ch. 3

Ash opened his eyes and saw that he was sitting on a bench with Dawn/Serena. "Huh?" Ash let out in confusion. What just happened? All Ash knew was that he was breathing heavily and his body was aching in pain. Had he just jogged into this area? Where was he anyways? Ash soon noticed Serena was looking at him, very concerned. Ash held his head; he still had that headache from earlier. "Da-I mean Serena, what happened? Where are we? And why does my head hurt?" Ash asked; he was so confused. 'Serena' touched his shoulder. "Ash, we're at the south side of town, near the town's square. As for what had happened to you, I'm sorry but I don't know. You started blanking out after we left Mr. Stev's house, so I decided to take you to some place where we could sit and relax. Unfortunately, this was the only place close enough. But what happened to you?" She asked with worry in her voice. Ash looked at her with worry. He touched his chest; it too was still aching a bit in pain. "I…I don't know. I remember us going back to our apartment, and then separating so we could go home. I remember being hungry, so I went to 316's door and met an old friend of mine. However he wasn't making sense. He then made me angry, and soon we were in an argument. He then ran off, which allowed me to go back to my apartment. After searching my refrigerator for food, I decided to go over to your place to see if you could spare some food. However, instead of meting you again, I… I met you're sister, Opal, and I…I tried to ask her out. She…she got angry, and since I was still angry about my friend, I…I snapped. I…I attacked her. I don't remember much other than knocking her to the floor. I then saw this little girl, she had brown hair and looked familiar. I tried to attack her too, but before I could do that, I got a head ache and heard your voice. I'm just glad it was just a bad daydream." Ash said. Serena looked at him with concern. "Ash, that girl was Rose. Why would her presence hurt you?" Serena asked. She was very confused. Ash sighed. "I don't know. But it's okay. It was just a bad dream. That monstrous dream version of me wasn't the real me…it…it was the monster I told you about. Besides, I…I was just having a bad daydream. That's all." Ash said. Serena sighed. "I hope you feel better." She said. Ash nodded, his stomach soon growled. Ash blushed. "Hehehe. Why don't we get something to eat?" Ash asked. Serena nodded and they got up. They soon walked to the entrance of a nearby restaurant. However, when the entered the place, Ash could tell that it was more a bar than a restaurant. Ash looked at her. "Why did you take us here?" Ash asked. She looked at him. "Well, because this is the only restaurant nearby. I don't normally go in here, but it is a nice place." She said. Ash smiled. They each took a stool. The waiter looked at them. "So what do you want?" He asked. Ash and Serena smiled. "Two waters and three pieces of fish, please." Serena ordered. The waiter nodded and left.

Ash sighed and looked around again. Maybe there was something to get his mind off of his weird dream within a dream thing. Ash then quickly noticed that there was a TV on a table near a pool table. The local news was on. "Dan, is that right? A murder has happened in Silent Hill?" A news woman asked. This ketch everyone's attention and they all looked at the TV. 'What a…a murder?' Ash thought in surprise and fear. The TV showed a news reporter in front of a hotel. In fact, it was the apartment complex Serena and Ash were living in. "That's right, Marsha. Just a few minutes ago, the murderer known as Dark struck our little town and killed one of the local residents." The man known as Dan said. He didn't look at that special. Soon a picture of the victim was shown on the upper left of the screen. Ash and Serena's eyes widen in shock and horror, and their jaws dropped as they realized who it was. It was Misty. After a few seconds, the camera switched to her body. Her face had claw marks the checks and around the neck, her torso was ripped opened, her arms were covered in scratches, and she was lying in a pool of her own blood. Oddly, her skirt was badly torn and covered in dirt and blood. Ash and Serena gasped in horror as they look at the body. "15 year old Opal Gillespie was found by her sister Rose Gillespie as she became another victim to the serial killer, Dark. A local high school student, who planned on going on a Pokémon journey in a year, is now lost forever because of this monster. The only light in this situation is that a young girl survived her encounter with the monster. Now let's take this over to the little girl." Dan said. Soon the TV screen switched over to the little girl Ash saw in his dreams. Ash held his body as he felt sick inside. 'N-no. This can't be happening. IT JUST CAN'T! That was just a dream, besides I didn't even kill her in the dream. I…I just threw her to the ground. And while it was still a bad thing, this is worse. How did this even happen? Why didn't I see it? Was it….NO! It couldn't have been me. It was a monster! Besides, Serena said that I was with her the whole time, so it couldn't have been me.' Ash thought as his fears became visible by him sweating. He didn't remember exactly what he did to Opal, but he was sure that he didn't kill her.

Ash turned to Serena. She was distraught about the whole thing. Soon he heard people talking. "Alright, Miss Gillespie, what did the bad man look like?" A male reporter asked. Ash heard something shuffling behind him. "He…he was huge. Taller than my sister and about three times the size of me. He was very blocky, but not fat, so I guess he was very muscular. He was sure strong to say the least. He wore a butcher's apron covered blood and dirt, large boots, weird looking gloves, and a big, rusty red, blocky mask in the shape of a pyramid. I couldn't see his face at all, but I knew it was human. He talked and yelled at her like a human. I think it was one of the Executioners but gone rouge. He also held a large spear." The little girl said. Ash sighed in relief. He knew that wasn't him. He didn't fit that description at all. "What did he talk to her about?" The reporter asked. Ash soon noticed that Serena had been shacking. "He…he wanted a date with her. I think he loved her." The girl said. This caused Ash nerves to be stiff again. He held his head. "She refused him and was afraid of him. Opal did seemed to know him a little, but she only knew about him because of Serena, our sister. Opal did know he was a creep though." The girl said. Ash could see that Serena was terrified by this fact, however his own fears were overwhelming his want to hug her. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?" The reporter asked. Ash could hear a small jingle. "Y-yes. He did notice me and tried to attack, but when he did, he got a headache. He then growled at me and said, 'You'd better watch yourself. There are sinners in this town. And I'm going to punish them all.' And then he left." The girl said. Ash could feel the area tense up in fright. Suddenly the TV went a little silent before the girl said something else. "OH! I just remembered something else about him!" She said. "What?" The reporter asked. Suddenly Ash heard several gasps. Ash turned to the TV and saw a picture book. It was an old one but the pictures were in tack. She pointed to a guy in a pyramid helmet that was holding a spear. Behind him were things in box cages. He looked very similar to an executioner. "I saw him in this book once. It's an old book that Serena keeps. It calls him Xu…. Xuchilbara. I don't know what the book means, but it says that it's a guardian of the town and something called 'the Order'. I hope this means something." She said. The camera soon turned to the reporter. "Thanks. You're help was invaluable." The reporter said. Ash soon noticed that the man looked like Tracy. 'What the?' Ash thought, utterly confused. 'Is that Tracy?' "You heard this first people. It turns out that Dark is actually a crazy cult member and kills whenever he is angry and feels like 'justice' is out of hands. Now watch out for blocky strangers and make sure they don't believe in the lies of the cult. This is James Wiener signing out." The reporter said. Soon the scene turned over to the woman reporter. "Okay, James. Now onto other news…" The lady reporter said.

But that was enough from the boy. He turned to Serena, who looked as white as a ghost. She soon cried on his shoulder. He hugged her. "Serena, it's… it's okay. I'm here. I…I'm sorry if Dark fallowed me. I…I don't know if he did or not or why he would killed her in the first place, but I promise that I'll make it up to you somehow." Ash said, feeling really guilty. He wished he knew what was going on. He soon remembered the name Rose said. It sounded very familiar. 'Maybe the news reporter was right. Maybe this Dark guy is a crazy cult member… But…why did I have that dream within a dream? Why did I meet Tracy and Opal? Was I…NO! It couldn't be me…but this is a dream… I'm not a killer! What happened in the past was just me being selfish and monstrous. I've made up for it and am no longer the boy I was. I'm a good boy now! I AM NOT THAT MONSTER! It…IT WAS THE MONSTER WHO DID IT! NOT ME!' Ash yelled. He was now breathing heavily now. Ash soon began to cry. He didn't really know who Opal was, but she still was Misty; she was just under a different name. And that monster killed her. Ash looked at Serena/Dawn. 'I'm going to make it up to her. I won't let this happen again.' Ash thought. After a while of crying, they had a light lunch and slowly ate it. After some time, they left the restaurant and walked to the amusement park. Hopefully that will cheer them up. Once they enter the place, Ash noticed that the mascot was a Pikachu in blue overalls. He knew it was the mascot since its image was all over the place and kids were holding toy versions of it. This caused Ash to realize something. Pikachu wasn't with him. Ash blinked in surprise. How did he miss that? How did he never notice it? Pikachu was his best friend, his partner, his buddy, and this dream didn't have him be with him, only a shallow image of him. Serena looked at him.

"What's the matter?" She asked in a glum manner. Ash touched his shoulder. "I…I had a Pikachu with me ever since I went on my adventure. We've been through a lot together, and he was always with me. But….But he wasn't with me when I was running from the cops. And I only noticed it until now. I'm…I'm a terrible friend for not noticing it sooner." Ash said. Serena touched his shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll find him. It's okay." She said. Ash growled. Rage consumed him. "NO! It's not okay! I should have noticed it sooner! I should had noticed it from the start!" Ash yelled, he soon began to breathe heavily. "*Heft, Heft*…In fact, I did…but I didn't care at the moment…I…I was just too afraid to start looking because of the cops. And since I entered the town, I was just too busy to really look… Oh…what am I supposed to do?" Ash said as he remembered the beginning of the dream. He sighed. "Serena, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I…I guess I'm just letting my anger control me. I'm just angry that I'm without Pikachu and what that monster did." Ash said. Serena nodded. "Yeah, that's why I said, it's going to be okay. You'll find him. But we need to recover from the news first." She said. Ash nodded. Ash looked at a local clock that was on a confession stand. It read 2:06. Suddenly he heard something. He turned to his left and saw two people. One was a man and the other was a woman. They were in front of a sign board; there were a lot of missing people reports. Ash squinted at the man. He looked 'familiar'. "Ash?" A voice called him. He turned around and saw that it was Serena. "What were you looking at?" She asked. Ash turned to the board, but saw that no one was there. "I…I guess the board. It…has a lot of rides! Why don't we go on one?" Ash said as he tried to come up with an excuse. She smiled. Ash liked that. Soon a man in a Pikachu suite walked up to them. "There are a lot of rides to go on! Why don't ya try th' tunnel of love, for starters?" A male voice said. It sounded like Meowth from Team rocket, but the suite was obviously too big for the small Pokémon to use and it could move its arms. 'Maybe he just sounds like the cat. After all, it just an accent.' Ash thought. Ash shocked his head. "I don't think we're ready for something like that." Serena said. Ash nodded. "Okay, then how about the cave of the Holy Mother? It's more of a story ride than anything else." The man in the suite said. The two nodded. The man soon showed them the way to the ride. They thanked the mascot and walked off to the ride. When they arrived, they looked at said ride. It was a small ride with 6 carts. It was shaped like a church with a large statue on the top of the attraction. The woman was beautiful, with long brown hair, a long red dress, a slim and curved figure, and warm blue eyes. Ash held his chest. The woman looked…familiar. They soon got onto a cart, buckled in, and waited for the ride to start.

After a while, all the carts were filled. "Please keep all personal belongings in a safe and secure area and hold onto you're hats. We don't want you to lose anything." The manager of the ride said. All of the passengers nodded, and Ash took off his hat and held it in his hands. The manager nodded, pulled a lever, and the ride began. Soon the 'doors' to the 'church' opened up and the carts enters the hole. On the other side, they were in a large room with the tracks staying on the far right, and several statues of people in a fight on the far left. "In the beginning, people had nothing. Their bodies ached, and their hearts held nothing but hatred. They fought endlessly, but death never came. They despaired, stuck in the eternal quagmire." A voice said as the carts slowly wheeled past the statues. The voice was coming from an intercom on the ceiling. Oddly Ash had the feeling like he had heard that voice before. 'Daddy…' He thought, confused. Soon the cart went into another room. Ash noticed that the cart went pretty slow. 'I guess that's how story attractions work.' Ash thought. Ash looked around the current room; it was more spread out with multiple figures and the tracks were shaped like an S. First, there was a couple with a baby, near them were a couple of strange looking items, however Ash couldn't tell what they were. The next display was in the middle of the room, guarded off from the rest with a fence that made the tracks go around it. The statue was of the woman at the front of the building. She was even more beautiful up close and looked heavenly. And on the far right of the area, there was the woman statue, but also there were two other statues and a back drop of men with wings on their backs and rings around their heads. Ash was intrigued by the final statues. The statue around the woman were males, but more muscular than a normal human and they were looking away from the viewers. One had black hair, and the other had brown. Ash wondered what they were hiding.

Ash soon noticed that on their backs were two symbols. They were both circles with circles inside, but they had different symbols on them and strange, almost alien, writing. But the man with black hair looked…familiar. Ash just couldn't put his tongue on why. Thankfully the statues wore clothes, but ones that allow their backs to be shown. They kind of looked like executioner clothes. The man with the black hair wore red, while the man with brown hair wore yellow. "A man offered a snake to the sun and prayed for salvation, and a woman offered a reed to the sun and asked for joy. Feeling pity for the sadness that had overrun the earth, God was born from those two people. God made time and divided it into night and day. God outlined the road to salvation and gave people joy. And god took endless time away from the people. God created beings to lead people in obedience to Her. The red god, Xuchilbara; the yellow god, Lobsel Vith protected her and were her guardians. She soon made many gods and angels to help the mortals. Finally, God set out to create Paradise where people would be just by being there. A place without pain and hatred. A place where everyone could be happy." The voice said as the cart moved along. After the voice ended, they were near the hole to the next room. When they entered the next room they saw the woman statue lying in a bed with white flowers next to her on a table. Ash felt a pain in his chest. The statue was the only thing in the small room and was at the far end of said room. Oddly the tracks went forward a bit and then turned right near the display before it went into another hole. Oddly enough the area they were in was dark. It took a few seconds before the narrator began to talk again. "But there God's strength ran out, and She collapsed. All the world's people grieved this unfortunate event, yet God breathed Her last. She returned to the dust. However, this is not the end of the story. Because in her last breath, she said that she would return one day and finish her quest. For god will be reborn one day, and to make sure that happens her servants watch over us and the gods make sure those who are worthy live till that day. So God hasn't been lost. We must offer our prayers and not forget our faith. We wait in hope for the day when the path to Paradise will be opened." The voice said as the cart turned right and lights turned on in the area that was once dark. Ash and Serena soon saw two men looking at them. The one on the right looked like it was a man holding saccharin, but his body was thinner than the normal man, his body was more serpent like, and his face was covered by a cloth mask. It had the one of the god's mark on both its shoulders which were very visible, there was a mouth on the side of its humanoid head, and it's face was covered in scares along with the cloth. And the other, who was on the left, looked like the drawing they saw. He was huge; wearing a metal helmet shaped like a pyramid and was holding a large knife that looked like it could chop off your head. They both wore executioner clothes, but the creature in the red helmet looked more fitting as an executioner. Ash gulped.

Soon the cart entered the hole and they enter a blood red room. "I hope you enjoyed the ride. And I hope you liked the story. It's a personal one for me and I hope you liked it. As for those statues overseeing the Holy mother, the one on the left was Xuchilbara. And the one on the right was Lobsel Vith and Metatron's servant, the angel Valtiel. But what people don't know is that Xuchilbara and Valtiel are one and the same. No wonder some people see Valtiel as the closest angel to god, since he is a god. I just wonder why they hadn't realized that, maybe it's because the mark of Metatron is on Valtiel, while Xuchilbara has the Halo of the sun. But that does not mean they are not the same. They just have different bodies. Their souls, however, are one and the same. I hope they didn't scare you 'too' much, my son. Hahahah." The voice said as it began laughing evilly. Ash shivers as he remembered at the knife wielding man. After a while, the cart exits the room and they were outside again. The cart had stopped at the same place it began, the belts that were holding them unbuckled, and Ash grabbed Serena and rushed them away from the ride. Once they were a few feet from the ride, Ash stopped and began to pant heavily. He looked at Serena, who was very confused. However, Ash couldn't concentrate on that since his head began to ache in pain. He held his head as he tried to ignore the pain. The name sounded so familiar in an odd way, but he didn't know why. "Ash did you really need us to run away from the ride like that?" Serena asked. Ash soon sighed and stood up. He blushed as his head began to clear. "Okay, so I was overreacting a little bit, and I'm sorry, but that attraction freaked me out. Some about it just wasn't right, and those 'gods' that woman apparently brought to life freaked me out. Those gods…they look like monsters." Ash said as he puts his hat back on. She took a step back and gasp in shock which confused Ash.

"What? That's just what I thought. Do you actually believe in the story?" He asked. She shocked her head no. "No. But…they didn't look like monsters to me, just big burly guys. Besides the yellow god didn't look mean." She said. Ash sighed. "Okay. Whatever. Anyways, why don't we go on a nicer ride? After all, we want to feel better, and that ride did not cheer me up." He said. She nodded. They soon began to walk away from the area and towards the sound of carnival rides. He looked back at the ride they were on. He noticed that it didn't have the ride's title anywhere for people to see it. Ash looked at Serena and shocked his head. 'Just ignore it. It doesn't matter anyways. It was just a story, a weird and bizarre one but a story none the less. Besides, it's false anyways since I've met Arceus. And it didn't look ANYTHING like that goddess.' Ash thought. Although he still felt sad that she died. Ash shocked his head again. He soon bumped into someone. Ash stops and looked at the person he bumped into. It was a kid, about the same age as he was, but he was smaller and a bit younger. He had brown spikey hair, wore a blue bandanna with a red fan like symbol on it, had brown eyes, and wore a red vest jacket over a white shirt, blue shoes, and blue shorts. Near him were some other kids, most likely his friends. One was a fat kid with big fat lips and brown hair that was so pointed that it made him look like a Rhydon. There was a very short girl in a red dress. She had yellow hair and black eyes, but her head was very big. And the last of the children was a red hair girl with a blue shirt and pink skirt. They all looked…terrified? This confused him, but he shocked that feel away. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention." Ash apologized. However, this didn't calm the kids fear. "Josh. Let's get out of here before the Bogieman takes you away." The fat kid said. The girl with the huge head nodded. "Yeah, he'll take you to his lair if we don't hurry." The smallest child said. Ash was now even more confused. He never heard that version of the name before. Plus, why were they calling him a monster? The little boy, named Josh, nodded and the kids ran off. Ash was about to say something, but he soon saw the man from earlier coming up to him. He had dark brown hair, wore a thick yellow jacket that was closed, blue pants, brown shoes, and he had black eyes. "Sorry about that, mister. Josh and his friends can over react to strangers. Plus, everyone is scared after what just happened. Not to mention, this is the first time we've ever been to Silent hill, so they are quiet frighten." The man said. Ash smiled. "Don't worry, it was nothing, mister. But….why did they call me a 'Bogieman', and why did they say it like that? I thought it was always Boogeyman?" Ash asked; a bit confused. The man sighed.

"Sorry about that. When they saw the news report and the drawing in our town, that monster is known as the Bogieman, which is the local monster known to keep kids in line. They must had mistaken you for it since you're so….blocky. As for the pronunciation thing, it must be a culture thing." The man said. Ash nodded, although he was a bit weird-ed by the word the man used. The boy was used to being called a lot of things, kid, boy, pipsqueak, etc., but not blocky. "Where are you from anyways?" Ash asked. The man soon realized that he hadn't introduced himself. "I'm Alex Shepherd from Shepherd's Glen; it's just across the lake. We came here with my dad's boat to relax, but we weren't expecting that Dark monster to appear." He said as he points towards the ocean. This caused Ash to be confused. "Um…that's not a lake, that's an ocean. Anyways, I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet town." Ash said. The man looked at him with confusion. "What, no, it's a lake. The ocean is a bit farther out land. Besides, I've never heard of that town. Is it near Brahams?" The man said. This caused Ash to be even more confused. 'Serena said that Pallet town had become a big city. How does he not know the place? And why is he still insisting that what we're near is a lake? And where is Brahams anyways? Ugh, so many unfamiliar town names.' Ash thought as he lets out a groan. He knew he wasn't going anywhere with this. "Whatever. Anyways, you should get your brother. You don't want him to get hurt." Ash said. He just wanted the man to leave. The man sighed. "Okay." He said. He soon began to walk away. Ash turned to the man as he passes him. "Oh, and one more thing." Ash said. The man stopped and turned. "What?" He asked. Ash smiled, although he wasn't sure why he was smiling. "It's been quite a long time since I've last seen you, Alex. I hope we can finally have our battle. I used to battle James quite a bit, but I haven't done the same with you. Don't disappoint me." Ash immensely said. The man shivers and then runs off. Ash sighs and smiles. However, he was quite confused. What was he even talking about? Was Josh and Alex real people he had met but don't remember? Ash sighed. Whatever the reason, he didn't care. He just wanted to ride the rides. He soon turned to look Serena, who he was expecting to be behind him, but he saw that she wasn't with him. 'No wonder she didn't say anything when that guy talked to me. Now where did she…?' Ash thought. But he quickly found where she was. She was playing a shooting range game and he saw a toy Piplup as a prize. Ash sighed. Wasn't he supposed to be playing the games and getting toys for her? After all, that's what guys do for girls when they're at amusement parks, right? At least, that's what he thought guys did since he hadn't been to an actual amusement park before. Yes he'd been to carnivals and such, but

Once they enter the place, Ash noticed that the mascot was a Pikachu in blue

he felt they were different from an actual amusement park. He sighed. When will things look up for him?

Ash soon noticed another mascot walking up to him. Oddly enough, it was a Darkrai outfit, which was strange since Darkrai was a nightmare creature and people didn't like it very much. Plus a costume of the creature looked very unconformable to wear. Plus it looked like Pikachu and the beginning forms of Kanto starters were the main attractions of this amusement park since their faces were all over the place. The mascot soon knelled to the boy which made things even more confusing. "Master, I am glad to see you again. It seems like you're having… a good dream. I guess my spell had an opposite effect on you. But maybe nightmares weren't the smartest way for you to do what I want. But it seems like you are on my side again based off how those children fear you." The suit said its voice clearly a man's. Ash blinked and then growled. "Luc, you're the one doing this! Ugh! You jerk! So you're the reason I've been having nightmares! And what do you mean by 'being on your side again'? I've always been on your side ever since the collar event. And what is up with this place? Why do things seem so disjointed and why was I scared of night falling? Why is Dawn having nightmares along with me? And what's up with the cave of the holy mother ride? What's with its story? And why aren't people looking at me when I'm talking?" Ash asked. He was so confused. The Mascot looked up. "I am sorry, Master, but I am not this 'Luc' person you mistake me as. I am a Darkrai who serves you. I do not know who Luc is or what this event you speak about is, but I can explain what's going on in the dream. These people do not see us because I will it. You are being temporarily taken out of the dream so I can talk with you. As for your friend's nightmares, it's a small effect of me being near you. I'm just surprised that the older one hasn't told you about HIS nightmares yet." The man in the Darkrai suit said. Ash was shocked by this. "Y-you're a real Darkrai? But…but why are you doing this? And what's with this dream world?" Ash asked.

Darkrai looked down. "Yes and I was a fool who you took in. I wanted to repay you by giving you information, but you changed into this boy and I was outraged by this. My master was no longer the same person he was, and I felt that he was weaker as a result of the change. However, I could not get in contact with you through your dreams and you did not recall me in any of your dreams. With all of those factors, I was shattered, so I made the nightmares to scare you back to your old self…. but they only hurt you. I decided to make the ultimate nightmare for you to finally scare you back to your true self. But it failed for some reason. This place, parts of it scare you like that story. But other things like that Serena, you adore. You're happy. You are not truly having a nightmare, it's just a weird dream, and thus I failed. But I can finally enter your dream world. I came to finally met you and to make up for what I had done, and to make you who you are meant to be. But I have to note that I did not make the story or the monster that hurt the Orange hair girl. You're memories of long, long ago made them and this town. The reason it is disjointed is because you are disjointed. As for you fearing the night, it will transform you into a monster you fear, but as long as you are asleep, you do not have to deal with it." The man in the Darkrai suite said. Ash was shocked. "But I've never to this town, nor do I know what the story is. How could it happen?" Ash asked; he was still confused. "The you of now don't know, master, but the master I knew knows. His soul is very old and yet acts young. Just concentrate on your old self and it will answer everything for you. As for your father's voice being in ride, I don't have the answer, but your true self does." The Darkrai said. Ash growled. "Why should I trust you?! You've been giving me and my friends' nightmares for about 4 days now! Why should I listen to a word you say?" Ash asked. Darkrai sighed. "If you ever want to wake up from this world, then you have to do what I said. Otherwise, you will NEVER wake up!" The Darkrai threatened. Ash growled. "Why couldn't you contacted me in the real world?!" Ash yelled in anger. The Darkrai 'mascot' stood up. "Because I couldn't make you master in the real world. Your soul won't become whole as long as your friends are around, and only you have to the power to do it," The Darkrai said. Ash growled. "Why hasn't Luc stopped you? He's supposed to be my guardian." Ash said, angrier at Luc now.

"Any protection you have, I had shut down so I won't be disturbed. Now, let your true self be awakened, or you're never waking up. And as long as you stay in this world, it will eventually force you to be your true self and you're mind will be gone forever. But if you do it willingly, and then you'll be able to go back to being your regular self." Darkrai said. Ash closed his eyes and growled as his frustration rose. He was trapped by the creature, and he had to do what the creature said so he could escape this weird world. While he liked Serena, he didn't want to risk becoming the monster he saw in the TV. He had already seen what the monster could do once it was released, he didn't want it to fully take over. Maybe that's what the 'dream within a dream' thing was about. A premonition of what would happen if he let this continue on. Suddenly he felt his body spark. He felt his heart beat fast and the sound of war drums was in his head. Ash oddly felt happier. 'Is this the old me this man talking about, that…that yellowed hair monster? I…I don't remember this feeling appearing before. But…I have to let it control me for a while so I can escape. But can I really trust this Darkrai?' Ash asked himself. He sighed. 'Yes…It's the only way for me to be free.' He decided to let it take control. Suddenly everything became blurry. Ash held his head as he closed his eyes and screamed in pain. His hair turned yellow and his body became taller. His clothes ripped a little as he grew. The world around him distorted a little as the boy's mind changed. After a while, he fell to the ground, panting in pain. He opened his eyes and they were emerald green. Ash sighed in relief once the pain was gone. He touched his neck and felt a collar around it. It wasn't there before, but now that he was 'freed', it had appeared. He looked to his back and saw that the chain disappeared into nothingness. Ash holds his head, even with the pain gone, it still felt off. Ash looked at the man in the suit. Now that his mind was 'freed', the man in the suite looked familiar now. Soon it came to him like a flash.

(Flashback.)

Ash sees an injured Darkrai sitting in the shadows of an ancient city. Soon he walks over to it and kneels at it. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked. The Darkrai looks at him with tired eyes. "W-who are you?" It asked. Ash felt himself smile. "My name is Edward. I'm kind of a monster like you. Although, technically, I'm not supposed to be real. I…I know that sounds weird, but I'm a 'heartless'. They're shadow creatures and normally don't exist in this world. But I'm special since I'm apart of Dark, a huge monster more powerful than Arceus. However, Dark is in pieces now. I've gotten 2 parts out of 4 of Dark with me, but I'm missing one piece. Could you look for it for me? I can't be in the sun light, but I know the piece is in a place full of sunlight and moonlight. It's a plain field with a stair case to a world of darkness. But I can't travel into the dark place if I don't know where that is, and the only way to find out is in the world of light." Ash said. Darkrai looked at him. "Why should I help you?" It curiously asked. Ash touched the creature, and sparks soon shout out of his 'hands'. The Pokémon cried out in pain. Ash smiled. "Because I can destroy you if you disobey or I can heal your wounds and make you a better fighter if you obey." Ash said as he stopped shocking the creature. It looked at him. "O-okay." It said. Ash smiled happily and began to glow blue. The blue light surrounded the creature and healed its wounds. Once it was healed, Ash let go and the creature bowed. "Thank you, master Edward." It said. Ash smiled. "No problem. But you won't be calling me Edward very long, when I have all the pieces, I'll be master Dark instead. I'll still be the same guy kind of, but I might be stricter towards you. I won't care if you're my servant or not, but maybe I will care. You never know with Dark." Ash said. Darkrai floated upward. "I should get going to find this piece. …Um, what does it look like?" It asked. Ash smiled. "The piece is an artifact shaped like a sphere made out of stone with writing that you may not understand. In the middle of it is a purple jewel. The jewel is the part I need since it's a piece of my soul, but I'll need the whole thing so I can release the energy it contains. The ruins all have pictures of Pokémon from long, long ago and it should have a lot of immortal flying Pokémon.'' Ash said. Darkrai nodded.

(Flashback ended.)

Ash looked at the creature and smiled. "Ah, Darkrai, now I that I've been restored to my former self, I've got to say it's been so long since we've last saw each other. How have ya been?" Ash said with glee. The Darkrai chuckled. "Good, master. I've found a trainer who's been helping me get stronger, and we've been traveling around a lot." Darkrai said, showing happiness for once. Ash smiled. "That's great." Ash said, but he was suddenly become confused, "But why are you in that suit? It looks uncomfortable." The creature looked down. "It was the only form I can take while I'm in this world. I've tried to leave the amusement park, but your power keeps me here so I only know about what's been happening in the park and on the news." The Darkrai said. Ash smirked. "Why thank you. So, what do you want with me?" Ash asked. Darkrai then bowed. "I want to repay you for all that you've done. I found the ruins but didn't find the orb you were looking for. It turns out that a man name Brandon has it. I'm planning to get it for you and hope it'll please you. But…I need your help forming a plan." The Darkrai said. Ash chuckles evilly. "You still think I want it? Heheheh. WRONG! I don't want after all. I had forgotten how miserable I was as Dark, and only told you that because his influence over me. He made me think that he could help me…But when I got this body, I remembered why I hated him. Why I always rebelled against him, and why me and the artifact hardly got along. But don't worry, Darkrai, you're help isn't going to be wasted. Without you, I doubt I would understand kindness and love again so I wouldn't be the boy you saw me as, and I would be in jail before I could even really start my adventures. But enough about this, you're services are done now. The man who was in the artifact is now here and he's connected to me as you can see. However, while his mind and soul are here, a big part of him is still in the artifact, but I actually like it this way. NOW, I'M the one on top and he's the reflection! HAHAHAHA! Besides, if he's complete, then other two pieces will force us to merge into one and I don't want that anymore." Ash said. Darkrai took a step back in shock; however, Ash didn't notice this.

Ash soon chuckled, "I've also got to thank you for freeing me from the personality of Ash. Now I don't have to worry about being afraid of what I love to do. Oh, I'll still act like a hero when I'm needed, but that doesn't mean I'll be afraid of acting like a monster, and I'm not going back…Ever." Ash soon transformed his clothes into new ones. A long sleeved black jacket which was open up, a red vest and shirt with a loss fitted black tie underneath the jacket, long bell-bottom pants, black high-class shoes, a black top hat with a red streak, and a long cane with a diamond as the helm. Darkrai looked at Ash with shock. "…But…what do I do now?" It simply asked. 'Ash' smiled. "Live your life. Go haunt people's dreams, give them nightmares, or find some food to eat. I don't know, but if it makes you happy, then go do it." 'Ash' said with a big smile. But he soon grabbed the costume and gotten VERY angry. "But if you ever try to do this again with me or my friends, I'll hunt you and your owner down and kill you both." 'Ash' said. Darkrai nodded, which caused 'Ash' to smile and let go. However, Darkrai didn't look all that happy. "Is this really what you want? You don't plan on changing your mind?" Darkrai asked. 'Ash' nodded. "I'm positive about it. There is no way you're going to get me to willingly agree to merge back into Dark." 'Ash' said. Darkrai sighs. "Okay. But I was just wondering. What's with that story of the holy mother you talked about? I saw the ride's content quiet a number of times, I have been in it once and yet I'm still confused." Darkrai said, although his voice didn't sound all that confused. However, 'Ash' didn't notice that while he frowned and looked at the area where the ride was. "Oh….that. It's just an old memory from long, long ago. It was the belief of The Order, a group who was able to call upon me and Jekyll. They were a doomsday cult who believed that man is evil, and that the world needed to be cleansed. But there was a good thing about them; to them Jekyll and I lived as gods. But I wasn't really me when I was a god. I…I don't remember what I was acting like, but I didn't like it. I'd rather be me than what they want me to be. I find what I do a lot more fun and satisfying that the stuff they wanted me to do." 'Ash' said, but he soon smiled, "But that's in the past. I haven't dealt with them for a long, long time. In fact, I think I forgot about it a few times, but…why am I remembering about it now? Could it be…? Naugh. I'm just scared that's all. After all, they were the scariest thing I had ever seen other than myself. Thank goodness that all their shit is over with." Darkrai nodded.

'Ash' then looked at Serena and gleefully smiled. The boy then turned to Darkrai. "Well, you better get going; I had a date playing in my head and I want to finish it before I wake up." Ash said. Darkrai nodded. "Of course, master. Of course." The 'costumed man' said. Suddenly the thing disappeared in a cloud of smoke. 'Ash' had to cover his mouth and eyes to make sure it didn't hurt him, but once it cleared he opened his eyes and saw people moving. He could also hear people talking and laughing. Ash smiled as he removed his hands from his mouth. The sound was absent when he was talking to the Darkrai, and he missed it. 'Ash' soon turned to Serena and chuckled. 'Alright 'Serena', the time for me to shine has finally come again! And this time, I won't be going away!' 'Ash' thought, feeling triumphant. Little did he knew, that his shadow wasn't of his regular form, it was blocker, showed his muscles, and his hat was replaced with some kind of pointy thing.

I hope you like this, and if your a confused, I'm sorry. I tend to connect all my stories together even when some are not yet completed. I will explain the 'Edward Hyde' angle soon. I hope. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter, and I hope to see a few reviews.

Anyways, this is AuraPearl44 signing out.