A finale is in order. But not now! Enjoy the fifth chapter!

Ash was tossing and turning imagining the adventure ahead. He had to get back to Kanto to stop Gary. But how?

"Now, I believe we can have a proper visit without being interrupted..."

"Giratina?"

"The one and only! Miss me?"

"HOW DO YOU KEEP GETTING IN MY MIND?"

"I can enter and escape minds at will! I find it fun, actually! You would if you were me."

"..."

"Now, you're in a bit of a situation, aren't you?"

"What do you care? They're gone."

"Just like another person I know...and one that you know too."

Ash looked up at the blackness that was the Distortion World.

"Please don't remind me..."

"You were six years old..."

Suddenly, Ash was taken back to Pallet Town ten years ago. Ash was a young boy playing with a Growlithe and Poliwag.

"It was a beautiful day. Sun was shining, Pidgeys chirping, until..."

A man rushed out the door. A woman followed him and was crying. Ash ran to the man.

"Daddy!"

The man hugged him and kneeled down to face him.

"Ash...I'm sorry, but I have to go away."

"Will you be back tonight for dinner?"

"I'm afraid not, my little Cubone."

Young Ash put his hands up.

"Up! Up!"

The man laughed.

"OK, one more time."

The man picked Ash up and put him down.

"Again!"

"I'm sorry, my Cubone. I have to go now."

The man then ran walked away.

"I'll miss you sport! Goodbye!"

"DADDY! COME BACK!"

"Sorry, Ash. Daddy's not coming back..."

With tears in his eyes, Ash hugged his Mom.

"Where's Daddy going?"

"You'll understand when you're older, Ash. Not now. Let's go inside."

With that, the two entered the house. Back in the Distortion World, Ash had started to tear up a little.

"I said not to show me that!"

"It was for your own good..."

"HOW?!"

"You'll see."

Suddenly, clouds of matter appeared to make a shape. The shape was of the man. Ash stared in the face of his father.

"Remember him now?"

Something rose up inside Ash. He gritted his teeth harder than ever, and clenched his fists.

"WHERE-HAVE-YOU-BEEN?!"

No answer. He simply looked at his son with a blank expression.

"WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?! WHY?!"

No answer. Ash was crying uncontrollably.

"PLEASE SAY SOMETHING!"

"There's nothing he could say."

"What?"

"He can neither see you nor hear you."

"Then-why-"

"That is for you to figure out...but for now...I'd like to see how you can fare against me..."

Suddenly, Ash felt himself being shaken. Pikachu was trying to shake him awake.

"Your friends need you. See you soon..."

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

Ash sat up in his bed. Pikachu was staring at him, with eyes full of worry. Ash had been sweating and crying which had attracted his attention. Ash picked up Pikachu and hugged him.

"Come on, Pikachu. It's time to go back home..."

Ash went downstairs and activated the PokeTransporter.

"Hello? Liza? I need him..."

In the Kanto region...

"All right. We made it to Lavender Town."

Ash made a beeline straight to the Pokemon Graveyard. However, he was stopped by some familiar friends.

"Ash! Are you OK?"

"Where have you been?"

Ash was greeted by his former traveling companion and Cerulean City Gym Leader, Misty, and Professor Oak.

"I'm fine! How have you two been?"

"I've been great until now! What do you think is going on?" Misty answered.

"I think this has something to do with his old Pokemon."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Professor Oak.

"I'll explain later. My friends are in there, and I've got to save them."

"Be careful!"

Ash and Pikachu ran straight inside the cloud surrounding the Pokemon graveyard. In the middle was Gary, standing in front of a tombstone. His hair was blood red, he was now wearing black jeans and a red shirt.

"I've been waiting for you, Ashy-boy!"

"Gary! What are you doing here? Where are Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont?"

"Oh, they're fine! They're taking a little nap..."

Some clouds dissolved and revealed his three companions in a deep sleep.

"Whether they wake up or not is up to me currently! You will know how it feels!"

"Gary! I don't want to hurt you!"

"I know...but I want to hurt YOU! I want to create a scar deeper than the one that's been made ten years ago. One that will hurt you more than when your father left..."

"How did you-"

"Enough talk!"

"GARY!"

"Call me...Blue."

TO BE CONTINUED...