Chapter 9
Ash woke up just as the sun began to peek out from behind the mountain, casting it in beautiful glowing hues of red, orange and yellow. Carefully, Ash disentangled himself from Misty's sleeping form, turning slightly red at the memory of the previous night. That…actually happened, he thought smiling to himself. He looked around. This was it. People were starting to wake up, no doubt preparing for the coming clash. He felt his balance change as his best friend joined him, perched on his shoulder.
"This is it," Ash said.
"Pika." The small mouse nodded.
The two of them began to move through the growing crowd, accepting nods of acknowledgement and luck until he came to Officer Jenny's tent where she was waiting for Ash.
"Good morning," she spoke.
"Morning," Ash responded.
"Well, let's get started," Jenny said exhaling at the task in front of them. "What's the plan?"
"Well," Ash began, "we know that Team Rocket is bringing a force. What we have to do is keep as much of the battle outside the cavern as possible. That way, I can try to head Giovanni off before he even gets the chance to release the Legendary birds and get the Book."
Jenny nodded. "Ok, so what if he gets in?"
"In the event that he gets into the cavern, I'll follow him in and then I want you to seal it shut."
Jenny looked at the boy confused. "You want me to seal you into Mount Silver with a crime boss? I think not!" She said crossing her arms.
"Officer Jenny! You do not understand the weight of the situation. If he gets his hands on The Book of Moirai, Kanto is as good as done. Then what's left to save?" Ash paused looking at the police chief who was taken aback by Ash's words. "If you seal the cave, he will have a harder time escaping with the Book plus I will have more time to apprehend him."
The woman nodded her head finally understanding the gravity of the situation. But Ash wasn't done.
"In the event that I fail in stopping him, you will have more time to figure out what to do next while he's trapped."
"Ok Ash, if this is what you think is best…"
"I do, but there's one more thing. Don't tell anyone about sealing the cave except for the ones who will be doing it. I don't want any last minute company."
Jenny nodded again and then Ash left.
She watched him go, a somber mood left in his place. "What happened to you…" she wondered aloud.
Ash wandered out of the campsite and into the woods where he let all his Pokemon out of their balls. Sceptile, Pidgeot, Buizel, Charizard, and Snorlax materialized in front of their trainer.
"Hey guys," Ash greeted.
A chorus of Pokemon sounds greeted him back.
Ash smiled. "First of all, thank you for all of your help on this quest. I wouldn't have made it this far without you."
They all looked on confused.
"But, I have a favor to ask of you guys." Ash continued. "I need you guys to stay with the rest of the trainers outside the cave and help hold back all of Team Rocket's forces."
Immediately, his Pokemon began to chatter at him. But Ash wouldn't have any of it.
"Guys please! I need you to do this so that I can track down Giovanni without having to battle through an army."
Taking the lead, Charizard silenced the other pokemon and nodded at Ash signalling that he understood.
"Thanks guys and I promise that after all this is over, we can all go on vacation to the Orange Islands or something," Ash said laughing as they all came forward surrounding their trainer in a hug.
Ash led his pokemon out of the forest and back into camp where they dispersed themselves throughout the Kanto forces looking for ways to help, leaving Ash and Pikachu alone.
"Pikachu, I have to ask a favor of you too." Ash said looking over at his friends all eating and laughing around a table.
"Pika?" Pikachu asked.
"I need you to look after them," he said looking at Misty, "make sure that nothing bad happens. Ok buddy?" Ash asked.
"Pika pikachu pikapi?"
"I'll be ok" Ash responded smiling, "I can take care of myself."
"Pi pika pikapi!" Pikachu exclaimed with a nod.
Ash smiled again "Thanks buddy, I know I can count on you!" He said affectionately ruffling Pikachu's ears.
The duo made their way over to join their friends who all smiled knowingly when Ash sat down next to Misty. And at least for a little while, Ash felt happier than he had since he started this quest.
Upon finishing breakfast, Ash and his friends stood in an awkward silence. No one knew what was going to happen but no one wanted to address the elephant in the room.
"Guys you don't have to-" Ash began.
"Don't you dare say what I think you're about to say Ash," Brock said taking the lead, "we are all honored to be your friends. None of us are going anywhere." Everyone nodded in agreement. "We have your back no matter what because we know that you would do the same for any of us. We're all going to make it out of here today to celebrate a better world. So save your breath. We're staying," Brock finished as the rest of the group all shook their heads in agreement.
Ash had nothing to say. He was overwhelmed by the act of loyalty that his friends just gave to him. Instead, he embraced them all in a hug. "Thanks," he mumbled.
A horn sounded. "Looks like that's our cue to move out," May said turning to walk away with Max.
"See you after this mess is over," Gary said before releasing his dragonite and climbing aboard.
"Be safe everyone," Dawn whispered as she turned to walk to her station leaving only Ash, Misty, and Brock.
"Well guys, this is it. We're gonna kick some ass," Brock stated matter-of-factly before turning and walking away himself.
"Ash," Misty said grabbing him by the front of his shirt, "you be safe. You understand me? Don't make any reckless decisions and then you come back to me. Okay?" She said intensely as she pulled him in kissing him hard.
After a few seconds, Ash grabbed Misty's hands and broke the kiss. "You be safe too. I'll see you soon," Ash said turning and walking away towards the entrance to Mount Silver. Misty watched him go, feeling a mixture of pride, fear, and anxiety. However, it was short lived as loud cries echoed through the camp. The battle had just begun.
Ash slowly made his way through the entrance of Mount Silver. As he walked into the main cavern, he heard the loud rumbling of the entrances being sealed by his allies. Closing his eyes, Ash sent out a pulse of aura, feeling his surroundings. The cave was colossal. The rocky walls reached up at least two-hundred feet, meeting at a point in the very center of the cavern. Ash thrust his aura out further, commanding it to the very corners of the room; that's when he felt him. A dark, cold, feeling crept up his spine.
"Hello, Ash Ketchum of Pallet town," a voice sneered from the darkness.
Misty rushed forward releasing Corsola, eyeing a specific target emanating chaos at the very center of the battle.
"You!" Misty screamed at the familiar woman.
The woman smiled as best she could as half her face was bruised. Letting out a laugh she replied, "If it isn't the Aura Guardian's little toy! I'm going to enjoy this very much," she finished unsheathing her knives. "Ash stands no chance against Giovanni. He's probably already dead locked in that cavern."
Misty looked surprisingly at the cave entrance finally noticing that it was blocked off by a mountain of rock and debris. Grimacing, she turned back to Domino. "He'll be fine. He's a lot stronger than you give him credit for, and judging by your face, you should know better," Misty spat out smugly.
Domino screeched in anger rushing at Misty wildly slashing her knives.
"Corsola, iron defense!" Misty shouted as her pokemon intercepted Domino, blocking the knives on its hardened hide, forcing the rocket to drop them completely. That's when Misty rushed her, tossing her shoulder right into Domino's gut.
"Urghh," the rocket screamed as the wind was knocked out of her. "I'll kill you!"
Misty dodged a punch but failed to see the crafty rocket unsheath a hidden knife from a sheath hidden behind her back. The blade streaked across Misty's side causing her to cry out in pain and fall to the ground.
"Untrained, unskilled, unworthy. I can't imagine why you would choose to attack me of all people, but oh well. Now, I get to kill you, you filthy bitc-"
Domino didn't have a chance to finish. She collapsed, much to Misty's surprise, unconscious as a little electric mouse stood triumphantly, one foot on the fallen woman's back.
"Pika pikachu pi!" Pikachu said releasing a thunderbolt into Domino and then scampering to Misty's side.
Shocked, Misty took a look at Pikachu then around the battlefield noticing that Charizard, Sceptile, Pidgeot, Buizel, and Snorlax were also out helping.
"If you are all out here….then who's helping….Damnit Ash!" Misty cried out frustratingly realizing what he had done, rising to her feet , Misty rushed off to help the others with a vigilant Pikachu in tow while Domino lay face down in the grass with a few wispy lines of smoke rising off her still body.
"You are too late," Giovanni said releasing the three legendary birds in a burst of brilliant color. Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos lit up the cavern revealing markings on the far wall. With a wistful smile the Rocket Boss spoke again, "I have dreamed of this day-" he paused as a blue aura sphere whizzed by his head. "You will let me finish!" He screamed raising his hand and releasing a rush of purple aura, rooting Ash to the spot. As he struggled to get free, Giovanni continued "I have dreamed of the day that I will own the world." He undid his necklace and threw it into the air. The three charms began to break apart and surround each bird. The legends screamed in pain as purple light engulfed them and began to leech their power, drawing it into the diamond suspended in front of Giovanni's hand.
"Stop it!" Ash screamed, "Can't you see you're hurting them?!"
Giovanni turned and ran at Ash until his face was right in front of his. "Do. You. Think. I. Care." Giovanni stated accenting each word.
"No, but you should," Ash declared as blue aura exploded from the young guardian forcing Giovanni to be thrown back as the purple aura holding Ash in place disappeared.
Standing up, Giovanni began to laugh. "You think that will be enough? I'll make sure you never leave this place alive."
With that, Giovanni dashed at Ash, hands glowing deep purple. He began to throw aura spheres at Ash rapidly, but Ash dodged each one with ease.
"That all you got Gi-" Ash never got a chance to finish. He gasped as a fist connected with his left shoulder, dislocating it upon contact.
"No." Giovanni said firing an arc of purple energy at Ash's neck.
Ash barely dodged, but managed to do so before firing an arc of his own back at Giovanni. The two charged each other again. Ash threw an aura covered fist at the Rocket Boss's head, but was awarded the man dodged again and got behind Ash swiping an arc of aura down Ash's back, making a huge laceration. Ash yelled in pain but without turning around, he swung his right elbow where he felt Giovanni to be. Catching the man off guard, he connected with his face with a sickening crunch.
"Thads IT!" Giovanni screamed through a broken jaw. Moving faster than Ash thought humanly possible, the crime lord had materialized in front of him and fired an aura sphere directly into his gut. Ash had only enough time to make half a shield as he shot backward into a rock wall where he lay shallowly breathing, his right side leaking blood.
Seeing his enemy was down, Giovanni turned to the now glowing diamond. He reached out and grabbed the gem, pulled back, and fired at the markings on the wall. There was a tremendous booming sound and all the markings began to glow, pulsating as a pillar rose from the floor. On top of the pillar sat a glowing sphere of purple energy. "Finally!" Giovanni screamed reaching through the force field and pulling out a small pocket sized book. Placing the book in his own pocket he turned and returned each of the exhausted legendary birds as the cavern went dark.
"You see Ash," Giovanni said raising a glowing fist to illuminate his surroundings, "you could not stop me, and now no one can-" the man stopped short. Ash was not laying defenselessly where he had left him. All that was left was a small puddle of blood and an indent in the wall.
Suddenly a blue arc of aura shot out from the darkness catching Giovanni across the legs.
"Ahh!" Giovanni screamed as he fell to a knee.
Ash shot from of the shadows, emanating blue aura in waves.
Giovanni smirked, "Finally, a real battle."
Standing up he began to glow a deep hue of purple and blasted forward. The two met in the center of the cavern, causing a huge twisting beam of purple and blue aura to shoot through the ceiling allowing daylight to stream in.
The battle outside was essentially over. The Rocket forces may have outnumbered the Kanto forces, but they were extremely outclassed. Many began to surrender once Domino fell, but the rest seemed to be rejuvenated when a large mechanism with a large R on the side stormed from the woods towards the cave. However, about halfway there, the machine began to smoke and shut down, effectively deflating the remaining Rockets. Brock had his Onix hyper beam the top off the machine to reveal Jessie, James, and Meowth.
"Let us go twerp or were going to have to use force. Nothing is gonna to keep us from getting into dat cave and retrieving da Book of Moirai for da boss!" Meowth screamed just as a column of blue and purple shot out from the peak of the mountain.
The battle field went silent at the sight of such raw power.
"Except dat…" Meowth said in awe as he, Jessie, and James ran off while everyone was distracted.
Flashes of purple and blue lit the darkest corners of the cavern as Ash and Giovanni fought for dominance. Each man was bleeding from vicious assaults from the other, but neither one wanted to waste any aura on healing. I need to end this soon Ash thought feeling the exhaustion set in. Giovanni wildly charged again covering his front with a barrage of purple aura spheres, each one sending a winding crack through Ash's shield until finally it broke. Dodging an arc of purple aura that would have lopped off his head, Ash broke into a sprint away from Giovanni.
"Running away now are we?" Giovanni taunted as a flash of blue exploded above him. "You missed!" he laughed.
"Did I?" Ash asked turning back around as a large chunk of rock fell towards Giovanni.
The man tried to dive out of the way but instead was forced to shoot an aura sphere at the boulder to break it before it crushed him. While Giovanni was distracted, Ash tapped into the last reserves of his power to speed towards the Rocket. As the dust cleared, Giovanni found himself face to face with an enraged Ash. With one final push, the young Aura Guardian fired an aura sphere right at Giovanni's head. The older man quickly dodged but not before Ash slid behind his defenses. For a split second Ash struggled with the thought of killing another man, but the dying words of Greg flashed through his mind, 'You take down Giovanni before he takes you down. Got it?,' and he brought his aura shrouded arm down towards Giovanni's neck, and with a sickening crunch, it snapped. Giovanni fell to the ground with his eyes stuck open in shock, dead. Ash dropped to one knee, injured and exhausted he first took the Book of Moirai out of Giovanni's pocket and lay it on the ground in front of him. Firing one final aura sphere, Ash watched as the book exploded into a million colors, leaving behind just the cover page, with some scrawl on the back of it, which he slipped into his pocket. Finally, Ash undid Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno's pokeballs and released the captured legendaries. The three birds took to the sky, rocketing through the massive hole in the ceiling and returning to their separate roosts. Seeing that his job was done, Ash slumped against a rock and closed his eyes.
Charizard watched along with everyone else as Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres took off back to their homes. Realizing that his trainer may need his help, he prepared to take off. Right before he did, a yellow blur latched onto his back.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu yelled pointing to the mountain.
Charizard roared and took off towards the opening. From above, it was easy to see the devastation that occurred inside the mountain. Not only the fact that there was a hole blown clear through the peak of the mountain, but also the inside was torn to shreds. Charizard landed in the middle of the floor and scanned the areas for Ash, but he didn't need to. Pikachu jumped down and ran to a figure leaning against a rock.
"Pika! Pikachu pik Pikapi!" Pikachu said distraught. Charizard lumbered over and gingerly picked his trainer up as Pikachu jumped back onto the fire lizard's back.
"Thanks Charizard," was all Ash said.
Slowly, so not to aggravate Ash's injuries, the trio made their way back to the Kanto forces where Charizard gently sat Ash against a tree where Pikachu immediately began to stand guard. Some people tried to come ask Ash if he needed help, but Pikachu, his cheeks sparking in warning, wouldn't let them come close.
"Ash?" came Misty's voice who had watched as Charizard brought him back. "Oh my god, Ash!" She yelled running to him after seeing his condition. He was bleeding from massive cuts on his right side, his back, and his chest, and it was clear to her that his shoulder was completely separated. Shallow cuts decorated his face as he looked back at her.
"Misty," he started, acknowledging her, "we did it," he finished holding up the cover page to the Book of Moirai. Then noticing the red splotch on her side he sat up and winced. "Misty, your side! Are you okay!?" He asked reaching out and brushing his fingers against it as she knelt down to look at him closer.
"Jesus Ash, look at you!" Misty muttered more to herself and then continued, "Always worrying about others before yourself, but don't worry about me! I'll be fine, but you need help now!" She leaned in to try and help Ash up but before she could he reached up and gently caught her face between his hands.
"You know something?" Ash began as he suddenly held Misty captive in an intense gaze, "You are beautiful and I love you" he finished with a smile pulling her to him and kissing her.
"Finally!" Brock said walking up behind Misty, "I told you it would happen!" He stated to Gary who had also joined him.
Misty smiled into the kiss upon hearing Brock and reluctantly pulled away from Ash's lips to leaned her forehead against his. "Well that's good to hear Ash Ketchum, because it just so happens that I love you too. And Brock, instead of standing there and gloating to Gary, why don't you help me out?" Misty asked moving out from in front of Ash, drawing a gasp from both Brock and Gary who both rushed forward to help move their injured friend up.
As they helped Ash towards Nurse Joy, he reached into his pocket and pulled out what was left of the Book of Moirai and turned it over.
"Guys," Ash said inquisitively, "how would you feel if I told you that this isn't the end?"
Wowwwww I am sorry. I just stopped writing for a while. I needed the break. But, now I'm back and writing again! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! This may be the last chapter of this story. Would you guys be interested in a sequel or a prologue to this story or both? Let me know in a review! Thanks for sticking with me, it means a lot! I sincerely hope you enjoyed this and I look forward to writing for you again in the near future.
Thanks for reading,
theriot010