Chapter 61: I Want To Be A Hero

Everyone gathered in a secluded cabin that belonged to Genesis just outside of Mistralton City. After narrowly defeating Hunter J and Zero, Genesis had everyone regroup at his cabin to discuss what would come next. The most curious thing on everyone's mind, including Ash and May's, was how they were the best hope for saving Roxas and their other friends.

May and Ash also could not stop thinking about their children from the future. They thought about what Roxas and Sapphire might've endured in the future timeline, where they no longer existed. When everyone learned that Ash and May had died fighting against Omega in the future, no one was sadder to learn of their fates than Ash and May. They didn't dare ask how or what exactly happened. To them that didn't matter as much at this point.

Since Omega had already revealed much about Roxas and the others' backgrounds, Genesis divulged any other remaining details that Roxas had originally shared with him. One key detail that Genesis shared was that Nate and Rosa were actually Hilda and Hilbert's children. This made for an awkward moment between Hilda and Hilbert since they had not gotten together yet in the present, but they would touch that subject at a more appropriate time. Auro or "Hugh" was revealed to be the future son of Dawn and Paul.

As they looked back at the times they shared with Nate, Rosa, Auro, and Roxas, they realized that the clues were always there. There were clues ranging from their physical appearances to their mannerisms. Ash managed to crack a small laugh when he thought about Auro, who certainly had a lot of Dawn and Paul in him. Hilda and Hilbert couldn't also help but ask Genesis if they died in the fight too. Much to their surprise, Hilda and Hilbert lived on in the future and were the ones who encouraged Nate and Rosa to join Roxas in the past.

When they asked more about the future, Ash, May, and their friends were horrified to learn about the kind of destruction Omega had left in his wake. While Omega had left Roxas's timeline, the movement he started lived on without him and Roxas was forced to lead against the radical forces Omega had spawned. They had largely been successful at defeating Omega's forces, but at a high price, and as long as Omega was out there, they were never truly safe.

"Why did Omega come to this timeline?" May asked half-heartedly as they continued listening to Genesis.

"I am afraid that is something I don't have the answer to. Despite what I know, Roxas did not share everything he knew with me," Genesis admitted.

The teens wondered about it for a moment but then moved on from the subject. "Are the three of you from the future as well?" Cilan questioned.

"No, we were all recruited separately by Roxas in this timeline. Why did he pick us? You'd have to ask him to be honest," Silver replied with his carefree attitude.

"If I remember correctly, the only explanation he ever gave was that we were exceptional trainers," Cloud said with arms crossed, leaning against the wall.

"Interesting," Iris commented while observing Genesis, Silver, and Cloud.

"Is there anything else we should know about the future?" Ash questioned, still thinking about his children and the death of him and May. Out of all of them, he and May certainly had the most to take in.

"That's the gist of it," Silver indicated that the summary was finished.

"So, what now?" Cloud looked at Genesis. Since he and Silver were the less experienced ones, they relied on Genesis for leadership.

May walked over to the cabin window to look at the world, she felt it had changed completely from one moment to the next. "How do we save Roxas and his friends?" the brunette placed her fist over her heart, thinking about the condition her future son must be in.

"Omega demanded we pay him a visit and give him the Griseous Orb in exchange for the lives of Roxas, Nate, Rosa, and Auro. We don't even know where he is hiding though," Ash recalled Omega's conditions.

"Don't forget the three of us were members of Omega's organization. Omega always had multiple bases scattered across the world that he kept secret even from his own members. This is part of what made him increasingly hard to track. If you wanted to meet with Omega, he would come to you, not the other way around. Luckily, I've gathered enough intelligence to know where he has been operating out of most recently," Genesis spoke confidently.

"Where would that be?" Hilbert asked the man.

"We have reason to believe Omega is currently located at an abandoned manor in East Unova at the base of Reversal Mountain," Cloud informed them.

"Why am I not surprised," N commented, knowing exactly the location Cloud was referring to.

"Go figure right? The place is considered haunted, and no one dares to venture there. It's the perfect rest stop for a power-hungry maniac with secrets to hide," Silver joked.

"I've heard of that manor, just thinking about it gives me the creeps. The locals dubbed it the 'Strange House'," Hilda got goosebumps. She recalled ghost stories of the abandoned home ever since she was a child.

"So, we know where Omega is. Going back to my original question though, how are we supposed to beat him and save everyone?" May turned away from the window and stared at Genesis, thinking about the chances of success.

"You said we were your best hope, but we don't see how," Ash added to May's question.

Genesis approached the pair with his arms behind his back. "With Auro, Nate, and Rosa missing in action, I am in charge of the second and final half of your training," he said to the couple.

Everyone seemed a bit surprised by Genesis's response. "Didn't we just complete training not too long ago? Ash was somewhat annoyed at Genesis's answer.

"Yes, but the second half of your training is less conventional," Genesis spread his arms out.

"What does that mean?" Iris raised an eyebrow.

"Actually Iris, this training is only for Ash and May. Before you ask for what reason, I'll answer your first question since I think it will clear up everything," Genesis made sure to make his point. "The training I am going to lead you two in deals with practicing aura. You already have some pretty basic knowledge of aura, don't you Ash?" Genesis fixed his eyes on the raven-haired boy.

Ash nodded, remembering how he wielded it back in Kanto to help a Lucario. May also recalled the event vividly. "Aura is the essence of all living things. It's a powerful essence that can be manifested in various ways. Aura is part of what makes people like Roxas and Omega so powerful. They managed to harness it in a way similar to Pokémon like Lucario. It is much harder for humans to harness aura than Pokémon but learning it can make you quite exceptional. When you channel aura through a Pokémon though, it is even more powerful than harnessing it alone as a human or Pokémon. Aura can be used for good or evil as you've already noticed, but our unorthodox training will focus on you learning to use aura for good," Genesis summarized the topic as briefly as possible.

"Easier said than done," May crossed her arms. While Ash did have some small experience with aura, she did not recall ever trying it herself.

"Believe it or not, you two actually tapped into aura with your Pokémon quite recently," Genesis pointed out.

Ash and May became confused. "I don't remember using aura," Ash tried to look back at recent memories.

"Same here," May did the same.

"We weren't even around for their training sessions, so we can't even testify," Cilan said as he and Iris tried to recollect any instance of aura being used by Ash or May.

"Auro, Nate, and Rosa witnessed it during your first training period with them. Neither of you remembers because the overwhelming power leads to memory loss when it surges. If their notes are correct, Ash you harnessed your aura through Pikachu and May you harnessed it through Blaziken. That makes sense given that they are the Pokémon you have the strongest bonds with," Genesis remembered the briefing he received on it.

"Pika?!" Pikachu became surprised when he heard it, even the mouse failed to recall such an event.

"Not ringing any bells here," May failed to recall. Ash also nodded in agreement with May.

"The moment is buried in your subconscious. That's alright, I know someone who can help," Genesis turned to Victini, who hovered curiously beside Pikachu. "Victini, do you mind using your psychic powers on Ash and May to unlock the hidden memory? You'll know it once you see it," the red helmet male asked for Victini's assistance.

The Fire-type wasn't sure it would work, but it agreed. "I don't know about this," Ash was slightly nervous since he had never experienced something like this before.

"Please be careful Victini," May laughed nervously.

"Just hold still, oh and do it on Pikachu too," Genesis instructed.

"Pi!" Pikachu became startled. Victini looked at the trio and assured them that it'd be careful. All of a sudden, its eyes began to glow blue. Ash, May, and Pikachu were outlined in blue energy and their stares became zombie-like.

Cilan, Iris, Axew, N, Hilda, Hilbert, Silver, and Cloud stared intently at the trio. They all wondered if Genesis would help them remember the event. "Once they see what they are capable of, it will make it a lot easier to train them in the art of aura," Genesis stated as he patiently waited for Victini to do its thing.


The raven-haired boy immediately found himself in trouble since the Pokémon and Rosa came charging rapidly. May could not afford to see Ash get hurt and instantly ran over to the scene, ultimately throwing herself between Rosa and Ash.

"May no!" Ash yelled when he saw May get between him and the attack. The next thing he saw was the brunette receive a hard jab from Feraligatr and Rosa. "Aaaagggh!" May squealed in pain and dropped to her knees in pain, tearing from the extreme pain she felt in her stomach. The force from the jab felt so hard that she ultimately lost consciousness.

Nate merely chuckled while Rosa looked down at her with a raised eyebrow, "Well, I guess taking either one of you down equals the same thing." She looked down at May and spoke, "Guess I might as well finish you off, so you don't become a future problem," Rosa prepared to kick the brunette.

Ash gritted his teeth and clenched his fists; he felt a strong wind build around him as his hair waved violently. His eyes began to glow yellow and a faint, but yellow aura enveloped his body. Blaziken turned to Pikachu and noticed that the mouse was experiencing the same thing, its body was glowing yellow, and its eyes were starting to glow the same color as well. This change in appearance instantly alarmed Blaziken, Nate, and Rosa while May was unable to acknowledge anything going on due to the devastating jab that left her knocked out for the moment.

"Gooooooooooo!" Ash screamed and caused the ground beneath him to crack a bit.

Pikachu gritted its teeth and screeched while releasing a Thunder, "Piiiiiikaaaaachuuuuuuu!" The concentrated power of the Thunder shot at Rosa and Feraligatr faster than a bullet, leaving them helpless.

"Gaaaaaggggh!" Rosa shouted in pain as the electricity coursed through her body.

Eventually, Pikachu's shock came to a stop and Rosa and Feraligatr were barely able to stand on their feet.

Blaziken also watched as Ash and Pikachu returned to their normal appearances, not even the fire Pokémon could understand what had just happened. "Pi?" Pikachu's eyes widened with surprise when it saw Feraligatr and Rosa, then the mouse turned to Blaziken with a confused expression.

"What happened, I feel a little light-headed," Ash rubbed his head as his hair settled again, the glow surrounding him fading and his eyes returning to their normal appearance.

"Roxas, you smart son of a gun," Nate murmured with wide eyes.

"What happened?" May rubbed her head as she slowly regained consciousness.


Ash wasted no seconds in running to Victini's spot and cried out in anger for the Fire-type, "Victini no!" the raven-haired teen didn't care if the Golurk would stop him.

Sadly, Golurk saw the boy coming and without letting him get an inch closer kicked Ash like a doll and sent the boy crashing against the metallic wall. Ash gasped for air as he winced in pain and dropped to his knees while recovering from the blow. Everyone continued to watch in horror as the frightening giant towered above them and prepared to fire a Shadow Ball at all of them.

However, May's jaw was opened and the color in her eyes faded as a fiery red aura appeared around her entire body. Seeing Victini get injured badly before her eyes and watching Ash receive such a hard blow made her feel like a vein inside her body had popped.

Liepard, Pikachu, Snivy, and Scraggy noticed the same aura developing around Blaziken, but the flames around the Fighting-type seemed deadlier than when it had Blaze activated.

May gritted her teeth and clenched her fists furiously. Her eyes replayed the image of Ash gasping for air as he lay on his knees, the boy could have died if this had not been just an illusion, but even though it was an illusion, the pain May felt was all too real. "Noooooooooo!" May yelled with a blazing fierceness and the fire around her was almost seven feet tall.

"Blaaaaaaaaaaz!" Blaziken roared at the Golurk and without any warning fired an Overheat.

"Stooooooop!" May screamed with an earsplitting tone and the fire around her spiraled around Blaziken's Overheat.

Golurk saw the incoming attack and braced itself with a Focus Punch. The mighty Ghost-type began to make its fist glow white and without holding back any power, punched May and Blaziken's fire combo. Unfortunately for the Golurk, the Overheat steadily overpowered its Focus Punch.

"Go?" Golurk said in confusion.

May's eyes began to glow a brighter intense red and shouted angrily, powering up Blaziken's Overheat even more. The boost allowed Blaziken to easily overpower Golurk's Focus Punch and sent the Ghost-type blasting against the metallic wall and a giant cloud of smoke was produced.

Liepard, Pikachu, Snivy, and Scraggy watched in disbelief. None of them could understand what just happened, but the moment Golurk's body banged against the metal May and Blaziken's aura disappeared. As quick as the transformation was, it quickly faded and left May and Blaziken with confused eyes.

Ash, who had still been recovering took a glance the moment it heard the metallic bang, but by the time he caught sight of May and Blaziken, they were standing there with confusion. He wondered how on earth Golurk had been brought to its knees during the minute of numbness he had experienced, but the boy continued to watch as his body still tried to absorb the pain from the kick.

"What just happened?" May said with puzzled eyes.

"Ken?" Blaziken wondered how Golurk ended up in its painful condition.

Out of the smoke cloud, a bruise-covered Victini hovered up and watched in confusion at his weakened opponent. The Fire-type looked back at his friends and got relieved to see them alright for the most part.

"Victini...Ash!" May disregarded Golurk and turned her attention to the Legendary Pokémon and her beloved.

The brunette ran over to the boy and helped him up, "Ash, please tell me you're ok," the girl said with a pleading tone.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ash winced in pain a bit but chuckled over May's motherly instincts.

"Tini vi!" Victini also gave Ash his caring attention.

"I'm fine Victini, don't worry about me, but I'm glad you're ok," Ash said with relief as he got on his feet.

"Oh, Victini!" May hugged the little one with relief once Ash was able to stand on his own.

Pikachu and the other Pokémon were still confused though, they weren't sure what the heck happened before with May and wondered why on earth May and Blaziken could not recall what just occurred. "Blaziken ken," Blaziken approached Ash.

"Thanks for your care Blaziken, but seriously I'm fine. How on earth did you guys get Golurk in that condition though," Ash's eyes turned to the Ghost-type.

May stopped her cuddling with Victini instantly and also spoke with confusion, "Yeah what on earth happened? All I can remember was Ash being kicked and then I don't know it all occurred too fast."

Scraggy, Snivy, Pikachu, and Liepard all looked at each other with even greater confusion, but no one had an answer. As they tried to find a response though, the embers from Blaziken's Overheat got detected by the hallway's fire detectors, and all of a sudden, an alarm went off.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu became startled as Victini brought them out of their memories.

"No way!" May could not believe what she had just seen.

"We did that?!" Ash didn't know if he should feel proud or frightened.

"So, you guys actually, did it?" Iris asked with surprise and received nods from the couple.

"Amazing, Omega is going to get a dish best served cold," Cilan began to see the hope that Genesis had been referring to.

N, Hilbert, and Hilda were also amazed by the confirmation that Ash and May had deep aura potential. Genesis chuckled, "So now that you've seen it for yourself, do you believe you can wield aura beyond what you already knew?"

May and Ash weren't sure how to respond. What they had witnessed was an alarming amount of power that they had no control over. They wondered how they could even learn to control aura with such little time left. "Are you ready to unlock your aura?" Genesis asked again since they remained silent.

"Does Victini's psychic have side effects?" Silver said sarcastically since Ash and May failed to answer initially.

"Give them a minute, it's a lot to take in," Cloud defended the couple.

Ash and May looked down at the floor, then at themselves. Ash frowned and looked at Genesis, "We don't have time to learn how to wield aura. Roxas, Auro, Nate, and Rosa need our help and training is the last thing we should be doing now."

"Ash is right, maybe if we had more time, we'd do it. Last time our training took about a month. I don't know how long it will take to control our aura, but it's too late now. Who knows what Omega can accomplish if we step aside for at least a month," May commented. The couple looked serious. Everyone except for Silver and Cloud sided with their decision. They made a valid point.

Genesis bobbed his head up and down. "You're right. We don't have time to do the training, in this world at least," he informed them.

Genesis's response confused everyone except for Cloud and Silver. "What Genesis means is we have a way to deal with our lack of time," Cloud elaborated.

"How?" N was curious to know.

"Before, you asked how we met Roxas, Cloud said it was because we were exceptional trainers. What made us exceptional is the fact that we each independently saved Legendary Pokémon from crooks like Team Rocket in the past, before we met Roxas," Silver brought up their previous discussion.

"What does that have to do with our lack of time?" Iris was slightly annoyed by the off-topic comment.

Silver smirked, "One of the Legendary Pokémon I rescued is going to give us more time." The red-haired trainer snapped his fingers three times. Most of the people in the room remained confused until a small light spawned next to Silver and revealed the mythical Pokémon, Celebi.

"This just keeps getting better and better," Hilbert crossed his arms, knowing that Celebi was a Pokémon that could manipulate time.

"Since we don't have Dialga, Celebi can help us in its stead," Cloud pointed out.

"Biiii," Celebi greeted the group with excitement, but it was most excited to meet Victini. The two Legendary Psychic types immediately hit it off and began playing.

"Our friend Celebi is capable of transporting you to another realm where time flows differently than ours," Genesis stated as he admired the Johto Pokémon.

May and Ash were fascinated by Celebi's presence. Seeing it brought back memories for both of them from their time in Johto. Ash then spoke to Genesis, "How does time move differently in this place you mentioned?"

Before Genesis could answer, Cloud decided to respond. "The realm where Celebi will take you is outside of your plane of existence. This isn't like traveling to the past or future. It's a complete white void. If you spend a year in this void, only a day has passed in our world," the blonde-haired male explained.

"That's incredible! This defies everything we know about space and time," Cilan's passion for science slightly showed.

"Yeah, the laws of science like physics are different in this realm," Silver smirked confidently, amused by Cilan's reaction.

Ash, May, and Pikachu were still trying to wrap their heads around everything they'd learned today. However, if what Genesis and the others were saying about Celebi is true, then they saw no reason to hold back from training. The couple looked at each other with confident smiles and nodded. They were going to do this for Roxas, for Sapphire, and for everyone they ever cared about and will care about in the future.

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded confidently at Ash as well when the boy looked down.

"Alright Genesis, we'll do it your way," Ash smiled enthusiastically for the first time since they encountered Omega in Mistralton City.

"We're going to give this everything we've got," May made a fist of confidence, reviving the fighting spirit inside her.

"Excellent," Genesis grinned through his helmet. He knew they wouldn't refuse.

"Bi bi biii!" Celebi danced around Ash, Pikachu, and May excitedly, eager to help them become stronger to defeat the greatest existential threat of their time. Victini joined Celebi in the dance as it also cheered for its friends.

Silver and Cloud turned to the rest of the gang. "Since Ash, Pikachu, and May will be occupied training their aura abilities, what will we do?" Iris asked, wondering if there was anything they could do to change the tide of the conflict.

Cloud smiled, "This war against Omega is a team effort. We will all do our part for sure. While Genesis trains them and explains the plan in the void, we will go over the plan with the rest of you. All of us will need to put our best efforts forward if we wish to stop Omega once and for all."

"Therefore, no room for slacking. Got it memorized?" Silver jested at the group.

"Fine by me," N smirked at the two trainers.

"Count us in too," Hilda said with high energy while Hilbert smiled.

"And us," Cilan stood confidently alongside Iris and Axew.

"Perfect, the resistance begins its final stand here then," Genesis noted.

"When do we start?" May continued flashing her confident smile at Genesis.

"We're ready when you are," Ash's eyes were fired up.

Celebi flipped in the air and shouted, "Biiiiiiii!" With its high-pitched sound, it created a rift in space and time that formed a white portal.

Genesis crossed his arms, "Training starts now." The older trainer turned to the portal and walked into it, disappearing the moment he crossed over to the mysterious realm.

Ash, May, and Pikachu nodded. The Hoenn girl made sure she had Blaziken on hand for this as well. The trio took one last look at all their friends before joining Genesis on the other side.

"Ash, May, Pikachu…good luck in there," Iris gave her friends a warm smile.

"We believe in you. We always have," Cilan winked at them.

"Axew ax!" Axew cheered for the trio as well.

"Vi Victini vi," Victini hugged the three of them. The Fire-type matured enough to separate from them for a bit and it understood that they were doing this for the greater good. The Victory Pokémon gave them its best wishes.

"You guys are going to be awesome," Hilbert got goosebumps when he pictured Ash and May as strong as Roxas.

"See you in a year," Hilda joked and her eyes became a little watery as she stared at her friends.

Abruptly, Ash, May, and Pikachu pulled their friends, except for N, Silver, and Cloud, into a group hug. "Thank you to all of you," May's eyes also became slightly watery.

"We won't let you down," Ash assured them that they would return stronger than ever. When they separated, they all gave each other nods.

"We will see you soon," N gave them a thumbs up. While he still considered them his rivals, he respected them and wanted to see them succeed for the good of all Pokémon.

Ash, May, and Pikachu gave everyone one more smile. Then they took a step into the unknown.