Everyone watched with bated breath as Ash did as he was told and walked closer to Ho-oh. Serena was particularly tense, terrified that the future she had seen could still happen and this time there would be no stopping it. Pikachu sat in front of the screen, watching Ash intently. It was ready to rush to Ash's side if it was needed. In fact the moment before Ash had stopped as he reached to show Ho-oh he wasn't armed, it had been about to rush off to its trainer. Pikachu tensed as Ho-oh lowered its head to look at Ash. Everyone watched as they saw the sphere appear in between Ash and Ho-oh and were horrified when Ash, while still standing, went limp. His eyes were still open but they didn't seem to see anything in front of him.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu called sensing something was wrong with its trainer. It was just about to run out of the tent but was stopped by Brock's comment. "That looks like an aura sphere," Brock muttered looking at the large dome around Ho-oh and Ash. Dawn, May and Max recognised the sphere after that and agreed with him. "That's not possible. Ho-oh has never, in any legends, used an aura sphere," the doctor contradicted, clearly very confused. Gary looked at the doctor. "Then what is happening up there," Gary asked. "Doctor, Ho-oh may not be able to use aura sphere, but I think Ash can," Brock interjected. Serena, Gary, the doctor, Clemont, Bonnie, Misty, Iris and Cilan stared at Brock in disbelief. "Yeah, Ash has used aura powers before. Remember how he tracked down that Riolu," Dawn added. "He can activate time flowers too. He said that he used his aura at the tree of beginning too," May remembered. Max affirmed his sister's claim. "Ash has been told a few times that he has a strong aura," Brock recalled, referencing Lucario and Ranger Kellyn. "Are you saying that that aura sphere is Ash's?" Iris asked softly motioning to the screens. Brock nodded solemnly. "I don't know if Ash is the one who created it though. It looks to me that Ash is pretty out of it," Brock answered observing Ash's unfocused expression.
Further explanations were interrupted however as Pikachu called out to everyone. He'd been keeping a close eye on Ash and had noticed something happening to the aura sphere. Everyone turned to Pikachu and saw the same thing happening to the aura sphere. An image was showing itself. It showed Ash facing a Garchomp. There was a Froakie and Pikachu standing with him. The Garchomp was wearing a collar. It cried out in pain and stepped back. Froakie threw its frubbles and pinned Garchomp, preventing it going over the edge. Ash ran to Garchomp and said something and Pikachu used iron tail on the collar. The image had no sound. Then it showed Pikachu falling from the tower and Ash jumping after it. It showed Mega Blaziken saving Ash and setting him down safely in a square beneath the tower. Then the image faded. Serena, Clemont and Bonnie recognised the scene as what happened at Prism Tower in Lumiose City.
Another image appeared showing Ash holding an over powered, out of control Chimchar. It was clear to everyone watching that Ash was trying to calm the Pokémon down and eventually succeeded after a bad bite to the shoulder. Dawn and Brock recognised the incident of when Chimchar had first activated its blaze ability with Ash. The image faded.
Another image appeared showing Ash standing in a snow cave with his Pokémon, Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle, gathered around a Charmander's flame. They watched as Charmander powered up its flame and quickly become exhausted. Ash recalled Charmander and then returned Bulbasaur and Squirtle. The group saw him try to recall Pikachu but Pikachu begged Ash not to. They huddled together in the snow cave and the group in the tent watched in awe as Ash took off his jacket and place the pokéballs inside and returned to hugging Pikachu for warmth. The opening of the snow cave opened slightly and Ash ran over the block it by sitting in front of it. Then his Pokémon and a Pidgeotto broke out of their pokéballs and huddled around Ash. The image then disappeared.
An image appeared showing ruins and Ash standing with his arms out wide in front of Pikachu. Iris and Cilan immediately recognised and remembered the event. Ash walked tentatively over to Pikachu and Pikachu unleashed a fearsome thunderbolt on his trainer. Ash soundlessly cried out in pain and made his way closer despite the pain. He struggled closer to Pikachu until he pulled it into a hug and fell on to his back falling in to unconsciousness. Then an older boy ran forward with a box. The older boy brandished the box and soundlessly called to a man behind a machine. After a few moments, they seemed to reach an agreement and Pikachu stopped attacking Ash and then fell unconscious as well. Then the image faded.
Another image appeared in the aura sphere this time showing Ash with Pikachu, a Lucario and an older girl and a clearly weak Mew. The place depicted was disintegrating around them. Lucario was trying to create an aura sphere around the Mew. However it failed. Ash rushed forward pulling on a strange pair of gloves on and talking soundlessly to Lucario. He then held his hands out in front of him and started to concentrate hard and a small aura sphere formed in front of his outstretched hands. Lucario stared at Ash in awe and then joined Ash, creating its own aura sphere. The two aura spheres encased the Mew and both Ash and Lucario started to glow with a pulsing greenish light and looked to be in a lot of pain. Suddenly Lucario pushed Ash away from Mew as the Mew began to glow slightly green and then it dissolved into a crystal. Then the image faded.
The group watched the screen, transfixed, recognising points in Ash's life appear and disappear from the aura sphere. Some they recognised from memory, some they recognised from hearing what had happened. None really understood why the images were appearing but they were all too intrigued to care at this point. That was until Pikachu cried out in anger. They, one by one, tore their gaze away from the scenes showing themselves to what had upset Pikachu and they saw Jessie, James and Meowth creeping closer to the aura sphere encasing Ash and Ho-oh.
So, that's that chapter. I had to put in Team Rocket somewhere since they are always around to make Ash's life hell or at least mess things up.
So, until the next chapter.