Character Ages Update/Reminder: Ash & Misty (22, Misty being slightly older), Brock & Sabrina (27), Delia (41), Professor Oak (62).

Chapter 11

Abandoned

(Flashback, Misty's POV)

(The day of the accident, two years ago)

I was resting my eyes whilst sitting on a long, white beach chair, while Ethan was having a fun time playing with Marill. I don't know why Pikachu and Bulbasaur got bored easily of playing with him – Marill looked very happy. Then, deciding to have a look at the sea coast, I got up from my seat and picked Ethan up, as Marill followed behind. Ethan immediately hugged me affectionately, laughing with joy in my arms.

"Come on, baby, let's go to the side of the ship, so we can see the beautiful view!" I smiled. Walking out of the cabin we were in, I could see Ash at the head of the boat with his hands on the wheel. We exchanged glances, smiling at each other as I walked over close to the railing, making sure that I was still a safe distance away from it, as I had Ethan in my arms.

Moments later, I small a large-sized forming in the water several yards away from us, and up popped the heads of a small school Gyarados; both male and female. Looking down at my belt, I took care that Ethan wouldn't fall out of my right arm, as I reached for Gyarados' Pokéball with my left. Calling him out, I unleashed him onto the ocean.

"Shoaa!" he hissed freely, moving his body about after coming out of the confinement of his Pokéball.

"Hi, Gyarados! There's some other Gyarados over there – why don't you go out and meet them? Oh, but make sure to keep an eye on our boat!" I encouraged him. Nodding, Gyarados swam off happily to meet the others, conversing with each of them. He returned later, as the school left for a different direction, upon which I called him back into his Pokéball.

"Look out there, Ethan! Look at how pretty the ocean is!" I said, walking closer to the rails for a better view. Then, another group of ripples – much smaller than the last – started to form near the side of the ship where I was standing, as I peered down for a closer look. Soon enough, a group of dolphins started to leap up from the water, giggling optimistically. "Oh, look! Dolphins! Look ,honey!"

I pointed my finger out, while looking down at Ethan's face. Ethan looked forward with a curious expression, before he began to clap and smile at the sight of the dolphins' display.

"The sea's really calm and peaceful today, Mist," I heard Ash say as he stood beside me, leaning with one arm on the railing. "Hell, I don't even feel seasick!"

"Ash! Don't swear in front of our baby!" I berated him.

"Hey, hey, relax! I'm still getting used to having him around!" he waved his hands in front of him like a scared chicken. It was always funny how he'd stand up to basically anyone when they argued with him, but when it came to either me or Delia berating him, Ash would start acting like a frightened little puppy dog.

Deciding to let him off, I changed the subject, grinning as I looked down at our baby. "I wonder what they'll all be like when they see Ethan?"

"Well, I think we both know how Mom'll react," Ash laughed, "Your sisters would probably react in the same way as her, judging from the phone call I gave them last week."

"Yeah, well, they're always like that, whenever something happens to me that's worth them gossiping about," I smiled. "I wonder if Tracey's gonna play peek-a-boo with Ethan? He used to love playing it with Togepi…"

"Probably will, haha," he smiled back, before turning around and speaking to me over his shoulder. "Well, I should probably get back to the wheels – we're almost there, just about two miles left."

"Okay, Ash, I'll just sit down here with Ethan while you're at it," I replied, turning to go back to where I was sitting before, taking Ethan with me and putting him on my lap upon sitting down. Ethan then waved his arms about, mumbling something incomprehensible: he wanted me to play 'aeroplane' with him again. Smiling, I lifted him into the air, looking into his eyes which sparkled like sunlight on the ocean. He had the smile of an angel. Bring him back down, I hugged him warmly. Becoming a mother was definitely one of the best things that happened in my life, along with meeting and ending up marrying Ash, my one and only love since my childhood. I closed my eyes, deciding to rest myself for a brief moment, before…

"Misty! Take Ethan and get inside the cabin! Now!" I heard Ash yelling like mad.

"Huh? What's going on, Ash?" I replied in a daze.

"Just go! It's happening again! Charizard, Swellow, Pidgeot, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Pikachu, assume battle positions!" Ash cried out.

"What's happening again, Ash?" I screamed. Ethan was now crying and wailing in panic.

"The same thing that happened to my parents when they were out at sea!" he shouted. My face went stiff and cold with fear, as I recalled Ash's story from months ago, on the night I found out that I was pregnant with Ethan. I held onto Ethan for dear life, running as fast as I could back to where I was in the cabin.

But in that instant, the entire boat began to shake and ratter, accompanied by the noise of scales crashing against its body, and the shrill cries of Gyarados. It couldn't possibly be that group of Gyarados from before, could it? They were so peaceful…

Finding no time to take proper shelter, I shuddered before crouching on the ground, holding Ethan more tightly than ever as his cries continued on and on. My fear was worsened, after another series of thuds came from the side of the ship, sounding like tentacles which attached themselves firmly onto the boat. Paralyzed by fear, I couldn't find the strength to move or even call out any of my Pokémon to accompany Marill, who was standing beside me, but hoped and prayed that Ash would protect us. He always has…

At last, finding the courage to at least raise my head to view what was going on, I saw Ash's Charizard, Swellow and Pidgeot retaliating as best as they could against our attackers. But it was a losing battle – there were far too many Gyarados surrounding us. Intrigued, I looked at the Gyarados, who weren't the regular blue, but a pitch-dark black. I winced before turning around, realizing that they were indeed the kind of Gyarados who attacked Delia and Chris, many years ago.

My heart raced and plummeted at the same time, as I felt a great tremor erupting below us. Feeling and fearing that this would be the end, I held Ethan for what could be the last time, my tears falling endlessly onto his cheeks. As I had expected, a huge rush of water came right out from under us, sending the boat – and us – on a spiraling course through the air. The boat was now submerged and sinking rapidly – I hurriedly forced myself to come back to my senses, looking down to see Ethan who was choking and coughing, but taking in more and more seawater. I had to save him…I swam as fast as I could with the help of Marill up towards the surface, somewhat relieved that Ethan will get fresh oxygen. But all hope dissipated, as I felt the tentacles of a black Tentacruel yanking me deeper and deeper down with it towards the bottom of the sea.

Then, a Gyarados rose up, his eyes glaring at us from point-blanc range right in front of us. Instinctively, I quickly called out Gyarados and Golduck, who started to fight to protect me. But this only served to irritate them, as they knocked out both Gyarados and Golduck with merciless whips from their powerful tails. Finally, losing all hope and running out of oxygen, my eyes fluttered closed, just as I saw the mouth of the black Gyarados open to engulf us in darkness…

(Hours later)

"Huh? Wh-where…am I?" I groaned, rubbing my head and drawing myself up. But I couldn't – every inch of my body ached, and I now found it difficult to even breathe. I looked around, to see a dark chamber which was poorly illuminated, with only a few fire torches on the surrounding walls. But something even more shocking was how I felt emotionally – I suddenly felt a burning desire for power…for domination…

I shook my head, telling myself that this isn't the person who I am, and that all of this must be simply a nightmare I was having at present, whilst we were still peacefully on course for Pallet Town, on the open ocean. 'Hey, why don't I just pinch myself? They say that always works when you try to wake up from a dream!' I thought, and tried it. Nothing…I tried it again and again, growing more desperate before realizing that it wasn't a dream or a nightmare, gaining nothing but sores and marks on my skin from it. As I looked down, to my relief, Ethan was still with me in my arms, small breaths flowing onto my arm as he slept. I held him again, crying and wishing that Ash would come to save us from this place.

"Welcome, Misty Waterflower…or should I say…Misty Ketchum, wife of the Chosen One?" I heard a voice laugh softly, echoing throughout the chamber. I winced and tensed up immediately, Ethan being woken by the sound of pure evil which surrounded us.

"Who…who's there?" I whimpered.

"My apologies…first, why don't I introduce myself? My name is Julius Aeneas, and these are my chambers," it rang out again.

"Why...why don't you come out here, so I can see who you are?" I shouted bravely. 'Bad move,' I thought to myself.

"…very well," the voice said again, before the figure of a man emerged from the shadows. His hair was a dark brown, his fringe covering his eyes with separated streaks, but not entirely hiding them. He was quite tall, about six feet, and he looked fairly handsome, maybe about 27 years old. He was garbed completely in black, with a flowing cape on his back. "Satisfied now?" he asked, leaning over and looking into my eyes. His eyes were a truly fearsome sight to behold – they constantly shimmered between a normal black shade, and a fiery red, with yellow pupils.

"Who…what are you?" I shuddered.

"I am the chief servant of Apothes, and the steward of his future empire, on Earth. That is all you must know at this point," he growled. "But first, you will come with me – your servitude, and your training, is soon to begin."

He turned around, motioning at me with an authoritative hand to follow behind him. I refused, drawing a glare from him before I felt searing pain in my body as his eyes glowed a sheer blue. Realizing that he would kill me if I refused, I had no choice but to follow behind him, as we began to ascend a long, winding staircase of stone.

After a few minutes of following, I finally gathered up the courage to ask him another question. "What…what have you done with my Pokémon?"

"You can rest assured, that they are safe…for now…you will see them again, when I deem the time to be right."

"Wh…what do you mean, 'when the time is right'?" I questioned him.

"Oh…you will see…" he smirked evilly.

"What have you done with Ash?" I demanded to know.

"He is safe. My master ordered me to ensure that he and his Pokémon all live on, for he must soon face the trials my master has set for him," he explained.

"Huh? What trials? What are you talking about?"

He stopped walking, causing me to nearly bump into him. "You are aware of the fact that he is the Chosen One, correct?"

"Y…yes…?"

"He must prove himself worthy, and fulfill the prophecy of Arceus. That is what the Trials are designed for."

…this guy was sure difficult with his explanations…why did he have to speak in such a cryptic manner? "What? What kind of 'prophecy' are you talking about? The 'Chosen One', as you so call it, is just the name for the one who would calm the conflict between the Three Legendary Birds, by helping Lugia! It's just an old tradition on Shamouti Island!" I yelled.

"…there is much that you do not understand…" he scoffed, before proceeding to walk again.

"Huh?"

"The prophecy of The Chosen One goes much deeper than that, I'm afraid, my dear," he smiled, shaking his head. "You recall this… 'Melody' recanting the lines which state that 'Though the water's great guardian shall arise to quell the fighting, alone its song will fail, and thus the earth shall turn to ash', correct?"

How did he know of Melody? "Uhh…yes…" I nodded.

"In truth, the fact that your husband was the 'ash' being referred to by the prophecy, was nothing more than a mere, random coincidence. The truth is…he was chosen by Arceus from the beginning, and his birth foreseen by the God of all Pokémon, since the dawn of time, when he created the world. The legends say that there was only one creator of the world, Arceus, but they are wrong."

"What?"

"In fact, there were two – Arceus, and Apothes, my master. My master, soon becoming jealous of the love and worship Pokémon and people alike showered upon him, turned to embrace the powers of darkness, and soon became Arceus' greatest rival and enemy. And I believe you can imagine for yourself what happened after that…"

My eyes darted to and fro, while I attempted to comprehend these new facts. But then, I felt another pang of pain, and the same, evil thoughts flooding my head as before, forcing me onto my knees. "What's…what's happening to me?"

"Oh, that?" Julius peered down at me, "That is the aura of this place. It is a place of evil, and the moment you wake, the aura will try to corrupt you." He crouched down, his eyes looking into mine, before he gently caressed my chin and whispered softly like a tempter. "Do not resist – it is more difficult to do so, than to give in. And when you do, you will achieve power beyond any mortal's dreams…including that of immortality. And besides, your dream since childhood was to become the world's greatest water Pokémon trainer, no?"

"Im…immortality…World's greatest…water Pokémon trainer…" I stammered, almost becoming overwhelmed with my desires and the darkness that surrounded me, before I came to my senses again in the nick of time. "No! I love Ash, I love my baby Ethan, and you're not going to take either of them away from me by tempting me with such things! I'd rather die, than to betray them!" I shouted.

"Hmm…interesting…you remind me of myself, the day I was brought here," his smile disappeared, replaced by a dull, lifeless expression.

"You? What happened to you?" I asked.

"My wife…and child…were taken from me, by his influence."

"Your…your family was…taken?"

"I will not speak of it – now come, your training awaits," he growled again, moving slightly faster than before. Not wanting to be wracked with pain again, I scurried after him.

"One final question," I said, "…what happened to Ash's father?"

"…why do you ask?" he turned his head slightly.

"They were in a…similar accident as ours…what did you do with him?"

"He…" Julius stammered somewhat nervously, before putting on yet another sly grin. "…he is dead."

"D…dead?"

"Yes. You will not see him here, I assure you," he replied, walking on.

Something didn't feel right. His initial nervous tone, before he quickly changed it to make his account sound more feasible…I didn't believe that Ash's dad was dead. He must be in here…somewhere.

"You're lying," I flatly said.

"Am I, now?" he scoffed. "Your opinion…but first…" he chuckled. "…why don't you look down at the baby who's in your arms?"

I froze in fear. Ethan…he's just a baby, and couldn't possibly have the mental power to resist the corrupting influence of our surroundings. I looked down, my head shaking nervously along every inch it descended, before my eyes met Ethan's. No…

Staring back at me were not the two beautiful, chocolate-brown and pearl-like eyes that I had come to know, grow fond of and love over the last week. They were nothing but cruel and evil mirrors of light which stared back at me with a glowing red hue. His beaming smile which meant the world to both me and Ash was now a sickening, evil smirk, as the sight of the child in my arms tore my heart in two. And it was all it took to break my resistance – I now completely let my guard down, overwhelmed by emotion, as I felt the darkness swirling about and engulfing me in a grasp that I could no longer escape or hide from. Power…domination…immortality…it will all be mine…And yet, something deep inside me kept on telling me that this was wrong. A conscience lay within me, even now...

"Very good…" Julius whispered, sensing that I had at last fallen victim to the influence of my surroundings. "Now follow me – your training will soon begin…"

I stood up with a newfound strength, one which I never thought possible. Power seemed to course and brim throughout my body, unlocking secrets in my mind regarding powers that I never experienced before. "Yes…my master…"

(Two years later, present day)

Ash Ketchum…you were my best friend, and the love of my life since my childhood. You made me feel what I never felt before when you professed your love to me, four years ago…You made me think that the greatest dream of my life had come true when you married me, and again when I was pregnant with our child. But now…there is only one love in my life, and that is power.

Ash…I love you…you have no idea how much I want you and to feel safe in your arms, right now…

My power has grown exponentially, and my Pokemon know no equal in power or strength, from any other water-type Pokémon…Suicune is now but a shriveled mouse compared to their power, and they have only Kyogre to best, before they prove their sheer superiority. Not even Prima or Wallace are powerful enough to defeat me now.

I don't want this…I know my dream since I was young was to become the world's greatest water Pokémon trainer…but not like this…

You have no idea what kind of power I have gained and accumulated over the past two years, Ash…your powers of Aura are nothing compared to Julius', or even mine. Yes, I have now learnt – painstakingly – to master its power, combining and fusing it with the dark powers bestowed on me by Julius. And I am now immortal.

I don't want immortality…I can't live on, knowing that I'll be alone without you, Ash…

Do you see him, Ash? Our child, Ethan? He is adept in the power of Aura as well, even at the mere age of two. His power grows daily, and the fire in his eyes never subsides. I eagerly await the day that his power will grow to become the most powerful of all Aura users. Even me. It will be interesting to see your eyes filled with terror, as all that you love turns against you, and ultimately…destroys you…

Ash…please find us…I want Ethan to grow up living a normal life…I can't bear to watch him go on like this…

I was a fool to ever love you. I was a fool to ever contemplate having such feelings which only demonstrate weakness. I do not tolerate weakness anymore. All the mortals on this planet must bow down and serve master Apothes…or die…

Ash…loving you was the best thing that happened to me in my life, and I don't ever want to forget…

I will kill you, Ash Ketchum…I will end your life…with my own two hands…

Ash…I love you…no matter what happens…I will love you…

(End of chapter 11)

A/N: That's Chapter 11 done. I'm kind of relieved, to be honest – writing dark, evil stuff like this really drains me psychologically, and can cause a really bad mood swing to occur, if I keep it up for too long.

Before I forget to mention it, Julius is intentionally keeping Misty separately from Chris, so that Chris can't help her, and that Misty will be much more easily corruptible.

Anyway, please review again, and the next chapter should be up soon enough. Chapter updates are actually being made far more often than I thought. The story seems to flow well for me when writing. :S