Chapter 35 – The end of Temple of Dragons
After The Lady pressed the button, explosions began around the temple, pillars and walls started to fall down, the floor started to tremble and crack, showing that at any minute now it could also start to fall down. However luckily for all of them, the explosions weren't as strong as it was in the second temple when Myers used only one powerful bomb to destroy everything, The Lady decided to set many less powerful bombs around it, and if she had done just like Myers did, all of them would have died in a matter of seconds, but that doesn't mean they were saved
"The whole temple will fall down soon" said Lance "We must go back to the first temple to exit the Temple of Dragons back to Mt. Silver"
"You mean we have to walk back down to the first temple?" asked Dawn
"Can't we fly to there?" asked May
"After the battles…. My Pokémon are not able to fly us" said Lance
"What about you Ash?" asked Serena
Ash who had been hit by a toxic spike was having much trouble raising up or speaking
"Me neither… not after Charizard lost to Dragonite" he said
"Forget about it" said Lance "We must run now. Once this temple gets completely destroyed, all the others below us will also fall down, we must reach the first temple before it happens"
Lance took Ash by the arm to help him get up, he was getting worse, the poison was fast consuming his body and it was a matter of time until consume him completely
"Come on Ash" said Lance "One step at a time, we'll soon get there"
Getting down the stairs wasn't easy when you had to avoid getting hit by a rock, or keep the balance from the small earthquakes caused by the explosions. At this time May and Dawn were ahead guiding them through the way while Lance and Ash were in the middle followed by Serena and Pikachu who were covering them
"Watch out" said Serena pushing Lance and Ash as one pillar fell where they were supposed to step
"Boy… that was close" said Lance realizing the pillar was only two centimeters from him and Ash "Thanks Serena"
"No problem" she answered "Are you okay Ash?"
"Think so" he answered with a weak and almost inaudible voice
"Guys we've already reach the third temple" said Dawn
"Yes" said May looking behind to them "If we keep this speed we'll be soon…"
May stooped talking as she saw something far away coming into their direction, she wasn't sure what it was at first but then she realized it was a stone and it was about to hit them
"Move" she said making everybody jump away from there as the stone hit the floor
"What the hell was that?" asked Dawn
"Jennifer" said Lance looking up to the stair at the fourth temple where The Lady was standing. She soon used her psychic powers to raise another stone and threw at them
"Watch out" shouted Lance as they once more had to dodged her attack
"I TOLD YOU NOBODY WILL LEAVE" The Lady shouted from up the fourth Temple
"Damn you Jennifer" said Lance "All right… I'll stay and fight her. You three take Ash back to the first Temple"
Dawn, May and Serena agreed to Lance and were about to carry Ash away when he himself got up
"No" Ash said "Lance, you go and take them away from the Temple. I will fight her"
All of them looked at Ash surprised, he obviously wasn't thinking straight probably due to the poison
"Ash what are you saying… you have no conditions to fight her, you are about to die" Lance said
"That's right" he answered "We both know that there is less than one percent of chance I get out alive of this temple"
"Ash" Lance said
"Walking as slow as I am… will make us not able to get in time at the first temple" Ash said "As Dragon Master, I will stay until the end within the Temple of Dragons… it's the right thing to do Lance. Like a captain who stays in the ship until it sinks"
Lance said nothing, if he was still a Dragon Master he would probably do the same, but still… it seemed wrong
"If we all try to leave, Jennifer will keep delaying us with her powers" said Ash "And none of us will escape"
"So… we all die" said Lance "Because we're not leaving you"
Ash smiled at them, a smile that showed everybody how weak and about to faint he was, but Ash had made up a decision and he wasn't going back on that. He looked at May Dawn and Serena who were lined in front of him and then to Lance who was standing next to him
"I'm sorry" he said
"You're crazy if you think I'm leaving you" said Serena
"Just like Lance said… either we escape together" said May
"Or we die together" completed Dawn
"It's not a choice" Ash said
"Ash… we are NOT leaving" said Serena
"Yes you are" Ash said as he took Lance by the arm and pushed him to the girls, making the four of them to get separated from Ash "Pikachu, Iron Tail on the floor"
Pikachu jumped from Serena's shoulder and hit the ground with his iron tail attack causing it to break, creating a large gap between Ash and the others, making it impossible for Lance and the girls to return to Ash's side
"Ash, why did you do that?" asked Serena
"I would never risk your lives because of me" said Ash "I'm weak now, I can barely walk. You on the other hand have a chance to reach the first temple and leave safely"
"Ash… that's really what you want?" asked Lance
"Yes. Please I ask all of you to do this for me" Ash said looking to May, Dawn and Serena "I promise that once you three are safe… I'll do my best to catch up with you"
"Do you really promise?" asked Dawn
"Of course…. I'll do my best" he answered
"Please Ash…. Be there" said May
Ash nodded to them as he saw his friends turning away to keep going down, but one of them remained stood and staring at him
"Serena…" Ash said
"Do not… give up until it's over" she said crying
Ash tried to smile but his injury didn't allow him, but would never let Serena see that
"Never" was all he could say to her
Serena took Pikachu, who had stayed on their side in her arms and also turned away to catch up with the others
"So cute" said a voice from behind Ash
"Jennifer" said Ash as he saw The Lady in front of him "You've caused too much trouble to me and my friends… it is time for you to finally find your ending"
"You're killing me?" she asked "With your injury you can't even remain up"
She was right, Ash was began to feel his body tingle and his eyes to get out of focus… he wouldn't last long in those conditions
"I'm not killing you, I'm not like you Jennifer" said Ash "But… I have no reason to save you either"
"Nonsense. I may have no more Pokémon to battle… but I still have my Psychic Powers, and they are more than enough to finish you" said The Lady as her eyes began to shine red and stones once more raised from the ground
"This place is about to collapse Ketchum. I will escape somehow… but I will not give you the chance to do the same" said The Lady "And once I finish you I will go after Lance and your girls"
As she said it, The Lady started to throw the stones at Ash
"Sceptile, use cut" said Ash throwing a Pokéball and revealing his grass Pokémon who easily used his cut attack to prevent the stones to hit his master
"So you can still fight" said The Lady "But I have no time to waste with you"
The Lady then used her powers to raise many stone and throw them at the same time. Sceptile tried to cut them but they were many and he got hit for some of them
"Sceptile… Are you okay" asked Ash and also falling into his knees "Damn it… what's happening"
"You have little time left" said The Lady "The poison is about to reach your heart, and as soon as it does… you will be no more Ketchum"
"I will not give up Jennifer" Ash said "At least not as long as there blood in my body to make my heart beat"
"Well… so I have only to wait a couple of minutes more" said The Lady
"Sceptile, use Energy Ball" said Ash
Sceptile prepared the attack and sent to The Lady a powerful one, but with her powers she made the energy ball to stop in the air and return to Sceptile, hitting him pretty bad
"Sceptile…" said Ash, his voice was getting weaker and weaker
"Do you surrender now?" The Lady asked "It is time to you to understand that miracles don't happen twice in a roll"
Ash had no more energy not even to answer her, he knew since the begging that it was a matter of time to him to pass out and wait for his end, so with last effort, he returned Sceptile back to his Pokéball, his Pokémon would be safe within the Pokéballs, even after Temple of Dragons gets completely destroyed, it would keep them safe and alive
"All right" The Lady said "I think the time has come"
The Lady looked around to find the biggest and largest stone at sight, once she found it, she raised it with her powers once more
"It was fun Ketchum… but we both knew since the beginning that not you or Lance could stand a chance against me" said The Lady "I may not be the Dragon Master… but I am the winner here"
Without being able to answer, Ash just stared at the stone that was floating over his head, once The Lady released it… he would be crushed
"Good bye" said The Lady as she released the stone
AT THE FIRST TEMPLE
Lance, May, Dawn and Serena reached the first temple safely, it took them more than they all thought, principally when they reach the second temple, which had already received an earlier explosion, what made the path difficult to go through, they all had to climb stones and avoid holes which were all over the place, but fortunately they managed to reach the first temple
"Thanks Arceus we got here in time" said Lance "Come on girls let's get out of here"
"We have to wait Ash" said May
"He said he would try to catch up with us" said Dawn
"Girls… face it. Ash said that with no intention to ever return" Lance said "I know that it's difficult but… he's doing it to not save only us… but the whole world. Keeping The Lady inside the Temple as it gets destroyed it's how he will save us all"
May and Dawn looked at each other unsure of what to do, they refuse to believe that Ash wasn't coming back, for them it was a matter of time until Ash appeared behind them saying everything was fine
"Let's wait a little more" said May
"That's right. If we see that we are running out of time… we leave" said Dawn
Lance looked at them, he was ready to open the portal back to Mt. Silver… but he also didn't want to leave the Temple of Dragons without knowing if Ash was coming back
"All right" he said "We'll wait as much as possible"
"Thank you Lance" said May
Lance smiled at them and then noticed something… something that he didn't believe at first, something that made him tremble in fear. How could he be so careless?
"Where is Serena?" Lance asked as pale as a ghost
May and Dawn turned around and saw nothing but the temple's debris on the floor. Serena had disappeared
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND TEMPLE
Serena was running back to the third temple, she had reached the first temple along with Lance, May, Dawn and Pikachu, but she turned back as soon as she stepped on it
"I can't leave him there alone" she thought "Even if I'm useless… I will stay by his side until the end"
Serena had already reached the second temple; going up now was way harder than going down since walls were falling, pillars were collapsing and the floor was cracking, but nothing would stop her now
"Wait for me Ash… I'm coming"
AT THE THIRD TEMPLE
Ash had closed his eyes waiting to that large stone to fall on him, but what he felt were dust and something that he realized it were stone fragments… that stone had been destroyed by something, or someone. But who?
"You?" he heard The Lady say
Ash opened his eyes and saw two figures in front of him, a Pokémon that Ash recognized as Mega Tyranitar and a person…
"Mascaro?" Ash asked
"Hey boy" Mascaro said "How are you?
Ash looked at him not believing what he had just asked, couldn't he see that he was about to die?
"I've looked worse" Ash said
"Really? Hard to believe" he answered him
"Mascaro what are you doing here?" The Lady asked "Why did you order you Pokémon to destroy my stone?"
"Because… It's enough my Lady" Mascaro said "You lost in an honest battle. Accept it and let1s go back to Pluma Island"
"Why would you want to stay with me?" The Lady asked
"I don't want" he answered "But I gave you my word to accompany you to anywhere after you saved my daughter"
"You say you will accompany me… but you do not obey me" The Lady said "I know you cut some slack to the blue haired girl at the first temple"
Mascaro said nothing, he knew she was right
"And then you had a chance to destroy Lance when you found him at the third temple… but you also did nothing" she said
"I had my reasons" Mascaro said
"I don't care… You are nothing but a piece of shit" she said "You do not deserve to stay on my side… I don't want you as a Team Tenebris member anymore"
"In this case, I won't feel bad for fighting you" Mascaro said
"Fighting me? What makes you think you can defeat me?" she asked
"What makes you think I can't?" he replied
"Enough of that" she said
"I agree" Mascaro replied "Tyranitar, use shadow ball"
Mega Tyranitar tried to use the attack Mascaro ordered but before he could prepare it he was hit for one of The Lady's stones
"Tyranitar, use double team" Mascaro ordered as he saw many others Tyranitars appeared
The Lady continued throwing stones at each one of them until only the real one left to be hit, and he did once more, falling into the ground
"The only thing you can do is throwing stones?" asked Mascaro
"It seems to be working pretty well on you" The Lady replied
"Great… my plan won't work until I have a chance to get the boy out of here" Mascaro thought "But how am I going to do this?"
"Ash!" shouted a voice from behind Mascaro
Mascaro turned around to see who was shouting and saw her
"The girl" thought Mascaro "Perfect"
"What are you doing here?" asked Serena from the other side of the gap that Pikachu had open with his Iron Tail
"Hey… you are Serena right?" asked Mascaro
"Yes I am" she answered "Is Ash okay?"
"I guess so… he only fainted" he answered "But he's still alive"
Serena looked at Ash on the floor, his face was horrible, pale and his veins could be seen all over it due to the poison… it was frightening
"Listen to me" said Mascaro not loud so only Serena could hear "Things will happen pretty fast here… so be aware"
"What?" asked Serena "What are you talking about?"
Without answer Mascaro took Ash by his shirt and threw him to the other side of the gap
"Hold him" shouted Mascaro as Ash landed on top of Serena
"Ouch" she said but soon realizing that Ash was with her she didn't mind the pain
"What do you think you are doing Mascaro?" asked The Lady
"Finishing you once for all" he answered her "Alakazam, Sigilyph Go"
Mascaro threw his two Pokéballs and next to Mega Tyranitar, appeared Alakazam and Sigilyph
"You think Psychic Pokémon can defeat me?" asked The Lady "I am the Psychic Queen you fool"
"Queen? You look like more a witch to me" Mascaro said "Sigilyph use Protect on Alakazam, Alakazam use Gravity and Mega Tyranitar, use Earthquake"
"What?" asked The Lady
"This place is about to fall down my Lady. But the earthquake will speed up the process" said Mascaro "We will fall down along with the temple… down to the ends of the Temple of Dragons, where no one can leave"
"You stupid… I can use my Psychic Powers to levitate" said The Lady
"Not after Gravity you dumb" answered Mascaro
"What?" said The Lady trying to levitate but not being able to "My body is heavy!"
"And now… Sigilyph will not get affect to the earthquake due to his own levitation nature and Alakazam is protected and the kids are on a separated ground… so it's only you who is going to feel it" said Mascaro smiling
"NO" said The Lady "PLEASE NO!"
Mascaro returned his three Pokémon and turned around to face Serena
"I'm going together with her" he said
"What?" asked Serena "What are you talking about? Use your Pokémon and jump here… you can be saved"
"I don't want to… neither my Pokémon want to" he said
"Why not?" Serena asked
"We've done many bad things along the years… we deserve this ending" Mascaro said
"Don't be ridiculous" said Serena
"I'm not…" said Mascaro looking around him as the temple finally began to fall down completely "You have to be fast. Now due to the Earthquake, the Whole temple of Dragons will fall down in less than ten minutes. You have to take Ash back to the first temple to exit it"
Serena said no words… she just looked at Ash in her arms and agreed with Mascaro
"Thank you for everything" said Serena
"You're welcome. You know… it's said that the ends of the Temple of dragons is a place to restart… maybe I and my Pokémon will have a chance to restart as something good" he said
"You are good Mascaro" Serena said getting up with Ash's arms around her neck to try to drag him along
"If you ever go to Nimbasa city… please find a girl named Diana and tell her that her father loves her very much" said Mascaro smiling at Serena
Serena avoided to look back, she didn't want to see Mascaro falling down, but she knew he had, although the only voice she heard was from The Lady's as she tried to levitate until the last second, but her attempts were in vain… she also feel down to the ends of the Temple of Dragons. If what Mascaro said was true… if the ends of the Temple were a place to restart as something good, Serena wished with all her heart to both of them to return to earth someday as something even better than good, as something amazingly wonderful. That's what she wanted for them
AT THE FIRST TEMPLE
"They are not coming back" said Lance "The fourth and the third temple have completely fallen down"
"Have faith on Ash" said Dawn
"And principally… have faith on Serena" said May
AT THE SECOND TEMPLE
Serena was doing all she could to take Ash back to the first temple safely, after the death of Mascaro and The Lady, she only had to worry about getting there either before The Temple completely fall down or before Ash's poisoning reaches his heart, but going through the second temple was almost impossible when you were carrying someone
"I can do it" Serena said "I can't give up now"
Serena finally managed to pass through the second temple, now all she had to do was going down the stairs to reach the first temple and meet Lance, May and Dawn, but after all that, she was exhausted and with no strength to continue… so she fell down with Ash in the middle of the stairs
"Is too difficult" said Serena breathless "My body can't continue"
"Serena…" said a voice near her
"Ash… don't talk… you're too weak" she said "You must save your energy"
"Why did you come back?" Ash asked
"Why? What do you think" Serena smiled "I came back for you… I love you"
"Love me?" Ash asked
"Of course you silly" She said "And also… I wanted to know what you were going to say… when you grabbed my hand"
"You… you…" Ash was finding difficult to speak, mostly because of his conditions than anything else
"Ash, you better not talk" Serena said "If this is going to be the end… let's remain in silence and together"
"Can I tell you something?" Ash asked ignoring Serena's advice
"Of course" she answered
"You know… ever since I remember myself, I wanted to be a Pokémon Master. To follow my father's steps and make my mother and town proud of me" Ash said holding Serena's hand
"They are proud of you Ash" Serena answered
"I never cared about any other thing but being the best trainer in the world… I never cared about studying or being in shape… or even about finding love" Ash said
Serena look at Ash confusedly, was he going to reject her at that moment? In that conditions?
"Ash…I… maybe this is not…" Serena tried to say but was cut by Ash
"Just listen to me Serena… please" said Ash
"Okay" she said
"It's interesting how destiny works. From all people in the world, destiny put me next to you for the second time in my life" Ash said "You were the first person I ever invited to come with me in a Journey and at first I didn't know why… but then I realized that for some reason I just wanted to be near you and for the first time in my life I started to care for someone beside myself, my mother or my Pokémon… I care for you Serena"
Serena blushed as she heard Ash's words, was he going to say what she was hoping him to?
"As I said Serena… I don't know much about love… I never fell in love before" Ash said "But… I know that eventually I will have to fall in love and learn to love someone that will be with me for the rest of my life, and… if I have to choose someone to help me find this feeling…. I want it to be… You… Serena"
Serena couldn't believe her eyes… Has Ash somehow just declared to her?
"Is this the way you say you love me, want to be with me and find love with me?" Serena asked blushing and crying at the same time
"I'm not good at saying these things… but… yeah" Ash said
"Well… I take it" she answered "Let's find love together"
Serena leaned her head to kiss Ash but was stopped by him at the same time
"It's not a good idea… there is poison all over my body" Ash said
Serena just smiled at him
"I don't care" she said and pressed her lips against his in a passionate kiss that for the first time she felt it belonged only to her and nobody else
That moment between Ash and Serena could have been considered perfect if it wasn't for the fact that suddenly the ground beneath them began to shake and crack
"What's happening?" asked Serena
"We have no more time" said Ash "Tem temple is going to collapse"
Without having time to answer, Serena felt the ground opening beneath them and soon they began to fall down
"ASH" shouted Serena as both of them were supposed to have fallen into the ends of the Temple of Dragons… but somehow they didn't. They both felt their arms being held by someone, and as they looked up they saw two girls holding them by the arms
"May! Dawn!" said Serena as she saw her friends pulling them back to the ground
"Wow… that was close though" said Dawn who was pulling Serena up
"It surely was" said May who was pulling Ash up
"How did you know we were here?" asked Serena
"We saw you two from the first Temple" said May
"When you fell with Ash to the ground we decided to come help you" said Dawn
"No time to talk now" said Ash "Back to the first temple before everything crashes down"
May, Serena and Dawn helped Ash move until the first temple where Lance and Pikachu were waiting with the portal already opened
"Fast girls… this way" said Lance "The portal is open, let's go"
Without questioning, Serena, May, Dawn, Pikachu and Ash followed Lance into the portal and soon that clear and shiny place has turned into a dark, damp and cold cave
"Where are we?" asked Dawn
"We're back to Mt. Silver" answered Lance
"We did it" said May
"Yes… we did it" said Serena "Ash we did it"
Serena tried to call Ash but he did not answer, he was laid at the ground with his eyes closed, pale and cold
"Ash?" Serena asked again "Ash wake up"
There was no answer from him
"He's not moving, he's cold" said Serena trying to feel his breath "He's nothing breathing either"
Lance came closed and touched his neck to feel his pulsation… but there was none
"Oh no" Lance said
"It couldn't be" said May
"Please say it's no true" said Dawn
Serena then threw herself on Ash's chest and started to shake him in an attempt of wake him up
"Ash… please… wake up" she said crying "Please Ash, don't do this to me… please"
"Serena… stop it" said Lance "It's useless… he has…"
"DON'T SAY THAT" she shouted "NO…NO…NOOOOOOOOO!"
On 05/12/2016 – The Last Chapter of The Elite Four Tournament