Chapter 8: Birth of the Wiccan

Ursula brought the baby to the cafeteria where the students were eating. Akko saw the teacher come in to the cafeteria. "Miss Callists!" she called before noticing the little baby boy in her arms. She became excited and rushed over. "Oh my gosh! Is that what I think it is!?" Other students took notice, finding the baby in Ursula's arms. Ursula's giggle made Akko stop.

"My new son," she answered. The other students swarmed Ursula and the baby in sheer excitement.

"No way!" gasped Amanda. "No one knew you were pregnant!"

"Yeah, when were you gonna tell us!?" wondered Lotte. Ursula laughed to the accusation.

"Actually, I just adopted him," she corrected. The girls gathered around Ursula's son, including a chocolate-skinned, teal-haired girl.

"He's adorable!" she squealed.

"Isn't he, Molly?" agreed Amanda.

"This is a major scoop!" a tanned, orange-haired girl started. "Miss Ursula Callists has adopted a baby boy… and he's a cutie!"

"He sure is, Wangari," Diana awed. Coos, kissing faces and baby noises came from the students, including Constanze who awed the boy holding her finger.

"Have you zought of a name for zis baby?" asked Jasminka.

"I have," Ursula nodded. "...And I was thinking of Ashton, or Ash for short." The name made the boy giggle, surprising everyone.

"I think he likes it!" cheered Lotte. Ursula awed the agreement.

"You like Ash?" she asked. Another giggle from the baby confirmed the name.

"I can't wait to tell Kimberly and Joanna to start this breaking news story for the Luna Nova News Network!" awed Wangari. Diana came to Ursula with a request.

"Miss Call- Or should I say Mother Callists," she corrected herself. "Is there a chance I can hold Ash?" Ursula giggled as she lent Ash to Diana. The boy was passed around for others like Sucy to hold him. Sucy made some funny faces, which he laughed. When Constanze held Ash, it was a new feel for her as she smiled to Ash as she allowed him to grip her finger. Each of the students held and kissed Ash, much to the boy's delight. Evening fell and Ursula decided to take Ash back to the tower when they spotted Anne. Ash looked to Anne who scowled back almost immediately.

"You will not look at me like that, you freeloader!" she snapped. The baby jumped, fearful of Anne's actions and began to cry. Recalling her statements earlier in the day, Ursula scowled back.

"If you dare hurt my son," she coldly whispered. "I'll strip you of more than your magic!" Anne cringed, thinking of the consequences while Ursula stepped away and with an upset Ash. She cradled the crying baby. "There there, honey… It's okay. Mommy's here. The nasty old lady won't hurt you while I'm around. I promise." The baby began to settle down as Anne scowled again. At the tower, Alcor greeted his owner by flying to her shoulder. "Oh, did you want to see the new son I have?" Alcor glanced to Ash as he giggled. Ursula's crow playfully pecked at Ash and tickled him with his wings. Ursula drew a bath and the two enjoyed the water. Night fell as Ursula tucked in her new baby. "Goodnight, sweetie…" She gave Ash a tender kiss to the cheek before she fell asleep with Ash.

The sun rose as Ursula held Ash in her sleep. He woke and began to groan. "Oh man…" he mulled. "First time in a while that I felt so drained." As he began to sit up, he felt his body wrapped around. He gawked to his surprise. "What the-" He turned to see Ursula in bed. 'Please, don't tell me she did something to me while I was asleep." He nudged on Ursula's arm.

"Not now…" she moaned in her sleep. "Mommy's sleeping." Ash irked at Ursula's title.

"Mommy?" Still asleep, Ursula hugged Ash closer to her.

"What is it, my son?" The asking made Ash even more befuddled.

"Son? What's going on?" That's when Ursula opened her eyes to see her roommate.

"Ash?" An idea popped in Ash's head.

"Did you have a nice dream?" The reaction made Ursula giggle.

"I did. I had dreamed that you were a baby and I adopted you as my son." A nervous laugh came from Ash.

"You… did, huh?" In a moment of comfort, Ursula hugged Ash, his head nuzzling on her forearm.

"I was incredibly worried about you when we wrestled you from the book's hold." Feeling her tears in his hair, Ash hugged Ursula back.

"I didn't mean to…" After a minute, the two broke the hugs. "As a matter of fact, I don't remember what happened after I started reading." The book was also on Ursula's mind.

"I want to know more about the book. Hopefully, Headmistress Holbrooke has something." The two got out of bed. "Now, how about some beignets?" Ash laughed to the suggestion.

"Sure!" After breakfast, Ash and Ursula entered the Academy where Pikachu jumped onto Ash's head from Sucy's head. "Hey, buddy!"

("You're looking better!") the Mouse Pokémon squeaked.

"Pikachu has been more trusting of me since the mushroom joke," Sucy explained.

"Yeah, that was still bad," Ash remembered.

"Ash, I'm going to talk to Headmistress Holbrooke," Ursula excused herself.

"Sure!" accepted Ash. As Ursula left, Diana, Hannah and Barbara found Ash and Pikachu.

"How are you doing?" asked Diana as the three reached Ash and Pikachu who turned around to the girls.

"I'm fine," Ash assured. "I'm still trying to understand what happened."

"I think we all are," Hannah corrected. "That storm in the Library yesterday was pretty dramatic."

"Probably the best thing to shake up Luna Nova Academy, huh?" joked Sucy. Ash and Pikachu laughed to the point.

"That was better!" he pointed out. Hannah and Barbara stepped forward.

"Ash, we're sorry for snapping at you like that the other day," Barbara apologized. "We were… jealous when we saw Akko kissing you."

"And we hoped it was you and Diana," Hannah confessed.

"I see…" realized Ash. "I do help anyone in trouble… a lot."

("Which is an understatement,") Pikachu squeaked. Diana came forward to admit her feelings.

"Ash, Hannah and Barbara weren't the only ones who were upset with you getting love from Akko," she admitted. Ash placed a hand on Diana's shoulder, stopping her.

"You already apologized to me when you helped break me from the book's hold," he assured. Diana gasped in surprise. She teared up and pressed her face on Ash's shoulder, tears transferring.

"You're much too kind!" she cried. Hannah and Barbara seemed to understand the ordeal. In Miranda's office, she, Ursula, Nelson, Pisces and Samantha were in a discussion about the book.

"This book's been in the library since it was constructed," Miranda started. "It had been untouched for its inability to be open, thus the name of 'Unopenable' was adopted to it."

"That's because it's not really a book," Pisces corrected. "From the design of it, the 'Unopenable Book' is actually an ancient tome from a time of ancient history that was unearthed a century ago." She turned her body to Miranda. "Right, Miranda?"

"Actually, two centuries at least," Miranda corrected. "But if what you said that it's actually a tome, it's the first tome that we've had in any school of magic, let alone in Luna Nova Academy."

"But there are a lot of questions about this," Ursula brought up. "Like why did Ash unlock the tome when about every magic spell on the face of the Earth couldn't make a scratch?"

"Or why the tome and its pages are blue?" wondered Samantha.

"Or why Ash was able to read what the tome contained when Afiya couldn't understand them?" added Pisces. Miranda's mind began to race.

"It makes me wonder if this is a blessing," she thought as she opened the tome. "The language within the tome is one of an ancient tongue, possibly a dead language from many centuries ago." This made Samantha ponder.

"Can you translate the language?" she asked. Miranda's face was reading struggle.

"I'll need all of the foreign books in my office, and I've actually sent another writ to the counsil," she prepared. "If one won't work, there's bound to be something in their library that can." Nelson cupped her chin, something bothering her and Pisces noticed.

"Is something the matter, Nelson?" she asked. Nelson froze before turning to the fishy teacher.

"Well, all of this within a week," she started. "Ash coming over to Luna Nova Academy, then the tome… I'm starting to think the tome is what brought him here, not the Pokémon who attacked him." Ursula shook her head to Nelson's suspicions.

"A tome being alive is ridiculous," she denied.

"Okay, Shiny Chariot," Pisces nagged. "Maybe the Shiny Rod you still have can do it. After all, it's been a piece of work in your hands." Ursula turned her head away from the fish.

"There are a lot of things I can do with the Shiny Rod," she acknowledged. "Understanding an ancient language… I'm not quite sure."

"But it is worth a shot in the slightest, Ursula," Miranda suggested. Ursula wasn't so sure. Meanwhile, Ash and Pikachu walked around the campus grounds as his mind was still on what was now determined as a tome.

("You've been pretty quiet,") Pikachu worried. Ash palmed his face.

"Would you believe me if I said that I'm not sure what I was reading yesterday?" he admitted. "Sure, I could read what was in the book…" The two found themselves by a lake. The pristine and clear lake looked ideal for Ash. "Hey, let's take a dip. It's a day off for us so why not have a little fun?" Pikachu cheered as Ash quickly switched into a pair of red swimming trunks. Ash and Pikachu stretched for a little bit before they jumped into the lake. Meanwhile, students were following the same pathway Ash and Pikachu took, but blue flowers covered the pathway.

"Zese gorgeous flowers blooming," Jasminka awed.

"Tell me about it," Lotte gawked. "Also, they seem… out of season."

"But, this is where Ash took off to," Akko determined. Other students came from above on a hot-air balloon. Inside, Wangari, Molly and Constanze rode in a basket.

"So, you've had a chance to meet Ash yourself?" asked Molly. Constanze nodded before presenting her tablet.

HE IS UNDERSTANDING

"Reading from you, I'm skeptical," Molly gulped. Constanze growled a little to the retort. Soon enough, the students found the Pokémon by the lakeside. Ash, Pikachu and Oshawott swimming. He sprung from beneath the water with a snap of his head, splashing water in an arch backwards.

"Man, that feels cool!" cheered Ash. Pikachu agreed, feeling refreshed. As Ash and Pikachu shook water off their hair, the students saw Ash's chest and firm torso. The sight of a boy's body triggered different reactions, none of which jarred their eyes from him. Akko, Molly, Hannah, Barbara, Amanda and Molly stood with their jaws hanging and saliva draining while Constanze, Wangari and Lotte awed the figure. Diana gasped, unsure how to react.

"Oh… my… god…" she shuttered. "My name is Eve, let him be my Adam."

"This just in: this boy is smokin' for Luna Nova Academy!" sneered Wangari.

"Ash iz… forbidden fruit…" gulped Jasminka.

"I can see why Anne has a hard time with Ash," Amanda joked. Akko had walked out and returned in a white blue swimsuit and reached the river.

"Need a swimming buddy!?" she called. Ash and Pikachu turned before seeing Akko jump in the lake. The Pokémon woke and turn to the boys shielded their faces with their arms as water splashed them.

"Hey!" he laughed. Akko swam beneath Ash and Pikachu before coming up, grabbing Pikachu.

"I gotcha!" she cheered. "I just caught a Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu laughed as Ash splashed water onto Akko.

"Get your own, Akko!" he chuckled. The balloon landed and those inside came out. Constanze had her tablet ready.

ENJOYING THE WATER?

Ash, Akko and Pikachu laughed to the question. "What, you don't like a bod that Ash has?" teased Amanda. Constanze gave Amanda a hard glare.

"So, those are a couple of new faces," Ash realized as he swam to the shore. Wangari knelt down to see Ash up close.

"I'm Luna Nova News Network's top reporter, Wangari!" she claimed. "I wanted to know you for sometime along with Kimberly and Joanna. Maybe we can have an interview as the first male to be a part of Luna Nova Academy." Ash and Pikachu nodded, thinking an interview wouldn't hurt. Molly followed.

"I'm Molly McIntyre," she introduced herself. "I'm also from England like Diana, Hannah and Barbara. Wangari's from Kenya." Pikachu escaped from Akko's arms and jumped onto shore to meet Molly. She seemed surprised at first before reaching for Pikachu, accepting him with petting.

"So, how did you guys find me?" asked Ash.

"Well, you left us a little trail," Lotte briefed. Constanze presented her tablet once more, but rather than words, there was a fist with the index finger pointing back to the path. Seeing the flowers, Ash seemed rather startled.

"Wait, those flowers weren't there before!" he gasped. "When did this happen?" That's when a thought came to him. 'Was it that book? Did I bring that book to life?' He looked to his hand, thinking of when the tome opened. "Something is wrong." To Diana, it was the tome Ash opened.

"Do you think the Unopenable Book unlocked something?" she asked. Ash needed answers.

"I need to see Headmistress Holbrooke ASAP!" he chose. As he got out, girls threw a couple of towels onto him. He needed to get dressed before he saw Miranda. Outside of Luna Nova Academy's campus grounds, Team Rocket was on the search.

"So, do ya believe da boss is dis way?" asked Meowth.

"Hey, don't doubt Woman's Intuition!" snapped Jessie. "The boss has been through losing Pokémon before, so this can't be that much different."

"I don't know, Jessie," James doubted. "The boss became changed when the Reveal Glass shined his face." Hearing enough, Jessie grabbed James by the collar, striking fear in him.

"Listen, the boss is fine!" she scowled. "You should know what it's like to hear from the boss!" James snapped himself back to courage.

"Yes, our boss, not what he ordered Thundurus, Landurus and Tornadus!" he countered. Meowth jumped between Jessie and James after seeing something.

"Cool it, youse two!" he shouted. "Da boss is right dere!" He pointed, allowing Jessie and James to spot Giovanni. Jessie released his grip before dashing to Giovanni as James recovered.

"Oh, Boss!" she sang. Giovanni held his arm out at Jessie, his eyes still glowing red.

"Silence!" he ordered. Jessie stopped. "I hear someone inside…" He journeyed into the cavern ahead of them before Giovanni held his arm up again.

"Who's there?" a voice rang out, one of a haunting specter. "I sense… power from you."

"Yes, after being empowered by the Reveal Glass," Giovanni started. "I can sense the anger within you. I feel an energy that may rival gods." The voice laughed.

"An energy that you want to inherit," he scoffed. "And I can feel that it's not the first time you've been… imbued with ultimate power. However, I cannot give it to you without you freeing me." Giovanni followed the voice as Team Rocket followed him.

"Then, we have a bond we can share," he grinned.

"If you can contain it within that vessel," the voice warned.

"My will for power is more than enough to whet your desire," Giovanni studied. They came to a tomb deep within the caverns. Team Rocket, holding flashlights, scanned around to see if there's other places to go. Seeing the tomb, James shone the flashlight to the carving, reading "OBONERON."

"Oboneron?" he read. "Who's that?"

"More of what it holds," Giovanni corrected. "I can feel it in my eyes that this tomb holds absolution. Remove the lid." Jessie rose her hand.

"You got it, boss!" she cheered. Reluctant, James and Meowth helped remove the tomb's lid when a plume of smoke emerged. It filled the cavern as Giovanni began to laugh maniacally.

"This is power!" he cackled, sounding like two voices at one. "THIS… IS… ABSOLUTION… FOR REVENGE!" A source of evil had been released.

TO BE CONTINUED...