Of Dust and Ashes
The Goldenrod City Gym hushed as a loud stomp interrupted the countdown. Mitch yelped in surprise and he almost felt his hair standing on ends. He stared at the far away Charizard, wordless and doubtful, wondering if the match was still going on.
Within seconds, the Gym Guide gasped in wonder, his cheeks reddening with excitement as he witnessed what he saw. The Charizard that was supposedly defeated, was now strangely brimming with fight, the color of its scales swaying from between black and orange, the tips lit with fire that morphed into a blue hue. The Pokemon was now on both feet, those pair of eyes no longer a rich blue.
Charizard's irises were a deep shocking red. Red like his own trainer's.
"What is that?" Whitney shouted, the Gym Leader befuddled and slightly disappointed at the scene unfolding before her. It just took one more second, and she could have won against such a strong Charizard. But no, it just had to stand up again.
"Interesting." Morty chuckled as he calmly observed the creature. He shifted his attention to Red, who looked equally confused as Whitney. Red stoned there for a couple of seconds. His emotions were jumbled between uncertainty, excitement and guilt.
Charizard stood there, wheezing, grunting, swaying uneasily. The color of his scales flickered black, then orange, black and back to orange. Red blinked. Something was wrong with his pokemon.
"Charizard!" He shouted worriedly. "Stop! You've done enough!"
The color of the scales turned black again.
No.
This voice in his head.
This familiar voice.
Charizard.
Red's eyes widened.
Charizard was communicating to him via telepathy.
Without Espeon.
All of a sudden, the surrounding temperature rose, hot air shooting out from Charizard. The fire type grunted, and he gritted his teeth, blue fire leaking out from the sides of his mouth. Whitney stiffened, and Lei remained alert. The draconic pokemon breathed heavily.
"Please, stop!" Red shouted.
Never.
Charizard's voice buzzed in his mind.
Red clenched his fists as he stared ahead with a pained expression on his face.
Blue flames emerged, and it swirled into a ring. Moments passed as the fire continued to crackle loudly, the tension eating at everyone. Lei held her breath, her gaze transfixed onto the electric blue flames.
Charizard shot the flames forward.
The fire trailed towards the cow listlessly and Lei awkwardly move out of the way. The ring of fire dwindled away, and all of a sudden, flickered twice and disappeared.
This was feeling more and more ridiculous by the second, and the pokemon almost pitied her opponent. He managed to stand up at the last second, and what he got? A measly attack that did absolutely nothing.
Charizard had long surpassed his limits and he leaned against the walls with a loud thud, his chest pounding with pain, every breath feeling like knives stabbing at him. His vision blurred and he struggled to look ahead, hoping that his attack had earned him and his trainer a victory.
Did it reach? Did we win?
Charizard's voice resounded in Red's mind.
Red gulped in air, and tried to compose himself.
Yes.. yes, we won. You did great, Aki.
He replied with a lie.
Charizard smiled. His scales revert back to bright orange and his eyes went back to a soft blue color.
Then he fell, defeated.
"Mitch." Morty whispered. "The countdown."
The Gym Guide nodded.
"3."
"2."
"1."
"0."
"Charizard is unable to battle! It's Miltank's victory!"
A single red flash of light returned back to Charizard's pokeball, and the youth stared at the surface of the red-white capsule solemnly. He tightened his grip, before he gently placed the pokeball back onto his magnetic belt.
The two hooded figures were sitting comfortably atop a Lapras, the pokemon sailing towards a small cave entrance embedded in red rock walls. Upon reaching the small patch of dry and gritty land, both alighted from the Transport Pokemon. One wore a white cloak clasped together with a gold pin, while the other donned a seemingly more ragged cloth that had a few tears at the hem. The white one walked forward, and the other took out a pokeball from under the draping cloth.
"Good work, buddy."
The Lapras let out a joyful cry, before she returned to her pokeball.
Okay, the one wearing the ragged cloak is me. Ethan.
I roughly pulled the hood down, and sneezed a little, before I ambled forth, towards the other trainer. Yes, the one wearing the white cloak. That's Green Oak.
"Oh, come on, hurry up." He murmured with an annoyed look. "I came here just because you told me that there might be another one of us in this place."
"It's just a hunch, okay? I haven't contact him in months, so he might not be in there anymore. He might have switched training locations" I responded with a shrug.
"Are you serious? I had to wake up at six in the morning, spend 2 hours to get here, waited for 45 minutes to get permission from Clair, and now you tell me he might not be in there." He grumbled, evidently displeased. "Mister Champion, I'm a Gym Leader for Arceus' sake! At least take some responsibility for dragging me out here due to a reason based on a hunch!"
"Maybe this is payback for yesterday's clown wig." I joked. "Okay then, are we going into the Dragon's Den or not?"
"Hmph." Green snorted, and he made some hand gestures that translated into something like this: if I find no one inside, I'm gonna kill you.
Soon he disappeared into the den.
I followed.
Inside the Den, the whole area was enclosed, and pretty much devoid of light. Both of us took out our torchlights, shining the light left and right. Dragon's Den looked pretty much the same from when I last came here, tranquil and otherworldly, with an aquamarine lake surrounding the Dragon Shrine. Green nudged me, and I noticed that our univited sources of light had scared off a couple of Dratinis that were swimming away. I switched off my torchlight, while Green dropped his torchlight's light intensity by a notch, providing us sufficient brightness to tread across the bridge, which was repaired by the locals not long ago.
We ended up at the doors of the Dragon Shrine. Naturally, Clair had forbid us to go inside, since it was the holy house of the god that was worshipped by the people residing in Blackthorn. The two of us walked around the perimeter of the stout building, occasionally avoiding some holes in the wooden floorboards caused by poor maintenance, while searching for the person of interest.
"Silver! Silver! Are you there? If yes, please respond!" I shouted, and whatever I spoke echoed back to me. I waited with bated breath, but heard no reply as a deaf silence shunned me away.
"Silver! It's me, Ethan!" I tried again.
"If you don't come out, your poor friend over here is going to suffer my wrath for bringing me here for nothing." Green added on, causing me to shudder a little. His words was not even close to joking, and I started thinking of the best possible escape plan if Silver was honestly not to be found here.
It was then until I felt an all too familiar presence from my left. I turned in that direction, and found a pair of mercury silver eyes gazing upon me. I snatched the torchlight from Green and shone the light at the silhoette.
"Don't shine it at me, you blockhead."
He was leaning against the wet walls of the den, and was a couple of meters away from us, and beside him stood his ferocious-looking Feraligatr that was in this stance that appeared as if it was ready to pounce on me if it had the chance. A Weavile suddenly popped out from behind Silver's back, and I recognized it instantly. His Sneasel had evolved.
"I see you came here to disturb me, Champion of Johto." Silver spat in disdain. "And who's that flamboyant guy with that spiky hair next to you?"
"Excuse me?" Green whispered loudly. "This is called Au Naturel, get it right."
"You put hair gel on it." I uttered dully.
"Shut it, you." Green barked. "Anyways, the name's Green Oak, Gym Leader of Viridian City-"
"Grandson of Professor Oak." Silver interrupted, his eyes boring at Green. "If you two muddleheads have no business with me, leave."
"Wait! Silver, we need you to come back with us!" I frantically called out. "Kanto and Johto are in big trouble!"
I repeated whatever the man behind the monitor had spoke about Deoxys and the War that was approaching our doorsteps, and all the while I was speaking, the red-haired trainer tapped his left foot impatiently, his unfriendly and passive body language indicating his disinterest in my talk.
And as expected, his first words aimed at me after I ended my last sentence were, "What's that got to do with me?"
"You're strong, that's what." I replied.
"All of the trainers have to cooperate to save these two regions." Green pointed out. "This brat told me you're good, so you could say we came here to scout you."
Silver laughed coldly and stared down at me from his position. "Typical hypocrites."
He turned his back onto me, and hissed, "You guys can go ahead and be heroes if you want. Scram."
He walked a few step away, and wanting to salvage the situation, I blurted out.
"What about Lyra? She's still waiting for you."
Silver halted his footsteps, and I noticed him clenching his hands. An ensuing silence went on between the two of us, and Green was now looking rather irked. Clearly, the Gym Leader did not like dramatic scenes that wasted his time.
I heard Silver breathing deeply, and then he spoke emotionlessly.
"She can wait all she want, I'm not going back."
"But she-" I protested.
"Likes me? I'm a criminal's son, Champion! I deserve nothing from her!" He yelled as he spun his head around and glared at me hatefully. Green suddenly cleared his throat loudly, commanding both of our attention.
"Kids, no drama please. I have enough going on in my head, and it would be nice if I do not witness angsty things going on between the two of you." Green articulated. "I'm a busy person, Sakaki Gin."
"Don't speak that horrible name!" Silver growled.
"Okay, okay, Silver, right? What's your purpose for training in such a place?"
"To be stronger." Silver grunted. Green blinked his eyes in surprise and chuckled.
"You sound exactly like someone I know. Well, but that person changed, I guess." He smiled. "And honestly, how much stronger can you get in this Den? The wild pokemon here are weak as hell, and neither is the surroundings harsh enough to train you. If I were you, Mt. Silver would be the best choice."
"That place is impossible. No one survived up there for more than a month." Silver retorted. "And what are you getting at? That my training is futile? Why don't you say that after you won against me, Green Oak?"
"Relax. I had no bad intention. None, at all. But let me point out something. That friend of mine that I had mentioned had in fact survived in that mountain for three years."
I sighed. I knew exactly who Green was referring to.
"Who?" Slurred Silver, with a skeptical expression.
Green smirked.
"Red."
That expression on Silver's face was priceless. Absolutely amusing.
"He's there all along? That means.." Silver murmured. "I can battle him?"
"Um, Red's not in Mt. Silver anymore. But I can help you call him if you want?" I asked reproachfully.
"Call him? I've got to meet him personally... and thank him, and... and challenge him in an official stage."
He's as obsessed with Red as ever. I thought and gave a forced smile. Green leaned towards me and whispered into my ear, "Why is he so interested in Red?"
"He treats that guy as his benefactor, for destroying his father's plans apparently." I answered back in a low voice.
"Ah.." Green uttered as a glint flashed across his hazelnut eyes. I instinctively knew that he had an idea. And usually his ideas were frightening, so I tried hard not to think about what was hidden inside that genius brain of his.
"What are you two muttering over there? Annoying pricks." Silver shouted in displeasure.
"Oh, nothing. I-We were just discussing how Red would be fighting in the war, and what a great chance it will be to meet him in person!" Green replied in all smiles. I gagged a little when I heard his words.
"You... Are you lying?" Silver breathed as he shifted a few steps towards us.
"Do I look like I am?" Green asked, his fake smile looking horribly confident.
"Where's your proof?" Silver demanded as he thrust his arm out.
"Proof? Mind you, I grew up with that guy since we were five!" Green emphasized. "If you insist, I can show you my log history, since I called him just last night."
Green shoved his Xtransceiver right into Silver's face, who blinked in surprise and proceeded to check the Gym Leader's validity.
Alright, I must admit, that was a pretty sweet way to convince someone like Silver. My rival instantly had rare grin on his face, which scared me quite badly, because this guy almost never smiles. He usually had that really glum look, and any possibility of him smiling was near nothing.
"I'm coming." He declared.
"Wow, what a quick change in heart." Exclaimed the Gym Leader while he pocketed his Xtransceiver. Green then paused for a bit, before he gazed up at the red haired trainer.
"Just me being curious, but do you have a tattoo?"
I gulped in a ton of saliva.
"No. They are unnecessary, if you ask me." Silver answered. "Why?"
"It's nothing. Wait there for a bit, I need to have a word with Mr. Hibiki Ethan." Green replied with a smile. I backed away, slowly, thinking of using my spontaneous escape plan.
The spiky haired trainer spun his head around, with a devilish grin and eyes that hid a bloodlust so fearsome that I felt my whole body stiffening. He strode towards me with a threatening aura, and I dared not move.
Green placed a hand on my shoulder. And with a scary smile, he said, "Don't you dare. Run."
His fingers dug into my clothes, and I forgot to breathe immediately.
The Gym Leader forcefully pushed me forward, away from Silver. I could not even cast an SOS glance towards him, since my distress call would be abruptly ignored.
Round at the back of the Dragon Shrine, I was at my wit's end. I was so dead. So dead.
"Ethannnnnnnnnn-" began Green.
"I didn't say he was one of the Major Arcana! I just said it was a possibility!" I whispered, trying awfully hard to defend myself.
"Possibility? At what? 99%? 50%? Or maybe 0.00000001%? You are so dead, Champion of Johto."
"I know." I replied through chattering teeth.
"But, I wager on that possibility of yours."
"Yes, I'll treat you to Wagyu be- sorry, what did you say!?" I asked in alarm.
"Maybe Sakaki- I mean, Silver, might manifest into a card in future. Just like you. I'll take all the chances we have."
My jaw dropped open. This guy was not angry. Not angry? Does that mean I'm not in trouble?
"Stop looking at me like that." Green warned.
I nodded my head vigorously. Then I brushed past him, relieved and relaxed.
"Let's go back home!" I yelled enthusiastically.
The Miltank laid motionless on the ground, having no sign of consciousness. Whitney bit her lower lip as she fought against the tears that threatened to flow out. They had been worn down by the battle against Charizard, and Red's Pikachu was more than enough to defeat them fair and square.
"Miltank is down! It's Pikachu's victory!" Mitch bellowed. The Gym Guide glanced at the Goldenrod City Gym Leader. By now, Whitney was sobbing, the girl frustrated that she had lost. Red backed away, surprised that she cried. He had never witnessed a crying Gym Leader before.
Whitney suddenly stomped forward, her arms moving in large swings. She pushed her hand out violently, hitting the trainer's chest.
"Here's your badge! And I won't lose to you again!" She shouted as she dropped a shiny yellow badge. Red fumbled a little, but managed to catch it in time. Red then stared at her in confusion.
Whitney swerved around and stalked off, the girl having a mad expression on her face as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"What? Is crybaby Pink-hair crying?" Morty mocked.
"None of your business, perm!" she yelled, and brushed past the Ecruteak City Gym Leader.
"Yes, yes, you frightening lady." he sighed, before he tapped her on the shoulder, and whispered something into her ear. Whitney's eyes widened, her tears stopping immediately due to shock.
"A Mega-!?"
Morty swiftly covered Whitney's mouth.
"There's no need to shout." He scolded, then removed his palm.
"Okay, okay... So do we have to tell him?" she whispered anxiously.
"I'm going to tell him now." Morty smiled. "See his face? I betcha he has loads of questions going in his mind now. I'd rather clear his doubts so that he can focus on battling."
Whitney wiped her wet cheeks, and then huffed, "Do what you want, baka Matsuba. Just don't lose too badly."
"You're supposed to say 'Win against him, because I'm cheering for you!', you know, that kind of encouragement?" Morty jested.
"Who would want to cheer for you? I'm returning to Mikan-chan." She said and headed for the door.
"Jasmine eh?" Morty muttered under his breath, before he stepped onto the platform. He cast a glance towards Mitch, who nodded nervously.
"... You kept me waiting." Red said from the other end.
"Waiting for answers?" Morty replied with a smirk. "About your Charizard, I mean."
"So you know what that was... Tell me." said Red.
Morty laughed.
"Simply put, your Charizard was undergoing something not common in Kanto and Johto."
"... Which is?" asked Red hesitantly.
"Mega Evolution. Heard of it?"
"No."
"Argh. I have to explain everything to you..." complained Morty as he ruffled his blonde hair. "Mega Evolution had already happened since ages ago, but a few years back, Kalos developed the theory pertaining to it, so pokemon already at their last stage of evolution could further evolve into something even greater and more powerful. I believe recently, Hoenn and this other extremely far away region have it too... what was it called again? Alola?"
"Anyways, it's not really common. Because you will need three things for Mega Evolution to be possible. And that's what made your Charizard something of a rare case."
Red quirked an eyebrow, while in his head, he was comprehending whatever Morty had said. "How?"
"I'm not a whiz at this kind of thing, but at the very least I know that Mega Evolution, you'll need something called a Key Stone, a Mega Stone, and strong bonds between trainer and pokemon. But you have neither a Key Stone, nor a Mega Stone. And from what I observed, your Charizard was trying to mega-evolve, but in a very unstable way, as if it were choosing to evolve between a Mega Charizard X and a Mega Charizard Y. Is this the first time it has happened?"
"... Yes."
"Huh. This'll be interesting. But such oddity is not within my expertise. I'm just a Gym Leader after all."
"... What causes Mega Evolution?"
Morty face-palmed himself and then gazed Red from in between his fingers. "Like I say, I'm not a scientist!" he grumbled. He faltered for a moment. "But I can show you what a proper Mega-Evolved pokemon looks like."
Morty then signaled Mitch, who gulped in surprise. The Gym Guide blew his whistle.
"Go Gengar!"
"... Pikachu."
The Shadow Pokemon, upon appearance, disappeared in an instant.
Red tensed up, his heart suddenly racing very fast. Pikachu went on all fours, back arched upwards, the mouse being extremely alert. Ghost type pokemon were a sneaky bunch.
Something dashed past Pikachu, and the mouse growled.
"Pika pika!" he cried out. Red gritted his teeth, and commanded a move.
"... Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu ran sideways, his cheek pouches leaking electricity. He ran around, whilst keeping his senses keen, in order to detect his opponent.
There.
A shower of lightning burst out from all over Pikachu's body, it headed diagonally towards a shadow located mid-air. The attack hit, and a cloud of dust exploded.
A pop.
Red stared at the spot where Thunderbolt landed. There was no Gengar.
The trainer calmly commanded Pikachu to do the same thing again. The mouse dashed about speedily, and unleashed electricity onto yet another shadow. And again, there was no Gengar.
Both Red and Pikachu frowned, and exchanged glances. Meanwhile, Morty was just smirking at the opposite end. Shadows darted around Pikachu, taunting him. The mouse steadied his breathing, as he awaited Red's call.
"Use Discharge."
As quickly as the command was sent out, Pikachu released sparks and lightning that shot out in all directions, shocking the air and paralyzing Morty, Red and Mitch. Clouds of dust emerged in various spots, and 'pop's resounded throughout the Gym. When the attack died down, Gengar was finally back on the platform, looking rather singed, but mostly unscathed.
Morty touched his skin, and winced in pain when the static electricity zapped him. That Pikachu was after all, part of an ex-Champion's team. He gazed at Red, who returned a stern stare.
"So you noticed." said Morty. "This is the first time anyone saw through it that quickly. Even Ethan had to take more than ten minutes."
"... Double Team. That's one simple, yet nasty move you've taught your Gengar." Red replied. That single move had almost played both of them right into Morty's palm.
But I admit that was remarkable. thought Red.
"Why thank you," replied Morty playfully. Red blinked, wondering if the Gym Leader had overheard his thoughts, or had simply replied to his comment. Morty Matsuba was a strange one.
"But I wonder, do you really want to know about Mega Evolution?"
"... Sorry?"
Morty pointed at his Gengar.
"See the anklet on Gengar?"
Red looked down, and just like what Morty said, a thick, silver anklet with engravings on it encircled the pokemon's leg. A large purplish red stone was fitted in the center, its surface polished and shiny.
"That's a Mega Stone." Morty pointed at the anklet. "And as for the key stone..."
Morty unraveled his scarf, and took out a steel necklace that jingled out noises. He twirled the thin chain, and lifted it out, showing off a small, spherical, iridescent stone that was set within a yellow triangle.
Seeing the two objects, Red pursed his lips. Then he said, "... So this means that this Gengar..."
"Can mega-evolve."
"... Show me this mega-evolved pokemon." Red uttered with much enthusiasm, for he was getting more and more curious about this whole Mega Evolution business.
Morty wagged his index finger. "No can do," he said. "But you can make me use it. Show me your true worth as a past Champion, and if you can convince me that I can never defeat you unless I use Mega Gengar, you'll get your reward."
Red felt the corners of his lips reaching up.
"So, in other words, I've got to put in my all."
"Yep. No complacency and no more half-hearted performance." Morty replied.
Red breathed in, his chest heaving, while Pikachu and Gengar glared daggers with each other, the Shadow Pokemon tauting the electric mouse by making funny faces.
With a grin, the trainer said,
"With pleasure."
It was a bright morning. Yet, the thick curtains were drawn, draining the room light and warmth. Only a single candlelight that stood on the mahogany wooden table illuminated the space. The man drummed his fingers upon the tabletop, his hollow black eyes staring ahead. He held no smile, no love, and no light within his gaze, his presence itself dominating maliciousness and bloody intent.
He flicked his finger at the wine glass, which clinked musically, and the purple liquid rippled. The man was still looking ahead, but at what, or whom, was something that should not be delved into by any sane being.
"Humans are such a troublesome species." He muttered. "Horrendous, all of them."
"I've always questioned my existence. Am I simply a human being? Maybe I am. I won't ask you either, my esteemed guest. You and I are fundamentally different. You're a creation, and I'm a puzzle."
The man gracefully picked up the wine glass. He inhaled its faint aroma, and then swirled the liquid.
"Then there's them. The Originals. The Major Arcana. The Twenty-Two. The Seekers. Arceus sure gave them fancy names, don't you think? Made them into legends, special existences that disgust me to the core."
He leaned forward, and smiled.
"What about you? Arceus had played a horrible trick on you, didn't he? By making you into a nightmarish creature, I mean."
"Don't be offended. I merely wish to demonstrate how we're similar."
"Similar, in what way, you asked? Why, we loathe the Creator. He made you this way, and made all creatures fear you."
He smiled.
"Be patient, my dear comrade. I called you here in bright daylight without any intention to bore you. Here comes the tasty part."
He sipped the wine.
"Oh? Wine in the morning? I should have drank coffee instead? My, my, I don't see what is wrong. And this, is not the main point."
The candle flame flickered.
"I'd like to know how much will it take to crush all of humanity. How much, will it take to render them weak and helpless like milleniums ago."
"Oh, you don't wish to hurt humans? Incorrigible. Did Arceus create you to love and cultivate peace? No, my comrade. Your existence is to strike fear in all creatures, and you despise that. You have no obligation to love humans. And here's the catch. Humans are Arceus' weakness. Because he loves them, for they provide the answers that he craves."
"What about me? Biologically, I am human. But ultimately, I am not one."
"So what am I, is that what you're asking? What would be nice word to describe myself... ah, I just thought of one."
"Oblivion. Well, well, well, it does have a nice ring to it."
"So you are curious about what I plan to do. Now, here I ask you, what do you think I plan to do with humans? Massacre? No, that's too vulgar. Torture? Whoever does that is a shallow person."
He laughed for a full ten seconds. Then he sipped his drink.
"I'd like to call it a game, where I am the mastermind, and l assemble all the players. And those who have the good fortune to participate in it are the Major Arcana, the Pokemon League, all the pokemon trainers, all pokemon, legendary ones and mythical ones included."
"So, you know in every game, we need the characters to oppose each other, and fight for victory. Now, no matter how you look at it, things will not go in my favor. Unless, there are players to oppose the human and pokemon factions. I need a player to turn the tides. And I know you can do it."
"You have your hatred to Arceus, you do not need to help humans. You can be the player I need."
"You don't want to work under me? Whoever said about working under me? You're my comrade in arms, you are the brawn, and I am the brain. We are both masterminds. And sooner or later, I will gather more players, and we will have fun, so much fun as we watch our enemies suffer. Your enemy is Arceus. And mine, is both humans and Arceus."
"You have conditions? Why, I'll accept whatever they are! I'm a very open man, after all. I believe that the deal is done?"
The candlelight went out.
"I look forward to your cooperation, Darkrai."
I hope all readers have enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for the support :)
Cheers,
onetimetrip