Chapter 23: Convergence of the Storm.
Summary: heading towards the final confrontation with the Dark Aura Masters Ash, Salvia and their friends from Unova convene on Celesitc Town only to meet up with Willow.
Ash, Salvia, Hilda and Hilbert continued to their destination, the weather remained calm with no signs of rain, the skies were clear with the flying type pokemon resting on the fields, with the wild ground based pokemon grazing in the fields, the girls walked a head leaving Ash and Hilbert to stand alone, "Ash, can I have a word with you?" Hilbert asked his raven haired friend with a serious tone.
Ash looked at the princess who was talking to the brunette, "what is it?" he asked cautiously.
Hilbert stood next to his friend, watching the women talking, "about you and the princess," Hilbert started but was ignored by Ash who walked ahead, "you can't hide it from your friends forever, in fact I don't think you can hide from Salvia either," Hilbert informed Ash, Ash stopped and glanced back to his friend from Unova, "Greed, Dusk and my wife know about it," Hilbert claimed, Ash lowered his gaze and took a deep breath, "what's the matter my friend?" Hilbert asked the trainer.
Ash chuckled as he took a quick peek at the princess, "she is way too good for me, what makes you think that she would ever be in love with me?" Ash asked the king from Unova.
Hilbert shrugged his shoulders and started to shake his head in disbelief, "you know, I might as well, let you discover things for yourself," Hilbert complained while Ash watched his friend walked towards the two girls.
'Please mind your own business,' Ash thought to himself, he stepped back to watch Salvia, feeding the wild pokemon the wild berries, "how long is before we can know peace in our lives?" Ash asked himself, he felt the wind pick, sensing the presence of another being, he looked around and found that no one was around apart from his friends and the princess, 'odd, I sensed an aura that I have felt in four months,' Ash told himself, turning away from where he sensed the aura.
"Ash, we are going now," Salvia called out, brimming with confidence.
'Yeah, I cannot dwell on the past forever, I need to keep moving forward,' Ash kept telling himself, but still wondering what would happen next with his inner darkness, 'it seems like I still need to conquer it, but I wonder, what would happen if he surfaces again?' Ash questioned himself, trying to come up with a solution to his situation.
Without warning the princess jumped in front of him, catching Ash off guard, "what are you thinking about this time?" She asked him.
"N-nothing, I am just wondering what the Dark Aura Masters are planning," Ash lied to the princess, attracting her suspicion, "yeah that's it," Ash tried to hide his shame.
"Sure Ash, you're lying, I can hear in your voice," the bluenette crossed her arms in disappointment, she turned away, causing Ash to rethink his approach, "you know, you can tell what is bothering you, don't hide it from me," Salvia started to berate the trainer.
'She picked up I was lying, she really is amazing,' Ash told himself, he followed the princess, feeling guilty about his lie.
Walking through the fields until they made it to the road heading towards Celestic Town, Ash glanced back wondering about the aura he had sensed. The group walked up to the area where the fog was bordering the route, a serious expression soon crossed Ash's face, "guys I sense another powerful aura," Ash announced as the group turned their attention to him.
"Another powerful person?" Hilbert asked himself, knowing that Ash wasn't lying this time, he looked towards the growing thickness of the fog, "so it seems like we're are heading into a situation blindly," Hilbert placed his hand on his chin.
Salvia approached Ash and tapped him on the shoulder, "you're joking this time, aren't you?" she asked him, but noticed his expression becoming more serious.
"Not only am I serious, we might end up getting separated, so we need to stay close," Ash informed the other three people, he walked in first, with the princess following closely then followed by the Unova royals.
Staying close to Ash, Salvia walked next to him, not wanting to lose him, she looked back to discover that her friends had quickly vanished from her limited range of sight, "um Ash, it seems like Hilda and Hilbert aren't here," Salvia pointed out with a panicked tone.
"Damn they accidently took a different road," Ash hissed, he scared the area with his eyes glowing blue. He lowered his vision and slowly moved his left hand towards the princess' right hand, hesitating, "um…Salvia, we might get separated, so I was thinking that we should…" Ash tried to finish his sentence.
Salvia's face started turning a little red, wanting to say something, but the words would not emerge from her mouth, her right hand moved grabbing Ash, "I don't want to get lost, so I will take your hand until we make it to the next town," Salvia stated, the two walked silently towards the town on their own with Ash using his sharper sense of sight to follow the road, the air started to get colder.
Ash felt the princess' hand shaking from the cold, he looked out the corner of his eyes and noticed the bluenette, Ash let go of Salvia's hand and removed his jacket, he handed it over to the princess, but she stared at it for a moment, "I don't want you getting sick," Ash stated fondly of the young royal.
Ash placed his jacket around the princess and grabbed the hand of the princess, "let's keep going," Ash suggested.
Salvia now feeling a little embarrassed by the actions of Ash, continued on in silence, she looked up and noticed the aura surrounding Ash, she felt the aura hitting her hand, "thank you," Salvia thanked the trainer quietly.
The hours passed, Ash and Salvia finally met up with the lost Hilda and Hilbert, they looked down at their friends, seeing that they were holding hands, "so, now you're holding hands?" Hilda asked the duo, to which they quickly let go, they looked away.
"So where were you?" Ash tried his best to change the subject.
Hilbert started to chuckle and scratched the back of his head, "well you know, we both got a little lost," Hilbert confessed with a hint of humiliation.
"You still sensing the aura?" the brunette asked the Aura Master.
Ash lowered his head and nodded, "I now sense two, the other one I know that aura, but the first one I was sensing is a strange one," he answered the Unova queen, he scanned the area again and took a deep breath, "the other one is a cold, dark aura," Ash stated much to everyone's displeasure.
"Not bad for a new Aura Master," A female voice called out to the trainer, she emerged from the thick blanket of fog, a smirk running across her face, she looked around to find herself outnumbered, "I see, so here we have a princess, the new king and queen of Unova and of course the Aura Master," the woman crossed her arms amused at the sight was in front of her. She glanced up at Ash who was trying to figure out who this woman was, "oh sorry, where are my manners?" She asked herself with a sense of sarcasm.
"Where is Shade and Hollow?" Ash questioned the Dark Aura Master.
"Easy, maybe you need to know exactly who you're dealing with," the brunette informed Ash. She started walking around the four people, "my name is Willow, a Dark Aura Master, not like that gullible moron named Dusk," the woman known as Willow stated with a smirk, almost proud of her deception of Dusk, she continued to circle the group.
Ash raised his arm up to prevent Willow from getting closer to the princess, he glared at her as she stopped in front of the group, "what reason are you here for?" Ash asked the woman coldly.
"Oh come on, don't be like that, I am here to see my enemies, who they are and what would be the best way to kill them," Willow announced her intentions to Ash and the rest of the group, she looked up to the princess who remained calm, "seems like you still lived after the situation in Pastoria City," Willow directed her words at the young royal.
"You knew what was going on?" Salvia asked the enemy with a frown.
Willow started laughing at the question and turned away, "of course, Pride and I are allies after all, you see, Pride has been planning the rise of his own kingdom," Willow informed the quartet.
Ash clenched his fists, "so then what about Dusk?" Ash asked the brown haired Aura Master.
"Her? Well, she is a remnant after all," Willow answered the Aura Master.
Ash watched as the powerful enemy started walking away, "wait!" Ash called out to her, Willow stopped while Ash glared at the enemy, "what do you mean by Dusk being a remnant?" Ash asked the Dark Aura Master.
"Well, that doesn't concern you," Willow replied, a smirk crossed her face as she vanished in the thick fog.
"I asked you a question!" Ash yelled out, getting the urge to chase after his quarrel, "now I need an answer!" Ash demanded, chasing after the Dark Aura Master, he looked around, but discovered that she was nowhere to be found, "what the hell was she talking about?" Ash whispered to himself, now feeling like he was missing a piece of the puzzle.
Hilbert rushed up to Ash with the women closely following him, "don't run off like that," Hilbert criticized Ash for his actions, 'idiot, Salvia was here and all you think about was Dusk being this remnant,' Hilbert thought to himself, glancing back to the princess who was looking at the ground with a hint of sadness.
"Alright we better head to Celestic Town, it isn't far away," Ash noted leading the other three towards the small town.
Hilda glanced at the princess with a smile, "don't give up, you will soon find the courage you need to tell him," Hilda reminded her friend, she looked up at the raven haired trainer, "giving up isn't an option, you need to make sure he is happy and isn't going to throw away his life out of revenge for something outside his own control," Hilda explained to the blue haired princess, walking ahead of her making her think about her own lack of courage.
Meanwhile at Mount Coronet Shade and Hollow were entering the cave that lead to the Sky Pillar, their missions still defined by the intentions of the last remaining Shadow Lords, "so Hollow once Pride takes over this crappy world, what are you going to do?" Shade asked his friend.
"Me? Well I am going to crush the Kanto region, that filthy Aura Master is from that region," Hollow informed his ally.
Shade started laughing at the idea that was being told to him, he looked up towards the cave, "me it is simple, since I have ambition, I am going to kill pride than reshape this world in my ideals," Shade replied to his friend's goals. The two continued their journey through the caverns, their thoughts back to their ally who was more than likely back in Celestic Town, "but for now, working with Pride is the only way we can achieve our goals," Shade stated with a smirk, 'as for you Willow, when the Aura Masters are defeated, a blade of steel will be hanging out of your back,' Shade held back his laughter.
Willow walked towards the town waiting for the four friends, she looked towards the southern route of the town and smiled, 'she is also almost here, along with the traitor,' Willow thought, almost enjoying the convening of the two groups to the small town.
"So, you want to play games," a female voice rung through the air, all of a sudden a blue haired woman landed in front of her, creating a crater raising dust into the air, Willow had jumped back before impact, the dust started settling with Dusk glaring at her enemy, "my name is Dusk, your worst nightmare."
"Oh so you're the Aura Master, nice to meet you," Willow smirked at her foe, almost taunting her to attack, "but now is not the time to fight, which will be at mount Coronet," Willow started walking away from the Aura Master.
"Wait, don't run away from me you coward," Dusk called out, but the Dark Aura Master ignored her and continued to leave the bluenette displeased with the actions of her enemy, "I hate her," Dusk growled, she turned around to see Greed entering the town, "What took you so long?" she asked furiously, trying to hold back from using her anger on the Shadow Lord.
Greed scanned the small town and smiled, "well it seems like we will be heading to Mount Coronet," Greed stated, he grew concerned about the other group, Greed walked further into town and noticed that only a few people were walking around, 'the last time I was here, there was more people,' Greed noted the change in the dynamics of the town.
Dusk started to investigate the small town, the streets seemed empty with only a few people walking around, the lights in the houses were off and the silence almost haunting, 'the aura here, the people with this aura aren't in the town,' she started thinking about the missing people, her vision soon switched to the mountains, her expression serious, but gained a sense of knowing what was happening, "they are at Mount Coronet," she whispered to herself.
Dusk turned around to see Ash, Salvia and their friends from Unova making their entrance into the small town, "so you two made it here as well," Ash called to his friends.
Dusk slowly walked up to Ash, "you," she pointed at the Aura Master.
Ash gulped feeling like Dusk was still holding her grudge against Ash, "me?" Ash answered, but couldn't help but gain a sense of uneasiness towards Ash.
"What happened? Right now, you are in control of part of the dark aura," Dusk growled at the raven haired man, she circled the Pallet Town native, "you still aren't in control of your inner darkness," she mocked the Aura Master.
"Don't you have anything nice to say to Ash?" Hilda asked the bluenette, but was ignored by Salvia's doppelganger.
Dusk turned towards the princess, "so you cut your hair because things didn't go the way you wanted it to go?" Dusk asked the young royal, moving her right hand towards Salvia's shortened blue hair. Before getting an answer Dusk walked away from the group and towards the empty streets of Celestic Town, "I don't have the time to mock you two, I am heading to Mount Coronet," Dusk started heading off without getting the response.
Greed watched the young woman walking off, "you know, she might not like to admit it, but she is envious of you both," Greed informed Ash and Salvia with a chuckle. But as the feeling started to become a little more light hearted, Greed noticed the serious expression of Ash and Hilda, "as you two know, something is wrong, almost everyone in this town is missing, Dusk said they are at Mount Coronet," Greed explained the situation to the group of four.
"I have been here for a few days, and have watched a number of people heading to the mountain," a male voice from one of the alleyways stated, he emerged from the alleyway, revealing himself to be the former rival of Ash, "what took you so long?" Paul asked the trainer, then turning his attention to Hilda and Hilbert, his gaze was soon fixed on the mountain, "I have heard rumours that this has been happening for the last few weeks, I don't feel so good about this, something more sinister is going on," Paul kept his eyes fixated on the intimidating mountain in the background.
Ash walked up to a building and placed his hand on the building, "there is aura everywhere," Ash stated as he closed his eyes, watching the remnants of the aura pour into his mind, 'even without being obvious they have taken a large number of people away from this town, but why?' Ash tried to read the aura until he looked to the left, he noticed a dark aura surrounded by the aura's of the citizens of the small town.
Salvia watched Ash approaching the specific spot, "Ash, is everything alright?" the royal asked with a concerned tone.
Ash looked up and shook his head, placing his right hand over the spot, "so this is their intentions," Ash whispered, the group of friends watched the trainer standing up, "it is worse than expected, they are intending on using the people of the town to bring the three legendary pokemon out of hiding, Palkia, Dialga and Giratina," Ash informed the group.
"Sacrificing them, but why those three," Greed asked his friend, crossing his arms the Shadow Lord.
Hilda looked up, tilting her head, she felt her head hurting, placing her right hand on her head, wincing in pain from the burning sensation, "they plan on awakening Arceus, the use of the people is nothing but a starting point, but Ash, Salvia and Dusk are the three that are ultimately needed to bring the god of pokemon out of hiding," opened up about the goals of the Dark Aura Masters, 'this is reminiscent of the goals of Pride,' he grew more concerned about the growing situation.
"We are heading out now," Ash snapped at the group of friends.
"No, we need to rest, Hilda has used too much of her limited psychic abilities, plus her and Hilbert have travelled all the way here, then Salvia seems exhausted too, she needs to rest and you, you seem to have had no rest either, it would wise to rest up for the night," informing the group of the problem they all faced, he walked away from them as they tried to figure out why he was telling them to rest.
(Later that night)
Ash walked into the main foyer of the Pokemon Centre, his thoughts on the upcoming battle, slowly walking through the main foyer, empty and with only a couple of lights on, a few decorations which signified the coming of Christmas, spotting the tinsel and the tree Ash walked up to the decorated tree, "Dawn, this is what could have been," Ash whispered softly, upon finishing his sorrow filled comments he started hearing foot steps leading up to him, quickly turning back he spotted Salvia who was in her pink nightgown, "hey princess."
"Why are you out here alone?" the blue haired royal asked the Aura Master.
The two looked up at the tree, "I was talking to greed earlier," Ash stated as he grew more concerned about the mission, 'am I trying too hard?' Ash asked himself.
Salvia turned towards the fireplace, her eyes fixated on the flames, she then turned her attention to the trainer standing next to her, "I have been thinking, but it concerns you," Salvia confessed her thoughts to Ash, she looked around, but she was ignored by Ash who was thinking about his argument with Greed.
Ash took a deep breath, feeling visibly shaken by his comments, "Greed said there is no way I can save everyone, he said that I am trying too hard, what do you think?" Ash asked the bluenette standing next to him, he looked back in hopes for a more positive answer.
"Sometimes, it is almost impossible to save everyone around you, I found that out in Pastoria City," Salvia explained, thinking about the loss of her father. She turned away from the trainer and started walking to her room, "maybe we should look for one person to protect and put all our effort in keeping them safe, I found someone who I would put my life on the line to keep safe, in fact make that person smile again," Salvia explained, she sighed and admired Ash from a small distance away, 'I found the person, but he doesn't know yet,' thought the princess as she slowoly turned her attention away from Ash.
Ash walked up to the fireplace and watched the dancing flames, 'someone I need to protect,' the raven haired trainer stared at the flames, staring into the flames he ignored everything around him, even the princess who was watching from the entrance of the hallway, 'when I lost Dawn, I thought I had lost all my hopes of happiness,' Ash thought to himself, but remembered everything of his struggle to defeat the enemies that appeared before him, "but I have found someone I cannot lose, someone I cannot let any harm come to,' he stared into the flames seeing the image of Dawn and Salvia, both nodding at him.
Hilda approached the blue haired princess and tapped her on the shoulder, "why aren't you asleep?" the brunette asked the younger royal.
Salvia turned to the queen, her expression of disdain was directed at the attire of the queen rather than her question, "that isn't really something a royal would wear," Salvia pointed to the shirt that was cut off at the stomach and her small dress that was coloured red, "while on this journey so far I feel like I have been selfish," the princess confessed her disdain towards herself.
"How so?" Hilda asked her friend.
"For example I whenever I think about the future, I see Ash, myself and children, is that so wrong?" Salvia whispered her question to Hilda.
Hilda shook her head and smiled, focusing on Ash, the queen crossed her arms, "no it isn't wrong, sometimes Salvia, funny thing is, as loyal as I am to Hilbert, I do have a small crush on Ash," Hilda informed the princess, the two royals watch, "but I cannot swap and I cannot compare to your love, the love you have for Ash is something you need to tell him," Hilda informed the princess who was fixated on Ash, 'man, she is more obvious than anyone I have ever met,' she thought to herself.
"So what should I tell him?" Salvia asked her friend.
Sitting on the couch, Ash continued to stare at the flames, "I don't want to sit back helplessly," Ash whispered, he continued to think about what his friend had told him, "telling me I cannot save everyone, telling me that a leader will need to make tough choices, he is telling me this sort of stuff…" Ash whispered as he clenched his fists, "he is telling me as if one day I am going to become king of this region."
Salvia tapped Ash on the shoulder causing the man to jump in shock, "so what are you thinking?" the princess asked the Aura Master.
Ash smiled at the princess, he quickly turned to the flames, "thinking about how I can change myself even more than I have in recent weeks," Ash stated his growth over the previous weeks, his own fight against his own inner darkness, "and yet, I am coming to realisation that I cannot save every person, be they stranger or the people I care about," Ash stared into the flames, talking about his own weakness.
"Alright, let me ask you an important question again, who is it you want to keep safe?" Salvia asked the trainer.
Ash quickly glanced over to the princess and then took a deep breath, he let out a sigh and turned away from the princess, "I want to keep you safe," Ash admitted to the royal, he walked to the hallway as the princess stared at him, her mouth wide open in shock, "I am going to bed," Ash informed the young royal, but no response emerged from her.
Hilda walked up to her shocked friend, "wow princess, your face is beet red," the Unova native teased her friend.
"He wants to keep me safe?" Salvia asked herself. Repeating her question, she turned to the flames as she felt a new urge of hope course through her heart, "he has given me the courage to maybe one day tell him my feelings," the bluenette still shaking from the resolve that Ash had given her, "that was the first time he said something really genuine to me, something of that nature, I haven't heard him say in a while," Salvia looked back to see Ash entering his room.
"This might have nothing to do with me, but when are you going to tell him?" Hilda asked her friend, with the question ignored, the brunette watched her friend walking back to the hallway, "you cannot hide it from Ash forever, it will just keep building until you say something," Hilda called to her friend, trying her best to get a reply.
Salvia halted before entering the hallway, she peered back at her friend and nodded, "soon Hilda, right now I am a little nervous as to how he really feels about me," Salvia answered back and entered the hallway.
Placing her right hand over hear forehead, the brunette shook her head in disbelief, "those two are really dense, they have no idea of the feelings other holds," Hilda started laughing at the situation, "fine, I will let them find out on their own for now," Hilda calmly told herself, but also knew that it was getting late and there was no use in pushing the issue further, 'I certain hope those two idiots get the message.'
Next time: chapter 24: Let the Game begin
AN: with 15 chapters left we will be starting to tie things now, and within those 15 chapter a lot has already been written, so in reality not much left to go, please enjoy