I'm back! This chapter follows both groups, but only group 2 for a moment. I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending of the last chapter. There was a little bit more I wanted to put in there, but couldn't decide how to get to it without adding a bunch of unneeded material. So I put it in this chapter instead. Enjoy!
"And how far along are you miss"?
"Nearing 3 months".
"The morning sickness will start going away soon".
"I haven't really had any morning sickness".
"Really? Well your body must be coping well, consider yourself lucky"!
The nurse smiled at Delila as she straightened herself up.
"Everything seems to be running smoothly" she said, "be sure to take care of yourself, and that growing little one"!
"I will" Delila smiled.
"Alrighty, you can go whenever you wish, and be sure to have another checkup soon"!
With that said, the nurse left the tiny room. It was an old fashioned style hospital room, with a cot like bed that Delila sat upon. One stool was in the corner, where Brock was currently sitting.
"Nothing but good news" Delila said sweetly, trying to get Brock into a conversation.
He had behaved like his regular self throughout dinner, up until May escorted Cameron to a bed for some much needed sleep. The man had been close to passing out on the sidewalk. Once they were gone, Brock slipped into silence, and had only spoken when it was necessary. It had been Delila's idea to get a quick checkup before they had to get to work finding Lugia tomorrow.
"Brocky" Delila whined, "talk to me please? What's the matter"?
Upon hearing the hurt in her voice, Brock looked up. She was watching him with sad eyes, her shoulders drooped. Brock reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingertips.
"I'm sorry Delila" he sighed, "I just don't believe Matilda was lying".
"You still think Cameron was with Team Rocket?
"I don't know" Brock dropped his hand and stood up, "May had good points, and he has done nothing but help since we met".
Delila said nothing, watching as Brock began to pace with his hands behind his back. His fingers rubbed over the MasterBall to make sure it was still there, which was becoming a habit.
"I wish I had something I could say to help" Delila said, lowering her head.
"You, don't need to worry about it" Brock tried to reassure her, "let me do that".
He stopped pacing and walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders to gain her full attention.
"Just worry about little Brock in the oven alright"?
Delila giggled, then nodded and said, "so you know, that sounded just a little bit creepy".
"So I shouldn't say that in public"?
"I wouldn't".
Brock smiled and leaned in to kiss her.
"That's the stuff" Delila sighed as Brock pulled away.
Brock chuckled, then took her hand, "come on, we should get some rest. I'll figure out this whole Team Rocket thing later".
THUD!
"Cameron"!
"I'm ok"!
He sat up, leaning against the wall he had just fallen into. May crouched down, looking at his tired expression. He forced a grin and said, "I could just sleep here".
"Absolutley not" May told him sternly, "this might be the last night we get to sleep in an actual bed for a long time, so you are not wasting that oppurtunity"!
Cameron groaned as his head started to dip down.
"No mister"!
May reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling sharply. Cameron snapped back awake and let her yank him to his feet.
"You're so mean" he teased, "where did the nice May go"?
"I am being nice by helping your tired butt" May argued back, fighting the smile forming on her lips.
"Maybe this would be the best time to tell you, but umm, I don't have a room" Cameron admitted sheepishly.
May looked at him in disbelief, "you never got a room"?
"I didn't need one" he explained, "was always by your side, or out doing something".
May closed her eyes and shook her head. That would explain why he had been leading her around the hotel with no apparent destination. A tired Cameron, was a goofy Cameron. She reopened her eyes to speak to him but was greeted by him asleep standing up.
"Ugghh! Hey"!
She snapped her fingers and Cameron jerked awake, "I'm not asleep"!
"You're just going to stay in my room" she told him.
With that said, she took his hand and led him down the hall, occasionally snapping her fingers to keep him conscious.
"In" she demanded, pointing her finger as she unlocked and opened her door.
Cameron raised his hands in a joking defensive way, and proceeded into the room. May followed him, shutting the door behind her. He walked over to the little sofa in the corner and collapsed face first onto it. Rotating on his back, he grinned at May. She couldn't help but smile back at his sleepy, crooked grin.
"Would you like a blanket" she asked, pointing to the bed.
"I'm sorry I kissed you".
Rewind! When did they start talking about that? And why was he sorry?
"It's ok" May said, a little hurt and confused.
"Don't get me wrong" Cameron continued, closing his eyes, "I wanted to...wanted to since we first met in Petalburg...I didn't realize how hard it would be to do...and something always seemed to come up...when I saw you were ok, and how pretty you looked...I just couldn't help myself anymore...".
And he was asleep, his mouth dropping open. May stood in place...perplexed would be a good word. She felt relief upon hearing him say he had wanted to kiss her, but the part about her home town had thrown her for a loop. What did he mean when they first met in Petalburg? She was half tempted to wake him back up and ask, but decided against it. It had been well over 50 hours since he had slept now, and he needed it. She would just ask him in the morning.
Ash opened his eyes to a bright light directly overhead. He squinted as he looked at it, a throbbing pain pounding against his forhead. His hand hurt, his back hurt...just about everywhere hurt. A feint beeping was coming from his left, and the hum of some kind of small machine. He slowly became aware that he was lying on a bed, wearing only his underwear. Good thing he was covered.
"Pika"?
A rustling on the bed grew closer, and a fuzzy, yellow mouse entered his vision.
"Hey Pikachu" Ash croaked, man was his throat dry, "where are we? Where's Misty"?
"Pikapi Pikachu. Pipika Pikakchupi" the rodent spoke, and Ash caught the gist. Misty was fine.
"Pikachu" the Pokemon pointed to the right, and Ash cocked his head.
On a small table beside the bed, sat a glass of water. His throat tingled with anticipation for the cool liquid, so he reached out his left arm to grab the glass. It snagged back, pulling at his skin on his wrist, and that's when he noticed he had an IV inserted into his arm. So he rested his left arm back down and maneuvered himself so he could grab the water with his right hand.
Taking a sip was almost like Heaven! Instant relief washed over his throat, and he sighed once he had chugged the entire glass. Setting it back down, he decided to glance around at his surroundings. The beeping was coming from a heart monitor connected to him, and the humming was a small space heater in the corner. He was surrounded by curtains on all sides, and his bed was propped up ever so slightly. The curtains whisked back, making him jump, and Misty rushed in. She paused seeing him looking back at her, and tears filled her eyes.
"I thought I heard your voice" she choked happily, and rushed to sit on the side of his bed.
She leaned over and laid on him, resting her head on his chest. The pressure from her weight hurt a tiny bit, but he didn't care, he simply rested the side of his head against hers. The curtains flew open again, and a petite blue haired woman rushed in.
"Oh thank God" Dawn breathed out, "I know I say no need to worry, but you had me worried Ash Ketchum"!
She sat on the edge of the bed behind Misty as the red head straightened up. Seeing Dawn clicked something in Ash's mind, reminding him about the gravity of their situation. With a grim look to Misty, he asked, "Charizard"?
Misty bit her bottom lip, taking a moment to gather herself before answering him, "after you hit your head, the Dominion landed inside the chopper. Lance jumped to fight it head on, but was hurt pretty bad. Pikachu shocked it, but the thing wouldn't go down. Charizard swooped in and pulled it back out. The roars were terrifying, I've never heard Charizard sound so angry. I couldn't see them, but I could see the flashes of light from the fire and lightning...he's the only reason we got away. Ash, Charizard is alive, but...he will never fly again".
Ash's fingers gripped the sheets as she talked, and Dawn had lowered her head.
"They've got him in a different tent across the camp with a Nurse Joy" Misty continued, "her, Pikachu, and I are the only ones he'll let get close to him".
Ash blinked a few times, looking away from Misty and down at the bed. Charizard grounded? No flying ever again? That was a torture worse than death for his fire Pokemon...but at least he was alive.
"And Lance" he asked, remembering Misty said he had been hurt.
Behind Misty, Dawn had a quick intake of breath, and she went rigid for a moment. Ash caught this behavior.
"The Dominion cut him up pretty good, nothing fatal" Misty explained, "but he will forever have a major facial scar though".
That was a relief, scar or no scar, Lance was still alive too. At least they had made it to Sinnoh. Dawn looked back up at Ash, seeming to be fighting off the urge to cry.
"I'm glad you made it" she squeaked, "if I have to hear about one more death...".
Her voice caught in her throat, and she put her hand on her chest. Misty's expression darkened, and Pikachu's ears fell. Ash assumed Misty had filled her in on all the...details.
"When can I see Charizard" he asked, attempting to let Dawn recollect herself.
"Whenever they let you out of this bed" Misty started to say, but was interrupted by Ash actually starting to get out of the bed, "Hey! What do you think you're doing"?!
"Getting up" he answered nonchalantly, swinging his legs off the mattress.
"Oh no you're not" Misty argued, standing up and placing her hands on his shoulders, "you need to heal".
She pushed against him, but he didn't budge.
"She's right Ash" Dawn pleaded, getting to her feet as well, "you look terrible, no offense".
"Pika Pikachu" the mouse nodded in agreement.
"Listen to me" Ash said eerily calm, "we don't have the time for me to heal. I'm going to get up, go get Charizard, and then we are helping pack this place up. The longer we stay, the faster the Dominion's will catch back up to us. Unless we stay ahead of them, someone else will die, and I refuse to let that happen again"!
He reached over and pulled the IV needle from his wrist, and then slowly stood up. Misty's hands were still placed on his shoulders, but not resisting his movements. She gave him one last pleading look, but saw it was no use. His mind was made up.
"Ok" she nodded, "you're right".
Dawn swiveled her head between the two as they looked at each other, then Ash turned to her, "mind leading me to Charizard"?
"Sure thing" she nodded, also noting there was no changing his mind, "but umm, Ash? You may want to put some more clothes on first".
He glanced down at his mostly naked body.
"Just a suggestion, it's pretty cold out there" Dawn added.
"Right" Ash agreed, "good idea".
"I'll get you some" the bluenette said, and twirled around to exit through the curtains.
Once she was gone, Misty wrapped herself into a tight hug against Ash. He was caught off guard, but hugged her back nevertheless.
"You had me so worried" her voice was muffled against his chest, "I thought I was going to lose you too".
Her body against his was warm and intoxicating. After everything they had been through, every fiber of his being wanted to stay right here forever. No more death, no more Dominion's, no more worries. Just him and Misty, stuck in a happy moment, working towards a happy life. That's what they should be doing...not running for their lives. Terrified they might lose each other too, after all that they had lost so far.
"I'm not going anywhere" he cooed, running a hand through her hair, "I'm Ash Ketchum! You'll always be stuck with me"!
She halfheartedly giggled into him, then gently kissed his chest.
"I hope so dork" she said, leaning her head back to look into his brown eyes, "you're all I have left".
"Pika?!
Misty looked down at the Yellow Pokemon, and he looked offended.
"Oh of course I have you too Pikachu" Misty told him, "you and Ash are like a packaged deal"!
"Pikachu" he nodded and folded his arms as if to say 'that's right'!
Ash opened his mouth to say something, but Dawn returned at that moment, carrying a full change of clothes, "ok, I hope these fit"!
She tossed them onto the bed, and fidgeted her hands afterwards. Ash leaned over to pick up the clothing, which consisted of a grey shirt, blue jeans, a semi new pair of black and white tennis shoes, and a weathered leather jacket. As Ash began to sidle into the jeans, Dawn blurted, "I can turn around if you'd like"?
"Dawn" Ash couldn't help but chuckle, "you've already seen me in my underwear. All I'm doing is putting clothes on anyway".
"Oh, right" she mumbled embarrassedly.
Pikachu shook his head slowly as Ash finished getting dressed and was sliding the leather jacket on over his shirt. It was a lightly faded black color, with a faded red strip running horizontal across the chest.
"You know" Misty mused, putting a finger to her lips, "I kinda like you in a leather coat".
Ash smiled at her, but didn't respond to her comment, "alright Dawn, take me to Charizard"!
"Right"!
The bluenette spun on her heels, and marched out of the curtained room. Ash brushed his black and blue hand over Misty's shoulder as he passed by her. Pikachu hopped down from the bed and walked beside Misty as they followed Ash through the curtains. They were in a medical tent, with dozens of cots just like Ash's lined up along the back wall. Multiple pieces of equipment, that Ash couldn't identify, were scattered in various places. Beeping, or humming quietly, while a handful of nurses bustled here and there.
One spotted Ash, and immediately became fussy, "Oh no, no, no, no! You sir should not be up"!
The older female swooped in front of him faster than Ash could've predicted, and was wagging a wrinkly finger in his face. His eyes flicked back and forth as it swiveled before him.
"I'm fine" Ash tried to tell her, but she was already speaking again, "back in bed with you! No head injury patient of mine will be walking around today"!
"He's ok Betty" Dawn interfered, getting the older lady to step back, "I'll watch him, and if he starts to have problems, I'll bring him right back. Ok"?
The woman called Betty looked Dawn over for a minute, and then sighed in defeat, "Oh I suppose! You youngin's today always getting yourselves hurt, and never taking the time to recover! If this one has as much stubbornness as Master Lance then God help his soul".
She was walking away now, muttering to herself about generation differences.
"Thanks" Ash said.
Outside of the tent in the night air, Dawn wasn't kidding, it was a bit chilly. Typically March can be a brisk month if it want's too, but being in Sinnoh, it was bound to be colder than Ash, or at least Misty, was used too. Even though she had already been given a suitable jacket upon their arrival, she still shivered as the breeze whistled through her hair.
The ground was a sloshy mess, their footsteps squelching as they pulled their feet through the muck. Pikachu had abandoned the idea of walking himself, and climbed up the nearest person, which happened to be Misty. He propped up on her shoulder, and settled against her neck, burying himself under her hair. Not that she was complaining, he was warm!
Ash surveyed the surroundings as they walked. The jeeps flinging mud in all directions as they drove through the gunk, the large circular enclosure of tents in various sizes, the oversized spotlights set up to illuminate the area, and the research team sloshing their way to their destinations. It was a pretty professional setup, he had to admit. Of course, with Professor Rowan and Lance leading the team, what else could he expect?
It was hard to see in the night, but the looming mountain they camped upon blocked the north sky from view. The temple sat at its base, a good fifty feet from camp. To the south Ash could make out the cliff side, and to the east and west, the pathways up and down the mountain.
An angry, and terrifying, cry rang out from the south end of camp. Making Ash, Misty, and Pikachu all jump in fright and spin on their heels. Dawn stopped and looked back at them, both Ash and Misty were in a stance ready to run.
"That's just the Sandshrew" she told them a little uneasily.
"Why did they sound ready to kill something" Ash asked quickly, not taking his eyes off the night sky.
"Because….I didn't tell you about them because they're not normal Sandshrew" Dawn explained carefully, "they're mutated, or ancient, I don't know. But they killed quite a few of the early research team. They were living in the Temple, but Lance eradicated them. And the surviving ones were captured for study".
"Are they connected with the Dominion's somehow" Misty asked, looking from the southward sky to Dawn.
"We don't know" Dawn admitted, "they're just bloodthirsty as far as anyone can tell".
Another cry of rage echoed from the south, and a metal bang. Ash's heart was racing. If that had been the Dominion's, and they had already caught up with them, whatever courage he had found would surely crumble…
"Come on" Dawn said more as a question, "they attack their cages all the time. So you kind of get used to the noise".
And they were off again, Ash giving one last glance over his shoulder to the south as one of the Sandshrew snarled. He soon forgot about them momentarily when Dawn announced, "Charizard is in here with Nurse Joy".
She stopped outside of a smaller tent, that had smoke flowing out of a makeshift hole in the top. Ash rushed past them, and burst through the entrance flaps. He was greeted by low burning fires, and a somewhat intense heat. Aside from the seven flames, Ash counted, nothing else was in the tent except for a pink haired nurse, and his Fire Pokemon.
"Charizard" Ash exclaimed, and rushed forward.
The dragon was lying in the middle of the tent, surrounded by the fires, and raised his head upon hearing Ash's voice. Charizard snorted as Ash ran up and crouched down in front of him. Misty and Dawn entered the tent, the flap brushing Pikachu's face, and earning a "chu"! Charizard nuzzled against Ash's hand as he reach out to touch his Pokemon. Nurse Joy smiled at the interaction and said, "he is very fond of you".
"He's one of my oldest pals" Ash told her.
Charizard snorted again, blowing smoke in Ash's face, making him blink and wave it away.
"So…" Ash started with a grim expression as the smoke cleared around him, "he won't fly ever again"?
Nurse Joy looked down to avoid eye contact, then shook her head, "I'm afraid not".
Charizard then grunted in pain, but stretched his wings out for Ash to see. The sight made Ash's stomach churn a thousand times over, and Misty audibly gasped. They were completely shredded, and covered with dried blood. Large holes, and gashes ran along the length of the dragon's wings, and even penetrated into his spinal area. The left wing had a gash along the place where it connected to Charizard's back, nearly severing it from the Fire Pokemon.
Misty couldn't believe the sight…she had known the Pokemon during his prime. The hardheaded fighter who wouldn't back down to a challenge. Seeing him like this, was almost too much.
"I'm so sorry Charizard" Ash choked, his eyes beginning to burn from the water forming in them, rather than the heat from the fires.
Charizard grunted and tucked his wings back in. He looked at Ash and closed his eyes, sticking his snout out to gently nuzzle him as if to say 'it's ok. I did it for you'.
"Like I said" Joy tried to alleviate some of the upsetting mood, "he's very fond of you".
Misty approached Charizard, and bent down to sit beside Ash. Pikachu hopped down and walked up to the dragon.
"Pika Pikachu" he said, motioning with his arms in a way that Charizard must of understood because he snorted again and nodded.
The two continued their exchange for a moment, actually bringing a real smile to Ash's face. All of his Pokemon were loyal to him, and the thought of each of them panged his heart with sadness, but yet happiness. Most of them were probably dead or in hiding on Professor Oak's ranch, but watching Pikachu and Charizard interact also brought back every memory he had with his Pokemon. Those times might be forever behind him now, and fighting the Dominion's might not ever let him return to those times, but he had those memory's in his heart, and the Dominion's couldn't take that away from him!
"Oh" Nurse Joy suddenly exclaimed, "I almost forgot! Master Lance came by and left a message for you if you showed up. He needs you and Dawn immediately in the central research tent".
"What are the chances it might be good news" Dawn asked.
"Not very high" Ash told her, standing up with Misty following suit, "is Charizard able to leave? We won't be able to stay for much longer".
"Yes he is" Joy nodded, "he can't battle ever again, but he is on the mend, and can be carried in his PokeBall".
"Alright, you ready Charizard"?
Charizard roared, his old deafening roar he would do to tell his opponent he was ready to fight. Ash had to smile again, and enlarged Charizard's PokeBall.
Lance stood rigid, with his arms crossed on his chest, and his face burning slightly from his wounds. Three gashes trailed the length of his face, running at a diagonal starting from the left side of his chin and traveling up to his hairline on his right temple. Thankfully they weren't too deep, but they would permanently scar, and the thought pissed him off!
Kyle was beginning to doze of in a chair away from the commotion going on. A dozen research assistants were busy typing on computers, writing on clipboards, or scanning over cork boards of information. Professor Rowan was hovered over the Darkin, looking at the rough surface through a magnifying glass. Champion Lucian was standing beside Lance, looking at Rowan with amusement.
"Are you almost done" Lance barked suddenly, "we should be packing this place up! The Dominion's will be coming"!
"Almost, almost" Rowan barked back, not looking to Lance, "I believe I may be onto something…well a hypothesis really".
Lance sighed in irritation, and turned to Lucian, "how is the evacuation going with Sinnoh"?
"Well" Lucian told him, "no reported Dominion sightings so far, and the southern most towns have been completely evacuated".
"Good, good" Lance nodded to himself.
At that moment, Dawn, Ash, and Misty with Pikachu on her shoulder again, walked into the tent.
"About time" Lance snapped, not meaning for it to sound angry, "Professor Rowan refuses to begin final evacuation preparations until he has spoken with you".
"Yes, yes" Rowan suddenly exclaimed, finally looking up from the Darkin, "come here! Ash and Dawn"!
They were taken back by the abrupt request, but acknowledged it and approached the table. Dawn was more wary than Ash, who walked right up to Rowan with ease. She took little steps, not wanting to be near that dreadful artifact.
Ash noticed her behavior, and asked "you ok Dawn"?
"I hate that thing" she told him, eyeing the artifact placed in the center of the table.
Ash turned to it for the first time, and studied it. It was a rocky see through texture, long and thin, and was shaped like a diamond. There was a feint blue glow emitting from it, and the closer Ash walked to it, he could swear it was glowing more.
"Is this the Darkin" he asked wit a scowl.
"We are confident it is, yes" Rowan replied.
Here it was, the artifact he had first heard the name of in one of his dreams. Something that enraged the Dominion when spoken about. The thing that had shown Dawn the fight where Gary lost his life. Right here, right in front of him.
"I've been putting together a theory with Professor Oak for some time" Rowan began to explain, gaining the attention of all present, "I wish he were here to help me explain this, but time is not on our side. Let's start with you Ash".
He pointed a finger at the younger man, and continued on, "the Dominion's claim they cannot see your future, so that essentially makes you an unknown variable in their plans. Professor Oak told me of your dreams, and shared the knowledge that a few of your friends have not appeared in them, despite the Dominion's attempts to use everyone you care about as leverage against you. Why is this? After Dawn here had her run in with the Darkin for the first time, it had a reaction to her presence. And it seems to have a reaction to yours as well, look".
He motioned for everyone to look at the artifact, and sure enough it was glowing brighter as Ash stood near it.
Rowan pressed on, "my apologies for saying this, but I wish Gary Oak could be here to help me prove my theory. Him being one of the two not appearing in your dreams, but I believe the Darkin only reacts to certain individuals. We know it reacts to the two of you".
He motioned to Ash and Dawn, "and I am confident it would have reacted to Gary Oak. Why? For the same reason the Dominion's are targeting you Ash. They cannot foresee Gary or Dawn's future, they are unaware they exist, therefore they would not appear in your dreams".
Dawn's expression contorted as she tried to follow Rowan's explanations, but he was speaking again before she could process, "adding to that theory, the story we found about the Temple said Jerome Junder controlled the Darkin with a pure heart. Whether this is a metaphor, we do not know, but I believe the Dominion's cannot foresee your future's, because the three of you have pure hearts".
Ash let all that sink in, and it made a disturbing amount of sense...but there was one problem.
"Professor" Ash began slowly, "if everything you theorize is true, if the Dominion's can't foresee people with a pure heart, and I'm one of them, how do they know about me"?
"That has a simple answer Ash" Rowan said, rubbing his mustache, "Mew and Mewtwo. The Dominion's were apparently after Mew for some time before it had hatched, and you have always left an impression wherever you go. They picked up on your presence that day in the Seafoam Islands, when Team Rocket attacked the Research Lab. You've been their prime target because they fear another soul like Jerome Junder's. If the story in the Temple is to be believed that is".
"And we have an advantage because we know of two of them" Lance chimed in, his dark eyes flicking between Ash and Dawn. Studying them, taking in their presence as if it were the first time he had ever seen them.
"But the story said Jerome wielded the power of the Darkin with a pure heart" Dawn mused, and then cast the Darkin a wary glance, "I wasn't in control of that thing, it certainly had me under some kind of spell".
"All this is theoretical" Rowan waved off her concerns, "based on the information we have. If only we could learn more".
He cast Ash a quick glance, and Dawn caught onto his implication, "you want Ash to try and have a reaction like I had?! That's the dumbest thing we could do right now"!
She hadn't men't for it to sound so critical, but the thought of Ash having to witness something else terrible that might happen, didn't sit well with the bluenette.
"In a sense, yes" Rowan admitted, "we could possibly conclude some of my theory's".
"Absolutely not" Dawn argued, taking a step forward, "I'm sorry Professor, but you don't know how that thing works, and it felt like it had nearly killed me"!
"Unforunately, we don't have the luxury of time for a debate" Rowan said sharply back, "we need answers, and we need them now".
"Lance" Dawn huffed, turning to the Dragon Master, "you agree with me right"?
Lance looked her in the eye for only a moment, then averted his gaze, "no I don't. I agree with Rowan. We need answers, and if this could give us some, then it's worth the risk".
Dawn looked absolutely infuriated! She glared at the Kanto Champion, and for the first time, making him feel small.
"Miss Dawn" Rowan said softly, "it is not ideal, but it's the best we can do at the present time".
"If everyone would shut up for a second and maybe consider asking the person you're talking about, we might get somewhere" Misty interrupted harshly, staring daggers at all three of them.
They went silent, each turning a slight shade of red. Ash had been watching the exchange in silence, pondering in his own thoughts if it was a good idea or not. They each had valid points. Dawn had had a front row seat to the Darkin's illusions, so her concerns were worth noting. However, they also needed answers desperately...
Ash took a moment to glance between each of the people currently gathered around him. Lucian raised his hands in front of him and said, "don't look at me. This is none of my business".
Kyle had fully dozed off in his chair, and was beginning to form a strand of drool from his bottom lip. Dawn still looked adamant Ash not attempt to get a reaction from the Darkin, but Rowan and Lance were looking at him expectantly. So Ash turned to the two beings he trusted the most in the world.
"Misty" Ash began to ask, "you've always been able to connect the dots that I can't see. What do you think"?
She looked taken back that he had asked, but was touched that for probably one of the first times in his life, he was actually putting real thought into something and wanted her opinion.
"Honestly, I don't think you should do it" she told him, "we know nothing about that thing, and what it can do to you. We need you, and I don't want to take the risk of losing you if something were to go wrong".
Ash nodded slowly as her words set in, then looked at Pikachu, "how about you buddy"?
"Pika Pikakchupi" he said, shaking his head no.
"Well that decides that" Ash stated, turning back to Rowan, "we come up with a different plan, and I think I may have one".
Rowan looked disappointed, and Lance nodded is respect of Ash's decision, even if he thought otherwise.
"I hope you have a decent one then" Rowan sighed.
"Arceus" Ash told the room at large, "we need to find Arceus. I had been thinking about it before the Dominion's arrived, and the story you found clearly states Arceus was involved in stopping them before creation. So, we ask for his help".
"That's your plan" Rowan barked incredulously, "what on Earth makes you think you can find the creator of the known universe"?!
"I've dealt with him once" Ash said simply, "I can do it again".
Rowan fell silent as he registered what Ash had said. The young man had had a run in with a God.
"Dawn" Ash continued on, "I'll need you to come with me. If we are two of these 'pure hearts' then we have double the chance of winning this thing together".
"Right" Dawn nodded, closing her fist confidently.
"Ash" Lance took a step towards him, "I respect you more than anyone else, and I respect your decision to not interact with the Darkin, but we need a more solid plan than trying to find a God".
"You have one" Ash told him, "the Regions are evacuating to Unova per your order. Go help prepare for the strike back while we find Arceus".
There was a moment of silence as Ash stared at Lance. The others were watching, waiting. Lance was showing no emotion, and it was unclear what exactly was going through his mind. Ash on the other hand, looked determined. Having a plan, well some kind of a plan, was all he needed. Moving towards a goal, instead of running away, would help their situation. Regardless if they were successful or not.
"Alright" Lance finally said, "you've been apart of this since the very start Ash, I'll follow your lead".
Dawn's mouth nearly fell open. She had known Lance personally for only a few months, but they had become good friends, and she liked to think she knew him pretty well. Following orders was not his forte', but here he was, telling Ash he had command.
"Lucian" Lance turned to the Sinnoh Champion, "finish up the evacuation here, and hurry to Unova. We have an army to train".
"Right"!
And he bustled out of the tent.
"Rowan" the Dragon Master continued, "pack it up, all this research is going to Unova with us, and the Darkin. We may find a use for it somewhere else".
"Yes sir. You heard the man" Rowan barked to the research assistants around the tent, "pack it up! We leave in ten".
"You three" Lance said softer, turning to the younger adults, "go where you need to, just be safe".
His eyes lingered on Dawn for a second longer, and he gave her his best smile he could. She smiled back, and then Kyle woke up with a loud snort.
"What's with the commotion" he complained, looking at the assistants packing things away noisily, "can't a guy get some sleep"?
Before Lance could toss a well humored insult Kyle's way, a siren blared from across the camp. Then it was followed by the noise Ash had been dreading he'd hear...the metallic shriek, of a Dominion.
Shouts began to cry out from outside, follows by blasts, and more piercing shrieks. Chaos erupted around the tent. Lance was instantly shouting orders, Rowan was bellowing for the Darkin to be packed, Kyle toppled out of his chair, Dawn froze in place with fear, and Ash and Misty sprinted towards the tents exit.
Ash burst through the flaps, and halted in the squishy mud. Around the edge of the mountain, dozens of Dominion's were swooping in, heading straight for the campsite. Lightning struck one of spotlights, obliterating it, and shooting glass all directions.
Lucian's voice echoed across camp, "Sinnoh League Officials, defend the evacuees! Buy them the time they need"!
All across camp, trainers released various Pokemon of all kinds: A Skuntank, Abomasnow, and Purugly to name a few. They cried out as their trainers issued commands, and leapt into action. Attacks launched at the incoming Dominion's, who twisted and turned to dodge them as they flew into camp.
Mud blasted into the air as the Dominion's fired their attacks in response, splattering the Pokemon and trainers alike. A Dominion thudded down in the mud beside one trainer, and backhanded him. He launched backwards and slammed into the side of a parked jeep with a sickening thud of flesh on metal.
Fleeing scientists piled into another jeep, and spun the tires in the mud as they floored the gas. The jeep slid, cocked sideways as they raced towards the downward path of the mountain. A Dominion splashed down in front of them, and blasted its lightning at them. The driver spun the wheel wildly, causing the jeep to swerve uncontrollably towards the edge of the mountain side. With a creek of metal, and crumbling rocks, it toppled over the edge.
Dawn had run outside, and gasped as it disappeared. Ash shouted, "time to go"!
He slipped in the mud as he started his sprint away from the invading creatures. Misty swayed behind him as she too had trouble keeping her balance in the slosh. Dawn, having been there for weeks and grown accustomed to it, caught up to Ash with ease and was now leading the way.
A strike of yellow lightning cracked into the side of the Temple, rupturing a hole near the top. Ash spotted three Dominion's swoop inside through the opening. The familiar sounds of death arose behind them as the ripping of flesh cut into the night sky.
Screams of pain and terror filled the air, followed by horrifying gleeful shrieks of metallic voices. They had to get away, get into the wilderness. Avoid civilization where they could and hopefully they could avoid the Dominion's! That would have to do until they figured out how to find Arceus.
Misty yelped as her foot caught a rock hidden under the mud, and she face planted into the gooey mess. Pikachu flipped off her shoulder, splashing onto the ground and coloring his fur with dirt.
Misty stumbled to her feet, her front completely soaked and covered in muk. Her eyes stung from the little that had gotten behind her eyelids, and she dared not wipe at it with her dirty hands.
Ash and Dawn slid to a stop, and Ash turned back to help her, grabbing her hand to help her steady herself. Pikachu popped out of the mud, shaking his head to rid himself of some gunk.
Then, a paralyzingly icy chill sent goosebumps down all of their spines as one particular Dominion shriek rang out. It was angry, furious, coming from the temple and bouncing up and down the mountain for miles. Misty spit mud from her mouth, then said, "that doesn't sound good".
In a blurry flash, one Dominion burst from the hole in the Temple, and flew directly overhead the camp. It hovered in place for a moment, surveying the scene below. Blood was mixing with the brown muk. Human, Pokemon, and Dominion. Jeep's had been flipped over, blown up, or ripped into. Tents were shredded, on fire, or flattened. Bodies littered the camp, lifeless or on the verge of being so.
Dawn's heart hiccuped as the lone Dominion hovering way up high, looked straight at them, with bright green eyes. The very same she had seen the first time she had interacted with the Darkin.
Ash spotted the Dominion too, and a mix of emotions flooded into him. Fear, and fury being the dominant two. With a snarl, the creature flew straight at them, it's eyes fixed on Ash. Pikachu's cheeks cracked, and he fired a bolt of electricity at the incoming creature. It waved its third arm ahead of it, striking the electric bolt, and deflecting it away.
Ash shoved Misty out of the way, and dove to the side as the Dominion swept by him and slashed out. A searing pain arced across his back as the creatures claws cut across his skin. He skidded into the mud, swallowing some as he inhaled from the pain.
Misty shouted, and reached back for a PokeBall. She wasn't fast enough however, as the Dominion landed and backhanded her. She flew high, and crashed hard on her back, the landing not being softened by the mud. Pikachu blasted another arc of electricity at the creature, hitting it across the face. It recoiled slightly and snarled at the mouse. It lurched forward and swung its arm, catching Pikachu off guard, and smacking him away by about twenty feet.
Misty coughed as she tried to sit up, and the Dominion was in front of her in the blink of an eye. It raised its arm to pierce through her torso, and swung down. Misty's scream was caught in her throat.
The green eyed monster shrieked in surprise as a heavy crash knocked it aside. The evil creature kept its balance, and swung around to attack its attacker.
"Dodge it Quilava" Dawn shouted.
Quilava dug its heels into the mud and dove out of the way as the Dominion sliced through the air. The dark creature spun and its eyes flashed a brighter green. It materialized and launched a same colored ball of energy at Quilava. The fire Pokemon tried to dodge it, but the blast wave sent it and mud flying into the air. In the blink of an eye, the Dominion was underneath the Pokemon, and slashed its claw across Quilava's gut, spilling intestines across the ground. Dawn's scream broke Misty's heart into more pieces than it had previously been.
Ash lifted himself out of the mud, turning towards the cry. The Dominion approached him, ignoring Dawn as she sprinted to her still alive Pokemon as it whimpered in the mud.
The Dominion stopped a foot from Ash, glaring down at him with hate. A chilly breeze blew by, stinging the cut across his back as he glared right back up at it.
"Where is the Darkin" it demanded with a hiss, it's eyes flashing with rage.
"Long gone by now" Ash lied, forming a cocky smile on his lips.
For a moment, the Dominion simply stared down at him. Then with a bloodcurdling shriek it raised all three of its arms to cut into him. Both Dawn and Misty grappled onto the Dominion's back with a mighty leap. The creature snarled in response, swinging its arms around as it tried to grab them. Dawn dug her fingernails into its leathery scaled skin, and Misty pulled her arms as tight as she could around its throat.
Her body was holding down its third arm, and it battered against her as it tried to break free. It shrieked once more, and shot straight into the air. The force of the sudden movement knocked Misty loose, and she tumbled back into the mud.
Dawn however, was knocked loose by the Dominion's third arm now free. She flew through the air, towards the cliff side. Crashing into the mucky dirt, she rolled right up to the edge, stopping inches from tumbling over. She was completely covered in mud, and her body ached from head to toe, but she hurried to rise to her feet.
Ash stood up as the Dominion flew at Dawn, rearing back to strike. A flash of light burst from his right, and a mighty roar shook the mountain side.
"HyperBeam Gyarados" Misty bellowed, and the Water Pokemon obliged.
Dawn caught the Dominion's eyes as it was five feet from her, murder glinting off of them. Then a bright orange beam enveloped the dark creature, blasting it up above Dawn, and over the cliff side.
It recovered instantly, turning in the air and firing crisp green lightning at Dawn. Ash began to shout, and a yellow blur rocketed past him. Pikachu Body Slammed into Dawn, sending her flying once again into the air, but out of harms way. The lightning struck the cliff side just below Pikachu, and the edge cracked of shattering rock. Then the cliff face gave, and crumbled away, taking Pikachu with it.
His first Pokemon's cry of shock, and pain as he disappeared over the cliff was never heard by Ash as he watched the event unfold, and all senses in his body went numb with denial.
Anyone starting to think I'm just trying to rip your hearts out? No? Ok good!
Next chapter will be a reverse of this one. It will Ash and Misty for a bit, then jump over to Brock, May, and co.
I do hope everyone is enjoying part 3 so far, even if it is filled with tragic events. As always, let me know what ya think!
Alsooooo, anyone notice someone was missing? Hmmmmm, mysteries, mysteries, how I love to keep you all wondering!