Pokemon: The Lord of the Elements

Hey, everyone! I'm back. Sorry this next chapter took so long. I have been extremely busy as of late. However, I am now back in school. I will now likely spend some time writing whenever I need to relax my mind a little. Anyway, please leave your reviews. I am also working on a chapter for Pokemon: Mythos as well. I'm not sure when I will release that chapter, but hopefully it will answer any questions you might have. Enjoy the chapter!

A/N: The music used for emotional inspiration for this chapter comes from the Game of Thrones Season 7 soundtrack entitled "Truth." If you listen to while reading this, I hope it will enhance your reading experience!

Chapter 12

The Queen of Roses

Ash walked through a field of grass that was covered in an array of many different colored flowers as dawn broke around him. Some of them were tall and bloomed with such intensity that they would block the light of the sun from other flowers, while others were short and small, as hidden treasures one would have to search diligently for in order to find. The air of that field was warm, but the cool, gentle breezes that kissed his skin were like the breezes that would come between late spring and early summer. A forest lay nearby that the field of flowers entered into. Towering above the forest, however, was a tree that produced flowers larger than Ash had ever seen before. White, those flowers were, with yellow centers that shimmered like gold as the sun became more visible to that part of the world. The tree reminded Ash of the Tree of the Beginning, which was north of Pewter City. However, that tree was petrified due to its age, and its "leaves," which only survived because of the Mew that resided there, were green and it bore no large flowers. This tree, on the other hand, was very much alive, and its leaves were naturally silver. Yet, under the light of the rising sun, the leaves on one half of the tree shone like a brilliant fire. Ash gazed at the tree in wonder.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a soft, feminine voice said behind him.

Ash turned to see the young woman he had met in his dreams before, though now she seemed more dressed to the look of one who seemed majestic. Her clothes were still poorer compared to the great hall she sat in before, but they were no longer plain rags. At her side was a sword with a hilt made of white dragonbone and upon the hilt were two gems, one an emerald and the other a sapphire, and pink pearl for the pommel.

"I wasn't expecting to see you again," Ash told the young woman honestly as he looked to the side and scratched the back of his head.

"I promised that we would meet again, didn't I?" she smiled softly at him. "Though I do wish our meeting were under peaceful circumstances."

Ash couldn't help but nod. Ever since Giratina told him that it was time to part ways, he felt an easiness that told him that he was going to meet strife. Whatever this young woman had told Ash was after him, he couldn't help but shake the feeling that it was still after him.

"What is this place?" Ash asked her when a gentle breeze pushed him back towards the direction of the giant tree. The young woman couldn't help but look with him and a smile painted her beautiful face.

"It is the World Flower," she said with reverence. "Like spring, it is the promise that life will grow again. Its petals and center mirror the colors of Arceus, and it is said to have the power to heal. Here, hope springs eternal. It is hope that the bearers of medallion bring to the world."

"Hope," Ash muttered with a frown. "What could I possibly give the world? I am no king."

"No, you are not," she answered, which caused Ash to turn his face back to her. Needless to say, he was expecting something more encouraging from her, but was surprised when he saw her smile. "How could you be a king? All the lesser nations that sprung from Regisia's corpse are dead. Its capital broken and thrown down, and the place where its ruin was smitten has been wiped clean from this world. The blood of Regisia is a stain upon the world that has all but disappeared. And even those very few with but a drop of the blood of Regisia have so small a drop that they cannot claim to be of any part of its glory, not they would know of the country. What is Regisia now but the shadow of a memory kept by immortal creatures that both weep for and curse its foundations?"

As she spoke, her smile faded into a look more serious and dark. Yet, it was not filled with hate, but rather with unfathomable sorrow. When she closed her eyes and opened them again, they gazed eastward of the tree she called the "World Flower," though all Ash could see was an open field. A sigh escaped her lips before she focused her attention back on the young man she spoke with.

"But this good for you," a smile once again painted her face. "The world does not need a king. It needs, rather, a hero. That you are, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town: a hero. You proved it to Giratina, Arceus, and many others. You proved it at the Isles of the Three Titans. If it is the will of the Shinkari, you shall do it again."

"Shinkari?" Ash muttered as he gazed at the young woman. "I know we have met before, but…. Who are you?"

"Have you not guessed?" She giggled.

"You said last time that you were an ally," Ash thought aloud. "Yet you obviously withheld something."

"I have withheld nothing!" her laughter stopped, though her smile remained. "You simply choose to be unsure about what to believe. A caution that is wise enough at times. Surely such a caution would have prevented the horror that was the War of Tears."

"Is it caution that makes you not tell me your name?" Ash frowned.

"What use is a name to one who is dead?" she countered before lifting her hand in peace to calm the eyes of the young man. "As I said, I am a friend. Even being in death for so long, I have not changed from who I was."

"Then you are a servant of Giratina," Ash stroked his chin in thought with is left hand.

"No," the young woman gave a content sigh before gazing up in the beautiful sky. "I am one of the few people Shinkari has allowed to stay tied to the world. Though, in my beginning, I believed my father to be the better candidate for such a task. Most people that are tied to world in death are simply because the Other found them and cursed them when they foolishly found their way into the Spirit World. So tell me, Ash Ketchum, son of Rob Ketchum, who am I?"

"I do not know," Ash muttered. "A name, even of the dead, is useful to the living for history."

"You already know it," she laughed mirthfully, and the music of her voice seemed to brighten the flowers around her. "Though you disappoint me, Ash. You have such confidence in your pokémon and your friends. Have you none for yourself? And if you claim not to, do you lie about having such confidence in battle?"

"No!" Ash defended. "If I don't have confidence in myself and in my pokemon, how can I expect to lead them to victory?"

"Then know my name!" she smiled as a darkness seemed to surround them both until they, the Tree, and medallion were all that left that had light. "Know my name, your name, and the name by which the Medallion answers to. Know yourself! And most importantly, know the falsity you have put in your heart is false. You are more than you think. Know you are not alone, even all of the darkness of the universe come for you. And it will."

And at the words that sang in his ears and flooded his mind until his heart filled with hope, Ash Ketchum knew no more than the darkness that surrounded him.

…

When he opened his eyes next, his blurred vision first saw the distorted imaged of a what appeared to a milky-white face with honey-blonde hair. After he blinked a couple times, he saw not a blurred image, but a beautiful young woman with crystal blue eyes. He saw a deep sadness in those eyes that seemed to carry the weight of the world behind them. Yet, he knew the face of the young woman sitting next to him to the left. But even as he blinked, she, too, began to blink: first in sadness, then in confusion, realization, and finally a joy that seemed too good to be true. Tears trickled down her face as water would slowly trickle down a wall of rock before becoming a small body of water that would form a stream. Ash slowly moved his face as a hand of the young woman first covered her heart and the other hand covered her shorten the loud gasp she uttered. Clearly she was unsure if the what she was seeing was real or a dream. In the pain of her of eyes, Ash could see this moment had been a dream too many times for her.

"S-Serena?" Ash asked weakly, trying to snap out of his distorted state, though his voice only caused the beautiful young woman to make a stiffed cry of a sob behind her hand.

Slowly she leaned forward until the hand that was over her heart reached forward to cup his cheek. Her hand trembled in its movement until it reached his cheek, trembling even as she touched him and eliciting another sob from behind the hand on her mouth. If Ash thought it wasn't possible for someone to cry more, he was wrong. Tears spilt from Serena's eyes as she slowly and tenderly caressed his cheek. He could tell from her look alone that she was begging any and everything she could possibly think of that this wasn't a dream. In response, and in finding his own strength, Ash moved to place his left hand on the hand that was on his cheek. He closed his eyes softly, and almost hated himself for forgetting the gentle softness of her touch.

It was only when he heard her sobs once again that he once again opened his eyes. Serena's hand was away from her mouth now, her face stained with tears and beet-red. Yet, the red seemed to accent the blue of her eyes until the light of their beauty was so great that Ash see nothing else but her. Ash slowly and tenderly stroked Serena's hand on him with his own, trying to reassure. It was then that her face took on a new expression behind her tears. It was the look of someone who had made up their mind.

Serena moved slowly onto the hospital bed Ash was on. Droplets of her tears occasionally hit the bed sheet or his skin, but he didn't mind much. He was happy to hold onto Serena if that was what she needed. When she was close enough to Ash, however, took a moment to gaze into his eyes. It was when the distance closed that Ash realized what she had made up her mind about. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his firmly, but tenderly enough to not hurt him. Her feel was soft and delicate. Her taste was of strawberries. Her scent was of roses. Her tears met his cheeks as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Ash, shocked at first due to her boldness, quickly succumbed to her and placed his hands on her waist. He closed his eyes as well and kissed back. He kissed back, remembering the kiss when they parted ways in Kalos. He kissed back, remembering the kiss he planted on the top of her head. He kissed back, thinking that she had indeed granted him the forgiveness he asked for in that kiss for leaving without a personal goodbye.

And yet, as he kissed back, he found his aura reaching out to his mind, and he saw Serena dressed in black under a gray sky. Not only Serena, but Misty, Dawn, and May with her. They all wore black and they all stood in front of a tree. They all wept bitterly, and it was Misty and Serena that held each other during it. He recognized the tree as it was the tree he and Pikachu would often climb to think about what they would do for a journey whenever they got home. It was the tree he and Pikachu saw Ho-oh at before they decided to travel to Hoenn. Above the girls, and the tree, were six Mew. The two above the tree, watching the young women, Ash recognized as Proles and Master Chie; but the four Mew that were floating above Serena and the others, Ash did not recognize. Yet, when Ash stepped forward to have a closer look, the six Mew looked directly at him, and the vision vanished. And with the vision, Serena broke the kiss to pull slightly away. Both of their eyes were still closed, but Ash felt her resting her forehead on his.

"Y-you're awake," Serena whispered, almost afraid to speak loudly in case Ash might vanish again. "You're alive."

"I'm here," he said softly in return. "I'm fine."

It was only then that Ash felt Serena pull away. When she did, Ash opened his eyes. She sat on the edge of the bed, her back turned to him. It didn't take aura for Ash to know how upset she was. Yet, it was the color around her that told him that she was torn between heartbreak and joy.

"Where were you?" Serena whispered again as she curled her fists in angst. Yet, the whisper was still loud enough for Ash to hear.

"I…," Ash began, though he wasn't sure how to answer her question. "I'm not entirely sure, myself. Serena, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Ash sat up and moved his arm to place a hand on her shoulder. However, she got up off the bed and walked away from him. She hugged herself as she felt the tears form again and flow down her cheeks. Ash, on the other hand, could do nothing but watch the beautiful girl he wounded so deeply with his disappearance.

"I searched for you," Serena said a little louder this time, her voice filled with sorrow. "I looked for four years. I was ready to give up, and you showed up just when I was going to."

Serena turned to Ash, who listened quietly to her. She had every right to be angry with him, Ash knew that much. She marched back to him as he looked down at his lap. Serena couldn't help but frown. She had been through so much without him. She wanted him back for years, and now that she had him, she simply wanted the truth from.

"Ash…," she said with heartbreak in her voice. It was enough to make Ash want to do everything he could to have her smile again. "Please tell me. I lost the man I love before. Don't make me think I now lost who he was."

Ash looked up at Serena, who had her blue ribbon clasped with both hands. Of course she loved him. All the signs were there, and he was too foolish to not notice. Ash couldn't help but feel a little happy that Serena was now so bold. Perhaps growing into the beautiful woman she was now helped with that. And seeing him again allowed her to open up completely after the fear of losing him.

"Serena, I—," but as Ash spoke the hospital door slammed shut, causing them both to look at it. Floating in front of the door was the Mew that had come out of the portal with Ash, Pikachu and Eevee.

"Where he was and what was doing is neither your business nor your concern," the ancient Mew said telepathically to Serena. "And even if it were, how could you go there? You're not dead. How could you have followed?"

"D-dead?" Serena felt her blood run cold before her eyes turned to Ash.

"No, he is not dead, girl," Master Chie gave a humorless chuckle. "And even if he were, human spirits don't go there save by a rare chance. The power that allowed him to enter there physically is one that you do not know, nor could you achieve."

"What are you doing here?" Ash frowned at the ancient Mew. "Isn't it unsafe for you to wandering around a hospital in the open?"

"Clearly I have not been discovered, then!" Master Chie answered in his own language and laughed. "I have the ability to become invisible and change form at will, in case you forgot. No unfriendly human eye shall find me."

"What about the eye of another Mew?" Ash raised an eyebrow.

"If Shin'en wishes to battle me, let him," Master Chie smirked. "It has been long since I fought one stronger than I am."

Ash sighed and turned his gaze to Serena. She looked back at him in confusion. He knew he had quite a bit of explaining to do, but it would have to be another time before he could do it.

"Serena, this is Master Chie," Ash said softly. "I have been training with him for the past four years. He… believes I have to save the world."

"Save the world?" Serena frowned. "From what?"

"The Enemy," Master Chie claimed with sadness in his voice. "And the Enemy has already made the first move of war by the world's imbalance. We made the second through Ash's training. Now our enemy has indeed attacked. And his strike was fast and hard. Many have died."

Ash looked at the ancient Mew with confusion, though the look of Serena's face told him that there was indeed something wrong. Yet it was not the look of her face that told him the news, but rather that her eyes moved away from his. Ash did not believe she was hiding something, but he guessed it was probably bad enough that she wanted to wait until he was ready.

"Serena," Ash gently took hold of her hand. "What happened?"

"It happened two days ago, a little after we found you. There were news reports about it," Serena choked on a sob, her eyes filling with new tears. "A-Ash… it's Pallet Town. Team Rocket supposedly attacked it. The pokémon at Professor Oak's lab were able to get away, but no one else survived."

Ash's eyes grew wider with every word Serena spoke. Fear gripped his hear, then anger. His hand trembled upon hers with the rest of his body. He was deathly afraid to ask the next question that came to his mind.

"M-my mom?" Ash barely was able to whisper out.

"You should leave for now, Serena," Master Chie said out of mercy to the young woman. "Ash and I should speak alone. You won't want to be here."

Forcibly, Serena felt her hand pulled away from Ash's by the powers of the ancient Mew and the door opened before her. She looked back at Ash, who tried to look strong, but had a dead look in eyes. She wanted more than anything to cradle him in her arms and help him to feel better, but she was forced out. And the ancient Mew shut the door behind her. The next thing Serena knew, were the pained cries of a man who had too much taken from him. She leaned her back against the wall and slowly slid down it in grief. Tucking her head between her legs, she wept once more.

…

Three days passed since Ash had learned about the death of his mother from Master Chie. Team Rocket had put her head on a spike in front of the sign that welcomed people to the now destroyed town of Pallet. For three days, Ash neither ate nor slept. For three days, his anger slowly built up within him. And on the third day, he at last chose to take action, despite being warned otherwise by those around him. Only the ancient Mew remained silent on the subject.

Charizard stood upon a hilltop, the same rage in his eyes that held the eyes of both Ash and Pikachu. His orange skin seemed a bright red, and the flame on his tail grew large, bright, and hotter with every second that Ash delayed the journey that was to be taken. In silence, he and Pikachu growled, cursing Team Rocket, vowing to destroy each of them they could hands on. Only Rob's Eevee held the greater hatred in his heart for the Rockets.

"Ash, please don't go!" the three pokémon heard the voice of Serena and turned to see her chasing after one fuming Ash Ketchum.

"I made up my mind, Serena," Ash growled before he climbed on top of the dragon-like pokémon with Pikachu and Eevee. Serena could only watch in her own pain as her hands immediately went for the blue-ribbon Ash gave her so long ago.

"Ash, please," Serena said softly as tears formed in her eyes. She reached out to gently grab his hand and his glaring eyes softened when she saw how fragile she looked. She was an angel, and he knew it. She kept him alive during his time in the Distortion World along with Misty, Dawn, and May. "I almost lost you once. I don't want to risk losing you again."

"If Master Chie told me is true, I can't stay here," Ash said, now with his own sadness in his voice mixed with terrible resolve. "I'm going to Kanto. And I'll be damned if I let Misty and Brock die because I couldn't learn quick enough. The same goes for Gary. I won't lose another loved one. Especially not to Team Rocket!"

Serena stared up at the young man she loved so dearly. She understood he wasn't just seeking vengeance. He wanted to save anyone he could. That was the Ash she loved. Her Ash showed through the anger that was consuming his heart and mind. And, strangely enough, it calmed her despite the danger he was going into.

"Serena," Ash said softly and turned his face to her. Her eyes were met his, and somehow she saw once again the eyes of the boy she knew she had given her heart to forever at the Lumiose airport. "I love you, too."

With those parting words, Charizard leapt from the ground and into the sky. His powerful wings beat with intensity and it was not long before they disappeared into the horizon. Serena sank to her knees. For years she had hoped to hear those words. And as much as her heart leapt for joy, it broke in two. She asked for him to love her, and he did. But what scared her more now than ever was whether or not he was charging into death.

"I am curious about what you shall do," Serena heard a voice behind her. When she turned to see who it was, she saw the floating form of the ancient Mew.

"Master Chie?" Serena frowned. "What are you doing here? How much did you hear?"

"Enough," the pink cat answered. "As for why, I am here because I need to be. A darkness surrounds us, and you must play a part in the fight against it."

"I'm not Ash," Serena spoke quietly and looked downwards. "I'm not courageous like him."

"Clearly he wouldn't claim to love you if you weren't courageous in your own way," Master Chie answered, keeping his eyes upon her. "But needed you are, and needed you will be before these things come to an end."

Serena looked back up at the pink cat. She immediately had the feeling there was something he knew and was hiding, though she could not guess as to what that thing could be. Still, if Ash trusted him, then so could she.

"What do you need me to do?" Serena asked as she stood up.

"There are Three Children of Giratina," Master Chie smiled. "You have met them all before. They each must be sought after and brought together before the Sundial. There, they must put forth their ancient powers in unison."

"And what will happen after that?" Serena frowned, wondering how dangerous this task might be in relation to the Sundial.

"Perhaps nothing," the ancient Mew chuckled. "Perhaps something. Perhaps anything. And perhaps everything. I have never tampered with gaeithium."

"'Gaeithium?'" Serena frowned more at the unknown name.

"Yes," Master Chie smiled. "Time is short, girl. The world is going to war. Now go. Go to save those you love."

"But, wait! I don't even know what I'm looking—," Serena cried out, but the ancient Mew had already disappeared. "… for…."

"I think I can help with that," a voice called out to Serena beneath a nearby tree.

"Squishy?" Serena asked in confusion when she saw the little, green blob. "You know about these 'Children of Giratina?'"

"Well, yes," Squishy blushed slightly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, Serenea. It was in an effort to protect our friends."

"Tell me what?" Serena frowned with suspicion.

"I happen to be one of the Children," the Zygarde core answered. "Xerneas and Yvetal are my sisters under Giratina."

…

Hey, everyone! I hope you enjoyed with chapter. Please leave your reviews. Hopefully I shall be able to post again soon. Have a great day, everyone!