Authoress Note:
Hope you didn't get too impatient... I went on a short vacations last weekend so I didn't have much of a chance to write anything.
Thanks for your wonderful feedback as always! I won't make this long so… Please enjoy!
Chapter 11 'Flowers of the Past'
"Did you see the kids?"
"They are not there, ma'am," one of the scouting team officers reported with a shake of the head. "But the criminals have two Pokémon in custody. They match RotomDex's descriptions."
"You think they took the kids somewhere else?" Kukui asked.
"Wherever they are, we'll figure it out," Officer Jenny reassured him, before turning to her team. "We'll do Moon formation. Try to stay out of sight until you are given the signal."
As the police force got into position, Kukui and his small group of students stood behind waiting anxiously. They had been guided by Rotom to the place where he was separated from Ash and the others, and Officer Jenny had sent her scouts over to survey the area. Now it was time to act but yet again they were asked to wait.
"Is this really all we can do?" Lillie wondered outloud.
"Part of a good strategy is knowing when to sit one out," Professor Kukui explained. "It might not look like you are doing much to help, but you'll have your turn when it matters."
Letting his students think about that, Kukui turned away from them and allowed himself to frown. The purpose of his words had not only been to cheer them up; he hoped he was wrong, but something told him, their friends would need their emotional support when the time came. That was a worrying thought. He didn't know in what shape they would find them, but he hoped both Ash and Mallow weren't scarred too deeply from this whole ordeal.
.:oOo:.
Ash froze. Their surroundings were overlapped by the decaying chamber inside the Tree of Beginning. Everything was just as he remembered. The walls and crystals that surrounded the memory had turned from healthy blue to an angry orange color; some of them already deteriorating in an oxidizing fashion. But what made his breath get caught in his throat was the people within the memory. Just a few steps away, a younger version of himself was looking around in worry. Kid was there too, carrying a sick Mew on her arms. Then, his sight stumbled on Lucario. There he was. Alive and well, even if clearly upset.
"W-What's going on?!" Serena's exclamation got him back to reality, reminding him this was just a past memory.
"Look! There's Ash! But he is also here!" Bonnie sounded more excited than worried about their situation now.
Clemont was the first to figure it out at seeing how young the second Ash looked in comparison to theirs. "Is this… some sort of recording from the past?"
"Nice observation," Xerosic praised just a few steps away from his leader. "Couldn't expect less from the only person who has managed to beat me twice."
"That's right! And he can beat you again!" Bonnie exclaimed heatedly.
"Is that true? Are we seeing something that already happened?" Mallow asked in wonderment.
"Ash?"
Serena's worried whisper got Kiawe's attention, noticing her gaze was entirely in their friend.
Ash didn't seem to have acknowledged their conversation, being too focus on the events unfolding before them. They couldn't quite see his expression, since his cap was shadowing his eyes. Yet they felt dread at what they could see. His mouth had form a thin line; jaw clenched. And even without looking at his face, it was clear Ash was upset by his tense posture and his trembling hands. Something was definitely wrong.
.:oOo:.
"Pi Pikachu!"
Mewtwo nodded at the thankful words, after he had broken the Pokémon's bindings. He surveyed the area full of unconscious humans and Pokémon one last time before turning to the group he had just rescued.
"So you were separated from your trainers," he deducted.
As he received affirmative nods from the group, Slowking was next to speak. "I'm afraid the children were taken to the ruins by the volcano," he said.
"Then we don't have time to lose. That place is not safe for humans…"
With no objections, they followed the Psychic type through the forest just as Celosia was staggering back to her feet and look around.
"Bunch of weaklings…" she criticized, barely able to stay conscious herself.
"Tch… who was that Pokémon anyway?" Aliana asked beside her to no one in particular.
"Whoever that was… we need to alert the Director about it."
"And how do you suppose we do that?" Aliana asked, showing a broken Holocaster in her hand.
.:oOo:.
Greninja was momentarily distracted from his connection with Ash by the sound of battle right in front of him. He and Luxray were about to be taken to one of Team Flare's ships when a bunch of humans cladded in blue uniforms attacked the small group of grunts. The surprise assault didn't last more than a few minutes and before he knew it, he had been released with all the criminals apprehended.
"Good job everyone," a female police officer that he recognized as Officer Jenny, congratulated her team before turning to look at the grunts. "Now it's time you speak."
"You both seem to be in good shape," his attention shifted towards the man in the lab coat who suddenly addressed him; Professor Kukui, if Ash's memory served right. "Still I would like to know if you are feeling okay."
He and Luxray answered with equal nods of the head.
"T-This is a Greninja, right?" a small voice asked from beside the Professor. "It looks very different from the books, though…"
That's when Greninja noticed the three kids that were staring at him; one of which was looking at him with an awestruck expression and eyes starting to sparkle. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly at the water type trainer's face, for some reason feeling relief he already owned a Poké Ball.
"You are correct, Lillie," Kukui confirmed, switching into teacher mode. "This is actually one of Ash's Pokémon, and the reason why he looks different-"
"Bzzt! Allow me, Professor!" Rotom was fast to interrupt as he started playing a recording of Greninja's transformation, causing Lana's face to shine even brighter. "His current shape could be compared to that of a Mega Evolution, except there are no records of any Greninja being able to Mega Evolve as of now. What makes this form even more unique is the fact that there are no stones involved in it. In fact, this goes against all logic! Why does it happen?! Why do Ash and his Pokémon keep breaking the natural rules of everything?! Does not compute, does not compute…"
"I think Rotom is broken…" the smallest of the group deadpanned.
Professor Kukui just shook his head at the sentient PokéDex's antics, before a roar from above caught his attention to a very familiar Charizard descending in the clearing.
"Isn't that-?"
"Kiawe's," Kukui confirmed. "Can you tell what he is saying, Rotom?"
The new arrival was enough to get Rotom back on track and he dutifully translated. "He says Tapu Koko and two others are under the criminal organization custody not too far from here."
"I'll deploy a rescue team," Officer Jenny announced. "The rest of us will go towards the volcano and search for the kids."
As they were preparing, Greninja checked on his trainer again, and was startled at being suddenly rushed by overwhelming feelings of sorrow and regret. Those feelings were not by any means alien for his trainer, but he had never felt them this strongly. He tried to calm him down by letting himself known through their bond, but Ash didn't seem to be conscious of it. Greninja frowned. He couldn't wait for the humans. His trainer needed him now. With a croak as the only warning, he jumped to the trees and made his way towards Ash's presence. Luxray was fast to catch on and followed him without question.
"What? Where are Greninja and Luxray going?"
Kukui frowned, before moving as well. "Let's go after them…"
"Take charge, Charlie!" Officer Jenny yelled as she and a small group of officer followed.
.:oOo:.
Discovering that Ash had the ability to use Aura was a shock, but actually seeing him using it, even if it was through a past memory, was something else entirely. Clemont kept watching attentively as both the Ash from the past and the Lucario were attempting to help Mew by combining their Aura into one big sphere that surrounded the smaller Pokémon. Just looking at its reddish face and tired expression, it was obvious the little one was really sick. And by Lysandre's explanation of what Aura was, Clemont deducted that what they were doing was actually transferring life to it in order to heal it.
A quick look back at their Ash got Clemont uneasy; suspicion creeping in the back of his head. Ash was gazing at the Lucario with an unreadable expression unable to even blink. Clemont turned to look back at the scene noticing how both their Aura started manifesting itself in a faint glow that surrounded their entire bodies, sending surges of energy in the form of electricity through them; their concentrated expressions transforming in grimaces of pain. Where they… literally giving up their life for Mew? Clemont shook his head. It was obvious Ash was fine after that, but…
"Something's not right…" Clemont murmured.
The memory progressed with Lucario taking the burden all for himself by pushing younger Ash out of the way and releasing a burst of Aura in one last effort to heal Mew. Things had apparently worked out, yet Ash's demeanor seemed to imply otherwise.
And of course, Ash knew everything had turn out okay in the end, but he sometimes still wondered if he could have done more to save Lucario from his fate. Losing a friend was never easy to deal with, no matter how at peace they were in their final moments. And he wasn't confident enough in being able to bear seeing it all happening again.
He felt somehow relieved when the memory started to vanish, but the reminder of the second flower made him look at it uneasily.
Just then, a tremor shook the ancient structure they were currently in just a few seconds before Xerosic's Holocaster started ringing.
"What is it?" the scientist answered a bit irritated.
"Xerosic! An unknown Pokémon just came out of nowhere and attacked the camp!" a very agitated Bryony started explaining. "We need backup!"
"Call Celosia then. We are just about to start and can't be interrupted."
"Listen!" she snapped. "Both Celosia and Aliana are unreachable! If we don't stop it now, it could very much ruin our whole operation."
"Direct the camera at it," Lysander ordered.
She did as told and the hologram projected a purple bipedal Pokémon with a long tail throwing a Shadow Ball at her Bisharp with such force, that even with its natural resistance, the steel type was sent flying and skidded a few meters when hitting ground. Lysander's face looked stoic but Xerosic was starting to sweat; his face now forming a frown.
"Wow… who is that Pokémon?" Bonnie asked in awe.
"Mewtwo…" Ash murmured to himself.
The obvious recognition in Ash's voice made Lysandre turn around in thought before addressing the woman again.
"We can't have it finding its way to the volcano before we break the seal. Stall it as much as you can," then he turned behind the kids, were his other admin had been patiently waiting. "Mable, take your team and prepare for its arrival. Last line of defense. Send the rest to Bryony."
"Yes, sir."
With the order given, he turned back to the kids. "It seems we won't have time to see the next memory… A shame really. This one is not of any use to us, but I thought young Ash here would have liked to see his friend one last time before his final moments."
Ash's flinch didn't go unnoticed and Clemont's mind ran wild with the implications.
"Wh-what do you mean? Everything was okay, wasn't it? They saved the little white Pokémon," Bonnie commented with uncertainty.
Clemont's expression went grim. "It's just as the girl in the memory said… using their Aura that way is the same as giving up their life energy…"
Serena gasped in horrified realization. "D-Does… Does that mean… Lucario didn't make it?" She asked in a low tone, hoping to be wrong.
Ash looked down as his eyes suddenly glistened; his only answer was a negative shake of the head, not trusting his voice.
Kiawe gritted his teeth at that, suddenly feeling a heavy void in his stomach. Ash was obviously suffering from survivor's guilt and this guy was just casually throwing the memory back at his face as if he was making him a favor? He didn't remember the last time he had felt like punching someone in the face so badly.
Lysandre regarded the kids for a second before another tremor shook the ruins. "Bring the boy to the chamber," he ordered as he walked ahead.
With a nod of the head from Xerosic, the Malamar complied and a surprised exclamation from his right made Kiawe turn back to Ash, finding he was levitating again, completely immobilized with Malamar's Psychic attack.
"You put him down, you!" Bonnie yelled as she continued to struggle with the bindings around her torso.
"Ash!"
"Hey! Leave him alone!"
"What do we do!?"
"Wait!"
The kids' protests fell to deaf ears, and they were soon left behind and alone.
.:oOo:.
"What's with this little guy? Is it even alive?"
"Leave that Pokémon alone, will you? We are not to interact with them. Just make sure they stay put."
The grunt took one last look at the obviously sleeping Rowlet in their custody before listening to his female partner. Not that the three Pokémon they were assigned to look after could do anything to retaliate. Still, he knew better than to get near the imposing turtle like Pokémon or the one that somehow could still throw electric attacks at close range.
He yawned and checked the time… it was going to be a long night; or so he thought until a roar from above got all the grunts in high alert.
"What was-?"
"Kokooo!"
The first attack came without a warning, and soon enough, chaos broke loose.
.:oOo:.
"Let go of me!" Ash grunted unable to break free from the psychic power that kept him still.
They had taken him deeper within the volcano's temple, into a chamber full of bright red carvings. A strange machine, no doubt just recently installed by these people, was resting right beside a shiny red crystal.
"Strap the boy to the machine," Xerosic ordered a pair of scientist. "We are starting as soon as that is done."
"If you think I'll be willingly helping you, you better think again!" Ash yelled even as the Malamar had placed him on a platform just beside the machine, not releasing its power around him yet.
Two scientists came forward and wrapped two more metal rings around his arms and torso, just above and below the energy ring that was already restraining him.
"Silly boy, the device you are being strapped onto is not just for show, you know?"
Ash seemed to not be listening now, struggling against the new bindings just as the scientist made room for an energy field to rise around the child all the way to the ceiling.
"Believe me when I say that I know you well enough to understand that you would stubbornly refused to help our noble cause," Lysandre commented with a frown. "You left that clear when you and your Greninja rejected our mental control by sheer will."
"All set, Director."
"Start it."
A low humming sound followed as the machine started up and the extra rings went bright. Ash stopped struggling at this, looking around wearily, not really understanding what the thing was supposed to do. It took just a couple of seconds for him to finally feel it... It was a familiar sensation yet somehow alien. The memory of when he was transferring his Aura to Mew came back to his mind, but this time it felt different. Wrong. Like his body was fighting to keep its energy inside but was losing the battle to an unknown force. He grunted trying to resist the pull, unable to stop his Aura from materializing around him in a faint bluish light, giving him the impression of being glowing himself.
Lysandre watched with a smile forming. "You truly are a remarkable young man. Though it's a shame you are unable to see things our way."
"Wh-what is going on?! I can't…"
"This device is designed to absorb the Aura energy out of you as if you yourself were willingly ordering it to do so," Xerosic explained.
"What?! You can't do that!"
"There is no way to stop the process now, kid," the scientist seemed amused at his objection. "Soon, all your Aura will be transferred to the seal… It should be enough to break it and set Fenriar free."