Chapter 32 – The Dragon Pearl
"Ash..." whispered Lance "Pay attention"
"Yes!" Ash answered
"Behind Jennifer there's the Duvivier's Temple entrance. I need you to go there and get me something"
"What?"
"The Dragon Pearl"
"The what?"
"It's a pearl forged by Duvivier himself and it allows the user to reach the final evolution"
"The final evolution?"
"The one only Duvivier was able to achieve. The fusion between a man and a Pokémon" whispered Lance "That's the only way to defeat Jennifer's Dragonite"
"You never told me that"
"Duvivier's temple is forbidden even to the Dragon Masters. It is said that only in a situation of extremely chaos it must be entered. I think this moment has arrived"
"So that's how it works"
"Exactly. I don't think Jennifer has any information about this… that's why she didn't enter the temple yet"
"I can't go there now?" said Ash "She will suspect that something is wrong. And I doubt that she will allow me to enter"
"That's why I'm going to distract her" said Lance "I think Dragonite can stand against hers for a while. But be careful… The Dragon pearl is the most powerful object of the world… I never entered Duvivier's Temple but I'm sure it will be not easy to get it"
"Right… more stimulus" said Ash "When am I supposed to go?"
"You will know when it's time"
Ash looked at May. Dawn and Serena
"Did you hear that?"
"Yes" they answered
"You're coming with me" said Ash
"No" answered Lance "It will be difficult to distract her enough time to you four pass. It must be quick and just you Ash"
"Fine" Ash answered
"Besides…" said Lance looking to the girls "I have a mission to your three as well"
"What mission?" asked Serena
"As soon as Jennifer realize Ash has entered the Temple, she will try to go after him… so you three are going to protect the entrance while Ash is inside it"
"Right" said Dawn
"We can do it" said May
"All set then" said Lance "Let's start"
"What are you three talking about?" asked The Lady "Some strategy?"
"Don't worry Jennifer" said Lance "It's nothing you would be interested of"
"So shall we star?" asked The Lady
"After you sister"
"Dragonite, use Hyper Beam" ordered The Lady
"Perfect" thought Lance "Dragonite use Hyper Beam as well
Just like a few minutes ago, both Lance and The Lady's Dragonites used Hyper Beam, making them hitting each other, causing an explosion and making smoke goes everywhere
"Now Ash run to the Temple" said Lance
Ash hold his breath and ran into the smoke, he could see nothing in front of him, but he had memorized how long he was supposed to run before reaching the stairs that guided to the entrance's temple, and so he was right since he easily found the stairs and without being noticed by The Lady, he silently entered Duvivier's Temple
"He did it" thought Lance as the smoke started to fade away
The Lady calmly waited until the battlefield was clean again and she quickly notice Ash's absence
"Where is the boy?" asked The Lady
"Who?" asked Lance playing dumb
The Lady looked behind her and stared at the Temple's entrance. She already knew what had happened
"He passed by me didn't he?" she asked
"Well… since he's not here I think it's a good guess" Lance answered her
"Why did he enter the Temple?" she asked "What's in there so important to him… or to you?"
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about" said Lance
"Dragonite… keep battling… I'm going after him" The Lady said as she started to walk to the temple's entrance but was stopped by a Hydro Pump, a Flamethrower and a Shadow Ball that came from Empoleon, Blaziken and Pangoro and hit the stairs in front of The Lady
"You're not going anywhere" said Serena
"You will stay right here" said May
"Try to do anything out of the line and you'll see what we are capable of" said Dawn
The Lady looked at them angrily but then started to smile
"You three are so lucky that Lance protects you from my mental powers" said The Lady "Fine… I will finish Lance first, then you three and for last I will go after Ketchum"
"Dragonite, use Thunder" ordered Lance
Black clouds appeared in the sky, discharging a powerful electric attack on The Lady's Dragonite. For the first time he seemed get damaged by an attack
"Dragonite?" asked The Lady
"Lance's Dragonite is really powerful" said May
"Yes. Ash tried so hard but couldn't even hurt him" said Dawn
"Dragonite use Dragon tail" ordered The Lady
"Agility" said Lance as his Dragonite easily avoided the attack
"Use you speed to go behind him" said The Lady
The Lady's Dragonite flew fast passing by Lance's and positioning himself behind him
"Dragon breath" said The Lady as her Dragonite hit Lance's in the back with a super effective attack
Lance's Dragonite fell on the ground but got up fast, however it was obviously hurt
"Well… The Lady's Dragonite is also powerful" said Serena "Maybe more than Lance's"
"Come on Ash" thought Lance "Fast"
As soon as Ash entered the Temple all noises from the battle outside disappeared. It was like there was some kind of force that excludes the temple of the outside world
"Alright" said Ash "If I were a very powerful pearl that allows people to fusion with Pokémon…Where would I hide?"
Ash looked ahead but all he could see was darkness. The only light available was from flashlights lined on the floor that formed a path. Probably that's where he should go… forward
"It's just like that damn cave… It seems I've been walking for hours but reach nowhere"
Ash walked for what seemed hours until he saw a different light far ahead. He walked until he reached the light. It was a shiny little ball… a pearl
"No" said Ash smiling "It can't be that easy"
Ash looked around expecting that something or someone to appear to attack him but since nothing happened…he grabbed the pearl
As soon as he took it the lights turned on revealing the Temple inside. It was all… empty. Only a big room, no furniture, no statues, nothing.
Ash looked behind and realized the entrance was no longer at sight
"Great… I knew it" said Ash "Show yourself. I can feel you"
Ash waited for an answer but none came
"Alright. So we're playing" he said "There's someone here… it is moving so fast I can't see… so…"
Ash took a Poke ball a threw it
"Talonflame, Go!" he said calling his bird Pokémon "Since there's someone moving fast… I'm going to make the room air goes wrong"
Ash closed his eyes and remained in silence for a few seconds
"It's moving clockwise" he whispered "Talonflame, fly as fast as you can anticlockwise"
Talonflame did as was ordered and started flying anticlockwise making the air goes wrong. After a few seconds a small hurricane was already formed
"It's losing speed" Ash said "It's working"
Soon Ash started seeing someone running around the room, due to the hurricane this person lost speed making him visible, when he realized he had already been noticed by Ash, he stopped running
It was a man about fifty, he had long grey hair and beard, blue eyes and thin
"Talonflame, return" said Ash calling back his Pokémon
"So… you found me" said the man "How did you know I was running around the room?"
"I must admit that it was difficult at first, but then I started feeling something inside me. Something I just feel when I'm around Lance"
"And what would that be?" he asked
"The spirit of a Dragon Master" Ash said "Who are you?"
"I'm Duvivier. The Dragon Master"
Ash was surprised… he was hoping for someone important but Duvivier himself? Was he a ghost like Kent?
"Are you a…"
"I'm not a ghost Ash"
"How do you know my name?"
"You are a Dragon Master. This is enough for me to know everything about you"
"So you know why I'm here for?"
"You want the Dragon Pearl"
"I found it on the floor" Ash said showing the pearl on his hand "Is this the real one?"
"Yes it is" said Duvivier
"Can I borrow it?"
"What do you need it for?"
"It's not me" Ash said "It's for Lance"
"So… how come you came here to get it?"
"Lance is… busy now"
"It seems Lance is always busy" said Duvivier
"How does it work?" asked Ash "The pearl? How does it work? Did you use it to fusion with your Dragonite like it's told?"
"No"
Ash didn't know what to do. Duvivier gave him the Dragon Pearl and it seems it was okay for him. But why Ash was feeling that something was not right
"Aren't you going to take the Dragon Pearl to Lance?" Duvivier asked
"What?"
"Isn't that why you came here for?"
"Tell me about the fusion" said Ash "How does it work? How did you manage to do without the Pearl?"
Duvivier smiled at Ash, he finally got what he wanted… his interest about the fusion
"Very well" he said "I was known for being the only Dragon Master and person on earth that achieved the final evolution… The fusion. My Dragonite and I were so close to each other that our bonds allowed us to become one in mind, heart and spirit. Since I was little and my Dragonite was a Dratini we were always together. He never used a Poke ball and I never saw myself as his owner, but as his friend. I knew what he wanted just like he knew what I wanted; we could talk to each other by only looking to one another. When I became a Dragon Master, our bonds just grew stronger until… one day I realized I was no longer by myself… we were only one, I could feel the power of the Dragons inside of me just like he could feel the power of the humans. Until today I have no other explanation but… we became one"
"What about the pearl?" Ash asked
"A war came to the world… The Dragon Master all fought against the enemy… it was difficult and I tried so hard to help… but age had already reached me and Dragonite. We were no longer fast and powerful as we used to be. Thanks to the Dragons we won that war but… I then realized that to never let that happen again I had to do something"
"What did you do?" Ash asked
"I built this Temple and locked myself in for years trying to discover a way to teach other Dragon Masters to achieve the final evolution… but it was impossible to do by conventional ways"
"What do you mean?"
"I can't teach a person to get close to its Pokémon like I did. I can't teach love or kindness between a man and a Pokémon. It's up to each person to learn by itself… but I can boost these feelings"
"By using the Dragon Pearl" said Ash
"Precisely" said Duvivier "The pearl raises all good feelings between a trainer and a Pokémon… and if the feelings are strong enough… they can reach the final evolution… the fusion"
"How did you do it?"
"When I found that out… my Dragonite was already old and weak… so I took his spirit and forged the Dragon Pearl"
"Your Dragonite is inside the Pearl?"
"No Ash… he is the Pearl"
For the first time Ash realized that the Temple of Dragons, the Dragon Masters and the power that the Dragons themselves created and taught humans were beyond the imagined. There was much more to be discovered about the Dragons and their philosophy of life. They were above all and maybe there wasn't a limit to their powers
"Impressed?" asked Duvivier
"Actually… yes" Ash answered
"Lance was just like you when he came here years ago"
"What? Lance's been here already?"
"Yes… he and many others before him" said Duvivier
"Why didn't he take the Pearl?"
"He was not ready… like all others before him"
"So that's why you're here…" said Ash
"Yes. The Temple's force made live this long to wait for someone who would be worthy of receiving the Dragon Pearl"
"And this person… is not Lance" said Ash
"No Ash. This person is not Lance"
"But you are letting me leave with the Pearl" said Ash
"Yes, I am"
"So… does that mean that…"
"Just put two and two together Ash" said Duvivier
"I can't do it" said Ash "If Lance's not ready I'm not either"
"Do you really believe that?"
"I… don't know"
"Be real Ash" said Duvivier "Deep inside you always knew you had much more potential than Lance. That you would be a better Dragon Master than he"
Ash remained in silence
"That's what I thought" said Duvivier "You may be not ready now… here, at this moment, but your heart, mind and soul are… as soon as you find a Pokémon as ready as you… it will happen"
Ash said nothing he was very close to all his Pokémon… but could this bond be strong enough to reach the final evolution?
"Now… take the Dragon Pearl and go" said Duvivier "Lance won't last much longer on that battle"
"I can't go" said Ash "The entrance disappeared"
"You mean that one?" said Duvivier point behind Ash
Ash turned back and saw the entrance standing right after him. It wasn't there a couple of minutes ago
"It wasn't there a couple of…" said Ash turning back to Duvivier, but he was no longer there
Ash looked at his hand and saw the Dragon Pearl. Was he ready for that? And more important… were his Pokémon ready as well?
"I guess there's just one way to find out" said Ash turning back once more to the entrance and walking outside it