Trip to the Past

"Ah,"

Her voice was soft, gentle as she spoke.

"This is the beginning." She smiled, and he felt his chest tightening. It was her warm, beautiful smile he had fallen for.

But that smile never belonged to him.

She slowly turned around, her long platinum white locks flowing in the wind, her sea-green eyes looking towards somewhere.

Someone.

"Right, Neo?"

He found himself staring at the boy beneath his foot, so coldly that even he himself felt a slight chill. He was quite aware that any form of humane emotions was entirely gone from his being, and strangely, he was satisfied with it.

Looking around, he could almost chide himself for perhaps, playing around too much. The unconscious bodies lying around, the Charizard that was defeated in mere seconds, and of course, the cards that were on the ground, still struggling with whatever energy left within their bones.

Meanwhile, he felt the child trying to stand, trying to push his foot away, and he glanced down. The child glared at him, his alarming red eyes set on getting the Ultra Ball back.

How much he hated those eyes.

He put in more force into his foot, grinding downwards, and the child groaned, yet the color in his irises seemed to light up more than ever.

"Stop it, Licinius," Sei growled. "You've got what you came here for, so leave."

"And if I don't? What are you going to do? Fight me?" He said, and from the corner of his eye, he saw the ghost flinching.

"You know I can't."

"Figures." Licinius chuckled. "Pity that he did not give you back your powers."

"Who are you trying to kid? You were the one who stole it." Sei's words were full of hate, disdain and utter contempt. "Now, get your foot off the boy, and leave this place at once!"

Licinius could not hold back his urge to laugh.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing." Licinius chuckled. "Twenty-one generations of card-killing, and here we are at the twenty-second one, he finally intervenes. Even you, Temperance."

"You mean...?"

Licinius felt his blood going cold.

"If not, why would I even bother to battle this weakling here with a Pokémon?" Licinius spat. "Neo, that freak... to think he was capable of it. Emotions, I mean. If it weren't for that incident eight years ago, I could have carried out my plans way long before now. And my dear Temperance, I think it's about time for you to disappear before your pitiable existence goes 'poof', don't you think?"

And truth to be told, the ghost's body was slowly fading, receding away. Sei shot Licinius a hateful look, the bells hanging from his hair ringing, like a warning sign.

"Remember this, Licinius, sinners will always get what they deserve."

With that, the ghost vanished, leaving nothing behind. Licinius let out a scoff and then stared down at the boy, who appeared confused, in pain, and simply weak-looking at the very moment.

"Eight years ago... What did Neo do?"

"You don't remember, do you?" Licinius found himself saying, a smug grin on his face. "When your father saved your lives. Or should I say, he only saved two of you."

"Two... of us?"

"Eight years ago, someone close to you died, didn't she?" Licinius whispered. "Someone, who was so very close to you and Green Oak."

Red's eyes widened, in shock, while Licinius felt a faint movement from behind him. A hand suddenly grabbed his ankle, and slowly, the man looked down, just to see the Magician holding onto him, his fingernails digging deep into his skin.

"It was you...," The other boy huffed. "That day, it was you...!"

Licinius felt a chuckle escaping his lips, and the next moment, he broke out into laughter, a laughter so sinister that the Green Oak immediately let go, his eyes in pure shock.

"It's funny how similar we are, Magician. Really, it amuses me greatly," said Licinius. "That both of us would lose a person we love because of the Fool."

"What do you mean?" Green Oak breathed, his fists clenched.

"Oh right, Neo partially sealed both of your memories, didn't he?" Licinius said while he crouched down, staring directly at Green in the eye. "Should I be merciful and release those memories for the both of you?"

A bright blue light shone from Licinius' palms, and suddenly, he pressed his hands onto both of the boys' heads. Both of them let out a yell, as a sharp pain attacked their temples, and without warning, their surroundings were bathed in a bright light, and both of them instinctively shut their eyes, bracing themselves.

Green Oak could sense a difference in the air, and slowly he opened his eyes, half-apprehensive and half-curious. He shielded his eyes quickly from the glaring brightness, and when he finally made sense of where he was, he noticed right next to him, was none other than Red. Both of them were standing on an all too familiar hill, where the grass swayed in the wind and the familiar view of their houses stood far ahead of them. Behind them was the same dense Viridian Forest, and all around them was the same, familiar nostalgic scent of home.

"We're... here," Red muttered in disbelief. "Pallet Town."

"Yeah," Green replied. "I don't know what tricks did that man played, but from the looks of it, this must be eight years ago."

Red looked at his friend, who appeared visibly disturbed, and almost afraid.

"Green... Are you alright?"

His friend said nothing for a while, and he then stared at Red in the eye.

"Red," Green said. "How much do you remember about that incident?

Red blinked his eyes, surprised at Green's sudden question. He collected his thoughts, and slowly, he answered, "Not much."

"Likewise," Green sighed, while he rubbed his neck. "Honestly, I don't really want to play along with Licinius, but-"

A child's laughter suddenly broke the silence around them, and both of them stopped short in their conversation, as a small boy roughly at the age of seven dashed up the little pathway up the hill. His dark brown hair was tousled by the breeze, and his hazelnut brown eyes were glimmering with triumph.

"Hahaha! I'm first again! Red, you suck!" He yelled in glee, while another boy, with raven black hair, ran behind him, looking irked. His red eyes stared at the other boy, looking defeated.

"... We don't have a choice, do we." Green finished his sentence, while his legs brought him forward, closer to the two children. Red tried to call out to him, but found himself deprived of any speech, as he noticed a girl climbing up the hill, panting, while her honey brown locks flowed down her back. Meanwhile, Green had halted in his tracks, his whole body stiff and unmoving.

"Green, Red... Wait for- Ah!" She yelled, until she lost her balance, and fell flat on her face. Without knowing what he was doing, Green Oak started running straight to the girl, feeling hopeful, yet before he could reach her, his younger self had already sprinted to right before her, his small arm outstretched.

"Are you alright?" The younger Green asked while the girl looked up, her face dirty, but she simply wiped off the bits of soil and dust and smiled.

"Yep!" She chirped. "Thanks!"

The boy's face immediately turned pink, but he quickly looked away as he pulled her up.

"You're... too slow!" The boy started murmuring while he tried to hide his flustered face. "I've waited for ages!"

"I still am." Green Oak blurted out, as he watched the girl chuckling and laughing along with his younger self, his hand grabbing the pendant around his neck tightly.

Red stood by his friend, while he watched the familiar, but long-lost, scene of the three of them, playing on the hill. The familiar girl of their childhoods, who has been lost.

Leaf Floresta.

And there they stood, silently watching over this precious scene until the threesome suddenly stood at the edge of the forest. The three of them were whispering to each other, and with a few nods in unison, the young children set foot on the forest grounds.

"No," Green muttered. "No, no, no."

"Green, wait...!"

Green set off, running after the children, while Red gritted his teeth, and could only go after him. The two of them entered the forest, while Red tried to catch hold of Green, to stop him from doing anything reckless. Yet his friend was too far ahead, and the trainer was soon in front of the three children, his eyes filled with worry and fear.

"Get out of here!" Green shouted, yet the children didn't seem to hear him, and merely continued walking. Green attempted to raise his voice, but at the next moment, the children passed through his body, as if he were air, his existence not known to any of them.

"Wait! Leave the forest, please!" Green desperately cried out, as he ran towards them once more. Yet a firm grip on his wrist made him finally come to his senses. He turned around, tears rolling down his cheeks, grief-stricken, and staring at Red's eyes, he felt the hope he had moments ago sinking down into oblivion.

"If I didn't suggest going in here, she wouldn't have-"

"This is the past, Green... We can't change it." Red breathed, as he tried to hold in the lump in his throat. "All we can do now... is to learn the truth, of what actually happened that day... for ourselves."

A moment of silence befell upon them, and Green took in a deep breath. He wiped away the tears on his sleeve, and after calming himself down, he muttered, "Let's go."

The two then head down the forest trail, the children still within sight. A tense atmosphere made the air felt thin, and they continue to trudge on, bracing themselves for what is to come.

The three children came into a small forest clearing, the sunlight shining down, lighting up the place and filling it with a sense of magic and etherealness. A large twisting tree stood at the edge of it, towering over the children, who were gasping in astonishment.

"It's so big!" Leaf said while the younger Red's mouth was hanging wide open. The younger Green was jumping in excitement, his small body attempting to climb the trunk.

"This is it," Red muttered. "And beyond this..."

"We remembered nothing," Green said, his fists clenched. "Except for the fact that someone killed her."

The two of them were alert, as they watched the three children playing around, and somewhere, somehow, they could feel a person's presence.

"Red."

"... I know."

They glanced around while trying to calm the rapid palpitation of their hearts, their nervousness, and their fear of the impending unknown.

"Hello, children."

Red and Green felt their hair stand, the heart skipping a beat, as they witnessed one man, with the same wispy gray hair, and the moment they saw his face, they stared in horror, barely believe what they were seeing.

It was as if half of his face was half-melted, the skin so contorted and wrinkled to the point he did not even look human anymore, if not for the fact that the lower half of his face was still intact. His eyes were still the same hollowness, the same black and there was no doubt, that this man was him.

Licinius.

"Kuh..." Green muttered his teeth, the trainer ready to pummel this man before him, and barely controlled himself not to.

Meanwhile, the children froze, shocked, and all three of them whimpered, fearful of the man before them. Leaf started sobbing, not daring to look at the man in the eye.

"What-What do y-you want!?" The younger Green shouted, his voice shaking, and he stood before his two friends, arms outstretched.

"Oh dear, I'm just looking for someone." Licinius chuckled. "Someone who perhaps have black hair, and maybe..."

The man's hollow black immediately lit up the moment he noticed the younger Red.

"Red eyes." He muttered while licking his lips. "So he does have a son."

Licinius stepped forward, while the younger Green immediately yelled, "Back off!"

Licinius ignored the boy and merely flicked his wrist, and suddenly, the boy was sent flying to the side, crashing into a bundle of ferns and plants. He stood before Red, and the boy retreated, before turning around and running towards the twisting tree, trying to climb up, yet his lack of tree-climbing skill brought him no further than a meter up to the tree. Upon slipping back down, he fearfully turned back, just to see Licinius already a few steps away from him. Tears came pouring out of his red eyes, and yet he could speak not a sound, as the fear gripped him tightly.

"I wonder what kind of face Neo would show if I killed his son right before him," Licinius muttered to himself as he smiled sinisterly. "Provided he has any form of emotion."

The man conjured up a bright blue ball in his hand, and with a chuckle, he stared at the fearful young boy with contempt. On the other hand, the younger Green emerged from the ferns, dizzy from the previous attack, and suffering from a few scratches. Spotting his friend in trouble, he started running straight towards them.

"Leave him alone!" He yelled, yet Licinius ignored the boy.

"If you want to resent anything, boy, resent the fact that you have the Original One as your father." He laughed, and at the next moment, he shot the attack straight at Red.

"Red! No!"

The young girl suddenly jumped out, blocking Red and receiving the attack head-on. A loud sound rang throughout the forest and Leaf was immediately struck down, her body falling to the ground with a thump.

"Leaf!"

Screams resounded throughout the clearing, and both Green and Red sprinted towards the girl, not caring whether this was the past or whether they even existed in this space. All they cared, was their childhood friend, their best friend.

"Leaf, Leaf, Leaf!" The younger Red cried as he rolled his friend's body over. Younger Green had also dashed right next to the boy, his hands desperately shaking the girl's body, tears already falling down uncontrollably. The girl's honey brown hair was sprawled all over the ground, while her body stayed very still. Both Red and Green, on the other hand, crouched down, both in disbelief. Green reached out, yet his fingers passed through her lifeless body, and his lips trembled as he tried to take in whatever that had just happened.

"Little rat," Licinius murmured from behind, "Well, no matter, the next one will definitely hit."

He conjured up the same attack, the blue glowing ball perilous and hungry to kill. None of the boys nor their grown-up selves seemed to notice, as all it mattered to them at that moment, was only Leaf.

And without wasting a second, he fired it.

Yet it exploded right before it could reach the boys, dissipating to small blue fragments. The sound was loud enough to capture the attention of all four of them, and it was then when Red noticed the man coming out from behind the twisting tree.

"Enough, Licinius."

Red immediately stood up, as he watched the man climbed down the rocks deftly, and stood right before the children in mere seconds. He wore a long, brown and rather tattered cloak, his clothes simple, and he carried a worn-looking leather sling bag. The man's raven black hair was standing up slightly, as a faint white light enveloped his body.

"Neo," Licinius slurred. "Long time no see."

"..."

"Twelve centuries, was it?" Licinius chuckled. "And what brings you here? It can't be to protect your little son, is it?"

"Leave at this instant, Licinius." Neo uttered. "You shall not hurt these children any further."

Licinius stared at the man, looking sorely surprised. "You, protecting humans? Are you kidding me, Neo?"

"No, I'm not." The man replied firmly. "I'll say this once again, leave."

"And why should I? When I could slaughter your son right before you!" Licinius yelled as he charged forward with blinding speed, and he appeared right next to the boys in the next second. Both Red and Green shut their eyes instinctively, but yet at the next moment, Licinius' body was repelled away. He barely managed to prevent himself from colliding with the rocks behind him, and cackling, he eyed Neo mockingly.

"When did you ever had emotions, Neo?"

"..."

"Tell me, when? What happened to the emotionless you? Tell me, Neo!" Licinius laughed. "When all you cared about last time, was only you and nothing else?"

"..."

"For you to be able to fall in love, have a family and now even capable of thinking of protecting your own son! Have you gone senile, Neo?"

"... That was the past. Now, I have much more humanity than you think, Licinius. Much more than you." Neo answered. "Now, leave."

"As if." Licinius snickered, and he started charging towards the man. Thorns suddenly emerged from the ground, blocking the attack, and the next was the thorns being cut into bits and pieces, and then an ice attack, followed by a rock wall as a defense. Water that emerged was suddenly shooting out in the form of bullets, and suddenly, a couple of trees fell upon being sliced. The attacks were exchanged in rapid fire, and soon, the clearing was destroyed, the earth was scorched, and all the while, Red, Green and the three children hid behind a Protect barrier, conjured up by none other than Neo himself. Licinius continued to send out various elemental moves, yet all of them were countered, and Neo even sent him a couple of Flamethrowers that burnt him.

"Red... That is your father?" Green asked out of amazement. "He's way too strong."

"I didn't know that either..."

The attacks continued for quite a while, and finally, the two immortals stood in front of each other, Licinius looking exhausted, while Neo was the complete opposite; he was perfectly alright, and didn't seem to be breaking a sweat. Licinius growled, getting ready to unleash another attack, yet nothing came out. Widened and confused, he tried a few more times, waving around, but nothing happened. The man almost appeared silly, if not for his horrid looking face.

"You... monster." Licinius huffed. "What did you do to me?"

Neo stared at Licinius in the eye, before he brought his arm out, while an iridescent flame burst forth from his palm. It shone brightly, burning and crackling.

"I merely took back what was mine."

"You mean...!"

"For every attack you sent me, I was absorbing your powers," Neo said. "Now, leave."

"You...!" Licinius hollered, but he held back, for he was painfully aware, that even if he was an immortal, it will be senseless for him to be continuously beaten up by his foe at this moment.

"Mark my words, Neo, I will come after your son, and come after you," Licinius said. "Until I attain it."

Licinius turned around, begrudgingly walking off and then vanished. Neo frowned at his words, but he quickly snapped the iridescent flame off. Both Red and Green moved to the side, as the man crouched down, closer to their younger selves. Both trainers stared at the motionless body of Leaf, and gritting his teeth, Red muttered. "It was me who killed her. If... that attack hit me instead..."

Suddenly, he was smacked right in the head, and the pain was enough for him to let out a loud yelp.

"You idiot. I would hate to lose you too." Green muttered. "It's not your fault."

"..."

"If anything, it was that man," Green added on, his face looking furious. "But now, we still have to look this through."

Meanwhile, Neo was carrying the girl in his arms, checking her pulse, before he placed her on the ground, sighing and shaking his head.

"Mister, will Leaf be alright? She's alive, isn't she?" The younger Green said.

"Please... save her!" The younger Red pleaded.

Neo said nothing as he placed his palm on the girl's forehead and he closed his eyes. A few moments later, his eyes flashed open, and both Red and Green noticed the change in his eyes. Neo reached into his bag, fishing out something that was vibrating.

"Isn't that a plate?" Green exclaimed. "And it's vibrating?"

"As expected," Neo said. "This girl is a card." The man then held the plate closer to the girl, and all of a sudden, it faded away, into nothingness.

"Mister, she's alright, isn't she?" The children cried while tugging at Neo's sleeves.

"She's fine." The immortal replied. "Not for now."

"Mister, what, what do you mean?" The younger Green said, looking confused. "Leaf's alright, isn't she?"

Neo smiled, a bittersweet smile before he tentatively reached both his hands out, placing them on their foreheads. Closing his eyes, he stayed quiet for a moment, while the children looked at him, confused.

Spirals of fire and water suddenly circled around his arms, and Neo opened his eyes, his face grim.

"I see," Neo muttered. "This is no mere coincidence, is it?"

The man sighed before his body glowed white, and suddenly, the destruction around them faded away, trees growing out at unprecedented rates, the forest restored to how it was in seconds. He then crouched down, closer to the children and held onto their hands, the white light enveloping their body while they let out cries of fear and surprise.

"What is he doing?" Green said.

The white light died down, and breathing out, the immortal then turn his head to his left, and at this moment, both Red and Green exchanged glances, for the man was looking at none other than the two of them.

"I can't change what happened, but the least I can do is to seal your memories. Knowing Licinius, he will probably try to remove this seal and learn of the girl's identity." Neo started explaining, his eyes fixated on the two trainers, almost as if he could see them. "If these memories were to ever be unsealed, that would also mean that you should know that you are part of the Major Arcana.

"Licinius will try to steal whatever information I am about to tell you, but I have also strengthened this seal. Rest assured, that man will not get what he wants." Neo continued. "And now, do not be alarmed about what I am to tell you."

"...I don't trust you." Red muttered.

"Whether you believe my words or not, that is at your own discretion."

Both of them exchanged glances, perturbed at his words. It was as if he was right here having a conversation with them.

"The world is balanced by two things: Humans and Pokémon. And to keep this balance, there is the Major Arcana." Neo explained.

"But who, or what, created humans?" Green blurted out.

The man merely smiled and replied, "That, is for you to find out."

Both Red and Green blinked their eyes in surprise, for neither of them expected an answer.

"Wait, are you here right now?" Green asked.

"And what Licinius seeks to do is-"

"Did he just... ignored me?" Green exclaimed, looking offended.

"-to remove this balance, and in other words," Neo continued. "Destroy the world."

"Figures," Red commented lightly.

"And this is why he has been repeatedly killing off all the generations, and preventing any of them to gather and fulfill the prophecy. For twenty-one generations straight."

"Do you mean... the prophecy that we will receive rewards from Arceus... upon gathering all twenty-two of us?" Red asked, hoping that perhaps his father would answer this.

"And now we are at the Last Generation." Neo simply said, as if Red's question was never heard. "And if you were to fail, Licinius will win, for good. He would have gotten the thing he wanted. He would have won, in fact, if this girl had died."

"You mean," Green uttered. "She's alive?"

"By dead, I meant her spirit. Currently, due to the powers of the Specter Plate, her spirit is preserved, but her body isn't. I'd reckon if you were to come to this very spot once more after you gained your status as a card, you might be able to see her. If I were to make a comparison, she would be like Sei, if you have met him."

Green's face immediately fell, and all he could muster was, "I see."

"I will hide her body for now, because if there is ever the chance that her spirit has become strong enough, she may be able to return to the physical world. And when that time comes, she will know where her body lies."

Neo then reached out towards Leaf, while a purplish light shone around her, and with a snap of his fingers, her entire body vanished into thin air.

"One last thing, which the two of you have to listen I did just now, was to place a limiter on your powers. And the two of you... You are particularly talented... And that is probably because..."

Neo glanced at the young Red, while an expression unreadable by either of them emerged on his face.

"Manifesting it at such a young age, should I say, as expected? Yet it's far too dangerous for children of your age to handle it."

"What do you mean...?"

Neo continued explaining, and the moment he finished his words, both Red and Green stood there, stunned.

"And that is all I have for you. I wish you luck." Neo concluded as he reached his hands out towards the two young boys who appeared befuddled, and completely confused on what had just happened.

"Wait!" Red cried out. "... Answer me this!"

That very hand stopped just inches away from the younger Red.

"Neo... Who... are you?" Red said, his voice shaking.

Neo paused, before he softly placed his hand on the younger Red's black hair, stroking it lightly. Red widened his eyes in surprise, unfamiliar with this scene of fatherly love being displayed to him.

"If we are destined to meet again, we will," Neo said. "And now, it is time for you to wake up."

Both of them gasped, sputtered, and immediately awoken themselves to reality. Meanwhile, Licinius was holding them by the hair, and without putting much effort, he lifted them up. They attempted to struggle, but whatever was holding them down continued to constrict them. The upturned smile on Licinius' face was enough to tell them that he was not at all pleased.

"What did Neo tell you?" Licinius murmured.

"Not... telling," Green gasped. "You murderer."

"Oh?" Licinius chuckled. "I'd expected you to blame your dear friend over here for that girl's death."

"Why should I?" Green spat. "When it's as clear as day that you were the one who did it."

"Ah, you're not as blind as I thought you were," Licinius said, looking disappointed.

"Yeah, surprisingly, I'm not," Green replied, sarcasm lining his words.

"Well, that's too bad."

Licinius chuckled before he released his grip on both of them. Upon landing on the ground, the two trainers let out groans of pain while Licinius merely walked away, snapping his fingers as he did so. And instantly, Darkrai released the force he had been using to holding down Ethan, Lyra, Red, and Green.

"Urgh..." Ethan moaned, his body sore and still feeling too heavy for him to stand up.

Licinius then beckoned Darkrai to follow him, the man ready to exit the place right after turning the whole Hall upside down.

"Hold up."

Licinius stopped, just to see Green Oak already standing up, his eyes fierce and furious. Similarly, Red had also stood up, the trainer glaring at Licinius with hate.

"You'll pay for killing her," Green said. "And we'll have you return Mewtwo to Red right now."

A loud cackle rang out in the Hall.

"You two think you can fight me? When neither of you has awakened your powers?" Licinius taunted, feeling amused.

"Provided we need to awake them."

Licinius blinked his eyes, and to his shock, the two trainers had disappeared. As if they were never there in the first place.

"Down here, idiot."

At that very moment, the immortal glanced down, and to his horror, was the two trainers, one wielding a ball of fire, the other manipulating knives of water.

"Wait, how-!?"

The two of them grinned.

Once Licinius unlocks these memories, he would have also lifted the limiter to your powers. You are part of the Last Generation. To you, plates are merely a form of power stabilizer, but inherently, you wield your own different elements, unlike the previous Generations. This also means one thing.

Red's null symbol on his hand burned a flaming red, while Green's I symbol shone an aquamarine blue.

Your Generation is the strongest.

"Eat this." Both of them said in unison.