Ron the True Fan: She's out of his head. Remember when I said Greenfield was going to suck? Well, here you go.
Takeshi Yamato: Yeah, things are getting really nasty here.
Ron the True Fan: On with the show. And you know the usual way to support the work.
Greenfield - Johto Region- 1316 hours local time - Day 390 of Ash Ketchum's Journey
The ghosts and dark-types glared at the thing that appeared to be Sabrina, but she waved a finger. "Uh-uh-uh…" she tutted, the finger glowing as Ash choked at an unseen force. "Blast me, he dies. Who knows what would happen if my control slipped."
Greninja glared at the bitch, but stood down. The others followed his lead due to his experience, but they didn't like it.
Sabrina, the parasite, looked at Ash, releasing him from her grasp. "Now, you're probably wondering-"
"The Unown." Ash cut off, coughing. "They're bending reality. That's how you're out of my head."
The thing scoffed. "You're not as stupid as you pretend to be." she said, waving a hand around, all the Pokemon glaring at her. "I keep forgetting that. A year locked inside your skull and I keep forgetting that most of your stupidity is obfuscating."
Ash coughed before getting up. "Well, most of Johto wasn't." he corrected. "Hoenn and onward, sure. So what's your grand plan, Sabby? Kill me? Hate to say it, but that body's just a projection. You're still INSIDE my head. Kill me, that's a one-way ticket to the Distortion Realm."
She scoffed. "Not for long. You know as well as I do that once enough power is pumped out through the alphabet soup that is the Unown, this body will become real." the ancient being said. "All I have to do is wait and keep you from doing anything to send them back to the other side. Also… Sabby?"
"Well, what the hell do I CALL you?" Ash asked. "Sure not 'Your majesty' or anything like that. And you're NOT Sabrina."
"Like it matters what you call me, boy." she said dismissively. "All I have to do is keep you in a vice until reality settles. Then I'll be free. If you don't piss me off, I'll let you live long enough to watch my ascension to true godhood-"
Pikachu jumped, firing off a Thunderbolt at the thing, electrocuting the wannabe goddess. "FUCKING RAT!" she snapped.
Ash got up, adjusting his hat. "Fun fact, Sabby." he started. "If you're God in here, SO AM I." with that, he raised his two handguns, firing them at her. "And I say THIS IS GONNA HURT!"
The last time he tried this, it didn't work. NOW the rules had changed. Now the bitch was getting riddled with holes.
The psionic creature glared at him as she recovered from the pain, Ash reloading both weapons. "Want to avoid the pain? GET BACK IN MY HEAD." he ordered.
'Sabby's' eyes glowed with power before unleashing a shockwave of power that slammed into everything, the neutral type energy slamming everything into a wall. Ash groaned as he knew something broke. Multiple somethings, all near his spine.
"OW." he wheezed, assuming he broke a few ribs. No, he definitely broke a few ribs.
This timeline had it out for him.
Meanwhile…
"It's no Bulbasaur, but it'll do." Misty said as Kyoji's Natu and Galvantula worked to make a silk rope to lift them into the 'castle'.
"Why Bulba-OH." Kyoji said before realizing that was a last time thing. "Right. Well, up you go."
"I'll give you a hand." Sabrina added as Misty tied herself off, Natu psychically tugging on the strand while Sabrina pushed Misty upwards. A little too quickly as Misty shot up, Natu's eyes shooting open as he tried to stop the speeding swimmer, rapidly 'NATU!'ing the entire time before stopping her.
Anabel looked at her former teacher. "Lost control?" she asked.
"The Unown are boosting my abilities." the older psychic admitted. "Pokemon can instinctively handle that better than we can: psychics are a rare breed."
Mei groaned as Serena giggled at that last one. "Never say that around her. The pervert will twist it." the priestess said before the blonde stopped suddenly. Becca looked at the Kalosian before her eyes went glassy and her legs folded under her weight.
Iris had to put her arms under Serena's armpits just to keep her from falling into the water. "What just happened?" the Unovan asked, very worried for Serena. "She doesn't just faint like that!"
Sabrina and her cloned Natu lifted the girl up, gently floating her upwards. "As with everything, blame the Unown." the greenette said as Kyoji's took over and Misty guided her to a sitting position. "She's a psychic, just not as powerful or well-trained as us. Not to mention her mind is fractured to hell and back, so THAT certainly doesn't help."
Kyoji snorted. "Well that's great. We can't teleport her out of here because of the Unown's psychic boosters and now she's dead weight!" he said before groaning. "Let's just hope Ash is having better luck then we are."
Back with Ash, who is certainly having worse luck then they are…
Crystal railings were NOT fun to slam into. Ash was sure he'd need a chiropractor after this.
"Just because I can't kill you DOESN'T MEAN I WON'T BREAK YOU!" the thing yelled as she psionically lifted Ash up and slammed him into another wall, Pikachu zapping her while the anti-physic team blasted her with ghost and dark energies, making the projection scream in pain.
"FUCKING INSECTS! I WILL-"
"SHUT UP, BITCH!" cried a familiar voice before a high-heeled shoe slammed into her face, worn by a girl that looked vaguely familiar to Ash, but the red hair threw him off.
This was followed by a crossbow bolt going through the projection's shoulder, knocking her down the stairs with a pained cry for every step.
And there were a LOT of steps.
"I recommend you keep away from our husband, wench." said the bow-woman, revealing… Serena, in that ballroom-style dress holding her torque bow and reloading it. But the hair was lighter and her eyes were the wrong shade of blue. "You WILL, however, pay for hurting him."
Ash looked at the redhead, who was… another Serena? Right shade of blue for the eyes, but the hair was NOT. Her schoolgirl outfit was a weird one.
Sabrina got to her feet, pulling the bolt out. "Fucking GREAT. The broken-GAH!" another bolt went through her chest.
"I agree with the princess." said a bluenette version of Serena, same outfit as the redhead with red eyes covered by a pair of thin metal-rimmed glasses. "Hurting Ash was a mistake."
Ash might not have been the smartest person in the world - first to admit he wasn't, but calling him an idiot or a hick would result in a painful reminder that he was still an experienced trainer - but he didn't need to be to know that this was caused by the Unown. Serena's personalities were out and about.
"FUCKING BITCH!" yelled a pink-haired Serena as she rushed at the projection with freaking knives. "YOU HURT MY MAN YOU-"
"Do ignore Yuno, dearest." said another, more sultry, Serena, wearing a red cocktail dress with black hair and red eyes, before helping Ash to his feet. "She never gets to cut loose."
It also didn't take a genius to figure out who THIS one was. "You're-"
"Call me Jade, love." she answered, steadying him on his feet. "We'll keep the fake girl off your back. Go get Molly."
Ash groaned at the broken ribs. "Thanks. I owe you, just-"
"Sweetheart, you're not 18 yet. I don't get to rock your world…" Jade trailed off before making a seductive grin. "Unless you WANT to?"
It should be stressed that Ash was VERY tempted to say yes. But he wasn't going to because one, he didn't feel worthy of it. Two, she was right about them being too young.
"Just think of something and I'll do it! Just… Not THAT!" Ash said, gritting through the pain as he and Pikachu went up the stairs, going towards Molly's room in one of the towers.
Jade looked at the Unown spinning around.
"I think I already have thought of something." she said, before walking down the stairs with a sway in her hips. "And everyone gets to benefit from it. Just need to convince THEM."
With the others - 1321 hours
Mei winced. There was a tightness in her chest. Something shared by a lot of people.
Though Kyoji was more concerned with Serena, who had been… tied up and on his back.
"I get the feeling she'd enjoy this more if Ash was the one doing the carrying." he mentioned, as Serena was very, VERY tied up on his back in… compromising areas. To be very fair to Kyoji, they did secure her more snugly to his back.
"I agree with you, but beggars can't be choosers." Sabrina said before Misty pulled out a Pokeball as they exited into… an open field with a staircase ascending into the heavens?
"Giratina's minions at work." Iris opined. "This makes no sense."
"This was taken from the mind of a child. Did you expect it to-" Anabel started before clutching her chest. "Ow."
Kyoji looked at Sabrina, who took the question from his mind before it even came close. "No, that's not a psychic thing. I'm fine." she said before a form of energy appeared, manifesting as an 18-year old girl with light brown hair, wearing a dress with a sleeveless coat overtop it.
"Molly." Misty said, annoyed. "Dreaming up a power fantasy."
"So, you're all Pokemon trainers?" asked the illusionary young woman, right before a bang went off.
"We're not playing with her delusions."Anabel spat, Kyoji finding her with a smoking handgun in hand.
"What the actual FUCK, Anabel?!" Yang demanded. "You just shot-"
"I shot a manifestation of the Unown created from the dreams of a child." she cut off. "And we don't have time for this."
Sabrina put an end to the argument quickly. "This is the largest and most powerful psionic field she's been in since she left Saffron." the gym leader explained. "It's not bringing up good memories for her."
"Nothing personal, Sabrina, but that was technically your fault." Becca said as Anabel emptied the weapon, dissipating the illusion.
"I'm aware." the greenette said. "Which is why I'm not judging her for something I would've done and honestly, she has a point. We don't have time to play with her delusions."
"We might not have a choice." Iris said before another one appeared.
"Hey! Molly!" came a VERY familiar voice, making everyone look to see Misty, another one, in the distance. "You want to have a Pokemon battle? How about a rematch for last time?!"
Becca stared and voiced what everyone was thinking. "What the hell."
"It's a VERY long story!" Iris said before rushing for the staircase. Kyoji gestured for everyone to follow while dream Molly was distracted.
Back with Ash
Ash cried out as he walked, as broken ribs, while not a new thing for him - New Island, among other things in the last timeline - were certainly not something you could brush off.
Pikachu REALLY wished he was bigger so he could help.
"I'll be fine, Pikachu. Just…" Ash said before the bones jabbed at his insides, reminding him of his injury. "In a LOT of pain."
"You need to take care of yourself."came the voice of Serena, making Ash chuckle as she got him to his feet.
"Weren't you holding off that thing in the hall?" he asked, before seeing honey-blonde hair and a very familiar set of sapphire-blue eyes.
"I'm not those personalities, Ash." she said, helping him. "I'm actually-"
"MY Serena." he gasped. "HOW?"
"The Unown. It's really nice to talk to you again." she said, showing signs of… well, her old self. "About the airport-"
"You know I was tempted to shove my tongue down your throat." Ash cut off. "I love you, too. I'm just… not worthy of you."
"You've saved the world a hundred times. You're worthy. I just wish I was really going to be your wife instead of that broken me." Serena replied, helping him go up the stairs. "But I'll take the consolation prize of being with you no matter what. And kicking you in the ass for punishing yourself over things you can't control!"
Ash groaned in both pain AND the idea of Serena joining in on the whole thing. "You KNOW why-"
"Yeah and you're being stupid about it! Latios died because of Team Rocket! The world died because of Cyrus being an arrogant bastard and Arceus being hands-off to the point of being abusive and not ending him with extreme prejudice!" his first love declared, Pikachu giving him a thumbs up for her rant, calling out Ash on his antics. "I get it, Ash, I REALLY do. You have no experience with romance, you have zero confidence in yourself in that regard and because of something understandable and out of your control, you use both to make the excuse that you're not worthy. Guess WHAT? You're WRONG."
Most would expect Ash to lash out, get mad. But there was one vital difference this time.
This was Serena. Out of all the women in his life - and he meant women, not girls like Lillie or Mallow - she was his first love, even back when they first met.
How could he be ever angry at her? Being mad at her was literally unthinkable.
"Abandon your vow. You did nothing wrong." Serena said with certainty. "And I saw every moment of what happened in your memories, so do not dare claim I don't know anything, Ash. Do. Not. Try. And even if you did… I still love you. No matter what."
Pain or no pain, Ash couldn't resist. He reached over and kissed her on the lips. It didn't matter that her body was a psionic manifestation. It was his Serena.
And he owed her nothing less.
Belladonna Ketchum was beginning to HATE this little bitch, cousin or not.
She brainwashed her mom, tried to screw with her head - only the fact she'd been hit with a hundred Night Dazes and Dark Pulses made her highly resistant - and her childish bullshit was pissing her off.
So she lost her mom and dad. So did Bell and the only one still having nightmares from it was Ash because he was incinerated on top of him, protecting Ash from the corrupted fire and that did not justify stealing someone else's family.
Enough was enough.
"Molly…" she started, straining. "Let. Us. Go."
"Big sis, you're still in time-" Molly never finished before Bell had ENOUGH and grabbed her by the throat, choking her.
"You know, I'm getting REAL sick of your bullshit!" she shouted, the Unown-Entei turning to her and bearing his fangs, Bell thinking quickly and putting one hand to Molly's jaw. "Attack me, I snap her neck! And DON'T think I won't because if it's her or everyone else, EVERYONE ELSE is my pick!"
If Molly died, the illusions might fade. It wasn't an option Bell WANTED to use, but she was out of patience, out of tolerance and didn't see other solutions.
…Except maybe one.
"Pray to Arceus your neck's strong enough to handle this." Bell snapped, getting up and walking to a window, keeping the child in hand, so to speak before showing Molly the consequences of her actions. "Take a good look. See that? That's YOUR doing."
"It's…" Molly struggled to say, Bell loosening her grip enough to let the little girl speak. "Pretty…"
"Only if you don't think about how many people and Pokemon were killed by that!" Bell declared, making her captive look up at her. "Oh, YES, Molly. You're a killer. Hundreds of people. Thousands of Pokemon. All consumed by your crystal wonderland. I hope you're PROUD."
And as if to prove Bell's point, a Rattata was consumed by the crystals as they expanded, covering him from tail to snout.
"So, I'm going to make this clear, you stupid little girl." the eldest Ketchum said, THOROUGHLY tired of her crap. "Undo. EVERYTHING. NOW. Because if you don't, I WILL. And there's only one way to undo this my way."
Molly was now terrified, Entei roaring, but Bell stressed the consequences by turning around, gesturing to her captive.
Bell did NOT want to kill Molly, but a very wise man once said 'the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one'. If Molly had to die for this to stop, because it sure as hell wouldn't stop with Greenfield, so be it.
The door exploded open, revealing a bloodied figure, ripping a crossbow bolt from her shoulder, the dust clearing to reveal a familiar face.
"Sorry, Belladonna." said a more FAMILIAR version of Sabrina Bell had avoided during her League run as she walked in. "I don't think so."
Entry 128: The Ruins of Alph
The origin word for 'alphabet', Alph was once a thriving civilization of Giratina worshippers, who called Giratina 'the creator of speech'. It is from their civilization where the common written language comes from.
They are also responsible for the creation of several artifacts, some of which summon the Unown. In ancient times, the people of Alph manipulated reality carefully, but realized the potential for abuse when Pokelantis attempted an invasion to claim them for their own. Thus, willingly, the civilization faded, their artifacts hidden.
One was responsible for the Greenfield Incident.
Ron the True Fan: I will make this clear before someone decides to be an idiot in the reviews. Bell. Doesn't. WANT. To kill Molly. But she may have no choice. People are DYING because of Molly's actions. As far as Bell knows, the only way to put an end to this is snapping her neck. NOT an option she likes. MAKE NO MISTAKE. But the little girl clearly doesn't see the consequences of her actions and may just force Bell's hand.
Takeshi Yamato: As much as it may annoy or anger some, the Star Trek Vulcan saying is appropriate here: The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.
Ron the True Fan: Molly IS the cause. Don't delude yourselves into thinking she's not responsible. Bell IS right to think if Molly dies, this might end. MIGHT. It could also make matters worse. She doesn't know and can't know. But if she can threaten Molly into reversing this and all it does is cost her invites to family reunions, why should Bell care?
Takeshi Yamato: This is true enough. However, now the evil Sabrochimaru is in play. …You may be asking about that name. I mentioned this WAY back when she first really appeared, but Ron wanted a different version of Sabrina than both AOTP and PRB. AOTP was fairly close to canon Sabrina, a lonely psychic girl who just needed friends. PRB Sabrina was a Social Darwinist Serial Killer. For SOT, I came up with the idea of Sabrina being a body-hopping parasite similar to Orochimaru from Naruto, only much older. She may have been trapped in Ash's head for a year, but she is still that body-hopping psychic parasite. Sabrina, Orochimaru version. Hence, Sabrochimaru.
Ron the True Fan: Honestly, we never gave her a name. Point of fact, she's so old, she probably doesn't REMEMBER her old name. Not that it matters. Greenfield's endgame is coming. And as usual, to support the fic…my YT account link is in the profile. Subs (after a lot of vids) equal chapters!
Ja Ne!