Chapter 12
The Beginning of the End
(Pokémon Tower)
(Ash's POV)
"Misty? ...alive?" I exhaled hoarsely. All this time, I thought she and Ethan were dead. A wave of guilt and frustration rushed over me, overshadowing the relief and joy I initially felt – how could I have quit so easily?
"Yes," Sabrina nodded, "Unlike what we previously thought, Misty and Ethan have, in fact, survived the disaster of two years ago. Although I don't know personally where they are, Mewtwo might be able to tell you," she turned to him.
"In the vision I received from Darkrai and Cresselia, I gained a glimpse of how this entire situation came to be. They showed me what happened many millennia ago, when Julius was first corrupted by Apothes. As a result of that day, the first 'pure' shadow Pokémon came to be. But before I continue…do you possess knowledge of the nature of shadow Pokémon?" he asked.
"N…no…"I stammered, before having a guess. "Are they similar to Mirage Pokémon?"
Mewtwo shook his head. "No, they are not. Although the Mirage Pokémon you mentioned may be more powerful than Shadow Pokémon with respects to the fact that they are invulnerable to attacks by normal Pokémon, the powers of Shadow Pokémon are, in fact, much more fearsome and terrible."
"But how?" I questioned, "If Shadow Pokémon aren't invulnerable to attacks, then what makes them more powerful than Mirage Pokémon?"
"…corruption…"
"Huh?"
"Shadow Pokémon are able to corrupt the hearts of the Pokémon they defeat in battle, should they be given enough time to do so. As more regular Pokémon fall prey to their relentless attacks, the greater their numbers swell," he explained. "You must be ever cautions when facing them."
"Eek! Did you hear that, Meowth? They can corrupt Pokémon that they defeat!" James squealed, clutching onto Meowth for dear life, causing the feline to cough and splutter due to a lack of air.
"Aah! Let go! You're suffocating me!" Meowth wailed, as James released him, only for both of them to receive another round of slaps to their heads from Jessie.
"F-facing them?" I drew back.
"Correct. You alone possess the power to stop Apothes' plans, once and for all," he said.
"Me? How?"
"You are the Chosen One, are you not?" he tilted his head.
"Y-yes…" I faltered, "But…that's just a prophecy from Shamouti Island – surely it has nothing to do with this!"
"Incorrect. The Chosen One is in truth, the selected Champion of Arceus himself, as foretold through the millennia by his prophets. But none of his ancient prophets live to this day, so this fact has been kept secret by Giratina, Palkia, Dialga, and Arceus. Being the designated Guardian of the Chosen One, Ho-oh has been instructed to watch over you. Lugia had also been informed of your imminent arrival, prior to your visit to Shamouti Island, which was an event controlled by fate."
"Ho-oh…is my…guardian?" I asked.
"Yes. That is the reason why you saw him several times throughout your journeys, and also why he saved your mother while you were still in her womb during the attack on your parents' boat, many years ago."
"But then…why didn't he come for us on the day that Misty was taken away from me? Why didn't he come?" I demanded to know.
"Because the Prophecy states that the End is inevitable, and the Chosen One is destined to face his trials when the day arrives."
"What? I don't understand you…"
"It was fate that your wife was taken away from you. It is all part of a final test, referred to as the 'Trials of the Heart', designed by the co-existing wills of Arceus and Apothes: whilst Arceus wishes to test whether your heart will remain pure during the trials that are to come, Apothes seeks to corrupt and enslave you, by filling your heart with ruthless ambition, a lust for power, and the will to dominate."
"Co-existing…what do you mean by that?" I asked.
"Allow me to explain in simple terms: Arceus and Apothes, both being gods, have the power to oversee, manipulate and foretell events to serve their own will. But in this case, their wills conflict, thus creating a future event which's outcome is impossible to predict. You alone must make the choice – the fate of the world is in your hands, once more," he said.
"Wow, talk about tough luck – how many times has this twerp come and gone from a life-or-death encounter, anyway?" Jessie murmured.
I stayed silent, trying to ponder what this all meant. Thoughts raced through my mind regarding this 'prophecy', conflicting with my personal wish to save Misty from wherever she may be.
"Back to my first question - what happened to Misty? Do either of you know?" I looked up at Sabrina and Mewtwo again.
"I'm sorry, Ash. Being a human instead of a psychic Pokémon, my powers are fairly limited for me to see things as far-reaching that," Sabrina apologised, before looking up. "Mewtwo?"
"She and your son have been prisoners to Julius and Apothes for a long time. I fear that, should they be put through the hardships and ordeal that your father endured, they will succumb to darkness," he said.
"F-father?" I gasped. All this time, I thought he was dead…
"Yes. Your father is alive. He has been imprisoned by Julius ever since the day your parents were separated out at sea. You can rest assured, that he is still intact, both in body and soul."
Dad…I never knew…
"Well, let's go then!" I declared, "The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get them out of there!" Mewtwo and Sabrina exchanged worried glances, dampening my spirit. "…we can get them out…right?"
"It's not that we 'can't', Ash," Sabrina looked down, "It's just that it's…gonna take so much more effort…"
"Go on," I said.
"You must relearn the powers of Aura, if you are to survive," Mewtwo stated.
"Aura? It's been years since I used that! Why is it necessary? Can't I just battle with my Pokémon instead?" I cried.
"I'm afraid that that won't suffice," Mewtwo shook his head. "Julius is a master of Aura, and when combined with his powers of shadow, he may as well be more powerful than Sir Aaron himself. You will need all the power and help you can get, when facing him. And should your wife and child be corrupted, as it is a possibility, they too will possess that power, and seek to destroy you with it."
"Misty and Ethan…turn against me? That's impossible! They would never! …would they?" I resolutely said, before shrinking down to an unconfident whisper.
"I'm afraid that it's a possibility that we must be prepared to meet," he replied.
"Will you do it, Ash? Will you fight?" Sabrina said, coming up to me and placing her hand on my shoulder, looking at me in the eyes. After a few seconds of seeing my face reflected in her dark blue eyes, I made my decision.
"Yes…I'll do it…"
"Alright then. We'd best get started right now. We don't have long until the attack begins," Sabrina said, standing back a few paces away from me.
"A…a-a-a-a….attack?" James and Meowth's teeth chattered in unison.
"What do you mean 'we don't have long'?" I asked.
"Julius and Apothes are planning to unleash their hordes of Shadow Pokémon upon the world, as we know it. They plan to enslave all life with a single, decisive attack, which will come soon," Mewtwo said.
"How soon?" I shuddered, growing more fearful by the second.
Sabrina answered, sending shivers down my spine. "…two weeks…"
(At Saffron City Gym)
"No, that won't do it, Ash! Try harder!" Sabrina shouted from the opposite end of the battle ground. I was exhausted from hours of non-stop training with Sabrina; she'd unleash psychic energy towards me, and I would attempt to parry it using Aura, and vice-versa in terms of attacking and defending. But years of disuse had caused my powers to diminish significantly, and I was currently nowhere near as adept as I was, during the crisis at the Tree of Beginning. Although Sabrina and Mewtwo healed me with their psychic powers when I received wounds during training, they couldn't do anything about my fatigue.
"Sabrina…I…I can't…I'm tapped…" I gasped, falling to my knees and placing my hands on the ground.
"Ash! You can't stop now! We only have little time! Misty, Ethan and your dad's lives depend on you!" she yelled. "Come on! Let's do it again!"
"Sabrina…no…" I panted.
"The twerp's had it! That's enough!" Jessie cried out to Sabrina, who just seemed to plainly ignore her. Pikachu stood next to Meowth, looking on with worrying eyes. Team Rocket had decided to stick around: in normal conditions, I'd fear that they would try to snatch Pikachu when they had the chance. But in the most serious situations such as the conflict that was to come, even they didn't dare to commit heinous acts behind our backs. As awkward as it seemed having them around, they were pretty much stuck here; fairly liking it as well, as they could receive proper shelter and lodgings.
"Just one more time, then! Then we'll call it a day," Sabrina called out.
I struggled to stand up, but forced myself to do so anyway, standing at straight as I could manage…what harm could one more practice round do? "Alright, Sabs…one more time…"
Almost immediately, she fired another small ball of concentrated psychic energy, a shimmering sphere of dark-purple light surrounded by another series of energy that seemed like pink tendrils of lightning. Believing that I could stop it again, I raised my left hand, doing my best to manage another block using Aura. But it failed – the sphere continued to bound towards me, as my attempt to manage a barrier proved fruitless. The sphere crashed into my body, with enough force to knock someone unconscious.
"Pikapiii!" Pikachu cried, running over to my side.
"Ash!" Sabrina cried out, teleporting herself immediately beside me as I began to fall backwards. She caught me just as I was about to hit the ground, and laid my head upon her lap. "Are you okay?" she said, stroking my cheek. Team Rocket ran over and stood over me as well, looking genuinely concerned for my safety.
"Yeah…I'm fine, Sabs," I answered, "Just…tired, that's all."
"I'm so sorry…I shouldn't have pushed you so hard…" she began to cry.
"Don't cry, Sabrina…it's not like I'm gonna die!" I chuckled, placing my hand on her cheek before drawing it back with a jerk as I coughed into it.
"Come on, Ash, I'll take you to bed. You should lie down awhile – it's been a long day," she said, helping me up to my feet and taking my arm and putting it around her to support me.
After helping me into the bed, Sabrina brought me a bowl of warm soup, which I thankfully accepted. She sat by my side on the bed, applying a cool, wet towel on my forehead, which had a slightly high temperature.
"Thanks, Sabs," I said, putting the bowl down onto the nearby tray after I finished with it.
"Don't mention it, Ash," she smiled. "How are you feeling?"
"A lot better now, thanks to you," I smiled, "Hey, by the way, where's Mewtwo gone?"
"He's in the Meditation Chamber. He told me that he's contacting Darkrai and Cresselia again, and telling them to inform Agatha of the Elite Four and her Pokémon of what's going on, through dreams."
"Well, that seems like the right thing to do. After all, we need the Elite Four's help if we're gonna stand a chance," I said, looking up towards the open window where the full moon was visible. "…and Team Rocket?"
"They're all asleep in their own room I showed them into. Oh, and by the way, I also told Brock and your mom that you were gonna stay here awhile…they both seemed happy to hear it."
"Really? What did they say?"
"They're both glad that you've…y'know… 'opened up' to the world again, I guess. I didn't tell them what was really going on here with the Aura training, though – I just told them that you were 'training', and didn't really give specific details. I thought that now probably wasn't the best time," she explained.
"Hmm…that's probably the best thing to do, right now. Thanks, Sabrina."
"Don't mention it, Ash," she smiled, taking the tray off the bed and pulling the blanket up higher to cover me. "Well, have a good night – Mewtwo's gonna train you on the other powers of aura tomorrow, starting with telepathy and sensing other auras. I can't do anything about those, seeing as how I'm only a psychic expert."
"Alright, Sabs. Goodnight," I said, receiving a kiss from her on the cheek as she stood up to leave the room.
"Oh, and Ash?" she said, just as she came to the door.
"Yeah?"
"I won't push you so hard tomorrow as I did today…I promise."
I smiled at her, receiving a warm smile from her in response. Then as she left, Sabrina turned off the light and closed the door behind her. My thoughts drifted again to Misty and Ethan, but this time, the dreams I had were not filled with misery and doubt – it was a dream of optimism and hope, that we were a family again.
(The next day)
I was woken in the morning by the touch of a warm, gentle hand on my cheek. I opened my eyes to see Sabrina smiling at me while kneeling by the bed.
"Hi, Ash, how are you feeling today?" she beamed.
"I feel completely new. Thanks a lot, Sabs," I said, getting out of bed and placing my feet on the floor.
"Pikapichu!" Pikachu cried happily, leaping up to Sabrina nestling in her arms. It reminded me so much of Misty…
"Hi there, Pikachu!" Sabrina smiled, planting a small kiss on his forehead. "Oh, and Ash, I've already made some breakfast downstairs – I'll leave you to train with Mewtwo after you've finished eating. Don't rush anything, okay?" she placed her hand on my shoulder, after Pikachu leapt back onto the foot of the bed.
"Okay. I'll be right down in a sec," I said to her, before she left.
Coming downstairs and finding my way into the kitchen, I stood still, amazed – there was almost a mountain-load of food, including fried eggs, bacon, waffles, soup and warm bread. 'Brock must've let in a word for her last night,' I thought, grinning to myself as I walked towards the table.
After filling myself up nicely, I went back to the battle ground; surely enough finding Mewtwo waiting for me.
"Greetings, again. Are you ready to begin now?" he asked me.
"Hi, Mewtwo. Yeah, I'm ready. But before we begin, tell me…how big exactly, is this… 'battle' going to be, that the Elite Four, and all the other help we can get, is needed?"
"I cannot provide you with exact figures, unfortunately…but be prepared to face numbers which will blot out the sun, moon, and stars," he said, making me gulp.
'That many?'I thought. And as if he had read my mind, Mewtwo nodded.
"But you may find some measure of comfort at the fact, that I have also contacted each and every other Legendary Pokémon on this planet, during my meditation, and all of them have decided to join the fight against Apothes. The only Legendary Pokémon whom I haven't contacted are Arceus and his three guardians, as they are already aware of the current circumstances. And just as they did during the crisis on Shamouti Island, years ago, the Pokémon of the land will sense the imminent conflict, and arrive to aid you."
I let out a small sigh of relief – I thought I was going to be virtually alone, taking on an entire horde of Shadow Pokémon with no-one beside me but the Elite Four and my friends.
"So…how many is that?" I asked.
"Some thousands, I believe. But it will still be modest in number when compared to the enemy, and will not be enough to achieve victory over the Shadow Pokémon through battle alone, given their advantage in sheer power. To defeat this threat, you must find the source of their corruption, and end it, once and for all," he said.
"So I'm guessing that I have to defeat this… 'Julius', am I right?" I looked up at him, receiving a nod. "What'll happen after that?"
"With all hope, I believe that the Shadow Pokémon may be returned to their rightful selves. Those who have outlived their natural lifespans will also be able to find peace."
"Alright, then. I'm ready now, Mewtwo – let's begin," I said energetically. Glancing sideways, I saw Team Rocket entering through the door and sitting down quietly to watch. "Don't you guys have other stuff to do?" I asked them.
"…not really," James and Meowth said in unison. Jessie just sat quietly, watching. She seemed to be constantly leaning to her left, until when her head came into contact with James, she blushed and immediately set herself up straight again. They didn't seem to have gotten much sleep last night.
"Very well," Mewtwo said, before his eyes started to glow blue. "Now, I shall reacquaint you with telepathy, and the ability to sense others' Auras, using your own."
I looked solemnly at his eyes, preparing myself for what was to come. No matter how long it took, or how excruciating it was going to be, I was determined to do all that I could, to one day have her back in my arms.
(Two weeks later)
(Pallet Town)
With my training with Mewtwo and Sabrina concluded, my powers of Aura were now stronger than ever before, and I felt as if I was prepared for anything. The skies overhead looked darker than ever, unseasonably so (and, it was only mid-afternoon), with dark-red lights looming on the far horizon, towards the southern oceans of Kanto. After touching down in front of Professor Oak's Lab after flying with the help of Mewtwo's psychic power, Sabrina, Mewtwo and I walked in. Meanwhile, Jessie, James and Meowth stood outside together, panting nervously: they had never experienced anything like the flight we just had, and James looked as if he was about to throw up, leaning his weight on Meowth who frantically waved his arms about.
As we entered the lab, we were greeted by Professor Oak, Gary, Tracey, and also Brock, who had been told by Sabrina that we'd be coming today. All four of them had surprised, and even slightly fearful looks on their faces as they saw Mewtwo looking back at them. Then, Professor Oak came forward to greet us.
"Hello again, Ash. Have you been well for the past few weeks?" he said to me.
"Hi, Professor. I've been alright, I guess…but I've been better, I can tell you that," I joked, slightly smiling.
"Hi, Professor Oak," Sabrina said, "Did you hear from the Elite Four and the Pokémon HQ yet?"
"Yes, indeed I have," he replied. "The situation is most grave, indeed – the Pokémon HQ has decided to put all Pokémon battles, as well as all other activities involving Pokémon, on temporary hiatus, and ordered all civilians to remain indoors. It seems to be the best measure to protect the general populace at this point in time, although…I fear it may not be enough…"
"Is there anything else we need to know?" I asked.
"The Kanto HQ has also requested all trainers who have collected all the badges from at least one region, to gather at the Indigo Plateau for a public committee," Tracey said.
"They've also requested trainers from the Johto region to come. Similar events have been happening within the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions, as well. All the Gym Leaders are in it, too…This seems much more serious than we thought," Gary said.
Yeah, Gary…of course this is serious, considering the fact that it could mean the continuation, or the end of the world, after all…
"Calling trainers up to gather for this fight? That seems more like conscription, rather than a request," I remarked.
"These are desperate and dark times, Ash. They, and we, have little choice," Professor Oak shook his head.
"Even with all the help we have, I fear that it'll still be not enough," Mewtwo spoke sullenly.
Sabrina, meanwhile, looked sadly towards Brock, who remained silent through everything. "Why are you so quiet, Brock?" she asked.
"Huh? Me?" his eyes flickered. "N-nothing…it's just that…I'm worried about what's to come."
"That is understandable. This conflict will be greater than any you have experienced, and the possible consequences of it more dire than any other," Mewtwo said. "All life…all of existence depends on this battle, and you must all be prepared to face it."
I looked down, countless thoughts racing through my head, making the act of concentrating more and more difficult and excruciating. Then, finally, having enough, I clenched my fist and spoke to all of them. "Let's go. Now, to the Indigo Plateau."
They all stood looking at me with fairly surprised looks on their faces due to my sudden decision, save for Mewtwo, who looked as composed as ever. Then, one by one, their expression turned to determined looks as they nodded.
"We're all right behind you, Ash," Brock said, clasping hands with me.
"Alright. Now, it's just a matter of which Pokémon I'll take with me," I said, turning to go outdoors again. "Where are they now, Professor Oak?"
"Choosing is not necessary, Ash," Sabrina said, stopping me right in my tracks.
"What do you mean, Sabs?" I asked.
"Take all of them. We'll need every bit of strength we have," she replied.
"But…the Pokémon League rules state that…" I stammered.
"Ash, the fate of the world is at stake…do you really think that they'd stick to their rules and regulations at such a time?" she flatly said, bringing me to my senses as I nodded.
"I've brought all of my Pokémon as well, except for Ludicolo and Chansey, who I've left at home to take care of my siblings," Brock said. "…they must all be very scared, right now, with all these unnatural clouds rolling in…"
"All of mine are out at the back, along with all of yours, Ash," Gary said. "We're all set to go…but how are we gonna carry all of them in Pokéballs? That's gonna be impossible!"
"Leave that to me," Mewtwo said to him.
"Huh? How's that?" Gary turned to Mewtwo.
"I will bring them all along with us, wherever we need to go."
"He's right – he can carry basically an entire army with him if he wanted to, y'know," I smirked.
"Okay, that's settled, then," Gary smiled, pinching the back of his shirt. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go already!"
"Umm, I'm not too sure…" Tracey murmured, looking down. "You see, I'm not exactly one for battle, given my…inexperience…Ash, why don't you take my Scyther, Venomoth and Azumarill with you? Scyther is very old now: I think that his time is coming soon, and that he'd want one final battle…so how about it?"
"Tracey, man, you can manage in this battle. Trust me. I mean, after so many practice sessions with me, you must be rather skilled by now, right?" Gary smirked.
"Oh…alright, then…I'm still nervous about this, though…" Tracey whimpered.
"Aww, it'll be fine, Trace…you can stick with me and Ash!" Gary laughed, before looking at me. "…Ash? Everything fine over there?"
I stood silent and still, thinking of all my other friends who may be in danger because of the coming battle. May…Max…Dawn…Bianca and Lorenzo…Ritchie…Anabel…yet, I found comfort at the fact that Paul is one of the most powerful trainers I have ever known, and would protect Dawn with his life. Max was also a very skilled trainer in his own right now, and May would be protected by Drew, as well.
"Umm…yeah, I'm fine," I replied. "But before we go…could I maybe…go talk to my mom?"
"Of course, Ash. That would be the most decent thing to do, to go talk to your mother before you set out," Professor Oak nodded.
"I will have all of your Pokémon ready to embark, once you return," Mewtwo assured me. "Meanwhile, I shall call upon my clone Pokémon, who are currently residing within Mount Quena."
I nodded, before leaving the Lab. "I'll be right back."
After arriving back home by myself, I lifted my hand up to knock on the door, before hesitating briefly. Once I had summoned up the courage to do so, I knocked, and Mom came out shortly after, her eyes beginning to water as soon as she saw me.
"Ash, my darling!" she cried, embracing me tightly and crying onto my shoulder as I returned her hug.
"I've missed you, mom…I'm so sorry that I didn't contact you for so long…"
"It's alright, honey…It's alright," she sobbed. "Are you…are you leaving soon, with the others?"
"Yeah. I came by to say goodbye to you, before I left," I said. "But I dunno if I'll…be coming back…"
"Don't say such things, honey! Of course you'll be back!" she whispered, holding my cheeks with her hands.
"I'm going there. I'm going there to get Misty and Ethan back. And…" I paused briefly. "…to get Dad back, as well…"
"You mean…your father is alive?" Mom gasped.
"Yes. I was told by Mewtwo that he's alive, and he's being held a prisoner in a place where I have to go now," I explained. Mom stepped back slightly, before looking upwards, closing her eyes and holding her hand over her heart, as teardrops fell onto the floor.
"Chris…it's been so long…" she whispered, looking up to the heavens.
"I'll get them back, mom. Don't worry. I'll end all this, once and for all," I declared, taking her hand in mine.
"Alright, honey," she said, looking at me again with courageous eyes. "Go for it – I believe in you."
"Mm," I nodded, before hugging her for what might be the final time and kissing her on the cheek, before leaving to go back to Professor Oak's Lab, where the others were waiting for me. And upon my return, we all immediately took off, Gary flying with his Fearow, while Brock and a terrified Tracey mounted my Pidgeot and Garchomp respectively, while I rode on Charizard's back. Professor Oak rode on the back of another Charizard which seemed strangely familiar, while his Dragonite followed behind. The rest of our non-flying Pokémon were carried with us by Mewtwo's power, Bulbasaur and Squirtle clutching onto each other nervously, while James and Meowth held a hand against each others' faces, out of fear that they would throw up on one another. And at the head of the party was Mewtwo, his eyes looking as solemn as ever, but with a touch of sadness as he knew of the destruction that was to come.
He had truly learnt to appreciate all life.
(Back at Pallet Town)
(3rd-person narrative)
Nervous and shaking, Delia Ketchum entered Professor Oak's Lab, switching on the lights to illuminate the pitch-dark room. She walked towards a door at the far end of the hallway, the heels of her shoes producing echo after echo as she walked. At last, she came to the final door, exhaling deeply once before opening it and entering. Inside was the Pokéball Storage Room, containing the Pokémon of every single Pokémon trainer who was born in Pallet Town.
Her hands trembled as she reached for a black cloth which hung over six Pokéballs, before flinging it away firmly after grasping it. She collected them all, picking each one up individually and looking at them before coming to the final one, upon which she released the Pokémon inside. Out came a Ninetales with fur that shined a radiant yellow, letting out a soft cry as it smiled, looking up at Delia.
Delia smiled, walked over to the Pokémon and caressed its face, making it smile broader and rub its face against her hand in pleasure. Delia then rubbed her face softly against that of the Ninetales, stroking the back of her dear friend before whispering into its ear, calling it by the nickname she gave it, long ago.
"Lyra, it's time…come with me."
(End of Chapter 12)
A/N: Chapter 13 will be up in a few days. I thought that, after seeing on Bulbapedia, that Pokémon of lesser power compared to Mewtwo, such as Medicham and Lucario can use Aura, Mewtwo would most definitely be able to as well, despite us never seeing him use it in the movies he appears in. I didn't go into too much depth about the scenes which involve the use of Aura, as I haven't yet watched Pokémon Movie 8: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. I might later on, as I might need to get a better grasp of what it looks like to use Aura, in the later chapters which involve battle.
Tracey's Venonat and Marill have evolved in my story, as I think that enough time has passed for them to do so. Same goes for Ash's Gible evolving into Garchomp (sorry about the former mistake of Gible - Salamence...I was writing most of this past midnight last night, and it kinda left my head... :S). I also saw that Gary has a Fearow, after looking at his page on Bulbapedia and scrolling down to the picture which shows his 'Unseen Silver Conference Pokémon', where a Fearow is shown.
Yup, Delia is a trainer…or an ex-trainer, more like, in my story. More details on that will come in the next chapter, and it will provide a background view of the events of my prequel story involving her and Chris.
Please leave your reviews. :)