Hey all! I'm going to keep it short and sweet here. College happened, and the first semester kicked my ass. Fanfiction wasn't a priority... but that doesn't mean I'd abandon stories. Here we are, with Chapter 6, a nice 11,700-word installment. I myself had to re-read the first few chapters of this story (I also had to re-watch the second half of Lucario and the Mystery of Mew) to write this chapter, because it's been an eternity since I've updated. I like how the chapter came out, and I hope you all do too.
I'm gonna skip the Q&A this time... I'd be genuinely surprised if anyone remembered their questions from the last chapter.
Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: Whatever.
VI
[The Corridors of the Aura...]
Silence. Pure, uneasy silence... except for the repetitive, cyclic sound of shoes hitting the ground. The main hall of the Corridors was uninhabited at the moment, save for two people, one a young man, the other a pokemon. Just a quick glance at this pair was enough to convey that they were not the type to be taken lightly. Their faces just had a certain look to them; the looks of seasoned warriors. For 5 years they had trained, reaching heights their previous selves would have thought unreachable. Now the final test was upon them, one last test of their might. Both were on the absolute highest of alerts, their eyes darting around cautiously. The young man growled. The absence of sound was unnerving. He hated this feeling... the feeling of knowing someone was watching, but being unable to find them.
"Come out already!" he called, standing still.
Strapped to his back was a black rod, only two feet long. He slowly reached for the item, being sure to stay on alert. As soon as the rod was safely in his hands, it began to expand, elongating itself till it was 6 feet and 2 inches long; his height.
"Watch my back, Pikachu." he ordered, opting not to speak aloud.
"On it, bruh." replied the rodent, hopping from the man's shoulder onto the floor.
The duo continued to stay on alert, waiting. And then, with a quick chill barreling it's way down their spines, the true test had spontaneously begun. A horde of azure spheres shot through the air, each reaching speeds rivaling that of sound waves. With nothing short of impeccable grace and timing, the young raven-haired warrior swung his rod, halting each and every Aura Sphere in its tracks. He thrust his hand outwards, absorbing their power into his hand, only to release it back into the darkened hall before him in the shape of a concentrated beam of Aura. He could see the blast's light illuminate the halls before him, giving him just enough light to see a figure approaching at sonic speed. They held a staff of their own, one much more intricate. Said staff clashed with the young guardian's, creating shockwaves of energy.
The attacker locked eyes with the hero, smirking.
"Your final exam has begun, Ashton Ketchum, Guardian of the Aura." they spoke, their voice only lightly strained by the struggle. "Every fruit of your training must be put forth if you wish to pass... and survive."
"I, Ashton Ketchum, Guardian of the Aura and knight of Arceus, accept this test." declared Ash, his voice just as strained as his attacker's. "Square up, Sir Aaron."
In response to Ash's challenge, Sir Aaron powered up, putting his massive reserves of Aura on display. The resulting force was enough to push Ash back, the young Guardian taking a few extra steps back as Sir Aaron took a few steps forward. Their staffs still pressed against each other, sparks began to fly from the grinding of the metals. Ash grit his teeth; Sir Aaron was a monster when it came to overpowering foes. But then again, Ash did not consider himself any ordinary foe. Half of his blood was the same as Sir Aaron's... this was a game two could play. With a low growl, Ash's began to tap into his own vast pools of Aura, a brilliant display of his own being born, one rivaling - perhaps even outmatching - that of Sir Aaron's. But the retaliation was not done yet.
"Pikachu," ordered Ash via mental link. "Light me."
"Gotcha, fam." answered Pikachu, static electricity flying from his cheeks.
Just like Ash's, Pikachu's eyes gained an azure glow, his own Aura syncing with Ash's. Jagged arcs of electricity began to channel themselves from his cheeks into Ash's Aura. From Ash's Aura, the current traveled into Ash's black rod, and then into Sir Aaron's silver one. The result of this combination was an overpowered Pikachu's electrical energy running painfully through Sir Aaron's body, causing the Guardian to falter long enough for Ash to release even more Aura, completely eclipsing Sir Aaron's. With a forceful push, Ash sent one of his five masters careening down the Corridors, landing painfully in a corner.
"One down," muttered Ash, eyeing Sir Aaron's unconscious body. Suddenly, the sound of an... ocarina reached his ears. Followed by a familiar hearty laugh. Followed by the sound of some footsteps. Followed by the chants of a high level Aura attack. Ash sighed. "four to go."
The ocarina tune that resonated through the hall seemed to have an effect on the air, creating a much more moist atmosphere in the room, until finally, it began to rain... indoors.
"Sir Hylus and his damn Ocarina..." murmured Ash, gripping his staff tightly. "He literally just played a song that caused it to start raining. He's straight up Link from The Legend of Zelda. Like, there's no denying it at this poi-"
"Hnaaaaaaaah!" sounded a voice from above.
Instead of looking up, Ash and Pikachu immediately lunged away from the area they were standing. They had evaded just in time, narrowly dodging what would have been a rather painful slash from Sir Hylus and his sword. Ash slid as he landed; the rain was already proving itself to be a fantastic pain in the ass. Pikachu slid as well, immediately poising himself for an electrical counterattack as soon as he regained stable footing.
"No, Pikachu," said Ash aloud, using his black rod to deflect an incoming slash from Sir Hylus's blade. "The rain will conduct the electricity and shock us all. Leave him to me for now."
Pikachu nodded, letting Ash battle the weapon master alone. Once again, Ash powered up, planning to eliminate Sir Hylus in a similar fashion to how he dealt with Sir Aaron. But Sir Hylus was no fool. With his shield, he shoved Ash back, the wet floor causing the young Chosen Guardian to slide back a considerable distance. Remaining on his feet, Ash locked eyes with Sir Hylus, who was reaching for the boomerang attached to his waist. With deadly precision, the blonde warrior sent the boomerang swirling towards Ash. As it approached, a small tornado formed around the boomerang, creating fierce winds for Ash to contend with.
Our hero frowned, realizing that the only way to successfully deal with such an attack would be to...
"I'm feeling lucky today." mused Ash, creating an Aura Sphere in his palm.
Taking note of the fact that the tornado was spinning counter-clockwise, Ash sent the Aura Sphere to the left, the opposing direction. The sphere traveled through the winds, coming into contact with the boomerang. The result was a small blue explosion, followed by a short rain of woodchips and metal scraps that used to be a boomerang. Ash then placed both hands on his black staff, holding it as he would a baseball bat. With a light grunt, he swung, the simple black rod mystically elongating to the point of coming into contact with Sir Hylus, who was several feet away.
Having swung on Sir Hylus's left side, the side which held his sword, Ash had aimed his attack at a vital weak point. Unable to protect himself with his shield, Sir Hylus could only watch as Ash's staff approached his left flank at breakneck speed. The swing connected, smashing Sir Hylus into nearby wall. Once Ash's rod began to return to its original length, Sir Hylus slid from the wall to the floor, unconscious.
"C'mon bruh," commented Pikachu, shaking his head. "Why you had to go and murk his ass real quick like that? Hahahaha... Real shit though, his arm is definitely broken."
"Not my problem." replied Ash, exhaling. "2 down, 3 to go."
Ash and Pikachu looked above, noticing the rain caused by Sir Hylus's Ocarina had come to a halt. The pair experienced great relief at the dismissal of the rain's noise, but experienced great concern when a new sound had become audible: a familiar chanting noise. Ash swore under his breath; it was the same chanting he'd heard earlier. The high-level Aura spell.
"Fuckin' Riley..." growled Ash, his eyes flashing from brown to blue.
It was then that the chanting ceased, and a new, much more ominous sound arose: yips and howls. Ash's eyes widened; One by one, pairs of blue eyes glowed into existence from the dark hall before him. It was safe to say that by that point, Ash was fully aware of what the spell's completion entailed.
"Wolves..." he seethed, his eyes narrowing in irritation. "Riley and his fuckin' bullshit, every time with this guy. Every fucking time. Always with the fancy shit... *sigh* Pikachu, stand back. We're not engaging them."
While Pikachu backed up, Ash prepared his counter-spell. Though he had learned through past experiences that a spell's full power demanded closed eyes during the incantation, Ash opted to keep his eyes open during his chant. Besides, his spell wasn't going to be anything over-the-top like Riley's. Just something simple, something that'd get the job done.
The glowing eyes began to get closer and closer, until what they were became unnervingly obvious to Pikachu as well; a pack of wolves made of Aura... in an all-out sprint. The yellow mouse's eyes widened, mouth agape.
"Nnnnnnnnah." he droned, backing up some more while shaking his head. "I ain't about that... That's some creepy shit, I do NOT fuck with the creepy shit..."
Ash couldn't help but chuckle a bit under his chanting at Pikachu's response to Sir Riley's spell. Unfortunately, the chuckle had an effect. On the last few lines of the chant, Ash began to see his Aura spell come into existence; a 20-foot-high chain link fence of Aura. But there was a flaw. This fence had a hole in it. A rather large hole. In fact, some would even go as far as to call it a wolf-sized hole.
Ash completed the spell, his eyes fixed on the hole that his lack of concentration had created. "Oh."
The mob of Aura wolves clashed with the fence, nearly all of them being stopped in their tracks... nearly all of them. One lucky wolf managed to line up perfectly with the hole, jumping through it mere seconds before Ash sealed the hole shut by adding more Aura to the fence. Ash, who would not be able to move during his counterattack, turned his head to Pikachu.
"Pikachu, you have to protect me while I take out Riley. One of the wolves got throu-"
"NAHHHHH... REALLY?! DEADASS, I HAD NO FUCKING CLUE." roared Pikachu, his terrified eyes fixed on the Aura Wolf sprinting straight towards him.
"Just take care of it!" ordered Ash. He then began murmuring the incantation for part two of his counter-spell. "Para prajurit meniup tiga-satu lead, para prajurit meniup tiga-satu lead... push forward and crush, Wall Advance."
"Push fahwad and cwush!" mimicked an annoyed Pikachu, his tail gaining the familiar glow of an Iron Tail.
Ash's fence began to move, pushing itself and all the wolves forward into the dark hall ahead until it could move no more, crushing the wolves into brilliant bursts of blue light. Meanwhile, Pikachu's Iron Tail delivered a swift end to the one wolf that got through. Once all the wolves were defeated, Ash formed a powerful Aura Sphere in his hand and shot it down the hall that the wolves came from. He then closed his eyes, sensing for Riley's location. He, as expected, was where the wolves had come from. But he was moving, probably trying to dodge the incoming Aura Sphere.
"But he won't." muttered Ash, waving his hand, redirecting the Sphere towards Riley's new location. The attack connected, and a yelp could be heard, followed by some curses and swears. Ash opened his eyes and smirked. "3 down, 2 to go."
"Ight so we got Sir Branford and Sir Tobias left, right?" asked Pikachu, returning to his job of watching Ash's back. "Well I guess we're gonna have a battle or some shit like that with Tobias, but what's Raisin Bran gonna test us with? I swear if that mothafucka makes us throw hands-"
"GET READY TO THROW SOME HANDS KIDDO!" roared a familiar voice.
Ash and Pikachu immediately went on high alert, recognizing the voice as that of Sir Branford's.
"Well how 'bout that?" commented Pikachu. "Ya boi must be a psychic-type too-"
Pikachu was cut off by the sight of Sir Branford crashing in through a nearby window and immediately clothes-lining Ash, sending the young Guardian soaring through the air. The pain from the attack was immense, a testament to the older Guardian's brute strength. Ash could feel that he'd have trouble talking properly for the next couple minutes.
"Yeah... how 'bout that?" he replied, his voice scratchy and pained.
He immediately braced himself for Sir Branford's next attack, which was definitely coming soon. Sir Branford was sprinting towards him, his fist reared back for a powerful punch. This time around, Ash was ready. With a stern game-face, Ash firmly planted his feet on the ground, assuming an old-school fighting position, fists up. As soon as Sir Branford was close enough to swing, Ash immediately ducked, narrowly dodging the would-be heavy blow. Planning to end this section of the test with one single hit like he had done the rest, Ash powered up his fist with Aura, immediately connecting a powerful punch to Sir Branford's abdomen.
Expecting a grunt or groan of some kind, Ash was greatly disappointed (and frightened) to hear a hearty chuckle coming from Sir Branford, followed by the feeling of two manly, calloused hands grabbing him by the shoulders.
"Heheh, if a single punch was enough to make a guy like me keel over, I'd be ashamed to call m'self an Aura Guardian." commented Sir Branford, lifting Ash up.
"Please don't pile-drive me." croaked Ash quietly, his voice still raspy. "This is a hard, unforgiving, tiled floor. The chances of me getting a concussion or worse are disgustingly high. For the literal sake of the world I ask that you reconsider your options-"
Sir Branford prepared to pile-drive Ash, turning the young hero upside down. But before he could go through with his attack, a flash of yellow shot through the air. It was Pikachu, positioning himself for a devastating Iron Tail to Sir Branford's back. But Branford's senses were just as acute as any other Guardian's, allowing him to evade the attack before it landed, with the only consequence being a loosened grip on Ash.
But that was all Ash needed.
As soon as Sir Branford's grip loosened, Ash powered up, the force of his Aura being enough to blow Sir Branford's hands away from him. Ash managed to land on all fours, and without standing, immediately fired a barrage of normal-sized Aura Spheres at Sir Branford. The storm of attacks connected, sending the large man careening painfully towards a nearby wall. After the impact, Sir Branford stood to his feet, but instead of continuing the battle, he smiled and nodded, respect in his eyes.
"Well, ain't that somethin'. That was a damn good maneuver, kid." he complimented, folding his arms. "You've passed my section."
"Fantastic." said Ash dryly, his normal voice beginning to return. "I guess it's just Sir Tobias left."
"Indeed." answered another voice.
Ash and Pikachu turned towards the source of the voice, the area in which their test began. There, they saw Sirs Aaron, Hylus, and Riley standing, having shaken off their injuries at the hands of Ash (except for Sir Hylus, who's left arm was in a sling, confirming that Ash had broken it earlier). Once Sir Branford walked over and joined them, Sir Aaron continued.
"You have done remarkably well against the four of us, Ashton. While we obviously weren't going all-out *rolls eyes suspiciously*, you have proven your keen battle instinct and mastery of Aura. You have proven your worth as both a Master Aura Guardian, and the Chosen Guardian. But in order to save the world, you must prove yourself in one final title. I'm sure you'll be glad to know its the same title you've chased after since your childhood days: Pokemon Master. And the only way to do that is to defeat Sir Tobias in a pokemon battle."
"...What?" asked Ash, frowning. "How does that make me a Pokemon Master? Heck, I didn't even know what being a Pokemon Master actually entailed back when I really wanted to be one. Really it was more of an excuse for my mom to let me leave home at 10 years ol-"
"I suppose it only makes sense that the term 'Pokemon Master' is thrown about in the world of the living, without any actual knowledge of what it means..." sighed Sir Aaron, adjusting his hat. "It's a title that's true meaning faded into history along with the knowledge of Aura Guardians. In actuality, Pokemon Master is a sub-class of Aura Guardian. To be a true Pokemon Master is to gain synergy of the highest level with a pokemon at it's highest possible level of strength, to completely be one with your pokemon on all levels except physical. It is more than forging a simple mental link, Mega-Evolution, or Bond Phenomenon. The Pokemon Masters of history have all been members of the Ketchum Clan, as only one with their innate ability to bond with pokemon could reach such a level. Sir Tobias's bond with his Darkrai makes him a Pokemon Master, and you and your Pikachu must best them in combat."
Ash slowly nodded his head, understanding his task. He had to defeat Sir Tobias in a battle. But this wasn't just a test in his eyes. No no, it was far, far, FAR more. It was a chance he'd been waiting for, a chance he'd been waiting for since his pre-teen days. It was only a test, but it was a personal one.
"Pikachu," he thought, a fire in his eyes. "It's time to get our revenge. For what happened at the Lily of the Valley Conference all those years ago. Let's beat him. Let's beat him proper."
"Word." answered Pikachu, turning to Ash. "We can totally do this, bruh. We ain't had no street smarts back then. But now, we woke. We woke as fuck now."
"Where do we go?" asked Ash, looking around.
"Keep walking down the hall, and you'll reach a door." answered Sir Riley. "Behind that door is a room where Sir Tobias is waiting. It's a pretty long walk down there, and I know your attention span isn't the best, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Don't get lost, okay?"
"Funny haha. Go f*ck yourself Riley." replied Ash, turning towards the hall.
Sir Riley folded his arms. "Heh, says the guy who I had the misfortune of walking in on while he was mast-"
"Okayyyyyyyyyyy..." interjected Pikachu, laughing. "C'mon Ash, we gotta focus. Don't we got a score to settle?"
"Yeah.. yeah we do." grumbled Ash, deciding to begin walking down the hall. As he walked, he looked over his shoulder, scowling at Sir Riley. "You better start writing shit down, because after my battle with Sir Tobias I am going to drop some of the most feral freestyle bars ever conceived on your ass."
"Pfft. White boy Ash? He's always talkin' the trash," muttered Riley under his breath. "I spit the good shit quick, wreck him and his clique. Kid ain't got no swag, no dough to put in the bag, he a broke-ass bitch, and I heard his pet rat was a snitch..."
"Aw HELL naw!" bellowed a furious Pikachu, sparks flying from his cheeks. "BOIIIIIIII,"
"YA GANG'S LOOKIN' HELLA WEAK, I GOT MY SQUAD ON FLEEK," roared Ash, turning around on his heels. "WE PULL UP IN THE HOOD, WHOLE STREET ASKIN' WHAT'S GOOD! IM SITTIN' RICH COUNTIN' STACKS, PIKA'S IN THE BACK COOKIN' CRACK! GIVE THE BEAT A RUNBACK, YOU GOT ME SET TO ATTACK! YOUR BARS ARE FUCKIN' WACK, I'M JUST STATIN' THE FACTS! I PULL THE GLOCK OFF THE RACK-"
"Such offensive poetry... created at a moment's notice nonetheless..." commented Sir Aaron in awe. He then tapped the end of his staff on the floor, creating a loud sound that silenced Ash's rhymes. "As impressive as your... extremely competitive poetry is, I'm afraid it must end right this instant. Your test is not finished. Please proceed to the room we've spoken of."
"Right..." answered Ash, reluctantly resuming his walk down the hall.
The four Guardians left behind watched their student depart til his figure vanished in the darkness ahead. Once the sound of his footsteps could be heard no more, Sirs Branford and Hylus departed to their quarters, their presences no longer required. But Sir Aaron and Sir Riley stayed behind, both of them having not moved at all since Ash's departure. There were a few seconds of silence.
"I didn't know you were a bard." said Sir Aaron, quite seriously.
"...what?" asked Riley, eyebrow raised.
"You and Ashton were just speaking in rhyme... rather skillfully."
"Oh, you mean freestyling?" laughed Riley. "Hahahahah, no, I'm not a bard, freestlying is just a hobby that Ash and I have been practicing."
"I see..." replied Sir Aaron, slowly nodding his head. "Might I ask why though? Really, I should ask why do you do any of the silly things you've tended to do with him over the years. The teasing, the roughhousing, all of it... It's unprofessional. Not that I have a problem with it... But you understand why I'm asking, right?"
"There's a reason I do it." answered Riley. "Besides the fact that it's fun, I do it to make sure he's not a social train-wreck when he returns to the real world. It's more important than you think. And, out of us, I'm really the only one that's fit for the job."
"Elaborate please."
"I died relatively recently compared to the rest of us. And I died young, just a few years older than Ash. So naturally, he feels the most comfortable interacting with me. I've purposely formed a brotherly bond with him, as the rest of you are too old to have any relationship with him other than a teacher-student one. If I didn't hang out with, mess with, and have fun with Ash, can you imagine how boring and awkward of a person he'd be after five years of isolation from the world? Yeah, we're with him, but we're not that entertaining of people, and besides me, none of us really understand what the life of a person his age is like in today's society and all. He'd have trouble talking to people, trouble with operating and acting natural in public. But now that I've kept him relatively exposed to things like music, hobbies, and laughter, he wont have too much trouble blending back in... mostly."
"Mostly?"
"He was already pretty bad with girls when he got here... being isolated from the opposite gender for 5 years has undoubtedly only made it worse."
"But if I recall correctly, you were quite a hit with the ladies when you were alive, Sir Riley. You haven't given him any advice?"
"Of course I talked about the basics once or twice: getting consent, the fact that they're usually right, etc... but there isn't much I can do after that. Everyone is different. What I did to attract women wouldn't work if someone like Ash did it. He's gotta figure that stuff out for himself. I'm just afraid that it's going to be a rough road for him."
"Oh don't worry, I'm confident he'll be fine." chuckled Sir Aaron, walking away. "Besides, he's got more important things to focus on, like saving the world from demonic destruction."
"Yeah..." said Riley quietly. "But love is important too. I know those two girls that were with him before we took him really loved him... for his sake, I hope their feelings have stayed somewhat the same..."
[Inside the Tree of Beginning...]
"I really must love him, because now that I'm nearing the end of this search, I'm just now fully realizing there's a high chance that the past 4 years of my life have gone to waste..." thought Serena somberly, walking through the Tree of Beginning's crystal lit pathways. "I left my mother, my home, my life... everything. For Ash. But I know he's somewhere. I'm a... relatively reasonable person, I wouldn't have left if there wasn't a good chance of finding him. Yet here I am... a few inches away from being completely out of options... I..."
Serena paused, her ears picking up a sound behind her. She immediately went into defense mode, one hand immediately unsheathing a knife from her holster while the other grabbed a pokeball off her belt. But before she could protect herself... she realized the sound was just a pebble-sized chunk of rock falling from a wall onto the ground.
Serena glared at the rock.
"I thought this place was supposed to be dangerous for crying out loud..." she grumbled, a little louder than she should have. "I've gotten in here completely unscathed, unpursued, I'd even go as far as to say unnoticed-"
Serena's words were cut off by the sound and sight of Regirock bashing it's way in through a nearby wall, followed by Registeel and Regice. They appeared to be walking in a neat single file, ready to do their jobs. All of them focused their circular eyes on Serena, who's mouth was agape. The 3 golems then raised their arms into the air and hollered, their battle cries echoing throughout the caves.
Serena had never run so fast in her entire life.
"WHAAAAAAAAT THEEEEE HELLLLLLLL-"
Step by step, Ash delved further into the darkness of the hall before him, Pikachu having climbed onto his shoulder after a couple minutes. Once the hall got too dark to see in, Ash summoned and maintained a flame of Aura in his hand, providing enough blue light to see the next few tiles ahead. The duo had walked in an uncharacteristic silence, one that was kept, until a single observation by Pikachu changed things up drastically. It was an observation both heroes knew as an obvious truth, but at the same time had never really taken the time to think about fully, let alone talk about with each other.
"After we beat Tobias... we're gonna be sent back to the real world, huh?"
"...Yes." answered Ash simply.
"Boi, you're saying that like we ain't about to reunite with everyone we know and love after 5 damn years of absence..." said Pikachu incredulously. "Brock, Misty, YOUR MOTHER, Gary, Professor Oak... May... Serena... we're gonna see 'em all again, bruh."
That did it. Just the mentioning of those last two names was enough to make a rush of chills run through Ash's spine, while a pit began to form in his stomach. He would have to see them again. The thought of reuniting with them was a feeling he couldn't describe in one single word, it was a concoction of many emotions. The recipe called for a touch of excitement, two tablespoons of dread, a dash of fear, and last but not least, a pinch joy. But it was the two tablespoons of dread that he could taste the most in his soul.
He had thought about them often throughout the first year of his training. He'd spent many nights thinking on the matter. He'd expected himself to be able to come up with a decision on which one he truly felt stronger feelings for during his 5 years of absence, but alas, no progress had been made. They both were still perfect, yet different from each other in his eyes, even after all those years.
Serena's golden honey hair... her beautiful sky blue eyes... a smile as warm as the Summer sun itself... she was in every way what he pictured an angel to be. Her personality, while different, clicked so well with his. It was as if she was the missing piece to his puzzle. With her, he felt like anything was possible, like the world was his oyster. She was a ray of sunshine, a flower so fragrant and beautiful that no one really deserved to call it theirs. His feelings for Serena were no less than love, and now, at 22 years of age, he had no problem admitting it.
But May... she was a goddess in her own right. Sapphire eyes that reminded him of the deepest of oceans... a simply adorable, natural, clean aesthetic... and most importantly, a competitive fire within that matched his own. Never had Ash met a girl so much like himself, yet at the same time their own, unique person. She was beautiful to him in so many ways he'd never thought a girl to be beautiful in. May wasn't his first crush (that title belonged to Misty), but she was without a doubt his first love, and it was a love that had never faded... ever. It only seemed to grow.
"I love them both." said Ash aloud, his voice in a monotone.
"What? ...Wait, are you talking about May and Serena? Is that literally all you got from what I just said?" asked Pikachu, tilting his head. "Oh Arceus, you're ridiculous, you know that? Nothing's changed, has it? Even after all these years, you still haven't made up your mind bro?"
"No, I haven't." said Ash, frowning. "And why are you suddenly speaking in perfect grammar again?"
"Oh uh, I mean... bruh, this ain't no complex shit. Deadass, just pick May. She hunna 'cent bae material. Team May all the way. Deuces."
"And Serena isn't?"
"I mean she got a nice ass but-"
"You sound like Gary. To be honest, as long as a girl has an attractive face and good personality I could care less about their body. But if you wanna talk in those aspects, May's...upper half is just as extraordinary as Serena's lower. And both of them are average in the opposite departments, so really, they're equal in that sense. But, like I said, that's not really my priority. It's their personalities... They're both completely different from each other, yet somehow both of them just... give me butterfrees inside."
"Boiiii, you are one CORNY motherfucker..." commented Pikachu, shaking his head. "You can't love 2 girls though. That's not how it works. They can't both be 'the one'."
"And you're calling me the corny one?" Asked Ash, raising an eyebrow. "You really think that there's only one match for everyone? There's billions of people in the world. If you honestly believe in the concept of a 'soulmate', then you're just as cheesy as me for saying they give me butterfrees inside, maybe cheesier."
"Look, regardless of the cheese factor, I'm speakin' the truth. If you go back into the world tryna wife up both of them, ya finna lose 'em both."
"Who said I was going to do that?" snapped Ash, pausing his walk for a second. "I... I'm not gonna do anything. We're supposed to be saving the world when we get back, remember? Girls are in no way, shape, or form our priority. And really, I don't know if I'm gonna visit anyone til after we get the job done, because on the off chance we die in battle, right after returning from the what they think is the dead, it'll just be... messed up. They already think we're dead anyway, so let's keep it that way til after we defeat Master Brecht."
"Are you sure that's the right thing to do?"
"It's the necessary thing to do." said Ash, resuming his walk.
As he continued forward, a door became visible in the darkness ahead. It was time to end the conversation and get serious. Seeing the door as well, Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder, landing at his partner's feet. They had reached the door. The duo looked at each other, both of them sporting serious game-faces. All their work for the past 5, no, the past 12 years, was leading up to this moment. Either Ash left the room a Pokemon Master... or a failure.
He took a deep breath, nodded, and pushed the door open, revealing a large room, with flame-lit torches lining the walls. The light from the torches shined off the blue and black tiled floor, the flames casting similar reflections of their dances onto the tiles. The rough stone walls bore no windows, giving the room a rather suffocating feel. All the way at the end of the room stood Sir Tobias, a single pokeball in hand. His ever-stern gaze was fixed on Ash, who returned the look with a determined stare.
Ash and Pikachu stepped into the room, and immediately realized... it was no normal room.
Their footsteps produced no sound. A shallow gasp escaped Ash's mouth... but it was silent. Ash looked at Pikachu, who was looking around, seeming to be noticing the lack of sound as well.
"Pikachu," he thought, resorting to their mental link. "there's no sound in here..."
Pikachu continued to look around, unaware of Ash's words.
"Pikachu?"
Ash froze. Not even his voice made any noise, and he had definitely felt his vocal chords vibrate.
"Pikachu! Pikachu can you hear me?"
Nothing. Pikachu began to clap his paws together, desperately trying to produce any sort of noise. He then gazed at Ash, as if he was about to say something. But Ash heard nothing, neither in his head, nor in actual sound. Pikachu continued to stare at Ash, as if he was waiting for him to say something. But no such effort was made. The pair then had a confusion-fueled staring contest, until both sets of eyes widened. The realization of what needed to be done hit them both at the same time. The absolute synergy Sir Aaron spoke of... was being able to battle with no way of communication... at all. They both blinked, both coming to a silent, mutual understanding.
From the corners of their eyes, they saw a flash of white light, and suddenly, Sir Tobias's Darkrai was present, not a single sound coming from the pokeball. Sir Tobias then silently unsheathed a thin double-edged sword from the scabbard attached to his waist and charged towards Ash and Pikachu, his faithful Pitch-Black Pokemon following close behind. An azure glow adorned his irises, an image mirrored by the eyes of Ash, who, alongside Pikachu, readied himself for what was surely to be the hardest battle of his life.
It was moments like these where Serena was immensely thankful for the impeccable state of fitness her body was in. After 4 years of living in the great outdoors, every aspect of her body was at its peak. She was no amazon warrior, but she definitely wasn't a damsel in distress. It was thanks to this physique that she was able to maintain her all out sprint away from the three Regi-golems for as long as she did. But eventually, even the strongest of Rapidashes grew weary. Her legs were beginning to burn, and her breaths became more and more labored.
As she slowed down to a jog, she looked over her shoulder; they were gone... or at least very far behind.
"I guess I... *exhale* ... lost them..." she panted, slowing down to a walk. "So the Regis are here... just like the book said they'd be... but what about the..."
Serena trailed off, a new phenomenon gaining her attention. An orange glow began to emanate from the path ahead, along with a strange, unnerving noise. Serena's eyes widened as a mysterious orange substance in the form of an absurdly large Feraligatr approached from the shadows.
"...white blood cells." she finished, quickly snatching a pokeball off her belt. "Sylveon, let's go! Moonblast!"
Serena threw the ball, and in a dazzling flash, her Sylveon was there, immediately charging up the pink sphere of moon energy. Serena readied herself for the next phase of her maneuver, which relied on Sylveon's attack connecting.
"Aim for the center!" ordered Serena level-headedly.
"Sylveon!" shouted Sylveon, shooting the Moonblast.
As soon as the attack was shot, Serena dashed towards the white blood cell. The Moonblast hit the center of the Feraligatr-shaped substance, creating a rather large hole in it. Like a Liepard hunting it's ill-fated prey, Serena lunged through the hole, landing with a forward roll. Once on her feet again, she immediately turned around and shot the return beam of her pokeball through the hole, retrieving Sylveon right before the hole closed up. Then, she ran.
"Now this is what I expected to deal with coming here..." she thought, adrenaline rushing. "Okay, I'm pretty sure that I can survive in here. As long as I don't get cornered, I can deal with anything, whether it be the white blood cells or the golems... I'm trying to get to the deepest part of this place - the heart - before turning back. I'm already pretty deep in... I should be close... I think."
"Hm."
Having retreated to his own quarters after his talk with Sir Riley, Sir Aaron was now alone. Leaning against the wall of his room, arms crossed, he frowned slightly. Something interesting was transpiring. This feeling he had... he hadn't experienced it in quite a while. It was a sixth sense of sorts that he had gained after his heroic death hundreds of years ago.
"The Tree of Beginning..." he murmured, swallowing the piece of chocolate he had been chewing. "Someone's in it again... and... oh my..."
Sir Aaron's frown then turned to a smile, sensing who was in the tree. Just then, the door to his room opened. A familiar Lucario rushed in, a frantic look on its face.
"Master, I sense-"
"I sense it too, Lucario. It's amazing, her timing could not have been more spot-on... Perhaps too spot-on... I don't think they're finished with the test yet..." noted Sir Aaron, removing himself from the wall. He then grabbed his staff. "We must alert the others... It seems that tonight's the night. But first... we should help."
"This can't keep going on like this."
It was madness. It was BS. But most of all, it was annoying. Things were not going well for Ash, who currently found his body aching and shivering from enduring multiple Dark Pulses and Ice Beams from Tobias's Darkrai. It wasn't like he and Pikachu weren't putting up a fight; they were, and a damn good one at that. Though Darkrai wasn't very damaged at all, Sir Tobias's cloak was singed in multiple places due to nasty hits from Pikachu's thunder attacks. But the momentum was impossible to keep, and now, less than 15 minutes into their battle, Ash and Pikachu found themselves unable to abandon the defensive.
All while unable to communicate.
It was as if Tobias and Darkrai were a well-oiled machine, able to work perfectly together in every sense. Ash and Pikachu, who weren't exactly terrible at the "no contact" gimmick themselves, were barely able to keep up half the time. Some of their combos worked, but Ash had come to realize things were running on 50/50 chances each time. Sometimes Pikachu picked up on what he wanted to do, but sometimes the yellow mouse was completely lost regarding what to do next. They were slowly getting more and more in sync, but it was taking time. And time wasn't a luxury they had when dealing with Tobias and Darkrai's relentless attacks.
But suddenly, after some hard thinking, a golden idea appeared in Ash's mind. It was uncertain whether this idea was going to end the battle, but it would at the very least provide a reset to the situation. He was just hoping Pikachu was able to follow his lead. It required Sir Tobias and Darkrai to attack first, which wouldn't be too hard considering that was all they were doing for the past 5 minutes. Ash waited, gripping his staff tightly. Part of the reason they hadn't made any true progress was Sir Tobias's excellent job at keeping Darkrai out of harm's way. If this plan succeeded, then the Pitch-Black pokemon, as well as Tobias, would finally take some real damage.
Ash looked at Pikachu, who was a couple feet away from him, icy frost coating sections of his fur. Pikachu looked back, and Ash's look alone was enough to tell Pikachu to come closer. Pikachu did just that, using Quick Attack to safely position himself by Ash's feet. Together, they waited, and as expected, Sir Tobias was in action a split second after the waiting began.
From behind Darkrai, Sir Tobias leaped high into the air. As he jumped, Darkrai charged yet another Ice Beam, this one looking to be more potent than the previous ones. Right as Darkrai fired the blast, Tobias landed on it, the ice immediately encroaching his feet. The thick beam shot forward with Tobias, sword in hand, riding it with ease. The blast - and by circumstance, Sir Tobias - approached at breakneck speed, a truly terrifying sight. However, Ash was ready to act. He quickly formed a wall of Aura large enough to deflect the incoming blast, giving it a 45 degree angle upwards. Sir Tobias saw this, but by the time he had, there was nothing that could be done. The Ice Beam, carrying him with it, was deflected straight up to the ceiling.
Pikachu looked up, realizing what was to be done next.
With a silent battle cry, Pikachu unleashed a powerful Thunder, the black mini-clouds forming right around Sir Tobias as he made contact with ceiling. But right as the brutal bolt came crashing down, carrying Sir Tobias down with it, Ash did something that Pikachu hadn't expected: he kicked Pikachu, sending the rodent straight towards Darkrai. As annoying as being kicked by his own partner was, Pikachu took advantage of the unexpected move. As soon as he regained control of his movement, he used the momentum from Ash's kick to augment the speed of his next attack: Volt Tackle. It was a critical hit, sending the Pitch-Black Pokemon rolling across the room.
Meanwhile, Sir Tobias lay dizzy at Ash's feet, arcs of static electricity crawling around his body.
"These things just don't *gasp* let up, do they?" muttered Serena, watching as the orange light of more white blood cells could be seen ahead. "They're showing up *exhale* more and more frequently, which, in a perfect world, *inhale* means I'm getting closer to the center..."
The past few minutes had been a gauntlet of truly strenuous proportions for Serena. The white blood cells had been relentless, constantly pursuing her. Sylveon had already run out of Moonblasts, leaving the escape combos to Braixen's Fire Blasts. But the 火-shaped holes of Fire Blast were far more difficult to lunge through than the circular ones of Moonblast, leading to a few close calls and scraped knees along the way. Serena's body was beginning to ache, but she knew she had to keep moving. If she didn't, she'd be eaten.
Deciding to take a turn onto a nearby path instead of engaging the blood cells, Serena stopped to catch her breath a little. But unfortunately, the path she had taken led to an unwelcome, familiar sound: the alien-like cries of the Regis. Serena sighed; she really had been overdue for trouble from the trio, as she hadn't seen or heard from them since her initial encounter about 20 minutes earlier. Thinking it unwise to get closer to them, Serena turned around to the direction she had came from. Orange light was glowing in the distance, causing her to freeze up. Both ways had danger ahead.
She had trapped herself.
"Crap."
Sir Aaron briskly jogged through the Corridors of the Aura, his faithful Lucario following close behind.
"We must contact Mew with our Aura, Lucario." he said, making a left into the next hall. "The white blood cells in the Tree of Beginning will attack anything that's not a pokemon or full-fledged Aura Guardian, which means our young heroine will surely be devoured if Mew doesn't call them off."
"But Master, forging a mental-link with a legendary pokemon currently in the real world, a different plane of existence, will require an immeasurable amount of Aura. Even with our strength combined, I don't know if we can do it alon-"
"Relax. We're not forming a permanent one. Just long enough for us to get the message across. Besides, we're the only ones here that can do it, none of the other Guardians here have any real connection to the Tree of Beginning, nor do they have any type of bond with Mew. Believe in the Aura, alright?"
"Yes, Master."
The pair sped up their jog to a run until they reached a large room, with a clear sphere in the center. Both of them rushed to the sphere, Sir Aaron methodically tapping certain areas of the sphere until slowly, colors began to appear and swirl within it. Different shades of blue, teal, beige, and orange began to dance around, until a picture began to form. A honey-blonde girl could be seen, appearing to be thinking very hard. At the right edge of the picture, a faint orange glow could be seen, while at the far left corner, the colors of the three Regi-golems appeared.
"We must work quickly." declared Sir Aaron, tapping the sphere a couple more times.
The picture then swirled away, a new one forming: Mew, sleeping next to one of the many crystals that decorated the tree's interior. Sir Aaron looked from the picture to Lucario, and the two of them nodded. With closed eyes, they both laid their hands on the sphere, channeling their Aura into it. Both let out labored sighs through grit teeth as they channeled more and more Aura into the sphere. Sir Aaron slowly cracked an eye open, and much to his satisfaction, Mew could be seen waking up.
"Keep it up, Lucario!" he grunted, closing his eyes again. "Mew, can you hear my voice?!"
Nothing.
"Mew! Hello?! Can you hear me?!" he asked again, his voice growing coarse.
At this point, Lucario could do no more, his average Aura levels falling dangerously low. With a deep yelp he removed his paws from the sphere, falling on his back. He was out of breath, with barely enough energy to open his eyes.
"Master... I'm sorry-"
"Good work Lucario..." rang Sir Aaron's voice in Lucario's mind. "You just rest, I can take it from here."
Sir Aaron then began to power up, putting the massive Aura reserves he inherited with the blood of his clan to use. He could feel himself getting light-headed, but knew he had to keep pushing at this point. This time, he wasn't just trying to save a single kingdom from destruction. He was trying to do his part in helping save the entire world. He'd keep on going even if it dealt him his second and final death, a death that would release what was left of his Aura into the world, leaving no trace of his soul in any realm or reality.
"Mew!" he yelled.
"...Sir Aaron?" sounded a new, soft voice.
"Yes!" cried Sir Aaron in relief, managing to smile as he continued to pour more of his Aura into the sphere. At this point, his whole body was in burning pain. "Yes, it's me! Long time no... Agh, see! I... need you... Ungh! I need you to... call off..."
"My tree!" cried Mew. "Someone's in it! Hold on Sir Aaron my dear, I must send more white blood cells, there's someone in my tree-"
"No! Call off the cells! That person in the tree is on our... agh, side! They're looking for... Ash Ketchum! Please, don't let the cells... devour her! And.. if you *cough* could, lead her to the center! It's very important that she gets to the heart!"
"I don't know... the last time I did that, the tree went into shock almost died. Are you sure? That she can be trusted?"
"YES!" bellowed Sir Aaron, unable to hold the link any longer. He removed his hands from the sphere, falling to the ground. The sphere returned to being crystal clear, Mew's image vanishing from it. Lucario, having recovered enough strength to walk, rushed to Sir Aaron's side. Sir Aaron smiled. "I'm alright... Mew was worried about the tree going into shock like it did when you were there last time... but the circumstances are different now, the blood cells haven't eaten anyone yet. Everything should be fine. Now, if you could help me up, we must ready ourselves for Ash's departure. You especially."
Lucario nodded.
Serena grabbed all three pokeballs off her belt, planning a last-ditch effort to get out of her current situation. She threw them into the air, releasing the creatures inside: Braixen, Sylveon, and her recently evolved Pangoro. All three pokemon looked at their leader, waiting for command. Serena sighed.
"We're in a tough spot, guys." she said, looking at each of them. "We're about to be cornered, but we've never given up whenever we thought we were doomed in the past, so why give up now? You know our motto; never give up til the end. Let's do this."
All three pokemon vocalized their compliances, readying themselves to fight.
"That's the spirit." beamed Serena, proud of her pokemon's attitudes towards the slim odds. "Alright, Pangoro and Sylveon, you guys go over there and get ready to do whatever it takes to get those golems out of the way. Our only way out of this is to get past them. Braixen, I'll need you to keep the blood cells at bay for as long as you possibly can."
All three pokemon nodded, rushing to their battle stations. As they did, Serena clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, taking many deep breaths. She had come too far for this to be the end. She had to make it to the center, she just had to. The sound of Pangoro's roar caused her to open her eyes. The golems had arrived, ready to fight. Registeel was the first to attack, shooting a Zap Cannon directly at Pangoro. But before the attack hit, Sylveon cast Protect over Pangoro, saving the large bear from harm. Pangoro then retaliated with a Bullet Punch, knocking the steel titan over. Meanwhile, the white blood cells had arrived as well, but they were met with the most intense flames Braixen had ever put out.
But none of it was enough.
Serena watched helplessly as the white blood cells pushed through Braixen's flames. She looked to her right, and much to her horror, saw Regice and Regirock grab Pangoro. The Daunting Pokemon attempted to free itself from their grasp, but it's resistance proved futile; the golems were simply stronger. Sylveon looked back at Serena, a desperate look in the Fairy-type's eyes. But Serena could only look back with a look just as desperate. There was nothing left she could do. But her look of desperation turned to one of absolute horror when Registeel, who had recovered from Pangoro's attack, set it's sights on Sylveon. The metal monster approached the smaller pokemon, fist in the air, preparing to crush the eeveelution.
"No..." whimpered Serena, true fear beginning to set in. She ran towards the Intertwining Pokemon, unable to stop tears from clouding her vision. "NOOOOOOOOO!"
Serena landed in time, tightly wrapping her body around her beloved pokemon. She closed her eyes tight and waited for the pain that surely ensued, realizing her long, love-inspired journey was to come to a brutal, bloody end...
...
But alas, not all was as it seemed. Unaware of the mystical, magical, all-powerful force known as plot-armor, Serena had begun to wonder why nothing had happened yet. No pain, nothing. She opened a single cyan eye, looking up. Indeed, Registeel was still above her, and she was still in the crystal caves of the Tree of Beginning... but something was different. The crystals had taken on a new color, a color slightly different from their usual blue tint: green. All three Regi-golems looked up and around at the green crystals about, fully aware of what the color meant: leave the girl alone.
Completely confused, Serena watched as the all three titans grouped up, released Pangoro from their hold, and left, suddenly seeming to care less about her. She then looked over her shoulder, and saw the white blood cells retreat into the crystals, no longer perceiving her as a threat.
"What in the world..." whispered Serena, shakily standing to her feet.
The crystals then returned to the normal blue color, save for a certain few. The ones on the ceiling turned another color, a color that greatly contrasted the blue ones: pink. The dazzling pink light seemed to be leading her in a specific direction, as the crystals on the ceiling of the path behind her were still the default blue. Even though she could still feel her heart beating and was unable to stop shaking, Serena's lips curved into a small smile.
"...Let's keep moving." she said, regaining her composure. "These pink crystals have to be leading us somewhere. Something tells me... that what just happened was no coincidence. Something.. or someone, just helped us. Sylveon, Pangoro, Braixen, return!"
Ash watched as Sir Tobias struggled to stand up, the shock from Pikachu's direct Thunder causing painful muscle spasms all over his body. Tobias slowly reached for his sword, which was nearby on the floor. But before he could grab it, Ash picked it up, tossed it into the closest corner of the room, and looked Tobias dead in the eye, mouthing only two words:
"It's over."
Tobias smirked, a very uncommon action. He then reached into what was left of his cloak, pulling out a second sword from what seemed like thin air. He slashed upwards, but his surprise attack was met by Ash's staff.
"I. Win." mouthed Ash, pushing Tobias's blade back.
Tobias looked over his shoulder and saw his Darkrai leaned against the wall, struggling to move. It was paralyzed from the Volt Tackle. He closed his eyes, accepting that Ash, for lack of a better term, had him beat. The tide of the battle had changed so quickly... Of course, the battle could have continued, but it was clear that the test he was giving his student had been passed. But perhaps just one more, small attempt...
Sir Tobias charged an Aura Sphere in his hand, but before he could launch it, Ash slapped Sir Tobias's hand in the direction of Darkrai, sending the ball of life-energy whizzing straight towards the paralyzed Dark-type. The super-effective move hit Darkrai square in the chest, further weakening the mythical pokemon. Sir Tobias glared at Ash, eyes narrow.
"Alright seriously," mouthed Ash, still pushing Tobias's second sword back with his staff. At this point, it was getting dangerously close to Tobias's face. "just give up."
No longer having to deal with legendary pokemon or white blood cells, Serena leisurely followed the pink crystals until finally, she could follow them no more. The room she had been lead to was a large one, with many crystals decorating the walls and ceiling. It was, without a doubt, the largest cavern she'd encountered in the tree so far, and judging by the looks of it, there probably wasn't one bigger than this one. In the center was a gargantuan crystal, with a large wisp-like beam of energy connecting it to another large crystal embedded in the ceiling.
"This is the heart..." she muttered, in awe of the beauty of the room.
She spotted small, flower-like crystals at the base of the large crystal. They had to be some of the most majestic things she'd ever laid eyes upon. The spiral like form... the shimmering surface... they were impossible not to touch. She knelt beside the closest one, delicately placing her hand on it. As soon as she did, however, the flower began to morph and distort, along with the air around it. The distortion continued in a wave, casting a gray tint over everything.
"You who bear the right to activate the time flowers, listen to my words."
Serena nearly jumped out of her skin, the voice startling her. She looked around, and much to her confusion, a man colored in gray-scale entered the room, through the very same entrance that she did. A chill ran through Serena's spine; she had seen this man before. It was him, the one who had appeared on that fateful day 5 years ago, the one who had taken Ash from her, right before her very eyes.
"T-Tobias?" she stammered, standing to her feet. When she saw the body that was in Tobias's arms, a feeling she hadn't felt in the longest of times was felt within; the joy of love. "ASH!"
Serena sprinted to Tobias's image and reached for Ash's unconscious body in the Guardian's arms. But instead of touching the face she had dreamed of touching for so long... her hands passed right through both Ash and Tobias, the latter walking right through Serena, as if she wasn't there. Serena turned around, absolutely puzzled as to what just happened.
"You who bears the right to activate the time flowers, bears the right to release this young man, the Chosen Guardian, from his slumber." spoke Tobias's image, walking to the large crystal in the center of the room. He placed Ash on the ground next to it before continuing. "The will of Arceus has led you, whoever you are, here. Five years shall have passed when this message is to be delivered. The time has come for his awakening."
Serena watched as Tobias placed his hand on the crystal, which began to glow. He then picked Ash up, and positioned Ash's unconscious body right in front of the crystal. With a just a gentle push, he sent the Trainer into the crystal, the crystal seeming to pull Ash in as soon as contact was made. Serena's eyes widened, coming to a general understanding of what was going on. She was watching an event that had already occurred. The crystal flower - Tobias called it a Time Flower - she had touched... seemed to be showing her the past.
"To release this young fool," began Tobias. "You must simply-"
"Pikapi!" sounded Pikachu, dashing into the room.
The yellow mouse ran right through Serena, lunging for Tobias. Without even looking back, Tobias ducked, causing Pikachu to leap straight into the crystal, vanishing.
"...To release THESE young fools," corrected Tobias, his voice holding a hint of aggravation. "You must place your chosen hands on this very crystal, just as I have done. May the Aura be your guiding light in the dark times ahead. Farewell."
Tobias's image then faded out of existence, everything in the room returning to vivid color soon after. Serena looked at her own hands, and then at the crystal. She took a few steps closer, her breaths becoming labored out of sheer emotion. Now that she got a better look at the crystal... she could see that there were two faint silhouettes deep inside, one human sized, the other much smaller. She smiled the happiest smile she'd smiled in a long time, her eyes watering.
"I've finally... found you."
She placed her trembling hands on the crystal.
Sir Tobias let out a silent sigh, his lips curving into another uncharacteristic smile. He removed a ball from his belt, aimed it at Darkrai, and returned the pokemon, accepting his "defeat" at the hands of Ash and Pikachu. At the sight of this, Ash removed his staff from Tobias's sword. The staff mystically reverted back to a smaller length as Ash returned it to it's holder on his back. Pikachu made his way back to Ash, climbing up to his trainer's shoulder.
It was over.
"Ashton!" shouted a voice from behind him, startling both him and Sir Tobias.
Ash turned around to see a tired-looking Sir Aaron, with Sir Riley, Sir Branford, and Sir Hylus behind him. Right as Ash began to wonder how he could hear Sir Aaron's voice, he saw that Sir Aaron's hand was on a switch, the same type that's used to turn on lights in a modern home. All the Guardians had urgent looks on their faces.
"Are you kidding me?" asked Ash, hearing his own voice. "There was a light switch that controlled the sound in here? How does that even work-"
"No time for explanations, bucko!" interrupted Sir Branford. "Take a look at yerself!"
"What...?" asked Ash, looking down at his body. It was... fading. "Oh."
As soon as her hands came into contact with the crystal, it began to glow. A tingling sensation rippled through Serena'a arms and into her body, causing her to wince slightly. The silhouettes within slowly became more and more defined.
"Ash... Pikachu..." she whispered.
"It appears the fated time has come." observed Sir Tobias, now standing. "Your soul is returning to the world of the living."
"I'm going back?" asked Ash, frantically turning to Tobias. "Right now?! But I'm not ready! ...Right?"
"Yes, you are." answered Tobias, a hint of pride in his voice. "You have been trained well. We have nothing more to teach you, and Master Brecht's seal will be broken any day now. You leave here a Master Aura Guardian... and a Pokemon Master."
"But... I'm not ready." argued Ash, his voice starting to gain an echo. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to do! Where do I even find Master Brecht, and how do I save the world?!"
"Trust in your skills, the Aura," started Sir Aaron, walking towards Ash. He had a pokeball in hand. "and an old friend. In this ball is my Lucario, the same one that you helped save the Tree of Beginning years ago. He will aid you in your journey, alongside the Fellowship."
"The Fellowship?" asked Ash confusedly. "What fellowship?!"
All the Guardians were silent for a second, with the only sound heard being Sir Hylus face-palming.
"Shhhhhit!" swore Sir Riley, stomping his foot on the floor. "We forgot to tell him about the Fellowship of the Aura!"
Once the silhouettes became as defined as could be, color and detail started to form on them, yellow on the small one, and tan on the large one. Serena's heart skipped a beat when z-shaped birth marks appeared on the larger one's face.
"Alright kiddo," started Sir Branford quickly. "If you were thinkin' you and your Pikachu could save the world alone, you were way wrong. The first thing you gotta do when you get to the world of the livin', before any world savin', is locate a select few chosen people to help ya on yer quest. You, as the Chosen Guardian, must lead those Chosen Ones as the leader of the Fellowship of the Aura."
"How do I find them?!" shouted Ash, his masters' voices becoming harder to hear.
"They'll have a mark," answered Sir Tobias.
"The Mark of the Fellowship!" continued Sir Aaron. "It'll appear on their forehead for a couple seconds, when their Aura reacts to being in close proximity to yours,"
"And it'll be any number from 1 to 7, as the prophecy foretells there will be 7 Chosen Ones to aid you!" finished Sir Riley. "That's literally all we know! So goodbye, man... if you can even hear me anymore... just know It's been pretty fun having you around! Good luck! May the Aura be with you!"
"Wait! Riley! How can I contact you guys while I'm in the real world?! Is dying the only way I can come back here?!" called Ash, his vision beginning to fade as well. No answer came from his fellow Aura Guardians. Their images became fuzzy puffs at this point, having lost shape as he and Pikachu's souls crossed dimensions. "Hello?!"
"I don't think we're in the Corridors anymore, bruh..." said Pikachu softly. "I don't know WHERE we are..."
Ash looked around. The familiar structure of the Corridors of the Aura had faded away, replaced by pure light blue nothingness...
"We're on our way back... to life." replied Ash quietly.
[Petalburg City]
A pair of sapphire eyes opened, quickly darting around in many directions. Brown hair was promptly brushed out of their way, improving their vision. May Maple's alert eyes gazed out the window, only to see the dark Petalburg skyline. She then looked at the clock; 9:13pm. She slowly got out of bed, eyebrows furrowed. She slowly walked towards the window, staring at the stars above with a look that could only be described as a blank one. Something was... happening. This feeling, the feeling that woke her from her sleep... it wasn't the first time she'd felt it either. But the last time she had felt it was when...
Max suddenly entered the room, a perturbed look on his face.
"You feel it too?" he asked, approaching his sister. He stood next to her, looking at the stars as well. "It's a powerful Aura... i think. But it's not close. It's far away. But the fact that I can feel it from here... and the fact that you can feel it too, and you don't even know how to use your Aura... it's crazy. Whoever it is must be powerful."
"It's like the feeling I got before... before Tobias took... Ash." replied May, placing her hands on her windowsill. "But it feels different. Less suffocating, and more... warm."
The two figures moved closer and closer to Serena, until finally, they fell out of the giant crystal, the larger one landing directly on her. Raven hair tangled with blonde, and there were now not one, but two people in the cavern. Serena's eyes opened to find a pair of long-missed brown ones staring back, both of the young adults wide-eyed and silent. Neither knew what to do. Both were paralyzed by the very real fact that they were looking into each other's eyes and feeling each other's body heat. Pikachu landed on the ground nearby, tumbling a couple feet away from them. Once he stopped rolling, he stood to his feet, his black eyes slowly opening. Upon seeing what he saw, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Great..." he grumbled, walking towards Ash and Serena, who still had not moved. "There goes my OTP."
Serena's already watery eyes began to leak tears, a smile slowly creeping across her face. Ash stared back, his mouth slightly open in awe. But he wasn't staring at Serena's mesmerizing eyes anymore... his eyes were fixed on her forehead.
Because on it, in a jagged, archaic font... was a blue, glowing number 3.
Well, that's that. I suppose the true story has officially begun now that Ash is finished with his training. I plan on having the next chapter pick up right where this one left off.
Bye,
~DarkSlash9
