Prologue Part II: Aura Knight General
Odd. That was the word Ash had on his mind when he opened his eyes after stopping his Separation technique.
"I'm free! I'm finally free!" a raven-haired trainer shouted at the top of his lungs, pumping his fists in the air. He had exited the Ethereal just shortly before, the few minutes of silence spent on getting used to his physical body once more. "Pikachu, I'm now a free man once more!" he excitedly said as he picked up his Pikachu and spun around, the little rodent equally ecstatic. After the short celebration with all his Pokémon, he sat down and took another minute to admire the fact that he was in the real world once more. "Even though being in the Ethereal was kind of fun, nothing beats this feeling." he calmly stated, letting the breeze dishevel his now extremely long hair.
Brushing his hair off his eyes, Ash walked to a small lake nearby. He saw his reflection for the first time since he exited the Ethereal, noticing major changes. He was now noticeably taller, his hair a lot longer, his body well-toned from the exercise done during his time in Separation. Without further thoughts, he quickly jumped in the water, feeling his body engulfed in cold water. Ash had told his water Pokémon to wash his physical body every day without fail through the Communication Window provided by Mew, keeping fairly clean. The young trainer spent a fair amount of time playing in the water, savoring every touch of the 'real' world.
"Aah, that felt nice." Ash commented as he wiped himself dry. "Now, where did you guys put my clothes?" he asked his Pokémon. Pikachu lead him to his bag where the little rodent had placed his Unova travelling clothes. The young man attempted to fully clothe himself, to find that all his clothing pieces now a bit tight and too short. "This is bad... I look like I'm wearing kids' clothing..." he commented looking at his apparel. Ash had to discard his undershirt, the clothing piece being too small. "I think I can make this work..." Ash said as he took his portable knife and did some experimenting on his own.
Some moments later, Ash was now in the clothes he had altered himself. He had cut his pants short; stopping a little below the knee, attempting to make his pants to shorts. He had also removed the sleeves of his jacket, making it sleeveless due to the uncomfortable tightness around his arms. "Oh, great." he commented as he saw his reflection on a mirror brought by Mew. "I look like a complete idiot. I didn't have to cut the sleeves! What's the point of wearing a sleeveless jacket? It's redundant. Am I hot? Or am I cold?" the young man ranted before finally deciding that he would have to purchase some clothes in Rota before going back to Pallet Town. "Riolu, do you want to come with me?" Ash asked the Pokemon who was playing with his Pikachu.
"Riolu can come with Ash?" the little Pokemon answered with another question.
"Of course. Do you have anywhere to go or errands to do? We might be going the same way." Ash started packing his things, taking out his PokeNav and turning it on.
Riolu shook his head. "Riolu is free to do what Riolu wants now. Can Riolu join Ash's team?"
Ash stared at Riolu in disbelief. "You want to join my team? Are you sure?"
"Yes! Riolu's final task from the Lucario Kingdom was to train myself! Now that Riolu is stronger, Riolu has the freedom to do so!" the aura-sensitive Pokemon explained, eyes glimmering with hope.
Ash picked the Pokemon up and gave him a light playful noogie. "Of course you can, you little rascal! Here, this is going to be your Pokeball." The young trainer took a Luxury Ball, presenting it in front of Riolu. "Well, this is the only empty Ball I have, I guess it'll work."
Riolu stepped up and touched the button, letting himself being engulfed with the red light. "Now with Ash, Riolu can grow even stroooongeeeeee-" The Pokemon shouted, interrupted the moment it was pulled in the PokeBall. His newly appointed trainer chuckled, releasing Riolu again shortly after. "-eeeeer!" the shout ended, Riolu looking around in confusion. "What happened?"
"You're my Pokemon now, Riolu." Ash said as he patted the little Pokemon's head.
Riolu tilted his head sideways. "Riolu is?"
The young trainer nodded. "Yup."
Suddenly, Riolu's body began to emanate light. His little body started to change, increasing in height and size. The back of his paws grew spikes, his ears grew longer. "I... I evolved?" The newly changed Lucario said.
Still shocked from the chain of events, Ash could barely mutter a word. "Y-yeah, you did... That's amazing, Lucario!"
"I... I feel strong! Stronger!" Lucario passionately stated.
"Hey, you're not referring to yourself in third person anymore," Ash pointed out. "What changed?"
Lucario pondered upon the question before turning to look at Ash. "I don't feel the need anymore, master."
"Is that so... Wait, what?" Ash raised an eyebrow.
Lucario similarly showed a confused expression. "Is something the matter, Master?"
"Why are you calling me master?" the young man asked.
"Simply because Master is now my Master." the Aura Pokemon simply stated.
Ash crossed his arms in disapproval, "Well, stop it. It feels weird. Just call me Ash."
Lucario thought about the request for a second before trying, "I will try then, A-A-A... My apologies, Master! As I had to speak in third person when I was a Riolu, I feel the need to refer you as 'Master', Master!"
Ash sighed, placing his hand on Lucario's shoulder after picking up his dropped PokeNav. "It's alright, Lucario. We'll work on it. Now then, what day is today..." the young man stopped, mouth agape, staring at his PokeNav.
"Is something the matter, Master?" Lucario inquired, coming closer to Ash.
"How long did you say I was in the Ethereal, Lucario?" the trainer asked, hands trembling.
"Three months, Master. Was I mistaken?" the fighting-type said.
Ash inhaled deeply before letting out a long sigh. "I think you're mistaking months with years, Lucario. I was in there for three years."
Extraordinary. That was the word Ash had on his mind while as he thought about his body change during his three years in Separation.
He hadn't paid too much attention when he saw his body for the first time, but upon closer inspection, there are minor changes that were extremely abnormal. His eyes, for one, had changed colors, now shining a bright blue. His hair, though still as unruly as ever, had streaks of white, looking like he had just gotten his hair highlighted.
Ash looked at the necklace he now wore, made from a piece of the crystals found in the Tree of Beginning. Something to remember the three years, Ash had pointed out.
Letting the rain drops tear away at his face as he flew on his Charizard towards Rota, Ash heavily sighed. Charizard had been very kind to fly Ash all the way to Rota even though it was raining. Having gotten a lot stronger, Charizard proved that a water splashes could not hold the fire lizard back.
"Sullen clouds are gathering fast over the black fringe of the forest.
O child, do not go out!
The palm trees in a row by the lake are smiting their heads
against the dismal sky; the crows with their dragged wings are
silent on the tamarind branches, and the eastern bank of the river
is haunted by a deepening gloom.
Our cow-"
"Lucario, for Arceus' sake! Please stop! You've been reciting poems for the whole flight to Rota!" The young man screamed at the Aura Pokemon who was sitting behind him. "And why are you out of your PokeBall? I gave you a Luxury Ball. It should be very comfortable in there."
"It is indeed very comfortable, Master. Inside I am provided with a satisfying amount of entertainment units, Master. I think there was one in particular that caught my interest. The public worldwide computer network system, I think it was..." Lucario said, stroking his chin in thought.
Ash turned back and raised an eyebrow. "You mean you have internet in there?
"Ah, yes, that was what it is called. The Internet. Resourceful place, it is." The Pokemon stated.
Shortly after, the three descended towards Rota, landing at a field just outside as the rain slowly drizzled out. Their first stop was to find a clothing store to replace the horror that was Ash's clothes. Having been in Rota for less than five minutes, Ash was getting too much stares from people, much to Ash's embarrassment. Unable to stand the attention he was gathering, he entered the first clothing store he laid eyes upon.
"Welcome," An female employee greeted, bowing lightly. "Feel free to browse the store, and should you need personal assistance- Oh my..." the girl gasped after looking at Ash. She immediately ran to the back, returning with an older man who similarly gasped as soon as he saw Ash.
"Dear Mew! What is this abomination?" the man said in an effeminate manner, hands on his hip.
"I know this looks bad, but I really need some new clothes. Y'see, I just got off this three year mountain seclusion so I-" Ash explained, interrupted by the man.
"No, no! No excuses! You must be fixed immediately!" The man said as he dragged Ash towards the changing room, picking some clothes on the way.
Ash spent the next couple of hours being dressed up by the strange man, reliving his horrors of going shopping with May and Dawn, much to his dismay. The man insisted on Ash wearing a pair of skinny jeans, reasons unknown to Ash. Finding them highly uncomfortable, Ash decided to go with a pair of slim-fit jeans, since the store carried no baggy pants similar to the ones he wore in his journeys. The young man finished the clothes selection with a long-sleeved shirt for the top. The man had rolled the sleeves for Ash, completing the look with dress casual shoes.
"Oh my! You look great, dear customer! You would have the ladies cling to you in no time! Or do you prefer guys?" the man asked, applauding his own work.
"Thanks, I guess? And I prefer the ladies, please." Ash said as he checked his apparel in the mirror. "Great, I got the smart casual look. This'll be just amazing for travelling." The young man sarcastically commented to himself. He proceeded to the cashier and paid for his purchases. "Now all I need is a haircut, and I'll be set to fly back to Pallet."
"You need a haircut, you say?" The man said from behind Ash, surprising the trainer. "Then you are in luck! The store next door, run by my sister, is the best hairdresser in Rota! She'll fix you up in no time!" Without being able to give an answer, Ash was dragged to the neighboring store.
"Do whatever you think would be good, please." Ash said to the woman who was preparing him for the cut, presumable the previous man's sister.
"Ooh, I love these kind of customers. Just sit tight, I'll have you looking smashing in no time!" the woman said, checking out his hair. "Are these white hair real?"
"Yeah, it's uh... It came with my lineage." Ash came up with a lie. Fortunately, the woman decided not to pursue the matter deeper, already starting her job.
After an hour had passed, the cut was finished and Ash was ready to go, before being stopped by the woman, apparently unfinished with the styling. Ash waited another five minutes before he was truly free from his day of personal grooming. The woman grabbed a small mirror and showed him the back of his head and his sides, proud of her work.
She hadn't noticed it before due to his long hair, but this man was cute. Very cute. "You know, you look like one of those K-Pop idols." she said, a light blush on her face.
Ash smiled, though not aware what K-Pop was. "K-Pop?" he asked as he was paying.
"You don't know? Kanto Pop. They have these really good looking idols. They're all the rage these days." She answered, handing out his change and a customer comments card.
"So you think I'm good looking?" Ash took the change and filled out the card, smiling at her small nod.
"Oh, and please put down your PokeNav number also." the woman added.
"I thought these comments are supposed to be anonymous?" Ash asked, writing down his number nonetheless.
The woman giggled as she took the card and escorted Ash to the exit. "They are. The number's for me." she said, another blush creeping up her face. "Have a nice day! And don't forget to come again!"
Strange. That was the word Ash had in mind when he saw the old man in what seemed to be Cameran's Palace Uniform, carrying a spear.
Judging by the uniform's complexity, Ash came to the conclusion that the old man ranked considerably high in the palace. The old man was completely bald, his face with a stoic expression. Ever since Ash came across the old man in the field he was going to take-off from, the two had not uttered a single word, simply eyeing each other. Minutes later, the old man was the first to break the silence.
"My name is Sanzou," the old man started. "Aura Knight General of Cameran. Strongest of the aura users of the present time." he continued, walking slowly towards Ash. "But I'm the strongest for a reason, kid. You know why?"
Ash chuckled. "I get the feeling you're going to tell me either way."
"Smart kid." Sanzou took his spear and leaned it against his shoulder. "Any man can learn to control Aura, kid. However, there's a limitation to how far normal people can use it. We call this limited power 'Ki' or 'Chi', depending on where you are. Some people utilize their Ki for combat, some for healing, and many others. The ones who use their Ki for combat are often martial artists, surpassing the human limits. An example of that would be yours truly. Knight of Cameran, Sanzou."
"And what do all of these have to do with me?" Ash asked, his Pikachu cried a growl.
"You look different, kid. I can see it in you. I may not have to sense Aura or the ability to see with Aura Vision like Riley does, but I sure as hell can tell when somebody's different." Sanzou said as he pointed his spear towards Ash.
Ash crossed his arm, shrugging his shoulders. "That still doesn't answer why you approached me."
"You see this spear, boy?" the Knight asked, shaking the tip of his spear. "The blade is imbued with the crystals found in the Tree of Beginning, similar to your necklace. This spear is specially made for me, you see. It allows me to channel my Ki and transform it into Aura attacks."
"That's a pretty nifty thing to use, then." Ash commented. "Sadly, my necklace is just for decoration."
"You see, boy, I have good eyes. I know when something's different, when something's extraordinary. I have a gut feeling that you're the one." Sanzou said as he readied his spear. "And you're going to prove it!" He screamed, charging at Ash.
Sanzou thrusted his spear at Ash, easily dodged by the young man. The older man continued his barrage of attacks with his spear, all handily slapped away or dodged. Ash quickly stepped backwards and gained some distance, Sanzou stopping and going back to a battle stance.
"Are you crazy, old man?!" Ash shouted, going to a combat stance himself. "What the hell are you doing?"
Unfortunately, Ash's protests went right past Sanzou's ears. "You certainly can hold your ground in combat, kid. However..." The spear's blade began glowing blue, Aura beginning to form on the blade. "...I still haven't seen what I wanted to!" Screamed Sanzou as he released the Aura attack, a sphere of blue making its way quickly towards Ash.
Not wanting to waste any time and ruin his new clothes, Ash efficiently formed an Aura shield around his body, letting the Aura Sphere from Sanzou connect, causing no damage. Ash opened both his palms and quickly made two Aura Spheres of his own. The young man launched the two spheres at an extreme speed. The Aura Knight successfully dodged one, however, unable to outmaneuver the second sphere, the Knight was hit by the Aura attack. Sanzou was launched back a good amount, laying still on the ground.
Ash activated his Aura Vision and sighed a breath of relief as he confirmed that the old man was still alive. Ash waited a few minutes before Sanzou finally got up, coughing heavily.
"I knew it, you..." he started, interrupted by a series of coughs. Ash ran up to him and supported him. "You... You posses the innate ability to control Aura!"
"So I was told." Ash said, chuckling.
Sanzou straightened himself up and started walking. "...Follow me, kid. We're going to the Cameran Palace."
"What for?" asked the younger man.
"You're going to fight me once more tomorrow, kid. This time we will fight a fair battle, an all out fight. After that, it's your decision on what to do." Not looking back, Sanzou continued making his way to the palace.
"Sounds interesting enough." Ash stated, following Sanzou. "I haven't had any other opponent to test my skills on aside from Lucario."
"So you have a Lucario? Perfect. What is your name, kid? I would hate to refer to you as 'kid' or 'boy' all the time." asked Sanzou.
"Ash. Ash Ketchum."
Sanzou turned to Ash, eyes widened. "The same one who saved the Tree of Beginning?"
Ash grinned widely and pointed at himself with his thumb. "I'm not one to brag, but yeah. That would be me."
Sanzou gave another roaring laugh as he picked up the pace to the palace. "...Dousan Sanzou is my name. It seems I've truly found the one! Hurry on, Ash, you will get a good night's rest at the Palace before our fight tomorrow."
"Okay, Okay... But what's this about me being 'the one'?"
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome back to Cameran Battle Sadium! Enlighting today's battle is yours truly, Mr. G, the one and only!" An enthusiastic voice was heard throughout the stadium's sound system. "Even though it was only a short, one-day's notice, the stadium's absolutely packed, ladies and gents! This succession battle for the Aura Knight General's position will surely be a thrilling one!"
Bizarre. That was the word Ash had on his mind upon hearing the commentary started by Mr. G.
"What's this about succession?" he asked the official that was helping him get ready for the battle.
"You didn't know? That's odd." the man questioned back, an eyebrow raised. "Well, in any case, Knight General Sanzou personally put you forward for his succession, so my guess is you're pretty strong."
Ash sighed, shrugging a little at the praise. He was ready to go all out in the fight, fully aware that Sanzou was definitely holding back a great deal the day before. "So? What are the rules for the battle?"
The official gestured Ash to follow him. "It's pretty straightforward, really. Battle until the other side is unable to continue, weapons of choice allowed."
"I'm guessing Sanzou is going to be using his spear?" Ash asked as he looked around the hallway he was traversing.
"Most certainly." The official said as they reached the gate that led to the arena. "So? Which weapon do you prefer?"
Ash clenched his fists, confirming his weapon of use. "None. I'll be fighting bare-handed."
"Is that so? You must be very confident in your skills. To be brave enough to challenge the Knight General without any weapons..." The official pondered for a quick while, before grabbing something from the weapons room. "Have you considered using these, Mr. Ketchum? These are leather gauntlets, padded with steel on the knuckles, the back of the hand, and the arm. The well-positioned steel allows for free wrist, arm, and finger movements. It should fare well with a non-armed combatant."
Ash placed the gauntlets on and tried some of his movements, finding his battle flow uninterrupted. "This will actually help me out a great deal! Thanks, Mr. Official."
"My pleasure." The man said as he opened the gates. "It is time, Mr. Ketchum. Please step into the ring and do your best against the Knight General. The Palace wishes for him to retire from combat; he had served the Palace well for too long, now. Many worries for his well-being."
"And nobody is able to best him in this succession-battle thing?" Ash started to stretch his limbs, getting ready for the battle.
The official started to retreat back into the long hallways. "That is correct. He is absurdly strong, Mr. Ketchum. Best of luck, Mr. Ketchum. And don't worry, your Pikachu is safe and sound."
"That means I'm going to get a great battle today." Ash said as he grinned widely, walking out towards the arena. He was greeted by an ear deafening cheer and applause from the audience.
"And here is the potential successor to the Aura Knight General title! Hailing from Pallet Town, the dashing looking eighteen year old is Ashton Satoshi Ketchum!" Mr. G introduced the young man to the audience, receiving another loud cheer from the stands. "Will he be strong enough to take down the infallible Dousan Sanzou? Or is his handsome face only enough to be a potential member of an idol group?"
"Was that comment supposed to flatter or piss me off?" Ash sighed, continuing to warm-up his body. Suddenly, the stadium exploded with even louder cheers, welcoming the Aura Knight General of Cameran. "Dear Arceus, look at all that armor..."
Dressed in heavy armor, Dousan Sanzou entered the field. "And there he is! The infallible tank of Cameran! Ladies and Gents, give a big hand for... Dousan Sanzou!" Mr. G roared, followed by the audience, shaking the entire stadium.
"You're going to fight me with no armor and weapon, kid?" Sanzou commented upon looking at Ash. "You've got guts."
Ash chuckled, lightly hopping before taking up his combative stance. "I move better without all that heavy armor. If you're as strong as advertised, then you're in for a good fight."
"This is truly a special occasion, Ladies and Gents! The young and beautiful Queen herself is present, and will be watching the match! Everybody, give a big hand for Queen Ilene!" Again, the crowd roared in thunderous claps and screams as they cheered for their Queen, accompanied by a Mime Jr. and a Pikachu. Ash smiled, knowing Pikachu was in good hands.
The Knight readied himself and gestured Ash to come at him. "You have the first move, kid."
"Then don't mind if I do!" Ash shouted as he charged at the older man at an extreme speed, starting the match with a kick to the side. Sanzou comfortably took the hit due to the heavy armor and retaliated with a punch to the chest, easily dodged by Ash. Ash followed up with another kick, this time with a more powerful one, a sweeping one with his left. Much to his surprise, Sanzou somehow caught his leg and pulled him closer towards the armored Knight. Greeted by another punch at close range, Ash bent himself backwards and escaped another hit. He wiggled himself free form the clutches of Sanzou and gained some distance.
Having been silent for the last few minutes the two combatants were exchanging blows, the crowd finally exploded in amazement.
Ash took a deep breath as he calmed himself down. The young man was excited, a trait that he had developed during his time in Separation. He found battles surprisingly fun and exhilarating, thought he figured that may be because the fact that he could fight to his heart's content in the Ethereal, without receiving any damage and pain. Now that he had experienced a true battle in the real world, he could safely confirm it. He enjoyed a good fight, be it Pokemon or hand-to-hand.
"Looks like they like your acrobatics, boy. Too bad moving like a Mankey won't win you this match." Sanzou taunted.
Ash shrugged. "Heh, it's not like your heavy armor is going to win you this match either, old man. You're moving too slow; obviously weighted down by all that steel."
"Hmph. That's where you're mistaken, young Kricketot," The Knight retorted. "Do you recall the part where I said I am a Ki user?"
"What about it?"
"You should be aware that I have well surpassed the human limits!" Sanzou roared, charging at Ash in an unbelievable speed, especially for a person weighed down by tens of kilos of steel. Caught off-guard, Ash took an uppercut to the stomach, his body lifted from the ground from the sheer power. The Knight continued, unleashing a series of blows to the body. Ash tried to regain his balance, successfully landing on his feet. Sanzou, however, had already started another set of attacks. Unable to defend the barrage of kicks and punches, Ash received all of them, effectively becoming a human punching bag. The Knight finally finished his barrage of attacks with a power-packed punch, launching Ash far back, hitting the walls. The young man laid on the ground, not moving.
"There you have it, Ladies and Gents! Dousan Sanzou's infamous speed and power! It seems like this is the end of the line for the successor candidate, Ash Ketchum!" Mr. G commented, the crowd cheering wildly for the power displayed by the Knight General. "Here comes the referee, is this really the end of the match?" The crowd's cheers were put on hold, seeing as the challenger had started to get back up on his feet.
"I'm glad," Ash started, wiping the blood from his mouth. "For three years I have trained alone, accompanied only by my Pokemon. For too long have I stayed out of human contact... But thanks to this, Now I know." the young man continued, cracking his neck and fingers. "I, too, have surpassed the human limits!" The young man quickly ran towards Sanzou, closing the distance between him and the Knight. He successfully performed a sweeping kick, knocking Sanzou off balance. Ash punched the Knight's chest place repeatedly, effectively denting it inwards. Ash left the Knight to breathe some air of relief.
Sanzou coughed up blood as he tried to get up. "...Why didn't you finish me off?"
Ash smirked, pointing at the Knight's spear. "I still haven't seen what I wanted to."
"What an ill-mannered young man..." Sanzou grinned, picking up his spear.
"Is what we are witnessing actually true?!" Mr. G said looking at the turn of events. "The successor candidate has actually gained the upper hand in this fight and is letting our Knight General use his Aura! Blimey, I didn't think I would actually live to see this day!"
Sanzou readied his spear, the tip once more glowing blue. The Knight released an Aura Sphere, directed at Ash.
"If it didn't work last time, it's not going to work this time!" The young Aura user said, creating a shield. Just as predicted, the Aura Sphere exploded on impact, leaving Ash undamaged, though his vision clouded by the result of the collision. Thrown off, Ash was unable to see nor sense the Knight that had gotten closer. The Knight swung his spear mightily, Ash only able to dodge at the last second, though the tip of the blade slashed his chest, leaving a long gash. Retreating to safety, Ash quickly stepped backwards and gained distance once more, however, stopped by the pursuing Knight. His opponent took another huge swing, hitting his sides with shaft, launching him off his feet. Leaving no room for Ash to regain his composure, Sanzou launched another Aura Sphere. Thankfully, Ash had enough time to prepare another Aura shield, safely stopping the attack.
"By Arceus! Ash Ketchum just does not stop with his surprises today, folks! Just like our First Knight Riley Gen, it seems this young man here can also manipulate Aura!"
"The battle should have ended, kid. You don't seem to have much of battle experience to fall for such a trick." Sanzou commented.
Ash tore his top open, deeming it to be disruptive to his movements. "Well, I don't. This would be my first real battle, though I won't fall for the same trick twice. However, I do regret prolonging the fight; I should have just knocked you unconscious when I had the chance." He prepared two Aura Spheres; one in each hand. "I hope you don't mind me finishing the fight right now."
"Just come and try." Sanzou said, similarly preparing an Aura Sphere.
Ash began charging at the Knight, releasing one Sphere. Easily dodged, the Knight launched his own. Ash threw his other one, the two Spheres hitting each other, causing a big explosion. Activating his Aura Vision, the young man located his opponent.
"Don't think for one second that you can use my own trick against me!" Sanzou roared, easily finding Ash and attacking him.
"Actually, I was counting on that." Ash said as he dodged the spear thrust from the Knight, catching the spear in the process. He imbued Aura unto his limbs and kicked the spear, breaking the weapon in half. Still powered by Aura, Ash quickly grabbed Sanzou's shoulder, pulling his opponent closer. He then gave his best uppercut to the Knight's torso, sending the older man airborne. Releasing his Aura-powered state, Ash struggled to catch his breath. It was certainly putting a different strain on his body in the real world, compared to when he was still in the Ethereal. Hearing a loud thud, he turned to see Sanzou had hit ground, unconscious in the midst of the disappearing dust. The referee came to the Knight General's side and inspected him. Turning to the officials box, he declared that Dousan Sanzou was unable to continue fighting.
Hearing that he had won the match, Ash fell to his knees, his legs giving out and his chest wound bleeding quite heavily due to the strain from the Aura-powered state. Ash was aware that he was advantageous over Sanzou in raw power and potential. His lack of battle experience and carelessness made the fight much harder than it should have. Ash looked up to see the crowds completely silent, many with mouth agape.
"I... I can't believe my eyes, folks..." Mr. G's voice echoed on the sound system. "He's done it! Ash Ketchum has done it! He's defeated Dousan Sanzou! Ash Ketchum is now the successor to the Aura Knight General!" The crowd exploded in an endless mighty roar, cheering for their new Knight General successor.
The medics rushed to Ash and tried to treat him, but the young man quickly dismissed them, running towards Sanzou who was regaining consciousness. He helped the Knight on to his feet, the crowd now cheering for the winded Knight General. "You okay, old man?" Ash let the Knight be treated by the medics, removing his armor.
"I've been better..." Sanzou answered, still weak. They noticed a man in suit, who Ash quickly identified as Mr. G, heading towards them with a microphone.
"Knight General Sanzou, what are your thoughts on the match?" Mr. G asked, offering the microphone to Sanzou.
The Knight gave a smile and spoke to the microphone. "Absolutely satisfied. Now... I can retire in peace." Sanzou said, receiving gasps from the audience.
"Then that means you mean to retire immediately, Knight General?" the commentator asked another question, taking a short glance at Ash, who was healing himself with Aura, helped occasionally by the medics giving first-aid.
"Correct. My position will be handed down to Ash, that is, if he is willing to."
Ash shifted uncomfortably. "You sure I'm up for the job? Isn't Riley a much better candidate?"
"Of course, kid," Sanzou started. "The Knights' positions belonged to the Aura Guardians from the beginning. However, since the death of Sir Aaron, the absence of true Aura Guardians left the positions vacant. So the many Ki users filled the spots. Riley was the only true Aura Guardian we had on the Knights' line-up since Sir Aaron's death, though he was unable to take the position of Knight General from me. As time passes he realized that he excelled in healing arts instead of combat, so he is content with the First Knight position." the older man explained.
"I lacked the natural combat talent you displayed, Ash. Though I must admit, healing arts are much more satisfying for me. Excellent battle, by the way." A man said, coming closer to them. "It's nice to see that you decided to pursue the path of Aura."
"Riley! It's nice to see you again!" Ash said excitedly, shaking hands with Cameran's First Knight. "I see that you're now an Aura Guardian."
"Riley's a blessing to Cameran!" Sanzou laughed as he put his subordinate in a headlock. "So how about it, Ash?" Sanzou asked, offering his hand for a shake.
"I would be honored." Ash shook hands with Sanzou, gaining the approval of the audience, the stadium once more exploding in cheers. However, the cheering was cut short by the presence of their Queen entering the arena, accompanied by a Pikachu who immediately ran to his best friend, congratulating him.
"Your Majesty!" Sanzou and Riley muttered in unison, immediately getting down on one knee.
"You grace us with Your presence in such an unruly place, Your Majesty." Sanzou said, head lowered.
"Oh, nonsense, Sanzou. Is a Queen not allowed to congratulate her newly appointed Knight General? And was it not your quick decision that requires my presence here to grant this young gentleman the title of knighthood?" the Queen replied, turning to Ash. "Congratulations, Ash. Or should I say 'Sir' Ash?"
"Y-y-y-you honor me with your words, Your Majesty!" Ash nervously muttered, also kneeling down with his head lowered.
Queen Ilene took a staff that was presented by one of her aides, who Ash recognized as Jennie, the old lady with the maid uniform. With the staff, the Queen lightly tapped Ash's right shoulder, then moved it to his left. The Queen then nodded to Mr. G.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Cameran's new and history's youngest Aura Knight General! Ashton Satoshi Ketchum!" the commentator shouted at the top of his lungs, inciting an excited cheer from the audience.
Unreal. That was the word Ash had on his mind after finishing the official knighting process in the palace.
After the ceremony, Ash stayed behind to chat with the rest of the Three Knights of Cameran and Sanzou, who still held his position as Palace Administrator. He now holds the title of the Aura Knight General of Cameran, leading the Three Knights. The First Knight, Riley Gen, was sitting beside him, exchanging information about Aura Techniques. Riley was excited to meet Ash again, another person who was an Aura-user, the only one he had met in his twenty-six years of life.
The Second Knight, Zen, was an enthusiastic man, about twenty-four years of age, came from a prestigious family of martial artists. He was ecstatic to see that someone was actually able to defeat Dousan Sanzou.
"So how exactly were you able to grow that strong?" Riley asked, curious. Sanzou and Zen nodded, also interested.
"Well, to be honest, it was kind of weird," Ash started, rubbing Pikachu's head. "Three years ago I met this Riolu I had saved from Hunter J. I came with him to the Tree of Beginning, and Riolu coerced me into training with him, sensing I had talent with Aura. Two weeks after that, Riolu wanted to try out a technique with me, one he had read from a book. The Technique was called 'Separation'."
"Hold on," Sanzou stopped Ash, a serious look in his eyes. "You actually attempted Separation?"
"Well, yes, and I was stuck in the Ethereal for about three years." Ash explained.
"Unbelievable..." Sanzou muttered, shaking his head. "You really are something else."
"I was only able to free myself two days ago, actually. I came down to Rota to get some new clothes and some haircut- Oh..." Ash continued, before hitting himself in the head.
"What's wrong?" Zen asked.
"I was supposed to come back to Pallet and see my mom..."
A/N: This chapter is my longest yet, so hope you enjoyed. I forgot to mention it in the last chapter, so I'll do it in this one. The prologue has three parts! Hurray!