This is the one hundred fortieth chapter in Pokemon Heroes. Another late update, but it should be fixed up by the end of Thanksgiving break. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the songs.
(Opening song)
"It is certainly in this direction," said May as she and the others carefully walked along the tall grass that went higher than their heads. "There should be someplace with people around here...I think."
"You think?" asked Dawn. "I think we should head back to the main path. It's dangerous in this area of the forest."
"No, we should keep going. I can feel it."
"Stop grabbing my leg, Brendan," said Ash.
"That's not me. I'm standing right next to you!"
"Then who else is...oh wait, is that a tentacle?"
He was suddenly then brought into the tall grass. Brendan sighed and turned back to get him.
After a while, with hope slowly starting to deteriorate, they reached the end of the tall grass. When the girls broke through, smiles quickly formed on their faces. Ash and Brendan came a few seconds later as Ash was kicking something that was attached to his leg. When they looked ahead, they were relieved.
Close was a village, large enough as the large lake that the village was built on the shores of.
May turned to the others and gave a sly smirk.
"See. I told you I could find us a place to gather some supplies."
Dawn looked in awe, especially toward the lake by the village. Then her amazed expression vanished.
"That lake's dirty," she said.
May looked out and noticed the green colored lake. It looked beyond polluted and disgusting. Garbage could be seen floating on the water's surface.
They all stared out at it, but then May turned to them and gave a smile still.
"Beggars can't be choosers."
She then turned and ran off toward the village. The others sighed and slowly followed her.
Embodiment of North Winds
Upon entering the village, they already saw the contrast between the surrounding area and the village itself. People were tanned and wore clothes made of feathers and fine wool. The buildings were made of wood and they were at a fine distance from each other. Even when the village was small, it still had a Pokemon Center, and a market for travelers. The Pokemon Center had a tanned Nurse Joy, wearing similar clothing to the people.
The smell that was coming from the polluted lake was not present within this small village due to the incense and other things that could block out the smell.
"This was different than what I thought," said Brendan as he looked around, noticing a stand where they sell merchandise.
"And you guys say I'm a bad navigator," boasted May. "Let's go get supplies. We'll rest here tonight and then hit the road tomorrow morning."
"Aye ma'am."
Brendan said that with an obvious sarcastic tone as he immediately went for the PokeMart. Dawn turned to May and gestured that she was going with Brendan. She ran off, leaving Ash and May there.
"Is there any food here?" asked Ash.
May grabbed his arm.
"We'll find that later. Let's go book a room first."
Ash groaned as she started dragging him toward the Pokemon Center.
"I can't believe they have all this. I expected homemade materials and more weird stuff, but they have stuff from other places in Ransei. I guess this village isn't as isolated as I thought."
Brendan and Dawn just walked out of the PokeMart after finishing their errands. Three bags were on Brendan's arms, two on one and one on his other arm. Dawn was behind him carrying one.
"Don't be mean," she said in annoyance. "It's still a nice place."
"Explain the dirty lake that's near here," said Brendan. "Have they even thought about cleaning it?"
"Says the person who-"
She was cut off after her gaze focused on a stand where merchandise were being sold. Next to that stand was a man on top of a platform. Little kids around the ages of five or six were crowded around him waving their arms in the air. He had a basket under his arm, and he happily pulled out an object. It looked like it was carved from wood into a shape of a Pokemon on its four legs with a large, hexagonal, cerulean crest on its forehead.
"And one for you, and you, and you..."
This kept going until every kid had one, and they ran off giggling with large smiles on their faces. The man watched them go, and then saw Dawn's gaze on him. He pulled out another from the basket.
"Would you like one, young miss?"
Dawn, realizing that he was referring to her, slowly walked toward him and took the object from his hand.
"What is this?" she asked.
"You must be a traveler to not know what that is in this village," said the man as he jumped off the platform and put down the empty basket. "It's free. I made it for the little children, but I had an extra."
Brendan, noticing that Dawn wasn't speaking, turned back and walked toward her. He saw the object.
"Is this a Pokemon?" he asked.
"That's Suicune," said the man as he looked as if he was closing down shop. "The Embodiment of North Winds."
"Is it special to this village?" asked Dawn, realizing that the merchandise the man sold were similar to the object.
"Damn right."
The man somehow folded his whole stand into a straight board and walked off while waving.
"See ya at tomorrow's event."
He walked off.
"What event?" asked Dawn.
"Now where was the Pokemon Center again?"
"And you said you were a good navigator."
Ash and May, who had already left Brendan and Dawn half an hour ago, were already lost while looking for the Pokemon Center. May, being too persistent to ask for directions since she wanted to find their way there, and Ash not giving a single fuck made the task harder. It was amazing though that they got lost in such a small village.
"We've been down this way, and that way, and that way. So that means the Pokemon Center has to be this way."
"But we've been that way."
"No we haven't!" said May as she started running down the path she specified.
Soon enough, they found themselves by the dirty lake.
"Told ya," said Ash.
May puffed out her cheeks and looked around. She saw an old lady by the lake covered in an ornate, black robe. May, finally giving up, ran toward her.
"Excuse me-"
The old lady turned to May. She looked to be in her late seventies, and she was short, being even shorter than May. She had a cane by her side.
"-do you know where the Pokemon Center is?"
"Just head back and make a right," said the old lady as she looked back out at the lake. "Just keep walking and you'll find it."
"I told you!" yelled Ash.
"Thank you," said May. She was about to run, but the women spoke again.
"This lake shall be purified once again."
May stopped and turned to her.
"Every month, on a certain day, the Pokemon that purifies water by touching it comes. This Pokemon is named Suicune."
"I've heard about it," said May. "It's hard to spot though. It always runs away."
"Not here. We get to see its graceful beauty dance on these waters."
"Really?!"
"Yes. Travelers who are lucky to come get to witness it. We aren't supposed to disturb it at all. We can only watch."
She then looked toward the sky.
"Such a peaceful Pokemon. It was once a normal Pokemon that played within the Burned Tower within Ecruteak City. But then, when the tower was set ablaze one day, it died with two others. A tragic death as well that would not even be recognized by the human race. But from the death, it was brought to life in a majestic form by the legendary Pokemon Ho-Oh."
"Ho-Oh," May repeated the name.
"Yes, Ho-Oh. That majestic beauty brought it back, along with Entei and Raikou. These three travel around Ransei, helping people and Pokemon to make sure the world becomes a better place. Such a beautiful tale for such beautiful Pokemon."
"It is," May responded. The older women nodded and then turned, walking away.
"Tomorrow's the day Suicune is set to appear. If you want, you can stay and see. But don't take any photos or be a disturbance. That'll cause it to run away."
May watched her go, until she went back into the village. May looked back out at the lake for a few moments, and them ran toward Ash, who was waiting patiently for her to finish.
The next day, the people and trainers passing by hearing about the rumors of seeing Suicune gathered near the lake. The stench lingered in the air, but incense was placed around them, blocking out some of the smell. It was an hour before noon, and everyone talked as if they had been awake for hours.
Ash and his friends were there as well, but Ash was already looking like he'd rather be on a bed.
"When is it getting here?"
"They said it's supposed to be coming between 11 and 11:10," said Brendan.
"How are they sure that Suicune comes at that time?" asked Dawn.
"They said Suicune's been doing this for over ten years," said Brendan. "This lake is connected to a river that a nearby village irresponsibly dumps their waste in. Most of the waste comes here. They're lucky Suicune comes to fix it up for them. It cleanses water all over Ransei."
"So this is like its job?" asked Dawn.
"It's doing this out of the kindness in its heart," said May. "I don't think it regrets helping out at all."
"And if that thing doesn't come?" asked Ash.
"It'll come. I can feel it."
After a few moments, the old women May met yesterday, who seemed to be the leader of the village, stood nearest to the lake, raising her hands. Others around her told the person nearest them to quiet down, and it continued until everyone was quiet.
The woman spoke.
"It is now where the graceful Pokemon that dances on water shall show its act of kindness. Respect him and honor him. Thank Arceus for sending a savior to us every year to cleanse our waters. We'll have healthier crops, better water, and a beautiful lake. Come Suicune, and become our savior."
Everything was quiet. The people of the village clasped their hands together and closed their eyes. One by one, people started to close their eyes. Trainers who didn't know what was happening simply followed by closing their eyes as well. Ash and his friends still had their eyes wide open, looking at the lake, waiting for Suicune to descend on it.
And nothing happened.
For fifteen minutes, nothing happened.
Eyes opened up one by one, and people started to whisper. The whispers got louder until the quiet was gone. They were all in confusion. Even the old woman in front was staring at the lake in astonishment. Dawn checked her Pokewatch.
It was 11:20.
"Maybe it's coming late," said Brendan as an excuse.
"Maybe it just didn't want to come today," said Dawn, placing her hands on her sides in disappointment. "Or maybe they mixed up the days."
"Thank Arceus this was free," added in Ash as he turned to Pikachu on his shoulder. "If this was a paid event, then I'd be yelling rip off."
He then turned to May.
"Since it's not happening, can we get back to the Pokemon Center."
She didn't respond.
But then, the feeling suddenly came out of nowhere.
The feeling that they both felt, at the same time, warning them of something.
But what they were feeling were two different things.
They started to look around frantically, attracting the attention of Dawn and Brendan.
"You okay?" asked Brendan.
Then, May's gaze focused on one direction.
Toward the forest, and Ash was also focused on there as well.
She then bolted, running past people.
"May!" yelled Ash. He took Pikachu and gave it to Brendan quickly while preparing to run.
"What happened?" asked Dawn.
"Stay here!" said Ash quickly, looking at Brendan. "I'll get her, but if anything happens to this village, I'm counting on you and Pikachu to take care of it."
Brendan was confused, but then he got serious.
"It's them?"
"Be careful," said Ash, and he suddenly ran off toward the forest.
May was running past trees and bushes, heading in the direction that made the feeling in her stomach stronger. Ash was right behind her, calling out her name, but she didn't respond to him.
The feeling Ash was feeling was sinister, therefore he already knew who he'd be dealing with, but he never once thought that May had the same feeling as well.
Or was it the same feeling?
They kept running, until Ash finally felt it at its highest point.
May walked up behind a tree and peeked out, but then distress covered her face.
"Sui-"
Ash came, covered her mouth, and hid behind the tree. He breathed heavily, and then he slowly peeked out.
He knew it.
Standing right in a small open field was a someone with a black coat, with silver metals around the chest. The black hood was pulled up, but the way that person looked already told who it was.
It was a Dark Signer.
This particular one was just standing there, holding a book. From the way he looked, Ash could tell he was a man.
But there was something else that piqued his anger.
In front of that Dark Signer, within a bubble-like trap floating a little above ground, with its eyes closed and its body limp, was the four-legged blue Pokemon. The Pokemon that had a large, hexagonal, cerulean crest on its forehead.
It was Suicune, and he was captured.
May was struggling in Ash's arm, trying to break free, but Ash held on tightly, staring at the Pokemon within the bubble, and then at the Dark Signer.
The Dark Signer closed the book.
"Well, well, well," he said. "I see that we've got some visitors."
Suddenly, large gust of sharp wind went toward them, and Ash ducked as the tree easily cut in half. He jumped out of the way quickly as another came and tore up the place he was just in.
"And I've also got the Aura Guardian. Lucky me."
Ash clenched his teeth, and then he quietly placed May down behind bushes.
"Stay here," he said.
"But Suicune-"
"I'll do something about it. You just stay here."
The Dark Signer stared at their location while tapping his foot.
"Are you just gonna keep me waiting?"
Ash suddenly broke through the bushes, materialized his Aura Blade, and was now in front of The Dark Signer, about to aim his swinging blade at his neck.
The blade struck his neck, going through, and ripping the man's head from his body as blood quickly rushed out of the opening.
Even after doing that, Ash knew it wasn't that easy.
It was never that easy.
"That was just an illusion I created."
Ash turned around and saw The Dark Signer standing there, reading his book once again. The corpse that was supposed to be behind Ash wasn't there anymore.
"All just a petty illusion created by me," said The Dark Signer as he removed his hood from his head, revealing his steel-blue hair, which sported messy bangs that completely covered the right side of his face, reaching about an inch or two past his chin. This covered his right eye, leaving only his left visible. On his left side, his bangs, though still rather long, are shorter than the right side, partially covering his ear. A few strands of hair fall over the exposed section of his face. The back of his hair is quite a bit shorter than the front. His calm, gray eyes looked at Ash.
"My name is Zexion, The Cloaked Schemer," said Zexion. "I never thought I'd ever have the chance to fight you alone."
"How's that luck?" said Ash as he prepared to charge at the man again, but he wasn't there.
He was right behind Ash, with the spine of his book over the boy's head.
"All an illusion."
He just lightly tapped the book on Ash's head, and Ash was pushed to the ground. A small crater formed where he was. He was confused, but didn't have time to linger on it. He angrily turned to Zexion behind him, but then his eyes caught the feet of the girl he was sure he told SPECIFICALLY to stay down.
May was running toward Suicune, not even looking at them.
Zexion had noticed, and powerful gusts of sharp wind went for May. She tripped, and the wind went right past her, but not without leaving a cut on her cheek.
"Hey!" yelled Ash as he quickly covered his feet in aura and kicked at Zexion, who grabbed his foot, dangling him upside down.
"Your persistence-"
His body then melted, turning into black liquid that fell on Ash. The liquid covered him, quickly hardening and immobilizing him. Zexion was right behind his copy.
"-is an illusion."
"Cut the illusion crap!" yelled Ash as aura suddenly surrounded him, destroying the hardened liquid, getting him free.
Before getting up, he turned back and saw May get back up and run toward Suicune. His eye twitched and he looked back at Zexion. Aura was surrounding his body as he prepared to strike with his blade.
"I've obtained the legendary Suicune, and I'm ordered to return it back to the one in charge," he said without taking his eyes off the book. "I can't have you messing that up. Right now, it is in a deep slumber, experiencing illusions as if it never got captured. It doesn't even realize it's captured now. I'll shall put you through those exact same illusions."
"Then I guess I'll just shatter those illusions!"
As Ash tried hitting Zexion, May got to the bubble and placed her hands on it, touching it, trying to find a way to pop or open it. After finding no way, she looked at Suicune and started talking.
"Hey! Hey! Can you hear me? Speak to me if you can! You did before! Hey!"
Ash, failing to hit Zexion with his blade over and over as whenever he hit the man, he disappeared and appeared somewhere else, but the book remained floating in the air. Ash continued to do this at least fifteen times, before he realized what was happening.
The books were surrounding him, and Zexion stood out of the circle, snapped his fingers, and then they all raced toward Ash and struck him simultaneously. Unlike normal books, these felts as hard as bricks.
"I thought words weren't supposed to hurt me!"
"All of that is an illusion."
"You're telling me those encouraging advices my mom gave me are illusions?!"
May continued pounding on the bubble. She was getting desperate in opening it. She closed her eyes and began to think.
"Don't worry. I'll get you out of this. Don't worry. I'll save you. I will!"
Underneath her closed eyelids, her eyes flashed red, and her hands grew hot.
Then the bubble burst, causing the blue Pokemon to fall to the ground.
Zexion watched it happen in shock.
"What the-"
"Right here, asshole!"
Before Zexion could do anything, a fist covered in aura struck his face, launching him away. The attack was so powerful that his body broke through trees until it came to a stop.
Ash breathed heavily, watching the destruction he caused. After a while, though, he saw Zexion walking back to him.
His book was closed, and Ash could see the dark expression he was already giving off. A killing intent was present in his eyes.
"If you wanted me to end your illusion and put you to sleep, you should've just said so."
The book in his hand started to glow a dark color.
Ash knew this was trouble, and he put up his aura covered fists, ready to fight back.
Before any side could do anything, the Embodiment of North Winds stood in front of Ash.
The graceful Pokemon directed its stern, cold eyes toward Zexion. It was in a position to fight, and they could all feel the air around them getting colder. Its thick, purple mane that resembled aurora borealis and the two white, streamer-like tails waved in the air, even when there wasn't wind.
Zexion stared at it before the glowing stopped.
"I see," he said. "You have won this one."
"What?" asked Ash.
"I'm a man who knows when to give up in a fight," said Zexion. "Giving up when it's over is far less humiliating than going down in an idiotic way, especially over something like this. I can't die yet since a heart is so close within our reach. I shall retreat for now."
"Hey! Wait a minute!"
Zexion pulled over his hood, and his book de-materialized. He then turned and opened a portal behind him.
"Get your ass back here!" yelled Ash. "We're not through yet!"
He was about to attack the man before he entered the portal, but Suicune turned to him, stopping his movements. It was looking at him sternly. Ash was still going to go past it, but those stern eyes reminded him of Dawn, so he didn't want to go there.
Zexion prepared to enter the portal, but he stopped and turned to Ash.
"This doesn't mean you've received complete victory, though. Suicune wasn't a Pokemon we needed, since its pure heart would make us have troubles in changing it. But we already had another Pokemon in mind. You should be more concerned about the Bird of Ice."
"Bird of Ice?"
Zexion then turned, entered the portal, and it closed up behind him.
They stayed in silence, and then Ash sighed and the Aura Blade in his hand de-materialized. He turned back to May, who was slowly walking toward him. Suicune was in front of him, calmly staying there. If he still had a heart, he would be awing, but sadly he didn't. When May got to him, she walked past him, and slowly walked on to Suicune.
"Hey."
Suicune turned to her. No emotion was on its face. It was calm and collected, staring right at May. May walked closer and extended out her hand.
"Are you alright?"
Before her hand could touch it, it took a few steps back, avoiding the contact. May didn't say anything, but then she continued on.
"There are people in a village near here that are in desperate need of your help. They're people you've helped a lot, and they're worried about you. Can you at least show them you're okay? Are you hurt in anyway? Do you need me to treat your-"
She extended her hand again, but this time Suicune growled. It then looked up at the sky, and then it started running swiftly into the forest.
Ash stared at the scene, and then he looked at May, who had a smile on her face.
"Is it mad at you?" he asked.
"No...it's not."
"That looked like it was angry."
"It's just mad it upset those people. Didn't even have time to tend to its wounds. It should be fine now."
Ash nodded, and then continued.
"Hey...why'd you bolt toward the forest out of nowhere like that? Did you feel that Dark Signer, too?"
May turned to him.
"I didn't even know there was one here. Suicune called for help, and I came."
"I'm sorry we were no help," apologized May as she bowed before the old lady in charge of the village. "We tried the best we could."
"No, no. No need to apologize. It's not your job, and it's not Suicune's job to purify this lake. It was a volunteering act. It had the right to stop at any time. Let's be glad that it's safe."
"But wasn't it upset that it didn't make it in time?" asked Ash. "Then it goes off and stood these people up?"
"Shut it."
"That's disappointing," said Dawn as she puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. "If I knew you two were gonna save Suicune, I would've gone with you."
"Maybe next time," said Brendan.
"And how long will that be?"
The old woman looked out to the lake and smiled. People gathered there already, still cheerful, even after their lake wasn't cleaned yet. They didn't blame Suicune or anybody else.
"We'll just clean the lake ourselves," she said. "We'll get off our lazy butts and do it. It will take us about a week, but we'll manage. We'll try cooperating with the village nearby to stop dumping their waste into the river. We'll manage."
"We'll help," volunteered May, already rolling her sleeves up. Brendan and Dawn looked ready to go, but Ash was displeased.
As May smiled, she felt the sensation of something warm. The north winds blew harder. The sensation made her look away from the old woman and toward the lake.
Every noise around her felt like it vanished at her shock.
On the middle of the lake, standing proudly as the winds blew the streamer-like tails up in the air, was Suicune.
It was looking directly at her. Their eyes were locked on one another. No one else had noticed that it was even there.
They stood like that until Suicune started moving.
Just one push from its hind legs, and it soared up into the air, and graciously landed on the surface of the water, causing ripples, and from those ripples, came clean, pure water.
Its body glowed as it continued to dance on that water. Slowly and surely, people started to notice it. Brendan and Dawn saw everyone staring at the lake, and couldn't even speak as they watched Suicune. Ash, once again unable to feel the excitement, just watched quietly. The old woman's eyes landed on Suicune, and her mouth slowly moved.
"Sui...cune...you've come back."
The dirty, green water, within minutes, turned into a pure, clean, magnificent body of water.
Suicune, after its last jump, stopped and stood on top of that water. It then turned to May again.
"It usually leaves right after. What is it waiting for?"
The old woman said this quietly as the winds started to die down.
But she received no response.
May walked right past her. Almost subconsciously, she seemed to have no control over her body as she walked toward the lake.
"May, stop it! Y-You're gonna-"
Ash tried yelling, but what came after made him stop his words.
Her foot touched the water, but she didn't fall in. She was standing on the water.
Silent, utter shock was present throughout everyone there. No one understood what was happening, and no one said anything. Ash noticed something about her.
Her eyes were red.
May kept walking until she got right in front of Suicune. They stared at each other, but then she started moving by extending her hand.
Suicune did not move, and her hand was placed on its snout. She rubbed its snout, and she bent down on one knee, getting into eye level with it. Both of her hands were on its head.
She smiled.
"Thank you."
Suicune nodded.
"I'm May. It's nice to meet you."
Suicune once again nodded.
"I appreciate that you're helping out these people, and possibly many others. It's great how you're using your power for something good. I'm very proud of you."
Suicune's head moved closer to May's, and their foreheads touched.
"I know she's proud of you, too."
They stayed like that for at least a minute until Suicune started moving backwards. Not taking its eyes off May. It then turned around, and it jumped into the air, disappearing within the forest that was nearby.
It was all over now, and May watched it go.
Then her eyes turned back into its sapphire color, and May fell right into the lake.
The splash pretty much woke everybody up.
"Dammit, May!" yelled Ash, and he jumped into the lake and swam to May. She was splashing around frantically at the sudden shock, and Ash got to her and held her arms back from behind, helping her float up. She breathed trying to get air.
"Are you done speaking with your friend?"
May turned to him with a wide smile.
"Friend? It's almost like we're family now."
The north winds died down, following that blue beauty to the next destination.
(Ending song)
Next Time on Pokemon Heroes: Even when they deal with one Dark Signer business, they are immediately pushed into another. Remembering Zexion's words about "The Bird of Ice", Ash and his friends are now faced with another enemy, and this one has a few schemes of her own. How will this Dark Signer be dealt with, and what do the Dark Signers plan to do with "The Bird of Ice"? Next Time: The Savage Nymph.
That was that chapter. Sorry for the delay in updating, but I'm once again facing problems with updating and already owe at least six chapters by next Monday. I want to make sure every Monday is promised a chapter, so I have to make them up (one of the cons of being a nice guy, but it's worth it :-)). Remember that whenever there is a late chapter, go see my profile under "Update Schedule". It will either explain why the chapter is late and/or when it will come out. That'll ease your worries about me abandoning the story. See you next chapter!
Read and Review please :-)
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