Hello again guys. How did you like chapter 1? Please review so I can see what you guys think of it.

In response to Aaml's review:

My bad, I actually thought Pikachu's gender was unconfirmed, I'll go back and edit it at some point but for now I shall change it in future chapters.

I actually thought I was being over descriptive, so that's good to know.

Anyways, chapter 2 is up, so enjoy.

*edit - I'm currently working on the next chapter but I realised I included Team Plasma by mistake. I have chosen not to include the Kalos and Unova Series in the story. Kalos because I haven't seen it yet, and Unova because it was awful and I hated it. Apologies. Chapter 4 coming soon.

Dialga. The enormous legendary Pokemon and master of Time itself stood before Ash Ketchum silently. It towered over him like some kind of deep blue monolith, it's edges a cold, burnished silver that looked as if no amount of heat could ever melt them. The Pokemon exuded power; it seemed to literally seep from its pores, and Ash knew that if he angered it he would stand no chance against it, he would be dead before he could even twitch. But then, he thought, even if he did stand a chance, this was a Pokemon that could stop him from ever being born and therefore stop him from challenging it. His head hurt, but he wasn't sure if it was just from thinking about time. Sheer awe rendered Ash speechless, he just stared at it waiting for it to speak.

"I imagine that you have questions." It began in a voice that boomed with he power of aeons.

"Um, yes." Ash managed to reply, slowly finding his voice. "Where am I?"

"Nowhere, no-when, this place exists outside of time. I brought you here." While its voice was powerful it seemed stilted. Ash figured that Dialga didn't speak to a lot of people.

"You... You were the one that causing the rippling? And the pain?"

Dialga paused every time before he spoke. "I apologise for that. It is not an easy feat to rip someone out of time, even for me, and especially someone who has had so much impact on the world."

"Have I had that much of an impact?"

"You are surprised? Think of all the people you have met, the lives you have changed, the Pokemon you have saved."

Ash thought back through his past. He supposed he had helped a lot of people. "Why have you brought me here?" He was surprisingly calm, he noticed; maybe he was in shock, or dreaming.

"I brought you here because I need your help and you need mine."

This really was a curveball for Ash. He stood there in shock for a moment. "You need my help?"

"I do."

"Why? You are the legendary Pokemon of time and, well, I'm just a trainer." Ash was baffled. Dialga shifted a little and made a strange whooshing noise. Ash realised it was a sigh.

"I must warn you that what I am about to tell you will upset you. I want you to think back through your travels and think about all the people and Pokemon you have met. Think of their lives, their personality, and think about how their lives changed for the better because of you. Every being you have befriended, from legendary Pokemon to human children, has benefitted in some way from you. However," Dialga paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. Ash just stared, transfixed.

"Throughout your endeavours you have come into contact with some of the most dangerous criminal organisations on the planet. Rocket, Magma, Aqua, Galactic; in some way you have hindered or disrupted their plans, and they have grown tired of it. In what you call the present they recently held a meeting where they identified the greatest threats to their organisation and you were one of their top priorities. This is why I have brought you here."

Ash kept silent, taking it all in. This was so much to handle, and he had no idea how to respond. Dialga wasn't finished, however.

"Three hours from your time a division of Team Rocket, assisted by Team Aqua, will attack Pallet Town. They will raze the town to the ground and many will die, including you."

Ash's heart stopped beating. He sunk to the floor, suddenly feeling like he was about to throw up. This couldn't be real; everything had been going so well. It was a dream. It must be. He clutched his head as if to somehow dispel the terror. His breath came short and ragged and he stared at the ground blankly. Trying to process the information. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was-

Suddenly all the emotions tearing through Ash's mind flatlined: as if someone had flipped a switch he was suddenly devoid of feeling. He stood up calmly and looked at the huge form of Dialga.

"I calmed you. I did not bring you hear just to inform you of your doom, and I need you to focus." Dialga intoned. "This is the reason that I brought you here. While I said you will die that is a technicality; shortly after your death you will be revived in Viridian General Hospital. This, combined with the deaths of your friends and family, will change you. You become harsher and eventually you become what you were trying to fight. I have brought you here to prevent this. I will prevent your death by taking you out of time and will return you to it after the event has passed."

Ash processed this with cold logic. "I see." Was all he said, his mind still numbed by Dialga's power. His voice was flat and monotone but in the distant corners of his brain he could feel outrage, fury and fear burning away, unable to release themselves. "Why have you only saved me?"

"Every time I change events in history I alter the future. Removing you has already caused too many changes; had I taken your friends as well I could have destabilised the future completely. You are more important than them."

Ash felt the distant anger flare. His next question came to him. "Couldn't you have just prevented the Teams from being created?"

"Again, the changes to the timeline would be too drastic."

"The only way to do this was by saving me and letting the others die?"

"I have looked at every possibility and examined every outcome. This option seems to have the least impact."

Ash paused. "Seems to?"

Dialga's head tilted and it looked away. Ash realised that Dialga was slightly embarrassed. "You are a very unusual person, Ash Ketchum. You have had such a huge impact on the world in such a short space of time. It makes your future difficult to predict. Most humans are born, quietly go about their lives and die. Their future is easy to see. Yours is not."

Inwardly Ash was flattered that even the Master of Time couldn't predict him, but the dampening power wouldn't let him show it. "When I return I assume you want to me to hunt the teams down.

"You assume correctly, although I am sure you would do so regardless of what I say. I removed your possessions and Pokemon along with you, and I have placed them in a pocket of time for training. When you return to the timeline it will be as if they have spent the whole time training. Once the Teams believe they have eliminated you they will go after the elites and champions. Whilst they are strong the Teams will eventually defeat them. After that I do not know what their plan is, but it will be very dangerous, Ash. It will threaten all Pokemon and humans. In the future I have seen visions of a construct of great destructive power. You will need to be careful."

"I will." Ash felt the power in his mind ease and his emotions moved closer, hesitant like an animal being let out of a cage. "So I will return to my world a few days after I left?"

"Actually no; there are only certain points in history where people can exit and enter the timeline. The next opportunity will be three years after you left."

"Three years?" Ash cried, his emotions gaining more ground. "How am I supposed to stop the teams when they are three years ahead of me?"

"By doing whatever it takes, Ash. This is the only option left. Find what friends remain to you, you will need them."

"Wait," Ash was confused. "I thought they had all..." He gulped. "Died."

"All but a few, but those will not be easy to find."

"Why didn't you say that before?"

"I said many would die, I did not say all." Dialga's tone clearly showed that these people were nothing to it.

"Well, you know what?" Ash spat, his temper breaking free. "Be more fucking specific next time. Don't fucking mess me around when it comes to my friends and family; they mean more to me than everyone else on the planet and I will not listen to you talk about them like they are bacteria."

"Pika!" Came a sudden cry of support from Pikachu, who had been listening in quietly for a while.

The fog surrounding them grew very dark and thunder rumbled in the distance. Dialga seemed to grow in size and towered over Ash and Pikachu. Ash gulped, suddenly remembering the power of the creature that stood before him.

"Watch your tongue, boy. I do not care about your friends. I do not care about your family. I do not care about your feelings. I care only about protecting the future and you will help do so, irregardless of your feelings. Do you understand?"

Ash swallowed his pride and his rage. "Yes."

Everything grew quiet and calm again. "Good. Prepare yourself, for you will be leaving soon." As Dialga spoke the world rippled like it had before. "It will not hurt this time."

"Wait." Ash cried out as his body became transparent. "I'm not ready. Can you at least give me some advice?"

The world rippled again. "Your remaining friends will be invaluable." Was Dialga's reply. "Seek them at all costs."

"Is that all you can give me?"

"Yes."

Ash stared at the Pokemon God, not sure if it was being rude or not. "You son of a-" he began, but disappeared before he could finish.

Dialga stood in silence alone. "Good luck, Ketchum."

Ash opened his eyes to see the evening sky above him. The sun was just beginning to set and the sky was tinted a faint red, with a few stars glimmering in the distance. He could feel Pikachu on his lap, so he sat up and petted him. The yellow rodent growled softly in pleasure. Looking around, Ash saw he was on a small hill, which looked familiar. The tree nearby looked very familiar, but what seemed to be headstones beneath it he didn't recognise. They looked well-

Slow, numbing dread filled his gut in one, agonising punch. Ash prayed silently that they weren't what he thought, but he already knew the truth. Pikachu whimpered softly and hopped onto Ash's shoulder as he got up. Ash moved closer, every step an eternity until, finally, he could read the names on the graves.

Dawn Berlitz

Brock Harrison

May Maple

Max Maple

Tracey Sketchit

Prof. Samuel Oak

Delia Ketchum

'Loved by friends and family all. May their names be remembered forever.'

As Ash knelt silently in the grass before them, he promised them that they would, and wept.

Sorry that took so long guys. I have a busy job XD Anyways, please review and look forward to the next chapter.