life, Despite giving themselves to others every step of the way, Despite surviving a "family" that communicated mainly in drugs and violence, Despite having climbed over all of the SHIT of life just to make ONE GODDAMN OASIS of serenity in this FUCKING BALLISTIC world, The only reward you get is DEATH. Tear my stomach open. Pick out my intestines. Grind them into the dirt. My body would do it all on its own anyway. The only thing I ever taught was mercy. But no one could teach that to me.
After Kiki's gone, Ash realizes this is what Kiki's feeling is, but he tries not to let it affect him as he continues forward. This time he sees Cain's family, with Cain's mother and father arguing, Cain turning away from the situation, and Aya begging.
Aya: Please stop fighting! Please come back... I'll clean my room and won't complain anymore- I'll do anything I need to, just... Please... Love each other again?
Then Ash sees the next scene, with Cain being gay to hang out with boyfriends and how Cain's mother and stepfather are angry at Aya. And then how Cain just left Aya.
Aya: So you finally left too, huh. Tch. I know I'm a toxic person, but you could at least say "bye" first. But I guess that's just what I deserve.
Ash realizes how broken Aya has been ever since her family is torn, and he continues forward to find the real Cain for the third time.
Cain: Oh... It really is just you, isn't it... This place is running me a bit ragged... And not in the good way. If I keep seeing things about you, probably you've seen some things about me too.
Ash: I know…I have seen some.
Cain: To be honest, I'd rather just forget about most of that stuff. Well, obviously that's why I ran, ahah... But then, the only place I ever ran was in circles. I guess it's hard to do anything else when you don't know where to go. (Turns to Ash) Hey, Ash. Do you know what you want to do in the future? Like, after this is all over?
Ash: My goal to become a Pokemon Master isn't changed.
Cain: I'm not too surprised. So many people seem like they're just cut out and set on whatever it is they want to do, but I never was like that. Ahaha, I can barely settle on a romantic partner. Even with how much I joke and flirt about that stuff, It's just a way of keeping myself safe from commitments and disappointment, If those are even any different. Who knows~ Maybe one day I could find somewhere I actually can feel like I belong. Place or person- either way. But I've gotten around enough to know that I'm the problem- not them. Even if they do nothing wrong, I still never feel like I can stay. But hey, everyone's a little bit broken, right? And some pieces just don't fit together. No matter how much lotion... Well, never mind! You can go on ahead this time. Sticking together never works out anyway. And maybe, just this time, I'll stop running.
Ash frowns as Cain is going to stay at this place instead of trying to find a way to get out of the madness like him. But then again, in Cain's vision, maybe their paths are different and they aren't going to be the same. And when Ash continues further, he finds a lot of Elizabeth Connal and Sigmund Connal in front of him.
Sigmund: We meet again. I have no intention of extending to you the same mercy as when last we met. I am here to reclaim what has been stolen from me. Lizzy, Lizzy... I will do what must be done for your sake.
Just then, all the Elizabeth Connal are gone, and the next is a lot of Corey, and one of them is tending to Elena's bed. Sirius is also standing in front of him.
Sirius: Blast that feral woman! And blast her husband twice. History cares nothing for hopeless romanticism. He is as naive as I've been. For neither does history care for its own study. I only needed to recover the scars I carved, not earn my own. But I understand now. Reality accepts nothing less than full commitment and sacrifice. Those unwilling to choose that path have it chosen for them. Then there's only one road left to walk. Ironic. Perhaps this loss was just what I needed to gleam the way.
After leaving the whole scene, the next one to be in front of him is Lin.
Lin: How funny. You thought you were strong together. And here you are now. Let this be a lesson. Numbers do not help. Friends do not help. Nothing ever helps. No one ever helps. No one ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever helps.
Ash manages to run past Lin, and he sees 36 Elias in front of him, and then Luna and his father, who runs past him as well. After a while, he finds his mother standing in front of him, he has the face, but Ash is surprised to see that her hair is purple.
Zina: Once upon a time, a belt of meteors swept across the universe. But one day, one of those little meteors decided she wanted to go further than any of the others ever had. So she kicked up her trail, revved up her spacedust, and off she went, Sailing far, far away across the galaxy, Further than all her best friends, Further than all her loving family, Further than any meteor had ever known it was possible to even go. And when she was very, very tired of flying so far away, she found a little planet she liked, and she thought that she would finally rest. So, the little meteor started to descend to the planet's surface. But that planet's atmosphere was so hot, and so thick, And the little meteor was so exhausted from flying so many millions and millions of moons across space...That she burnt right up in the sky! And do you know what happened? All the people on that planet looked up, and they said, "Look! A shooting star! Let's make a wish!" And so, everyone on that little planet, Which had scarcely seen such a star in its life, Wished, And wished, and wished, and wished with all their might, And those people smiled, and knew hope like they had never known before, and felt happy. And by the time it would have come to the surface, there was nothing of the little meteor left at all... It had all- poof!- vanished! And even though it disappeared from the world forever, do you know what that little meteor did? It lived happily ever after, In the joy it brought, and the hearts it touched, and the smiles it inspired in its final moments as a shooting star. So even with its last little itty bitty bit of life, It never, ever regretted what it had done, even once. So, make sure to smile for me too, okay?
Then his mother disappears, and his father was standing behind him.
Radomus: You could have been a meteorite instead... (Disappears)
Ash starts to remember the story that his mother often told him when he was little, but he never thought that far…When he continues further, he also sees how the Ralts that his Mom gave his Dad with Radomus, until it evolved, and then how many hats his father is wearing. Ash notices that one of the hats is the same hat that he wore, but he has never seen his father wear it. Then Ash also sees his whole family, plus Elias and Luna, standing in front of him. Ash wants to reach out to them, but all he can do is run past them, and the next scene is Taka and Luna are facing Solaris and Elias respectively.
?: hee hee hee~ this is funny... hey, don't you even know who your real ally is? don't you? hey... who's really made it so you could get this far? who? who~? hey... haven't you been having fun? haven't you? haven't you!? so you're like me... hehehe~ why else would you keep playing?
And much to Ash's surprise, after the voice, the one in front of him is the real PULSE Hypno.
Ash: If I destroy this PULSE…maybe Agate City would be saved…and somehow I might get out of this place? Let's do it!
Ash sends out Lycanroc to battle, but Hypno goes for Hypnosis and Dream Eater to knock it out, Ash knows that he has to go for Greninja and activate the Bond Phenomenon and finishes it with X-Scissor, destroying the pulse.
And here is another chapter, as you can see, Ash has been running in the void and also destroy the PULSE Hypno. What will happen to him next? I hope you like this chapter.
