Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Pokémon world.

It is an astounding place, where humans and Pokémon coexist peacefully, treating each other like friends and even family. Their bonds are tested daily in the well-known sport, famously and aptly titled 'Pokémon battles'. Captured Pokémon and their human owners, called Pokémon Trainers, battle opponents in heated matches that test their strength, endurance, skill, and, most of all, cooperation with one another. And it is with Pokémon battles that the bonds between Trainers and their Pokémon are strengthened.

Of course, nothing is perfect. In this world, there are humans who intentionally, maliciously abuse this peaceful, harmonic coexistence for a variety of dastardly purposes. And with these villains come humans who work endlessly to thwart their malevolent efforts. Localized police departments. The G-Men. Pokémon Rangers. All of their heroic efforts have helped to maintain the stability of the Pokémon world and make it a safer place for its occupants, human and Pokémon alike.

However, a few years ago, even their efforts could not help to foil the destructive schemes of a rising criminal syndicate known as the Sky Soldiers. Quite ironically, they sought to cleanse the Pokémon world of evil, which they hoped to carry out by capturing the Rainbow Pokémon Ho-Oh, who searched for a Trainer with a pure heart.  They were able to accomplish their goal with a mysterious but extremely powerful device that remains unidentified to this day. However, in their zeal, the Sky Soldiers failed to recognize the fatal risks that would threaten the world as a result: misuse of Ho-Oh's power would lead to a natural imbalance that would ultimately tear the world apart.

But recognize it, they did not. They merely proceeded to spread their power and influence across the world. Even the Legendary Pokémon, led by the Alpha Pokémon Arceus, all-powerful Creator of the Pokémon world, could not stop the Sky Soldiers from enacting their fiendish plan. It took only a miracle to save the world from its demise. A miracle that seemed very unlikely to rise from the pitch-black darkness that held the world in its iron-fisted grip.

But a miracle did come, in the form of 18-year-old Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum.

Saving the world from doom was not a field in which Ash found himself a novice. Seven years prior, he saved the world from a destructive battle waged between the Legendary Birds, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. And so, with the assistance of Arceus and the other Legendary Pokémon, several other Trainers, and his own Pokémon, he overcame all the Sky Soldiers, defeated their leader in a dramatic and tense battle at the summit of Johto's Mt. Silver, and released Ho-Oh from its imprisonment.

But only at a price. Ho-Oh was mortally wounded as a result of the rescue, and one of the only two means of reviving it, a Rainbow Wing, was out of Ash's grasp. With that, he resorted to the second, more fatal means: the transference of his Aura, the energy force that fueled life for humans and Pokémon.

Ash Ketchum was gone, and in exchange, Ho-Oh rose once again.

The legend of Ash Ketchum has since made a permanent imprint on the Pokémon world. Many books, movies, and merchandising were made after him, and schools worldwide have included his accomplishment in their history lessons. But all of that paled in comparison to an annual Pokémon battle tournament called the Ketchum Month Tournament, which was first held on the year following Ash's passing. The tournament always lasted for 31 days, with it ending on the day of Ash's passing. It featured some of the world's greatest and widely-discussed battles, and it also boasted the highest attendance of all Pokémon battle tournaments, even greater than the numbers held by Pokémon League Conferences. To this day, the tournament was held at Ketchum City, located at the base of Mt. Silver, near Silver Town, of which was a part of its greater metropolitan area.

With all the accomplishments Ash Ketchum had made in his journey, it went on to prove one thing: one person can make a difference in the world.

Aspertia City
The Unova region
Five years after the death of Ash Ketchum

"And Ho-Oh flew away, once again exploring the world that had returned to its rightful state of normalcy, for a pure-hearted Trainer. The end."

"Aw, really? Read it again, Mommy!"

"This is the seventh time I've read this tonight, Nate. I think it's time you get some well-deserved sleep."

The mother proved her point by closing the storybook on her five-year-old son. However, the boy, always determined, refused to give in to his mother's command. He sat up on his bed, holding the stuffed Teddiursa toy he bought in the Johto region as he stared up at his mother with pleading eyes.

"Please?" He then held up the stuffed Teddiursa, showing it to his mother. "For me and Teddiursa?"

The mother sighed and shook her head. "No, Nate, you have to go to school tomorrow."

Nate crossed his arms and frowned with disappointment. "I hate it there," he said. "I wish I could go to the Pokémon Trainer's School and learn how to be a Trainer."

"You'll be on your way there when you're nine," his mother replied. "For now, you have tomorrow to look forward to."

"I wish that when I wake up tomorrow, I'm already ten, and I'm going on my Pokémon journey." Nate smiled brightly. "That'll be a tomorrow to look forward to!"

The mother sighed again and smiled. "You really can't wait to become a Pokémon Trainer, can't you, Nate?"

"Yeah! I wanna become like Ash Ketchum, going around the world, capture all types of Pokémon, battling all kinds of people, making friends with others, meeting many Legendary Pokémon, and, most of all, saving the world!" Nate leaned back on his bed, sighing sadly and holding the Teddiursa plushy to his chest, as if it were his only means of protection. "And all that happens when I'm ten... I wish time would just speed itself up already!"

"Your time will come soon, Nate. You just have to be patient." She kissed Nate on the forehead and switched off the lamp. "Good night, my Pokémon Trainer."

The mother proceeded to walk out of the bedroom. However, once she reached the doorway, Nate's voice called out to her.

"Mommy?"

The mother turned back to look at her only child. "Yes, Nate, my dear?"

"You say that all of that Ash-Ketchum-saving-the-world stuff happened while I was still in your tummy?" asked Nate.

"Yes, that's right, Nate," the mother replied.

"What was it like?"

"What was what like?"

"The world almost ending?"

"It was scary," explained the mother. "It's like an adult's version of the monster coming out of the closet. It was very scary. But then again, Ash Ketchum saved the day at the cost of his own life, and I must say, I owe him a lot of gratitude. I think you do as well. You wouldn't be here if it weren't for his heroic actions."

"But he's dead, Mommy. We can't thank him."

The mother smiled as she reached for the doorknob. "That still doesn't stop us from thanking him for his sacrifice. Good night, Nate. Sweet dreams."

"Good night, Mommy," Nate replied, just before his mother closed the door. He then looked up at the ceiling, still holding his Teddiursa toy. He smiled, letting the wise words given by his mother sink into his mind. "Thank you, Ash Ketchum, for saving my mommy's life. And mine. And in return, I'm gonna be just like you, one day."

And with that, he slowly allowed the sandman to overcome him. The following night was spent with Nate happily dreaming about his future as a Pokémon Trainer.

Ketchum City
The Johto region

A stream of fireworks exploded in midair, decorating the starry, cloudless sky with colorful bursts of light, filling the atmosphere with deafening bangs. The Ketchum City civilians collectively watched in awe as the fireworks continued to explode all around the sky, marking the end of the local holiday 'Ketchum Month'. Children ran across the streets, laughing and playing with toys. Vendors sold Ash Ketchum-themed merchandise with much difficulty due to the long lines. At the town center, the mayor, a fat but pleasant-looking and giddy man with a thick mustache and a balding head, addressed the crowd that had gathered around him.

"Happy Ketchum Month, ladies and gentlemen of Ketchum City! I hope everyone's enjoyed this year's Ketchum Month Tournament?"

He was met with a thunderous storm of cheering and applause from his audience. The mayor smiled and continued his address.

"That's what I thought. And, most unfortunately, today marks the end of Ketchum Month. But do not fret, ladies and gentlemen! As Ash Ketchum would boldly say, this only paves the way for a greater tomorrow, a better future! One that he has granted to all of us, thanks to his noble, selfless sacrifice! And I, Mayor Zander Harrington, assure you that we will not dishonor his memory by refusing to spend our future with all of our best! Is that right, Ketchum City?!"

The audience cheered and applauded loudly again. At this point, Harrington's assistant, a tall and thin man wearing large circular glasses, stumbled through the crowd clumsily, giving his employer a golden candle. Harrington nodded at his assistant and then resumed his address.

"And now, with the conclusion of Ketchum Month now over us, let us commemorate the one who thought not for himself, but for the better of the world." Dramatically, he raised his candle into the air, its single flame burning brightly. "To Ash Ketchum, our hero of the skies."

"TO ASH KETCHUM, OUR HERO OF THE SKIES!" the audience responded, all collectively raising candles that each individual had been holding the entire time.

All throughout Ketchum City, everyone's candle was raised.

The Forest of Hearts
Near Ketchum City

Long before Ash's death, the forest surrounding Silver Town, and the base of Mt. Silver, never had a name for itself. But after an area of the forest was razed to make way for Ketchum City, it had since acquired the title of 'Forest of Hearts', and it received its fair share of fame and recognition due to the fact that Ash and his allies had traveled through this very forest in order to enter Mt. Silver, where Ash would meet his demise.

Some of the Pokémon residing in the Forest scrambled for cover, frightened off by the loud bangs, but most merely watched in silent awe and curiosity as the fireworks exploded across the sky. At a large and grassy clearing that held only a small thicket, a small group of Pokémon, consisting of many species, watched the fireworks. A Pikachu that stood in front of this group turned back and dashed towards the thicket, entering through a small hole that served as its only entrance and exit.

Inside, it was more clear that the trees that made up the thicket were all seemingly reshaped into some sort of protective dome; their trunks were bent over toward a certain direction, and their branches were wrapped around the branches of others. The crisp autumn leaves fluttered with the cold breeze that blew with a whisper.

At the center of the thicket's otherwise-vacant interior was a single man, who wore a faded gray cloak, the hood of which being drawn over his head. The man's raven-black hair hung loosely over his forehead, obscuring a majority of his face. It was to this strange man that the Pikachu ran, without a single hint of fear present on the Mouse Pokémon's aged but still adorable face. The Pikachu blinked, biding its time for a few seconds, for the man seemed to be deep in meditation. Clutched in his left hand was a purple, ancient-looking flute; lying across the man's right was a strange plate-like object that appeared to have engraving on it.

"Pikapi?"

The man's eyes opened suddenly, and when he saw that it was the Pikachu who addressed him, he let out a long sigh.

"You know better than to startle me during this point of the day, buddy," he said, patting the Pikachu's head. "What's up?"

"Pikapi, pika pika-pi-pi ka-pika pika chu-ka-pika pika-kachu kachu-pi," the Pikachu replied. No human would've understood what it was saying, but this man did.

"I bet they're beautiful, Pikachu."

"Pika pika-ka chu-pika kachu, Pikapi?"

"I'd rather not, Pikachu."

"Pika?"

"Fireworks are man-made, Pikachu. I'd rather not associate myself with the exploits of civilized people, even through exposure. Not anymore. It doesn't matter if they are beautiful, buddy; I don't wish to allow myself to endure them, as with all other interaction with civilization. You can watch them with the others if you wish, buddy."

"Pika, pika pi-pika-ka kachu-chu pika-pi pi-ka ka-pika, Pikapi."

"I promised myself, Pikachu. Never again." The man's eyes narrowed darkly, a strange glint flashing for a moment before he returned to his normal gaze. "Now, I do not mean to be a nuisance, but I have to resume my business. Go watch the fireworks, Pikachu. Have fun."

The man then closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The Pikachu's ears drooped as it sadly left the thicket in silence. It knew perfectly well that its master didn't wish to come back into the arms of society, and all of its rules that he previously upheld like there was nothing else. It knew perfectly well that the days of old had passed long ago, never to return. It knew perfectly well that his Pikapi had a new goal in life now.

It knew perfectly well that Ash Ketchum had indeed died. At least...the old one...

The Hall of Origin
Arceus's Dimension
Unknown amount of time after the death of Ash Ketchum

Arceus levitated over the pedestal situated in the center of the Hall, its four pointed feet, tipped with golden hooves, dangling loosely as the Alpha Pokémon lay quietly in deep thought. No others were present in the Hall; it was just him. The pink-colored realm of endlessly-reaching space, with the many stars and occasional cloud-like nebulae, served as the 'sky' for the Alpha Pokémon's Dimension.

"Father," a gruff, male voice greeted.

Arceus turned around and saw six Pokémon emerge from their individual portals: Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf.

"We have arrived, Father," Dialga said.

"My Children," Arceus replied, "you have all responded to my most dire call."

"What do you seek from us, Father?" Mesprit asked.

"Gather, my Children. There is much to discuss, and much to do."

"What is this about, Father? Would you care to enlighten us?" asked Giratina.

"It concerns the human boy you have befriended, Giratina. The one who saved me from certain doom. The one who sacrificed himself for the human world.

"The one called Ash Ketchum."

Chapter Text

List of characters and their estimated ages:

-Nate: 10

-Rosa: 10

-Hugh: 10

-Misty: 29

-Brock: 33

-Holly: 32

-Gary: 28

-Max: 22

-Molly: 21

-Dawn: 23

-May: 25

-Hilda: 25

-Hilbert: 25

-Lyra: 28

-Khoury: 28

-Tory: 25

-Paul: 26

-Iris: 22

-Cilan: 29

"Good morning, Johto! Today's another unusually hot day in our beloved region, but people are not discussing about the heat today! They're talking of a different heat: the new Ketchum Month Tournament. Oh yes, I'm talking about the one that celebrates the decade that's passed since Ash Ketchum sacrificed himself to save the Legendary Rainbow Pokémon Ho-Oh from malicious exploits, and also the world from certain doom!

"Zander Harrington, longtime mayor of Ketchum City, has promised us the best Ketchum Month Tournament that Johto, and even the rest of the world, will remember. He has said, 'As a full decade since Ash's tragic but heroic passing is close to making its mark, we shall commemorate it with this year's Ketchum Month and its tournament! We shall not forget the sacrifice our hero had made for the world he loved and protected!' True indeed, Mayor Harrington, we shall never forget.

"We at Johto TV will continue to follow the progression of this year's 10th Annual Ketchum Month Tournament, and keep you updated on the battles and competition!"

Aspertia City
The Unova region
Ten years after the death of Ash Ketchum

"It's been a while, Aspertia City," Nate thought, smiling triumphantly. It took him weeks to reach his hometown, many long, tiring weeks, but, after much effort in braving many kinds of perilous terrain, territorial Pokémon, and aggressive Trainers, he finally had the fruits of victory in his grasp. Now, he found himself walking down familiar streets, staring at familiar homes, greeting familiar people. Ah yes, it was great to be home.

"Nate, wait up! You're walking too fast!"

The ten-year-old stopped in his tracks and turned around. He had been so caught up in being back at Aspertia City that his mind was taken off other matters. Like the fact that he spent the last week traveling with a companion. A long, sleepless week, to be exact.

"Don't be such a slowpoke, Rose," replied Nate tauntingly; he knew that his companion absolutely hated being referred to by her nickname.

"DON'T CALL ME ROSE, YOU DUMMY!" the blue-eyed girl with the two long pigtail buns screamed angrily, catching up with Nate and slapping him hard on the shoulder.

"OW! Okay, okay, Rosa, I give, I give!" Nate rubbed his shoulder, flinching in pain from the slight searing sensation. Rosa merely held her head high and marched away with an emphasized huff. Nate looked at her as she walked away, shaking his head.

Ever since the two met in Nimbasa City, they have held a 'frenemy' relationship of sorts, treating each other as friends at some points, but then treating each other as rivals at other points. Nate couldn't say that he saw Rosa as a good friend, for she tended to talk for hours on end, explaining the current wrinkling under Nate's eyes. And then there was that flaring, white-hot temper of hers. Nate remembered invoking her wrath the first day they had met; he attempted to compliment her hairstyle, but Rosa misinterpreted it as criticism, and the two had a Pokémon battle. Nate's Pokémon all wound up on the losing end.

"Trouble with the girls, huh?" a familiar voice asked.

Nate blushed with embarrassment and twirled his head to see Hugh, his childhood friend, coming towards him, his spiky dark-blue hair flying in the breeze. He lowered the sports visor that he wore in an attempt to hide his scarlet-colored cheeks.

"She's not my girlfriend, if that's what you're implying, Hugh," he replied defensively.

"Denial's the number-one indicator, Nate," Hugh said, shrugging and smiling craftily. "Besides, your silly-looking blush can't escape my eyes."

Nate groaned. "Since when were you the type to tease me, Hugh? What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I was gonna ask you the same thing." Hugh's eyes widened. "Wait, don't tell me. You plan on participating at the 10th Annual Ketchum Month Tournament, are you?"

Nate, taken aback by Hugh's correct guess at first, nodded and reached into the pocket of his light-gray sweatpants. Quickly pulling out a rolled-up sheet of paper, he unfurled it and displayed it to Hugh. It was a colorful flyer that he had come across during his stay at Castelia City, inviting Trainers from regions all across the world to Ketchum City and participate in the tenth annual Pokémon battle tournament, which had been described in many advertisements as being one of the best events that have ever been planned in the sport of Pokémon battling. Still holding his childhood admiration of Ash Ketchum, Nate couldn't resist. After all, he decided that a month-long break from traveling around the region and acquiring Gym Badges was well in order for him.

Hugh smiled, reached into his bag, and pulled out a similar flyer. "Same here," he said. "I found this while in Opelucid City, battling the Gym Leader. You're not the only one who claims to be the number-one fan of Ash Ketchum, you know."

"HA! You wish," replied Nate jokingly, lightly punching Hugh on the shoulder. "At least my claims are well-founded!"

"You keep dreaming, man!" Hugh returned Nate's punch with a punch of his own. Unfortunately, he put a little too much strength in it.

"OW! Come on, man, I can't afford to have both of my shoulders hurt today!"

The boys laughed as they walked further down the streets.

"So, if you plan on going to the tournament," said Nate, "how come you came back here, Hugh?"

"I thought I'd ask my family to come with me," Hugh replied. "We've never been to Johto, and if I'm gonna be on my way there, we might as well have a little vacation as a family. I bet you my sister's gonna be excited for it." He chuckled. "How about you, Nate?"

"I'm gonna ask my mom to come along. We haven't been to Johto ever since our trip to the region five years ago. Hey, since our families are going, we should just go together, like the good ol' times." He nudged Hugh on the shoulder. "What do you say, man?"

Hugh smiled. "It sounds like an enticing offer."

Cerulean City
The Kanto region

"Gyarados, use Hyper Beam!" Misty Waterflower commanded. The Atrocious Pokémon roared and fired a powerful beam of orange energy at its opponent, a Jolteon.

"Dodge, then take it out with Thunderbolt!" shouted the Jolteon's Trainer. The Lightning Pokémon quickly dodged the Hyper Beam just split-seconds after the command was issued; now high in the air, Jolteon issued yellow sparks appeared around its body, quickly followed by a powerful bolt of yellow electricity. The Thunderbolt struck Misty's Gyarados, shooting off smaller bolts of electricity that danced through the air and the pool that was part of the Cerulean City Gym.

Misty watched with shock as her Gyarados sank into the water, the Electric-type attack dealing an effective blow on it.

"Gyarados is unable to battle, Ronnie wins!" a voice shouted. Misty turned her head, recognizing the voice; she smiled widely upon seeing that Brock Harrison and his wife Holly were sitting in the stands, the latter holding their infant son. She nodded at them before recalling Gyarados.

"You did well, Ronnie," Misty said as Ronnie approached her, a triumphant look on his face. "You were obviously well-prepared for the battle this time. You've trained to the maximum limits your Pokémon, and they were able to overcome mine due to their advantageous and powerful Type. For this preparation, skill, and endurance that was heavily displayed throughout your battle, I award you with this." She took out a small box from her white jacket and opened it, revealing a droplet-shaped Badge.

"The Cascade Badge."

Ronnie's jaw dropped open as he acquired the Cascade Badge and raised it high in the air triumphantly.

"I got a Cascade Badge!" he shouted to the heavens; his Jolteon cried out in agreement. He then turned to Misty, smiling happily. "Thank you very much, Misty."

"Of course. It was well-deserved."

After bidding Ronnie farewell, Misty watched as the Trainer walked out of her Gym, his Jolteon trotting by his side; Ronnie didn't seem to desire recalling it back into its Poké Ball. Her heart fell: she knew only one other Trainer who had a powerful Electric-type Pokémon that was an essential partner to him...

"That was a battle well-fought."

Misty was pulled back into reality; she turned around, smiling as she hugged Brock tightly. "Thanks, Brock. How're you, Holly, and lil' Arid doing?"

"Well, being Pokémon Doctors aren't the best occupation when you have to juggle between those jobs and raising a kid," replied Holly as she looked down lovingly at the sleeping baby, "but we're managing well. How about you, Misty? We haven't seen you in a while; what's up with your life in managing the Gym?"

Misty delivered a flat look. "Holl, you three visited me last week."

Brock chuckled. "Well, Mist," he said, "when it comes to being our son's godmother, we can visit you daily without knowing that we stopped by the day before. Besides, Arid's taken a real good liking to you. Our visits always seem to calm him down good."

"Yeah, that's right," Misty replied as Holly handed Arid over to her, who had just woken up and was now laughing at the sight of his godmother's face.

"Mist, you haven't answered my question," said Holly when Misty began to dote over the baby.

"What? Oh, yeah. Well, same old, same old. Trainer comes in to battle, I battle him, I defeat him or he defeats me, I give him a Cascade Badge if he wins, the like." She sighed heavily. "I miss the good ol' days when I traveled around with you and Ash, Brock. I miss 'em." Misty bit her lip sadly. "I miss him."

"So do we, Misty, so do we," replied Brock heavily as Holly bowed her head in sadness.

The trio spent the next few minutes in silence. After a while, Misty spoke again.

"You're not here for the usual drop-by visit, are you?"

Holly blinked. "How'd you know?"

"You're not the only ones who watch those silly news reports about Ketchum Month. You've come here to ask me if I'm coming, since it's been ten years. No, I won't."

"Well, we are," said Brock, "and maybe you should too, Misty."

"It's gonna be at Mt. Silver...where it happened. It's gonna bring back awful memories, you know that!"

"But Ash wouldn't want us to dwell in the past. He'd want us to move on." Brock sighed. "We're not asking to come participate in the tournament. Our only desire is to return to Mt. Silver to conquer the nightmares that have plagued us for the past decade. We were hoping that was what you were thinking as well."

"I've already conquered my nightmares," Misty spat. "There's no need for me."

"Mist, you have always been tough. But after what we've been through, there's NOTHING that could shield us from the terrible things we've witnessed. Nothing, except for a direct confrontation." Brock turned his back on Misty and walked away, while Holly took Arid from Misty and followed her husband.

"But I won't force you," Brock concluded.

The Harrison family left the Cerulean City Gym, leaving behind a silent Misty.

Pallet Town
A few miles away

"Max, Molly, get over here!" Gary Oak shouted as he watched the large glass container holding the trembling gold-and-silver Poké Ball. "I think it's finally responding!"

"Coming, coming!" Max Maple replied, hastily adjusting his clothes and his glasses, and also straightening his black hair out as he and Molly Hale swiftly rushed into the laboratory. Just minutes earlier, the two of them had been making out heatedly in a separate room.

"Activate the defense systems!" ordered Gary. "We don't know what could be inside the GS Ball."

Max and Molly nodded, both approaching the complicated-looking computer systems and frantically pressing buttons, typing in complex codes. Finally, Max pulled a red lever, allowing several iron plates to enclose the glass container. Gary looked at Molly and nodded; she nodded back and pressed a large green button. A holographic image appeared around the iron plates like a hovering layer, allowing the Pokémon Professor and the lab assistants to get a good look of the container's interior.

The GS Ball was still trembling. Gary, Max, and Molly watched apprehensively as the Ball's trembling became increasingly stronger. When the trembling came to a point where it appeared that the Ball would explode, Gary bared his teeth. For ten long years, he had been hoping that this day would come. Now, it was in his grasp.

"Just keep going a little more," he thought. "Then you'll be able to release what's inside you... Just keep going..."

Suddenly, the Ball laid still and inanimate. Gary blinked, hoping for the best. But a few minutes had passed, and nothing else happened. Finally, Max shook his head.

"False alarm," he remarked.

"NO!" Gary snapped. "It was gonna get there! It HAS to get there! It can't just stop there in mid-sentence! Even the most securely fastened of Poké Balls don't hold it off for this long! It's gonna do it, Max, Molly, just wait! Do NOT deactivate the defense systems, for Arceus's sake!"

"Professor Oak," Molly said, "this response from the GS Ball was stronger than the last ones. We're getting there. But...I don't think today's gonna be our lucky day."

Gary angrily slammed his head against the desk. "I...I thought...we had it there..."

"We'll get it, eventually," Max replied.

"That's what you've been saying for the past five years."

Max stepped back; Gary's latest statement had sounded bitter, hostile. He couldn't blame the Professor; after all, he had devoted his entire career in studying this very Poké Ball after what happened almost eleven years ago. But unfortunately, the past few years seemed to take a toll on Gary, who would be confined in his laboratory for months on end, trying endlessly to activate the GS Ball's releasing mechanism. He was not the Professor who hired him.

"Deactivate the defense systems, Molly," continued Gary, still looking at the hologram of the GS Ball.

Molly nodded and did as she was told. As the iron plates rose, revealing the glass container and its sole content, Max could've sworn he saw a strange, feeble glow.

"Go home, you two," said Gary quietly. "I think we should call it a day."

Max and Molly looked at each other, then at the Professor. They then nodded and left the laboratory.

Silence permeated the lab. Gary merely sat at his chair, his fists clenched, his eyes staring down the GS Ball. Finally, his fury broke: he violently swiped across his desk, yelling out angrily as he sent many files and sheets of paper into the air. As several sheets slowly fluttered toward the ground, like snowflakes descending toward its brethren already on the ground, the Professor stared at them, with all of the loathing in the world.

"So close, always so close," he thought. "And yet...so far... I don't know what to do anymore... I've failed you, Grandpa...Ash...everyone... I've failed you all..."

He suddenly glanced at the flyer that had been passed out through town. It invited Trainers to the Ketchum Month Tournament, to Ketchum City...

He remembered what awaited at Ketchum City...

"No. I haven't failed you guys. I will never fail you guys. I'm close now."

Gary grabbed his Poké Gear and dialed a number. Max's face appeared on the screen.

"Professor Oak!" he greeted. "Uh, what's up?"

"Get back to the laboratory now, and be prepared. We're going to the Johto region."

Alto Mare
The Johto region

"Prinplup, use Whirlpool now!" Dawn Berlitz ordered. The Penguin Pokémon instantly began spinning down the Contest stage, a vortex of water emerging from the top of its beak and coating around its body. Soon, Prinplup was nothing more than a spinning water spout, which quickly engulfed its opponent, a Delcatty.

"Uh-oh," came the devoted voice of the Contest announcer. "It looks like the Princess's Delcatty is in a very deep root of trouble with Prinplup's amazing Whirlpool. And it looks like Dawn takes the lead in points, and there's only a minute left and counting. Whatever will the Princess do next?!"

From the corners of her eyes, Dawn could see the scoreboard. Her point gauge was higher than that of her opponent's, slightly so, and there was only 50 seconds left till the match ended. She then looked at her opponent, the Princess, who wore a sky-blue jumpsuit, a white turban, and black sunglasses. To her surprise, there was a crafty smile on the Princess's face, and her sunglasses glinted menacingly from the sun.

"Delcatty, use Fake Out!" the Princess ordered.

From under the surface of the Whirlpool, the Delcatty heard its Trainer. With all of the strength it could muster, it clapped its paws together, sending out a shock-wave of air that caused the whirlpool to explode and send Prinplup flying in the air. Water sprayed across the stage and even into the front rows of the audience.

"Whoa, it looks like Delcatty managed to find its way out of this crevice of a problem!" the announcer exclaimed. "It's used an astounding Fake Out attack to help break itself free of Prinplup's Whirlpool. And Dawn's points have now seen better days. Only 30 seconds left! Who will triumph?"

"Delcatty, use DoubleSlap!" commanded the Princess.

Dawn watched in horror as her Prinplup, still recovering from the Fake Out attack, was slapped repeatedly and violently by Delcatty. "PRINPLUP!"

Finally, Prinplup collapsed on the stage, squiggly-eyed, overwhelmed by the DoubleSlap attack. Dawn's jaw dropped open. She had been in the lead!

"Prinplup's unable to battle further, Delcatty wins!" the announcer shouted as the audience collectively burst into an uproarious cheer. "Victory of the Alto Mare Festival goes to May Maple, the Princess! Congratulations, Ms. Maple, for the victory!"

Dawn's jaw dropped open, for she couldn't believe what she just heard from the announcer. Then, she watched as the Princess stylistically removed her turban, letting loose flowing brown hair, followed by her sunglasses, which revealed sparkling eyes as blue as the ocean. May smiled at her, and Dawn merely blinked back in shock.

After the Alto Mare Festival

"MAY!" Dawn cried as she and Prinplup moved past the spectators in the Festival's waiting room. "MAY, OH MY ARCEUS, YOU'RE HERE!"

May, now wearing her regular clothes, smiled and hugged her fellow Coordinator. "It was a good battle, Dawn, a very good one. I guess we're now even."

Dawn smirked playfully. "Oh, you wish. I never knew it was you behind that disguise!"

"I guess I've got Team Rocket to thank for that. Being fashion designers really brought their talent." She looked down at Prinplup and smiled as it stood proudly at her feet, its head held up high in the air. "Oh, hello there, Piplup! I see you've evolved him, Dawn."

"Yeah, he finally accepted evolution a couple years ago in Hoenn. And he's more confident than ever. Anyway, enough about me. How come you're here in Alto Mare?"

"Same as you, to participate in the Festival," explained May. "When I saw that you were participating as well, I thought I'd surprise you, so I called Team Rocket, asked them for a good disguise, they sent me the Princess costume, and here we are!"

"It was very clever, May. Very clever. Well, I guess now that the Festival is over, maybe we can do some reconnecting!"

"Yeah, let's!" May suddenly looked off at another direction. "Hey, guys! Over here! I've got Dawn here!"

"What? You're not alone?" Dawn turned her head at the direction May was looking at. "Oh. My. Arceus."

"Dawn, it is SO great to see you again!" Hilda White exclaimed happily as she hugged the blunette tightly. Behind her were Hilda's twin brother Hilbert, Lyra Silver, her boyfriend Khoury Evans, Tory Lund, and his Plusle and Minum; the Trainers smiled and giggled at the sight of Dawn as her face reddened, the tight hug depriving her of her oxygen while Prinplup greeted Plusle and Minum enthusiastically.

"Hilda..." gagged Dawn, "...can't...breathe..."

"Oh, sorry." Hilda released Dawn, giggling as the blunette began breathing heavily. "It's been so long since we last saw each other! Like, ten years!"

Dawn's eyes darkened, as did May's. "Don't remind me..." Dawn said.

"Oh." Hilda realized what Dawn was feeling. "Sorry."

Realizing the tenseness of the subject, Lyra spoke up. "We saw you at the Alto Mare Festival, Dawn, so we thought it'd be a good idea to surprise you! After all, it was quite a while since we last hung out." Her eyes brightened as she got an idea. "Hey, maybe we could do some reconnecting! Some touring, perhaps! The six of us are only leaving in a couple of days anyway; I think we should spend that remainder to the fullest. What do you say, Dawn?"

"That sounds great!" Dawn exclaimed, brightening up in an instant. "I'm not due to leave until a couple of days too, and I have yet to see the city. It looks very pretty." Just then, she raised an eyebrow. "Wait, Lyra, you say the six of you guys, as if you're a group. Are you six traveling together?"

"Yep," replied May. "We've started traveling across several regions together as a group several years ago."

"Really? Oh, that sounds great."

"How about you, Dawn?" Tory asked. "Are you traveling with someone?"

"No. I haven't been traveling with anyone..." Dawn became distant as memories flooded back to her mind. Lyra, noticing her mood, spoke up again.

"So, Dawn, now that we're all back together, how about we all reconnect through a little shopping?"

"NO, NO!" Hilbert and Khoury shouted simultaneously. "ANYTHING BUT SHOPPING!"

"Excuse me, boys," Hilda said, "but we've agreed to reconnect with Dawn in the way she likes it. And she likes shopping, so we shop."

"That's not fair!" exclaimed Hilbert. "Shopping's always boring!"

"DON'T YOU DARE CRITICIZE SHOPPING, LITTLE BROTHER!"

"I say we put it to a vote!" Khoury suggested.

"Okay," May said. "Anyone who doesn't wanna go shopping, raise your hand."

Hilbert and Khoury's hands instantly shot up in the air. The two then glared at Tory, who giggled nervously.

"I think shopping's okay..." he said, almost silently.

"It's settled!" exclaimed Lyra, clapping her hands together. "We shop! Khoury, Hilbert, Tory, you guys be gentlemanly and help us with the bags, okay?"

The four women walked out of the Festival, giggling and gossiping excitedly, while the three men, along with Prinplup, Plusle, and Minum, trailed behind them, trying to catch up with their companions. Khoury and Hilbert were glaring at Tory hatefully.

"We'll deal with you later, dude," Hilbert said.

Tory chuckled nervously.

Near the Alto Mare Bell Tower

"Wow, Lyra!" Dawn exclaimed. "You and Khoury are engaged?!"

Lyra smiled proudly and displayed her ring finger to Dawn; wrapped around it was a golden ring with a small but sparkling crystal.

"Yep," she said. "We actually plan to be married at Ketchum City at the end of Ketchum Month-" Lyra suddenly stopped short and covered her mouth upon seeing the change of expression in May and Dawn's faces. "Oh. Sorry. I-I forgot..."

"It's okay," May mumbled. She then smiled slightly. "Again, Lyra, I am so happy for you."

"Yeah, and to think, I thought Khoury was out of the picture if I considered marrying him." She looked at Khoury, who was busy talking to Hilbert, and smiled. "But he's become a better guy for himself. Courageous, positive. I picked the right person to marry."

Dawn continue to look down at the ground sadly. She remembered Lyra asking her once if Ash was her boyfriend like it was yesterday. She had denied it, but now that she thought about it during the years following his death, the blunette Coordinator had grown to regret making that response. Ever since Ash Ketchum left this planet, a new emotion had engulfed Dawn's heart and soul like no other. It was one of love, love directed at Ash Ketchum, who would never know about it...

She glanced at nearby pedestrians, staring especially at couples, giggling and kissing each other. She felt jealous, and neglected of the fate she wanted...

Just then, she spotted someone sitting at an outdoor café a few yard away; his facial features were cast in shadow by the table's umbrella. He seemed to be watching the group. However, Dawn was able to see a hint of the man's hair that stuck out of the umbrella's shadow...

A shade of purple...

"Dawn?" Hilda asked suddenly, catching the Coordinator's attention. "What're you looking at?"

"Someone was watching us," Dawn replied in a whisper.

"What, really?" May said, looking around. "Where?"

Dawn pointed at the outdoor café. "Over there! He was sitting at one of the tables! He had purple hair, I think!"

May, Hilda, and Lyra looked at the tables. Finally, Hilda shook her head.

"Girl, you're probably still acted up from the Festival," she said. "Chillax, Dawn. It's our time together; let's spend it!"

"Yeah. Sure. Sure..."

But Dawn cast one last look at the table where the stranger was sitting at. He was gone.

Somewhere in the skies

The great black dragon soared across the sky, letting out a mighty roar that reverberated through the air, disturbing the shapes of the nearest banks of wispy clouds. It flew into a large bank of cumulonimbus clouds, steadily and effortlessly dodging the lightning bolts that flashed and flew around it. On its back were two people, one with light-green, neatly-combed hair; the other with bushy, long purple hair tied in a large ponytail. The two humans didn't seem to mind the lightning.

"How farther?!" yelled Cilan Parlet over the cracks of the thunder.

"As far as we need to fly until we reach our desired destination," Zekrom replied.

"Is it true, Zekrom?" Iris Cuasorome asked. "The thing we're looking for is at Ketchum City?"

"Indeed, Iris. And heed my word, humans, you must tread carefully. The Creator has sensed a disturbing evil in development at the settlement."

Iris and Cilan looked at each other and nodded. After ten years of searching, their quest has finally come close to completion.

If their source of information was correct, then they would find the Wing at Ketchum City.

Chapter Text

"Welcome back, viewers, to yet another Johto TV update on the 10th Annual Ketchum Month Tournament!  It already looks like Trainers far and wide are on their way to the big tournament. Attendance is already mounting as we speak! Now, here's some traveling tips for the novices and the uninformed.

"An unusually powerful windstorm has hit several regions, including Kanto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova. For those that are traveling by air, be sure to take a flight that will take at least one stop. Even the largest and sturdiest of planes that engage in one-way flights will be unable to hold steady in these high winds, so pick wisely. Travel by boat is NOT recommended; you don't wanna become Sharpedo bait if your ship capsizes!

"Be sure to pack a good-quality camera! Ketchum City not only offers the tournament, but a number of historic sites, including the Ketchum Center, appropriately the center of the city; the Sky Hero Museum, a museum that describes the life of Ash Ketchum, the legends of Ho-Oh, and the history of Ketchum City and Mt. Silver; the Forest of Hearts, which boasts many species of wild Pokémon; the Ketchum City Train Tour, a citywide tour of the city by train that doesn't dare to miss a single tiny detail; and, most of all, the Ketchum Month Stadium, which has hosted the Ketchum Month Tournament since its conception a decade ago! Oh yes, you'll have more to see than just Pokémon battles!

"And last, but not least, make sure you bring along a candle, preferably a golden-colored one. Each and every night of Ketchum Month, citizens of Ketchum City hold out these candles for a total of seventeen minutes as a tribute to the seventeen-minute-long battle between Ash Ketchum and the leader of the Sky Soldiers! If you do not have such a candle, be sure to go to a marketplace near you and buy one; it has been considered a mandatory city tradition! They'll practically hang you if you do not partake!

"That shall do for this hour's update! Continue to stay tuned on Johto TV for updates on the widely-anticipated Ketchum Tournament!"

Ketchum Month Stadium
At Ketchum City
The Johto region

The cyan-haired man with the three small scars running across his right cheek strode down the walkway, his violet cloak, with its cape, flowing smoothly in the breeze, attracting many stares from nearby pedestrians. However, he was undaunted by the attention he was receiving. His primary concern was reaching the Ketchum Month Stadium, where his superior awaited with further instructions. The man took a fleeting glance at his Pokétch, looking at the time. He was late.

The breeze grew slightly colder as he walked in the arms of shade. He looked up.

The Ketchum Month Stadium looked like just about any other Pokémon Stadium, but the civilians of Ketchum City admired it all the same, all due to the commemoration it primarily served. The man scoffed and rolled his eyes as he observed a big group of overexcited, hyperactive tourists as they continuously took pictures. The civilians worshiped Ash Ketchum from head to toe like a Legendary Pokémon, all the way. It sometimes made him laugh, the way people 'honored' their hero of the skies.

"You're late."

The man glanced at a supporting pillar of the stadium, located near its ticket booth. Four people were standing near it, all of them shrouded in the shadow that it cast. One was leaning against the pillar, his arms crossed, a stoic expression on his face.

"I experienced some delays back at the marketplace," the violet-cloaked man said, stepping forward. "Those Arceus-damned tourists were buying those candles-"

"The Master does not forgive even the simplest of excuses, Streak," a red-haired man dressed in yellow-and-scarlet clothing interrupted suddenly, not moving his head as his lips mechanically curved into a disappointed frown, which he directed at his four companions. "He is impatient. He demands progress from me. And as a result, I demand progress from you. All of you." He cleared his throat as he watched the tourists walk away, still talking excitedly. "What's your report, Omicron?"

"The Pokémon living in Mt. Silver grow increasingly restless, Enigma," a bald, short man with a graying mustache replied. "My sensors have also indicated a sudden rise of energy from the Forest of Hearts. It is a type of energy that can only belong to you-know-what."

"It is coming, just like the Master predicted," Enigma said. "Well done, Omicron. You are relieved of your post. Await further instructions. Expect them by next Tuesday."

Omicron nodded and left; the others watched him leave. Then, Enigma asked, "What say you, Fox? What is the current activity of Team Rocket at this moment?"

"They continue to make attempts in rising back to their former power and glory," a gold-haired woman with purple eyes replied. "They've recently formulated a scheme involving this very tournament, but judging from its layout, the rewards they expect to reap will be merely nothing more than fool's gold. They won't be a bother to our objective, not unless they manage to get wind of what we are planning at this very moment."

"And I find a reason to continue entrusting you with the tightest of lips, is that right, Fox?"

"Yes," Fox simply replied, smiling.

"Good. Now, get back to your original post. Your partner should be expecting you at this moment."

"I'm pretty sure I'll have a good excuse for him," said Fox as she walked away from the scene. Streak watched her go, his cyan hair fluttering in the breeze.

"Are you sure you can trust her, Enigma?" he asked. "She evokes a feeling of distrust from me."

"What agent from Team Rocket can I ask for that is better than her?" replied Enigma, not looking up. "She was, after all, one of Giovanni's successful agents. Besides, she was most willing to defect. She expects greater power for herself, now that the syndicate she belongs to no longer reigns at the top of infamy.

"Speaking of distrust..." Enigma smiled. "...I hear Mayor Harrington is feeling the full blow of it, Streak."

"The citizens do not take kindly to him putting too much ambition into the planning of this year's battle tournament. There's actually some social unrest going on in the streets, talks of Harrington going mad with power. But as long as the tournament goes ahead as planned, it will allow our scheme unfold."

"Excellently stated, Streak. You've redeemed your lateness. You may leave. And next time, do not disappoint me with your timing. It is of the essence."

Streak rolled his eyes and walked away from the stadium.

"How was Alto Mare, Slate?" asked Enigma.

"Enlightening, I guess," replied Slate, a purple-haired man with a stoic expression on his face. His quiet voice expressed bitter simplicity.

"I ask for specifics, Slate. How go the subjects?"

"They have met up with a friend. Dawn Berlitz. She does not know of their mission yet, but I expect that they will eventually ask her to join them in their travel here. It isn't private knowledge that she has a...thing for Ash Ketchum. Besides, there is a Pokémon Contest being held here as a side-offer for the first week. I doubt she will resist the temptation of it either. But what concerns me is the fact that I spy on them in the full field of a Legendary Pokémon. One that has inherited the information of what transpired eleven years ago. I felt someone...or something...watching me..."

"Whether or not Latias was aware of your presence is not the Master's concern," Enigma said dismissively. "Or mine. What the true concern is, at this moment, is what you have overheard from your observances. So...enlighten me, if you will, Slate."

Slate looked at Enigma with narrowed eyes. However, he replied, "They talk about searching for the Rainbow Wing. They've been searching for a while."

To his surprise, Enigma smiled. "That shouldn't be too much of a worry. Rainbow Wings are extremely rare. A region, located anywhere in the world, would be lucky to host one Wing. Ho-Oh sheds once a millennium." He chuckled jeeringly. "Anything else, Slate?"

"That is all they talk about. Finding the Rainbow Wing. The Rainbow Wing."

Enigma understood immediately, but he was still calm. "They expect themselves to find the Wing, the same Wing they had once before, somewhere here. That breeze could have taken that thing anywhere in the world. HA! That is why Pokémon don't belong under human ownership; they are too much caught up in their stupidity."

A strange expression flooded Slate's face, but only for a second. Enigma looked at his remaining compatriot, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Is that all?"

"No."

"Then you may resume your duty, Slate."

Slate pursed his lips. "You know I despise that name, Enigma."

"What else do you expect me to call you? I know you hate your other name too." Slate was silent; Enigma's smile widened. "Now, if you don't mind, you're excused."

Slate blinked, but then, he merely nodded. Enigma's head moved upward for a fraction of an inch, and he turned around calmly. A sudden force of wind blasted through the air for just a split-second, picking crisp autumn leaves up from the ground and forcefully sending them flying in the air. Enigma's clothes blew with the brief gust as a flock of Pidgeys flew off from a nearby tree, startled. He then looked back: Slate seemed to have vanished into thin air. The leaves fluttered to the ground.

He chuckled and left.

"Yes, things are going according to plan," Enigma thought. "The Master will be pleased to hear of this development..."

Somewhere in an unknown region

At a snowy, lonely mountain, the mouth of one of its caves let out a sudden howl as the great creature that resided within it awakened from its slumber. The interior of the cave was occupied by pitch-black shadow, disabling anyone from discerning the Pokémon's physical features. However, a pair of yellow eyes pierced the darkness.

"It's almost time..."

The sky was filled with a deafening roar of triumph.

Chapter Text

"Welcome back, viewers, to another Johto TV update on the 10th Annual Pokémon Tournament! This just in, i t appears that the high winds aren't gonna be the only things to be of concern for Trainers that are heading their way towards Ketchum City! According to meteorologists, they also have to be wary of all the sudden drops in the temperature that seem to be occurring across the world, to the point where nonseasonal snows have been reported, even here in our beloved region! Oh, yes, that's right, folks, I believe it is about time that we bid farewell to the nonseasonal heat that has plagued Johto for the past few weeks!

"Because of the cold and even snowy conditions, all flights to pit-stops in Johto have been canceled due to the heightening risks, and routes to Johto by boat have been set up, with their collective pit-stop being, unanimously, the majestic, scenic, and beautiful Alto Mare! Yes, viewers, please disregard our last statement that traveling by boat would be unsafe! However, due to increasingly unsafe conditions, all transport ships are only cleared for one trip each. So, unless you wanna wait until next year for the Ketchum Month Tournament, you must not be late! In no way possible will the ships turn back for you!

"That shall do for this hour's update! Continue to stay tuned on Johto TV for updates on the widely-anticipated Ketchum Tournament!"

The Virbank Harbor
At Virbank City
The Unova region

"Come on, Mom!" Nate cried as he and Hugh raced towards the Virbank Harbor as fast as they could. "We can't afford to miss the ship!"

"Nate, the ship's only gonna dock in a few minutes!" replied Nate's mother loudly as she and Hugh's family strolled down the walkway, looking after the two ten-year-old boys. She sighed, shook her head, and looked at Hugh's mother. "These two are really excited about this tournament, aren't they, Carla?"

"Tell me about it, Kelly," Carla replied, also shaking her head, smiling. "Hugh's been talking about it for the past four days since he's asked us to come with him. They're acting like little five-year-olds again, freaking out and obsessing over Ash Ketchum." She chuckled. "Only a bit more reckless, now that they're Trainers..."

"Well, who can blame them? He's a hero to them." Kelly looked out into the vast, sparkling sea. "...To all of us."

"Yeah, that's right..."

"Ooh, Mommy, Daddy!" squealed the five-year-old, orange-haired, jubilant girl who was clutching Carla's hand. "Look at that!" She pointed excitedly at the large cruise ship that was slowly docking on the Virbank Harbor as its horn blew, piercing the air with its triumphant, loud call. "That's a very big ship over there!"

"Yes, it's a very big ship, Carrie," the father, Hank, replied, clutching his daughter's unoccupied hand as they and Kelly followed Nate and Hugh on the harbor.

Upon reaching the harbor, the group found that it was already crowded with numerous Trainers, their families, and tourists. Never before had the harbor seen such an attendance in Virbank's history. Nate let out a heavy sigh and slumped his shoulders in a defeated position.

"There's so much people here," he said as his mother approached his side. "What if we're not able to get on board? The ship could get too crowded-"

"Don't worry, Nate," replied Kelly, placing a hand on her son's shoulder in comfort. "This ship can't possibly get overly crowded, otherwise it'd sink into the sea. Besides, I doubt that Arceus will wanna do anything in his power to interfere with my little Nate's dream."

"MOM!" Nate exclaimed, blushing with embarrassment over his mother's doting tone. "Not in front of all these people..."

Hugh and his family all laughed heartily as Nate's cheeks became more florid. In an attempt to escape potential embarrassment, Nate distanced himself from the rest of the group and decided to look into members of the crowd to see if there was anyone else he knew. Finally, after a while, he saw...

"Cheren?"

The Aspertia City Gym Leader glanced in the Trainer's direction. His charcoal-black hair had been cut slightly shorter, and he wore a white shirt with a single red stripe leading up to his collar, a turquoise jacket with black shoulders and pockets, black jeans, and a pair of glasses. Cheren's mouth twitched into a slight smile.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Nate," he said as Nate ran up to him. "I hope your Pokémon journey is progressing well. How many Badges do you have?"

"Five," Nate replied proudly, reaching into his bag, producing a small box, and opening it, revealing a Basic Badge, a Toxic Badge, an Insect Badge, a Bolt Badge, and a Quake Badge. "A lot of effort was put into getting these Badges, but I managed to get through to the end despite all obstacles!"

"Impressive." Cheren's smile widened slightly. "I see that I've taught you well."

"You did, Cheren, very well indeed. I couldn't have asked for a better teacher than you." Nate smiled proudly at his former teacher as he closed his Badge box and put it away in his bag. "So, are you gonna participate in the Ketchum Month Tournament?"

"Well, I am on my way to Ketchum City, but not to take part in the tournament. I guess I can just spectate, though."

"So, why're you going to Ketchum City, then?"

A strange, dark expression suddenly flooded Cheren's face. "That's highly confidential, Nate."

Nate recognized the mood immediately and replied, "Oh. Sorry."

The expression on Cheren's face disappeared in a flash, and he smiled again. "Do not worry about it, Nate." He examined his former pupil. "So, you are on your way to Johto to participate in the Ketchum Month Tournament, huh? That's supposed to be one of the highest-profile Pokémon battle tournaments. Are you up for it, Nate?"

"You betcha!" Nate raised a fist in the air determinedly. "My lifelong dream has always been to be just like Ash Ketchum!"

"Yeah. That's quite a dream." However, the same dark expression returned to Cheren's face; this time, Nate didn't notice it. Just then, a voice broke through the many conversations of the rest of the crowd, and a girl with brown hair styled into two pigtail buns edged her way towards the two.

"Cheren, oh my Arceus, Cheren, you're here!" Rosa squealed as she reached Cheren and Nate. "Are you gonna take part in the tournament too?"

"You're participating in the tournament too?" asked Nate in utter shock. Whenever it came to Cheren, he often competed with Rosa for his approval of one of them over the other; both were former students of his at the Trainers' School, with Nate classifying him as his favorite teacher, and Rosa developing a schoolgirl crush on him.

Indeed, Rosa finally registered his presence and shot a nasty glare at him. "Well, DUH!" she replied, crossing her arms and smirking at him coolly. "With all of the news going on about it, I thought I'd give it a shot. Sounds like a really enticing challenge!"

However, Nate's eyes widened as a realization hit him. "Wait a minute...when we were traveling...and I had to go get water from that lake near Floccesy Town..." Rosa chuckled at that last sentence. Nate gasped and pointed at her angrily. "You went through my stuff while I was gone, weren't you?! And you saw that flyer! No wonder why you seemed to be straightening out my stuff while I was getting back! You went through my STUFF!"

"Well, I had to find out about the tournament somewhere," Rosa said, winking craftily. "Thanks," she added in a whisper. Nate blushed with embarrassment and began to stutter incomprehensibly, just as Kelly, Hugh, and his family arrived on the scene.

"What's going on?" asked Kelly.

"Nothing, Ms. Brown," Cheren replied, calmly and effortlessly stepping between Nate and Rosa before they could argue. "Just a friendly reunion."

Rosa's smirk widened, and with one last passing glance at Nate, she walked off.

"See you soon, Nate," she said as she disappeared into the crowd. Nate clenched his teeth in embarrassment, as Kelly approached his side.

"Well, well, it looks like my little Nate's met up with his girlfriend again!" Kelly exclaimed teasingly.

Nate's cheeks reddened severely; Kelly, familiar with his on-and-off rivalry with Rosa, always liked to call them a couple. It always got on his nerves.

"Mom..." he groaned as Hugh roared with laughter.

Cheren smiled slightly and turned his back on the group. "Well, I gotta go."

"You're leaving?" asked Nate.

"The ship doesn't leave in another two hours, Nate. You honestly expect me to spend all that time waiting?" Nate laughed nervously as Cheren flashed a quick smile at him and left, calling out as he did so, "I recommend getting some Bearticone; it's supposed to good around this time of the year."

"Ooh, Bearticone!" exclaimed Carrie, hopping up and down excitedly. "I LOVE Bearticone! Can we buy some, Mommy and Daddy? Please, please, please?"

"Are you sure, Carrie?" Hugh asked, ruffling his sister's hair. "It's quite a bit colder today; you don't wanna get a serious brain freeze."

"Brain freeze?"

Hugh smiled. "Yeah, the Bearticone will freeze your brain really badly. I had a friend once who had that kind of thing, man, that was bad."

Carrie frowned. "That doesn't really scare me, Hugh," she said boldly, standing firmly on her two feet.

Everyone laughed, Hugh included, just as the blare of the ship's horn blasted through the atmosphere again. In the minute-long frame that the horn roared powerfully over all other sounds, drowning them out, Nate instinctively turned his head towards the crowd. Time suddenly seemed to stand in slow-motion. For some reason, the ten-year-old sensed something...out of place...and he didn't know what... But it had his attention...

Then, he saw it, in the sky.

Five lightning-fast streaks of color...

Nate blinked. He wasn't sure if what he was seeing was actually real. The moment he completed his blink...

It wasn't there anymore...

"Nate?" Kelly asked, suddenly sending time back into normal speeds. "Are you okay?"

Nate blinked, still staring at the place where he saw the masked figure. He shook his head and looked at his mother.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Mom," he replied. "I just thought I saw someone..."

"Well, people are beginning to board the ship. Let's go."

Nate nodded and followed his mother on the boardwalk. However, he cast one last glance at the crowd. He thought he saw a flash of the X-shaped eye markings...

Aboard the cruise ship
In the middle of the ocean

Nate woke up with a sudden jolt, hot beads of sweat dripping down his face. Just minutes ago, he had the dream again...

He had had the same dream for his entire life. In it, he was always flying in the air, through banks of clouds, over a tranquil blue ocean...and he could a distant screech, but he could never see its source in time... For ten years, he never knew what that dream meant...

Nate stood up from his suite bed and entered the bathroom. He switched on the light and looked at himself in the mirror, staring deeply into his own brown eyes.

"What in Arceus's name is your mind hiding from yourself, Nate?" he asked.

Just then, for a split-second, the ten-year-old thought he saw a strange gleam in his eyes... But he thought it was a mere reflection in the mirror.

He left the bathroom, switched off its light, and laid himself back down on his bed. However, he didn't sleep for the rest of the night.

The following morning

After having a full tour of the cruise ship, Nate was in awe at how many locations were crammed into a single passenger ship. There was a couple of Pokémon Centers (one location on each side of the ship), a Trainers' School, a large food court that hosted various restaurants, a small movie theater, and training battlegrounds, among many other locations. Right now, he and Hugh were using one of these battlegrounds, engaging themselves in a three-round Pokémon battle. They were currently on the final round, with Nate defeating Hugh's Unfezant with his Eelektross, and Hugh defeating Nate's Lampent with his Bouffalant.

"Go, Pignite!" shouted Nate, throwing a Poké Ball into the air and summoning the Fire Pig Pokémon, which triumphantly snorted small flames from its nostrils.

"Go, Dewott!" Hugh cried, throwing a Poké Ball into the air and unleashing the Discipline Pokémon, which let out a cry at Pignite.

"Let's make this a battle to remember," Nate said, smiling. "We train for the Ketchum Month Tournament!"

Hugh smirked. "Heh. It's obvious you're gonna lose this memorable battle, Nate. I've got a Dewott, you've got a Pignite. The odds are against you, man."

"Maybe, but I call the first move!" Nate pointed towards Dewott. "Pignite, use Arm Thrust!"

"Dewott, dodge it, then use Water Pulse!" ordered Hugh.

Pignite charged forward, ready to throw a fist, but Dewott managed to dodge the Arm Thrust. It then held out its arms and opened up its mouth, a blue orb of energy appearing over it. Before Nate knew it, Dewott fired the orb, which barreled straight towards Pignite as it recovered from its missed Arm Thrust.

"Pignite, dodge, then use Take Down!" Nate commanded.

The Fire Pig Pokémon nodded and dodged the Water Pulse. It then charged towards Dewott quickly, a golden aura with a white force-field surrounding the front of its head as it continued to speed up. Before Hugh knew it, Pignite rammed into Dewott violently, sending it flying into the air and tumbling onto the stage.

"Dewott!" screamed Hugh.

However, Dewott refused to be defeated; it stood up and cried at Pignite indignantly.

"And to think," Nate said, "Water-types can easily defeat Fire-types. I am beating your Dewott with my Pignite! Pignite, go! Another Take Down, make it powerful!"

Pignite charged towards Dewott again. Once again, the Discipline Pokémon was successfully hit by the attack, and it fell to the ground.

"Dewott!" Hugh cried. "Dewott, get back up! You can do this, Dewott, I know you can! Just get back up!"

To his relief, Dewott stood back up, weakly so, but it still remained determined. It faced down Pignite, panting angrily.

"Pignite, another Take Down!"

Once again, Pignite charged towards Dewott. However, Hugh seized his chance.

"Dewott, use Aqua Jet on Pignite now!"

A mass of water appeared around Dewott's body, and it shot itself towards the charging Pignite at rocket-fast speeds. Pignite didn't have time to dodge the Aqua Jet; within seconds, Dewott slammed into Pignite's body, sending water and energy flying in all directions, knocking both Nate and Hugh off of their feet. The two Trainers stood up and watched apprehensively as the dust cleared, revealing the stage and the outcome of the round.

Both Pignite and Dewott were still standing, bruises decorating their frames. They were panting heavily, struggling to maintain their strength. Nate and Hugh's breaths were abated as they watched their Pokémon; one of them was bound to collapse in defeat at any moment. But who would it be?

Finally, Pignite collapsed on the ground, squiggly-eyed. Dewott smiled and stood over it, its head triumphantly held high.

"Pignite!" cried Nate.

"Pignite is unable to battle!" a voice cried. Nate and Hugh looked over at the side of the stage and saw that Cheren had assumed the role of referee. "Dewott wins!"

"Well, uh...that last round was kinda quick," Hugh replied as Dewott happily, proudly waddled over to its Trainer. "Is this what you do in every battle nowadays, man? Repeatedly use a move that you find effective against your opponent? That's definitely what you didn't do the last time we battled, and now, you're doing it on all three of the rounds like crazy! If you were battling someone else, the other Trainer would've also caught a pattern and take advantage of it; you know that, right?"

"I was hoping I'd overwhelm Dewott quickly with Pignite..." said Nate, recalling his defeated Pignite. "You did well, buddy..."

"Is that the strategy you intend to use in the tournament, Nate?" Cheren asked, approaching the two Trainers. "If so, I pray to Arceus that the odds are on your side."

"I was thinking that by using powerful moves like Take Down several times, I'd be able to blast my way through the battles."

Cheren shook his head disapprovingly. "NOT the best strategy. This is completely different from the battle style I've observed from you."

Nate bowed his head in shame. "I was thinking that since the Ketchum Month Tournament is a high-profile tournament, I'd have to change my style so I can win it."

"You need to have confidence in your battle style, Nate. There is no need to believe that it won't take you anywhere in the tournament."

"I just...I just wanted to win the tournament..."

"And that apparently has clouded your memory, and your judgment. Remember what I taught you-"

"The battle style defines the Trainer," completed Nate, smiling slightly in remembrance of Cheren's lecture to him. "I remember that."

"Clearly not enough, however," Cheren said sternly. And, without another word, he left the stage, with Nate and Hugh watching him go.

"Wow," remarked Hugh. "Harsh..."

"He was never this stern on me," Nate replied, looking at his friend. "I wonder what's up."

"I doubt today's supposed to be a good day for him." Hugh shrugged dismissively. "I don't know. For now, that was a great battle, man, great battle." He shook Nate's hand formally. "Let's hit the food court, shall we? Winning a battle makes me hungry..."

Nate followed Hugh towards the food court, but stopped for a moment and looked back. Cheren was still walking away towards the suite rooms. There was something about his composure that seemed rather...odd. However, the ten-year-old decided to ignore it and continue following Hugh.

He didn't notice the same five streaks from the Virbank Harbor, which were flying across the sky, miles away...

Later that day
At the ship's swimming pool

Nate rose from under the water, taking in a breath of fresh air. Many people were swimming in the large pool or otherwise milling about at the pool's edge. He then felt water suddenly splash across his face; sputtering and spitting, he looked at the source: Hugh and Carrie, both snickering as they tried to swim away from him.

"Oh, no you don't!" exclaimed Nate, moving his way through the water, towards the siblings. "Come back here, you guys! I've got a surprise!"

"Oh, no!" Carrie cried, pretending to be scared. "Nate is coming to get us, Hugh!"

"Swim, Carrie, swim for your life!" replied Hugh, struggling to not laugh. "I'll hold him off!"

Carrie immediately swam away, while Hugh immediately began splashing water at Nate's direction; Nate retaliated by splashing water of his own. The three all roared with laughter as they continued to play in the pool, while Kelly, Carla, and Hank watched on, all wearing informal summer clothing and sitting on chairs.

"Those kids are having the time of their lives, aren't they?" asked Hank.

"Yeah," Kelly replied, smiling as she reminisced. "Just like the good ol' days..."

"Hey, Kelly," said Carla, "you said you and Nate went to Johto once, is that right?"

"Yes, that's right, Carla. I thought I'd take Nate there since he was so obsessed with Ash Ketchum. Since he...passed...there, I thought Nate deserved to see the very region where his hero saved the entire world from doom. Hey, speaking of which..." She reached into her bag and pulled out a Teddiursa plushy toy, whose frame was torn and sewn in several places. "Johto was where we bought Nate's Teddiursa toy. I remember Nate begging me endlessly to buy that thing-"

"MOM!" Nate had seen his mother showing Hugh's parents his childhood toy. "Mom, put that away before anyone else sees it!"

"It's just a toy, Nate," replied Kelly. "It's nothing to freak out about. Besides, I'm only showing this to Hugh's parents, they've already seen it many times before-"

"That's a nice plushy," a voice suddenly said. Nate turned his head and saw Rosa walking towards Kelly; she was wearing a two-piece pink swimsuit with white flower patterns, and in the place of her sports visor was a pair of yellow sunglasses, which she was wearing over her eyes. "Where'd you get that?"

"Johto," Kelly said. "It's Nate's."

Rosa lowered her sunglasses as she looked at Nate, who was now blushing furiously. "Oh, really?"

"Mom..." moaned Nate as he sank into the water, his face fully scarlet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, can we have your attention?"

The voice blared from the ship's loudspeakers, permeating into the atmosphere. Everyone focused their attentions on a large television screen, which showed static for a brief moment before switching to the live recording of a kindly, white-haired man with a large and bushy beard and mustache.

"Hugh, look!" exclaimed Carrie, pointing at the screen. "It's Santa Claus!"

"No, Carrie, it's just the captain of the ship," Hugh corrected.

"Santa also works as a ship captain?"

"SHHHHH!" Nate whispered.

"Passengers of this ship," the captain announced, "it is a pleasure to offer you this luxury transportation while we take you to Alto Mare, your pit-stop to the Johto region! I am pleased to announce that, despite reports of windy and snowy weather around the area, we have seen evidence of the contrary. Because of this, you shall be reaching your a couple of hours earlier than scheduled. Be sure to have fun aboard the ship, and- KKKRRRAAAHHHKKK!"

The screen abruptly switched back to static, and its noise roared out of the loudspeakers, hammering away at everyone's eardrums viciously. Many people immediately covered their ears, some yelling out in pain. Nate screamed out and closed his eyes as he covered his own ears, but he continued to hear the noise of static. Just then, he heard the loud noise stop. The ten-year-old lowered his hands and watched the screen along with everyone else.

The captain was gone. Instead, staring at them was a metallic crimson Pokémon with a saucer-like head that sported two large white eyes and teeth-like markings. Its appearance struck the impression of an insect. For some reason, Nate felt something in his memory click in place, but he didn't know what.

"Hello, humans," the Pokémon said. Though the teeth-like markings, seemingly signifying its mouth, didn't move, Nate and the others could still hear its voice, which seemed to reverberate throughout the corners of their minds instead of their eardrums for some reason. "I am deeply sorry to interrupt your pleasure cruise. The name is Red Genesect, leader of the Genesect Army, and we come before you to advise you all not to attend the Ketchum Month Tournament."

Chapter Text

Aboard the cruise ship
In the middle of the ocean

"Excuse me, what in the world do you mean you're advising us not to attend the Ketchum Month Tournament?!" exclaimed Rosa, frowning defiantly toward the screen. "More like ordering us not to! Not in Arceus's name will I listen! I'm definitely not gonna pay my cruise fare all for nothing, anyway!"

"Yeah, we've come all this way!" Hugh protested, stepping out of the pool alongside Nate and Carrie as several other Trainers shouted in agreement. "Who are you to give us orders?! We don't even know who you are! I mean, I've never heard of a Genesect before, let alone a Genesect Army."

"I warn you, humans," Red Genesect replied, "do NOT attend. Bad tidings await for you there. Heed our warning, and you will avoid the impending calamity."

"What impending calamity?!" Nate demanded. "What makes you think all of us are not capable enough to take it on?"

"YEAH!" another Trainer added, and several others nodded and yelled in agreement.

"This is our last warning, humans. Do not let your pride and arrogance cloud your true judgments-"

"So, you are calling us arrogant, huh?" Hugh said. He immediately threw a Poké Ball into the air, unleashing Simisage, which growled menacingly at the screen. Several other Trainers also threw their Poké Balls up and unleashed their Pokémon, Rosa included. However, Nate continued to look at the screen, directly into the eyes of Red Genesect. For some reason, he had a feeling that he had encountered it before, but he didn't know where...

Red Genesect shifted slightly. "If that is what you desire, humans, then we do this the hard way..."

Just then, four streaks of purple appeared in the sky and landed aboard the ship. In their places, four additional Genesect stood, prepared for battle. However, unlike Red Genesect, their bodies were colored purple, their eyes were red, and on their backs appeared to be holding cubes, each of them colored differently. One Genesect had a red cube, another had a light-blue cube, the third had a yellow cube, and the fourth had a dark-blue cube.

The Genesect holding the light-blue cube fired a sphere of energy at several of the summoned Pokémon, hitting them and encasing them in ice.

"Simisage, use Seed Bomb, quick!" Hugh ordered.

Simisage's hands created a green, seed-shaped light, which it threw at the Genesect holding the red and yellow cubes. However, the two Genesect dodged the move, and the Genesect with the red cube fired a sphere of energy at the Thorn Monkey Pokémon.

"Simisage, dodge!"

The Thorn Monkey Pokémon managed to sidestep the attack just in time; in the spot where it previously stood on, a small but raging fire blazed.

Meanwhile, Nate had recovered from his hypnotic-like stare at Red Genesect and threw one of his Poké Balls in the air.

"Go, Pignite!" he cried. The Fire Pig Pokémon emerged from its Poké Ball, issuing a battle cry. "Help the others! Fight the Genesect! Use Flame Charge!"

Pignite began repeatedly stomping on the ground with its feet, kicking up a cloud of dust into the air. Its body then became enveloped in an orb of flames, to which the Fire Pig Pokémon jumped towards the Genesect holding the yellow cube, slamming into it and sending it colliding violently into the Genesect holding the red cube. The Genesect with the light-blue cube instantly turned its attention to Nate, staring him down with its vicious red eyes.

At the corner of Nate's eye, he spotted his mother hiding with Hugh's family and several others behind a food stand.

"Mom, go look for cover!" he shouted.

"Nate, I'm not leaving you!" Kelly cried in response.

"Just go, Mom! I'll be fine!"

A sphere of energy suddenly whizzed past Nate's head, hitting another stand and encasing it in ice.

"NATE!" screamed Kelly.

"JUST GO!"

Kelly and the others immediately dashed into the ship's food court, as Nate focused his attention on the Genesect with the light-blue cube.

"Pignite, attack that Genesect with Heat Crash!" Nate ordered. Pignite instantly jumped up into the air, its body becoming enveloped in an orb of flames; it then shot at the Genesect and crashed down on it. "YEAH! Take that, you Genesect!"

Then, the two glanced at the Genesect with the yellow and red cubes, who had recovered from Pignite's Flame Charge attack and were now focused on Cheren, Hugh, and a few other Trainers, all of whom were being overwhelmed by their opponents' attacks.

"Pignite, help out Rosa's Bisharp!" Nate cried. "Use Smog!"

Pignite opened its mouth and released a thick cloud of gray smoke that engulfed the Genesect, clouding their sights. Cheren looked at Nate, and they both nodded at each other in understanding. Cheren then looked at his Stoutland, which was growling at the Genesect.

"Stoutland, charge through the Smog and use Take Down!" Cheren ordered.

Stoutland let out a loud roar before running through the Smog, towards the Genesect. Energy surrounded its body as it pummeled into them, sending them flying into the pool. The Genesect with the dark-blue cube, which was preoccupied battling two Trainers, immediately dove into the pool after its comrades and rose back after a few seconds, holding the Genesect with the red cube, which seemed severely weakened from the barrage of attacks; the Genesect with the yellow cube swam behind. Nate prepared to have Pignite attack them when he heard Rosa scream.

"No, Bisharp! Hang in there, Bisharp!"

Nate turned around and saw her battling against the Genesect with the light-blue cube, which was overwhelming her Bisharp with its attacks.

"Pignite, use Flamethrower!" ordered Nate, pointing at the Genesect.

The Fire Pig Pokémon fired a stream of red-hot fire from its nostrils, hitting the Genesect and defeating it, allowing Rosa's Bisharp to recover from its inflicted wounds. Rosa glanced at Nate and nodded at him in thanks; he nodded back. Just then, Rosa's eyes widened in horror.

"NATE, LOOK OUT!" she screamed, pointing.

Nate turned around and let out a yell of shock. Red Genesect had appeared and was preparing to attack him.

"NITE!" A Flamethrower attack suddenly appeared, hitting Red Genesect with full, unrelenting force and sending it crashing violently to a wall. Nate looked over at his side and saw his Pignite, smoke issuing out from his nostrils. Nate sighed with relief.

"Oh man, thanks for the save, Pignite!" exclaimed Nate.

Pignite stopped issuing its attack and snorted triumphantly at its Trainer.

"You are making a  grave mistake, humans..."

Red Genesect had stood up, recovering from the Flamethrower attack. It stared into Nate's eyes, its own eyes glowing menacingly.

"You do not know what misfortunes lie ahead... We are just doing you...what you call it, a  favor..."

"You're doing us a favor by taking control of the ship and attacking us?" asked Nate angrily. "We humans don't call THAT doing us a favor!"

"Do not say we did not warn you, Nate..."

Nate's eyes widened in shock. "HEY! How do you know my name?..."

Red Genesect didn't respond. Its body shifted slightly in what looked like an emotionally uncomfortable movement.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME? HAVE...HAVE WE MET BEFORE?!"

Red Genesect still didn't respond, and the two stared each other down as silence reigned. Suddenly, an orb of energy formed in the front of Red Genesect's arm, which then fired a beam of multiple colors at Nate. He gasped and merely closed his eyes, unable to move. He waited for the attack to come and hit him...

Suddenly, he could feel air blowing against his face, but there was no explosion. He opened his eyes, and gasped.

He was flying, flying through the air, through banks of clouds, over a tranquil blue ocean... It was the dream he kept having...

Nate heard a distant screech. He turned his head, though with the expectation that he wouldn't see the source in time.

But he did. It was a streak of gold, which left behind a trail of sparkles and a rainbow in its wake...

Then, he looked down. He wasn't flying; instead, he was sitting on something that appeared to be red...

He heard an explosion, but didn't feel anything. He opened his eyes and saw a dark-blue force-field enveloped around him, Pignite, and to his relief, Hugh's Eelektross. The force-field then dissipated, to which by that time the cloud of smoke left by Red Genesect's attack had dissipated, revealing a hole a few feet away from Nate. The Genesect, all five of them, had gone. Cheren and Hugh approached Nate, who stared at the place Red Genesect had previously stood on.

"You okay, dude?" asked Hugh.

"Yeah, yeah..." replied Nate absentmindedly.

On a police ship

The remainder of the day was spent locating the captain, who had been found locked away in a storage room, and repairing the swimming pool deck, where the battle against the Genesect Army took place. Officer Jenny and several other officers had been called in to investigate, and as a result, the entire ship was declared an active crime scene and all of the passengers had to be taken to Alto Mare on several police-issued boats.

As his boat raced across the ocean, Nate looked out of the window and into the everlasting color of blue. However, he didn't see the blue.

He just saw red. The red eyes of the Genesect, the red frame of Red Genesect... He never felt so intrigued... How in the world did a Pokémon he had never seen before suddenly know his name, out of the blue? Well, Rosa did call out his name out loud, but the way Red Genesect said it... There was a tone of absolute familiarity laced in its tone, as if the two had met before...and yet, Nate couldn't recall such an encounter, even in the deepest realms of his memory...

"Nate?" a voice asked. "Are...Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah..." replied Nate absentmindedly.

Kelly stood beside Nate, a look of concern on her face. "This is the fifth time I've asked you that, and that's all you've given me as a response. Nate, what's going on?"

Nate looked at his mother. "Mom...have we ever met those Pokémon before? The Genesect Army?"

"Not in my experience. Maybe you met them on your journey, Nate."

"Really? I don't remember ever meeting them on my journey. Are you sure, Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie." Kelly's brow wrinkled in concern. "Nate, I'm worried about you... Your behavior's been alarming me..."

"Since when?"

"Since we got onto the ship. Every time I go into your bedroom to wake you up, I hear you talk in your sleep..."

Nate's attention was piqued. "What...sort of things do I talk about?"

"I couldn't understand most of it. It's usually incomprehensible mumbling, but you do keep mentioning something about flying..."

Memories of his mysterious recurring dream flooded the forefront of Nate's mind. He could still hear that strange screeching that always signified the dream's end...

"Anything...else?"

"That time you say you saw someone...or something. And now, this whole Genesect thing recognizing you... It's really scaring me, Nate-"

"I'm fine, Mom," Nate interrupted defensively. "Those Genesect critters obviously don't see me as a real threat to them, otherwise they'd be going through real lengths to get me out of the way! Look, this has been a long day, alright? I just wanna get to Alto Mare and that's that! So...So, please Mom, stop getting on my back!"

Kelly gasped in shock, stepping backward, a hand held over her mouth. Nate began to regret his response almost immediately.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mom. I'm really sorry. It's just...Like I said, it's been a really long day, and it's obviously getting to me. Can-Can you forgive me?"

Kelly sighed and hugged her son tightly. "Oh, of course I forgive you, Nate. ...I'm sorry too. I probably shouldn't have been so concerned. After all, you're a grown man now, already a brave and wonderful Pokémon Trainer! But you're still my little Pokémon Trainer, and I love you so much, do you know that?"

"MOM!" moaned Nate jokingly. The two laughed as they continued to hug each other. "Love you too, Mom."

From a slight distance, on the ship's deck, Cheren watched Nate and Kelly as they laughed happily. He, along with Hugh and his family as well as Rosa, were forced to share a ship with them as there weren't much police ships to go around for all of the passengers. But that decision pleased him. All he was concerned about right now was watching over Nate, for he knew that as long as the Genesect Army was being credible in their warnings, the novice Trainer was in grave danger.

Suddenly, his Pokétch rang, and he promptly answered it. He nodded politely as the image of Hilda appeared on the screen.

"Hello, Hilda," he greeted.

"How're things going?" Hilda asked.

"Well, we got attacked by the Genesect Army, but we managed to fight them off."

"Is he okay?"

"Just as I hoped he'd be. You gotta stop worrying about him; I've seen him in battle many times before, and he's more than qualified to handle such a situation."

Hilda sighed sadly. "I know. It's just... You know I'm concerned."

"Of course you are. But don't worry, Hilda. I'm watching over him as we speak, and besides, we're about an hour away from Alto Mare. Just stay put."

A slight smile appeared on Hilda's face. "That shouldn't be hard," she replied. "Dawn's mad about shopping; we should get her occupied in a snap." Her frown vanished just as suddenly. "Cheren, I know he's safe right now. But...but just in case-"

"I'll watch over him, I know." Cheren looked up and saw Nate and Kelly entering the deck where he was at. "Gotta go."

He immediately hung up.

Alto Mare
The Johto region

"I'll watch over him, I know." Cheren's head suddenly turned as he looked at something. "Gotta go."

Cheren's image disappeared from the screen. Hilda sighed as she switched off her Pokétch.

"Bye," she said.

Hilda then stood up and walked out of the café she was in.

Somewhere in the Johto region

"Why in Arceus's name did we retreat, boss?" asked Burn Drive Genesect as the Genesect Army landed in the middle of a forest. "I thought we were supposed to prevent the humans on that ship from reaching the Johto region?"

"I have a question of worthier quality," Chill Drive Genesect snarled. "Like...what was that human from Driftveil City doing on that ship?!"

"The human holds a name, you know," snapped Douse Drive Genesect, irritated.

"It escapes my mind, sister."

"It is Nate."

"I do not care what the human's name is, not even in the slightest!" cried Shock Drive Genesect. "He interfered with our mission, like all the others! A reason why we should continue to distrust the humans from the very start! They blindly, stupidly, arrogantly dismiss the most dire of warnings, like the dirty, foul souls they are! I say we let them toil with the consequences that will ensue from their cloud-mindedness!"

"I do not approve any of the sort, Shock Drive," Red Genesect snarled suddenly, silencing his inferiors.

"Then what exactly do you suggest we do, boss?" Burn Drive Genesect asked aggressively. "The humans will not take to us kindly again should we reappear!"

"We continue to interfere. We  must. We owe it to the very human who gained our trust, the only one who has done so. Ash Ketchum."

The other Genesect bowed their heads in deep respect upon hearing the name.

"Welcome back, viewers, to yet another Johto TV update on the 10th Annual Ketchum Month Tournament! Man, do we have a story for you!

"One of the cruise ships headed for Alto Mare, the unanimous pit-stop for the Johto mainland due to extreme weather conditions, was confirmed by officials to have been briefly hijacked by a group of Pokémon hailing from the faraway Unova region, who have called themselves the 'Genesect Army'! Multiple eyewitness accounts and official reports have stated that the Genesect Army warned the passengers to head back home! The Trainers wouldn't take this kind of greeting, so they fought back and drove them off, destroying the ship's deck in the process! The passengers all completed their cruise aboard police-issued boats. Sixteen Pokémon had to receive medical attention, but all are okay.

"In other news, there have been unconfirmed sightings of a Dragon-type Pokémon at and near Mt. Silver. Descriptions of the Pokémon given by witnesses don't seem to match any of the Pokémon recorded in the Johto Pokémon Database. Mayor Zander Harrington has urged the civilians of Ketchum City to remain calm and that the reports seem false.

"On a brighter tone, we have confirmation that renowned Kanto Pokémon Professor, Gary Oak, and Cerulean City Gym Leader, Misty Waterflower, have signed up to participate in the Ketchum Month Tournament as contestants! This is the first time the two have been in the Mt. Silver area since ten years ago, after they witnessed the death of their beloved friend, and our hero, Ash Ketchum. Maybe an honest attempt at conquering their nightmares?

"That shall do for this hour's update! Continue to stay tuned on Johto TV for updates on the widely-anticipated Ketchum Tournament!"

Chapter Text

"Welcome back, viewers, to yet another Johto TV update on the 10th Annual Ketchum Month Tournament! Well, it appears that all the police boats transporting the passengers of that cruise ship beset by the Genesect Army have safely arrived at the Alto Mare Harbor..."

Alto Mare
The Johto region

"Well, here we are, honey," Carla said as she helped Carrie off the police boat. "Alto Mare."

Nate and Hugh's jaws dropped open as they stepped off the boat. Never before had they seen such a beautiful and magnificent city. With all the maze-like canals that slithered around the city's interior, it appeared that the concrete ground that held all of the city's buildings appeared to be floating. The seaside weather also provided a tinge of greenery that decorated the buildings, and the air was filled with a slight salty smell, giving the atmosphere a very natural feeling.

"It's pretty, Mommy!" exclaimed Carrie, pointing at the buildings. "Can we go inside one of 'em?"

"Maybe later, honey," Carla replied. "First, we have to get to our hotel and set ourselves up there. It's been a long day. A very long day."

After gathering their luggage and thanking the officers for the ride, the two families strolled down one of the walkways, Cheren and Rosa following behind. Hank took a map from one of the tourist stands, using it to guide their group, while Nate also took a booklet, which he and Hugh read devotedly.

"Hey, look at this, Nate," said Hugh, pointing to a flashy advertisement of a Trainer being pulled across one of the city's canals by a Water-type Pokémon. "Tour de Alto Mare. That sounds fun. Says here that it's gonna take place tomorrow! Maybe we should sign up, Nate."

"Count me in!" Nate exclaimed.

Rosa suddenly scoffed. "Looks quite dangerous. You two might end up hurting yourselves."

"Hey, danger is my middle name, Rosa," replied Nate, smirking at her. She merely smirked back as she returned to admiring the scenery.

The group crossed a bridge, just as Nate spotted something in the booklet. He said, "Hey, it says here that the Eon Pokémon, Latios and Latias, reside in the city."

"Oh, really?" Rosa asked sarcastically, raising her arms and slightly resting her head back on her hands in a mock-lax position. Nate and Hugh glared at her flatly.

"It's actually supposed to be something important, Rosa," replied Hugh. "Latios and Latias are Legendary Pokémon. They're supposed to be very rare."

Rosa frowned nastily and crossed her arms. "Excuse me, I understand that. Do I look dumb to you? Although, I am pretty sure that they were native to Hoenn, though. And Alto Mare IS supposed to be a city belonging to the Johto region. This is obviously just a ploy to get more tourists-"

"Well, it says in here that Latios and Latias live here," Nate piped, showing Rosa the booklet and pointing at a certain paragraph. "Look, over here it says, 'Legend has it that the city of Alto Mare is guarded by the legendary Eon Pokémon duo, Latios and Latias, who are said to live peacefully within a secret garden located beyond human reach. One of their many responsibilities is to protect the Soul Dew, an orb containing absolute power that balances-"

"No, it says that there are legends that say Latios and Latios live in Alto Mare," interrupted Rosa suddenly. "It doesn't specifically say that they still live here."

"Good point..." Hugh replied, while Nate sighed disapprovingly. He didn't have any deep disrespect for Rosa, but he wondered why she was still sticking close to them. If she kept up this kind of attendance, this meant a month of having to deal with her explosive temper, competitive nature, and constant teasing.

"It's true, the legend."

Nate, Rosa, and Hugh looked at Cheren, who was looking back at them. The group walked into a narrow walkway; the shadows of the buildings cloaked them, giving a somewhat eerie feeling to the atmosphere. Nate stared at his former teacher in awe and wonder. The way Cheren had said it, he knew that he was right. But the ten-year-old never knew that his former teacher would know something such as that.

"You...You know that?" the ten-year-old asked incredulously. "How?"

"I've met them before," replied Cheren. He then added, quite suddenly, "Of sorts."

"You've met Latios and Latias?" asked Hugh. "What was it like, Cheren?"

"Where'd you meet Latios and Latias?" Nate asked. "I'd like to meet 'em myself! It'd be SO cool!"

Cheren chuckled shortly. "I believe Latios and Latias wouldn't want me to answer those questions now, do I? They want their presence to be kept a secret."

"You've seen them," said Nate.

"I guess they trust that I'll be able to keep their secret."

"But-"

"Maybe if you're lucky, Nate-" A strange gleam passed Cheren's eyes suddenly. "-maybe they'll let you see them too."

Nate blinked. "Okay..."

"But-" began Hugh.

"Well then, I guess I regret bringing up my little encounter," Cheren interrupted suddenly, still looking at Nate strangely. He began walking after Kelly, Carla, Hank, and Carrie. "I'll take no more questions from you two. Now, come on, we still have a lot of walking to do, places to be at."

Knowing that Cheren had spoken, the three Trainers followed suit. However, Nate couldn't shake off the feeling that Cheren was hiding something...

"I still think the whole Latios-and-Latias-living-in-Alto-Mare thing is a big phony," Rosa said suddenly, scoffing.

"You wish," Hugh replied, smirking. "I bet you Latios and Latias are gonna turn up somehow during our stay here!"

Rosa smirked back. "That is quite a dangerous bet there, Hugh. But I'm in. If Latios and Latias do not show up by the time we leave, I want you to say that I was right, as usual, and that I am awesome and fantastic and the best Trainer there is. Oh, and that Pokémon Contests rule!"

Hugh scowled in disgust; he disliked Pokémon Contests and thought that they were for girls and flamboyant boys. However, he wanted to beat Rosa at this game; the two were rivals as much as Rosa was rivals with Nate, if not even more aggressive. Hugh lowered his face slightly, his blue hair casting his eyes into shadow.

"Fine, then. But if Latios and Latias show up by the time we leave, then you have to admit that Pokémon Contests suck. Oh, and stop stalking Cheren for a month."

Nate blinked and rapidly shook his head repeatedly and emphatically; he didn't want his friend to incur Rosa's infamous wrath. However, the Trainer already knew that whenever Hugh shadowed his eyes, that meant his friend was dead serious.

Rosa's face turned red, and her eye twitched as she muttered through clenched teeth in response, "Fine."

Hugh's smirk widened, his teeth clenched. "Good. May the best man win." He turned around and walked away.

"Or woman," muttered Rosa as she stalked after Hugh.

Nate chuckled, half-nervously, half-humorously, as he followed Rosa and Hugh. He didn't notice the invisible Latias following him...

The Eon Hotel
At the Alto Mare Square

Nate silently stood on the balcony of his suite room, watching as the bright, magnificent sun made its descent, now halfway engulfed by the vast horizon. This colored the sky in a surreal hue of pinkish-red, and the sun itself was boasting its golden color in all of its glory. The ten-year-old then glanced down at the square; there were still a large number of townspeople and tourists. The fountain located at the dead center of the square continued to spout water with a tranquil drizzling sound.

"How are you doing, Nate?" a voice asked. Nate glanced to his right and saw Cheren standing on his own balcony.

"I'm doing fine, Cheren, thanks," replied Nate.

"No, you're not." Cheren's voice was stern. "It's your nature to never let go of something that has intrigued you so greatly."

Cheren was right. Nate was still having a nagging feeling that there was a good reason Red Genesect knew him.

"I just can't remember how I managed to meet such a unique Pokémon like Genesect before. I haven't even heard of it in the Unova Pokédex!"

"It is a type of Pokémon few people know about," explained Cheren. "It roamed the landscape of Unova during the region's early days before going extinct. But then, a Fossil of it was extracted by a team of scientists, and it was technologically reconstructed into those five Genesect, to become the most powerful Pokémon in existence. And unfortunately, the scientists' benefactors had malicious intentions for the Genesect Army. They eventually had enough of being used and went rampant."

"But I don't remember ever meeting Genesect."

"Well, whatever happened between you and them, it must have been important enough for the Genesect Army to refrain from attacking you. They generally don't trust humans, after the misuse they inflicted upon them. In fact, there's only one other person they ever trusted."

Nate's attention was piqued. "Who's that, Cheren?"

"Ash Ketchum."

"Oh." Nate smiled brightly; he knew he shouldn't have asked such a rhetorical question. It was quite natural for his hero to always be the only person to gain the trust of a volatile Pokémon. "Well, thanks for the info, Cheren. You've given me something to think about."

Cheren nodded. Then, he asked, "So, how're you and your mom doing?"

"Huh? Oh, well, we're doing great, as usual. Mom's being overprotective towards me as usual, especially after that fiasco aboard the cruise ship. I don't blame her. But sometimes, I just wish she could give me some space. I mean, on my Pokémon journey, it is mandatory for me to call her whenever I reach the next town, so then she can find out if I made the trip. And the calls last for hours on end. Like I said, I desire some space."

"Well, your mom has good reasons for keeping tabs on you," Cheren said sagely. "After all, you're the only one she's got now."

"Yeah..." Nate sighed sadly and stared at the sunset again.

Cheren's newest statement of wisdom had reminded him of something he seldom wanted to muse on: when he was four years old, his father, also a Pokémon Trainer, died in a destructive flash flood while he was at Lentimas Town. His mother was emotionally devastated by the news, and Nate, who barely knew his father because of his occasional visits, even felt a little grief from the tragedy. The absence of a paternal figure in his life became one of the major contributing factors to his idolization of Ash Ketchum. After all, to him, Ash was everything he envisioned in a father: courageous, golden-hearted, selfless, the whole package. A great role model.

Cheren noticed Nate's change in mood and said, "I'm sorry if I brought back terrible memories-"

"It's okay, Cheren," interrupted Nate, looking back at his teacher. "I'm fine."

The teacher smiled slightly and nodded. "Good."

Cheren walked back into his suite, leaving Nate alone on his balcony. After a few minutes of staring at the sunset, he decided to head back into his own suite as well.

Lying down on his bed, Nate stared at the ceiling, delving deep into the realm of his thoughts. His father had now returned to the forefront of his mind. He could barely remember him now. The blond hair, green eyes, and kind smile were fabricated with some difficulty. Nate then remembered all of the visits his father made. They were quite short, since he had to get back to his Pokémon journey, and there were only about five or six visits in total. There was only one he could remember quite clearly: his father had given him the sports visor he wore on his first day as a Pokémon Trainer, when Nate was three...

Nate removed his sports visor and looked at it. He could remember his father's words from that eventful day.

"Here, son. Consider this an early birthday present."

"What is it, Daddy?"

"The visor I wore when I first became a Pokémon Trainer. One day, you will become a Trainer yourself. I want you to have this when that day comes upon you."

"It's cool, Daddy! I LOVE it! Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, son. Remember this, you will become the best Pokémon Trainer there ever was, and I will be so proud of you."

"Hey, maybe when I become a Pokémon Trainer, I can find you, and we can have a battle!"

"Is that a challenge I hear?"

"Yes, Daddy! I challenge you to a Pokémon battle when I become a Trainer!"

"Challenge accepted."

Nate sighed as he placed his visor on the nearby table. He was now a Pokémon Trainer, and his father was dead. He would never have that battle now...

He glanced at his mother, who was sleeping in the bed beside his. After a lot of hot debating and a great deal of embarrassment in front of Hugh and Rosa, Nate had begrudgingly agreed to allow her to sleep in the same room as his. She had persistently insisted on watching him at all times after his encounter with Red Genesect.

"Mom?" he asked, unsure if she was awake or not. To his relief, Kelly turned over on her other side, her eyes fluttering open, a yawn escaping her mouth.

"Y-Yes, honey?"

"Can we talk?"

Kelly yawned briefly. "Sure. What do you wanna talk about, honey?"

"Dad."

Kelly's eyes widened, and she sat up on her bed, fully awake. "What about him?" she asked worriedly.

"Do you think he was still itching to have that battle with me when he...you know..."

"What battle?" asked Kelly, an eyebrow raised.

"You know, the battle I promised to have with Dad when I became a Trainer. Do you think he was looking forward to having that battle with me when..."

Kelly understood. "Knowing your dad, he would've kept praying to Arceus that that day would come tomorrow. Your dad's never let you down, would he?"

Nate didn't respond.

The following night

As Nate and Kelly slept on their beds, they failed to register even in the slightest that Latias was watching them the entire night...

Her golden eyes gleamed for a split-second, and a quiet coo escaped her mouth as she observed the sleeping Nate...

"Now, onto another topic, and a morbid one at that, unfortunately! It looks like the weather conditions have gotten even worse. Snowstorms are being reported throughout the Johto region, and several people have been snowed inside their homes and businesses. Meanwhile, a severe rainstorm has formed around Alto Mare, the pit-stop for travelers headed to the Johto region for the Ketchum Month Tournament. Ship routes are still in service, but people are being warned to take extra precautionary measures.

"That shall do for this hour's update! Continue to stay tuned on Johto TV for updates on the widely-anticipated Ketchum Tournament!"

The following day
The Safeguard Restaurant

"Hey, the Ketchum Month Tournament is hosting a Pokémon Contest as a side-event!" Rosa exclaimed as she devotedly read a Contest-themed magazine. She sat at a table with Nate, Hugh, and Carrie; the adults were all sitting at another table, still ordering their food.

"Oh, hooray," Hugh replied sarcastically as he devoured a couple of noodles from his soup.

Rosa shot him a nasty glare. Then, she smirked with triumph and coolly began sucking at a lollipop. "Oh, you keep badmouthing Contests all you want, Hugh-boy, but I haven't seen hide nor hair of Latios or Latias anywhere. Unless they're actually hanging around somewhere here right now, hm, let's see..." She began surveying the restaurant. "Nope, no Legendary Pokémon here. I think it's best if you admitted defeat already and say that Contests rule, to spare yourself of any trouble."

"Over my dead body, Rosie," spat Hugh.

Rosa's face turned beet-red. "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!"

Nate and Carrie looked at each other and giggled. Meanwhile, the door opened, and a group of seven people walked into the restaurant.

"Oh my, you guys are gonna love this place!" the woman leading the group, who had flowing light-brown hair and ocean-blue eyes, with a green bandanna sporting a white Poké Ball symbol wrapped around her head, exclaimed. "The booklet says that this is one of the best restaurants in the Johto region, and that the ramen-noodle soup they offer is FANTASTIC! I managed to get us all reservations last night!"

"Knowing May, she only came the moment she read the noodle soup part," joked a man with curly dark-brown hair and wearing circular glasses.

"Khoury!" scolded a woman with bright-brown hair and eyes, who wore a large white cap. She roughly nudged the man with her elbow. "You should be very thankful May brought us here. This restaurant looks quite promising! Thank you, May."

"You're welcome," May replied, smiling as she approached a waiter. "Hi, reservations for May Maple."

"Ah yes, Ms. Maple, right this way!" exclaimed the waiter.

Upon hearing the name of May Maple, Rosa's attention was caught in an instant; her head jerked upward like an alert Buneary. She glanced at the group of seven.

"Could...Could it be?..." she asked.

"What, Rosa?" asked Nate. "What is it?"

Rosa watched as the waiter escorted May and the rest of the group to their table.

"Here you go, Ms. Maple," said the waiter.

"Thank you very much," May replied.

Rosa gasped and leaped up from her chair, nearly tipping it over. "OH MY ARCEUS, IT IS HER!" she screamed, catching the attention of everyone in the restaurant.

"Who?" Nate asked.

"MS. MAPLE, MS. MAPLE, OVER HERE!" squealed Rosa as she dashed her way to May, immediately grabbing her hands and shaking them rapidly. "OH MY ARCEUS, IT IS SUCH AN HONOR TO MEET YOU IN PERSON, MS. MAPLE! THE NAME'S ROSA ANDERSON, AND I'M A COORDINATOR MYSELF! I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN!"

"Oh, please, Rosa, just call me May!" May exclaimed, blushing with embarrassment. "And it's nice to meet you-"

"I can't believe it!" interrupted Rosa as she danced with joy. "In all my life, I never DREAMED that I'd be meeting my greatest role model, May Maple, Princess of Hoenn! Oh my Arceus, I think I'm gonna faint with joy..." She then blinked and looked around, having just noticed all of the eyes focused on her. The ten-year-old immediately blushed and sweat-dropped. "Sorry, sorry! Keep enjoying your meals, everyone! I sincerely apologize for the disturbance! Heh heh heh..."

"Okay, Ms. Fangirl," said Hugh as he and Nate approached a rigid Rosa and escorted her back to her table, "I think you've done enough damage for one day-"

"Hold on."

The three Trainers looked back at May's table. Cheren had approached the group, a smile on his face.

"It's good to see you all again," he said in greeting.

"Likewise, Cheren!" exclaimed a blue-haired woman holding a Prinplup.

"I assume they're your friends, Cheren?" asked May.

"Some of my former pupils. They're traveling with their families to Ketchum City to participate in the upcoming Ketchum Month Tournament, and I'm accompanying them to the city. I'm assuming that you have the same destination as well, is that correct?"

"You betcha," replied a pale-skinned man with silver hair and a Plusle and a Minum perched on his shoulders.

"Excellent. Hey, why don't our groups sit together? Since we're all headed the same way, maybe you all should get acquainted with my friends."

"I don't know-" May said.

"Don't worry, I ordered reservations too, and I think I have a pass to redirect them."

"YES, LET'S DO IT!" squealed Rosa excitedly. She then blushed and chuckled nervously again.

Indeed, Cheren managed to get both groups to sit alongside each other, and after a few minutes passed, Nate's group had become acquainted with May's group. The blunette woman holding the Prinplup was Dawn Berlitz, the brown-haired woman with the large white hat was Lyra Silver, the curly-haired man with the glasses was Khoury Evans, and the silver-haired man with the Plusle and the Minum was Tory Lund.

Also in May's group was a woman named Hilda White, who had dark-brown hair and blue eyes who wore a white-and-red cap with a red Poké Ball symbol. There also was a man sporting light-brown hair who wore a red, white, and black cap with a black Poké Ball symbol, who was named Hilbert, Hilda's twin brother, only younger by just a couple of minutes. As he came to know his newfound friends, Nate couldn't help but feel that Hilda was always staring at him for some reason...

"So, you guys are all going to Ketchum City as well?" asked Rosa, but she directed the question towards May.

"Yeah," Dawn replied. "There's a Pokémon Contest being held there as well, and May and I thought we participate in it."

"You say you're a Coordinator yourself, Rosa?" May asked.

Rosa nodded before reaching into her purse and pulling out a box, revealing three Ribbons. "These are the Ribbons I have so far. Impressive, huh?"

"Yeah, impressive! It must've taken a lot of work to earn those Ribbons!"

Rosa blushed, bursting in excitement at having been praised by her role model. "Thanks," she said as she put away the box. "Yeah, it was hard. But I managed to get through in the end. To make things easier for me, Pokémon Contests aren't at all that prominent of an event in Unova, so there's not much competition anyway."

"But competition always makes things fun! I have a number of rivals who always know how to spice things up. How about you, Rosa? You have any rivals?"

"Yeah, lots!" Rosa smiled widely.

Nate, having overheard Rosa, glared at her curiously. He couldn't help but feel that she was lying in order to impress May. However, he decided not to listen to the two Coordinators' conversation anymore and redirected his attention back to Kelly and Cheren's conversation with Hilda and Hilbert.

"So, how are you guys?" asked Cheren.

"We've been doing good," Hilbert replied. "Ten years of traveling around the world, competing in Pokémon Leagues, watching my sister in Pokémon Contests, it really does a number on you, though. We saw a lot, though. How about you, Cheren? How's that Trainer's School of yours doing?"

"Well, as long as my pupils become the greatest Trainers, Coordinators, Breeders, Doctors, or Connoisseurs in existence, then you can call it fine."

"And so far, it's done well, Cheren," remarked Nate, smiling and nudging his teacher's shoulder. "Right?"

"Yeah, right."

"So, Nate," said Hilda, "how many Badges do you have?"

"Five. Here, let me show you..." He reached into his bag and produced the tiny box containing his Badges, opening it up and showing his badges to Hilda. "There they are, the tokens of my accomplishment! Just three more and I'll be finally going to the Unova League!" Nate clenched his fist and held it high in the air in determination.

"You've got spirit, Nate. Cheren was right about you..."

Nate looked at Hilda curiously, then at Cheren. "What? You've been telling her about me, Cheren?"

"I keep mentioning you to her every time we reconnect," Cheren replied, staring at Hilda with an unknown expression. "You're...an exceptional student to me."

"Oh." Nate blinked, shocked by the fact that Cheren had outwardly praised him, something that wasn't a part of his nature. "Th-Thanks..."

"Oh, don't be shocked, honey," said Kelly, looking at her son. "It's obvious that Cheren thinks you're one of his best students, enough to talk about to a friend of his! It should be something that you should be proud of at the very least, Nate!"

"Yeah, I guess..."

"So, Nate, can you show me your Pokémon?" asked Hilda.

Nate's attention was piqued even more. "Excuse me, what?"

"Can you show me the Pokémon you have, Nate? I'd like to see what you've got!"

"O-Okay..."

Outside the Safeguard Restaurant

"Come on out, everyone!" Nate cried as he threw his six Poké Balls into the air, summoning Pignite, Krokorok, Cryogonal, Yamask, Mandibuzz, and Gigalith, all of whom let out cries of triumph as they all looked at Hilda, who stared back, greatly impressed.

"Quite impressive," she replied. The brunette then snapped her fingers. "Okay, let's settle this." She pulled out a Poké Ball. "How about we have a battle?"

"A...what?" Nate couldn't believe what he was hearing; first this strange woman seemed to show some interest towards him, and now, she challenges him!

"Come on, Nate! I'm itching to have a little warm-up for the Pokémon Contest at Ketchum City, and maybe you should have a little warm-up for the tournament!"

"Well...I guess I need to train as much as I can." Nate smiled and made a fist. "Let's do it!"

"This should be interesting..." thought Slate as he watched Nate and Hilda.

Chapter Text

Alto Mare
Outside the Safeguard Restaurant
The Johto region

Nate stared down his opponent, Hilda White, as she produced a Poké Ball from her pocket and casually tossed into the air, catching it. Just a few minutes ago, he had met her and her friends, and just then, she asked to see his entire roster of Pokémon. When he obliged, she suddenly challenged him to a battle, out of the blue, and without any discernible reason! To make things even stranger, Nate couldn't shake off the chilling feeling that Hilda had this odd interest in him. Not romantic interest, but rather more like a curious interest. After all, she seemed to keep asking Cheren about him whenever the two met up by phone.

"Today's battle is now underway!" announced Cheren. He had volunteered to be the referee, just as suddenly as Hilda was when she challenged Nate. "On one side is Nate Brown, and on the other is Hilda White. This will be a standard three-on-three Pokémon battle! The one who scores two out of three wins emerges victorious!"

"We'll have a battle to be proud of, Nate!" Hilda called. "Let's do our best!"

"You got it!" replied Nate triumphantly as he took out a Poké Ball of his own from his bag and threw it into the air. "Go, Cryogonal!" The Crystallizing Pokémon emerged from the Poké Ball and let out a mighty cry. Hilda smiled and threw her own Poké Ball.

"Go, Mienshao!" The Martial Arts Pokémon emerged and stared down Nate's Cryogonal ferociously. Nate gritted his teeth; he knew Fighting-types were advantageous over an Ice-type Pokémon like his Cryogonal. He needed to think of a very effective strategy, lest he be defeated.

"Good luck, honey!" a voice called. Nate glanced at the outside tables; Kelly was among the many restaurant customers who were watching with peaked interest. She waved at him, and he waved back before he heard Hilda issue the first order to her Mienshao.

"Use Force Palm, Mienshao!"

Mienshao sprinted towards Cryogonal at high speeds, its arm outstretched towards it.

"Cryogonal, dodge, then use Aurora Beam!" commanded Nate. Cryogonal promptly sidestepped Mienshao before it could complete its attack, as a bluish-green sphere appeared on its mouth. From that sphere, a glowing green-and-black beam launched towards the Martial Arts Pokémon.

"Mienshao, look out!" Hilda cried.

It was too late: Mienshao was struck by the Aurora Beam, which knocked off its feet and propelled into the air. However, it landed back onto the ground gracefully, its body boasting no signs of any physical damage. Hilda smiled triumphantly as Nate growled.

"Ice-type attacks are not all that effective against Fighting-types, Nate," she said. "Better be aware of that!"

"I am! So, you wanna play the stronger Pokémon, huh Hilda? I guess I'm gonna use what I've got against you!"

Nate instantly delved into his thoughts as he calculated a battling strategy. "A Fighting-type Pokémon like Mienshao should be weak against Flying- and Psychic-types, and I have been practicing a Flying-type attack with Cryogonal... He was average at it at best, but it's the best I can do if I am to weaken Mienshao. I'll go for it!"

"Cryogonal, use Acrobatics, quickly!" Nate commanded.

"Whoa, since when did Nate's Cryogonal learn how to use a Flying-type move?" asked Rosa as she watched the battle with the others.

Hugh smiled. "Well, when it comes to Nate, any kind of training is possible."

Little did anyone know that Dawn was watching the battle closely, her attention piqued...

Cryogonal propelled itself into the air before swooping down towards Mienshao. However, Hilda's expression didn't change.

"Mienshao, dodge, then use Hi Jump Kick while Cryogonal's recovering."

The Martial Arts Pokémon jumped into the air, seconds before Cryogonal smashed into the ground. One of Mienshao's knees glowed a bright purple, and it slammed it down on Cryogonal, drawing a cry of pain from the Crystallization Pokémon as it tumbled across the ground.

"CRYOGONAL!" shouted Nate.

Despite looking severely wounded, Cryogonal refused to be defeated, and it levitated in its upright position, staring down Mienshao boldly.

Hilda raised an eyebrow as she closely observed Cryogonal's determined behavior. "It never knows when to give up, doesn't it?" she asked.

"When it comes to battling," replied Nate, "we don't give up until it's officially over! Now Cryogonal, give everything you've got! Use Sheer Cold!"

The outline of Cryogonal's body began glowing light-blue, and a spinning orb of light-blue energy formed in front of its mouth. This orb then exploded into a light-blue beam of energy that thundered towards Mienshao, leaving behind a trail of snowflake-shaped sparkles. Hilda raised her eyebrows.

"Trying to end this battle already, huh? Just when I got started. Ah well, I can still have my fun. Mienshao, dodge!" Mienshao dodged the Sheer Cold attack. "Now, use Bulk Up! I wanna end this first round with a bang, and for that, I might as well spice things up!"

Mienshao's body became enveloped in a crimson aura, and it flexed its arms and body.

"Hilda wants the last move she's gonna make for this round to be very powerful," thought Nate cautiously. "I need to find a way to waste out that power, but...how?" Then, Nate smiled as his mind thought of a counter-strategy. "Cryogonal, use Reflect and don't let it go!"

Cryogonal looked at its Trainer and nodded confidently. It then launched white spheres from its mouth, which rotated around its body, forming a protective barrier that enveloped its entire frame. Hilda smiled in admiration of Nate's newest strategy.

"Very effective, Nate," she said. "Trying to go on the defensive now. Well, let's see how that Reflect of Cryogonal's can hold up! Mienshao, use Drain Punch!"

Mienshao sprinted towards Cryogonal, its fist becoming surrounded by a swirling sphere of green energy. It then punched Cryogonal, but its Reflect held itself well.

Nate immediately saw his chance. "Okay, Cryogonal, use Acrobatics again!"

Cryogonal broke free of its Reflect, sending Mienshao backward. It then hovered in the air and swooped down towards the Martial Arts Pokémon. This time, the attack hit its mark, and Cryogonal struck Mienshao repeatedly, severely damaging it.

"MIENSHAO!" Hilda screamed as her Pokémon fell to the ground, squiggly-eyed.

"Mienshao is unable to battle!" Cheren announced. "Cryogonal wins round one!"

"Yeah, alright Cryogonal!" exclaimed Nate as Cryogonal returned to his side. "You did well, buddy!"

"Wow, Nate's a really great battler," remarked May. "I'm quite impressed with his determination."

"Yeah," Kelly replied proudly. "He obviously takes after his father."

"His father's a Pokémon Trainer too?"

A gloomy expression suddenly filled Kelly's face. "Was..."

"Oh. ...I'm...I'm very sorry..."

Kelly's mouth twisted a smile with some difficulty. "Oh, it's okay, May. It's been six years. I've gotten over it now."

At the corner of May's eye, she caught Dawn's expression: she was looking at the ground sadly.

Hilda smiled as she recalled Mienshao into its Poké Ball. "I gotta say, I'm impressed, Nate," she said. "You've got great battling skills."

"Thanks, you too."

"Okay, then. Let's see if those skills will help you prevail in the second round! Go, Beartic!" Hilda threw another Poké Ball, which unleashed Beartic; it growled viciously as it faced down its opponent. "Since I made the first move last time, Nate, I think it's in order if you made this first move now."

"Thanks, Hilda! Okay, Cryogonal, use Ice Beam on Beartic!"

Cryogonal's mouth formed a sphere of light-blue energy. From this sphere, multiple beams of energy were shot, thundering down towards Beartic.

"Beartic," ordered Hilda, "dodge, then use Ice Beam as well!"

Beartic dodged Cryogonal's Ice Beam, then opened its mouth, an orb of light-blue energy forming in front of it. The orb then fired multiple beams of energy, which shot towards Cryogonal. Before Nate could react, the Ice Beam attack struck the Crystallization Pokémon, freezing it. A couple of seconds later, Cryogonal burst out of its icy prison, looking injured. Its frame still had several pieces of ice stuck to it, which hindered its movement. Hilda smiled and pointed at Cryogonal.

"Here's our opportunity, Beartic! Use Blizzard now!"

Beartic opened its mouth, forming a light-blue orb of energy in front of it. The orb then fired a powerful wind of snow, which caught Cryogonal off-guard and propelled it across the ground. It nearly collided with Nate, who was trying to withstand the power of the Blizzard attack, which he was also caught in.

"Cryogonal, hang in there!" Nate cried. "Fight the Blizzard! Don't let it overcome you!"

Cryogonal obliged to its Trainer's orders and began to push itself against the powerful Blizzard, slowly but steadily inching safely away from the outside tables, toward Beartic, which was still firing off the attack. Nate, shielding his eyes from the flying snow, began to think of a strategy.

"That Blizzard's very powerful. And yet...it's blowing in one direction, like any other wind..." He smiled as he ordered, "Cryogonal, use Blizzard as well!"

"HUH?!" exclaimed Hilda, not expecting Nate's newest decision.

Cryogonal fired from its mouth its own Blizzard attack, which roared down the direction opposite to Beartic's Blizzard. This, plus the combined power of the two attacks, sparked a reaction: the snowy winds immediately began to swirl in one spot, forming a small, icy tornado that span and howled furiously.

"The two opposing Blizzards created a small tornado!" Khoury exclaimed. "This could be both a good and bad strategy for both Nate and Hilda!"

"I wonder how those two are gonna use that new obstacle to their advantage..." remarked Hilbert.

Meanwhile, Dawn's attention was piqued even more.

"That's new..." Hilda remarked. Then, she smiled confidently. "No matter. Okay then, Beartic, run through that tornado and use Slash on Cryogonal!"

Beartic nodded and ran towards the tornado as fast as it could. It immediately propelled itself into the tornado like a powerful cannonball, tearing through it, causing it to dissipate; the claws on one of its paws glowed bright-white as it launched down towards Cryogonal.

"Just as I expected!" cried Nate. He pointed at Beartic. "Cryogonal, use Ice Beam!"

Cryogonal fired the attack, freezing several parts of Beartic's body and immobilizing it.

Hilda gasped. "Beartic! Break free of the ice, quick!"

"Here's our chance, Cryogonal! Use Blizzard, and make it extra-powerful!"

The Crystallization Pokémon fired another Blizzard attack, which sent Beartic flying into the air and colliding with the ground painfully, shattering the ice that encased it.

"BEARTIC!" Hilda screamed. "Beartic, are you alright?!"

Beartic immediately stood up and roared at Cryogonal. Nate gasped in shock.

"What?! I was hoping that would work!" he exclaimed.

"Remember, Nate," Cheren said, "this is an Ice-type versus an Ice-type. There's a fifty-fifty chance that your attacks will even deal a good amount of damage."

"So, you're gonna make this tough, huh Hilda?" asked Nate, making a determined fist. "Okay, I'll make it tough for you as well! Use Acrobatics, Cryogonal!"

Cryogonal hovered in the air and then swooped down towards Beartic. However, Hilda saw her chance.

"Beartic, use Icicle Crash on Cryogonal while it's coming down!" she commanded.

Beartic took in a deep breath, then it let out a wind with light-blue sparkles from its mouth and into the air, towards the descending Cryogonal. Inside the wind, large, sharp icicles formed. The icicles then rained down over Cryogonal, hitting it with full force and interrupting its Acrobatics attack. Crying in pain, it fell to the ground.

"CRYOGONAL!" Nate cried.

Cryogonal landed painfully on the ground. It struggled to get up, but then, it fell back down, defeated.

"Cryogonal is unable to battle!" announced Cheren. "Beartic wins round two!"

"So, Nate won round one-" commented Tory.

"-And Hilda won round two," Hilbert completed. "One round won by each. This final round should decide the victor of the battle!"

"Go, Nate!" yelled Hugh, standing up from his table and raising a fist in the air in encouragement. "You've got this, man!"

Having heard his friend's words of encouragement, Nate nodded at Hugh as he recalled Cryogonal.

"Good job, Cryogonal," he said to Cryogonal's Poké Ball, smiling proudly. "You did really great out there. Now, you get some rest." He put the Poké Ball away and took another one from his belt. "Okay, come on out, Pignite! Show Beartic who rules this battleground!"

The Fire Pig Pokémon emerged from its Poké Ball and cried out triumphantly. It then snorted out flames as it stared down Beartic.

"Ah, taking a wiser route, huh Nate?" Hilda asked. "Using a Fire-type like Pignite against an Ice-type like my Beartic. Very strategic." Her smile widened. "Well then, let us see if that strategy will prevail!" She pointed at Pignite. "Beartic, GO! Use Brine on Pignite!"

Beartic roared, opened its mouth, and fired a powerful stream of water at Pignite.

"Pignite, dodge!" commanded Nate. Pignite tried to dodge the attack, but it was too late. The stream hit the Fire Pig Pokémon with full force, sending it tumbling to the ground, wisps of smoke issuing from its nostrils as it struggled to get up. "OH NO, PIGNITE!"

"Now's our chance, Beartic! Use Slash while Pignite's down!"

The Freezing Pokémon charged forward, roaring, its claws glowing white with energy again. Nate began to break into a hot sweat as he watched Beartic close in.

"Pignite, quick! Dodge Beartic!"

Pignite gathered all of its remaining strength and quickly rolled out of the way, seconds before Beartic slashed at the ground, leaving behind gashes on the spot where the Fire Pig Pokémon was previously lying on. However, the move didn't deter Hilda; she smiled and pointed at Pignite.

"Use Slash again, Beartic!" she ordered.

"Pignite, dodge again!" ordered Nate.

Like the last time, Beartic lunged at Pignite with its Slash attack, but Pignite was able to successfully dodge it, albeit with some difficulty.

"SLASH AGAIN!"

"DODGE AGAIN!"

Again, Beartic tried to attack Pignite with Slash, but Pignite dodged the attack.

"AGAIN, BEARTIC!"

"AGAIN, PIGNITE!"

"What in Arceus's name is Nate doing?" asked Rosa. "He's gonna tire Pignite out, and then Beartic will land that Slash for sure!"

"Knowing Nate," Hugh replied, "he's got a strategy planned out for this..."

After making several dodges, it was obvious that Pignite was exhausted. The damage dealt by the Brine attack made things worse; it seemed as if Pignite would faint if it made another dodge. It panted heavily as it stared at Beartic, growling at it. Hilda crossed her arms as she observed the Fire Pig Pokémon.

"What is it you hope to accomplish by constantly dodging, Nate?" she asked. "You're tiring out your Pokémon."

"Oh, I'm just saving up for the big finale," replied Nate, smiling cleverly.

Hilda blinked, puzzled by his confident behavior. She then pointed at Pignite and commanded, "Use Brine, Beartic! Finish this now!"

The Freezing Pokémon fired another stream of water at Pignite. However, Nate's smile widened.

"Perfect. Pignite, break through the Brine attack with Arm Thrust and then use it on Beartic!"

"WHAT?!" Hilda cried as Pignite charged forward towards the Brine attack. "Nate, that's a really risky move!"

"What's life without taking a little risk?" Nate asked. "DO IT, PIGNITE!"

With all of its strength, the Fire Pig Pokémon swung its arms at the stream of water that flew towards it, causing it to practically explode. Droplets of water showered Beartic, causing it to flinch and giving Pignite its chance. In a frame of a few seconds, it charged at Beartic as fast as it could. Once Pignite reached Beartic, the Freezing Pokémon didn't have time to run: the Fire Pig Pokémon let loose a series of powerful punches that battered the whole of Beartic's frame, decorating it with bruises. The Freezing Pokémon howled in pain as it drew back, nearly stumbling over and tripping in the process.

"BEARTIC!" screamed Hilda. "Beartic, are you okay?!"

Beartic growled as it looked at Pignite, much to Nate's shock.

"Wait, what?" he cried. "That was supposed to work!"

"I must admit, Nate, I'm quite impressed by your strategy. Keep dodging the opponent's moves, then surprise it by using an actual attack that takes advantage of the opponent's own attack, using it against it. Very impressive. ...Flawed, but effective. But I guess it couldn't save you for this battle." She pointed at Pignite. "Beartic, let us end this battle now! Again with Brine, and make sure you're prepared for a counterattack this time!" Beartic roared and fired another Brine.

"DODGE, PIGNITE!" yelled Nate. However, all of the dodging Pignite had done previously depleted it of its energy, and it was too late: the Brine hit Pignite, and the Fire Pig Pokémon tumbled to the ground, motionless and squiggly-eyed. "NO, PIGNITE!"

"Pignite is unable to battle!" Cheren announced loudly. "The victor of this battle is Hilda White and her Beartic!"

Nate expected Hilda to jump in joy at the victory, like any of his opponents did if they won a battle against him. But he was very surprised when she nodded at Cheren before recalling Beartic into its Poké Ball. She kissed the Poké Ball briefly before putting it away and approaching Nate.

"You might wanna check on Pignite," she advised.

"Oh, yeah," Nate replied. He knelt at Pignite's side and put its head on his lap. "Pignite, are you okay, buddy?"

Pignite's eyelids fluttered open, and it smiled up at its Trainer. It then snorted flames from its nostrils in response. Everyone laughed when the flames squarely hit Nate in the face, burning it anime-style. Well, everyone except Kelly, who had run over to Nate to give him a napkin to wipe his ashy face.

"Well, I guess it's obvious you're okay, Pignite," Nate said at Pignite. When the Fire Pig Pokémon moaned in sadness at its defeat at the hands of Beartic, Nate smiled even more widely. "It's okay, buddy. You did your best out there, and I'm proud of you. Who cares if you lost against an Ice-type Pokémon? This should encourage us to come out stronger than before in the next battle, and to expect the unexpected! What d'you say about that, Pignite, buddy?"

Pignite smiled and snorted more flames into Nate's face.

"I'll that as a seal of approval."

Everyone laughed.

Slate, having watched the battle closely, pursed his lips as he examined Nate. He blinked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity, before shaking his head.

"Impossible," he muttered as he turned his back. "...It's impossible... ...Is it?..."

He thought about it for a moment before disappearing into thin air.

The Alto Mare Pokémon Center

As Nurse Joy checked on Pignite, Cryogonal, and Mienshao and gave them the proper medical attention for their sustained injuries, Nate quietly sat on a sofa, intently reading the booklet on Alto Mare in search of anything interesting. Just then, he felt someone sit beside him.

"Doesn't matter if you lost, kid. You did great out there."

Nate smiled as he lowered the booklet. "Thanks, Cheren," he replied.

Cheren nodded. "Your mom must be proud of you."

"She is. She doesn't call me her Pokémon Trainer for nothing." Nate chuckled briefly.

"Those are quite risky battling techniques you were using there, Nate, in the third round. A bit aggressive, quite forceful and exhausting on the chosen Pokémon, and only relying purely on random chance. Please tell me you're still not trying to improvise for the Ketchum Month Tournament-"

Nate looked at the floor. "Hilda was the toughest Trainer I've ever battled. She had an Ice-type, while I had a Fire-type, and yet, she uses a Water-type move on me! I know it could be possible for a Pokémon like Beartic to learn Brine, but for her to take advantage of that, instead of switching Pokémon... I didn't know what she had in her mind, or the strategies against me, so I immediately knew that I had to go on the offensive immediately."

"You could've switched Pokémon too," Cheren said.

"I thought I had it. After all, Pignite is a Fire-type, Beartic is an Ice-type, I thought I'd get that round done in a flash. And besides, I am not a fan of switching Pokémon. That can only be done when everything's on the line in the battle, and all you have to do is either throw in the towel, or keep fighting to the bitter end."

Cheren smiled slightly. "Of course, Nate. And you're the type to keep on fighting."

Nate smiled at his teacher. Then, he asked, "Hey, Cheren, why did Hilda challenge me to a battle?"

"I told her you were a determined Trainer during some of our calls, so she thought she'd see it for herself. She's a determined Trainer too, that Hilda."

The sewer systems
Underneath Ketchum City

Any typical sewer system in the world would host the most unsafe of living conditions, with their uncleaned brick walls and tunnels and the foul, dirty, smelly water that would plunge from above, disposed by the civilians of the cities that stood above the underground complex. But not the sewer system that belonged to Ketchum City.

People patrolled the surprisingly-clean tunnels with their Pokémon. These men and women all wore identical golden clothing bearing the insignia of a phoenix-like bird's head on the torso sections, and had their hair dyed gold as well. Their Pokémon also wore gold-colored suits of spiky, menacing armor with the same insignia. Inside a number of vacated chambers, many of these people were working on designing and constructing several crudely-made mechas and other mechanical devices. In other chambers, the Pokémon trained extensively with their owners, while several other people practice their physical prowess.

In one smaller chamber, Enigma sat on a single golden carpet. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again.

He was inside a snowy cave.

"I grow restless, human," a voice said within the corners of Enigma's mind. "I am beginning to put doubt in the pacing that you have promised me..."

"Gird yourself, Master," replied Enigma calmly. "Everything is falling into schedule, just as planned."

"I hope you are sincere this time, human. I  want that Plate, and I do not tolerate this slow nature that you display."

"You will have the Plate once you have your army of minions ready for me, and I my New Sky Soldiers. In the meantime, continue to be patient. In a few weeks' course, we will both acquire what we desire the most, and all else shall be done with a single stroke."

"This stroke that you speak of does seem to take its time. Five years, and you have not found Ketchum yet-"

"That is my top priority as of now, Master."

"Really? And what of this new resistance that I hear is building up?"

Enigma pursed his lips, but otherwise remained calm. "It is under control, Master."

"Do not lie, human."  Out of the everlasting mass of pitch-black darkness, a pair of yellow eyes pierced through. They stared down at Enigma ferociously, hungrily. The voice hissed through the reaches of Enigma's inner mind, like the hiss of an agitated snake. "I know you have a problem in your hands, a problem that grows and develops larger by the day. Should you let those that resist our pursuits succeed with their own, I will personally guarantee to it that you will never see the light of day again. I urge you, human...take care of your problem, and take care of it thoroughly."

"It will be done, Master," Enigma replied, bowing.

The two yellow eyes slowly moved closer to Enigma, and the rays of light that highlighted him. A slight winter snow was falling through the cracks that were the light's source. And through these rays of light, the pale-blue, almost hollow and deathlike face of a dragon-like Pokémon became definable.

"I hope it is done now," Kyurem snarled, "for your sake..."

Enigma closed his eyes and slowly exhaled. Upon opening his eyes, he immediately found himself back in the sewer chamber that he was once in. He stood up from the carpet and walked out of the chamber, stepping into a large room that contained only one thing: a cage, designed to fit a large bird.

"Enigma?..."

"Why are you back so early, Slate?" Enigma asked without turning around. "If I can recall correctly, I dismissed you back to your original post..."

"You have," replied Slate, "but I return to you promptly with an urgent announcement. I believe I have observed something that is most peculiar..."

Enigma turned around to stare at his inferior. His head was lowered in a grave manner. He knew in an instant that this was important...

The Hall of Origin
Arceus's Dimension

Arceus wasn't the most patient of Pokémon. After all, being the all-seeing and infinitely-knowing Creator of an entire Universe, with all of the responsibilities and duties that came with the honor, had its limits for the Alpha Pokémon. And in addition to the strenuous workload, he had to deal with a 28-year-old problem that went by the ever-famous name of Ash Ketchum... Ever since the fiasco with Ho-Oh, the Sky Soldiers, and Mt. Silver, Arceus himself was on edge...

"Father..."

"What is it, my Child?" Arceus asked as he turned around to see one of his Children, Dialga, hover towards him.

"Latias is reporting for duty," replied the Temporal Pokémon.

Arceus's head moved for a fraction of an inch. He had been expecting this. "Very well. Send her in."

Dialga nodded and flew towards the mighty steel doors that led into the everlasting Hall. They opened at its mental command, allowing the feminine red-and-white Eon Pokémon to fly inside the shining, golden chamber. Arceus lowered himself from the air, settling soundlessly on the central pedestal that he now used more frequently as of recent years. Latias levitated a few feet from the pedestal and bowed her head in greeting.

"Almighty Creator..." she greeted.

"Latias, what is your report?" Arceus asked.

"My survey of my home has yielded...interesting results this year..."

In the skies above Ketchum City

The great black dragon hovered miles above Ketchum City, surveying the movements of every civilian and Pokémon. It then turned to its two human passengers.

"We are here," Zekrom announced.

"Great," Cilan replied. He then produced his Pokétch. "I'll just inform the others of our arrival..."

"Welcome back, viewers, to another Johto TV update on the 10th Annual Ketchum Month Tournament! As of tomorrow, the ships bound from Alto Mare to Cherrygrove City will all be departing, so be sure to not miss the cruise! Otherwise, you can kiss your chances of participating in the tournament goodbye!

"Now, on other news, it appears that a slight winter snow has descended upon Ketchum City! Be sure to bring heavy snow-wear and gear!

"That shall do for this hour's update! Continue to stay tuned on Johto TV for updates on the widely-anticipated Ketchum Tournament!"

Chapter Text

The Alto Mare Pokémon Center

Hilda watched from outside the healing room as Nurse Joy and her Pokémon expertly healed her Mienshao and Nate's Pignite and Cryogonal. Their methods seemed a bit primitive compared to the Nurse Joys of her home region, but nevertheless, they seemed to do the trick. Glancing at Mienshao, Hilda determined that it had received quite a beating during the battle between her and Nate, due to the effort the Chanseys were putting in healing the Martial Arts Pokémon.

"That was quite a battle," a voice said. Hilda didn't need to look to see who was talking to her.

"I thought I was actually gonna lose back there, bro," she replied. "He really was tough." She smiled slightly. "A worthy Trainer to challenge. I couldn't have been any prouder to fight against him." Hilda silently looked at Pignite and Cryogonal. "His Pokémon really trusted him as well. Very responsible, he is."

"So, what do you think, sis?" Hilbert asked. "D'you think-"

"It has never been 'thinking', Hilbert, as much as it has been wondering. It has always been 'knowing'." She sighed heavily and closed her eyes for a moment. "Cheren was right in everything he said about Nate. He's an excellent Trainer who takes faith and care in his Pokémon. Just like Ash. Now...the hard part is...having to stick with him, all the way to Ketchum City..." A shiny tear slid from her eye, glinting from the light on the ceiling.

Hilbert, noticing his sister's change in mood, pursed his lips. "He reminds you of him, doesn't he?"

Hilda nodded as a small smile formed on her face. She began to remember the day she first met the Pokémon Trainer that changed her life...

Broawin City, Broawin Island
The Decolore Islands
One year before the death of Ash Ketchum

"Come on, slowpoke!" fourteen-year-old Hilda White called teasingly, giggling as she sprinted down a city walkway, her shiny dark-brown hair fluttering with the wind and her bag swaying from the fast movements she was making. "You better catch up!"

"Wait, Hilda!" cried Hilbert as he struggled to catch up, nearly tripping from a loose block of cement. "Come on, slow down! Dear Arceus, give me a break, will ya?!"

After dashing a couple more blocks, Hilda finally stopped, partaking of her twin brother's exhaustion. As soon as Hilbert caught up with her, the two Trainers collapsed on a wooden bench, panting and resting as a group of tourists crowded around the nearby statue of a phoenix-like bird. Intrigued, Hilda felt all exhaustion in her body vanish within a split-second; she stood up immediately and ran towards the still-forming crowd.

"Hilda, where are you going?!" She heard Hilbert exclaim, but she didn't listen. Instead, she joined the crowd of tourists as the tour guide, a red-haired boy dressed in yellow-and-scarlet clothing who was around her age (she found a slight curiosity at the age of a guide so young, but dismissed it as quickly), addressed the group.

"Here, we have a statue of the famous Legendary Rainbow Pokémon Ho-Oh, the subject of worship by the whole of Broawin City's population. Though it hails from the faraway Johto region, sightings of it have been reported from across the entire planet. It can be easily distinguished by its phoenix-like physical attributes, its dominant color scheme of gold and red, and the rainbows that trail behind its magnificent and wide wings as it flies across the sky.

"Ho-Oh has had a significant impact in the history of Broawin. See, ages ago, this city was nothing more than a struggling village, whose residents had to fight against the rainy springs, windy summers, dry autumns, and cold winters that plagued not only the village, but the entire Decolore Islands. But when Ho-Oh, passing over the settlement, took pity in the villagers, it used its secret powers to bring eternal happiness and peace to the village, and abolished the severe weather that plagued the village and the archipelago. Since then, the village evolved into the Broawin City that you currently stand in. This explains why Broawin City is known to always host a mostly clear weather condition, with the occasional but modest rainfall, and also why Broawin Island is known for its lush and undisturbed greenery.

"Legend has it that when Ho-Oh departed from the village that was to be Broawin, it left behind a shed feather, known to those who study it as a Rainbow Wing. This Wing is stated to help ward off any potential misfortune that befalls upon the city, and that it could be anywhere in the city limits. It has never been found, but should it be found, only those that it judges as having a pure heart can hold it. Otherwise, the person that holds it turns into dust."

Several of the tourists shifted uncomfortably, Hilda included. The tour guide didn't notice, instead beckoning his group to follow him further down the walkway.

"This way, people..." he said as he led them away.

Hilda didn't follow the tourists, instead staying behind to admire the statue. She had seen pictures of ancient drawings of Ho-Oh, as well as a semiofficial photo of it on the National Pokédex, but the statue, colored entirely gold, seemed to evoke a more natural, realistic, and accurate portrayal of the Rainbow Pokémon. Indeed, Ho-Oh looked like a phoenix, with pronounced tail-feathers, an underside, and feathers at the tip of its wings. It had a stripe on its neck, a large beak, rings around its eyes, and a feathered crest. She had never seen anything that looked so magnificent and mighty in all of its glory...

"Cool, Ho-Oh..." a female voice said in awe and wonder.

"Axew!" a Pokémon chirped in agreement.

"The Legendary Rainbow Pokémon..." added a male voice wisely.

Hilda glanced at her right and saw that three of the tourists still remained at the base of the statue. One had light-green hair and eyes and wore a formal, white long-sleeved shirt with a dark-gray vest, dark-gray jeans, and a formal green bow. Another had long and bushy violet hair that was tied into a comically large ponytail, and brown eyes; she wore a pale-yellow shirt with long and somewhat overlarge sleeves, a pink skirt, and white leggings; secure in her arms was an Axew. The third had messy, spiky jet-black hair and brown eyes, who wore a white-and-blue jacket, dark-gray cargo jeans, dark-gray gloves without any fingers, and, most notably, a red-and-white cap with a Poké Ball symbol, which reminded Hilda of her own; on his shoulder was a strange, yellow mouse-like Pokémon that she never saw before.

Intrigued, Hilda approached the trio of Trainers and asked, "Hey, excuse me?"

"Yeah?" asked the Trainer with the unknown Pokémon on his shoulder. For a moment, it seemed as if Hilda broke him from some sort of trance that was focused on the statue of Ho-Oh, but she didn't bother to take further notice of it. The unknown Pokémon smiled happily and waved a paw.

"Pika!" it greeted.

"Aw, that Pokémon's so CUTE!" exclaimed Hilda. "I've never seen it before. What is it?"

"Oh, his name's Pikachu," the Trainer replied.

"Pika-pika!" the Pikachu said.

"Pikachu, huh?" Hilda procured her Pokédex and activated it, aiming the device at Pikachu.

"Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pichu," explained the Pokédex. "It can generate electric attacks from the electric pouches located in both of its cheeks. Pikachu can help other Pikachu who are feeling weak by sharing its electric current."

"So, Pikachu, huh?" Hilda looked up at the Pikachu's Trainer. "You're obviously not from around here."

"I'm from the Kanto region," the Trainer replied. "The name's Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town. I'm aiming to be a Pokémon Master."

"Hey, I'm Iris, from the Village of Dragons," the girl with the large purple hair and the Axew said. "I hope to become a Dragon Master someday. And this is Axew."

"Axew!" greeted Axew.

"The name's Cilan, of Striaton City," said the green-haired boy. "I'm an A-Class Pokémon Connoisseur."

"Nice to meet you all!" Hilda said, smiling. "I'm Hilda White, from Nuvema Town."

"Nice to meet you, Hilda," replied Ash. "So, you here to participate in the Broawin Battle Competition? We are."

The Broawin Battle Competition was an annual Pokémon battle tournament that gave further fame to Broawin City. It involved a number of rather complex, constantly-changing stages that imposed further challenges to the battling experience. It was something that did not escape Hilda's knowledge.

She shook her head. "Nah, I'm just stopping by to call it a day. Me and my brother Hilbert have been traveling around the Decolore Islands for the past couple of days as tourists. We've already participated in the Unova League, and we decided to do some exploring in the outside world."

"Wait, you participated in the Unova League already?" Ash asked.

"Yep, a couple of years back." Hilda shrugged. "I lost to Alder, though. But I honestly don't mind. It was a great battle, and that's what counted."

"That's an attitude desirable to hear!" exclaimed Cilan, crossing his arms.

"Hey, Hilda!" a familiar voice called. Hilda turned around to see Hilbert running towards her, panting with exhaustion. "Alright, I am all rested up and ready to go. Let's get to the hotel and-" He then spotted Ash, Pikachu, Iris, Axew, and Cilan. "Wait, who are you guys?"

"Hilbert, this is Ash, Pikachu, Iris, Axew, and Cilan," said Hilda. "They're here in Broawin to participate in that battle competition. Everyone, this is my little bro, Hilbert."

"Nice to meet you, Hilbert," Ash said.

"Pika!" added Pikachu.

Hilbert smiled and nodded at the group. "Hey. It's nice to meet you too, guys. Glad to see that you've kept my sister occupied." Then, his eyes widened as he realized something. "HILDA, I'M NOT YOUR LITTLE BROTHER, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?!"

"And how many times do I have to tell you that that's the truth?" replied Hilda teasingly. "I was born five minutes before you."

"WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUB IT IN MY FACE ALL THE TIME!"

Everyone except Hilbert laughed, while Hilbert slowly sunk to the ground anime-style in embarrassment.

Present day

Hilda sighed sadly as she walked away from Hilbert and the healing room. She should have known that that normal day would be the day that started everything. All of the madness, all of the evil, all of the death... But she was fourteen years old at the time, she couldn't blame herself... And yet, since that day, she saw things no other fourteen-year-old could ever imagine... An image of a young man with long light-green hair dissolving into dust flashed across her mind...

"Hey, Hilda. That was a really great battle."

Hilda was pulled back into reality and found Nate standing in front of her. He was smiling at her proudly, and his hand was stretched out towards hers. She looked at it as if it was thriving with some sort of disease, but the expression disappeared almost instantly as she smiled with some difficulty. She shook Nate's hand.

"Yeah, great battle," she replied. "Those were some battling strategies you've got there, Nate. Where'd you learn them?"

"Huh? Oh, those aren't my usual strategies," Nate said. "You got me all tied up, so I went all-out. But I guess I learned a little something from watching Cheren during one of those little demonstrations he did when I was in his Trainers' School..." He shrugged.

Hilda nodded. "You learned a lot from Cheren, huh?"

"Oh, yeah." Nate smiled fondly as he and Hilda walked over to the sofas and sat down on them. "He's been a great teacher to me. He taught me everything there was in the sport of Pokémon battling." He chuckled briefly. "I can't say that I'd know what to do if I didn't learn from him."

"If I can recall from what he's told me," said Hilda, "you knew Cheren long before you even went to his school."

"Oh, yeah." Nate's smile widened. "Ever since I ran into him when I was five, he's been, like, checking up on me daily. Like he saw something special in me."

"You saw him everyday, you say?"

"Yeah." Nate shrugged. "I don't know. I guess you can say I look up to Cheren as a father figure, of sorts. I mean, I never had a father for most of my childhood, and he sorta filled that role of a paternal figure for me, with all of the advice, the confidence, and the encouragement he gave me. My mom didn't mind at all about that; she was proud that I had someone to look up to. And when I started going to his class, I was pretty excited, I gotta tell you."

Hilda tilted her head slightly in curiosity. "What about your real father?" she asked.

Nate's face suddenly turned tight. "He died."

"Oh. I'm sorry." She glanced at the floor pitifully. "I never really had a dad for most of my childhood either."

Nate smiled, all of the sadness having disappeared just as suddenly. "Well, let's not dwell in the past. Let's just look forward to tomorrow."

Just then, Hilda started laughing softly. Nate glanced at her curiously, surprised by her change of mood.

"Why? What's so funny?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that someone I knew very well said the exact same words as you did..."

The Broawin City Hotel
Eleven years ago

"So, are you and Hilbert settled in good at Broawin City?" the brown-haired woman with the blue eyes and the blue headband asked.

"Yes, we're both good, Mom," Hilda replied, slight distress present in her voice. "You don't have to keep asking me that."

"I'm sorry, honey." The mother smiled. "You know how concerned I am for you and your brother."

"Mom, it's not like we're on our first day as Pokémon Trainers. Besides, we've got Ash, Iris, and Cilan to accompany us during our stay in Broawin."

"Ash, Iris, and Cilan?" The mother raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Who are they?"

"Oh, I forgot to mention 'em? They're these Trainers I met a couple of hours ago. They're really swell people! Especially Ash, he's got this compassionate thing going..."

Hilda's mother smirked playfully. "Does my little Hilda have a crush?..."

Hilda's eyes widened and she waved her hands frantically in dismissal, blushing bright-red with pure embarrassment. "No, no, Mom! I do not have a crush on Ash! Let's get on with something else, shall we? How's it going for you back home? How's Ruffy doing? You're feeding him correctly, right?"

"Hilda!" The fourteen-year-old turned around and saw Ash and Hilbert approaching, Pikachu on the former's shoulder as usual.

"Hilda, you should see the parade that's going on outside, it's awesome!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pika-chu!" added Pikachu.

Meanwhile, Hilbert spotted the woman on the telephone screen Hilda was using. "Oh, hey Mom!" he greeted.

"What? Your mom?!" cried Ash, surprised.

"Oh, is this the famous Ash I've heard about?" the mother asked, smiling coyly at Hilda.

"Yeah." Ash stepped beside Hilda, causing her to blush with embarrassment. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. White. Hilda and Hilbert are just plain awesome!"

"Pika!" Pikachu added, waving.

"It's nice to meet you too, Ash. I'm glad to hear you're keeping my kids company-" Just then, a faint popping sound was heard in the background from Mrs. White's end of the line; she turned around, gasping. "Oh my goodness, that must be the popcorn I promised Professor Juniper! Hilda, Hilbert, I gotta go! Love you! Oh, and Hilda-" She winked slyly at her daughter. "-best of luck to you. You'll need it! Bye! Again, nice to meet you, Ash!"

"Bye!" Ash and Hilbert said simultaneously, but Hilda didn't answer, instead still blushing with embarrassment, incoherent as her mother hung up. She silently stood up and followed her brother and Ash towards the hotel's exit, where she heard the sounds of drums and marching going on outside.

"Your mom sounds awesome, Hilda!" said Ash. He then noticed the florid blush on Hilda's cheeks. "Hilda, what's wrong? D'you have a cold?"

"Huh? Oh, no. It was something my mom said to me." Hilda smiled innocently at her new friend.

"I bet your dad's as awesome."

Hilda blinked and looked down at the ground, while Hilbert shifted uncomfortably.

"We...never really had a father when we grew up..." said Hilda in a whisper.

Ash's eyes softened, and even Pikachu's ears drooped. Hilda noticed that and noted to herself that Ash and Pikachu must have a really strong bond.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Ash replied somberly. He then placed a hand on Hilda's shoulder, causing her to blush even more. It was a slight comfort when Ash placed his other hand on Hilbert's shoulder as well. "I never really had a dad myself." He then smiled slightly. "But I don't let it worry me."

"It doesn't worry you?" asked Hilbert.

Ash nodded. "Yeah. Like my mom always said to me, let's not dwell in the past. Let's just look forward to tomorrow."

Present day

As Nate and Hilda continued to converse, Kelly watched them from a distance. She smiled slightly, glad to see that her son had made a good friend.

The Alto Mare Harbor
The next day

"We made it!" exclaimed Nate as he and his group stepped onto the harbor, which was currently crowded with numerous other tourists preparing to board the cruise ships that were docked. "And just in the nick of time! Come on, guys, we don't wanna get left behind when the ships overcrowd!"

"We left the hotel hours early, Nate," Hugh said. "There's no need to worry."

"Hey, that's my line!" a voice exclaimed. Nate, Hugh, and Rosa turned to see Dawn glaring at them, smiling jokingly.

Rosa immediately giggled girlishly as she pranced towards May and began asking her many questions. Hugh rolled his eyes at her.

"Girls," he said. "The most complex creatures in life."

Nate chuckled for a few seconds before his attention was suddenly caught by something. He didn't know why he was doing it, but he now found himself staring at two people that were around his age. One was a boy with light-green hair, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, and a green jacket. The other was a pink-haired girl wearing a simple white dress. Their eyes met his, and Nate briefly saw a strange glint of red in the boy's green eyes, and a similar glint of gold in the girl's cornflower-blue eyes.

They both looked away just as suddenly. Nate couldn't help but feel that something was strange about the duo. He hoped that no one spotted their brief but strange exchange, Hugh already noticed his friend's recent actions. He playfully nudged him in the shoulder.

"Complex, those girls, right?"

The Hall of Origin
Arceus's Dimension

"Are they in place, my Child?" asked Arceus.

"Yes, they are," Palkia replied. "They should perform better than the forsaken Genesect Army. I advised that we not trust their aggressive tendencies!"

"Do not argue with me, Palkia. What of the Soul Dew?"

"It is under safe watch."

"Good."

Palkia stared at its Creator. "May I ask, which of these humans are we exactly looking for? You haven't been so forthcoming with me on our purpose..."

"Now is not the time for such queries. I only ask of your unwavering trust, Palkia, and it only. The time will come when our questions are answered."

"Our, you say, Father?"

"Yes, my Child. Our."

Chapter Text

Aboard the cruise ship
In the ocean between Alto Mare and Cherrygrove City

"Admit it, Hugh-boy," Rosa said.

"Admit what, Rosa?" asked Hugh absentmindedly. He was unfocused on her; they were standing at one of the cruise ship's railings with Nate, watching silently as the beautiful buildings and canals of Alto Mare drew farther and farther away. A flock of Natu and Xatu flew across the sky, cawing, adding to the tranquil atmosphere.

Rosa smirked triumphantly and playfully nudged Hugh on the shoulder. "You know what I'm talking about..."

Hugh shrugged. "I honestly have no idea."

"The bet you made with her, man," Nate said.

"I'm glad to hear someone's paying attention to me," said Rosa, looking at Nate and smiling. At that, he couldn't help but blush. Meanwhile, Hugh shrugged again.

"What bet?" he asked, still looking out at the distancing outline of Alto Mare. "I need specifics."

Rosa's eyes narrowed into slits, but her smirk was still in place. She nudged Hugh again. "You can't fool me with your clueless attitude, Hugh. I know you're feeling the heat about your loss. Face it, Hugh, Latios and Latias are not gonna turn up. I think it's time you said the magic words. It was inevitable, anyway." When Hugh refused to respond, his face turning paler by the minute, her smirk merely widened. "Come on, Hugh...do it!"

"Dude, just do it," said Nate in warning. "You don't wanna make her angry."

"That's right, Hugh-boy," added Rosa, using a mock-threatening tone. "You won't like it when I get angry..."

However, Hugh didn't respond, instead continuing to stare out into the ocean. Nate began to back away; he knew that Hugh was a tough person who never submitted to defeat that easily. But if one were to pit that stubbornness against Rosa's infamous rage, then there'd be hell to pay...

"I'll just be on my way, then," Nate said before running down the deck and leaving Hugh to his doom.

The Trainer was busy trying to get as far from the potential ground zero as possible that he nearly ran into Hilda.

"Whoa there, Nate, what's the rush?!" she asked.

"Oh, hey Hilda," Nate greeted, rubbing his head. "Just trying to get away from Rosa before she blows up the ship."

"I see." Hilda raised an eyebrow. "I was wondering, Nate, how many Badges do you have right now?"

"Five. All well-earned with hard work and determination."

Hilda smiled widely. "That's great to hear, Nate. May...May I seem them?"

"Yeah, sure." Nate reached into his bag and took out the container of Badges, opening it up and showing its contents to Hilda. She smiled, impressed.

"Your mother must be very proud of you, Nate," she said.

"She is, thank you very much." Nate closed the box and put it back into his box. "Hilda, can I ask a question of my own?"

"Sure, fire away."

"Why did you wanna battle me?"

Hilda raised an eyebrow again, this time out of confusion. "Why'd you ask?"

"It's just that, well, I felt that the challenge just came out of the blue. Cheren says that you battled me because you wanted to see if I was indeed the Trainer he told you about, but-" Nate shrugged, unsure of what to say. "-I didn't, I mean, I thought I'd hear it from you."

Hilda blinked, intrigued. Then, she replied, in a strange flat tone, "Yes, I battled you because of that."

"Okay." However, Nate didn't feel convinced by that response, but he thought better than to express it openly. So, he merely nodded at her. "Well, I'll just get back to my suite room. I need to go get my Poké Balls and do some serious training with my Pokémon. I'm gonna be in the tournament in a couple more days, and I need to be sure that all of my Pokémon are in perfect shape for the competition. See ya, Hilda!"

Nate ran further down the deck, not bothering to hear Hilda as she also said goodbye to him. Once he was confident that he was out of her eyesight, he stopped and looked back; Hilda was heading into the food court, where his mother, Cheren, and the others were. Nate couldn't help but feel that Hilda was not telling him the truth when she explained why she suddenly challenged him to that battle back at Alto Mare. But her real motivation was anyone's guess at the moment. Nate knew that to ponder over it would just be a waste of precious time; after all, he needed to train his Pokémon. He walked towards the doorway of his suite.

He stopped in his tracks. The door was open... And he was confident that he closed it the moment he dropped off his stuff inside the room...

Quietly, the Trainer tiptoed towards the window that the room offered, and slowly took a peek into the room's interior.

One of Hilda's companions, Dawn Berlitz, was sitting on his bed, looking at two photographs that she held. He recognized one of them as a family portrait he took with his mother a year before he started his Pokémon journey, but he couldn't see the other photo.

Then, she stuffed the unseen photo into her pocket, placed the photo of Nate and his mother into his own suitcase (which was open), and stood up from the bed. Nate quickly leaned against the wall and pulled out his Pokétch, pretending to operate it. He heard Dawn step out of his suite, the door closing, and then a gasp. He looked up and saw Dawn standing at the doorway. He smiled innocently at the Coordinator.

"Oh, hey there, Dawn!" Nate greeted, putting away his Pokétch. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing," replied Dawn, chuckling nervously. "I was just exploring this ship. Actually, I was wondering where the training stadiums are."

"The map said they should be at the center of the ship, near the swimming pool."

"Oh, thanks, Nate! You are a lifesaver!" Dawn ran off, smiling and waving at him. He waved back innocently, then watched her until she got out of his eyesight. At that moment, he ran into his suite and searched his suitcase, hoping that Dawn didn't take anything.

Nothing seemed to be misplaced, other than the photo of him and his mother.

Nate stood up, crossing his arms as he looked at his suitcase. Something fishy was definitely going on, he knew. First Hilda challenging him to a battle for reasons that would warrant her to lie to him, then Dawn getting into his suite room and searching his belongings? He knew he had to keep an eye on them...

Cherrygrove City
The Johto mainland

"It's so good of you to give us a free ride to Ketchum City, May," Kelly said as May led the group toward a large skyscraper located in the middle of the city. Nate looked up and saw that the building's frame boasted a sign that read in bold and flashy letters 'ROCKET FASHION AND MECHA INDUSTRIES'.

"It's my pleasure, Ms. Brown," replied May, smiling widely. "I wouldn't really want you guys to get tired from a long and extensive hike to Ketchum City. And you do not have to worry about paying any fares; me and my friends know the owners, and they've offered us a free ride on one of their mechas."

"That's so cool, May!" Rosa exclaimed, running alongside the older Coordinator. "You've got really good connections!"

"Thanks, Rosa."

Meanwhile, Nate glanced at Hilda, Dawn, and Cheren, who were all talking silently with each other. Every several seconds or so, they would always take quick glances at him, and the Trainer knew that he was the subject of their conversation. Secretively, he edged a little closer towards the trio, allowing him to catch small excerpts of what they were saying, while he maintained an air of innocence by looking around, surveying Cherrygrove City's buildings in awe.

"-right, he looks li-"

"-think he knows of-"

"-tell him?"

"I don't think-"

"Why?"

"-believes-"

"Should we tell the-"

"Definitely. They sho-"

"Quiet! I think he's-"

At that point, Nate couldn't hear anything else. Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, he took a random glance at a food stand...

And he saw them again. The green-haired boy and the pink-haired girl. This time, the boy was wearing a black-and-green cap, while the girl was wearing a large white cap with a pink bow. And they were looking at him again, with the strangest of stares...

But they looked away quickly. Nate blinked, unsure if he should confront them or not.

"Nate, look out!" Rosa suddenly cried.

"Huh?" A split-second later, Nate collided into a pole. Hugh burst out laughing.

"Don't let the girls catch your attention too much, dude!" he exclaimed as Nate groaned, rubbing his stomach.

After several more minutes of walking, the group had finally reached Rocket Fashion and Mecha Industries. The sound of an inside fountain was the first thing to greet the group the moment they stepped inside the headquarters building and into the reception area. Above them was a large, shiny lamp that hung from the well-cleaned ceiling, and there was also a balcony boasting a pair of spiraling staircases. It was quite flashy and upper-class for a reception area of an apparently-thriving business. Nate looked at the water of the fountain and watched as several Goldeen and Seaking swam in the water.

Just then, a pair of voices spoke majestically, catching everyone's attention. May, Dawn, Hilda, and Hilbert all sighed, as they recognized the voices all too well.

"To protect the world from boring fashion!"

"To dress all people with flash and passion!"

"To give all Pokémon pretty faces!"

"To extend our art to outer spaces!"

"The fiery destroyer, Jessie!"

"And with thunderous emotion, I am James!"

"Wisest of the wise, Meowth!"

"Rocket Fashion and Mecha! When it comes to chic we know what's right!"

"Surrender your taste or prepare to fight!"

"Wobbuffet!"

Nate, Hugh, and Rosa watched in awe as a man with long blue hair and green eyes and a woman with blue eyes and magenta hair, both of accompanied by a Meowth and a Wobbuffet, leaped from the balcony and landed on the floor. Whether or not they intended to stick the landing, the quartet failed miserably, and they wound up crumpled all over the floor, moaning with pain. May, Hilda, Dawn, Lyra, and Tory all giggled, while Khoury and Hilbert shook their heads, trying to stifle laughter.

"Oh, are you okay?" asked Kelly.

"I told you, James, we should get ourselves acrobatic lessons again!" exclaimed the magenta-haired woman.

"I thought we still had it, Jessie," the blue-haired man named James replied as he rubbed his back.

"Boy, we don't got nuttin' since we left Team Rocket!" snapped the Meowth. "Ow, I think I broke sometin' in my arm..."

"Wobbu..." the Wobbuffet moaned.

"Whoa, a talking Meowth?!" exclaimed Rosa, running forward and preparing to hug the Meowth. "CUTE!"

Before anyone could stop her, the Coordinator had already seized Meowth and hugged it tightly, up to the point where she was effectively strangling it. Seconds later, Meowth, acting in self-defense, extended its claws and slashed Rosa's face repeatedly, though only lightly enough to cause mere paper-cut-like wounds. Nevertheless, the attack caused her to draw back, screaming in pain and surprise as she clutched her face.

"ROSA!" Nate screamed.

"WHY THAT LITTLE-" shrieked Rosa.

"That's what ya get for stranglin' me!" Meowth snarled. "Ya VERY lucky I didn't get more serious-"

"Alright Meowth, that's enough," James said as the magenta-haired woman stepped in front of Meowth.

"Okay, all scratchy greetings aside," said Jessie, "what can we do for our favorite twerps?"

"Team Rocket, you haven't changed much, have you?" May asked.

"What can we say? Once a member of Team Rocket, always a member of Team Rocket. ...Well, aside from that whole stealing-Pikachu-and-get-electrocuted-as-a-result sequence thing." Jessie shrugged. "Anyway, what- Oh yeah, that's right! I believe you wanted a little free ride to Ketchum City for you and your friends, is that right?"

"That's right," replied May. "And for them too." She pointed at Nate, Hugh, Kelly, Hugh's family, and Rosa, who was rubbing the cuts on her cheek and pouting hatefully at Meowth. "They're friends of ours that we met back at Alto Mare, and we agreed to give them a lift."

"Consider it done!" exclaimed James. "Meowth, prepare the Rocket Blimp!"

"Sure ting," Meowth replied, still staring at Rosa, his claws elongated in caution. "This'll take a while, tough..."

"It's okay, we'll wait," said Tory. Jessie, James, and Meowth nodded in response and left the reception area with Wobbuffet, rubbing the sore parts of their bodies and muttering to each other. Nate chuckled as Rosa continued to stare hatefully at Meowth's retreating form.

"Cat got your tongue?" he asked jokingly, but was immediately silenced when Rosa stared him down with glowing-red eyes. Wanting to avoid Rosa's wrath, he looked away...and saw the same green-haired boy and pink-haired girl, standing innocently beside the receptionist's desk, though she didn't seem to notice them. The two of them were talking to each other, and the girl occasionally stole a quick glance at Nate and the group...

"Hey, can I, uh, go to the bathroom while we wait?" asked Nate suddenly, looking at Cheren.

Cheren looked at him suspiciously, but then, he nodded curtly. Nate nodded back, stood up, and walked over to the receptionist's desk. As he did, he noticed the two strangers took a few steps away from him. He pretended to not take notice as he cleared his throat, catching the receptionist's attention.

"Hey, do you know where the restrooms are?" Nate asked.

"Take the hallway over there." The receptionist pointed down the hallway next to the spiraling staircase at the right. "The fifth door to the right is the restroom."

"Thanks." Nate turned around and headed down the hallway. He heard two sets of footsteps following him. "Just as I figured."

Once he approached the restroom doors, he instantly turned around. There stood the green-haired boy and the pink-haired girl, both of whom didn't seem surprised at the fact that he had caught them. Nate instinctively moved his hands to his belt, where his Poké Balls were held.

"We don't wish to fight you, Nate," the pink-haired girl said suddenly.

"Then why are you following me?" demanded Nate.

"We are here to warn you," replied the green-haired boy. "But first, let's get familiar with each other. My name's Curtis, and this here is my twin sister, Yancy."

"Hello, Nate," Yancy said.

"Okay, Curtis, Yancy," Nate said, still suspicious, "what is it that you wanna warn me about? You'd better be specific, 'cause a lot of strange things are happening lately and I'm getting a little freaked out! People who I don't know somehow know me! I want answers!"

"The answers will come for you soon," Curtis replied, "but I am afraid that today's not the day."

"No, I've had enough of these mysteries; you tell me what in Arceus's name is going on!" shouted Nate as he procured a Poké Ball. "GO, PIGNITE!" He threw the Poké Ball into the air and summoned the Fire Pig Pokémon, which snorted out flames menacingly at the twins. "Tell me what's going on NOW! Or...I'll do something drastic!"

"We know it's not in your nature to threaten us and be credible about it," Yancy said.

"How do you know if I'm not being truthful?!"

"If what you say is the truth," replied Curtis calmly, "then carry out your word. Attack us. Do it now."

Nate blinked in shock; he never expected these two to call his bluff. He sighed in defeat and looked down at the floor, almost in guilt.

"Do not feel guilty, Nate," said Yancy. "It is this compassion for others' well-being that will guide you in the future."

"What future?"

"The future that awaits you in Ketchum City. It is a future full of darkness, revelations, and opened wounds. This is what we wish to warn you about."

"Wait, what?" Nate was having a hard time understanding what was happening to him. "So, you don't want me to go to Ketchum City? Why? What's going on there?"

"The truth is waiting for you there," Curtis replied. "If you wish to face the truth, then by all means, go on ahead. But contrary to what they say...the truth hurts..."

Before Nate could respond, a sudden flash of bright light assaulted his eyes. He, along with Pignite, flinched, closing his eyes and shielding them with his arm. Once the light disappeared, he opened his eyes and found that Curtis and Yancy had suddenly disappeared...

The sewer systems
Underneath Ketchum City

Enigma calmly sat in his chamber, all noise that was made by the labor done by his inferiors and their Pokémon completely blocked out of his mind. By the day, he was receiving more and more pressure from his benefactor, Kyurem, who constantly demanded more efficient service from him and his New Sky Soldiers. All of the promises he gave to the Boundary Pokémon were nothing more than hollow shells of themselves, yet to be fulfilled. Enigma had recently admitted to himself that a problem was in his hands, and that it was out of his control, growing stronger and stronger.

However, the syndicate leader smiled maliciously. He knew that things would fall into place soon, and that the odds will be in his favor.

"Very soon," he thought. "Very soon, the world will be ours, Wayne. And your ideals will be accomplished at last... Your defeat will no longer be for nothing, for it will stem into nothing less than gratuitous success... The entire planet shall be cleansed, just as you and your father before you wanted it..."

Enigma closed his eyes and began to reminisce of the 'father' who motivated him in the first place, the one who set things in motion...

Unknown location
Ten years before the death of Ash Ketchum

The red-haired, five-year-old boy could not believe what he was seeing. Before him, across the street, was a devastated Pokémon Center, and hovering over the ruins was a helicopter that held a red 'R' insignia at its side. Emerging from the destruction was a group of Pokémon, all outlined in a glowing light-blue as they flew into the air, although it was obvious that they were all being physically commanded against their will, as a majority of them weren't Flying-types. The Pokémon were all moved into two cages hanging from the underside of the helicopter, with the doors slamming shut loudly.

The boy watched in shock and horror as the helicopter flew away, the cries of help emanating from the cages. A few seconds later, something emerged from the ruins: it wore a robotic suit and mask, but didn't appear to be human, for it had a long purple tail and feline-like limbs. The figure flew off after the helicopter at high speeds, just before the local Officer Jenny and a squad of police officers arrived at the scene.

"Mommy?" the boy called out into the fiery ruins, even though it was clear that no human could have survived the brutal assault. However, the boy refused to give up and continued to call out; the officers, preoccupied with the destruction, didn't notice him. "Where are you, Mommy? Mommy?! MOMMY!"

"She's dead."

The boy looked up and stared into the face of a Trainer who appeared to be in his late teens. He had well-kept jet-black hair and piercing gray eyes, and wore a shiny golden cloak with a drawn hood. The cloak bore the insignia of a phoenix-like bird's head.

"She's dead," he repeated gravely.

"But-But sh-she said sh-she'd go g-get me m-my Pok-Pokémon..." whimpered the boy as he struggled to not cry.

The Trainer knelt down and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. He looked into his eyes, the gray digging deep into the boy's soul.

"I'm so sorry. What's your name?"

"F-Felix..."

"Felix." The Trainer smiled slightly. "You have any other family? Daddy? Grandpa? Grandma? Anyone?"

"N-No... Ju-Just m-me and M-Mommy..."

"...Then you come with me now. And I promise you, we will seek revenge against those who have ruthlessly taken the life of your mother. We will cleanse the world of all of the evil that has given you this misfortune. Your mother will not have died for nothing."

Normally, Felix would have refused to go with strangers. But now that his mother his dead, he felt like he had no other choice...

The boy nodded. The Trainer smiled.

"Good. Oh, by the way, my name's Wayne. Wayne Ketchum."

Mt. Silver
The Johto region
Five years before the death of Ash Ketchum

Ten-year-old Felix Ketchum had never seen anything that looked so peaceful, so decent, so tranquil. Standing at the peak of Mt. Silver, he looked down at the land that laid below. He could see all of the towns, forests, trails, and bodies of water that decorated the landscape of the Johto region. He could even see the ocean, extending far into the reaches of the horizon. Standing beside him was Wayne, who was also looking down at the landscape, a grim frown on his face.

"It's quite tragic, isn't it, Felix?" Wayne asked. "Standing here, at the top of the world, where even the most malicious of intents cannot reach you...while all of the evil thrives from below, and you can't seem to do anything about it... Makes you feel like Arceus in the Hall of Origin, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Felix narrowed his eyes angrily. "Accursed Arceus does nothing to protect the world that he has created... Why doesn't he?!"

"No absolute idea. But our quarrel isn't with Arceus. It isn't his fault. Sometimes, things can extend beyond our control. Like all of the evil in the world."

"Then why are we fighting it, Wayne?" asked Felix.

"Sometimes, if we are to accomplish our goals, our ideals, then a little force is necessitated." Wayne glanced down at one of the mountain's trails; standing there was a decent-sized building. "Our Sky Soldiers aren't much as of now, but once we've fully developed ourselves and reached our maximum potential, then this is where we will do it. Mt. Silver is where the world will change for the good of mankind, and Pokémon-kind as well."

Wayne reached into his coat and produced the photo of a feather that boasted a magnificent color pattern of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

"We have yet to find a Rainbow Wing," he said, more to himself than to Felix. "But very soon, we will have it, the key to finally accomplishing our goals." Wayne pursed his lips suddenly, and his grip on the photo tightened. "We just need to find it... If only my father never lost his, thanks to my goddamn uncle..."

Sensing Wayne's change in mood, Felix patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Wayne," he said encouragingly. "We'll find it. And once we do, we'll summon Ho-Oh, and we'll use it to make the world a better place for everyone."

"Yes..." Wayne smiled and surveyed the Johto landscape. "A better place for everyone... Just like what my father would've wanted... My dream..."

Mt. Silver
A few hours after the death of Ash Ketchum

Fifteen-year-old Felix could not believe what he was seeing. Before him, across the devastated forest and the bodies of humans and Pokémon alike, was Wayne, who was being placed under arrest as the large and vast army of Trainers, Gym Leaders, and other acquaintances of Ash Ketchum, along with the Legendary Pokémon from all regions and each and every Pokémon from all around the planet, watched hatefully. No one seemed to notice him in the mass of fallen trees and lifeless bodies, and besides, one of the members of the resisting army had witnessed him fall to his assumed death in a crevice...

Water dripping from his clothes and face, Felix continued to watch on as Wayne was hauled away in a police van. What shocked him the most was the fact that Wayne didn't seem to resist at all. In fact, his slumped position and the gloomy expression on his face seemed to signify...defeat...

Felix had never seen the man that had been both his father and brother look so resigned, so submissive, so defeated. He then glanced at the top of Mt. Silver and saw the billowing column of black smoke issuing from the peak, which was contrasted by the shiny, magnificent rainbow hanging high in the sky. He knew immediately that Wayne's device had been destroyed, and that Ho-Oh had been set free. All that was Wayne's goal was destroyed.

And with it, Wayne himself...

The red-haired teenager shook his head as he retreated into the trees that still stood, now the only Sky Soldier left.

Present day

Enigma opened his eyes, his red hair fluttering in the slight breeze that occasionally blew through the sewer tunnels. Ever since that fateful day, where he and Wayne nearly succeeded in their plan to bring everlasting peace and extinguishing all traces of evil in the world, he had abandoned the name of Felix and assumed his present title. If he were to reconstruct the Sky Soldiers, then he would have to do it secretly.

"Very soon..." he thought longingly.

"Father?" a voice asked.

"I assume the job is done," replied Enigma as a satisfied grin spread across his face.

Curtis and Yancy stepped out of the shadows. Curtis bowed his head at Enigma, but Yancy looked rather reluctant.

"It's done," replied Curtis. "There's no doubt that he will come now. He will be intrigued-"

"-And he will walk into our trap..." Enigma completed. "Well done, Curtis, Yancy. You've made me proud."

Curtis smiled slightly, while Yancy shifted uncomfortably.

The Forest of Hearts
Near Ketchum City

In the deep confines of the Forest of Hearts, on top of a branch of one of the forest's many trees, a Pikachu stood, feasting on a Pecha Berry. Sitting next to the Mouse Pokémon was a Lucario, which was also eating a bunch of Pecha Berries. A small scar ran across the Lucario's cheek.

Suddenly, the Pikachu's ears twitched, and it looked around, catching the Lucario's attention.

"What is the matter?" asked the Lucario, its voice reverberating through the corners of the Pikachu's mind.

"Pika..." the Pikachu replied, unsure.

"Reckon we should tell the master?"

The Pikachu thought about it for a moment before shaking its head. "Pika."

Chapter Text

Unknown location

For an unspecified amount of time, all that Nate was seeing was an infinite reach of pitch-black darkness. Finally, an unknown force compelled him to open his eyes.

He gasped and stepped backward in shock: he was standing at the peak of a mountain. Surrounding the mountain, completely obscuring the landscape below, almost encircling the area, was a vast blanket of wispy fog, which left behind an eerie whisper as it moved. Nate exhaled calmly, a cloud of frosty air exiting his mouth, but for some reason, the atmosphere wasn't cold at all, contrary to what the Trainer was seeing.

"Where...Where am I?" Nate asked, beseeching no one in particular. His voice echoed through the air, growing fainter and fainter with every unnerving repeat. After a few minutes were spent without any response, he called out, "Hello?! Is anyone out there?! Anyone?..."

"Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice, or lightning," a voice suddenly said, echoing through the cold air, just like the whisper of the swirling fog. Nate twirled around, expecting to see someone behind him, but he saw no one, and yet, the voice continued to speak, with a soft and somber, yet sagely tone that seemed to indicate the foreshadowing of death. "-lest these titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash."

"Who's there?!" called Nate. He reached for a Poké Ball. "Show yourself this instant, or else-" However, he was cut short when he realized that he had no Poké Balls. He growled in defeat, realizing that he was completely defenseless. The Trainer decided to just stand his ground, hoping that the speaker would reveal himself...

"Though the water's great guardian shall arise to quell the fighting, alone its song will fail, and thus the earth shall turn t o  ash."

At that point, Nate swore that he saw a shadow move across the fog.

"O Chosen One," continued the voice, "into thine hands bring together all three." At this point, the voice grew louder and mightier, and the speaker seemed to be nearing closer. Nate braced himself for any impending attacks... "Their treasures combined-"

Nate clenched his fists and gritted his teeth; he was getting tired of this mysterious air. "SHOW YOURSELF, NOW!" he roared.

Suddenly, a Pokémon emerged from the mass of the fog. It bore the physical traits of a dragon and a bird, colored primarily in silver-white with blue undersides. It also had a beak-like mouth; a pointed head; eyes with pointed dark-blue horns on them; a long, slender neck; and a smooth, streamlined body, with two sets of dark-blue protrusions that resembled spikes, which ran down its back. Its large wings ended in flippers that greatly resembled hands.

"-Tame the Beast of the Sea."

Nate immediately recognized the Pokémon from ancient drawings. "Lugia?..." he asked.

"Thus concludes the Trial of the Soul."

Then, another voice spoke, this one speaking with a booming, mighty tone that nearly knocked Nate off of his feet.

"Quell not the discord of evil, malice, and malevolence, lest its weak state expose its true strength in actuality. Though the sky's great guardian shall arise to restore the balance, alone its power will fail, and thus the earth shall turn to ash once again."

Nate watched as a second shadow began to form in the immense fog. The second voice continued.

"O Chosen One, into thine heart accept your ultimate fate. Your brought sacrifice-"

The Pokémon from which the second shadow belonged to emerged through the fog. It was a phoenix-like bird colored predominantly in gold and red. It sported yellow tail-feathers, a white underside, and green feathers at the tip of its wings. It also had a green stripe on its neck, a yellow beak, black rings around its red eyes, and a feathered crest. Nate recognized the second Pokémon as well, again from ancient drawings.

"-Tame the world."

"Ho-Oh?..."

"Thus concludes the Trial of the Heart."

Then, Lugia and Ho-Oh spoke simultaneously, their voices entwined into one, its booming tone forcing Nate to fall over onto the peak. Light broke through the fog as a bright sun began to shine, illuminating the two Legendary Pokémon until they were nothing more than pitch-black shadows themselves, their physical features almost unrecognizable. Nate squinted his eyes and shielded them from the fierce sunlight as he tried to hear what the two Pokémon were saying to him...

"O Chosen One, look into your heart and soul, seek what is underneath, discover the true spirit that constitutes you... Perils await, and all must be done with due process... Do not hesitate, do not doubt, do not regret... Do not dwell in the past, merely look forward to tomorrow..."

Just then, Lugia and Ho-Oh both exploded into blinding flashes of light... Nate screamed and closed his eyes as he felt a searing sensation...

The Rocket Blimp
Several miles away from Ketchum City

Nate's eyes jerked open, and he sat up on his sleeping bag, panting as sweat dripped from his face. He looked around in the blimp, realizing after a few seconds that he was back in the room that he shared with his mother, Kelly, Cheren, Hugh, Carrie, and Rosa...

Only...Cheren wasn't in his bed... And the door was slightly ajar, with light breaking through the slight crack... People were speaking worriedly...

Intrigued, and partially wanting to get his mind off of the strange nightmare, Nate decided to get out of his sleeping bag and tiptoed towards the door. He leaned close to the door, sticking an ear into the crack. However, his eardrums couldn't register what the speakers were talking about. Nate knew he would have to get closer...

He opened the door, unfortunately with a slight but sickening creak. The Trainer stopped short in his tracks, hoping that no one heard it. Judging by the uninterrupted conversing, the sound fell to deaf ears. Nate fully opened the door and stepped into the hallway. At that point, he noticed that the new light was coming from the living room the blimp offered, where it appeared that a small crowd of people were seated at; Cheren, Hilda, and their friends, most likely.

Nate quietly tiptoed down the hallway. He could now hear the talking...

"-Just doesn't make sense as to why we can't tell him," May said. "I think he-"

"Do you have any idea how it will affect him?" interrupted Cheren. "He's better off NOT knowing it! I've seen him over the years, guys. He's fully immersed in his life..."

"Will y'all keep ya traps DOWN?!" Meowth demanded. "Wobbuffet's trying ta steer here!"

"I really don't trust a Pokémon like Wobbuffet behind that wheel-" Khoury began.

"Well, we've been in the air for almost twelve hours, twerp," snapped Jessie. "We haven't had a single blastoff, now have we? Anyway, back on the topic, would it not matter at all if we continue to keep the truth from him? It'll be a matter of time before he stumbles upon the truth!"

Nate had already gotten to the end of the hallway, and was now peeking his head slightly into the living room. Everyone was either seated at a sofa or standing up; in Cheren's case, he was leaning coolly against the opposite wall. There was a TV screen that was activated; Nate could see that it was displaying a live broadcast with a split-screen, which showed three different recordings of different people. He recognized one of the people in the TV as the famous Professor Gary Oak of Pallet Town.

"I think we should tell him the truth," suggested Hilda. "He's gonna start questioning what's been happening to him recently. I mean, he started asking me questions as to why I battled him back at Alto Mare, and he really did seemed to doubt my answer."

"I think he also saw me in his suite room," Dawn added. "All of that, plus the whole Genesect Army fiasco on the ship, will warrant questions from him. Any boy around his age would see all of these recent events as strange and start asking questions. Besides, we don't know what's gonna happen after we reach Ketchum City-"

"Still, he's gonna take it hard," replied Cheren, shaking his head. "Really hard. Nate's very convinced that Kelly is his mother, but we know otherwise..."

Nate had to restrain himself from issuing a gasp. Was everything that he was hearing...true? The woman he looked upon as his mother was not what she kept claiming she was? He shook his head in desperate dismissal, hoping that they were talking about a different Nate...and yet, they were obviously talking about him... He gulped and continued to listen, all the while beginning to regret leaving his room in the first place. He knew that what he was about to hear next would be gut-wrenching...

"I think we have to tell him," Hilda insisted. "Whatever we'll experience in Ketchum City, it's obviously gonna be trouble. The more prepared he is, the better for him."

"I second that," one of the people in the TV, an orange-haired woman with bluish-green eyes, said.

"Me too," Dawn, May, Lyra, and Tory said simultaneously.

"I vote for it as well," added a man standing beside the orange-haired woman in the TV, who was tan-skinned with squinty eyes.

"If you guys are going for it," Professor Oak said, shrugging, "then the same goes for me."

"Well, it looks like we're outvoted, so I might as well..." Hilbert added.

"...Does it look like I have any other choice?" asked Khoury as he looked at Lyra, who stared back with a forceful expression.

"If you can't beat 'em," Meowth said, "join 'em."

"Agreed," Jessie and James replied simultaneously, shrugging.

Cheren blinked, and then sighed, shaking his head as he realized that everyone else was voting for the decision. "I guess it is unanimous. We tell Nate the truth of his bloodline. But now, my main concern is how and when we're gonna tell him that Ash Ketchum is his actual father-"

Nate gasped loudly before he could stop himself. But he didn't care if he got noticed; he had just overheard the most shocking thing in his entire life. The man that he looked up to as the paternal figure that had been absent for most of his life...was indeed his father? And Kelly, the woman he thought was his mother for his entire life, wasn't the person she said she was? The shock of all of these revelations was so overwhelming that he didn't notice when Cheren, having heard his gasp, appeared in the hallway, his arms crossed, his tight-lipped face reading an expression of absolute guilt.

"Hello, Nate," he said.

"How...What...When..." stuttered Nate. He then shook his head and stared at Cheren defiantly. "Please tell me this is a JOKE!"

"I'm afraid not, honey," said Hilda as she appeared in the hallway as well. "It's the truth, and we all knew all along."

Nate shook his head disbelievingly, taking a couple of steps backward as the rest of the group appeared. "I...I...I don't believe it! This CAN'T be true! Please tell me this is all just a joke! SAY IT!" When he saw Cheren shake his head, the tears flowing from Hilda's eyes, the look of sadness on May and Dawn's faces, the apprehension on everyone else's faces... He knew... "N-No... This...This can't be... This can't be happening to me..."

"I'm sorry, Nate," said Hilda. "We were gonna tell you when you were ready-"

"What's going on here?" a voice asked. Nate turned around and saw Kelly, Hugh, and Rosa standing behind him, looking tired and confused.

"M-Mom?..." Nate asked. "Am...Am I your son?"

Kelly's eyes widened. "What...What do you mean, honey?! Of course you are!"

"Kelly," Cheren said somberly, "we know the truth about his lineage, and now, so does he."

Kelly's eyes widened even more, and they began to glimmer with tears from the shining light. Realizing what that meant, Nate felt his insides drop, and he felt inclined to collapse on the floor in disbelief. Hugh and Rosa, sensing the seriousness of the scene, both stepped away in apprehension.

"It's...It's true, Nate..." Kelly said, almost in a whisper. "You're not my son..."

"...Why, Mom?" asked Nate, taking a step backward from her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid the truth would devastate you. So, I hid the truth from you, all those years. And now, the day that I feared would come is now today..."

There was a brief silence as Nate absorbed the truth. Finally, he asked, "What happened? How...How'd you find me?..."

A single tear fell from Kelly's eye. She took a deep breath, and began her explanation...

Aspertia City
The Unova region
Nine months after the death of Ash Ketchum

It was the beginning of a bright summer day in Aspertia City. The first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon, bathing the city in its warmth and radiance. Inside one of the many houses, Kelly Brown's eyelids fluttered open as the light reached her face. Moaning, she sat up on her bed, letting out a deep sigh as she reminisced.

Just nine months ago, the world was nearly obliterated into nonexistence by a force of darkness and destruction, only for this force to be thwarted by the bold, selfless sacrifice of Ash Ketchum, who courageously exchanged his life for the sparing of the planet. After knowing that her life, and the lives of billions of others, nearly ended, Kelly now treasured her life more extensively, and promised herself that she'd spend the rest of it to the fullest.

But so far, she didn't know where to start. For most of her adult life, Kelly lived alone in this simple house that she inherited from her late grandmother. She didn't have a husband or a boyfriend, nor any other family members, and the kindness given by her neighbors was simply not enough to fill in the cavity that was her lonely life.

Kelly stood up, walked out of her bedroom, and traveled down the stairs, still deep in her thoughts. Thinking about her neighbors, she remembered that the next-door neighbors, Hank and Carla, just had a baby son a couple of weeks ago. Hugh, she believed the name was. Remembering the happiness in their faces as they cradled the small infant and doted over it, Kelly began to wonder if she should have a baby of her own to extinguish her loneliness. But she didn't have a husband to grant her such a gift, and she couldn't just pray to Arceus and ask him to drop a baby from the sky...

She reached the front door and opened it, expecting to see a rolled-up newspaper on the stairs.

Instead, Kelly saw a simple straw basket, which held a small infant that was sleeping. A blanket decorated with lightning-bolt patterns was draped over it, protecting it from the cold. Tucked under one of its arms was a single sheet of paper. The baby sported a tuft of spiky brown hair...

Kelly gasped in shock and surprise, retrieving the baby from the basket and cradling it in her arms. It cooed softly and nuzzled its head against her chest. The woman felt a surge of warmth fill up inside her as she softly looked down at the infant. Then, she, with some reluctance, looked at the walkway, staring at both directions that it went, wondering if the basket was left behind by accident. However, no one of importance was on the walkway; the only person she could see was the nice elderly woman living a couple of houses down on the opposite side of the walkway; she was knitting another sweater for her Lillipup.

She then looked back down at the baby, which had just awakened and stared up at her with its brown eyes. Kelly was afraid that it would cry and that she would now have to spend hours finding a way to calm it down...but it didn't. Instead, it smiled widely and laughed.

Once again, Kelly stared at the walkway, wondering if there was anyone who was gonna claim the baby. And again, there wasn't anyone of the sort.

Then, she remembered the paper and took it from the baby's arm, hoping that it would provide a clue.

It only read: 'His name's Nathan. Take good care of him.'

There was no signature, not even a set of initials, nothing to indicate the writer's name. Kelly's grip on the letter tightened slightly, and her jaw hung open in shock as she realized the truth. Whoever the baby's parents were, it was obvious they didn't want him. She looked down at the baby, whose name was Nathan, as it laughed again before looking up in the sky, his eyes glimmering in awe. Kelly followed his gaze, and her eyes widened at the sight.

It was a rainbow, suspended in the sky, although it didn't rain last night. She could also see a trail of golden sparkles...

Kelly looked back down at the baby, smiling. She didn't know what circumstances led to this fateful encounter, but it appeared that her prayers had been answered.

"Don't worry, Nathan," she said. "I'll take good care of you..."

She picked up the basket and went back inside the house, Nate in tow. The door closed with a slight creak.

Present day

"I still have the note, just in case..." Kelly reached into her pocket and pulled out an aged, torn sheet of paper and handed it to Nate. Straightening it out, the Trainer read it, notes dripping from his eyes and onto the paper as he read the handwriting of his true parent...

'His name's Nathan. Take good care of him.'

In shock, Nate released the paper, letting it flutter to the floor. He looked up at Kelly.

"You...You never had a husband in the first place?" he asked. When Kelly nodded sadly, he said, "But...But I remember there being a dad-"

"That was just a friend who took a great liking to you," interrupted Kelly as she struggled to hold back her tears. "When he died, I told you that he died as your dad..."

Nate was beyond comprehending now. He prayed to the highest heavens that this was a joke, or a mere nightmare fabricated by the likes of Darkrai, but after seeing the expression on his mother's face, he knew that it was something even the Pitch-Black Pokémon couldn't emulate. It was all...real...

"No..." he moaned. "...No... This can't be real, it just CAN'T!"

Before anyone could stop him, Nate burst into a run, sprinting past Kelly, Hugh, and Rosa. He quickly went into the bedroom he shared with them and closed the door on them before sitting against it, burying his face in his arms and crying silently.

"It's not true..." he moaned.

The Hall of Origin
Arceus's Dimension

Arceus opened his eyes and stared out into the vast reach of stars and nebulae that surrounded the Hall. He had just sensed an emotional disturbance within Nate. It was obvious that the ten-year-old Trainer had learned the truth of his actual lineage.

"Now," he whispered, "it begins..."

Chapter Text

Ketchum City
The Johto region

For ten years, Zander Harrington led Ketchum City like any other typical mayor, and he was very proud of it. For the past couple of years, he oversaw and supervised a number of important events, namely the annual Ketchum Month Tournament competitions. Every time he saw his accomplishments being mentioned and glorified in the local newspapers, it always filled his large heart with gushing pride with every word. So what if the citizens began to put some distrust in his leadership ethic?

Sitting in his large, wheeled armchair in the office he called home, the mayor took a bite out of his thirtieth or so pizza, staring out of his well-cleaned window. The first rays of sunlight had broken over the horizon, illuminating the rooftops of the city he led...his city. Layers of bright, glittering snow coated the rooftops and every other known surface, and the civilians outside wore large coats, but other than that bizarre and unnatural occurrence, everything was going well in Harrington's mind.

"Mr. Mayor?" a voice asked. The mayor turned his chair around, albeit with some difficulty; the sunlight illuminated his fat frame.

"Yes, Stark?" Harrington replied.

Harrington's assistant, a cyan-haired man with three small scars running across his right cheek and wearing a violet cloak, glanced at his employer, his face reading an expression of absolute disgust and distaste for his employer. However, he evidently knew better than to express it openly, so he merely read the clipboard he held.

"Well, we've just got ourselves more noteworthy visitors to our beloved city," said Stark. "We've got May Maple and Dawn Berlitz, both celebrated Coordinators in the Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Johto regions. They are both arriving here with their friends sometime around noon."

"Coordinators, eh? Probably has to do with that Contest I agreed to set up as a side-offer..." Harrington shuddered; he despised Contests, finding them to be nothing more than a nuisance to the naked eye, something only girls and flamboyant boys would have their eyes for. He spoke dismissively, "Anyone else, Stark?"

"Well, there's the famous photographer Trip-"

"Anyone else?" Harrington interrupted, obviously not interested.

Stark blinked, but replied, "There's A-Class Pokémon Connoisseur Cilan Parlet and famed Dragon-type Pokémon specialist Iris Cuasorome-"

"Whatever, just skip ahead to the other news, Stark," interrupted Harrington, rolling his eyes and yawning fallaciously. "All of these so-called celebrities pale real good in comparison to this year's big star, that blue-haired model whose name I kinda forgot."

Stark glared at his boss, again with contempt, but replied loyally, "The weatherman for Johto TV has indicated that these early snows here in Ketchum City are gonna get progressively worse, and that we'll be looking at a severe blizzard by the end of a two-week period. Deputy Mayor Garner has advised that we cancel the Ketchum City Tournament and hold it off till next year because of the worsening weather conditions-"

Harrington's eyes bulged in horror. "WHAT?!" he shrieked loudly, his voice cracking, startling the assistant. "NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! THAT IS OUT OF THE PICTURE! WHO IN ARCEUS'S NAME DOES THAT BASTARD GARNER THINK HE IS, ANYWAY?! HE DOESN'T HAVE REIGN OF THIS CITY; I DO!"

"So...I take it that you will not approve of Garner's suggestion-"

"DAMN RIGHT I WON'T!" Harrington cleared his throat, then spoke more softly. "The Ketchum Month Tournament is Ketchum City's number-one attraction, practically the only thing that keeps this city from going down the Arceus-damn drain! People from around the world gather here to witness not only some awesome Pokémon battles and battling strategies, but the commemoration of our hero of the skies, Ash Ketchum himself! What would Ash Ketchum think if he saw a cancellation take place?!"

"He'd be damn relieved, if I say so myself," snarled Stark to himself.

"I'm sorry, what was that, Stark?" Harrington asked curiously.

"Nothing, Mr. Mayor, sir. I'll inform Garner of your response this instant."

"Good. Thank you, Stark. You may be excused." Without another word, Harrington turned his chair around to stare out of the window again. He smiled as he observed the activities of the civilians in the city streets below. He heard Stark leave his office, almost silently.

"Everything's going just as I want it to go..." the mayor thought as he tapped his fingers against the chair. "Today's gonna be a great month for me...and Ketchum City..."

The sewer systems
Underneath Ketchum City

Enigma smirked as he watched his inferiors make the final preparations on the large suit of armor, the schematics of which he himself had managed to recover from the devastated ruins of the old Sky Soldiers headquarters. It was colored completely in shining gold and seemed to be designed to fit a bird-like Pokémon. The wing armor sported menacing spikes, the tail armor seemed to have large tube-like wires hanging from it, and the helmet held the familiar symbol of the phoenix-like bird's head.

"Construction of the suit is 85 percent complete, sir," a Sky Soldier holding a clipboard informed Enigma. "Completion is estimated to be in over 24 hours."

"Good, very good," Enigma replied. "Pretty soon, the Sky Soldiers will be ready to rise from the ashes and once again seek what is rightfully the world's..."

"Enigma!" a voice called suddenly, resonating through the large chamber. "Enigma, sir! I've got some important news!"

Enigma sighed furiously and turned around as Omicron ran up to him, panting, his bald head shining with sweat. "Oh, this had better be important, Omicron!" he asked, visibly annoyed. "Can't you see that I am in the middle of overseeing the construction of our revolutionary master scheme?!"

"I see that as clear as crystals, Enigma," Omicron replied hastily, "but I believe this'll get your attention."

"Well? What is it, then?!"

"That blimp from Rocket Fashion and Mecha Industries has arrived in Ketchum City. ...They're here, Enigma, sir."

However, a smirk appeared on Enigma's lips. He chuckled maliciously and turned to Curtis and Yancy, who were currently also overseeing the construction.

"Kids?" he asked.

"Yes, Father?" Curtis replied.

"I have a new task for you two." Enigma's smirk widened. "Listen closely..."

Ketchum City
The Johto region

Nate felt the Rocket Blimp land on the ground with a slight, uncomfortable thump. However, he didn't care about the brief dizziness that struck him; all that was on his mind was the shocking revelation he learned just only a few hours ago: he had been adopted by Kelly, the man that he had thought was his father was just an actor, and his true father was the very man he looked up to as his idol, Ash Ketchum.

"I'm the son of Ash Ketchum," thought Nate. "Ash Ketchum...the one who died to ensure this world's continued survival... My survival..."

Suddenly, he heard a knocking noise on the door to the blimp's bedroom. "Nate? Are you in there? ...We need to talk..."

"Go away, Kelly," Nate snapped bitterly.

"Nate, I completely understand if you're mad," replied Kelly. Though he couldn't see her, Nate knew that she was now leaning against the door. "I knew you would be. But just listen to me. No matter what, no matter if we're not blood-related, you'll always be my son, and I'll always be your mom. I just want you to know that. Maybe you'll refuse to recognize that, I'm pretty sure of that. You won't recognize it today, or tomorrow, or the day after. But someday, you'll know that. ...I love you, Nate."

"Really? If you loved me so much, then why did you not tell me this earlier?"

"I told you, the truth would've devastated you so much!"

Nate scoffed angrily. "Well, guess what? I AM devastated! Yeah, I'd say you did a pretty good job in loving me, Kelly!"

There was a brief silence. Finally, he heard Kelly say sadly, "I can see that I'm not wanted right now. I'll just leave..."

He heard a set of footsteps that slowly faded away, until it became silent. Nate sighed and laid back on his sleeping bag, glancing up at the ceiling. He felt some regret at being so hard on Kelly; after all, this was the first time he yelled at her. Just because she wasn't his mother didn't mean he still felt attached to her as a son...

There was another knock. This time, it was Hugh.

"Hey, dude," he said through the door. "Your mom forgot to tell you that we're at Ketchum City, and that we're beginning to get off."

Nate sighed. "Sorry, Hugh. I don't think I'm gonna come along."

"Why, Nate?!" exclaimed Hugh. "You've been looking forward to the Ketchum Month Tournament for so long! I know the past few hours weren't the best for you, but I think your father, your real father, that is, wouldn't want you to be moping around like that. He'd definitely want you to participate in the competition and battle to your soul's content! Come on, Nate, let's go do some Pokémon battling! Like you said, don't dwell in the past, just look forward to tomorrow!"

Nate pursed his lips tightly as his eyes glimmered with tears of sadness. He remembered his father making that exact same statement, like it was yesterday. No, it was not Ash Ketchum, but it was the one man that he thought was his true father...the actor... He can distinctly remember being so impressed with that very sentence that he constantly repeated it to his friends whenever they were down and deep in discouragement...

Now that statement meant nothing now...

"Go away..." he moaned sadly.

He heard Hugh sigh, and then a Poké Ball being activated.

"Unfezant, use Air Cutter on that door!" Hugh commanded. Nate heard Unfezant squawk, followed seconds later by the door being shattered by a stream of light-blue slashes of energy shaped in an X. Nate yelled out in shock and jumped out of his sleeping bag as Hugh and his Unfezant stepped into the room.

"Look, Nate," snapped Hugh, "I know it's been hard on you, learning all of that. But I believe we made a promise a few weeks before we started our Pokémon journey: to face each other in the Ketchum Month Tournament, and battle it out until one of us was left standing as the victor. Now, we've come so far, and there's no way that I'm gonna let something as major as this revelation interfere with that promise of ours! Whether you like it or not, you're getting off this blimp. So, you coming?"

Nate stared hesitantly at Hugh's Unfezant, which glared back menacingly. The brown-haired Trainer sighed heavily and shrugged.

"Does it look like I have any other choice?"

"Is he okay, Hugh?" asked Rosa curiously as she watched Nate walk alongside the rest of the group, obviously keeping a good distance from them. They were walking down one of Ketchum City's walkways as a light snow fell around them; everyone was wearing snow-wear.

Hugh sighed softly and shook his head in response as he stared at his childhood friend in concern. "Obviously not," he replied. "He is taking what happened last night very hard. ...I myself am shocked by the whole revelation. The whole time...I thought Ms. Brown was indeed Nate's mother, and that his father died in a flood. To think, his real father is the very person that we practically worshiped together as kids..."

"I hope he gets better. Poor Nate..." Rosa continued to stare at Nate, pity and concern bubbling inside of her.

Simultaneous to Hugh and Rosa's conversation, the group walked into the downtown center of Ketchum City, which held a large fountain that held a statue of a young Trainer pointing heroically towards Mt. Silver, a determined Pikachu perched on his shoulder. Encircling the fountain were multiple tourists, all of them captivated by the fountain's statue, some of them taking photos. Dawn smiled upon recognizing one of the photographers, who held a particular teal-colored digital camera.

"Hey, Trip!" she greeted, waving.

The dirty-blond-haired man turned around and smiled slightly. "Well, well, well," he said, "I'll be damned..."

"It's nice to see you, Trip!" Dawn exclaimed. "What're you doing here?"

"Well, considering that it's been almost ten years since we battled it out with the Sky Soldiers here, I thought I'd suck it up and come back here. I'm assuming you're all here for the exact same reason." He examined the rest of Dawn's group and spotted Nate, Hugh, Rosa, Kelly, and Hugh's family. "Although...I don't remember them..."

"They're friends of ours," replied Hilda. "They wanted to come here, and we offered to give them a ride."

"Ah, okay." However, Trip continued to stare at Nate, examining his brown eyes. Nate knew exactly why; his eyes reminded the photographer of his true father's...

Noticing Trip's deep stare at Nate, Dawn immediately decided to shift the conversation to another topic. "So Trip, did you happen to see anyone else familiar here?"

"I saw Jimmy and Marina."

Lyra's eyes widened, and she ran up to the Unova photographer. "What, really?! You saw them?! NO WAY! Where'd you see them?!"

Trip pointed off at one of the walkways, where a large crowd had already gathered around a small stand. There were numerous, split-second-long flashes of light that indicated an extremely heavy presence of paparazzi cameras. The others knew in an instant.

"Okay, thanks Trip," Khoury replied. "We'll see ya soon!"

Trip waved halfheartedly as he resumed his curious stare at Nate.

"Yeah, I'll see you soon..." he said strangely. Nate felt himself becoming a little smaller; being stared at by a complete stranger was very intimidating...

He quickly followed the others down the walkway Trip pointed at. As they grew closer and closer, the frantic, excited shouting from the rabid reporters and the jubilant pedestrians grew louder and louder, until the noise hammered away at their eardrums with the ferocity of multiple drills. Nate had to cover his ears, as did Hugh, Rosa, and Carrie. The group edged their way through the audience, to which they saw a woman with light-blue hair and wearing flashy clothing of a pink tank-top and a red skirt with black stripes (despite the cold weather) standing on the stage, alongside a rather fat, balding man who was sweating unusually profusely, and a cyan-haired man with three small scars running across his cheek and a bitter expression on his face, who wore a violet-colored cloak.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of Ketchum City!" the blue-haired woman announced in a microphone, amid the uproarious cheer that had erupted from the huge crowd. "This is Marina Brass speaking! Is everyone ready for an awesome and unforgettable Ketchum Month?!"

The cheer roared again, and Nate felt as if he was gonna go deaf from all of the screaming.

"That's great to hear!" the woman continued. "Now I promise you all, this Ketchum Month Tournament shall be the most exciting one yet! And better yet, yours truly is gonna be sponsoring the competition all month long, so I hope to see everyone over there!"

Again, more cheering from the audience. Nate watched as the fat, sweating man stepped forward to the microphone.

"Marina Brass, everyone!" he announced dramatically. Once again, more cheering. "Just like she said, this year's Ketchum Month Tournament shall be the most exciting one Ketchum City has seen yet! I, your beloved mayor, Zander Harrington, surely guarantee that!"

This time, Nate had braced himself for the uproar of cheer. The person at the corner of his eye moved; Hilda was edging her way through the crowd, along with Dawn, May, and the other members of their group. The Trainer looked around to see where Hugh, Rosa, Kelly, and Hugh's family were; they were all currently standing beside each other as they continued to watch Mayor Harrington make his announcement. Marina was absent on the stage.

Nate promptly followed Hilda through the crowd. With some difficulty due to the crowd's mass, he managed to get through just in time to see Hilda and her group stop backstage. There, Marina appeared, smiling widely. Accompanying her was a dark-gray-haired man who wore a backwards-facing yellow-and-black cap, a hooded red-and-white sweater, and yellow shorts. Nate moved behind a stage prop, closer to the group, and leaned in close to overhear their conversation.

"Oh my Arceus, it's so good to see you guys again!" exclaimed Marina as she hugged Lyra.

"Likewise, Marina, likewise," Dawn replied, hugging her as well.

"So, you guys came too, huh? I didn't think me and Jimmy would be able to return here after what happened-"

"-But we did it," the man named Jimmy completed. He looked at Khoury. "Heard about your proposal to Lyra, man. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Jimmy," Khoury replied. "We're actually gonna hold the wedding at the end of Ketchum Month, over here."

"Really, huh?" Jimmy crossed his arms. "How come Marina and I didn't receive any invitations?"

"Jimmy," Marina said, waving two cards in his face, "we got these a couple of weeks ago. Didn't I tell you that already?"

Jimmy chuckled and rubbed his head nervously. "Apparently so, honey, apparently so..."

Marina sweat-dropped at Jimmy's short-mindedness before looking at the others. "We saw Trip earlier, guys."

"Yeah, we saw him," Hilbert replied.

"Did you guys see anyone else that we knew?" asked May.

"Aside from Trip and you guys, nope. But we did hear on Johto TV that-"

"Gary and Misty are coming here, we know. They're bringing along Max, Molly, Brock, and Holly also. We also know that Iris and Cilan are here as well."

"Iris and Cilan?"

"Yeah, Iris and Cilan. Anyway, how about we do some reconnecting? How about some-"

"NO, NO, NO SHOPPING!" shrieked Hilbert, his voice cracking, causing the nearby Tory and his Plusle and Minum to giggle. "NO SHOPPING! I think we've already done enough shopping back at Alto Mare! Why don't we all just do something else? One that doesn't require a lot of exhaustion and giggling?!"

Hilda glared at her twin brother. "Okay then, genius," she replied. "What do you suggest we should do today?"

Hilbert thought about it for a moment. Then, he smiled and snapped his fingers as he received an idea.

"The Ketchum City Train Tour."

Nate decided to not listen to the conversation anymore, so he turned around and prepared to leave. It was at the exact moment he saw Curtis and Yancy standing in the crowd that was watching Mayor Harrington's speech. The two siblings were watching the mayor at first, but then, both simultaneously turned their heads towards him, as if they had sensed his presence nearby. Nate blinked and shook his head, unsure if they were actually there or if he was somehow hallucinating.

He gazed at the crowd again. They were gone.

Elsewhere, on the top of a bell tower in Ketchum City, a lone Lucario stood silently. It surveyed the civilians down below in the streets, all of whom were oblivious to its presence. It was the same Lucario that was eating Pecha Berries with its companion Pikachu.

Somewhere in its mind, it knew...

Its master's son was in grave danger, and it had an obligation to protect it...

The Lucario jumped off the bell tower and began sprinting through the rooftops.

Chapter Text

The Ketchum City Train Tour Station
At Ketchum City

After his latest (possible) sighting of Curtis and Yancy, Nate couldn't help but take a look over his shoulder in caution. He now realized what the two mysterious siblings meant by the truth always hurting, and since it was evident that the two had known, for all of this time, that he was actually the son of the famous Ash Ketchum, then who knows what other secrets, and answers to these secrets, were being held in the confines of their minds? The next time he saw those two, Nate thought, then he shall confront them and demand for more answers, even if it meant challenging them to a fight.

"Nate, are you okay?" Nate turned and looked at Kelly, who was staring back at him with a worried expression.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied absentmindedly.

At this point, he followed the others out of the reception area into the train station, where many groups of tourists were crowded near the railway, either talking with each other or surveying the maps that laid out the transportation lines. A number of them turned their heads towards Marina, May, and Dawn as they stepped into the station, their jaws hanging open in complete, utter shock upon recognizing the three women.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kelly asked.

"Look, I'm fine, alright?!" repeated Nate, agitated. Kelly gasped at his outburst and stepped away, her eyes shimmering. Nate merely looked away.

Just then, before the scene could get any worse, the blare of a whistle filled the air. Everyone watched as a long, white bullet train with a total of seven compartments effortlessly rolled into the station, a clanking sound emanating from the wheels as they glided along the tracks, the sounds growing progressively louder. It gradually slowed down to an eventual stop, as a final blow of the whistle signaled its arrival. Several children were the first to reach the train, excited for the tour.

Nate approached one of the windows of the sliding doors of the fifth compartment and glanced at it for a moment, staring at his reflection. He can clearly see his brown eyes, which he thought were physical traits that he inherited from Kelly, traits that he was proud to possess. But now that he was looking into the brown eyes that he treasured so much, the eyes that he once believed were something that signified his relation to Kelly, he began to wonder if these came from his true father...

For a moment, he saw, through the window, something flying across the skies. It seemed dinosaur-like and menacing, sporting disproportionate wings, a color scheme of white and grayish-blue, and two yellow eyes that seemed to actually pierce through his body, into his very soul...

Then, the window suddenly swirled. Nate stepped back in shock...

No, it wasn't the window itself that was swirling. It seemed to be the reflection, which was swirling in a vortex of sickening purple and black... Then, Nate could see the reflection of something else...another world...one where it seemed like the buildings and landscapes were the wax of a lava-lamp, shaped in distorted and tall columns that seemed to stretch to infinite heights... And he could see yet another mysterious being, which appeared basilisk-like with long, trailing, claw-like black wings, a red-and-black-striped underside, and a menacing face with glowing crimson eyes and an insect-like mandible...

The doors suddenly slid open with the soft ring of a bell, disturbing the vortex and causing it to disappear. Nate, still in shock over witnessing that unnatural sight, felt someone collide into him, as the tourists collectively began to crowd towards the doors, those nearest to them boarding the train.

"Whoa, watch it!" a man snapped.

"Sorry..." Nate moaned as he boarded the train along with the rest of his group. Rosa was watching him inquisitively.

"Are you okay, Nate?" she asked. "You've been acting very strangely lately..."

Nate glared at her angrily. "You think? First I find out that my mom isn't my mom, and now, I think I'm seeing things, for Arceus's sake!"

He ignored her as a bright crimson of boiling, white-hot rage flooded her face. A muscle in Rosa's eye twitched menacingly as she prepared to throw a fit at Nate, but before she could do so, she felt a hand place itself on her shoulder. She gazed at Hilda's face; she shook her head in signal.

"It's not worth it," she whispered. "Just give Nate some space. He'll accept the truth sooner or later."

Rosa opened her mouth, preparing to protest, but Cheren was now looking at her and shaking his head as well. In defeat, she closed her mouth and merely looked at Nate in anger and frustration...and also in some other emotion that she couldn't place...

"Can't you see you're making it worse for yourself and everyone else, Nate?" she asked in thought.

Just then, the train began to move, having just begun its daily trek, nearly startling some of the passengers in the process, Nate, Rosa, and Hugh included. The three Trainers, along with Kelly, Hilda, and Cheren, then watched as the lively trees and the many rows of rooftops pass by them in a slight blur. For a moment or two, Nate could've sworn that he saw the same mysterious vortex in the window, but very little could come out of it before the reflection was somehow disturbed.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and don't forget the boys and girls of all ages!" a pleasant-sounding voice announced on the intercom. "My name is Stan, and I am extremely delighted to be your conductor for the day. It is a very lovely morning in Ketchum City, if you can ignore that strange snow! Now, I am pleased to show you the first thing to see on this train tour: Ketchum Center!"

Everyone watched in awe as the train steadily went up a high surface, the trees essentially descending to make way for a lovely overview of numerous buildings and the large fountain of Ash Ketchum. In spite of his depression, Nate felt a bit awestruck by the nice view.

"Out of all the areas in Ketchum City," continued Stan, using a dramatic voice narration, "the Ketchum Center is home to a number of stores and stands selling the famous golden candles that our city treasures. In fact, the candle-making business is so abundant and successful here that many of the apartments you see, surrounding Ketchum Center, are occupied by some of the most well-known candle-makers in the business! So, in case you don't have a golden candle for the Ketchum Month celebrations, which, of course, is required here, you'll know where to buy one! Now, moving on..."

The train slowly picked up speed, and it began to move away from the Ketchum Center and into a dark tunnel. As it entered the tunnel, Nate sighed heavily and slowly slumped down in his seat. Dawn glanced at him, sighed, and sat down next to him.

"Nate, you shouldn't feel so hard on yourself," she said.

"I'm not being hard on myself," Nate replied grumpily. "I'm mad at Kelly. She should've told me sooner!"

"Why do you think she didn't tell you sooner? She did that because she thought the truth would've hurt you! Just like it's hurting you right now. And you're not the only one who's hurt now. Your mom's very devastated by your attitude towards her, and even your friends feel shunned, rejected by you. Now is that any way to treat your friends and family? They're the people that count the most in your life, Nate, and to let them go would destroy your heart and soul-"

"Why would you care, Dawn?!" interrupted Nate, staring at the blunette, his face red with fury. "Why would any of you care?! The moment I met you guys at Alto Mare, you all seemed to know SO MUCH about me, and you all seemed to act like I'm of some sort of use! What is it about me that makes you care? HUH?!"

Nate looked away and stared at the window, glimpsing what might possibly be the vortex again, but it disappeared the moment the train left the tunnel. However, he didn't care; he was so caught up in his anger and sadness over the revelation that he didn't seem concerned about anything anymore.

"You don't even know what the truth feels like..." he muttered, more to himself than to Dawn, but she heard it. Her lips tightened, and she let out a sigh of defeat.

"Yes...Yes I do know what it feels like, Nate..." she whispered. Nate turned around, an eyebrow raised.

"Really?" he replied, more out of curiosity than sarcasm. "What happened?"

Dawn took a deep breath and explained, "For my entire life, I never really knew my father. He wasn't there when I first entered the world. The only person I could call my family was my mom, who I looked up to very much. I didn't care at all if I didn't have a dad in my life, for as long as I had my mom, then my life was complete." The blunette hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Then, one day, I met him. My dad."

Nate's interest peaked. "What happened between you two?" he asked.

"Let's just say that we had differing views. He had a vision for a new world, but that vision involved the destruction of all the ideals that I know and cherish. I couldn't believe that someone like him was my father. It really tore a hole in my heart." Dawn sighed. "I was in the same position as you are right now, in the first couple days that I found out the truth. I even yelled at my mom. ...My mom, the one I looked up to in my life..."

"Wow... That's...that's terrible..."

"Yes, it was terrible. But I got over it. I accepted the truth after a while."

"How'd you do it?"

Dawn's face suddenly paled, but she replied calmly, "I don't really know. I just did it."

Nate looked away. "Well, I can't just do it. To know that my life's been a lie all this time is enough to make even the stupid ones go crazy."

"Trust me, Nate, the time will come when you'll learn to accept it, sooner or later. And besides, it doesn't matter if Kelly isn't your mother. No matter what happens, she will always be your mother, and you will always be her son. That you'll learn to accept as well."

Dawn stood up and seated herself between May and Hilda, and the three women began talking, undoubtedly about Nate. The Trainer sighed and continued to look out of the window. He noticed that the train had reached its next destination, which appeared to be a large, prison-like fortress with many guards, flanked by a number of armored, ferocious-looking Fire-type Pokémon, standing at the entrance. Encircling this fortress was an apparently man-made, deep trench full of water. At the center of the fortress was a tall tower with a single window with bars made of rusty iron.

"Here is our next stop, Blacklock Prison," Stan announced in his dramatic voice. "Despite the fact that this is like any average prison, one thing that sets it apart from the others is the fact that it houses one inmate and one inmate only. I wish I can go into further detail about this person, but the laws of Ketchum City require that I do not even mention his name. The only thing I can tell you is that he is responsible for the death of the city's champion, Ash Ketchum."

Several tourists in the car glared hatefully at the prison, some of them muttering bitter insults that concerned the sole prisoner. Meanwhile, Nate looked the top of the tower, at the window. Some sort of magnetic-like force drew his eyes over there; he couldn't help but feel that someone was watching him from there.

A piercing gray...

"Alright then, moving on..."

The train drew away from Blacklock Prison, but Nate continued to stare at the tower...

A few minutes later

As Jimmy engaged in a conversation with Khoury, Hilbert, and Tory about the former's wedding with Lyra, Marina decided to have her own conversation with Lyra about the happy occasion. Ever since they first met ten years ago, the two saw each other as sisters, contacting and writing to each other whenever they could after the Mt. Silver crisis ended. The blue-haired woman glanced to her side and saw that Lyra had already begun talking to Dawn, Hilda, and May about something unknown to her.

"So, girl," Marina spoke up, catching the attention of the four other women, "what're you planning to do with your wedding?" She smiled and winked playfully. "Oh, I'm hoping you already have a good candidate for the maid of honor already in place..."

"Yeah, I do," replied Lyra quickly before resuming her conversation with the others. Marina was taken aback by the more-than-nonchalant response from her friend.

"Uh, excuse me?" she asked. "Hello, Earth to Lyra! This is your wedding with Khoury were talking about here! This must be the most exciting moment of your life!"

"Yeah, it is, Marina, it really is. But do you mind? I'm trying to talk about something with the others here."

"Oh, what're you guys talking about?"

"It's confidential," Hilda replied.

"Since when was anything confidential? Come on, girls, we just met after, like, ten years! You wanted to do some reconnecting, let's do some reconnecting!"

"We'll reconnect once we're done with our...other matters..." said Dawn. "Sorry, Marina."

"What is it that's so confidential anyway?"

"We can't tell you, Marina," May said. "That's why it's confidential."

Marina crossed her arms and looked away. "Fine, if you insist."

As Lyra, Hilda, Dawn, and May continued talking, Marina's ear caught several excerpts of their conversation. She couldn't really hear much, but it all had something to do with that Nate boy who was a part of that group that the girls befriended. The blue-haired woman glanced at the Trainer, who was sitting on the opposite side of the train car, obviously trying to distance himself from his friends as they looked on in concern.

She caught a glimpse of Nate's eyes... They looked so familiar, yet she couldn't place it...

Marina looked at the others again and asked, "Hey, by the way, girls, who's that boy sitting over there?"

"Who, Nate?" Dawn looked at the Trainer, a pitiful expression appearing on her face. "Yeah, he's a Trainer we met and befriended back at Alto Mare. He and his family and friends are accompanying us here because Nate's eager to participate in the Ketchum Month Tournament."

"Really?" Marina looked at Nate. "He doesn't look like someone eager to participate in anything..."

"He's going through a tough time. He just found out that he's adopted. Don't mention it to him."

"Oh, that blows. ...You know, for some reason, he reminds me of someone..."

"It's probably just you, Marina," Hilda said quickly. "Sometimes, even strangers can evoke a false feeling of familiarity."

"I guess..." But Marina wasn't convinced. She noticed a tight, strange tone in Hilda's voice, and plus the expression that Dawn was wearing when she looked at Nate, she couldn't help but feel extremely suspicious about what her friends were hiding from her.

Meanwhile, at the far end of the train compartment, two people sat silently in their seats. One was a woman with gold hair styled in two locks and purple eyes, while the other was a man with light-green hair and brown eyes. By the man's leg was a Raticate, which looked extremely impatient. The man was repeatedly looking at his watch, while the woman had a strange expression of determination on her face. After several minutes passed, she took a fleeting glance at the compartment behind hers, and from inside it, a shady-looking man wearing a black cap that cast his face in shadow nodded at her as a signal.

She nodded back at the man in response before glancing out of the window. At that point, the train was gradually slowing down as it approached a large three-story building in the eastern side of Ketchum City. The woman smirked, knowing that it was time to make their move. She looked at her male companion, who nodded at her.

The moment the train stopped, the two of them stood up and produced Poké Balls from their pockets, throwing them into the air. The woman unleashed a Houndoom and a Granbull, while the man unleashed a Mightyena and a Shuckle. They all joined Raticate as the Pokémon quickly took over the compartment. Elsewhere in the six other compartments, two of the passengers in each of the compartments unleashed their Pokémon and took it over.

"Everyone, don't move!" the green-haired man roared. "This is a holdup!"

"What is this?!" exclaimed an elderly passenger.

The gold-haired woman and the green-haired man smiled before pointing dramatically to the air.

"Prepare for trouble..." the woman said.

"...And make it double!" the man said.

"To infect the world with devastation!"

"To blight all people in every nation!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Cassidy!"

"And Butch, of course!"

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and all night!"

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight!"

"RRRRRATICATE!" the Raticate snarled.

"Oh no, Team Rocket?" Hilbert asked.

"Great, where's the other Team Rocket when we need 'em?" asked Dawn, rolling her eyes.

Elsewhere, at the Rocket Blimp

Jessie, James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet were inspecting the blimp's engine when James glanced at his comrades.

"D'you think we should check up on the twerps?" he asked.

"They're twerps, James," Jessie replied, rolling her eyes as she grabbed a wrench. "They can handle themselves without us."

"Wobbuffet!" agreed Wobbuffet.

Back on the tour train

"Now, give us all of your Pokémon!" ordered Cassidy.

"Otherwise you will suffer the severe consequences," Butch added in a menacing snarl.

"I'm willing to take that chance!" a man exclaimed boldly, standing up and facing down the duo of Team Rocket grunts. However, his courageous expression instantly turned into that of fear the moment Cassidy's Houndoom and Butch's Mightyena approached him, both growling, drool dripping from their lower jaws.

"You were saying, mister?" Cassidy asked, leaning towards the man with a triumphant expression on her face.

The man chuckled nervously and handed her two Poké Balls. "Since you asked so nicely..." he replied quickly.

Under threat and intimidation from Cassidy and Butch's Pokémon, the rest of the passengers were subjugated easily, all of them handing over their Poké Balls without incident; any of the Pokémon that were already out of their Poké Balls were restrained by high-tech devices carried by Butch. Within a few seconds, the villainous duo had reached Nate's end of the train compartment. Butch's eyes immediately set themselves on Dawn, Hilda, Cheren, and the others, and she smirked.

"Well, well, well," he said, "if it isn't the twerps from Mt. Silver. How long has it been? Seven, eight years?"

"Ten years, Hutch," Dawn growled.

Butch's eye twitched and he yelled furiously, "HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU, IT'S BUTCH! BUTCH, BUTCH, BUTCH!"

"Calm DOWN, Butch!" exclaimed Cassidy, crossing her arms. "We must stay on-task here! The boss expects a good payload-"

"Still up to no good, aren't you, Team Rocket?" May asked, standing up. "Well, we're not letting you get away with this! Go, Blaziken!" She threw a Poké Ball in the air, unleashing the Blaze Pokémon, which roared at Cassidy, Butch, and their Pokémon.

"Don't forget us!" exclaimed Dawn as she, Hilda, Hilbert, Cheren, Lyra, Khoury, Marina, Jimmy, and Tory unleashed their own Pokémon.

"Ah, so you wanna fight, eh?" Cassidy asked, her smirk widening. "Very well, then. Consider your wish granted! Houndoom, use Flamethrower! Granbull, use Bite!"

"Mightyena, use Iron Tail!" ordered Butch. "Shuckle, Sludge Bomb!"

"Blaziken, use Flamethrower!" May ordered.

"Mienshao, use Force Palm!" Hilda ordered.

"Prinplup, use Whirlpool!" Dawn ordered.

"Stoutland, use Take Down!" Cheren ordered.

Blaziken, Mienshao, Prinplup, and Stoutland fired their moves, blocking the attacks of Houndoom, Granbull, Mightyena, and Shuckle, respectively.

"Playing tough, eh?" Cassidy asked as she surveyed her opponents' Pokémon. She then smiled upon seeing a vulnerable position. "Okay then, Raticate, use Skull Bash on the Mienshao, and make it powerful!" Raticate let out a ferocious snarled before charging at the opponent, its body becoming surrounded by golden streaks. It then slammed its head into Mienshao, sending it backward and colliding into Blaziken, Prinplup, and Stoutland.

"Great!" Butch exclaimed. "Mightyena, quick, Hyper Beam!"

An orange ball formed in front of Mightyena's mouth, instantly unleashing a beam that propelled itself towards the fallen Pokémon...

"PIGNITE, USE FLAMETHROWER!" a voice commanded.

A stream of flames suddenly appeared in front of the Hyper Beam attack, intercepting it and causing a violent explosion that ripped out the sides of the train, hurting no one fortunately. Everyone on the compartment instinctively shielded their eyes to shield them from the thick clouds of smoke. After a couple of minutes, the smoke cleared, revealing Nate and his Pignite, which snorted flames at Cassidy, Butch, and their Pokémon.

"Why you little-" Butch began, stepping forward.

However, a strange look flooded Cassidy's face the moment she spotted Nate, and she held her partner back.

"BUTCH, STOP!" she shouted.

"WHAT THE HELL, CASSIDY?!" roared Butch. "THIS KID'S INTERFERING WITH THE OPERATION-"

"I think it's time we blasted off," Cassidy snarled. "We have enough Pokémon as it is. There's no need to complicate things any further."

Butch growled angrily, but nodded. He pressed a button on his wristwatch and spoke into it, "Code: blastoff!"

The sides of the other train compartments suddenly exploded simultaneously, and the Team Rocket grunts flew out of them, equipped with high-tech jetpacks. Cassidy and Butch recalled their Pokémon before pressing something on their chests. Wings promptly extended out of their back. Nate instantly knew what they were doing.

"Pignite, use Flame Charge!" he ordered, pointing at Cassidy.

Quickly, Cassidy grabbed the passenger nearest to her. To Nate's shock, and to the shock of everyone else, it was none other than Kelly.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Cassidy commanded.

"Pignite, stop, stop now!" ordered Nate, stopping the Fire Pig Pokémon before it could begin its attack.

"Try to attack us," snarled Cassidy, "and you'll be saying goodbye to the innocent bystander." She smiled widely. "It's been a pleasure playing this game with you, but I believe it's now time to blast off!" She and Butch instantly activated their jetpacks and flew into the sky, with Kelly in tow.

Upon seeing the fearful expression on Kelly's face, Nate gasped. In every minute that passed, in every minute in which he knew that he wasn't her son, Nate had come to realize something: this was the woman who had taken care of him, who provided him the home and love that every child deserved, who was the mom he deserved in his life. It didn't matter if they were not related by blood. They were tied together by something even stronger than that. So what if she lied about his true heritage? She was just protecting him from the pain of the truth. And now, Nate had realized the stupidity and irrationality of his initial reaction... And it was gonna cost her...

Dawn was right...

"MOM!" Nate screeched, hopping off the train and running after the Team Rocket grunts as fast as he could, with Pignite following close behind.

Chapter Text

Blacklock Prison
Ketchum City

The two security guards stood silently at the sides of the single door that led into the prison cell of the one who had been called the world's most hated man in history. One of the guard's Houndoom let out a yawn and itched itself before resuming its post. A chilly winter breeze blew into the empty hallway through an open window. It didn't seem to help the guards one bit in attending to their responsibilities, for they were visibly shivering, having not bothered to bring along their winter coats. After all, who in the world would be in their right mind to envision a snowy season anywhere in the Johto region?!

Finally, one guard complained, "This both sucks and blows. I knew we should've placed a call for an air-conditioning system for this place!"

"What air-conditioning system?" the other guard asked. "Who in Arceus's name would even think of winter in Ketchum City, or anywhere else in Johto for that matter?!"

The first guard chuckled hollowly and took a fleeting glance through the window offered by the doors. Inside, the prison cell was small and simple, designed to enforce a psychological toll on the occupant relegated to these specifically small and unsatisfactory living conditions. There was a single bed with a soft pillow and a blanket, a wooden table that held a food-tray that was half-empty, a single window with iron bars, and a TV set that hung in a corner of the ceiling. The TV was currently on and turned to the news channel. The guard could see the cell's occupant, a man with graying jet-black hair that was spiky, looking up at the TV, as if hypnotized by it.

"Yeah, well, you don't see him shivering from the cold," said the guard. "Not at all. Arceus, just look at him, Braden..."

"Why don't you look at him, Louis?" the second guard snapped, growling as he rubbed his cold shoulders. "He makes me SICK."

Louis looked away, unable to shake off the feeling that the prisoner, despite maintaining his stare on the TV, was looking at him...

Elsewhere

"MOM, I'M COMING!" Nate shouted after the screaming figure of Kelly as he ran down one of the city's walkways as fast as he could, careful not to run into any civilians, Pignite running right behind his heels. He watched as the fourteen Team Rocket grunts continued to fly across the air, attracting the gazes of the citizens down below.

Meanwhile, in the air, Butch shouted to Cassidy over the roar of the winds, "What should we do about that meddling twerp who's running after us?"

"What do you think, Butch?!" exclaimed Cassidy in response. "Take care of him!"

Butch nodded and signaled to five of the Team Rocket grunts.

"You heard the lady, grunts!" he ordered. "Take care of that twerp! Make sure he doesn't interfere with the operation!"

"You got it, Biff!" one of the grunts exclaimed.

"IT'S NOT BIFF, IT'S BUTCH!"

The grunts merely turned back and flew towards the walkway, procuring Poké Balls from their pockets. Nate stopped and pointed at the grunts in gesture.

"Pignite, bring those guys down with Flamethrower!" he ordered.

Pignite fired the attack, which successfully hit one of the grunts and sent him crashing into a food stand, barely missing the vendor and two customers. Another grunt gritted his teeth and threw his Poké Balls into the air, unleashing an Onix and a Golem, both of which landed on the walkway, roaring, sending up a large cloud of dust that obscured Nate and Pignite's visions, while all civilians nearby burst into a panicked run, screaming.

"Onix, use Rock Slide!" the grunt ordered.

Slabs of rock caused by Onix and Golem's impacts emerged from the cloud of dust, surrounded by a gray aura, ready to be launched. However, Nate was quick.

"Pignite, dodge, quickly, then use Flame Charge!"

The Fire Pig Pokémon dodged the thrown slabs before jumping at the Rock Snake Pokémon, engulfed in a blazing orb of fire. Pignite landed the attack successfully, but Nate gritted his teeth upon seeing that the Onix had only sustained minor injuries. Meanwhile, the three other grunts unleashed their own Pokémon, which consisted of several Golbat, which screeched menacingly at Pignite as they joined Onix and Golem's ranks.

"Golbat, use Confuse Ray!" commanded the two grunts simultaneously.

However, before the army of Golbat could begin their attacks, an ice-cold blast of snowy wind blew against everyone, immobilizing the Golbat and freezing the grunts' jetpacks, causing them to crash into the ground. Shivering, Nate looked behind him and saw Hilda and her Beartic running up to him, followed closely by Dawn, Cheren, Rosa, Hugh, May, Hilbert, Marina, Jimmy, Lyra, Khoury, Tory, and their respective Pokémon.

"We'll hold off these guys, Nate!" exclaimed Dawn. "Go get your mom!"

Nate smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Dawn," he replied before bursting into a run, ignoring the fallen grunts and their Onix, Golem, and Golbat.

After running several yards down the walkway, he noticed that Rosa, Hugh, Hilda, Cheren, and their Pokémon were running beside him. However, he recognized that they wanted to help him, and he didn't say anything as he continued to follow the remaining Team Rocket grunts.

"Dewott, use Water Pulse!" Hugh ordered. Dewott fired its attack, which hit a grunt and disabled his jetpack, causing him to crash-land somewhere in the city.

Up in the air, Butch growled angrily upon seeing the grunt fall from the air, and he took out a Poké Ball from his pocket. "Time for me to send out my newest Pokémon," he snarled menacingly. "It should take good care of those meddling twerps once and for all! GO-"

"NO!" Cassidy shrieked suddenly. "ARCEUS-DAMN IT, NOT NOW, BUTCH!"

"What do ya mean 'not now', Cass?" spat Butch, clutching Poké Ball tightly. "We CANNOT let them jeopardize the operation!"

"Just don't!" The tone in Cassidy's voice sounded very strange to the green-haired man, but he knew better than to argue with his calculating, strategic partner, so he merely growled in defeat and put the Poké Ball back into his pocket before looking at four of the grunts.

"You know what to do!" he ordered.

"Right away, sir!" one of the grunts replied as he and his accomplices swept down towards the walkway, towards Nate, Rosa, Hugh, Hilda, and Cheren.

"Oh no, more?" asked Nate upon spotting the advancing grunts.

"We'll hold those four off, Nate!" Hilda cried. "You follow the others! They look like they're going to the Ketchum Center, so you can cut 'em off there!"

Nate nodded and sprinted down another walkway, watching as Cassidy, Butch, and the two remaining grunts, the former still holding the struggling Kelly, flying down the same route. He then saw Cassidy glance down at him, the ghost of a satisfied smirk briefly flickering on her face, before looking back up. Nate then looked at Kelly and gritted his teeth upon seeing her let out a loud scream. There was NO WAY they were gonna do this to the woman that raised him, shaped his life!

"YOU TEAM ROCKET LOSERS GET BACK HERE!" Nate shouted after them.

"NATE!..." echoed Kelly's voice.

Nate growled and quickened his pace. Up in the air, Cassidy, Butch, and the remaining two grunts suddenly stopped mid-flight, a sputtering sound emerging from their jetpacks. All of the civilians down on the ground ran away from the Team Rocket agents, sensing trouble. Kelly continued to struggle in Cassidy's grip.

"Damn it, we're going low on our jet-fuel!" snarled Butch.

"Calm down, Butch," Cassidy said calmly. "Everything's going just as planned..."

"Just as planned?" the green-haired man repeated, outraged. "Just as planned? Cass, we lost ten of our assigned grunts, therefore many of the Pokémon we managed to nab from that train, and there is no doubt that the walls are closing in on us! And you're saying everything's going just as planned?" He began to chuckle, a crazed glint flashing across his eyes. "Heh. I'd rather think that the whole plan's become BOTCHED!"

Cassidy smirked. "Don't worry." She glanced back down to the walkway that Nate was running on. "I've got a plan..."

Back on the walkway, Nate and Pignite stopped upon spotting Cassidy, Butch, and the two grunts landing a few yards in front of him. He couldn't see Kelly anywhere.

"What'd you do to my mom?!" demanded Nate. "ANSWER ME!" Pignite accentuated its Trainer's white-hot fury by snorting out a stream of flames from its nostrils; the flames scorched the walls of the buildings, prompting the two grunts to yell out in cowardly fear.

However, Cassidy was unfazed. "Oh, she's alright. In fact-" She smirked as she held up her fingers and snapped them. "-she's here..."

Nate watched in horror as the woman floated down from the air, surrounded by a bright purple aura. A Sableye appeared from a nearby rooftop, its diamond-like eyes glowing maliciously. The Trainer growled and pointed at the Sableye, preparing to shout an attack, but Cassidy waved a finger in warning.

"Uh, uh, uh!" she exclaimed. "If you hit Sableye, then your mommy's going down to the ground. And after all, she's still high up in the air. It's a dangerous height..."

Nate gritted his teeth. "You...wouldn't...DARE!..."

"Of course I would dare! After all, we're the bad guys. Why wouldn't we? But...today, I'm willing to make an exception..."

"Cass, what in Arceus's name are you DOING?!" Butch exclaimed angrily.

However, Cassidy ignored her partner and procured a Poké Ball from her pocket, smirking. "How 'bout we have a Pokémon battle instead? One round. You against me. No recalls. You win and you get your precious mommy and all the Pokémon we stole from that train." She continued to ignore Butch and the two grunts as shocked and confused expressions flooded their faces in comical fashions. She merely continued, her smirk growing wider with each word that she spoke. "You lose and you come join us and our righteous cause. Determination and stubbornness is a trait that we're seeking for. We need more people like you, Nate. ...What do you say? Deal?"

Nate growled furiously. He knew that he was putting his own integrity on the line by accepting this deal. However, he glanced at the struggling, immobile Kelly...

"Deal," he said, almost in a whisper.

Cassidy's smirk widened even more in triumph. "Excellent," she said before she threw the Poké Ball into the air. "Go, Heatmor!" The Poké Ball unleashed the Anteater Pokémon, which snarled at Nate and Pignite. Unlike the Heatmor that Nate had seen back at Unova, it had a darker color scheme; it was a Shiny Pokémon. Apparently, the gold-haired woman had acquired this Pokémon very recently, for Butch looked surprised at the sight of it.

"Cass, since when did you get that Pokémon?" he asked. "It's not even native here!"

"I have good connections," Cassidy replied simply, but Nate couldn't help but feel that that was a lie. However, he had little time to ponder over it, for Cassidy already ordered an attack from Heatmor. "Heatmor, attack that weak Pignite with a good offering of Incinerate!"

Heatmor's body glowed a white color before it expelled a blast of flames from its body, which traveled towards Pignite, hitting it ferociously. Nate gasped as his Fire Pig Pokémon was sent barreling into the side of a building, burn marks masking its frame, smoke issuing from them. Already did Pignite appear severely damaged.

"Pignite, quick!" Nate cried. "Quick, get up!"

With some difficulty, Pignite clambered out of the wreckage, looking almost ready to collapse from the Incinerate attack. However, it quickly regained its stance, and it snorted at Heatmor tauntingly. The Heatmor faced Pignite, the ghost of a crafty expression on its face. Not liking Heatmor's look, Nate pointed at it.

"Pignite, use Flame Charge!"

Pignite engulfed itself in flames and slammed into Heatmor, sending it into the side of another building, raining tiny pieces of debris on the Team Rocket grunts, but for some reason, only Cassidy was unfazed by this. She merely pointed at Pignite in gesture.

"Use Slash, Heatmor!" she commanded. Heatmor stood from the wreckage, not displaying any signs of battle wounds, and charged for Pignite.

"Dodge, Pignite!" ordered Nate.

Pignite successfully dodged Heatmor before it could slash its chest.

"So, you wanna play get-away, huh?" Cassidy smirked. "Use Amnesia, Heatmor!"

A transparent beam of small, circular waves traveled out of Heatmor's eyes and into Pignite's own. The Fire Pig Pokémon promptly stumbled around, its eyes spinning.

"Pignite, stay strong for me, buddy!" Nate shouted. "Use Flame Charge again!"

Pignite tried to repeat the attack, but it was unable to. In addition, it was extremely confused, and it stumbled across the walkway and into a food stand, sending fruit and vegetables rolling across the concrete ground. Cassidy burst into malicious laughter as Pignite stumbled out of the wreckage, falling over on its side.

"Your Pignite is weak and worthless, Nate," she said. "If you join us now, you'll be gifted with stronger, more reliable Pokémon!"

"NEVER! NOT IN A BILLION YEARS!" roared Nate. "PIGNITE, USE FLAMETHROWER!"

Standing up, reeling from the Amnesia, the Fire Pig Pokémon tried to use the attack, but all it could get out was a small cloud of gray smoke. Nate sweat-dropped and dropped to the ground anime-style. Cassidy issued a fallacious yawn before pointing at Pignite with triumph.

"Heatmor, use Inferno! Finish this now!"

The Anteater Pokémon fired a spiraling stream of red-hot fire from its nose, which barreled straight for Pignite.

"PIGNITE, QUICKLY!" Nate cried. "DODGE!"

Pignite dodged the attack, but it fell over in its confusion. Cassidy smirked, seizing the upper advantage.

"AGAIN, HEATMOR! MAKE SURE THAT MISERABLE EXCUSE OF A PIGNITE FEELS THE HEAT!"

Nate watched with horror as Heatmor fired the attack again. Pignite stirred, moaning weakly, unable to avoid the attack this time.

"PIGNITE!"

Suddenly, a light-blue sphere appeared from out of nowhere and headed straight into the vortex of flames. A second later, the sphere exploded, dissipating the vortex before it could strike Pignite, sending flames everywhere and scorching all surrounding buildings. Nate, Cassidy, Butch, and the two agents were forced to shield their eyes from the forming cloud of smoke. Nate could hear the grunts crying out in pain, a couple of smashing sounds, and Butch exclaiming, "WHAT THE?!"

Eventually, Nate opened his eyes; the first thing he saw was the grunts' unconscious forms, Heatmor gone, Sableye lying on the ground, and a large hole in the side of a couple building. Then, he noticed the blue-and-black, jackal-like, bipedal Pokémon with red eyes, which was standing in front of him, the freed Kelly, and Pignite in a defensive stance. One of its paws was held in the air, a second light-blue sphere suspended in the air, a few centimeters directly in front of the aforementioned paw.

"What in the world is THIS?!" snarled Butch, stepping forward, but Cassidy stopped him.

"A Lucario..." she said in a barely inaudible whisper.

Nate, intrigued by the name, pulled out his Pokédex. "Lucario?" he asked as he activated the device.

"Lucario, the Aura Pokémon," the Pokédex explained. "Lucario has the power to detect their opponent's thoughts and actions by reading their Aura."

"HEATMOR, USE INFERNO ON THE LUCARIO!" Cassidy screeched, fear actually present in her voice. Heatmor leaped out of the hole in the building and fired yet another vortex of flames at Lucario, but suddenly, the Aura Pokémon placed its paws together and then spread them apart, in the process creating a light-green, bone-shaped weapon of energy. It then jumped directly into the Inferno attack, emerging unscathed from the opposite end and striking Heatmor across with the bone.

"NOW is everything going just as planned?!" Butch cried, staring at Cassidy as her jaw dropped open in shock at the Lucario's attack.

"No, not at all," the gold-haired woman replied. She quickly recalled her Sableye and pointed at the Lucario. "Heatmor, let's retreat!"

"And leave these guys here?!" Butch gestured to the two unconscious grunts. Cassidy merely glared at him with a strangely sinister expression.

"Don't worry. They won't be alone."

Immediately, Heatmor fired an Incinerate attack, which struck Butch and rendered him unconscious and badly burnt. Cassidy quickly grabbed the belt containing Butch's stolen Poké Balls and sprinted away, Heatmor following close behind. Lucario ran off after them; further intrigued, Nate recalled Pignite and looked at Kelly.

"Mom, stay here!" he said.

"But Nate-" began Kelly.

"I SAID STAY HERE, MOM!" Nate then ran off after Lucario, leaving the brown-haired woman behind.

Though she was worried for Nate's well-being, Kelly's lips curved into a relieved smile.

"He called me Mom..." she thought.

Nate didn't know exactly why he was running alongside the Lucario who had just rescued him and Pignite only a minute ago, but it seemed like the two had some sort of spiritualconnection, as if they already knew each other. It was just like the scenario with the Genesect Army, except that Nate was more comfortable beside Lucario.

He saw Cassidy and Heatmor turn a corner. He and Lucario did the same. The three ran down the walkway, past several civilians who were unaware of the unfolding situation. Occasionally, Heatmor would turn back and briefly fire an attack at them, which they would easily dodge. Repeatedly, Cassidy and Heatmor would turn more corners, and Nate and Lucario would do the same thing. It was as if the four of them were running through a maze.

After several minutes of this, Nate saw Cassidy and Heatmor turn yet another corner. He and Lucario did so as well, only to find that it was a dead end.

And Cassidy and Heatmor were nowhere to be found.

"Huh? Where'd they go?" Nate asked to no one in particular.

"Quiet..."

Nate's eyes widened as he stared at the Lucario, whose paw was extended towards him as a silencing gesture. Lucario then closed its eyes and raised its ears, which trembled softly. Remembering the definition of Lucario by his Pokédex, Nate assumed that Lucario was reading Cassidy and Heatmor's Aura to find them. After several seconds, Lucario opened its eyes and gazed in the opposite direction, towards the rooftops. Nate followed its gaze and immediately saw Cassidy and Heatmor, both of them hopping from one roof to the other with seemingly unmatched expertise as civilians down below watched in awe and confusion.

"STOP!" Nate shouted as he ran after the Team Rocket agent, feeling Lucario also in hot pursuit.

After running a long distance, Nate watched as Cassidy and Heatmor leaped towards a nearby bell tower. Instinctively, he commanded, "Lucario, Aura Sphere!"

To his surprise, Lucario obeyed the command without any shred of reluctance. It leaped into the air, formed the distinctive light-blue sphere in its hands, and fired it at Cassidy and Heatmor, just as they landed on the bell tower. A split-second after that, the sphere exploded into a cloud of smoke, and all of the civilians screamed and ran for cover, shocked by this attack on a city landmark. However, when the dust cleared, Nate gasped upon seeing the bell tower completely unscathed, with a green outline barely visible from a distance. Nate and Lucario ran closer to the base of the bell tower and saw that it was a Milotic on the tower's balcony, using Safeguard.

In front of the Milotic was Cassidy and Heatmor. But they and Milotic weren't alone: standing beside them were seven people wearing shady cloaks colored in different shades: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The hoods were drawn, obscuring the wearers' faces. The person wearing the red cloak hopped onto the balcony railing and directly faced Nate and Lucario, both of whom sensed a grin of triumph on the person's face.

"Be careful of whose affairs you're interfering with, boy," the person spoke; he had a gruff, cold male voice that sent a shiver down Nate's spine. "We will complete our unfinished work, and the world shall become a much better place for it. ...We will accomplish our goals, no matter what the cost! MILOTIC, USE TWISTER!"

Milotic floated into the air and started to spin around, creating a twister around its body. It then launched the formed twister towards Nate and Lucario...

Suddenly, a pale-purple flame appeared out of nowhere, intercepting the Twister and causing it to dissipate. Everyone looked up and saw a great black dragon flying towards the tower, roaring ferociously. Two figures appeared to be riding the dragon's back. As the dragon came closer, Nate recognized it from ancient engravings he looked at in Cheren's class: it was none other than the Legendary Deep Black Pokémon, Zekrom!

On the bell tower, the man wearing the red cloak smiled. "Ten years," he said, "and the Legendary Zekrom had to pick today." He faced his comrades. "Let's vanish."

Down below, Nate looked back up at the bell tower, only to see a brief flash occur directly on the place where Cassidy, Heatmor, Milotic, and the seven hooded figures were standing on. When the flash disappeared a split-second later, there was no sign of any of them there.

"What the?" Nate cried in surprise. "Where'd they go? Lucario, can you sense 'em?" He turned his head, but saw that Lucario was not standing beside him anymore. In fact, Lucario was nowhere to be found. "Lucario? Lucario, where ARE you?! LUCARIO?!" However, he received no response; it was obvious that the Aura Pokémon had disappeared. The Trainer sighed and gazed back at the bell tower. "Who in Arceus's name were those guys anyway?"

"The Sky Seven," a familiar voice said. Nate turned around and saw Cheren running up to him, accompanied by the others. Then, they all watched as Zekrom landed in front of the group. Indeed, there were two figures riding the Deep Black Pokémon; one was a man with light-green, neatly-combed hair, while the other was a woman with bushy, long purple hair tied in a large ponytail. The pair hopped off of Zekrom and ran up to the group.

"Hey, guys," Cilan Parlet said. "Long time, no see."

"Cilan!" Dawn exclaimed. "Iris! You guys are here!"

"Sorry we're late, guys," the woman said. "We were searching around the Forest of Hearts for-" She suddenly spotted Nate and became quiet. She then walked up to him, and leaned her face towards his to examine his features. "...I...I can't believe I'd get to see you ten years later." The ghost of a smile appeared on her face on the moment she gazed into Nate's eyes; the Trainer felt uncomfortable. "...Your eyes look just like your father's..."

"His soul is identical to his father's as well," a voice suddenly said. "Their cognition, their resonances with Pokémon, their ideals... One and the same..."

Everyone looked up at Zekrom, whose head moved for a fraction of an inch.

"I assume he knows of his true heritage..." Zekrom said.

"Yes," replied Hilda, with a hint of shame in her voice. "Unfortunately, he's not taking it well. I don't recommend bringing it up-"

"No, I'm fine." Everyone looked back at Nate, who was smiling slightly. "...Well...I'm actually not... I still can't believe it... But-" A determined expression flooded his face as he remembered all of the strange behavior that had been happening to him recently...the odd stare the red-cloaked man gave him before disappearing. "-it is quite obvious something big's going on, and...if any of it has to do with my true...heritage, as you call it...then I need to know what's up."

"HOLY ARCEUS AND HEAVEN!" a voice screeched, cracking in the process. The group watched as the same fat, balding man who had previously been with Marina on the stage; he was running up to the bell tower, accompanied by a group of four men wearing black suits. Hot beads of sweat was cascading from his forehead, and a comically exasperated look was on his face. Zekrom immediately flew into the sky, out of sight from the men.

"THANK ARCEUS THE BELL TOWER WASN'T DAMAGED!" the fat man screamed. He pointed at Nate accusingly. "IF IT WERE DAMAGED, I SWEAR TO ARCEUS THAT YOUR PUNISHMENT WOULD BE THE MOST SEVERE AND HARSH IN EXISTENCE! INFLICTING DAMAGE UPON A BELOVED KETCHUM CITY LANDMARK IS A CLASS-ONE CRIME AND IT IS NOT TOLERATED AT THE VERY LEAST! D'YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE, TOURIST BOY?! YOU'RE IN KETCHUM CITY!"

Nate sweat-dropped, as did everyone else. "Yeah, I think we noticed..." he said nervously.

The man's eyelid twitched. "DON'T YOU GIVE ME THAT KIND OF TONE!" he shrieked at Nate. "D'YOU KNOW WHO I AM, TOURIST BOY?! I'M ZANDER HARRINGTON, GREAT, COMPASSIONATE, SUPREME MAYOR OF KETCHUM CITY! IT SHOULD BE AN HONOR TO MEET SUCH A PERSON OF HIGH CLASS!"

Alarmed by the mayor's behavior, Marina ran forward and waved her hands frantically.

"Calm down, Mayor Harrington, calm DOWN!" she exclaimed. "He's a friend of mine, and he was trying to pursue these guys that stole some Pokémon! Honest!"

Harrington glared at Marina, his entire face contorted, twitching menacingly. Then, a scoff escaped his lips.

"Very well then, Mrs. Brass," he snarled. "Tell your friend to watch where his Pokémon are aiming! If he succeeds in destroying a monument like the bell tower, then I am gonna use all of my power as Ketchum City mayor to land his sorry little butt in Blacklock Prison!"

"Mayor Harrington!" one of the mayor's companions exclaimed. "Blacklock Prison is only reserved for...you-know-who!"

"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I DON'T KNOW, FOOL?! I'M JUST DISPLAYING THE SERIOUSNESS REQUIRED FOR ALL MAYORS! SHUT UP AND LET ME DO MY JOB AS MAYOR OF THIS CITY!" He stared back at Marina and spoke more calmly. "Now, Mrs. Brass, you and your friends run along! You're all disturbing the day for the rest of my civilians."

"Yes, Mayor Harrington," Marina replied, nodding as she escorted the rest of her group away from the scene.

"Who in the world was that guy?" asked Nate.

"Mayor Harrington..." Marina said, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Better not cross him, Nate..."

The sewer systems
Underneath Ketchum City

Enigma smirked as he felt the presence of his New Sky Seven, plus Cassidy, materialize directly behind him. He stood up from his carpet and looked back at the group.

"So, you're back," he said. "What's the report, Fox?"

"It's indeed true, Enigma," replied Cassidy. "The Trainer named Nate, he is the son of Ash Ketchum."

Enigma's smirk widened as he sat back down on his carpet. "I guess that means...things have just gotten even more interesting..."

Blacklock Prison

"It appears that the Ketchum City Train Tour crisis is over," a reporter announced on the TV set that was used as the inmate's only means of entertainment. "All but one of the Team Rocket grunts that were confirmed to have attacked the train have been taken into police custody. One grunt managed to escape with a total of fifteen stolen Pokémon; she is being described as a gold-haired woman with green eyes and having a Raticate, a Houndoom, a Granbull, and a Shiny Heatmor at her disposal. No one was harmed during the robbery and resulting incident at the Ketchum Bell Tower."

"And it appears that the day could've gotten much worse," a second reporter said, "had it not been for the intervention of one of the passengers aboard that train, identified as Nate Brown, who used his Pignite and Lucario to apprehend most of the grunts. I guess this Nate fellow's the hero of the day, huh Sara?"

"I guess so, Burke," replied the first reporter. "Here's security footage of Nate pursuing the grunts, which we managed to acquire..."

The TV set displayed security footage of Nate and Lucario running down the walkway, after Cassidy, Butch, and the two remaining grunts. The inmate instantly pressed a button on his remote, pausing the live report midway, allowing him a clear view of Nate's face. He gazed at the Trainer, his eyes narrowing into slits in suspicion...or, more like eye... His right eye was covered in a black patch that glinted from the little sunlight that crept through the barred window...

"Nate Brown..." he whispered, his voice hoarse, as if he didn't use it for a long time. "Nate Brown... Nate Ketchum..."

His lips curved into a small, satisfied grin that signified a sort of undeniable malice.

"...My dear nephew..."

Chapter Text

The sewer systems
Underneath Ketchum City

Enigma sat in his chamber as usual, locked in some sort of mystical meditating position. His deep breath came out of his nostrils in the form of an icy smoke, created by the increasingly chilly environment of the sewer. Suddenly, the temperature began to dip unusually further, and shiny, glittering ice began to rapidly spread around the walls, slithering across the bricks like snakes, preserving any mold that was attached.

Enigma wasn't daunted by the cold temperatures or the ice that was creeping into the chamber that was his private quarters. His lips twitched into a satisfied grin, and he opened his eyes. "You knocked?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm, another cold cloud issuing from his mouth as he spoke.

Hovering in front of him was an army of Cryogonal, led by a Shiny one, which stared at Enigma with its glowing red-orange eyes.

"Our master cannot tolerate your delays any longer," the Shiny Cryogonal said, its voice echoing across the ice-coated chamber. "He has sent us to oversee your progress, and ensure that you and your minions proceed faster as expected. So-"

"Everything is proceeding just as planned," interrupted Enigma calmly, impassively.

"Lies cannot sway us as much as it cannot to our master, human. Our master is wholly aware of the incident that occurred at the Ketchum City Train Tour. Your agent has failed, and she exposed your syndicate, and therefore  us, as a result."

"It's all part of the plan. Don't worry. And if I can recall clearly-" Enigma's smirk grew wider. "-your master has bigger problems to worry about, bigger than my progress or the so-called screw-up made by my agent Fox. ...Problems in the form of a certain black dragon that mysteriously turns up at the city's bell tower, according to what my Sky Seven described to me in their report. Your master is wasting his precious time over something as minor as our preparations-"

The Shiny Cryogonal suddenly hovered towards Enigma in a threatening manner, cutting him across. "Don't you DARE criticize our master! Do you believe that you have stood high and mighty, clutching the powers of the gods in your hands?! Don't you forget, human, that you would not have been in this much-coveted position, had our master not approached you and given you the offer of your lifetime, a pact sealed in blood, a deal anyone would sacrifice a limb to Arceus for! He has done much to assist you in restoring the position and power that was your father's! And this is how you REPAY him?!"

"I haven't forgotten the deal we made," Enigma replied calmly. "He helps me fulfill my father's destiny, I help him in becoming whole again. But the deal did not mention absolutely anything about committing my actions in posthaste, only that we prepare, gather enough strength, wait for the perfect moment, like an Arbok about to seize its prey. You tell your master that. And don't bother in threatening me. I know your master needs me in his chessboard, no matter what he says. Your threats are just nothing more than vacant shells, carelessly deflecting from me, like an unstoppable force against an immovable object."

The Cryogonal continued to hover in the air, suspended like puppets, though there seemed to be an air of humility washing over them, since they lowered themselves considerably. Enigma let out a short chuckle, knowing that his bluff has been called. He stood up and walked briskly out of the chamber, the Cryogonal watching him.

"Oh, and please," he piped, "retreat the ice. You can't afford to slow down my workers, or damage our mechanical devices. We're on a tight schedule."

The Rocket Blimp
Near Ketchum City

Nate felt uncomfortable as he sat on the sofa of the living room, the very place where he first found out his true heritage over twelve hours ago. Everyone else looked back at him, their faces etched with expressions of reluctance and empathy as they either sat or stood in other parts of the living room. The only person he truly knew who was with him was Kelly, for Hugh, Rosa, and Hugh's family were forced to stay in another portion of the blimp, for they didn't need to get involved in the situation. However, Nate didn't know why that same fact wouldn't apply to Marina and Jimmy as well, for they had been as shocked as he was when Zekrom first said, and when the others had confirmed, that he was indeed the son of Ash Ketchum, their good friend, the one who fought for their safety.

"Okay..." Hilda said. "Where do we start?..."

"Just a sec," interrupted Cheren. "We have to wait until Gary and Misty get in contact with us. They need to be with us, and they're still on their way here."

Finally, after a few minutes of waiting in immense silence, a beeping sound echoed across the room. James promptly produced a remote and pressed a button towards the television screen, which activated to show the faces of Professor Gary Oak, his assistants Max Maple and Molly Hale, Cerulean City Gym Leader Misty Waterflower, Pokémon Doctor Brock Harrison, and his wife Holly. Gary and Misty, whose faces were the most prominent in their respective split-screens, both became attentive upon spotting Nate; Misty's face in particular practically began to sparkle as she stared into Nate's face.

"He looks much like Ash from up close..." she said longingly, as if Nate was a long-lost friend.

"Mist, let's not do this right now," May said sternly. "Nate wants to know what happened ten years ago. ...He wants to know what happened to his father..."

Misty's eyes widened, as did the eyes of everyone else on the split-screens.

"Are you serious?" cried Brock as he took over Misty's screen, a bit forcefully so. "Please tell me he didn't read those Arceus-damned fairy-tale storybooks first!"

"Unfortunately, I've read him the same book for almost seven years..." Kelly said, bowing her head in shame.

"Why?" Nate asked. "What's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong with it," Cheren said, "is that what those books informed you, the information that you have relied on to look up to Ash, was completely inaccurate. The things you are about to hear are things you HAVE to remember for the rest of your life. Things that will stay with your mind like the securest of superglue, even in your best dreams and worst nightmares. Things that will BECOME your life. What's wrong with being informed by a storybook, you ask? ...Everything."

Nate put on his best determined expression. "Well, I'm ready," he said. "I'm ready to learn this. I think I can handle it."

Cheren's mouth twitched into a slight smile, although he still appeared concerned, as did everyone else.

"I know you will," he said. He then nodded at May, who reached into her bag and produced a flower-like object that appeared to be made out of crystal. Nate eyed it curiously; just like the Genesect Army and the Lucario, he felt as if he had seen that before somewhere. He then noticed the post-it that read the numeral 1...

"What's that?" the Trainer asked curiously.

"A Time Flower," replied May, looking at it softly. "But don't get fooled by the name; it's not actually a flower. It's a piece of the spiritual energy called Aura."

"Aura?"

"Yes," Dawn said. "It is the spiritual essence that makes up every living thing on this planet. Without Aura, there wouldn't be life. Anyway, Time Flowers have the ability to record certain events and preserve them for viewing in the future as a holographic image, if stimulated by the correct signature of Aura."

"What do you mean 'correct signature of Aura'?"

"Certain people can learn how to use Aura and interact with it," explained Lyra. "There's only a select few of them today, called Aura Guardians. Even in the past were they rare. Your father was one of them, Nate. He was the best." She stepped towards May, who stretched out the arm holding the Time Flower, as if handing it over to her. However, Lyra didn't retrieve it; instead, she looked at Nate, a soft smile on her face. "And so was I."

Nate's eyes widened. "Really?!"

Lyra nodded. "Yeah. I was as surprised as you are right now when I learned that. I grew up in a household that never even heard of the legend of Aura. But I learned to control my abilities, learn how to interact with Aura and use it for my own benefit." She raised her arm towards Nate, and the Trainer watched in shock and awe as a light-blue sphere of pure energy, the same one that was formed by Lucario, appeared, levitating on Lyra's palm. "Anyone who is descended from an Aura Guardian has unanimously inherited their abilities and skills. I am descended from Sir Aaron, a legendary figure from the medieval times, who defended a kingdom called Cameron in the Kanto region. He is considered to be the most powerful Aura Guardian of all time. Ash was also a descendant...and therefore, so are you."

Nate was having a hard time absorbing all of this information, even harder than when he did when it broke that he was Ash's son.

"So..." he said, "we're...we're related?..."

Lyra sighed, but smiled softly. "Yeah. See...I'm your aunt. ...Ash was my brother."

Nate couldn't find the energy to exclaim an utterance of surprise. His lower jaw merely hung open, like the loose jaw of a wooden puppet.

"I know. Everything can be full of surprises." Lyra chuckled shortly, though Nate didn't know if it was out of sadness or out of humor. "That's how I looked when I found out that Ash and I were twin siblings. I mean, we were already familiar with each other by the time the news broke, since Khoury and I briefly traveled with him, Dawn, and Brock over there, in the Sinnoh region, when we were around your age. But I have learned to accept the truth. And soon, you'll learn to accept your truth as well."

She then lowered her outstretched arm, the Aura Sphere disappearing, and then, Lyra lifted her other arm towards the Time Flower that May was holding. As if it were reacting to her mere touch, the Time Flower opened up, a small light-blue sphere of bright energy appearing from inside its apparently-hollow frame.

"What're you doing?" asked Nate.

"Going back into the past..." Lyra replied, but her voice was suddenly echoing loudly across the room, as if they were already standing in some sort of damp cave. "You will learn about the events that happened ten years ago, the very events that have set out today's chain of occurrences that have landed you here today. It is a very complicated explanation, so we have decided to divide everything into several days. This Time Flower has all of the answers."

Nate felt a hand latch onto his; he looked up at Cheren, who was looking down at him.

"Just be calm and watch," he said.

Nate nodded, seconds before the sphere that emerged from the Time Flower exploded, engulfing the entire living room...

The Brass Tower
Ecruteak City
The Johto region
Ten years before the death of Ash Ketchum

Panic. Destruction. Chaos.

Those three words perfectly described the current situation at Ecruteak City. Civilians dashed past the buildings and homes, carelessly abandoning their posts as they followed their natural instinct to survive. Pokémon, both domesticated and wild, also did the same, all the while caught in full despair at the sight of their natural home, now close to obliteration from the fire that burned towards them, approaching with ferocity, the flames like snake-like tongues that turned anything they touched into ash, the sounds of burning wood and grass like the low but menacing growl of a beast only the unknown could conceive.

At the smoldering wreckage of the collapsed tower that was once the subject of worship from the Ecruteak City civilians, the fire rose highest and most furious into the air, the thick, wide column of charcoal-gray smoke giving off the impression of a volcanic eruption. Embers fluttered around the foul-smelling air, resembling fireflies from the glowing reddish-orange ashes that coated it. Two men stood a few feet in front of the ruins, the still form of a phoenix-like bird lying close by, bleeding wounds and bruises decorating its once-majestic frame. It was breathing, although with labor, and the tongues of the flames were licking dangerously close to its tail-feathers. Just a few feet away from the carnage, a Time Flower sat, rooted to the ground, seemingly diverting the flames away from its frame, which glowed as it recorded.

"What in Arceus's name have you DONE, Shane?!" shouted a large, gray-haired, brown-eyed man who wore a light-brown coat, a silver T-shirt, and gray cargo shorts. Dust and bruises decorated his face, and his lip was cut, oozing out a tiny trickle of blood as crimson as the feathers of the phoenix-like bird. The Chikorita stood on his shoulder loyally, growling at the man opposite to them, the one who had started all of this madness that was before them.

"What anyone else would've done, brother," replied the other man as he stretched out his arms dramatically.

The second man had piercing gray eyes and bright-red hair that was cast over one eye, obscuring it; he wore a black shirt, black gloves, and a pair of dark-blue jeans. Like the first man, his face was grimy and bruised, and his cheek also boasted a shallow cut that oozed out some blood, and yet, his lips curved into a grin of triumph. In his hand was a sealed vial that contained a feather with a magnificent, almost shiny color pattern of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

"And I told you," the second man continued, "call me Goldheart."

"I am NOT calling you by that stupid name, Shane," snarled the first man as his Chikorita cried in agreement. "Look at what you've DONE, Shane! All of this destruction, the fire, Ho-Oh lying there, badly hurt, likely to the point of death... You HAVE to give me the Rainbow Wing! Only I can hold it; you know that! And I can fix all of this-"

"NO!" The man named Shane pulled the vial away, holding it tightly to his chest, like a child holding his teddy bear securely. "I WILL NOT LET YOU, FRANK! THIS SHALL RUIN ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR, THAT WE'VE SPENT OUR LIFETIMES ON! YOU KNOW THAT!"

"Yes, we've been working on this, planned this out for a long time," Frank replied softly, modestly. "It was our grand scheme...but I realized that there is nothing wrong with the world that we can fix without sacrificing the life of an innocent Pokémon... I've realized that this scheme was all wrong from the start. Now I'm gonna fix it."

"YOU WILL NOT! YOU SHALL NOT!"

"LISTEN TO YOURSELF, SHANE!" roared Frank. "YOU DESIRE TO CURE THE WORLD, RID IT OF ALL THE EVIL THAT PLAGUES IT, AND YET, YOU SOUND JUST LIKE THE ONES WE ARE FIGHTING! LIKE THOSE TEAM ROCKET FELLOWS! YOU FOOLISHLY SET ASIDE CONCERN FOR ALL ELSE, BLINDED, CORRUPTED BY YOUR SELFISH GOALS!"

"My goals aren't selfish," Shane said, more quietly, in a nasty growl. "Unlike Team Rocket, my goals are to destroy them completely, wipe them off the face of the earth, undo their very existence! And the same goes to all of the other evils out there in the world! My goals are to make the world a better place, one people can live in with no fear, no despair, no pain. No, it is YOU who has become blinded and corrupted, Frank! I AM JUST TRYING TO SAVE THE WORLD!"

"I AM TOO! LOOK AT HO-OH! LOOK WHAT YOU... WE HAVE DONE TO IT!" He gestured to the fallen mass of the bird. "IF IT DIES, THEN ALL HELL TRULY BREAKS LOOSE! IT WILL OBLITERATE THE ENTIRE WORLD, REMOVE IT FROM EXISTENCE! AND IT WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PLANET, AND THE ONE AFTER THAT, AND THE ONE AFTER THAT, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH, UNTIL FINALLY, THE ONLY THING THAT WILL EXIST IS NONEXISTENCE!"

"WHAT IN ARCEUS'S NAME ARE YOU BLABBERING ABOUT, FRANK?!"

"I am talking about Pure Impurity, the complete opposite of the things that Ho-Oh stands for. Ho-Oh stands for happiness, life, purity, good, and courage. Pure Impurity is sadness, death, impurity, evil, and cowardice. If you continue this, Shane, then you will unleash Pure Impurity and it will destroy EVERYTHING!"

Shane smirked. "You think I'm gonna fall for your stupid, foolish jokes, brother. Think again. And for the last time, CALL ME GOLDHEART!"

"I WILL CALL YOU NOTHING OF THE SORT! AND IF YOU WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME, THEN I GUESS I'M GONNA HAVE TO FIGHT YOU! CHIKORITA, GO!"

The Chikorita hopped off of Frank's shoulder, growling at Shane. Shane's smirk merely widened, and he procured a Poké Ball.

"Fine, then," he said. "If this is what you want, brother, then a fight is what you've got. GO, TYPHLOSION!" Shane unleashed the Volcano Pokémon, which shot out red-hot streams of fire from the back of its neck, as means of intimidating Chikorita. "Typhlosion, use Flame Wheel!"

Typhlosion ran toward Chikorita, its body becoming surrounded in flames.

"DODGE, CHIKORITA, THEN USE TACKLE!" commanded Frank.

Chikorita managed to dodge the Flame Wheel attack before tackling Typhlosion. However, Shane cackled maniacally.

"Foolish move, brother," he said. "Typhlosion, flare up your body now!"

Frank's eyes widened; he had just noticed that Chikorita was lying on top of the red spots of Typhlosion's neck, the spots that fired off the streams of flame. "Chikorita, get off of Typhlosion now!" he commanded. Fortunately, Chikorita was able to get off, seconds before the flames exploded from Typhlosion's neck. Shane laughed.

"What're ya gonna do, brother?!" he called tauntingly. "Your favorite Grass-type Pokémon against my powerful Fire-type Pokémon! What are the chances of you being the sole victor of this battle?! Let me guess. Uh...how about ZERO! And NOW, you will learn that our plan was destined to succeed! You WILL regret ever speaking out against our mission! TYPHLOSION, USE ERUPTION NOW! AND MAKE IT EXTRA-POWERFUL!"

Typhlosion charged towards Chikorita, igniting the flames on its neck, which steadily grew larger. It then fired a geyser of fire from its neck at Chikorita.

"DODGE AGAIN, CHIKORITA!" shouted Frank.

The Leaf Pokémon tried to dodge the Eruption attack, but this time, it was too late. Chikorita released a drawn-out cry of pain as it was sent flying in the air, its frame badly burned by Typhlosion's powerful attack. It landed painfully on the ground, just a few feet from the body of the bird called Ho-Oh. It struggled to get up, but then, after a few minutes of laborious trying, the Leaf Pokémon collapsed, on the verge of unconsciousness.

"No, Chikorita!" Frank exclaimed. "No, don't you give up on me now, Chikorita! Chikorita, get up! You can do it, Chikorita! I have faith in you!"

Chikorita's eyes fluttered open, and it tried to stand up again. A cackle escaped Shane's mouth; it echoed across the air, giving an oddly chilly quality to the fiery scene.

"YOU'RE WEAK, FRANK, LIKE YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN!..." he shouted. "ADMIT IT! I WIN!" Shane pointed at Chikorita. "Typhlosion, use ERUPTION AGAIN!"

Typhlosion fired another red-hot geyser of fire at Chikorita, landing the attack successfully and grievously burning the Leaf Pokémon. Frank instantly ran up to his fallen Pokémon, picking it up and cradling it in his arms, looking down at it with concern. No one noticed Ho-Oh's body briefly stirring.

"Gonna give up, Frank?" asked Shane.

Frank looked up at Shane, growling. "Do you even KNOW what the hell's at stake?!" he asked, flames practically shooting out of his mouth as he spoke. "Do you even KNOW whose lives are in grave danger?! Your children's, Shane! Wayne and Riley's lives! Your sons, Shane! You can't turn a blind eye on this, Shane! Your sons' lives depend on it!" He took a step towards Ho-Oh, now looking at its fallen frame. "Billions of humans and Pokémon are at stake, Shane! All because of what you...we want to do to change the world! If this keeps up, everyone will die! Please listen to me on this, Shane!"

"Oh, of COURSE I'll listen to you on this, brother!" Shane exclaimed sarcastically. "Of COURSE I'll listen to your stupid plans!"

Frank let out a roar of anger and annoyance. "WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN?!"

Shane cackled and held out the vial for Frank to see. "So, you want the Rainbow Wing?" He stuffed the vial into his pocket, recalled Typhlosion, and procured a sword that was previously unseen. The hilt was decorated with a single glittering sapphire, which glowed as Shane took a battling pose. "Come and GET IT!"

Frank gritted his teeth, realizing that it had all come down to this ultimate, decisive movement. Setting the gravely wounded Chikorita back down onto the ground as it continued to recuperate, Frank then picked up a stick that was lying next to his feet...but it wasn't a stick; it was some sort of staff, with a sapphire identical to the one at the hilt of Shane's sword, which also glowed brilliantly as he held it. Frank and Shane stared each other down.

"This is your last chance to give up, brother," said Shane, grinning. "You don't wanna leave your wife and children like this, now would you?"

"You've gone mad, Shane," Frank replied. "I don't wanna leave my family like this, sure, and yet, you don't seem to have a degree of concern for your sons..."

"Because I'm gonna WIN! AND FOR THE LAST TIME, CALL ME GOLDHEART, ARCEUS-DAMN IT! YAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!" Like a fierce warrior headed into the heat of the battle, Shane charged towards Frank, his sword ready to kill. Frank charged as well, raising his staff, preparing himself to fight to the butter death if necessary. As he closed in on his brother, he thought about his wife and the twin children he was about to leave behind...

They were about to make the first strike...

Present day

The holographic images suddenly retracted back inside the Time Flower before it could show in full detail the melee battle between Frank and Shane. Nate actually felt inclined to pursue the recording, to try and see what exactly had become of the two of them. However, he merely sat on the sofa, seemingly plastered to it, in absolute awe of what he had just seen. When the image turned into nothing more than the tiny light-blue sphere that sank back inside the Time Flower, which then closed up, Nate immediately glanced at Lyra, his face etched with an expression of both curiosity and shock.

"What was that?" he asked.

"You just saw your grandfather and your great-uncle," replied Lyra. "Frank and Shane Ketchum. Frank was your grandfather...and my father..."

Nate blinked as he absorbed the information. "What...What happened to them? What happened to Ho-Oh?"

"Well, first thing's first, Frank won the battle. Shane was killed. And yet, there was a price. Ho-Oh was dying, and in the midst of the battle, the Rainbow Wing, the one that Shane had in his possession, was...lost. With the Rainbow Wing, gone, there was only one other way to bring Ho-Oh back to full health, and that was the transfer of Aura from one living being to another, at the cost of the first being's life-force. But Frank had no other choice. He brought Ho-Oh back with his Aura, and he...died."

"But if Frank and Shane are both dead and Ho-Oh was restored, then I don't see how this ties into the events that you say happened to you guys."

"Oh, it ties in," said Dawn. "Everything ties in."

"Which brings us to the next Time Flower," May added.

"You have more than one Time Flower?" asked Nate.

"We've spent the last ten years collecting Time Flowers, seeing what they recorded," Hilbert said. "We knew we'd come across you one day, and we knew that when that time comes, it'd already be at a point where the evil we once fought would rise again."

"Rise again?"

Cheren looked at Nate seriously. "We were informed ten years back that there was still a presence of the forces we fought, still out there, and that they were slowly but surely reconstructing their ranks, re-energizing themselves, regaining the power that they once had for a short time."

"Who informed you?"

"Zekrom."

"But we will get to that some other time," Lyra said as she took out another backpack, marked 2 on a post-it. "For now, we take you to ten years ago."

She activated the Time Flower, and it unleashed its holographic image.

Goldhart Enterprises Headquarters
Goldenrod City
Two years before the death of Ash Ketchum

Wayne Ketchum sat in the comfortable armchair of his office, relishing in the current developments. Things were going in his favor right now. He recently just purchased the Kodai Network, which was put up for sale by its board members immediately following the arrest of its ruthless and ambitious founder and president Grings Kodai, something that was indefinitely because of the major contribution of none other than his cousin Ash. Maybe he had to thank his cousin for his efforts. After all, without him, he wouldn't have access to all of the products created by the Kodai Network, which were precisely what he needed for his master scheme.

He smirked as he turned his armchair around, gazing out of the large window his office boasted, which offered him a good view of the rest of downtown Goldenrod City and the glittering, shiny ocean. "Maybe when I meet up with Ash, I should do that very thing..." he thought.

"Mr. Goldhart?"

Wayne's smirk widened. To the public, he was only known as Goldhart, enigmatic businessman and owner of Goldhart Enterprises, which specialized in creating devices of defense and protection for the Johto region. No one knew of his true heritage, and it must stay that way...until the right moment comes. He twirled his armchair and stared at his faithful secretary, Rowena. She had shiny blonde hair, which was tied in a ponytail by a blue bow, and pretty purple eyes; she wore a brown blouse with a black skirt and a ruby necklace. He could've sworn he heard the name Rowena before, but Wayne decided to dismiss it.

"Yes, Rowena?" he asked.

"Your two o'clock appointment is here," she replied, staring at a clipboard that she held.

Wayne smiled; he knew who it was. "Send them in, Rowena."

The secretary nodded and left the office. A few minutes later, the door opened again, and in stepped a group of seven people, led by a teenage boy with crimson hair.

"Sky Seven," Wayne said.

"Mr. Goldhart," replied the teenage boy.

"Take a chair, everyone. Let the meeting commence..." Wayne stood up and drew in the curtains of the large window, casting the office into shadow. As he did so, the seven all took a chair of their own and seated opposite to Wayne's desk. The businessman sat back down on his armchair, smiling. "So, what's your report?"

"Everything's in place," one of the visitors, a woman with sleek indigo hair, replied. "We've successfully established connections to all Kodai Network-owned television sets and mobile communication devices. Also, construction of the Golden Cage has been completed. We are just making the final touches to it, but we're all done."

"Good. And what of the activities of Raikou, Entei, and Suicune?"

"Nothing out of the usual," a man with bright green eyes replied. "We plan to make our moves very soon. Which one should we go after first, though?"

"Go after Raikou first. We capture it, put it under our control, and use it to capture Suicune, who is weak against Raikou's Electric-type attacks. And then, we repeat the same process, except that we use Suicune against Entei, who is weak against Suicune's Water-type attacks. And once we have all three Legendary Beasts under our possession, then Ho-Oh will respond. As their Master, it cannot let the Beasts be subjugated under human control. And then..." Wayne smirked triumphantly. "...that's when we make our move on Ho-Oh. We will use all three Beasts to capture it, and then, purity shall be ours...and the world's..."

"But what about Ash Ketchum?" the teenage boy asked. "I saw him at Broawin City-"

"Don't worry about him, Felix," replied Wayne. "Just do what I instructed you to do. When he interferes, then I'll take care of it." He stood up. "You're all dismissed."

The seven collectively stood up and left the office. Wayne smiled triumphantly and glanced at the only thing on his desk other than the papers, pen, and small lamp: a single crystalline Time Flower, which had been activated the entire time. He placed a hand on the Time Flower, whispering a single statement as it deactivated.

"Pretty soon, the world will become a better place for everyone..."

Present day

Nate watched as the holographic image retreated back into the Time Flower. "Who were they?" he asked.

"Wayne Ketchum, the son of Shane Ketchum," Cheren explained. "Ash's cousin. And the leader of the Sky Soldiers, the forces that we have fought ten years ago."

"Who are the Sky Soldiers?"

"A criminal syndicate who sought to harness the power of Ho-Oh and, to some extent, the Legendary Beasts Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, to eradicate all traces of evil in the world and usher all of civilization into a new era of peace and harmony. However, no matter how good that goal may seem, to do so, to rid the world of evil and malice, it would instead result in the ultimate destruction of the world, the universe...all of existence... That you know from the first Time Flower."

"Any questions, Nate?" asked Hilda, who had spoken for the first time.

"A lot, and yet...you only answered a few..."

"What questions do you have for us that were left unanswered?" May asked.

A glint passed by Nate's eye. "Who's my mother? My real mother?..."

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Kelly suddenly grabbed Nate's hand and held it very tightly that it almost hurt. The vast silence hung in the atmosphere like a thick, gray storm-cloud. The only thing that could be heard was the chirping of Bug-type Pokémon outside. Finally, Hilda closed her eyes solemnly.

"I think we're done here for now."

"But-"

"You heard her," said Cheren sternly. "We're done for today. I believe that you have a big day tomorrow."

"The Ketchum Month Tournament... That's right..."

Knowing that there was no chance to make a good argument, Nate stood up from the sofa and left the living room.

Once Nate had completely fallen asleep, Hilda stood silently at the doorway of the bedroom, watching his sleeping form. She sighed sadly and prepared to leave when she found herself facing Kelly, who was staring back with a determined expression, one that signified that she knew the truth.

"Why didn't you want the truth to be told?" Kelly asked.

"What do you mean?" replied Hilda, confused. "What're you talking about?"

Kelly scoffed. "Trust me, I know that look you had on your face when Nate wanted to know who is real mom was. ...I know it all too well..."

"What're you getting at?!"

"You're Nate's mom, aren't you?"

Hilda was silent. Then, she pursed her lips and nodded.

"...Yes..."

Outside the Rocket Blimp

"So, the boy is starting to learn," Zekrom said.

"Yes, he is," replied Iris. "It's not much right now, but...he'll soon learn his true destiny."

"That is pleasing to hear." Zekrom glanced up to the starry night sky. "I sense him."

"Reshiram?" Iris had a strange feeling that Zekrom might be talking about its polar opposite, who hadn't been seen in ten years following the death of the person who had completely gained its trust... The image of a man with light-green hair flashed through her mind.

Zekrom's answer didn't surprise the Dragon Master, however. "No. Kyurem. He is executing his job perfectly..."

Chapter Text

The Rocket Blimp
Near Ketchum City

Once the last of the group had fallen asleep, and the light in the hallway went out like a star being consumed by a black hole, Nate jerked his eyelids open. Truthfully, he was unable to sleep at all. Seeing those flashbacks through something as ancient and unorthodox as a Time Flower was quite an unnerving experience for him, and in more ways than one. Every time he remembered the blaze that nearly threatened Ecruteak City, Ho-Oh's still body, the first few seconds of the fatal battle between Frank and Shane, his grandfather and great-uncle, it made him sick to the stomach. He was beginning to regret wanting to learn the answers to these mysteries.

Yet, he couldn't help but wish to learn more about what transpired ten years ago. It was just like an incurable disease that ravaged through the body, the most primal of instincts, a complete mental compulsion. He wondered if he inherited this curiosity from Ash, whom he knew to have a desire to seek knowledge and solve mysteries from his childhood storybook... Nate shook his head in a fruitless effort to clear his mind of those thoughts.

Nate tried closing his eyes, but now, whenever he did so, he always saw that raging fire, the fallen body of Ho-Oh, cast mostly into shadow from the bright, red-hot fire and the devastated ruins of the old tower. He then opened his eyes, remembering the trip he had with Kelly to the Johto region when he was a child.

They visited Ecruteak City. They came across a stretch of field that appeared to be barren, scarred by something furious and destructive, yet sporting all of the signs of restored life, marked by the stump of a single rock that was embedded in the ground, which he and Kelly had sat on when they got tired of the walking. He wondered if that field was the original resting place of the tower that burned down to the ground, the location of the battle between Frank and Shane.

"Was all of this planned out from the start?" Nate asked to himself within his mind. "Was all of this prepared for me beforehand?"

He then remembered that Zekrom was sleeping directly outside the blimp, keeping itself well out of sight for any pedestrians conveniently wandering around the area. Instinctively, Nate sat up from his bed, took a fleeting glance at the sleeping forms of Kelly, Hugh, and Rosa, and silently crept out of the bedroom and into the hallway. The Trainer hoped that Zekrom might have some more answers, and that he might be willing to indulge them with him...that is, if Zekrom was willing...

It turned out that not everyone was sleeping. A strange, shimmering light was glowing across the living room, a light that struck a chord within Nate's memory...

Someone was viewing a Time Flower.

With all of the silence that he could muster, Nate tiptoed down the hallway, closer to the light, the voices of the people featured in the holographic image beginning to snake through his ears. It appeared that the image was depicting a young girl and an older man talking.

"What's your name?" The girl's voice sounded so realistic, so close, that Nate initially thought Rosa had woken up, come up behind him, and was now surprising him. But then, he realized that it was the image being played out, and continued to listen to it.

"Huh?" It was the older man this time; though he was obviously older than the girl, he still sounded young, and there was some sort of mystical tone to his voice...

"What's your name? Your real name?" the girl asked again. There was a brief silence. "Come on, now, N has to stand for something..."

"Natural Harmonia Gropius," replied the man. "Natural Harmonia Gropius is my real name."

"That's a weird name." A brief silence. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I get that a lot."

"Haven't you ever wanted to call yourself something else? Something more... regular? Having a name like Natural Harmonia Gropius sounds disconcerting."

"...No. Not really. Natural Harmonia Gropius is who I am, and who I want to be. I am Natural Harmonia Gropius, protector of Pokémon from human evil and exploitation. If you have a problem with my full name, young lady, then your hopes of having me reconsider have failed."

"...I'm sorry..."

"It's okay. Like I said, I get that a lot."

At that point, Nate recognized the girl's voice as belonging to a younger Hilda, for some reason. Just then, the image retracted back into the Time Flower, followed by a set of footsteps. Panicking, the Trainer immediately hid behind a large houseplant, hoping the person wouldn't see him.

She passed by, looking down at the ground, her face etched in a downcast expression, not noticing Nate's presence nearby. Nate stared at the adult Hilda, wondering why she looked so sad. Then, he quickly deduced that the man she was talking with in the holographic image might've been someone important to her.

Once she turned a corner and entered her own bedroom, Nate quietly tiptoed back into the hallway and found his way to the door leading out of the blimp. He peeked for a fraction of a second out of the window to see Zekrom's sleeping form before silently opening the door, retrieving his coat, and stepping outside into the snow.

He glanced at Zekrom again, and saw that the Deep Black Pokémon wasn't actually sleeping at all; instead, it was lying on the ground in a resting position, inspecting Mt. Silver, as if it expected something to happen on it. Nate slowly tiptoed towards the Legendary Pokémon, all the while marveling at the sight of it; after all, this was the first time he saw the legendary Zekrom up close, and it was an opportunity that not many Trainers would manage to experience once in their lives!

"There is no need to be silent, Nate Ketchum."

Nate felt his stomach tighten; he was obviously uncomfortable being called by his true name. However, he calmed down and stepped beside Zekrom, who sat up and looked at him with its great, deep-red eyes that seemed to pierce through Nate's body, observing his very soul.

"You are still curious, aren't you?" the dragon asked.

"I feel like this whole take-it-slowly thing isn't doing well for me," Nate replied. "I have to learn more. I need to. I mean, I've gotta know why all of this is happening-"

"Anyone sporting the Ketchum blood and name must have destiny following him or her wherever they go. It has always been that way since the passing of your earliest-known ancestor, Sir Aaron. Whether you desire it or not, Nate, destiny will always call for your name. That is all I have to say for now."

"But...I don't know if I can handle it... You see, now that I think about it, I've realized something. I've always looked up to Ash as my role model, and I've always hoped that I would become a hero like him. But now that a potential situation is before me, and I have to be a hero if I am to ensure the continued survival of both mankind and Pokémon-kind alike, I have this to say: training Pokémon is tough enough, but saving the world is way too hard..."

To Nate's surprise, Zekrom laughed, something that was impossible to imagine. "That is what your father said once, when destiny first called his name. You are definitely your father's son, Nate Ketchum." The dragon shifted a little. "Nate, if you desire a normal life, then it shall always be out of your reach. No matter how normal the days will usually be, there will, and shall always be a time when the Pokémon world needs you."

"Well then, that blows," Nate said. He then looked up at Zekrom. "Hey, Zekrom, how in the world do you fit in all of this?"

A strange glint flashed by Zekrom's eyes as he glanced back at Mt. Silver. "I have intentions of my own to pursue here. It is nothing that concerns you."

"I thought everything concerns me?"

"It is just none of your concern, Nate. Now, resume your rest. I assume there is a big day ahead of you tomorrow..."

"Yeah, yeah, I shall. Thanks for the talk, Zekrom..."

Zekrom didn't say another word, so Nate merely walked back towards the blimp. However, he stopped and looked back; Zekrom was still looking at Mt. Silver.

Nate then ran off towards Ketchum City.

Ketchum Center

The statue of Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu glimmered from the moonlight and the light emanating from the streetlamps. The center was now sparse with pedestrians, some of which were preparing to call it a day as they folded up their stands, others taking late-night jogs. The only civilian still present was a homeless man, who slept against the concrete wall of one of the buildings, the hood of his shawl cast over his face as he snored lazily. A flock of Butterfree flew across the sky, the magical trails of glitter falling behind them, resembling stardust. A small, single cloud lay suspended in the starry sky, moving across it for fractions of inches.

Nate silently approached the statue of Ash and Pikachu, looking up at it. The glimmer glinted in his eye, making him flinch for a second.

"Hello, Dad," he said, almost as if he were actually greeting the actual person. "I don't know if you're aware of it, but...I'm your son. Nate." Again, Nate fell silent for a brief moment. "Dad...is this where I am gonna go? Am I gonna have to save the world, just like you did? Am I gonna...die?" He sighed. "If so, then...I don't know if I can do it. I honestly don't think I can take something like this. ...All the pressure, all the fear of what's ahead of me." He stared into the engraved markings that were Ash's eyes. "How did you handle it, Dad? How were you able to handle such pressure, such fear? Did you just go for it like the storybook says? Or...were you scared too?"

There was, unsurprisingly, no response. Nevertheless, Nate collapsed to his knees, struggling to not cry, fear rushing through his body like adrenaline. The center was now completely clear of civilians, except for the homeless man, who was still sleeping soundly, so no one noticed his semi-breakdown.

"Please answer me, Dad! Please...answer me..." The Trainer began to sob. "I don't wanna die...I don't wanna save the world if I was forced to..." Again, there was no response, as usually expected. Nate clenched his fists as his sobbing continued. "I-I HATE this!"

"Do you?" a familiar voice asked.

Nate turned around and saw Rosa standing there, looking at him with a solemn expression etched on her face.

"What are you doing here?" asked Nate as he frantically wiped the tears from his face; he didn't want Rosa to see him crying and then use it to rub it in his face later.

"I heard you leave the blimp, so I followed you."

Nate turned away from Rosa. "Did you hear everything I said?"

Rosa was silent for a moment. "...Yeah. Listen, I'm sorry for everything that's happened so far-"

"How in Arceus's name are you sorry?" Nate interrupted bitterly. "Since when have you felt that sorry for me? You've got no involvement in this new affair of mine! Hey, in fact, the only reason you're only involved in this just because you randomly waltzed in and wanted to tag along for one reason or another!"

Taken aback by Nate's outburst, Rosa stepped backward. Realizing that he shouldn't be disturbed, she briskly walked away. Nate caught a glimpse of tears glittering in her eyes as she stormed away, and he felt inclined to apologize to her, but all grief, anger, and fear that he was feeling overwhelmed him like a tidal wave. Instead, he merely watched helplessly as she disappeared from view. He then sighed deeply and glanced back at the statue.

"Well, sorry about that, Dad," he said, sniffling. "That was Rosa. A good friend of mine. ...I probably shouldn't have yelled at her..."

Once again, no response. Nate gritted his teeth; he didn't know why he was here in the first place.

"TELL ME, ASH KETCHUM!" he shouted. "WHERE DOES MY DESTINY LIE?!"

"It all depends on the decisions you make, my boy."

Nate yelped out in surprise and turned around. Standing a few feet away from him was a man wearing a gold cloak, with crimson hair and a sinister smirk on his face.

"Who are you?" Nate asked, stepping back in caution.

"My name is Felix Ketchum," the man replied. "I am your cousin. Second cousin, to be precise. ...Well, adoptive second cousin. Anyway, that's beside the point." His grin widened considerably as he studied Nate's features. "You've got your father's eyes, Nate, and his sense of style. But you've also got your mother's hair, quite smooth and shiny and brown, if not a lil' messy." He chuckled heartily, as if this was a reunion between two good friends. "It's good to see you here, Nate."

Glancing at the strange golden cloak Felix was wearing, Nate knew that he was trouble.

"What do you want from me?" he asked.

"What do I want from you?" Felix replied, chuckling again. "Only your power and assistance. You fear accepting your destiny, for it might lead to death. ...Well, I have to tell you, Nate, it does lead to death. But-" He began pacing, a dark expression lingering over his face. "-there is more than one path to your destiny. And I have seen a path that does not involve your death in any way. Wanna know what that path is, Nate?"

Nate was silent, but Felix took it as an approving response, as he grinned maliciously.

"Joining me. I am the leader of an organization dedicated to eradicating the pandemic that is evil, greed, and corruption. The Sky Soldiers. You probably have heard of it already. They were active a decade previous as well, and would have still be around had it not been for your father's intervention.

"A shame, really. He was blinded by this, how should I say, moral that evil was meant to exist as long as there was good in the world, that without evil, good would be all for nothing, and vice versa, and yet, that moral was flawed, nothing more than a loose variable, junk science. Good can work without evil, for it is the driving force of the world, but has just long been hindered by the seductive pull of evil. You can say that if evil were extinguished like a fire on a building, then the world would be way more evolved, more civilized, more peaceful! It'd be a better place for itself! And yet, poor Ash allowed his life to be extinguished by that simple wrong turn of his.

"But you don't have to go down the same path, Nate. You will never have to, if you decide not to." Felix held out his hand towards Nate, as a warm gesture. "Join me, Nate. Do not listen to those liars back there. They are trying to blind you as well with that same immoral concept. Do not listen to their poisonous words. Join me, and you won't lose your life like your father did." His smile widened even more, in an attempt to seem warm and welcoming. "What do you say, Nate?"

Nate glanced warily at Felix's hand. He knew he shouldn't trust absolutely anything and everything with a Sky Soldier logo branded on it, but on the other hand, he felt as if he was being kept in the dark about the circumstances of his heritage. Like if he was meant to pursue some sort of destiny like his father did before him...

Then, he remembered Kelly, Rosa, Hugh, and his family, plus all of his other rivals and friends back in Unova.

"And what happens to the ones I care about if I join you?" he asked.

"What happens to them?" repeated Felix. "Well, they will be granted complete amnesty from our worldwide purge. In no way shall they be harmed. I promise that."

Nate glared at Felix's hand, then at the statue of Ash. He didn't know what to do. He knew he shouldn't be joining forces with the likes of Felix and his Sky Soldiers, but he had never felt so scared of the future. A lot of pressure, a lot of expectations, a lot of darkness ahead... It was all so bleak...

Felix recognized Nate's mood and lowered his hand, smiling. "I understand if you're conflicted," he replied, turning around. "I shall give you as much time as you need. But remember this, the Sky Soldiers once said this, years ago: 'Good and evil have waged war with each other for as long as the creation of the world occurred, and it always serves disastrous consequences to the innocents who never deserved to be involved at all, thus there must be a complete eradication of evil in order to ensure that life goes on, lest the innocents continue to suffer casualties.'" Felix faced Nate, smiling slightly. "Just remember that, Nate...remember..."

There was a sudden flash of light, and Felix was gone.

Nate stood there silently for a few minutes, contemplating over what had just happened. Then, he walked back toward the blimp, tight-lipped.

Little did Nate or Felix know that the homeless man had awakened by the time they started conversing. He raised the hood of his shawl, revealing auburn eyes.

"Well, this just got a little interesting," Ash muttered to himself as Lucario appeared on the rooftop.

Chapter Text

The Forest of Hearts
Near Ketchum City

Ash stepped inside the thicket that he called his new home for ten years. The group of trees were still reformed in the shape of the protective dome that was created by the Plate he stole from Arceus, which was currently lying on the soft, fresh ground, glimmering from the moonlight that was breaking through the defense shield of trees. Quietly and slowly, he sat down, cross-legged, beside the Plate and exhaled with some sort of placating calmness, almost as if he were in some sort of religious prayer. After sitting in that position for a long moment, Ash picked up the Plate and read the engraving that was etched on it.

'From it, the Original One conceived the heart and the soul to balance the cycle of purity.'

"'From it, the Original One conceived the heart and the soul to balance the cycle of purity'," repeated Ash. He then frowned, gritted his teeth, and angrily slammed the Plate back down on the ground. He stood up abruptly and punched one of the tree trunks so hard that crisp leaves, half-frozen from the winter, fluttered around him. "Damn Arceus! Does he know what kind of suffering I had to witness in order to balance this cycle? DOES HE?! Or was that supposed to be part of the plan as well?"

"I do not have the answers to that question, Master," a voice said.

Ash sighed and replied, "First of all, I wasn't talking to you, Lucario. Second of all, do NOT call me Master. It's unethical."

"But isn't it the nature of an Aura Guardian to call its mentor Master?"

Ash sighed again and turned around to faced his protege that was Lucario. He remembered encountering a scared, lonely Riolu in the Forest of Hearts eight years ago. It showed a number of impressive Aura skills, and Ash, remembering the Aura training he received in the Reverse World, decided to pass on his skills to the otherwise-confused Emanation Pokémon. Within a three-year span full of extensive training, Riolu expanded and perfected its skills, and not longer afterward, it evolved into the Lucario that was standing right before Ash today. Unfortunately, the evolution seemed to give Lucario a rebellious streak, since it had began questioning Ash's actions.

"I never taught you that, Lucario," Ash said sternly. "Now, why are you here? You never come in here without a reason."

"I wanted to talk to you about the boy who called himself your son."

Ash's reply was terse. "I have no son."

"This boy obviously thinks otherwise."

"Of course. But I have spoken, Lucario. I have no son. Now, leave me in peace. Go help Pikachu watch over the community."

"If I may, Master-"

"You shall do nothing further in my quarters, Lucario. I told you to go help Pikachu watch the community. Now."

However, Lucario wasn't willing to give up and obey his Master's orders. He spoke, more sternly, "I have interacted with the boy. He is just like you in every way possible. He has your personality, which no other person can ever have, and your Aura signature. I know he's your son, Master, and you know as well. I can sense it in your Aura readings. You are secretly in grief and denial. I think it's time you-"

"You dare defy me, Lucario?" demanded Ash, although his voice was still calm, implacable. "Yes, I am in grief and denial, but over what I've experienced ten years ago."

"I understand that, Master, but I know-"

"You know what?" Ash sat down, as if this were a simple, non-confrontational conversation between two good friends. "What do you know, Lucario?"

"I know you want to go back-"

"Why should I go back, Lucario? I learned the true purpose of my life! HA! Arceus hoped it'd be what I needed to prepare myself for what was to come, but he did not expect how I would handle it when the damn news broke. Now, I have seen my life as nothing more than a lie, and I still do. Now, why do you think should I go back to living a lie, Lucario? Huh? Why?" Lucario was silent; Ash smirked. "Help Pikachu watch the community, Lucario."

Knowing that he cannot persuade its Master, Lucario left the thicket.

The sewer systems
Underneath Ketchum City

Enigma stepped inside the chamber that was his quarters for the past ten years. The chilly breeze that was brought by Kyurem's army of Cryogonal blew through the tunnels, but the syndicate leader was undeterred by the lower-than-usual temperatures. He sat down on his trademark red carpet and closed his eyes. Then, he felt a presence enter the chamber. His lips curved into a soft smile as he recognized the newest visitor.

"Yes, Curtis?"

"We've done just as you asked," the green-haired boy replied. "The devices are all ready and capable. ...We are ready to make our comeback."

Enigma's grin widened even more; he appeared disturbingly hungry. "Excellent. Make sure everyone and everything is in place for tomorrow. We wanna be as ready as we were ten years ago. But remember, do not strike just yet. I have some business to attend to with our dear friend Nate."

"Father? May I...ask a question?" This time, it was Yancy who spoke.

"By all means, Yancy," replied Enigma, not looking at her.

"Why do you want Nate to join us? If you say he has his father's mannerisms, then shouldn't it be in his nature to not join us, the perceived bad guys?"

"He's in a vulnerable position, Yancy. He just found out that he is the son of the very person who died thwarting my father's goal for worldwide peace and prosperity. If I am not mistaken, he is now being informed of the events that transpired ten years ago. I won't be surprised if he was just informed that he is one of the two heirs to the Ketchum legacy. It'll be too much information for him to bear at the moment. Of course, it will be the Ketchum nature to adapt soon, but Nate is still in that process, giving me the opportunity I need to sway him onto our side. Then, with his influence, it won't be hard for us to sway over the other heir as well.

"And with the newest Ketchums under our employment, we shall easily draw out Ho-Oh, capture it, take control of its power over good and purity, first use it to free my father, and then use it to fulfill his long-overdue goal of cleansing the world of the evil and malice that plagues it like a cancer. And then we shall have peace."

"Forgive me, Father," Yancy piped, evidently careful in using the right words to address her father, "but won't taking control of Ho-Oh forcibly give rise to Pure Impurity, the stark opposite to Ho-Oh's powers? I mean, that is what had happened the last time, am I right?"

"Don't worry, I have it all planned out to the last detail. Our master scheme will go just as planned."

"But I read-"

"Don't listen to that foolish book, Yancy," scolded Enigma sternly, finally staring at her and Curtis. "We can overcome Pure Impurity, if we put our minds to it. It can't be all that difficult. After all, this is what we're prepared for: the rise of Pure Impurity. That is why we have the devices that we need to block it out. Use your mind, Yancy."

"Yes, Father," Yancy replied submissively, bowing her head sadly before leaving the room. Curtis watched her go before addressing Enigma.

"So, what shall the positions be?"

Yancy didn't know if she could do this.

She read the book on Ho-Oh's powers and the consequences of them being used by the wrong hands. She knew that there was absolutely no way to assert control of Ho-Oh successfully without drawing out Pure Impurity, the dark energy that lay dormant within the Earth, waiting for its guardian and channel, Ho-Oh itself, to become corrupted. And once Pure Impurity rose, then very few means can be used to stop it and reseal it back inside the Earth, means that the New Sky Soldiers did not have at the moment. The pink-haired girl began to think of Nate, and how stricken he looked when she spied on him all over Ketchum City...

Yancy knew she had to warn him about these developments somehow, but...how?...

Then, she spotted the flyer for the Ketchum Month Tournament, which her father had saved.

Chapter Text

The Rocket Blimp
Near Ketchum City

Nate sat in the living room offered by the Rocket Blimp, staring down silently at his palms. Though he hadn't shaken hands with Felix last night, to seal the pact that he detailed to him, the Trainer could still feel the ghost of a foreign palm grazing along his own, as if he did shake hands with the syndicate leader. The morning sun was still making its rise over the Johto mountains, bathing the landscape with its warm, golden light. The light crept through the window and illuminated the living room; at the corner of his eye, Nate could see something glinting. He glanced at May's bag and saw that a Time Flower was sticking out.

He then looked at the hallway that led to the bedrooms, as if he were expecting someone to appear in the room at any moment. Nate then reached inside the bag and pulled out the Time Flower. On it was a post-it that read '21: VERY IMPORTANT!'. Intrigued, Nate reached his hand, wondering if it would actually respond to his Aura.

It did.

Several hours later
Ketchum Month Stadium
At Ketchum City

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls!"

The olive-green-haired announcer's greeting drew an explosion of uproarious cheering and applause from the vast audience that had practically filled up the Ketchum Month Stadium up to the brim; some people even had to sit on the staircases after finding that there were no available seats for them. Vendors struggled to keep up with the demands of their customers, and many of the audience was wearing a variety of clothing that was themed after some of their favorite contestants.

"Now THAT'S what I'm talking about, everyone!" the announcer exclaimed into his microphone as he hovered in the air using a high-tech, rocket-powered platform. "Alright, as you all know, today marks the start of Ketchum Month, the month-long celebration dedicated to our very hero of the skies, ASH KETCHUM!"

Upon the exact moment the announcer shouted out the name, multiple fireworks were shot into the air, as if on a cue, and exploded with a deafening BOOM!, creating an image of majestic golden wings, with brilliant, sparkling colors of crimson, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet trailing from them, and an 'A' placed directly in the middle of the wings. The audience exploded into cheer for a second time as the announcer held out his arms, relishing in the excited uproar he stirred up.

"Okay, everyone! Now that that's done, I shall give you our beloved mayor, Zander Harrington, who has an important announcement to not only the citizen body of Ketchum City, but the overall population of the world! Mayor Harrington, everyone!"

The audience applauded and cheered as the four large screens, each one situated at each side of the stadium, displayed the image of Mayor Harrington, who flashed a ridiculously toothy grin. Beside him was his cyan-haired assistant, who looked especially uncomfortable in this current state of presence.

"Good morning, Ketchum City!" the mayor announced, offering special emphasis to the first word, which made his assistant cringe in disgust and disapproval. As the audience once again erupted into cheer, he continued, "It is, at this hour, one of the most golden hours the world has ever experienced in its long history. It is the start of this year's Ketchum Month, which would happen to mark the decade that has passed since Ash Ketchum selflessly set aside his life to ensure the continued survival of our very lives. So, let us honor his memory, and spend the first minute of Ketchum Month in commemorative silence."

Not only did the audience in the Ketchum Month Stadium fall silent, but the citizens of Ketchum City followed suit as well. No noise was made at all in the city, and it felt as if the city had temporarily become a wasteland, completely devoid of any signs of life.

Finally, a minute passed, and Mayor Harrington exclaimed, "LET'S START THIS TOURNAMENT, EVERYONE!"

The audience burst into cheer once again as the same fireworks from before exploded in the sky for a second time.

The Forest of Hearts
Near Ketchum City

Ash sat inside the protective thicket, sitting in a meditative position, his eyes closed, his breathing slow and calm. Lucario cautiously entered the thicket, followed by an elderly Pikachu. The former Trainer, sensing their presence, let out a long sigh and opened his eyes. He could now hear the fireworks that he had blocked out.

"What is it, Pikachu, Lucario?" he asked, turning around to face them.

"The city is celebrating your death again," Lucario replied.

"Is that supposed to be important in any way, Lucario?" asked Ash, his voice holding a simplistic tone.

"Maybe you should enlighten them with the truth, Master."

"Pika," agreed Pikachu.

Ash's lips tightened. "No," he replied. "No. These people don't deserve to know that I am alive. They are better off knowing that they worship a god who has set aside everything else, even his own life, to save the lives of others. If they know that I'm alive, it will cause a bigger ruckus than ever. They will go on about how I've rescued the whole Universe, without registering all of the bloodshed that had to occur in order for it to happen. ...They do not know. They do NOT know...the nightmares that I have seen. The revelations I have heard, the deaths I have seen, the otherworldly experience of death that I have experienced... They don't know anything about it..."

"Pikapi, pika-chu pi-pika-ka chu-kachu pi-chu pika-pika ka-pika!" Pikachu exclaimed.

"No, Pikachu. I do not care if I will see my friends again. If I see them, then I see the scars that I have inflicted on them...and myself..."

"But Master-" Lucario began.

Ash abruptly stood up and stamped his foot in defiance. "DO NOT CALL ME MASTER, LUCARIO! IT MAKES IT SOUND LIKE YOU'RE A SLAVE OR SOMETHING, WHICH YOU'RE NOT!" When he noticed Lucario's shocked expression, Ash softened his voice. "I'm not reintegrating myself into society. It's always been nothing more than a backdrop to the the tragic story that is my life. Well, I won't let that damn Arceus have his last laugh. I will continue to keep this Plate, and I will continue to hide here, until I die. That is a promise I will make." He let out another long sigh. "Now, leave me in peace, you two."

Sensing that there was no point in continuing the argument, Lucario and Pikachu left the thicket.

"What should we do now?" Lucario asked, beseeching Pikachu.

Pikachu merely looked up at the sky and watched as the fireworks of the Ketchum Month Tournament celebration exploded. Then, it snapped its fingers.

Outside the Ketchum Month Stadium

Dawn, May, Iris, Lyra, and Marina were standing near the ticket booth, waiting for Tory, Hilbert, Khoury, Jimmy, Jessie, James, and Meowth to purchase all their tickets. They were currently glancing up at a poster of Marina, which depicted her using a melodramatic position as she stood under a burst of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The entire poster obviously was enhanced with an overload with CGI effects, something that the young women were laughing about.

"Seriously, how's it like, living the life of a model?" asked Dawn. "If they're not all that confident in the fact that your true beauty will sell it off, what's the point?"

"Well, recently, my life hasn't been as good as all of the TV stations suggest," Marina replied, shaking her head as she stared up at herself. "My clients are demanding, obsessive over the last details, and worst of all, only in it for the big bucks. They never give me a chance to promote real beauty. I wonder if I should've given a second thought about my dream of being a model." She shrugged dismissively. "But the pay's really good, and Jimmy's there to support me all the way. I'm glad about that."

"That's not good," said Lyra. "You should quit if your clients aren't letting you show your true beauty."

"Agreed," a voice said. The women all turned their heads and saw Misty, Gary, Max, Molly, Brock, and Holly standing a few inches away from them, all smiling.

"MAX!" May exclaimed happily as she embraced her younger brother.

Meanwhile, Dawn embraced Brock. "Brock, it's great to see you here!" she cried. "How are you, Holly, and Arid?"

"We're doing fine, Dawn, no need to worry!" Brock replied. "How about you? I hear there's some...problems..."

"Yeah." Dawn looked away, towards a doorway leading into the stadium's waiting room. "Nate's adjusting to the information, but I think that inside, he will never take the revelation well." She sighed and shook her head, the image of a stricken Nate flashing across her mind...followed by an image of herself, shocked by the revelation of her father's true identity. "Honestly...I can't say that I blame him. I guess that's what happens when you're separated from your parent or parents for too long."

"How's Hilda handling all of this?" asked Gary.

"She's stayed quiet about the fact that she's his actual mom and not Kelly. I don't blame her either."

The Ketchum Month Stadium waiting room

Nate watched on the TV screen the waiting room as the fireworks exploded in the sky and created the winged insignia. He then let out a long sigh. After watching the recording depicted on May's twenty-first Time Flower, the Trainer was now ready to face the inevitable, which was set to come sooner or later. He knew he should be nervous. But right now...all fear and cowardice had dissipated from his system completely. After what he had seen, Nate understood everything that has happened.

He knew what to do now.

"Nate, are you ready?" a voice asked. Nate turned around to see Cheren and Hilda standing there.

"I've never been more ready in my entire life," Nate replied honestly.

"Good luck in the tournament, Nate," said Hilda, smiling brightly at him.

Nate smiled back warmly, using all of the love in the world. "I will, Hilda. Thanks."

"And now we're ready to begin!" The announcers voice attracted Nate's attention; the TV screen was focused on the stage, which was extremely wide and boasted large flamethrower-like devices at every side. "Round 1 has begun, and our first contestants are...Hugh versus Caleb!"

"Hugh, good luck!" Nate exclaimed, looking at his friend, who was also in the waiting room.

"Thanks, Nate," replied Hugh as he dashed out of the room. Cheren watched Hugh leave before glancing back at Nate.

"Alright, Nate, we'll just be going back to the audience seats," he said. "Good luck."

Cheren left the room, and Nate noticed a strange expression flash across Hilda's eyes before she followed him out of the room. The Trainer smiled slightly and resumed paying attention to the TV screen, which was now showing Hugh and his opponent, a brown-haired young man named Caleb, enter the stage.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we have our first contestants!" the announcer shouted. "Here on the red side, we have Caleb Ross, a Trainer from Celadon City in Kanto!" A cheer instantly erupted from several members of the vast audience, obviously visitors from Kanto. "And standing at the red side is Hugh Azure, a Trainer from Aspertia City in Unova!"

Other members of the audience, visitors from Unova, responded with their own roars of delight. Unfortunately, all of the Kanto visitors booed and threw as much items as they could at Hugh's supporters; those sitting closest to them immediately engaged in fistfights with them. Fortunately, all of the chaos that would potentially ensue was broken up as immediately the moment the announcer exclaimed, "Okay, now it's the time everyone's been waiting for! Let the countdown begin!"

The four large screens of the stadium immediately began showing a countdown, which the entire audience formed a big chorus alongside the announcer.

"FIVE...FOUR...THREE...TWO...ONE!"

"Let the battle begin!" the announcer roared, and the audience cheered as Hugh and Caleb began their battle.

Nate watched as Hugh summoned his Dewott, while Caleb summoned an Excadrill. Just then, he felt someone sit down next to him.

"Hello, Nate," a familiar voice said.

Nate didn't need to look to see who it was. "So, your boss sent you and your brother here to gather my response to his deal, isn't that right, Nancy?"

"No. I'm actually here on my own accord. To warn you."

The Trainer glanced at the pink-haired girl at last. She was staring back at him; her blue eyes were glittering with tears. Nate's eyes softened at the expression.

"I...I never betrayed my father and my brother, but...I know I could count on you to make things right. ...The New Sky Soldiers plan to attack the tournament today, at exactly 8:15. Fifteen minutes from now. But before that, my father will come to you and ask for your response to the deal he gave you-"

"Your dad is the leader of the New Sky Soldiers?!" exclaimed Nate, interrupting Yancy.

However, she merely nodded shamefully and continued. "He expects you to say 'yes'. If you don't, he'll...he'll..."

"Torture me in the worst way possible until Ho-Oh arrives to protect me, the most pure-hearted soul?" completed Nate in a matter-of-fact tone. Yancy looked up at him in surprise, to which he smiled slightly. "Don't worry, I know. And do not worry about me. I've got it all handled out."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. In fact, I know exactly what I have to do now." Nate then raised an eyebrow in curiosity upon recognizing the gentle, relieved expression on the pink-haired girl's face. "But...how come you're so concerned about me, Yancy? I am sure I didn't do anything for you to ensure that you repay me in return."

"It's just..." Yancy hesitated for a moment. "...You do know. You just don't remember it."

She then quickly kissed Nate on the lips.

"But you're gonna have to find out what I mean later. I have to go. Good luck."

Yancy stood up and ran out of the waiting room, leaving behind a shocked Nate.

Outside the Ketchum Month Stadium

Yancy stopped running beside a group of trees standing a few yards away from the stadium, located in a secluded area, as she began catching her breath. With a tired sigh, she collapsed on an outdated bench, the gears of her mind quickly formulating her next plan. She planned to go back to the New Sky Soldiers and begin covertly undermine their affairs in order to give Nate some more time with whatever it is he had planned.

"AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Genesect Army, ATTACK!"

"Tepig, use EMBER!"

Yancy shook her head and stood up from the bench. She glanced up at the cloudless sky and the shining sun, and smiled slightly.

It was only a few months ago since she first met Nate. No, not at the Rocket Fashion and Mecha Headquarters, but at the Virbank Complex. She, Curtis, and a team of several New Sky Soldiers, led by the Sky Seven, were, at that time, on a mission to obtain a collection of X Attack, X Defend, X Special, X Sp. Def., X Speed, X Accuracy, Dire Hit, and Guard Spec. items that were rumored by the townspeople of Virbank City to have been stashed there. They were suddenly ambushed by a group of five Genesect apparently residing in the area, calling themselves the 'Genesect Army', who viciously attacked them and would have nearly killed them all if it weren't for the intervention of a trio of ragtag Trainers, one of whom happened to be none other than Nate.

During that incident, Yancy witnessed Nate display a great amount of bravery and selflessness, battling the Genesect Army persistently, and even willingly take a blow from the Genesect Army's leader that was meant for her, nearly costing him his own life. He was, however, saved by two Mewtwo, one male, the other female, and his memory of the incident was wiped clean, while the Genesect Army was placated. And ever since she made her close escape with the other New Sky Soldiers, she knew that what she had seen before her very eyes meant something. Not only for her father, but...to her, for some reason... And she understood why...

Yancy punched one of the trees in frustration. "Stupid, STUPID!" she snarled. "I shouldn't have told Father about Nate! It's all my fault now... I shouldn't have..."

"Yes, you shouldn't have."

Yancy looked up and saw Felix standing beside one of the other trees. Then, at the corners of her eyes, she noticed the Sky Seven approaching, their cloaks gliding in the air. The eight superiors were encircled around her in a halo, barring off any probable means of escape. A cheer erupted from the audience inside the stadium.

"So, you go out here," Felix said calmly, as if this were a mere friendly conversation, "and rat out my master scheme to Nate."

"H-How'd you know?" asked Yancy, struggling to keep herself composed.

"I knew that something was off with you the moment you asked if we should reconsider our scheme. You mentioning the Pure Impurity. The hint of doubt laced in your voice. So, I sent Curtis to follow you. Later, he sends us the coordinates to where you currently were, which was inside that stadium. Once we got there, Curtis comes over to me saying that you were having a little chat with our dear old friend Nate." He smirked.

Yancy flicked her head at Curtis, who just appeared by Felix's side, looking pitiful over betraying his sister, but maintaining an unwavering aura of loyalty.

"He also says that you gave Nate a little going-away present." Felix's smirk widened even more. "How cute. I'm betting this is because of the Virbank Complex incident. A shame he'll never remember that. Those Mewtwo really did a number on his mind." He looked up at the stadium, as a second round of cheer erupted into the air from the stadium. "I took you in, Yancy. I took you in when you and Curtis were all alone in this dark, damp world, with no other comfort. And this is how you repay me?"

"If only you'd understand," Yancy replied defiantly, "but I can see that you're going down the same path as your father! You'd NEVER understand until it's too late."

Felix snickered and looked back at Yancy, a malicious glint flashing in his eyes. "Oh, I understand all right," he said in a menacing hiss. "I understand it all."

He held up his hand and abruptly snapped his fingers. Two of the Sky Seven, the ones wearing the green and violet cloaks, seized Yancy, while a third, who wore the indigo cloak, thrust a cloth onto her nose. Yancy felt the all-too-familiar smell of chloroform (for she was assigned to experiment with several products) fill her nostrils, and then, her world slowly started to fade away, being consumed by the pitch-black darkness...

And as she did, she heard Felix say:

"But I will overcome..."

Ketchum City

On the rooftops of the city, Lucario hopped from one roof to the next, landing without missing a beat. Down below on the walkways, Pikachu was dashing past many pedestrians, all of whom looked puzzled as to what would make a Pikachu and a Lucario make such a run parallel to each other.

But only Pikachu and Lucario knew what was wrong. The son of their dear friend was in danger.

And they had to protect him somehow.

A couple of hours later
The Ketchum Month Stadium

Nate briskly stepped onto the battle stage, facing down his opponent, who happened to be none other than Professor Gary Oak, the world's most renowned scientist in the field of Pokémon research, and one of the people that was in contact with Dawn's group...

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," he announced, pointing at Nate and the other Trainer, "here we have Nate Brown of Unova's Aspertia City standing on the red side of the stadium, and Professor Gary Oak of Kanto's Pallet Town standing on the blue side of the stadium! Now Trainers, get ready!"

Nate narrowed his eyes and stared at Gary, who stared back just as seriously. The younger Trainer wondered why the Professor was participating in this tournament. Maybe to see how good he was at battling, or if his battling skill matched that of his father's?... The heat of the sun was already boring down on them like a drill...

"Alright, let's do the countdown, everyone!"

"FIVE...FOUR...THREE...TWO...ONE!"

"Let the battle begin!" the announcer shouted.

The battlefield suddenly exploded.

Chapter Text

The Ketchum Month Stadium
Ketchum City

Everyone exploded into an uproarious cheer as Nate's Pignite and Gary's Blastoise sprinted through the billowing cloud of smoke, undeterred by the explosion that had just happened several seconds earlier. As the smoke began to clear, it can be seen that Nate and Gary were also calm and collected, as if the explosion didn't happen.

"Well, it looks like Nate and Gary didn't fall for our nifty explosion trick!" exclaimed the announcer as he hovered overhead on his platform. "I guess this goes on to show how prepared they are for any potential surprises on the battlefield! And here we are! Nate makes the first move!"

"Pignite, use Flamethrower!" Nate ordered.

Pignite fired the attack, and it successfully hit Blastoise. However, the fire merely exploded into a cloud of smoke, which cleared up to reveal that the Shellfish Pokémon had only suffered a small burn on its forearm. It roared tauntingly at Pignite, which was taken aback by the lack of damage it inflicted on its opponent.

"Oh, that is just plain-out terrible!" the announcer shouted. "Pignite's Flamethrower failed to do a thing on Gary's Blastoise! And, to make things even worse for Nate, he cannot recall Pignite, for the rules of the Ketchum Month Tournament forbid it. Nate can only pray to Arceus that the tide will shift in his favor."

"So, this is gonna be a decisive battle," Nate thought as he examined Gary and his Blastoise. "But knowing Gary and his past with my father, he's gonna go easy on me. No doubt he wants to observe my battling strategies and compare them with my father's, see if there are any similarities. Which I know there will be." His lips slowly curved into a small smile. "Well, if that's what Gary wants, then I'm gonna give it to him, and I'm gonna blow the Professor away."

"Blastoise, use Hydro Cannon!" commanded Gary.

Blastoise roared and fired a pair of powerful spheres of water from its cannons, which were hurled towards Pignite.

"Pignite, dodge, then use Take Down!" Nate shouted.

The Fire Pig Pokémon quickly dodged the Hydro Cannon attack before charging towards Blastoise, the golden aura enveloping its outline, becoming nothing more than a golden beam, streaking across the stadium. However, Gary smiled, having seen the attack coming.

"Blastoise, dodge, then use Water Gun," he ordered, almost effortlessly.

Blastoise dodged the attack before releasing a spiral of water from both of its cannons. Pignite couldn't dodge the Water Gun in time and was hit in the face; it tumbled away, a smelly smoke issuing out of its nostrils. Panting with exhaustion, it quickly wiped its face and grunted at Blastoise.

"Pignite, you okay?" asked Nate. Pignite nodded and snorted out embers in response before staring down the Shellfish Pokémon. "Okay! USE ARM THRUST!"

Pignite roared out as it charged forward towards Blastoise as fast as it could, its arm outstretched, the fist at the end curled into the glowing sphere of a fist.

"Dodge, Blastoise!" Gary ordered.

The Shellfish Pokémon managed to dodge Pignite. However, Nate was undaunted.

"Arm Thrust AGAIN, Pignite!"

Blastoise dodged Pignite once again. Nate gritted his teeth as Gary smirked.

"Nice move, Nate," he said, "but ineffective."

"ARM THRUST AGAIN, PIGNITE!"

Pignite attempted the attack again, and Blastoise dodged once again.

"ARM THRUST AGAIN!"

Another attempt, quickly followed by another dodge.

"ARM THRUST AGAIN, PIGNITE!"

Yet another attempt, with the same results.

"ARM THRUST AGAIN!"

"Is it just me, or is Nate repeating the same move over and over again?" the announcer asked curiously, himself intrigued by Nate's newest tactic.

Nate watched as Gary observed the pattern, no doubt trying to deduce any potential weak spots. The younger Trainer smiled triumphantly, knowing that his plan had succeeded. Remembering his conversation with Cheren and Hugh aboard the cruise ship, about the severe disadvantage of repeating a move again and again during a battle, he had realized that there was a great advantage as well: if he kept the opponent occupied with the same move, repeated over and over again, then he could take advantage of this distraction and turn the tide of the battle. It was a very risky strategy, but it seemed to be working for Nate so far.

"Are you sure you wanna keep doing this, Nate?" asked Gary, in an almost concerned tone.

"I AM NOT SURE, I AM CONFIDENT!" Nate replied in a loud roar. "ARM THRUST AGAIN, PIGNITE!"

"Intercept Pignite with a Hydro Pump, Blastoise," said Gary in a calm tone.

Nate suddenly smiled. "On second thought, Pignite," he said, before Blastoise could start its attack, "dodge the Hydro Pump, then use Take Down, Pignite."

"What the-?!" began Gary, just as Pignite charged forward, glowing a golden color. At this point, Blastoise fired a Hydro Pump attack. "DODGE, BLASTOISE!"

But it was too late, for Pignite was easily able to sidestep the Water-type attack before violently slamming its body into the abdomen of the Shellfish Pokémon. Flecks of spit flew out of Blastoise's mouth and into the air as it grunted loudly, falling and rolling over on the ground, just a few inches away from Gary.

"BLASTOISE!" shouted Gary.

"Blastoise is down! And it looks like he may be- Oh wait, what is this? Blastoise is getting back  up!"

Nate watched as the Shellfish Pokémon stumble back up, roaring tauntingly at Pignite. Gary pointed at the Fire Pig Pokémon, smiling.

"USE HYDRO PUMP, BLASTOISE!"

Blastoise fired powerful streams of water out from the cannons in its shell. Pignite couldn't dodge it in time, and it received the full force of the Water-type attack. Nate gasped as the Fire Pig Pokémon tumbled across the stadium, its body lying still just a couple of feet away from him.

"PIGNITE!" Nate cried.

"Ooh, it looks like Pignite is down! And by a Water-type attack! It looks like the battle's not doing so well in Nate's favor. Another hit, and Pignite's out!"

Nate's eardrums were assaulted by the excited cheering of the crowd, not for him, but for Gary. But he didn't care. He looked at Pignite, who was struggling to get up despite the heavy blow it suffered. He couldn't believe the strategy failed, for he was sure that he was now in control of the battlefield. He'd never gotten himself into a Pokémon battle this intense. Gary's Blastoise was definitely powerful. He looked up to look at the Pokémon Professor, who was now staring back at him, a strange expression etched on his face. ...No, it wasn't strange at all. Nate knew that expression by heart.

It was an expression that he saw on Cheren's face many times before in the past. He'd always see it whenever the two engaged in practice battles back at his school. Cheren's Pokémon would always hit Nate's own with a super-effective attack, only enough to leave Nate's Pokémon barely conscious. It was then that Cheren would always give the expression. It was one that practically said, "Your Pokémon is close to falling unconscious. Do you wanna continue?"

And Nate knew exactly why Gary was using that same expression. This was not just a mere tournament battle. To Gary, it was also a test. They both knew Ash was a determined fighter who would fight to the bitter end. Gary wanted to find out if Nate inherited that from him. And, reflecting back on all of the battles he engaged in in the past, Nate knew that he did. Sure, there was a risk; one more hit, and Pignite would be out for the count.

But it was either that, or concede defeat. Nate couldn't bear with the latter tactic.

He commanded, "PIGNITE, USE FLAMETHROWER, ONCE AGAIN!"

"And Nate commands...Flamethrower? Didn't it fail last time?"

In the corner of Nate's eye, he saw a golden glimmer. Seconds later, Pignite fired a stream of red-hot fire at Blastoise. For some strange reason, it looked much larger than last time. In fact, it encompassed about half of the battlefield's area. The audience screamed in both shock and wonder as the Flamethrower attack engulfed the helpless Blastoise. A cry of pain and anguish was barely audible over Pignite's triumphant roar and the crackling sound of the Fire-type attack.

"OKAY!" Nate cried. "Pignite, use Take Down while Blastoise is distracted! Quickly!"

Pignite nodded and charged into the raging fire, its golden glow barely visible. A smashing sound was heard, but no one could see absolutely anything.

Once was the fire and the smoke cleared up, Blastoise's fallen frame, lying on the battleground, was the first thing to be seen.

At first, it was deadly silent in the stadium. Then, another cheer, louder this time, erupted from the stadium as the entire audience stood up, shocked and awestruck by the sudden defeat of Professor Gary Oak. The four TV screens on the sides of the stadiums immediately broadcast up-close images of Nate, who was in equal shock at what had just happened. However, he smiled and ran up to Pignite, hugging him tightly as it snorted in triumph.

"I don't believe it!" the announcer screamed. "I don't believe it! Nate and his Pignite have triumphed over Kanto's Professor Gary Oak and his Blastoise! I just cannot believe what I just saw! A Fire-type Pokémon defeating a Water-type Pokémon, let alone one belonging to the world's most renown Professor?! My Arceus, this probably has to be a battle to end all battles! This announcer is at a loss of words!"

"Pignite, great job, buddy!" exclaimed Nate as he hugged Pignite. "Great job! You did it, buddy! You did it somehow! But you did it!"

Pignite snorted out flames in response, comically burning Nate's face.

"I can see you're happy as well," Nate added, chuckling.

"Great job, Nate," a voice said. Nate looked up and saw Gary standing before him, his hand outstretched. A smile that seemed to signify satisfaction was etched on his face, and the recovered Blastoise, its body still boasting injuries was standing beside him. "That was a great battle. You fight just like your father. He would be proud."

Nate smiled slightly and shook Gary's hand.

"I think he would be," he replied softly.

He thought he saw the golden glimmer again, but he dismissed it as a glint from the overhead sun.

In the audience seats, Enigma watched the entire battle, an impressed smirk etched on his face. Sitting beside him was Slate, who was equally impressed.

"He fights like his father," Slate commented, more to himself than to his superior. "Recklessly, yet boldly and with determination. ...This is gonna complicate things-"

"Say all you want, Slate," replied Enigma. "We're still making our move, no matter what this battle says to us about who we're going up against."

"I'm not worried about the boy only. As we continue to prepare, the resistance effort is still building up. More and more of them are converging here." Slate narrowed his eyes into slits, his purple hair falling over his eyes and casting them into shadow. "Are you sure this is part of the plan, boss?"

"Everything is part of the plan. Don't fret, my dear Slate. All shall go just as planned."

Slate shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he glanced at Hilda, Dawn, Cheren, and the others.

"Very impressive," Lucario commented as he watched Nate experience his victory against Gary. "He fights like his father..."

"Pika..." agreed Pikachu, standing up and inching closer to watch as Nate laughed and hugged his Pignite.

The two Pokémon stood beside one of the four TV screens, mostly obscured by one of its support beams. They had just arrived a few minutes earlier, in time to watch as Nate made the first move. Lucario couldn't help but feel impressed upon seeing the Trainer's battling skills, for they were essentially a projection of his master's, and he was pretty confident that Pikachu felt the exact same way. And, speaking of Pikachu...

He glanced at the Mouse Pokémon and saw that he was now staring at several members of the audience...

"Wow, he WON!" Rosa exclaimed happily. "Nate won!"

"And against a Water-type!" Marina added. "Let alone one owned by one of the world's most renowned Pokémon researchers! Awesome!"

"I knew he'd be able to do it," Cheren said calmly, closing his eyes and smiling slightly. "After all-" He glanced fleetingly at Hilda. "-he's his father's son."

Hilda smiled back, nodded at Cheren, and glanced at Nate again as he waved towards the audience. Her smile widened.

"Good job, Nate," she said. Then, her voice was joined by another's as she added, "I'm very proud of you."

Kelly was smiling too.

As Nate walked back into the waiting room, staring proudly at the Poké Ball that contained the recovering Pignite, he suddenly felt a strange chill flood the hallway, and then, the lights started to flicker. He looked up and saw whitish-blue crystals of ice slithering across the walls, the ceiling, and the floor of the hallway, in the manner of snakes. He stepped back, just as he realized that ice was slithering over behind him as well.

"What?!" he exclaimed in surprise. "What-What's going on?! Please tell me this is a part of the tournament!"

"No, it's not," a familiar voice said.

Nate blinked for a split-second and saw Enigma standing at one end of the hallway, the scarlet flash in his eyes barely visible. Several Cryogonal were hovering behind him, including a Shiny one that appeared to be the leader of the group. Nate could see energy emanating from them and immediately deduced that they were behind the ice. He didn't need to look back to see if there were any Cryogonal behind him as well.

"You disappoint me, Nate," Enigma said, but his voice was calm and complacent. "I gave you a deal no one could refuse."

"Who said I refused your deal?" asked Nate.

"Your dear friend Yancy." When Nate gasped at the mentioning of the pink-haired girl, he smirked in satisfaction. "Don't worry, she will be fine. But let's get on with the more serious matters. She says that you know I will do whatever it takes to get my hands on Ho-Oh, even if it means torturing you, and that you, quote, know exactly what you have to do." His smirk widened. "Tell me, what is it that you know you exactly have to do?"

"Do what my father did," Nate replied. "Protect Ho-Oh, no matter what."

"Even if it means dying?"

Nate was silent, and his eyes softened. Enigma knew he hit a soft spot, and he bared his teeth as he grinned, looking almost hungry.

"Still afraid to die? ...Aren't we all? If I can recall, your father was afraid like the rest of us."

Nate regained his composure and retorted boldly, "You will fail, just like your father did. I know of the legend of Ho-Oh. How it was created to protect the entire world from Arceus's first mistake, Pure Impurity. How trying to take control of it will disturb the hold it has on Pure Impurity and allow it to take control of Ho-Oh. How its dark energy will overwhelm the entire Universe and destroy it, turn it into nothingness. It doesn't matter what you do, Felix. Nothing will matter. Whatever you try to do to control it and hold it back, Pure Impurity will be unleashed. You call your mission a purge against evil?" Nate smirked as he felt all feelings of the ice and its chill quickly disappear from his senses. "You're no different from any other evildoer. You're nothing more than a foolish human who thinks he can overcome. But you cannot."

Enigma blinked, his smirk disappearing in a flash. Then, he chuckled maliciously, as if Nate told a terrible joke that he could only get.

"I guess it has begun," he said.

Nate blinked. "Huh? Wh-What're you talking about?" he asked worriedly.

"I think you should look down."

Nate blinked again and looked down. What he saw next shocked him beyond belief. He was glowing a brilliant gold.

He screamed as the glow became brighter and brighter, threatening to engulf the entire hallway...

"Here we go," Enigma said as he and the Cryogonal were swallowed by the light.

The Forest of Hearts
Near Ketchum City

Ash's eyes jerked open as he sensed a disturbance. He stumbled out of the dome-shaped thicket and looked into the sky. He could see it clearly. It was a golden glow, which seemed to be coming from the direction that led to Ketchum City. He knew that glow anywhere.

"Pikachu, Lucario!" he cried. "Are you seeing this?"

There was no response. He glanced back at the community of Pokémon, which was also looking at the glow in awe, and saw that Pikachu and Lucario were absent.

"What the hell?!" He addressed to the community, "Where's Pikachu and Lucario?!"

A Chikorita pointed its leaf in the direction of Ketchum City.

He knew he shouldn't be in the midst of civilization again. He promised himself that. But...Ash found himself running towards Ketchum City...

The Ketchum Month Stadium

Hilda, Dawn, and the others were all headed their way to the waiting room when the golden light suddenly appeared, illuminating the hallway they were in.

"What?" Hilbert exclaimed. "What's that?!"

"Whatever it is, we gotta investigate it!" replied Dawn.

The moment he was immersed in the golden light, Nate thought he lost all sense of hearing. He couldn't hear anything; the Cryogonal, the low howl brought by the icy chill, Enigma speaking...nothing. However, he could still see, despite the fact that it was such a bright light that it would blind anyone close by.

He suddenly heard a tremendous screech, so loud that his eardrums were close to exploding. He instinctively covered his ears and looked around, but he saw nothing but golden light. Nate crouched down, looking like a scared child, as the screech continued to hammer away at his ears, passing through his palms and assaulting his eardrums with complete and unrelenting ferocity. Nate didn't know what was going on. Was this a hallucination? Or was it something more?

Just then, the golden light began to clear, and Nate suddenly found himself flying across a bank of clouds, just like in his recurring dream. Although he wasn't standing on a solid surface this time. He was actually flying, gliding effortlessly along the air, slowly but progressively descending. Nate completely passed the bank of clouds...

...And found himself staring at the skyline of Ketchum City.

Suddenly, the same tremendous, triumphant screech attacked Nate's eardrums, and he wanted to cover his ears, but he couldn't. He was still flapping his wings... And then, he noticed that there were brilliant golden sparkles trailing from his wings, colored in the same shade of gold that he thought he had seen back at the Ketchum Month Stadium, the one that seemed to guarantee his victory against Gary... And that was when he made the shocking realization.

He was Ho-Oh...

He screeched again, and then there was another flash of golden light...

And before he knew it, he was back in the ice-coated hallway; the icicles had grown much larger, indicating that some time had passed. Enigma was snickering evilly.

"Just as I predicted," he said. "I have triggered your connection to Ho-Oh, and it is on its way." Enigma's smirk widened. "Thank you, Nate, for the contribution."

Then, Enigma looked up at the Cryogonal hovering behind Nate and nodded with approval. Nate heard the Cryogonal as they suddenly fired an Ice-type attack, which encased him in a seemingly-unbreakable sheet of ice. The only part of his body that was spared from imprisonment was his head. Growling angrily, he struggled, using all of the power he could muster, but he could only move his head. All Nate could do was grit his teeth as Enigma approached, his smirk still in place.

"Don't worry, Nate," he said. "It'll be a successful catch."

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Nate roared.

However, Enigma replied calmly as he walked away, "Trust me, it's for the good of the world."

Nate growled and screeched after him, "YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS! GET BACK HERE, FELIX! FELIX!"

Pikachu's ears twitched as it explored the perimeter of the stadium with Lucario. It glanced off at a security door, a look of confusion and also concern on its face.

"What is wrong?" asked Lucario, sensing his partner's shift in behavior.

"Pikapi..."

In the stadium seats, the audience waited patiently as the intermission between battles progressed. From his reserved seat, which was on a balcony that overlooked the rest of the Ketchum Month Stadium, Mayor Harrington observed the civilians with giddy glee.

"Oh, look at all those youthful and energetic and satisfied faces, Stark," he said, grinning widely. "This is how you run a city. Keep the civilians satisfied with things that you know cannot be attainable! It's like a Meowth and a ball of yarn. Just pick it up, allow a small bit of the rope to dangle from it, and walk along, and the Meowth will follow along for sure. It's exactly the same thing with these civilians. Like a pack of Meowth, converging for a singular, large ball of yarn. That's my strategy, Stark. That is my way of keeping this city together and stable, like a well-constructed house of cards. And it's going so well..."

Stark sighed, finding himself having to listen to another arrogant and narcissistic rant that his superior had indulged into. However, the job required patience, and the boss entrusted him with that. He had no other choice but to continue to listen. And so, he did.

As he did, he saw a golden glimmer at the corner of his eyes. Stark glanced at the sky and saw a trail of golden sparkles. He never saw anything like it before.

That could mean...

The walkie-talkie that he secretly kept interrupted his thoughts, blaring out the voice he had been waiting for. "Streak, are you there? Over."

Watching the ranting Harrington all the while, Stark cautiously answered, "I'm here, Enigma. What is the status? Over."

Enigma's response was simple and terse. "It's time. Over."

Stark instantly understood. "Got it," he replied. "Phase One is almost underway." He then quickly added, "By the way, Enigma, are you seeing what's outside? Over."

"Yes, it's here. Much earlier than expected, but I also expect that the plan will still go smoothly. Is that clear? Over."

"Crystal clear. Over and out." Stark pressed another button on his walkie-talkie and said, "Teams Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, are you in position?"

"Team Alpha's in position," replied Cassidy as she spoke into her own walkie-talkie. Behind her was a team of Sky Soldiers that were finishing in setting up a strange device that resembled a futuristic spotlight at a side of the stadium, near one of the large TV screens. "We're ready to launch. Over and out."

"Team Beta's in position," replied Omicron, casting a fleeting glance over his shoulder as another team of Sky Soldiers finished setting up a second spotlight-like device at another side of the stadium, beside another TV screen. "We're all ready to go. Over and out."

"Team Gamma's in position," replied Curtis as he sat in a helicopter. He quickly observed a third team of Sky Soldiers setting up a cage and preparing to open the side-door. He then looked out of the pilot's window and saw the Ketchum Month Stadium nearing. "We should be arriving in another minute. Over and out."

Nate struggled against the grip the ice had on him, despite his realization that it would be useless. He glanced at the floor and saw Pignite's Poké Ball lying just a few inches away from his reach. He angrily slammed the back of his head on the ice, unable to bear the taunt of the Poké Ball.

"I can't..." he moaned. "I can't...fail... I just can't... Lives are at stake... Hugh, Rosa, Cheren...Mom..." Nate let out a long sigh and looked up at the ceiling, as if he were expecting someone to magically appear through it. "Dad? I know you're dead, but...I need your help now... Tell me, how do I do this?..."

Suddenly, at the corner of his eye, he saw something glint in the darkness at the end of the hallway, and the next thing he knew, Nate saw a blue Aura Sphere hurling violently towards him, glowing with energy. Split-seconds later, the icy prison shattered, spraying the entire hallway with numerous shattered pieces. He landed on the floor, accidentally slipping on some of the ice and falling flat on his face. Groaning, the Trainer looked up, a small trickle of blood appearing from his nostril, and gasped.

It was Lucario. And beside him was a Pikachu.

"YOU!" Nate instantly leaped to his feet, nearly slipping on the ice again. "You're the Lucario from earlier, aren't you?!"

"Yes, I am," Lucario replied, nodding. "And as we speak, Ho-Oh is approaching the stadium."

"And right into an ambush..." Nate added gravely.

The usual noise of tens of thousands of conversations happening all at once was nothing special to Enigma's ears. But then, he couldn't hold back the satisfied grin as he heard the noise quickly turn silent for a moment, as if someone had turned on the mute function of a radio. Then, a few seconds later, the noise came back, united in a roar of surprise, confusion, and most of all, awe. At that exact moment, everyone had their attention on something no one believed would ever be seen.

It was Ho-Oh, who let out a triumphant, mighty screech as it neared the stadium. Enigma chuckled, a noise of satisfaction that only he could hear.

"It's good to see you again, Ho-Oh," he said, his eyes narrowing with determination. "Very soon, the good ol' days will be upon us again, and this time, the plans of my father will succeed. A new era of peace, harmony, and prosperity will reign supreme, and all evil shall be purged. Nothing can stop the forces of good!"

And with that, he devolved into a cackle of triumph, which was drowned out by another screech from Ho-Oh.

Chapter Text

The Hall of Origin
Arceus's Dimension

Arceus hovered over the marble pedestal as he watched the transparent, mirror-like, suspended image of Nate running across the hallway, Lucario and Pikachu beside him. Behind him were Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. All seven Legendary Pokémon watched intently as the image switched to the perspective of Ho-Oh, who was closing in on the Ketchum Month Stadium; its screech pierced the air, blending with the surprised cries of the humans sitting in the stadium.

"All is going according to plan," Arceus said. "Soon the Plate will be recovered..."

"Are you confident about the proceedings, Father?" asked Dialga. "Ho-Oh's life is at risk. The corrupt humans await for it at that same stadium, with a trap in place."

Arceus was still, physically unresponsive. "Knowing Ash, he shall appear to save our dear friend from hands of evil and malice, as he always has done. Especially when the last of his own flesh and blood becomes embroiled in these perilous matters." The image shifted back to Nate, who was close to the waiting room. "He cannot deny his destiny any longer. And once he resurfaces, this will give us the leeway of retrieving the Plate from him."

"And what happens to him when the Plate is retrieved, Father?" Azelf asked suspiciously.

"He shall be punished, like any other ignorant human," Arceus replied sternly, his simple, straightforward tone conveying a dark atmosphere in the Hall, which terrified even his own Children. "Ash defied with great prejudice the path that I have gifted him, and in addition, he committed the most capital of crimes by stealing one of my Plates, without understanding the majestic and dangerous power it holds. ...He will face justice."

Azelf remained silent, as did the other Legendary Pokémon. Instead, they all watched the image as the situation unfolded...

Ketchum Month Stadium
Ketchum City

Nate, Lucario, and Pikachu ran into the waiting room, where the former immediately spotted Hugh watching the TV screen overhead. He ran up to his friend and had to push his shoulder a bit roughly, for the blue-haired Trainer had his eyes glued to the screen, as if he were being hypnotized by it.

"What?" Hugh exclaimed, looking at Nate. "Nate, are you seeing this?!"

"See what?" Nate replied, looking at the screen. His jaw instantly dropped open, and it might as well have touched the floor.

On the screen, the camera was recording the glowing, golden outline of a phoenix-like bird. It looked exactly like the same gravely-wounded bird Nate saw on the Time Flower Lyra and May showed him, and the bird he saw on the Time Flower he privately observed. His suspicions were confirmed when the bird gave out an earsplitting, almost triumphant screech, which seemed to startle the cameraman, since the recording trembled and the camera panned away for a split-second.

It was Ho-Oh, the Rainbow Pokémon.

Nate's eyes widened just as the camera panned away briefly again and momentarily recorded a group of men wearing golden suits standing beside one of the large TV screens, preparing a strange device. He tapped Hugh's shoulder, catching his friend's attention again.

"Do you know where the others are?"

"They should be sitting in the seats at the East Side. Why?"

"I have to get to them. And you're coming with me, Hugh. Something's gonna go down, and I need all the help I can get."

Hugh stood up, an eyebrow raised. "What kind of trouble?"

"Just...trouble," Nate replied hesitantly. However, Hugh spotted Lucario and Pikachu before frowning and crossing his arms.

"You know, Nate, ever since you learned you're..." He looked around to see if anyone else was overhearing him and then whispered, "Ash Ketchum's son, you've been acting very weird. Very secretive-like. I know it's shocking to know that your father saved the world from destruction, but you should've kept me in the loop about this. I would've helped you in any way I know how. I'm your friend and always have been. Don't you know that?"

"I know that, Hugh, always have," said Nate guiltily. "But I was told not to give you any details. It had to be between me and my destiny-"

"But you obviously need my help," Hugh interrupted, his eyes narrowing. "And it seems to have to do with the arrival of that strange bird-"

"Ho-Oh."

"Ho-Oh, Oh-Ho, whatever. What I'm saying is that I don't know what I'm getting myself into, and you need to fill me in on the details. Otherwise, I'm running blind."

"Well, you're gonna have to trust me on this." Nate stared at Hugh seriously. "Please, Hugh. I swear to Arceus, after this, I will tell you everything you need to know."

Hugh raised an eyebrow. "Everything?"

"Everything."

The blue-haired boy lowered his head, the bangs of his hair casting his face in shadow. Nate knew Hugh was thinking this over. After several seconds, he looked up.

"I guess I've got no choice then, huh?"

Nate smiled, just as the ground trembled and the room was filled with surprised screams.

Hilda, Dawn, Cheren, and all of the others stopped in their tracks just as the ground began to tremble.

"Wh-What's going on?" asked Dawn.

"I think I know..." Lyra replied, pointing at a nearby TV screen. It was showing a helicopter attacking Ho-Oh, who had fallen to the ground after taking a hit.

Curtis smiled as he watched Ho-Oh fall into the battleground of the stadium. "Phase Two is now underway..." he said.

"Ho-Oh's down!" exclaimed Cassidy as she watched Ho-Oh's fallen frame, sprawled on the stadium, shift. Everyone in the audience was now screaming in terror, with many of them scrambling out of their seats and retreating in a panic. She glanced at her fellow Sky Soldier grunts. "Keep it down before it can get back in the air!"

"Yes, sir- I mean, ma'am!" a grunt exclaimed in response before pressing a button on the spotlight-like device. An electric beam shot out of the device and hit Ho-Oh.

A new screech filled the air, and this time, it was filled with pain and agony.

"They've fired the stabilization device!" Omicron shouted as he watched the electric beam hit Ho-Oh, drawing a pained screech from it. "Activate ours!"

"Yes, sir!" a grunt exclaimed as he pressed a button on their own spotlight-like device.

Nate suddenly felt a stabbing pain in the back of his head. Clutching his head, he let out a pained scream as he fell to the ground.

"NATE!" screamed Hugh, preparing to run to his friend's aid, but he was suddenly stopped by Lucario.

"Wait..." it said.

"What?-" Hugh began.

Lucario lifted a paw, a light-blue Aura Sphere hovering centimeters away from it. "Wait," it said, with more sternness.

Elsewhere, in the outside hallway, Rosa suddenly collapsed to the floor, crying out in pain and agony as she clutched her head. Gasping in shock and horror, Kelly and Carla immediately knelt down to her side, preparing to help her, when Lyra stopped them.

"Don't," she said. The two women looked up at her and saw, with a surprise, that her eyes were glimmering, and she had a hand on her head in the same fashion as Rosa. Noticing their expressions, Lyra added, "This is supposed to happen. Let it pass..."

"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS?!" Harrington snarled as Ho-Oh was held down by the two electric beams. "I DIDN'T ORDER FOR THIS!"

"Sir, I suggest we have to evacuate," replied one of his bodyguards. "This looks like a very dangerous situation-"

"Damn right! Let's go, everyone!"

"Oh, I don't think so, sir," a familiar voice said in triumph. Harrington and the bodyguards watched as Stark threw a Poké Ball, unleashing a dragon-like Pokémon with a dark-gray body, teal wings, a purple underside, a pair of teal circular patterns for ears, and a long and wiry tail. Everyone gasped in horror, and Harrington's eyes were magnetized towards those of the Pokémon; the left one was a sharp yellow with a black pupil, while the other was colored an intimidatingly bright crimson with a pale-blue pupil. The mayor shook his head and regained his composure, not wanting to break from his image as a strong and effective leader.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, STARK?!" he roared. "THIS IS INSUBORDINATION AGAINST YOUR BOSS, I TELL YOU! YOU WILL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED FOR THIS!"

"Like I care," Stark replied, sneering. "You're not my boss anyway, Mr. Mayor." He glanced out of the doorway. "You may come in now, sir."

Harrington and his bodyguards watched as Enigma, the Sky Seven, several Sky Soldier grunts, and five Cryogonal (including the Shiny one) entered the room. Enigma walked up to the smaller Harrington, who felt himself shrinking, and looked down at him with a stoic expression. Then, his lips abruptly broke into a hungry grin.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mayor Harrington," he said in almost a hiss.

Harrington gulped nervously, feeling his control of the situation quickly slipping away...

The entire audience tried to flood out of the stadium the moment Ho-Oh was held down by strange devices, but there were very few doors, and as a result, there was a massive stampede. Several people fell to the ground and were trampled, while others nearly suffocated from the crushing mass of dozens of people grouped tightly. However, once they were able to get out of the audience seats and in more spacious rooms, they were greeted by Sky Soldiers, their Pokémon, and many Cryogonal.

Within several minutes, everyone in the audience was herded back into seats, just as the teams stationed beside the TV screens started tinkering with them, plugging strange wires into their frames. Several Electric-type Pokémon belonging to the Sky Soldiers unleashed their attacks on the screens, establishing a connection.

Soon, Enigma's face appeared on the TV screens. He was smirking triumphantly as he held out his arms melodramatically.

"Good afternoon, Ketchum City," he greeted. "Quite a nice game we've got here, huh?"

Nate gasped for air, the pain having subsided within seconds. The first thing he saw was Hugh, Lucario, Pikachu, and the other Trainers in the waiting room, all of them looking at him curiously. He was having a hard time hearing for some reason, and as a result, he could only hear just a brief string of indiscernible noises that attracted everyone else's attention to the screen. He stood up, clutching his throbbing head, and looked at the screen to see what everyone else was looking at.

His eyes widened in horror. It was Enigma.

As his ears adjusted, he could hear the syndicate leader speaking. "-game we've got here, huh? And we also have a surprise guest appearance, in the form of Ho-Oh, the almighty Rainbow Pokémon, stated to bring purity to the world! ...A duty it fails to fulfill." His smirk disappeared. "Is it neglect? Incompetence? Passiveness? Either way, it has stood in the sidelines, watching as the world suffers under the grip of evil, corruption, and greed! Like a member of the audience, like yourselves, when it comes to a Pokémon battle! But unlike a Pokémon battle, there is no game, no competition. It is the burden of reality. One where we all suffer greatly.

"Either way, Ho-Oh has failed to live up to its duty, and like a corrupt politician who betrays the trust of the inferiors he was entrusted to serve and organize, I believe it should be in the best interest of all of us to relieve it of its mantle. But Arceus entrusted the duty to Ho-Oh for an unknown reason, and to remove the duty from Ho-Oh would be to fly a plane across a forest while blindfolded. We don't know what would happen. So, we shall settle for the next best thing."

Enigma snapped his fingers, just as the image switched to a recording of a helicopter that was hovering above the stadium, steadily descending towards Ho-Oh as it continued to struggle against the beams that held it down. Nate gasped as he saw the side-door of the helicopter open, revealing a cage. He immediately burst into a run, and he heard Hugh, Lucario, and Pikachu follow closely behind. As the four ran down the hallway, they continued to hear Enigma's speech through the TV screens.

"We make Ho-Oh do its duty. After all, it's in the best interest of the humans and Pokémon it was entrusted to protect."

"Ugh... Why'd I just get that headache all of a sudden?" asked Rosa as she rubbed her head.

"We'll explain later," Lyra replied quickly as she helped the Trainer up. "For now, we've gotta fight these Sky Soldiers." She looked at the others. "Let's go."

Everyone else nodded.

Trip was among the crowd that watched a salesman's handheld TV set in the Ketchum Center as Enigma continued his speech. He quickly moved his way through the crowd and ran towards the fountain of Ash and Pikachu, watching as the water spouted out of it.

"The Sky Soldiers are back," he thought. "What does this mean? What're we gonna do?..."

Suddenly, screams pierced the air, and the photographer watched as numerous Sky Soldier grunts appeared on the streets, discouraging any means of resistance. Trip acted on instinct and whipped out his camera, taking pictures whenever he could. After a few seconds of this, two grunts whipped their heads at him.

"HEY!" one of them barked. "NO PHOTOS!"

As the two grunts closed in on him, Trip pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it in the air, summoning his Serperior, which slithered between him and the grunts.

"SERPERIOR, ENERGY BALL!" ordered Trip.

Serperior promptly opened its mouth and formed a light-green sphere of energy, which hovered in front of its mouth. It then launched the sphere from its mouth at the two grunts, hitting them and launching them backward. The other grunts' attentions were attracted, and they summoned their own Pokémon.

"Real great, Trip..." he thought as he put away his camera and prepared himself for battle.

Using a map on the wall, Nate, Hugh, Lucario, and Pikachu quickly found the balcony where Mayor Harrington was supposed to be at...and also Enigma. Summoning all six of his Pokémon, as did Hugh. Quietly sneaking up at the doorway, Nate took a quick look inside the room. He saw Enigma speaking into a camera, which was being manned by a Sky Soldier grunt. Also occupying the balcony were the same seven people with differently-colored cloaks at the bell tower, as well as half a dozen more grunts. There was also Harrington and his bodyguards, all of which were tied up and gagged. ...Except for Harrington's assistant...

"If we all band together and use Ho-Oh's power, we can change the world for the better!" announced Enigma, smiling triumphantly.

The air was filled with an astounding silence, as if the mute activation had been turned on for a radio. Then, before Nate and Hugh could make their moves, they heard someone from the audience shout out defiantly, "NOT EVEN IN YOUR DREAMS, YOU WANNABE!"

"What was that?" Enigma asked, almost curiously. He retrieved a walkie-talkie from one of the Sky Seven and pressed a button. "Omicron, Fox, who is that?"

"It's some guy at the South Side of the stadium," replied Fox. Nate recognized Fox's voice as Cassidy's.

Just then, another voice, this time belonging to a woman, shouted, "What in Arceus's name are we doing, just sitting here, everyone?! Ash Ketchum wouldn't want us to surrender like this! He'd want us to fight back, to take back control! Come on, everyone! LET'S FIGHT!"

Numerous members in the audience roared in agreement, and Nate was sure that many of them had begun to fight the Sky Soldiers that were stationed on the stairs. Indeed, there were more noises, including those of Pokémon attacks being fired. Enigma growled in anger and spoke into the walkie-talkie again.

"Initiate Phase Two-B!" he shouted. "NOW! NOW, NOW, NOW, NOW, NOW!"

"I DON'T THINK SO!" Nate cried, stepping onto the balcony. "PIGNITE, USE FLAMETHROWER!"

"DEWOTT, USE WATER PULSE!" added Hugh.

Pignite and Dewott fired their respective attacks, which were joined by Lucario's Aura Sphere and a Thunderbolt from Pikachu. All four of the attacks struck Enigma and the Sky Soldiers, causing a tremendous, deafening explosion that blew out the balcony railing. Nate and Hugh's Pokémon instantly engaged the Sky Soldiers in combat.

Taking cover under the billowing cloud of smoke, Nate and Hugh took this time to untie Harrington's bodyguards, allowing them to escape. However, before Nate could untie Harrington, a turquoise-colored sphere of energy pierced through the smoke and struck the ground that was a foot away from him, stopping him in his tracks.

Nate glanced at his attacker: the same dragon-like Pokémon owned by Stark.

"Whoa," he said. "Who's that Pokémon?..."

As if in response, the Pokémon growled at Nate menacingly, just as Stark emerged from the smoke, smirking.

"Well, well, well, the prodigal son returns," he sneered, a trickle of blood cascading past his lips. "NOIVERN, USE BOOMBURST!"

Noivern's ears emitted a light-blue glow before unleashing powerful sound waves, which struck Nate with full force. Nate screamed and covered his ears at the barrage of screeching, deafening noises that threatened to split apart his eardrums. He felt his brain throb from the sound waves. He felt as if his entire head would explode...

An Aura Sphere appeared, striking Noivern directly in the chest and sending it backward into Stark. Nate weakly looked up and saw Lucario standing in front of him, its hands wielding another Aura Sphere, its stance appearing defensive, almost protective. Lucario glanced at Nate and nodded quickly at him; the Trainer nodded back in understanding. Nate then stood up and ran over to the mayor, lifting the gag off of his mouth.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Harrington sputtered madly.

"With all due respect, Mr. Mayor," Nate said, "be quiet and let me help you!"

Harrington grumbled with disapproval, but allowed Nate to untie his bonds. As he did, the mayor spoke again.

"You're that same boy back at the bell tower."

"Yes, that's right," Nate replied uncomfortably.

"Trouble seems to follow you everywhere, eh?"

Nate shrugged, not wanting to talk right now. "You have no idea..."

Just then, Nate heard Lucario grunt out in pain, followed by a loud crashing sound. He glanced over his left shoulder and saw Lucario slumped against the wall, nearly unconscious. He then felt a shadow tower over him, and looked up. Noivern was standing directly above him. At this point, Stark seemed to be the only Sky Soldier left.

He heard Stark chuckle with triumph.

"You thought you would triumph?" he asked. "Think again."

"Really?" Nate replied calmly. "I should be saying the same to you. You've lost."

"Be careful of what you're saying, boy. Ho-Oh's now under our wing, thanks to your special lil' contribution."

"You had Ho-Oh once before, and you lost it. You'll lose it again."

It was silent for a moment. Then, Stark chuckled again, more maliciously this time.

"Enough of this nonsense. Noivern, use Bite on the meddling Trainer."

Before Nate could react, Noivern opened its mouth. Time suddenly stood still as the brown-haired Trainer stared into the literal jaws of death. The only thing he could feel was his heart pounding against his sternum, threatening to break through it. He noticed that the air was very hot...

Then, it instantly became cold the moment Noivern's jaws clamped down on his shoulder and neck, and squeezed as tightly as they could, its teeth piercing through his skin and digging into his flesh. A pain, one like none other before, sprang throughout Nate's body, feeling just like the stabbing pain in his head, only amplified by over a million times. He wanted to let out a scream, but he couldn't. He didn't know if Noivern's Bite was supposed to be poisonous, but he felt paralyzed, like a statue.

Finally, he heard a noise escape his mouth. It was just a weak, pained grunt, barely audible, even to his own ears.

"NATE!" a voice shouted from several miles away.

However, Nate ignored it and looked up at Noivern's eyes, which were alive with malice...and saw a smiling face, though he didn't know who it belonged to...

Then, his world went black...

"NATE!" Hugh screeched as loudly as he could.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing: Nate, his longtime friend, practically his brother...lying motionlessly, hanging in the blade-toothed jaws of Noivern, like a catch made by a carnivore, its trophy. The terror of that sight sliced his heart in half, and Hugh felt everything go cold all around him. Time seemed to slow down as Noivern effortlessly released Nate; his body collapsed to the marble floor with a curved grace, hitting it with a soft yet sickening thump. Hugh's jaw quivered, and he could hear the Pikachu, for whatever reason, crying out in denial upon spotting Nate. He also heard Nate's own Pokémon crying out in horror and shock.

"Nate..." he moaned quietly.

A growl caught his attention. He glanced at Noivern, whose jaws were dripping with scarlet blood, which were forming a small pool.

"NOIVERN, USE DRAGON PULSE AGAIN!" Stark shouted, pointing at Hugh. Noivern immediately fired another sphere of turquoise energy...which was countered several seconds later by an Aura Sphere and exploded in a flash of light-blue light. Shielding his eyes, Hugh could only see the blur of a shadow as Lucario attacked Noivern, wielding a bone-shaped staff. It relentlessly threw one swing after another at the Dragon-type Pokémon.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Hugh ran over to Nate, who was now lying on the ground beside the struggling Harrington.

"Nate? Nate?!" cried Hugh. "Come on, dude, wake up! Wake up, Nate, we've got bad guys to beat together!"

"Pika pika-pi!" Pikachu exclaimed, and the blue-haired Trainer had just realized that the Mouse Pokémon was beside him. Tears were glittering in its beady eyes. Hugh felt Nate's six Pokémon, led by Pignite, surround the fallen body of their Trainer, and he didn't need to look at them to know how they were feeling.

Hugh nudged Nate's shoulder, but he did not respond. Pikachu similarly nudged his shoulder, but Hugh knew that it was useless. He spotted the wound that was left behind by Noivern's Bite: a pair of deep gashes and about a dozen smaller gashes, all of which were oozing out thick dark-red blood that pooled on the marble floor. The blood was pooling around his red shoes and Pikachu's feet, but no one care about it at all.

"PIKA!" Pikachu screamed, its cry of denial and agony echoing across the stadium, over the sounds of the audience battling the Sky Soldiers in whatever way they can.

Running down a hallway with the rest of the group, Rosa suddenly felt the same stabbing pain in her head again, but only for a split-second. Nevertheless, she gasped and stopped abruptly. Lyra and Dawn immediately noticed, both stopping as well and running back up to the brown-haired girl.

"Rosa, what's going on?" Lyra asked worriedly.

Rosa's eyes were wide, and tears were starting to stream down her cheeks. "It's...It's Nate... Something happened to him..."

Lyra and Dawn looked at each other in horror. They knew what that meant. Then, they heard Kelly's voice.

"Why'd you three stop?" Lyra and Dawn glanced at Kelly and saw that Hilda was standing beside her.

"Did something happen?" asked Hilda.

Ash stopped upon reaching the Ketchum Month Stadium. He had managed to sneak past all of the Sky Soldiers, all with a little thanks to the civilians the moment they began to rise up against the criminal syndicate. It looked like the civilians were taking back control of their city, something that sparked a little satisfaction within him.

However, that satisfaction was drowned out the moment he felt some sort of spiritual disconnection somewhere, located within the stadium...

He closed his eyes, meditating for a few seconds. Then, he opened his eyes and resumed running.

He had found Lucario and Pikachu...and they were with two Trainers, one of whom was gravely injured and on the brink of death...

The Hall of Origin
Arceus's Dimension

Arceus, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit all watched as the image shifted to Ash, who was running inside the stadium.

"There he is..." Arceus said quietly. "He has grown. ...Yet only physically and not emotionally. He is still as brash as ever..."

"Should we alert Zekrom and Kyurem now, Father?" asked Giratina. "I believe Ho-Oh has endured enough suffering."

Arceus's head moved for just a fraction of an inch, signifying a nod of approval. "You have my approval to do so, Giratina." The Alpha Pokémon hovered 180 degrees so he could face his Children. "I believe it is time we commenced with the next phase of the objective. You all know your duties, my Children. Go."

"Yes, Father," the dragons and the spirits replied simultaneously. They then flew off and opened up portals to their respective dimensions.

The seclusion in the Hall allowed Arceus to face the transparent image and shift its focus to a bank of clouds. He stared closely at the clouds, and if one were to look as closely as Arceus was, that person could make out a moving mass of white-and-silver, with a trail of red flame blazing behind its tail-like end as it glided across the sky with grace. Arceus, being the almighty, all-seeing Alpha Pokémon, knew that this event was inevitable. It had been almost ten years since any human last saw it. And now, that streak was about to be broken, in about two hours, according to Arceus's insight of the probability.

The loud, bird-like cry that belonged to the Vast White Pokémon, Reshiram, pierced the sky, even through the image, as if it were flying through the Hall right now.

"Perfect..." Arceus thought.

Mt. Silver
Near Ketchum City

The walls of the cave, one of many carved in the mountain, were coated with an unusually high amount of snow and ice, which gave the interior an extreme chill. From within the confines of the pitch-black darkness, a pair of yellow eyes opened, their glowing light piercing through the black.

"He's here," Kyurem said.

The Rocket Blimp
Near Ketchum City

Jessie, James, and Meowth were watching the TV screen, which was currently tuned into a news station that was reporting the incident at the Ketchum Month Stadium live, when they heard a mighty roar outside. The trio ran over to the nearest window, just in time to see Zekrom fly off into the sky, ready for battle.

"Wonder where Zekrom's going?" asked Jessie.

"No doubt to the Ketchum Month Stadium," James replied.

"It don't matta!" Meowth exclaimed. "Let's go after it! We should probably be helping out!"

"Yeah, like ol' times!" Jessie added.

"Launching the Rocket Blimp now!" cried James as he ran off to the steering wheel.

"WOBBUFFET!"

Chapter Text

Ketchum Month Stadium
Ketchum City

Enigma moaned as he felt his surroundings rush back to the forefront of his mind. Weakly, he looked up and saw all of his men lying unconscious, with the exception of Streak, who was directing his Noivern as it battled a Lucario wielding a bone-shaped staff of light-blue energy. His eyes then shifted towards a blue-haired Trainer and a group of Pokémon, all crowded around something he couldn't see. Mayor Harrington was nearby, struggling against his bonds.

Moaning again, he stood up with great difficulty and glanced out of the balcony, seeing, with immense relief, Ho-Oh still held to the battlefield of the stadium. However, his Sky Soldiers were being quickly overwhelmed by the civilians in the audience seats below; he knew he should've trained them better for combat. And now, all of the civilians were focusing their attention towards the devices tethering Ho-Oh, attempting to reach them, fighting against the efforts of the Sky Soldiers guarding them.

A growl escaped his mouth. He knew he should've trained them better. His New Sky Soldiers was immediately falling, and by the hands of motivated civilians...

Then, a roar pierced the air, stopping everyone in their tracks. Enigma followed everyone's gazes towards the sky, and spotted a white blur flying towards the stadium with its mighty wings, a reddish-orange flame trailing behind it. The white blur fired a large sphere of orange flames with two rings surrounding it at the helicopter that contained Curtis and several Sky Soldiers, hitting it and creating a violent explosion that engulfed the helicopter, but not before Enigma saw Curtis leap out and deploy an issued parachute. His eyes widened in surprise the moment the blur stopped, revealing a white dragon, but then, he smirked.

"Ten years, and it had to reappear today," he whispered to himself, blood trickling from his lip. "Reshiram..."

Just then, everyone heard another roar, much deeper and more menacing than Reshiram's roar. Everyone watched as a familiar black dragon flew into the stadium and landed directly in front of Ho-Oh. It lowered its head, a large sphere of light-blue energy forming in front of its forehead. The dragon then raised its head and slammed its head down onto one of the electrical chains that held Ho-Oh down, enabling it to break free from the other chain.

As Ho-Oh flew away from the battleground, Reshiram's body became encircled by multiple rings of red-yellow fire, and it opened its mouth, firing two separate streams of fire at the generating devices. The streams of fire hit the devices, its flames wrapping around it and trapping it in an orb of flames, internally destroying them.

"NO!" Enigma screamed as he watched the devices explode and send the remaining Sky Soldiers backward. "NO, NO, NO!"

Suddenly, he heard a crashing noise, followed by a short grunt of pain. He glanced over at his side and saw that Lucario knocked Noivern out before sending its body hurtling at Streak, knocking him out as well. Lucario then spotted Enigma and held out its paw, a light-blue sphere forming in front of it. Enigma knew that Lucario was going to attack it, and he closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact of the Aura Sphere... He heard it fire...

But the impact never came. He opened his eyes and saw that the Cryogonal accompanying him recovered, the Shiny one now hovering in front of him, protecting him from the Aura Sphere. The Shiny Cryogonal then fired an Ice-type attack, forcing Lucario back from them. The Pokémon standing beside the blue-haired Trainer, led by a Pikachu, immediately engaged the Cryogonal in battle. Enigma seized this opportunity to flee the balcony.

As he did, only one thought crossed his mind.

"I failed you, Father..."

Hugh watched as Nate's Pokémon, as well as his own, plus the Pikachu and the Lucario, all battled the Cryogonal. He then spotted, through the railing of the balcony railing, a gigantic swarm of Cryogonal flooding inside the stadium, overwhelming civilians and Sky Soldiers alike and forcing them to evacuate the stadium in a chaotic stampede. He looked up to the sky and watched as Reshiram and Zekrom battled the Cryogonal swarm, while Ho-Oh flew in a strange pattern, looking badly wounded.

"How is he?" a voice asked, catching his attention.

With a cry of surprise, Hugh glanced at the newcomer. It was a young man who appeared to be around his late-twenties or early-thirties. He had unkempt raven-black hair and hollow auburn eyes. He was wearing shabby clothing consisting of a handmade (in Hugh's opinion) shirt and pants, a faded gray cloak, and a rather large hat, the latter being the first article of clothing that caught the Trainer's attention. It was blue and had a large brim that would've obscured the man's face if his head was lowered by another degree or two. There was a hint of a concerned frown as the man examined Nate, softly feeling one of the gashes left by Noivern's Bite.

The man closed his eyes, and he suddenly began to glow a light-blue aura. It then disappeared, and he shook his head gravely. Hugh's eyes widened.

"Is he...?" he asked.

"No," the man replied. His frown became more pronounced. "Strange... Why'd he call me here? After all of my efforts?..."

"What're you talking about?" Hugh asked.

The man didn't respond. Instead, he glanced at Pikachu and Lucario, both of whom had just noticed him.

"PIKAPI!" Pikachu cried, hopping onto the man's shoulder. However, the man didn't smile.

"I told you not to cause trouble, you two, over and over again."

"We are sorry, Master-"

"What have I told you about calling me 'Master', Lucario?"

"My apologies. But the boy was in trouble-"

"And this gives you every right to intrude into his personal affairs?" the man replied sternly, anger filling his face as he crossed his arms. The Pikachu looked guilty and nervous. "What have I told you two? Only interact with civilization when it involves getting food and supplies. No other interaction!"

"But the boy-"

"The boy will survive," the man interrupted unflinchingly.

"But, mister!" exclaimed Hugh. "My friend is seriously wounded here! You somehow knew about his condition, but he won't be alive for much longer! Please, help him!"

The man glanced at Hugh, studying him. His lips pursed, and his auburn eyes narrowed menacingly. Hugh prepared to call one of his Pokémon to aid him, but...

"Fine," he said. "But no Pokémon Center. He has to come to my home. And you're coming with me, young man." He gestured towards Hugh in signal before flicking his head towards Lucario. "We'll talk about this later." Lucario nodded, and the man looked at Pikachu, who also nodded in response.

Hugh didn't know what to say, and merely watched as the stranger lifted Nate's body into his arms. He didn't know why, but there was an aura of trustworthiness in the man, no matter how strange and mysterious he was. In fact, this aura of trustworthiness felt a little familiar...

"Are you coming?" the man asked, looking at Hugh.

Hugh knew he had no choice. He glanced at his Pokémon and Nate's, who were still holding back the Cryogonal.

"Guys, we're outta here!" he shouted.

"Are you alright, Father?" Curtis asked as Enigma ran up to him as fast as he could. The two were currently outside of the Ketchum Month Stadium, blending in with the stampeding civilians. Chaos had just broken out, with civilians flooding the walkways of Ketchum City, screaming in fear as Cryogonal began to invade the city.

"WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?!" roared Enigma furiously. He then looked at the stadium, where the roars of Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem could be heard.

"What should we do?" asked Curtis cautiously, wary of Enigma's anger.

"We retreat..." The syndicate leader looked at the ground, and Curtis couldn't read his father's expression. "And we initiate the backup plan..."

"It is an utmost pleasure to see you again, my dear Brother," said Zekrom as it fired an Electric-type attack at several advancing Cryogonal. "Where in Arceus's name have you been for the past decade? Under great leisure at your own expense?"

"Just traveling for truth, Zekrom," Reshiram replied as it repelled attacking Cryogonal with a Fire-type attack, defeating many of them. "What is Ho-Oh's status?"

"The devices the evil humans used on him have severely wounded him. It is necessary to relocate him somewhere for protection." Zekrom's head shifted for a fraction of an inch as it sensed an almost supernatural feeling that provoked all of its senses. "We take Ho-Oh to him."

"Him? I thought he had perished sparing Ho-Oh from certain death?"

"Arceus has recently informed me that we were misled. Now, we guide Ho-Oh-"

Suddenly, Reshiram's eyes narrowed as it sensed something approach. "Wait, Brother. He is here..."

"Greetings, my dear Brethren," a new voice, laced with a tone of malice, greeted. Reshiram and Zekrom both looked behind them and saw none other than Kyurem hovering behind them. The three dragons began to circle over the stadium in midair; the Cryogonal swarm began to retreat, while Ho-Oh took cover at a corner of the stadium, recovering from its sustained injuries. A chuckle escaped Kyurem as it shifted slightly.

"Kyurem, we know of your intentions for affiliating yourself with the evil humans," said Zekrom in warning. "Reshiram and I advise against it, for any and all resulting consequences shall culminate in the destruction of the planet you swore to protect. We urge you to abandon all selfish pride and listen to sense."

At the corner of Reshiram's eye, it spotted five blurs, four colored purple and the fifth colored red, whizzing into the stadium and escorting Ho-Oh away. It then focused its full attention back at Kyurem as its yellow eyes glowed brighter menacingly, a sign of its escalating fury.

"The Fairy type is emerging, and gaining dominance over the almighty Dragon type," replied Kyurem nastily. "That, I shall not allow..."

"You are defying the oath Arceus assigned you, a punishable offense," Reshiram warned. "Surrender, and we shall testify for your amnesty to Arceus."

"Arceus, Arceus, Arceus." The Boundary Pokémon chuckled again, with more malice this time as its yellow eyes glinted in the sunlight. "Tell me, my dear Brethren, what has the almighty Arceus done as of late that can be deemed as trustworthy? Hm? ...Enlighten me."

Hilda, Kelly, and Cheren were in the lead when the ran onto the balcony, followed quickly by the others ran onto the balcony. There, they were greeted by the sight of unconscious Sky Soldiers and their Pokémon. In the corner, they spotted Mayor Harrington, who was still struggling against his bonds.

"Mayor Harrington!" exclaimed Marina, running up to him and untying him.

"WHAT IN ARCEUS'S NAME IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW, BRASS?!" screamed Harrington madly, spit flying out of his mouth as the corner of his eye twitched. He pointed at her in an accusing manner, prompting Jimmy to stand between the mayor and his wife. "IS THIS PART OF THE TOURNAMENT PROMOTION?!"

"No, it isn't," Cheren said calmly as he marched up to Harrington and stared him down. "This was an attempt by a criminal syndicate to ascend to power. They are the Sky Soldiers, and they would have likely led to the destruction of this world." His eyes narrowed darkly as Harrington began to shrink in fear and intimidation. "Now you tell me, Mr. Mayor, who battled these Sky Soldiers and knocked all of them and their Pokémon out? It obviously wasn't your work."

The mayor's face turned a dark shade of scarlet, and he gritted his teeth as he mumbled almost incoherently, "That damn boy who nearly destroyed the bell tower..."

"Nate?!" Kelly exclaimed, stepping forward. "Is he okay?! Where is he?!"

"That strange Pokémon over there." Harrington pointed at the unconscious Noivern, who still had blood dripping from its jaws. "It took a bite out of him."

Everyone gasped in horror, and Hilda pushed Cheren aside as she grabbed Harrington's shoulders and shook him angrily.

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" she screamed. "TELL ME THAT'S NOT TRUE!"

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME NOW," Harrington snapped, "OR I'LL HAVE YOU ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT ON THE MAYOR OF KETCHUM CITY!"

"Mr. Mayor," Cheren said, still in a calm tone, "I'd hate to say this, but it appears you're no longer in charge."

"Huh?..." Harrington glared at the Gym Leader stupidly.

Cheren's eyes narrowed again as he explained, "Swarms of Cryogonal have run amok throughout Ketchum City. Your civilians have gone into a frenzied panic. Ho-Oh is severely wounded, and if it dies, an unimaginable force of destruction will be unleashed, a force that will send this world into nothing more than absolute oblivion. And if you don't tell us what happened to Nate or not, then I swear to Arceus that before we all die, I shall let the civilians that you have served for so long know that you were succumbed to cowardice and failed to disclose this important information. Now, do us a favor and talk, Mr. Mayor."

Harrington growled nastily at Cheren's threat before replying, "Some homeless guy came here, checked on the kid, and then fled with him, another kid that was there, and their Pokémon. Those two kids are responsible for defeating those lunatics you call Sky Soldiers."

"A homeless guy?" asked Dawn.

"What'd he look like?" Lyra replied, suddenly feeling a new sense coming to her.

"Don't know. He wore a really large hat. I couldn't see his face. ...He did have spiky black hair..."

Just then, a explosion threw everyone backward. Tory was the first to recover, and he looked out of the balcony. Plusle and Minum both gasped.

"Guys!" he cried. "Check this out!"

Everyone crowded around the balcony railing and gasped in shock. Reshiram and Zekrom were battling against Kyurem.

Before they could see the battle in full detail, they saw a blimp flying across the sky, directly above the stadium. The familiar purple R logo adorned both sides. A ladder unfurled from the side of the blimp vehicle, and everyone watched as Meowth climbed down the ladder quickly.

"Quick, twoips!" he exclaimed. "Get in!"

"Welcome, viewers, to a special report from Johto TV. Almost 48 hours ago, during the first day of the Ketchum Month Tournament, a criminal organization calling themselves the Sky Soldiers took control of the Ketchum Month Stadium for under an hour, during which they attempted to capture the Rainbow Pokémon Ho-Oh, who was flying near the vicinity of the stadium for unspecified reasons. This is not the first time the Sky Soldiers have attempted to capture a Ho-Oh by force: ten years ago, an organization that bore the same name and modus operandi nearly destroyed the planet by capturing Ho-Oh and amplifying its power to dangerous levels, before being overthrown by Ash Ketchum.

"The Rainbow Pokémon was rescued from the would-be capture by none other than the Vast White Pokémon, Reshiram, who hadn't been seen in ten years, since the death of Ash Ketchum. Then, swarms of Cryogonal invaded the city, whilst Reshiram engaged in a battle against the Boundary Pokémon, Kyurem, alongside its partner, the Deep Black Pokémon, Zekrom. It's been confirmed that the Cryogonal are under Kyurem's servitude, as they have come to its defense multiple times.

"At this hour , the Cryogonal invasion and the battle between the three Unova dragons continues. Ketchum City, now in utter devastation, has now been evacuated, with the civilians being relocated over to the nearby Silver Town. Pokémon Rangers, who have rounded up most of the Sky Soldiers and put them under arrest, are presently working to remedy the unfolding situation. Stay tuned as we continue our live report coverage of the crisis at Ketchum City."

Unknown location

Nate's eyelids fluttered open, and he found himself staring at trees. A stinging pain dominated the forefront of his mind as he examined his surroundings, attempting to adjust to them. Though ice was coating the trunks and branches, the leaves remained intact, some of them even falling from their twigs of origin and fluttering down to the ground, all around the young Trainer. He slowly sat up and found Hugh sleeping, lying against a tree.

"Hugh?" he asked. However, the blue-haired Trainer didn't respond. So, Nate stood up, and as he did, he realized where the stinging pain was coming from: there was a number of homemade bandages wrapped around his arm and covering the wounds he suffered from the Noivern's Bite. Some of the bandages were stained crimson.

Adjusting the bandages a bit, Nate then examined his surroundings.

He appeared to be in a thicket. However, it seemed that the trees that constructed the thicket were all reshaped into a protective dome of sorts. Nate took a step back and felt his heel hit something solid. The Trainer looked at the ground and saw that it was a strange plate-like object with engraving on it. His curiosity peaking, Nate picked the object up, finding it to be surprisingly light for something so large and thick. He had to squint his eyes a little to read the engraving.

'From it, the Original One conceived the heart and the soul to balance the cycle of purity.'

"'From it, the Original One conceived the heart and the soul to balance the cycle of purity'," repeated Nate.

"Hands to yourself," a voice said. Nate turned around and saw a man standing in front of a small hole, likely the only way to get in and out of the thicket. The man was wearing a large hat, which obscured most of his face, but Nate could see he sported a crop of long, spiky jet-black hair. The man also wore shabby, clothing, giving off the appearance of some sort of hermit. The Trainer cautiously lowered the object back to the ground.

"Who are you?" asked Nate.

"The person who saved you," the man replied smoothly. "You also have your friend over there to thank for that." He pointed at the sleeping Hugh.

Nate looked at the bandages wrapped around his wounds, then back at the man. He smiled slightly and said, "Thanks, I guess."

"I only did it at their request," said the man, just as Lucario and Pikachu entered the thicket.

Nate's eyes widened in surprise as the realization hit him. "You're the Lucario's Trainer..."

The man cringed suddenly. "I don't think 'Trainer' is the proper title to refer me as. I prefer 'protector' better."

"You're not a Trainer?"

The man gazed at Nate seriously; the Trainer noticed that he had auburn eyes. "Why would I be?"

"About everyone I know is a Trainer."

The man scoffed. "Well then, I'm glad to know that I'm the first non-Pokémon Trainer you ever met."

Nate ignored the man's attitude and observed the thicket for a second time. He was very intrigued by the strange shape of the trees; it was as if they were shaped to be this way. It was like some sort of shield, designed to protect anyone inside from external forces. His eye wandered briefly to the plate-like object...

"Where are we?" Nate asked, facing the man again.

"My home. You and your friend were lucky enough to be allowed in here. No one else can come in here unless they were Pokémon."

Nate's eyes softened. He read about these kinds of people in Cheren's textbooks. Sometimes, there were some people who refused to interact with society, and as a result, they would retreat deep into the wilderness, where they lived off whatever they could possibly find, where Pokémon would be their only means of socialization. He also knew about how hostile these kinds of people would be. ...He didn't think he would meet this kind of person in his entire lifetime.

"Anyway," the man continued, "you're welcome. It wasn't in my checklist to save a person for today, but I did it for Lucario and Pikachu's sake."

"But you came on your own accord, A-" Lucario began, but the man held up a hand to silence the Aura Pokémon.

"I don't need to hear anything from you, Lucario. Now, you resume watching the community."

Lucario was silent for a moment. Then, he bowed and replied, "Yes."

Nate watched as Lucario left the thicket. He then looked at the man, whose Pikachu was now perched on his shoulder.

"Community, you say?" he asked.

For the first time he saw him, the man's lips curved into a slight smile. "Yes," he replied. "For years, I've spent my time taking Pokémon under their wing. Orphans, lost ones, anyone who is in need. And I've formed a little community with them. Pikachu, Lucario, and I are the leaders and supervisors."

"That's cool!" exclaimed Nate. "May...May I see this community?"

The man looked at him, surprised, while Pikachu looked surprisingly pleased. He observed Nate for a minute, then reluctantly nodded. "Sure, you may. Let's go."

"What about Hugh?" Nate looked at his friend's sleeping form.

"He'll know where to find us," the man replied. "We won't go that far." He approached the hole in the thicket and gestured towards it. "Come."

"Pika!" Pikachu said encouragingly.

Nate looked at the opening, seeing that light was coming out from it. It looked rather welcoming. Staring at the man, he nodded and approached the hole, making his way through it. Once he got out of the thicket, an explosion of light bombarded his eyes; he squinted as his eyes tried to adjust to the light.

Once they did, Nate fully opened his eyes...and gasped in awe.

He was standing in the middle of a large clearing. Though there was a fair amount of unnatural ice present, coating the otherwise fertile landscape, it didn't hinder the beauty of the waving grass blades and flowers. A small, short gust of wind blew across a still-growing dandelion, stripping the head of its seeds. These seeds floated across the air, being carried by the wind; they flew farther and farther into the air, some of them twirling around in small vortexes, making a show for themselves.

But that was only half of it. The thing that caught Nate's attention next, a few split-seconds later, were the Pokémon frolicking about the clearing happily, optimistically enduring themselves in the sparkles brought by the ice that coated some of the plants. A male and female Nidoran played as a Nidoking and Nidoqueen, obviously the youngsters' parents, watched on with delight. Several Butterfree and Ledian flew across the air. Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff bounced up and down from the taller blades of grass. A patch of Sunflora and Sunkern greeted Nate happily when he gazed at them. Three Miltank grazed peacefully at a distance. An Espeon sunbathed on the surface of a rock, while an Umbreon yawned as it slept soundly under the shade of the rock.

"Wow," Nate said, as the man stepped beside him. "I've never seen anything so peaceful..."

"Yes, nature is such an astounding beauty in its own right," replied the man softly, as Pikachu hopped off of its owner's shoulder and ran over to greet two Butterfree that were flying considerably low. Nate noticed that one of the Butterfree had a scarf wrapped around its neck, while the other was colored pink.

"They look happy." Nate gazed at all of the Pokémon. "They all look happy. Not a care in the world..."

"Something you deserve as well."

"Huh?" Nate looked at the man, who was staring at him seriously. "What do you mean?"

"I know what got you in those bandages in the first place. You've gotten yourself affiliated with matters that don't concern you. Matters that result in death. You don't have to get yourself involved. You can still pull out, while you still have your chance. Don't make the same mistake Ash Ketchum did."

"What do you know about Ash Ketchum?" the Trainer asked curiously.

The man looked away quickly. "Your friend told me everything," he replied in a voice that sounded...strange to Nate. However, the man continued speaking, looking at Nate again. "And I happen to know a thing or two about the so-called legend of Ash Ketchum. Like how he died, affiliating himself in matters that didn't concern him."

Nate frowned and replied defensively, "You're wrong. Whatever happened ten years ago...whatever is happening now...it DID concern him, and it concerns ME. We're connected to Ho-Oh in such a deep level, and it cannot be denied. I've come to accept the fact that I might die if I follow my destiny. But I also accept the fact that I've gotta do it, otherwise the world, and everyone and everything we know, will be destroyed. No one else can do it other than me. Ash knew that, and I know that."

The man sighed, shook his head, and looked back at the clearing, as the Pokémon continued playing, resting, or grazing.

"Do you also know that no matter how much you try to seek a regular life, it will never come to you?"

Nate raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing," the man replied quickly.

"No, you had a reason to say that. Why did you say that?"

Then, Nate watched as Pikachu hopped back onto the man's shoulder, and became suspicious.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"No one special," the man replied calmly, as if this merely was a conversation between friends.

"Then how come you know so much about Ash Ketchum? There is no one who can know you better than...yourself..."

Nate's eyes widened in shock, and he took a couple of steps backward as the realization hit him, this time with the force of a thousand bricks. He felt himself bump into someone, but he didn't care who it was. All he cared about was how the dots were now all connected. The man's jet-black hair, which he saw in storybooks relating to Ash Ketchum; the auburn eyes, so much like his; the Pikachu that stood firmly on the man's shoulder with all of the trust in the world, just like the Pikachu depicted on the statue at the Ketchum Center... And most of all, the strange sense of trust that Nate held the moment he first saw the man...

"You're Ash Ketchum, aren't you?" Nate concluded.

"Master-" Lucario said, from behind Nate. However, the man held up his hand to silence the Aura Pokémon. Then, he removed his hat, revealing his face in full detail.

Nate stared into the face of his childhood hero.

"Hello...son..." greeted Ash hesitantly.

A local prison
Silver Town
Two days later

"Are you sure, Gary?" Misty asked as the Pokémon Professor approached the sliding door. "I mean, he hasn't spoken a word ever since...that time..."

"He led the original Sky Soldiers," replied Gary tersely. "These new Sky Soldiers operated in the exact same way as the original organization, the difference being their amateurish quality. Nevertheless, some of them got away, and no one knows the Sky Soldiers better than him."

"Why not let-"

"You know he can't. You saw him. He couldn't even step inside the prison. But I'll talk to him. I was the last person he spoke to before he went mute. I'll talk to him."

The last sentence was spoken solidly, with determination and assertion. Misty knew that she wouldn't be able to convince Gary otherwise, so she turned around, just as she heard the door slide open slowly. She walked away and reentered the waiting room, where the rest of the group waited.

"I take it that Gary's going through with it?" asked May.

Misty nodded silently in response before looking back at the doorway with concern.

At a local shelter

Rosa didn't know why everyone was ignoring her right now. ...Actually, she did know; after all, everyone was busy searching for Nate and Hugh, who hadn't been seen in the last two days since the incident at the Ketchum Month Stadium. However, every time she tried to talk them, they seemed to ignore her on purpose.

As if they had something to hide from her... But what?

Currently, she was sitting on a chair inside a tent, which was one of many at a shelter designed to house civilians of Ketchum City that were evacuated. A grimy mirror stood in front of her, and she stared at her reflection as she began to muse over Nate. Rosa felt that she needed to apologize to him, for having to eavesdrop his little monologue at the fountain. However, she also knew that Nate needed to apologize to her too; he didn't know why she tagged along with the group in the first place...

Just then, an image of an expansive, ice-coated field full of joyous, frolicking Pokémon flashed across her mind, followed by a familiar voice.

"Then how come you know so much about Ash Ketchum? There is no one who can know you better than... yourself ..."

Rosa's eyes widened in surprise. "Nate?!" she exclaimed, turning around, expecting to see him there, but she found that she was still the only one in the tent.

She blinked in surprise and confusion before looking down at the ground.

"What just happened?" she thought. Then, her eyes widened again as a strange realization hit her.

Instinctively, Rosa stood up and left the tent. Outside, she found Kelly pacing around nervously, taking occasional fleeting glances at the sun as she did so.

"Ms. Brown?" asked Rosa.

"Huh? Rosa, what is it?" replied Kelly.

"I think I know where Nate might be..."

Temporary Cell #002318
The holding cell of Wayne Ketchum

"It's an honor to meet you in person, Professor Oak," the prison guard said, almost in a giddy manner. He was clutching his clipboard to his chest in excitement. "I am such a big fan of your research! In fact, I've got your article on the protection and preservation of Legendary Pokémon and their habitat memorized to a tee!"

"Glad to see I have a fan here," Gary replied quickly. He stopped in front of the cell door of #002318 and pointed towards it. "This it?"

"Yeah. Oh, I forgot to tell you! The guy's started talking again!"

Gary's eyes widened, and he flicked his head towards the guard. "What?! Are you sure?"

"It definitely says so in the report." The guard handed the clipboard to Gary, and the Professor quickly read it. His eyes were instantly attracted to the latest entry of the report, which was dated two days ago. The same day as the attack on the Ketchum Month Stadium...

"Let me in," said Gary sternly. The guard nodded and quickly pressed a button, to which the door automatically slid open slowly, revealing a room with a single bed, a simple wooden table, and a TV set that hung in a corner of the ceiling. There were two chairs, one at each side of the wooden table.

One of them was already occupied.

"Be sure to press the button at the side of the door when you want to come out," instructed the guard as Gary slowly stepped inside the cell.

Gary didn't respond, instead staring down the cell's occupant. He was a man, aged around his late-thirties, but his jet-black hair was already graying, a bit premature for a man his age. He wore grayish-white clothing that was issued by the Silver Town prison, its frame sporting a few stains in the form of grime-marks. The man's right eye was covered in a black patch, while his left, completely healthy, sported a pupil that was colored in an auburn all too familiar with Gary. The man's lips curved into a strange smile that appeared to be meant as a welcome, but Gary instinctively knew it was anything but.

"Hello, Gary Oak," the man greeted, his voice hoarse as his head moved slightly so he could look at the Professor. "Long time, no see. I saved you a seat."

Chapter Text

Near Silver Town
A month after the death of Ash Ketchum

After Ash Ketchum sacrificed himself to save the world from completely destruction at the hands of Pure Impurity, the vegetation on and surrounding Mt. Silver was left completely wiped out. However, after the month passed, there were already signs that life had already begun to restore itself. Small, flimsy stems protruded from the otherwise barren, lifeless ground, amongst the corpses of fallen tree trunks that were stripped naked of their leaves.

It was in this area that a lone Pikachu wandered, its ears drooping, its body obviously famished. It was a long month of traveling, and the Pikachu had wondered many times if it would die before it completed its trek. Not that it would've mattered. It wanted to die. It wanted to return to the arms of its loving Trainer, the one who died saving it, as well as everyone and everything it ever knew, from oblivion. It wanted to hear his encouraging voice once again...

"Pikachu..." the Pikachu moaned as it stopped in the middle of the barren field. It looked around, hoping that it would see its Trainer, although it already knew it would be completely pointless. But it didn't care. As long as it died in the same place as its Trainer, then all was well.

The corners of Pikachu's eyes were getting blurry. Softly, it moaned again as it decided to lie down on the ground. It felt all strength washing away from its body. Was it dying? For a moment, the Pikachu was afraid, and it began flashing back to memories of its other friends, all of those who loved it as much as its Trainer did. It could not help but miss all of them. But then, it also knew that none of them measured up to its one and only Trainer.

Its Pikapi...

Its eyesight was now being completely devoured by oblivion. The world was now spinning. Pikachu just wanted to sleep, so it did.

...

...

...

...A familiar voice...

Pikachu's eyelids slowly slid open, and it found itself still in the same area. It was not dead. Not yet, at least.

"Pikachu?" the voice asked in awe.

Pikachu couldn't believe what it was hearing. It slowly looked up, now registering the fact that it was now in someone's shadow. Once it got a good look at the figure's face, it gasped and weakly stood up. There was no mistaking those determined auburn eyes, or the spiky jet-black hair.

It didn't care of this was a hallucination. Pikachu wanted to savor this moment. Forever.

"PIKAPI!"

The Forest of Hearts
Near Ketchum City
Present day

"Hello...son..." greeted Ash hesitantly.

Nate's lower jaw slowly slid open. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The man he worshiped his entire life, who turned out to be, quite coincidentally, his actual father, was standing just a foot away from him, alive and well. How could it be?! The extensive database of information on Ash that Nate had slowly built up, it told him that there were multiple eyewitness accounts of Ash's death, all of which were verified and cleared as being legitimate. There was no possible way that Ash could have come back to the world of the living, to have escaped the undeniable arms of death. ...Unless...

"Did Ho-Oh revive you?" Nate asked incredulously as Lucario stepped beside him.

To his surprise, Ash shook his head and replied dismissively, "No. In fact, I don't know what happened."

"Tell me," said Nate, almost in a commanding tone that even he noticed and was shocked by.

Ash merely stared at him and looked down at the ground. "Why do you wish to know anyway? It's none of your business. It never was."

"It always has been ever since I was born. I'm your son. I'm your flesh and blood. I've obviously inherited your responsibilities in the world. So...tell me."

Ash looked at Pikachu, which nodded and said, "Pika." Then, the former Trainer sighed and began his explanation.

"After I...died, transferring my Aura to Ho-Oh so it could continue to live, I found myself in a...heaven, of sorts. I was standing in front of this large, golden gate, which opened when I got close to it. I went inside, and I found myself standing in the middle of some sort of stadium, although it seemed to go on for miles. Some infinite shit and whatnot. Anyway, when I stepped onto a pedestal that was at the center, he came to me." Ash clenched his fists. "Arceus.

"I was shocked the moment I saw him. The last time I saw him, he had been reduced to a comatose state after an attack by the Sky Soldiers. But he told me that I had finally fulfilled my duty, and that my time has passed. Then, he told me he always knew I'd be able to do it. I was intrigued. I asked what he meant by that. He relented in answering that question, and it took some persuading before he finally gave in. ...Sometimes, I regret asking.

"Arceus said that, being the Alpha Pokémon who created the Universe, he sees everything that happens in the past, present...and future. He knew exactly what would happen to me before it would actually occur. He knew that the war between me and the Sky Soldiers would cost millions of innocent lives, people and Pokémon alike." Furiously, Ash suddenly punched the wall of the thicket, startling Nate. "He knew, and yet...he did nothing to prevent those deaths. Many died, so many...

"Naturally, I was shocked, horrified beyond belief. I then knew that Arceus had never been in a comatose state the entire time. He would've seen it coming. I realized he had faked it the entire time. To allow me to continue down the path of my destiny. After all, him slipping into a coma motivated me to go after the Sky Soldiers with full force. To free Ho-Oh from captivity and restore it back to life, at the cost of my own. He knew it would jump-start me.

"We had an argument. I accused him of sitting back and letting everyone die without doing anything about it. He defended himself with terrible excuses that it was all just a part of life, to experience death all around me. ...No. It wasn't a part of life. Nate, have you ever saw someone die in front of you before?"

"No..." Nate replied.

"You are lucky, then. I saw millions of people die before me. I assure you, seeing such horrible, traumatic things is NOT a part of life. I told him that, Arceus. But all he ever did was just give me more so-called sagely sentiments about life and its experiences. I got angry, so I started trashing all that I could find in the stadium. Arceus didn't like that one bit, and he tried to attack me with his special attack, Judgment. You know Arceus has seventeen plates, right?"

"Yes," Nate replied.

"Every time he unleashes Judgment, the Plates emerge from his abdomen to give him maximum power into the attack. The attack also takes time to charge up. I don't know what came over me, but I am pretty sure I knew I had to retaliate somehow against Arceus's unacceptable behavior. I managed to grab the nearest Plate, and it weakened Arceus severely in the process. I quickly fled out of the stadium, and I don't know what happened; all I did was just jump off this cliff that was ahead, and...

"I was alive again. I don't know how, or why it happened, but...I was alive again...

"And now that I realized that my entire life had been just a sham, with everything being laid out from the start, I didn't know what to do at first. I reunited with Pikachu here, but it didn't help at all. I was now on the run, with one of Arceus's Plates, and there was no doubt he'd do anything to get it back. I was fortunate that I had one of his more powerful Plates, and I knew that to break even one would mean crippling damage to him. So, I settled here, watching as life grew back to its former state while under the protection of the Plate. And as I sat here for the past ten years, I began taking in Pokémon and putting them under my wing. And here we are."

Ash let out a heavy sigh and sat down on the ground, watching as the Pokémon continued to play in the icy field. However, Nate continued to stand.

"So, that's why you never came back?" the Trainer asked. "You were mad at Arceus, so you just sat here under the protection of one of his Plates?!"

"Pretty much," Ash replied calmly.

Nate gritted his teeth angrily. "And you sit here, doing nothing to save Ketchum City as it is being taken over by Sky Soldiers, just because you're MAD at Arceus?!"

"Yep." Ash's attention was then caught. "Sky Soldiers?"

"Yeah, they're back, just in case you hadn't noticed," replied Nate sarcastically, crossing his arms. "And they're trying to capture Ho-Oh."

Ash frowned at the sarcasm. "Well, it's no longer my problem. It's yours now. So far, that is."

"No, it's not my problem, and it's certainly not your problem either!" exclaimed Nate, his fists clenched now. "It's my duty, your duty, our duty!"

"No, it's Arceus's little chessboard," Ash snapped. "He knows what's gonna happen. Why do you think you haven't seen him even once since this fiasco started?"

Nate opened his mouth to respond, but then closed it. Naturally, he hadn't seen Arceus ever since the situation began. Surely Arceus would appear if someone made an attempt to capture Ho-Oh, something that would deal widespread, deadly repercussions that would threaten all of existence. After all, he was the Alpha Pokémon, the almighty, all-seeing creator of the entire Universe. He wouldn't want something as the destruction of his own creation...

Ash smirked, knowing that he was right in that question. He gazed back at the Pokémon community, exhaling.

"Told ya," he muttered, almost inaudibly.

However, Nate wouldn't give up. Ash may be right on some things, but in the long run, he was definitely not right in shunning his long-held responsibility!

"Just because Arceus told you that he knew what was gonna happen, doesn't mean you have to turn the other way when the world is in danger!"

Ash stood up defensively. "Do you have any IDEA what I saw while protecting the world?! DEATH! DESTRUCTION! SADNESS! HOPELESSNESS! Arceus was willing to just stand back and let all of THAT happen while I do all the dirty work, practically relieving him of his workload?! If Arceus is gonna display such an attitude, then I'll return the favor, then. I'll just stand back and let his creation get wrecked. Then, once Arceus comes to me, begging for forgiveness, I'll just say this: 'Call us even'. I know you won't understand, Nate, so I'll just wait until you see it all yourself. Once you do, you'll know how I felt."

"Maybe Arceus was right! Maybe having to see death and destruction was just a way of life-"

"See death and destruction right before I die? Without enough time to learn the lesson out of all that? Either Arceus was just a terrible event planner, or he decided to just bullshit me with this meager existence! Either way, I don't care." Ash turned away. "I don't care about anything anymore."

"Not even your own community?" snapped Nate, loudly enough that all of the Pokémon in the area heard. Everyone's eyes were turned towards the father and son.

Ash narrowed his eyes. "We're all bound to die sooner or later. I'm just teaching them to value life, and live it at its fullest." He faced Nate. "The only thing I care about now is the preservation of the spirit. Reality is frightening, deadly. Just disconnect yourself with the expectations of it, and you will find true inner peace. That's what I have done for the past ten years. That's what I have been doing...until you showed up here."

"Excuse me, but who was the one who saved me?!"

"I saved you because you were getting in too deep. Now, I'm begging you to stay out of this business while you still can! Before you lose yourself completely!"

"Never," snarled Nate. He gritted his teeth even harder as tears started to flow down his cheeks. "You know, for as long as I can remember, I lived hearing all of these stories and tales of how you put aside all else, even your own life, to ensure the world's continued existence. How selfless, bold, and determined you were. I collected all of the books that detailed your travels. I watched old videos of you battling in Pokémon Leagues, and used them to perfect my own battling style. I came over here to not only live out my lifelong dream of becoming as strong as you through the Ketchum Month Tournament, but to see the very place where you did it all. Where you died saving the world. Where you actually cared. You were my hero, even before you were actually my father.

"But..." Nate's brown eyes glinted as he stared down Ash. "Not anymore." He stepped towards the thicket entrance, preparing to go inside. "I'm gonna wake up Hugh, and we're gonna go back to Ketchum City to face this threat head-on. I'm fulfilling my destiny. With or without you!"

"I don't think so!" roared Ash. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"PIKA-CHUUUUU!" Pikachu screeched as it unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity, which struck the ground between Nate and the entrance to the thicket.

"What in Arceus's name?!" Nate exclaimed.

"I'm not gonna let you suffer the same fate as me, Nate," Ash said. "Even if it means battling you!"

"Master?!" exclaimed Lucario.

"Stay out of this, Lucario!" Ash commanded. Lucario submissively took a couple of steps backward. "Nate, I suggest standing down! I'd do so if I were you..."

"Well then, challenge ACCEPTED!" Nate pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it into the air. "Cryogonal, GO!"

The Crystallizing Pokémon emerged from its Poké Ball and stared down Pikachu, whose cheeks sparkled with small bolts of electricity. Ash gritted his teeth.

"Damn," he muttered. "I never thought I'd be doing this again." Then, he screamed, "Pikachu, VOLT TACKLE!"

Pikachu ran at Cryogonal, its body becoming surrounded by golden electricity.

"Cryogonal, dodge, then use Aurora Beam!" ordered Nate.

Cryogonal successfully dodged the attack and prepared to fire an Aurora Beam, but suddenly, Pikachu turned around, still enveloped in the golden electricity, and with a triumphant "PIKA!", it tackled the Crystallizing Pokémon, sending it to the ground. Nate gasped while Ash pointed at Cryogonal.

"Use Electro Ball on Cryogonal while it's down!"

Pikachu's body became enveloped in yellow electricity as multiple yellow sparks came off of him. The electricity then condensed at Pikachu's tail, effectively forming into an orange-yellow orb of electricity with sparks of yellow electricity shooting out of it. Pikachu then leaped into the air, did a front-flip in midair, and threw the sphere of electricity at Cryogonal. The orb violently collided into the Crystallizing Pokémon's body and exploded, severely damaging it. Nate heard his Cryogonal cry out in pain.

"CRYOGONAL!"

When the dust cleared, Cryogonal was unconscious and unable to battle. Ash's mouth twitched into a small smile of satisfaction.

"I guess your Cryogonal is out for the count, Nate," he said. "And to think, my battling strategy was quite rusty."

"You think you're gonna win this?!" demanded Nate. "HUH?! Think again! I'm not giving up until you either let me go, or join me!"

"I'll do none of the sort."

"Fine, then. Let the battle continue!" Nate recalled Cryogonal and then threw a second Poké Ball. "Mandibuzz, I choose YOU!"

The Bone Vulture Pokémon emerged from its Poké Ball, cawing loudly as it flew in the air around in circles.

"NATE!" a voice called suddenly, and Nate turned his head towards the thicket entrance. Standing beside it was Hugh, who was now awake, and apparently, he had been watching the battle for some time. "Remember, Mandibuzz is a part-Flying-type! Be sure to use its Dark-type moves frequently!"

"I know, Hugh, I know!" Nate exclaimed, smiling as he stared at Pikachu, which now looked surprised. "Mandibuzz, use Punishment!"

Mandibuzz's wings glowed a sickly purple color, and it dove down at Pikachu, slapping him repeatedly.

"PIKACHU!" Ash cried in concern.

The last slap, more violent than the rest, sent Pikachu tumbling across the ground, and he came to a stop by Ash's feet. However, he quickly hopped back up, his body obviously bruised, but other than that, he looked unaffected from the attack. Seeing that Pikachu was all right, Ash looked up at Nate and smirked.

"Quite a risky strategy you've got there, Nate," he said. "Relying on the Dark-type attacks of a part-Flying-type Pokémon when battling against an Electric-type. I must say, even I was less brash and daring when I started out as a Trainer. I suggest switching Pokémon-"

"NOT A CHANCE!" interrupted Nate loudly. "From my research on you, you didn't care when you sent out a Pokémon to battle against one with a more powerful type. All it mattered to you was that the Pokémon would use the best of its ability and overcome, and if not, it tried its best! It doesn't matter if Mandibuzz wins or loses; all that really matters is that it tried all that it could, and I will be proud of its effort! Now, Mandibuzz, use Dark Pulse!"

Mandibuzz opened its mouth, a light-purple sphere of dark energy, which was surrounded by black-and-purple circles, appearing inside it. It then fires a beam of black-and-purple circles from the sphere, which struck Pikachu head-on at full force before he could dodge it.

"PIKA!" Pikachu screamed.

"PIKACHU!" Ash screamed.

Pikachu landed on the ground, but like before, it quickly hopped back up, looking unaffected by the attack aside from a few more bruises. Ash, satisfied to see that he was okay, then let out a soft but almost sinister chuckle, which brought an eerie chill to Nate, which reached even his bones.

"It's obvious that Mandibuzz isn't powerful enough to deal critical damage to Pikachu," he said. "I've trained Pikachu for almost thirty years, and how old are you?"

"Almost eleven," Nate replied.

"Your Mandibuzz will get knocked out of the arena in an instant." Ash pointed at the Bone Vulture Pokémon dramatically. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu unleashed another bolt of electricity, but Nate smiled as he realized something. "Mandibuzz, dodge it!"

Mandibuzz quickly outmaneuvered the Thunderbolt. Ash raised an eyebrow, but was otherwise undeterred by the dodge.

"Thunderbolt again, Pikachu!" Ash ordered.

Pikachu unleashed another Thunderbolt, but Nate ordered, "Dodge again, Mandibuzz!"

The Bone Vulture Pokémon quickly dodged the Thunderbolt, some of the electricity clipping off a feather as it grazed its wing. The billionth drop of sweat broke out on Nate's forehead and began to travel down his temple. He was trying out a risky strategy here, but if the knowledge on Electric-type Pokémon he learned from Cheren was correct, then if Pikachu continued to use Electric-type attacks, then he would eventually drain himself of his electricity that was his power, weakening him.

He did not know how long it would take until Ash caught onto that strategy, but he had to try. Mandibuzz had always been his best Pokémon to use against small but quick Pokémon like Pikachu, but for Pikachu to be an Electric-type, which Mandibuzz was weak against, made his choice all the more riskier.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!"

"Dodge, Mandibuzz!"

Pikachu tried to attack Mandibuzz with Volt Tackle, but it quickly dodged him, and was able to dodge him again when Pikachu turned around and tried to hit it again.

"Keep it up, Pikachu!" ordered Ash.

Pikachu continued trying to attack Mandibuzz with Volt Tackle, but the Bone Vulture Pokémon was able to fly high enough to be out of reach. After a couple of long and laborious minutes passed, the electricity generating from Pikachu's body for the Volt Tackle ran out, and Pikachu stopped running and jumping at Mandibuzz.

"I don't know what it is you're doing, Nate, but I must admit, it's a nice way to avoid damage." Ash smirked. "Unfortunately, it doesn't do anything to damage Pikachu."

"You keep talking, Ash," Nate replied. "But soon, I'll be the one with the last laugh."

Ash's smirk widened. "Oh, we'll see about that. Use Electro Ball, Pikachu!"

Pikachu fired an Electro Ball, which Mandibuzz was able to avoid. Just then, Hugh gasped, attracting Nate's attention.

"Why? What is it, Hugh?" Nate asked.

"Tell Mandibuzz to make an attack, quick!" shouted Hugh.

Before Nate could do so, he heard Ash order, "Use Thunder, Pikachu!"

Pikachu fired a massive beam of electricity from his body, which barreled towards Mandibuzz. Then, Nate realized why Hugh was so concerned: Mandibuzz was tired...

"QUICK, MANDIBUZZ!" he shouted. "DODGE THE THUNDER!" However, it was too late. Mandibuzz, not quick enough, hindered by the exhaustion it slowly acquired from all of those dodges, was hit by the Thunder attack, and it fell down to the ground, unconscious. "MANDIBUZZ!"

"That's two Pokémon down on your side now," Ash said. "And trust me, I did not even break a sweat." He smirked. "Oh, and Nate, I knew you were gonna try to drain Pikachu of its electricity by doing all that dodging. Quite an effective strategy, if it weren't so flawed. Your opponent would become suspicious of all that. So, he or she would either take advantage of those dodges, or just use another type of attack. Please tell me you don't use these types of strategies when you're battling Gyms..."

"Well, I don't, but I have to be on my guard when I'm coming up against you!" exclaimed Nate angrily as he recalled Mandibuzz.

"You're not on your guard. You're afraid. Afraid to lose against me, your own father." Ash's head moved for a fraction of an inch. "Don't worry, I was too."

Nate's eyes narrowed as a chilly breeze began to blow, fluttering his, Ash's, and Hugh's hairs.

"You're right," he replied. "I am afraid to lose. But not against my own father. But against my childhood hero, who is now a JOKE."

Ash's eyes widened; he was surprised by the insult. Even Pikachu was alarmed by Nate's serious tone. However, Ash then chuckled, as if Nate told a funny joke.

"I guess you really are my son..."

"I guess my father really is dead."

Ash's eyes widened again, and he pointed at Nate. "You're being really stubborn, you know?! Do you have any absolute idea on what lies ahead of you if you continue down this path? ...Once everything is done and over with, you're gonna wish you died with everyone else who died for you!"

"The thing is, I've learned to accept my fate! I know what comes ahead! You wanna know why?"

"Why?!" demanded Ash furiously.

"Because I have everything I need." Nate reached inside his jacket and pulled out an object that Ash instantly recognized: a Time Flower. On it was a post-it that read '21: VERY IMPORTANT'. The Trainer stretched out the arm holding it so Ash could see the Time Flower. He continued, "Right here."

The Time Flower opened up, and a small light-blue sphere of energy emerged from its hollow frame. It exploded, engulfing the entire field...

Aspertia City
The Unova region
Nine months after the death of Ash Ketchum

The full moon hung high in the sky, its beauty unhindered by any presence of clouds. To a child, it might as well be the centerpiece decoration of a vast cardboard that was supposed to be the sky. Down below, Aspertia City took in all of its magnificent moonlight, and all of its residents slept soundly in the comfort of their homes. The pathways, further illuminated by a couple of streetlamps, looked desolate and lifeless. Some pieces of trash tumbled across them, being carried by the brief gusts.

Finally, there was a sign of life. Walking across one of these pathways, which cut across the small, dainty suburban area, was Cheren, who was wearing a white shirt with a large red tie, and turquoise pants, and had a bag. Straightening out his tie for what seemed to be the millionth time, he stopped walking and silently surveyed the houses. He stood under one of the streetlights, which bathed him in its golden light. The Gym Leader fleetingly checked his watch before sighing.

Several minutes passed, and Cheren spent them either pacing around or sitting on a bench to read one of his textbooks. It was obvious he was waiting for someone.

After a while, he checked his watch again. Then, he stood up and walked to the middle of the pathway, staring down one direction. It didn't take long until he was able to make out four silhouettes, all of which were walking fast towards him. As the silhouettes passed a streetlight, fleetingly illuminating their physical features, Cheren's mouth briefly twitched into a satisfied grin. He recognized these people as Hilda, Hilbert, Brock, and Lyra.

"Took you long enough," Cheren greeted as they ran up to him.

"Sorry for the wait, Cheren," replied Hilbert. "We got held back a bit..."

Cheren raised an eyebrow as he stared at Hilda, who was holding an object draped by a blanket with lightning-bolt patterns. She was struggling to not cry out loud.

"I see..." He approached Hilda and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hilda, it's for the best. I know this woman. She's worked at several Pokémon Centers in the past. The Nurse Joys from all of them recommended her. ...He's in the best and caring hands..."

Cheren looked down at the object Hilda was holding. It was an infant Nate, who was sleeping as soundly as everyone else in the suburban area.

"It's just...just..." Hilda sniffled. "I love this baby... He reminds me of Ash... His eyes are just like his-" She broke off and started to cry quietly as she hugged the baby.

"It's hard for all of us, Hilda," said Brock. "We're giving away the last thing Ash left behind for us. It didn't matter if it wasn't intentional. This is Ash's flesh and blood..."

"But let's face it," Lyra added. "None of us, or anyone else we know, are conditioned to raise this baby. Not even you, Hilda. You're still a Trainer-"

"It doesn't matter!" snapped Hilda. Her voice was a bit loud, and Cheren and Hilbert looked around nervously to see if Hilda's outburst woke anyone up. "I can retire! I can raise this baby! I don't care what any of you say anymore! I'm gonna raise Nathan as my own!"

"Not only are you a Trainer, but you're still a teenager, sis," Hilbert said. "It's a good thing Mom didn't know you were pregnant! Come on, we gotta leave him here-"

"NO!"

"Hilda, keep it down!" whispered Brock urgently. "You might wake people up-"

"I DON'T CARE IF I EVEN WAKE UP DARKRAI! I'M NOT LEAVING MY-" Cheren quickly covered her mouth to stop her from talking any further.

Unfortunately, the window of the closest house opened up, and a man with spiky blue hair poked his head out of it, yelling, "HEY, KEEP IT DOWN!"

"Sorry!" called Lyra.

The man grumbled and prepared to close the window when the five heard the distant wails of a second baby break the silence inside the house. The same man let out a pained moan, said something about someone named "Hugh", and closed the window. Hilbert sighed with relief before looking at Hilda again.

"Come on, sis," he moaned. "You know you can't raise him, not while you're still young and when you're still traveling..."

Cheren removed his hand from Hilda's mouth cautiously, but the teenage Trainer merely burst out into silent tears again. Cheren's eyes softened.

"It's okay, Hilda," he said comfortingly as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I promise you, I will take care of Nathan as well. As the local Gym Leader and a Trainers' School teacher, I'll be able to keep a close eye on him. I swear to Arceus, no harm will come to him."

Hilda looked up at Cheren with shimmering eyes. "Do you promise?"

Cheren nodded. "Promise. Now, just leave Nathan over there." He pointed to the doorway of the house directly to his left.

Hilda looked down at Nate, her lips pursed, and then, she nodded. Then, she took a couple of steps before stopping.

"Wait. What if wild Pokémon get to him?"

"I sprayed the blanket with a perfume that wards off any wild Pokémon," Brock said. "He'll be safe through the night."

Hilda continued to stand there, rooted to the spot. Then, with possibly all the force and motivation in the world, she resumed walking, never straying off from her fast pace until she reached the doorway. Looking up at the simple frame of the house, she almost sensed the occupant sleeping inside soundly. Hilda bit her lip, just as she felt someone step beside her; looking to her side, she saw that it was Lyra, who was holding a basket.

Hilda nodded, and Lyra set the basket down on the doorstep. Gently, Hilda lowered Nate and placed him in the basket. Then, she reached into her pocket, pulled out the note she had such a difficult time working on, and reluctantly tucked it under the infant's arm. Just as she did, he cooed softly, but it was all that it took for Hilda to break down into tears once again; she embraced Lyra and sobbed into her shoulder as she returned the hug.

"It's okay," Lyra whispered. "I sensed the woman's Aura. She's a kind and caring soul." She broke the hug and stared into Hilda's red, wet eyes. "Nathan will be safe."

The brown-haired Trainer nodded once. "Okay..."

Hilda and Lyra took one last glance at the basket before leaving the doorstep. Reuniting with Cheren, Hilbert, and Brock, Hilda quickly embraced the former.

"Remember your promise, Cheren..." she whispered. Then, she tightened the hug. "Please..."

"I'll remember," Cheren replied. He broke the hug, grabbed her shoulders, and stared deeply into her eyes with all the seriousness in the world. "I'll always remember."

Hilda nodded, this time with more determination. She then looked at the house where she left her son, and the ghost of a smile briefly appeared on her face before it disappeared just as quickly. The teenager then walked away, down the direction from which she originally came. Hilbert and Brock said their quick goodbyes to Cheren before following her. However, Cheren and Lyra remained, standing in the same spots for several more minutes as they observed the house of Kelly Brown.

Finally, Lyra faced Cheren and said, "Good luck." Then, she left.

Cheren watched Lyra leave before taking another fleeting glance at the Brown house. Then, he stared at the basket. He exhaled before taking out an object from his bag: a Time Flower, one that he apparently had the entire time. He held out his palm towards it, deactivating it...

Present day

The holographic images immediately retracted back inside the sphere, which then sank inside the Time Flower before it closed, engulfing it. Everyone except Nate was completely silent and awestruck, even the Pokémon of the community, all of which had gathered around to watch the battle between their leader and the newcomer. Nate put the Time Flower away in his jacket and faced Ash, who was able to quickly regain his senses.

"So what?" demanded Ash. "I don't see the point of showing that to me."

"It's not showing you this projection that matters," Nate replied. "Earlier today, I saw this very projection for the very first time. Like you, I was shocked to learn that my life happened just because my mother gave me away. Had she decided against it, who knows what could've happened with my life? Yes, I was really shocked. And that was saying something, since I already learned a lot about my destiny and my connection to you at that point.

"But then, as I thought about it, I realized something: everything that happens in life matters, even the smallest events, the least important of details...and even the most horrible of tragedies. I may have been given away by my real mother, but it's what happened afterward that mattered."

Aspertia City
Five years ago

"And Ho-Oh flew away, once again exploring the world that had returned to its rightful state of normalcy, for a pure-hearted Trainer. The end."

"Wow, what a great story, Mommy!"

Five-year-old Nate lowered himself onto his bed, smiling widely as Kelly closed the storybook and kissed his forehead.

"Sweet dreams, my little Nate," she said before she began to leave the bedroom.

"Wait, Mommy!" called Nate.

Kelly stopped and looked back. "Yes, Nate?"

"I love you, Mommy!"

Kelly smiled widely. "I love you too, sweetie."

The local school
Five years ago

Nate sat alone in the sandbox, looking around, watching as his classmates played with each other in groups. He then looked down at the ground sadly and started to draw sketches of Pokémon in the nice, smooth sand. Then, the five-year-old boy sighed longingly.

"How come no one wants to play with me?" he asked himself.

"Hi! Do you wanna play with me?!" a voice exclaimed. Nate looked at his side and saw a blue-haired boy standing in the sandbox, holding an Ash Ketchum action figure in one hand and a toy Poké Ball in the other. He was smiling widely and warmly, and Nate smiled back, relieved that he finally had a friend.

"Sure! What's your name?"

"My name's Hugh! What's your name?"

Nate smiled even more widely as he sensed a friendship already forming. "My name's Nate!"

The local school
Three years ago

Nate walked down the pathway, crying as he held his broken Ash Ketchum action figure. Hugh walked beside him, looking at him with concern. A bruise decorated his right cheek. Both of their clothes were dusty, torn, and ruffled. Just a few minutes ago, the both of them had a run-in with the local school bullies, and that encounter proved to be quite disastrous. The sun was preparing to set, and it gave a pinkish-red hue to the sky.

"Sorry about your Ash Ketchum figure, Nate," Hugh said.

"I hate those guys so much!" screamed Nate as he started crying even harder.

"Is something wrong, kids?" a voice asked. The two of them looked up to see Cheren, whom they were very familiar with. "You both look pretty beat."

"Bullies," Hugh replied.

"They broke my Ash Ketchum action figure, Cheren!" Nate exclaimed, holding up the action figure for the Gym Leader to see. Cheren took it and examined it closely.

"Hm. This damage doesn't look bad." He looked at the two boys. "Don't worry, kids, I'll fix it. Expect it to be back by tomorrow."

Nate smiled, all sadness immediately washing away. "Thank you, Cheren, thank you so much!"

Cheren smiled back. "My pleasure, Nate. Now you two boys better run along. It's getting dark."

"Okay!" Nate replied as he and Hugh ran down the pathway.

The Trainers' School
One year ago

Nate couldn't believe that today was his first day at the Trainers' School. In fact, he was so excited for the joyous occasion that he was the one who was leading the way, running down the pathway as fast as he could, all the while pulling an exhausted Kelly along.

"Come on, Mom!" he cried. "We're gonna be late!"

"School doesn't start in another hour, honey!" exclaimed Kelly, laughing at her son's enthusiasm.

It took them half of an hour, but finally, Nate and Kelly reached the Trainers' School. There, they found students milling around the front yard, some of them excited by the new experience of being at a Trainers' School, others frightened and nervous about how the day would turn out.

"Alright, I'm good, Mom," Nate said.

"Are you sure?" Kelly replied, concerned. "Do you have everything with you? Your books, your binders, your lunch, your special action figure?"

"MOM!" Nate moaned as he heard a group of nearby girls laugh upon hearing Kelly's sentence. "I've got everything, Mom; I'm okay!"

"Okay." Kelly kissed her son's forehead. "See you later, my little Teddiursa!"

Again, the girls laughed.

"MOM!"

However, Kelly just ignored him, gave him another kiss, and then left the school premises. Continuing to hear the girls laughing, Nate turned around and prepared to face them, but suddenly found himself staring into the blue eyes of one of the girls: she had brown hair tied into two long pigtail buns. Overloaded with shock, Nate felt the world crumble all around him, and the last thing he saw before he blacked out was the girl's eyes.

That was how he met Rosa.

Present day

All of those memories, as well as many others detailing the experiences during his Pokémon journey, raced across his mind as he spoke to Ash.

"I think that is why Arceus never interfered, why he isn't right now," he said. "Something good is about to come out of all of this."

"In spite of all of this?!" screamed Ash, gritting his teeth angrily. "What good is supposed to come out of all of this?!"

"I don't know. But I have faith in that."

Ash growled furiously, his eyes aflame with rage. He couldn't handle Nate's determination; it reminded him too much of himself, when he was oblivious to reality...

Uncontrollably, he pointed at Nate and commanded, "PIKACHU, USE THUNDERBOLT!"

"Pika?" Pikachu looked at Ash, shocked that his Pikapi made such a command. However, Ash seemed to be beyond reasoning.

"DO IT, PIKACHU! TEACH HIM A LESSON OR TWO!"

Still bound to loyalty for Ash, Pikachu nodded and unleashed a Thunderbolt, which barreled straight at Nate...

The sewer systems
Underneath Ketchum City

For the first time in his life, Enigma didn't know what to do next. As he sat silently in his private quarters, musing over recent events, the battle waged by his employer Kyurem against its counterparts Reshiram and Zekrom raged on above him. In fact, the noises of destruction and attacks being fired temporarily dispelled his thoughts more than once now. But it didn't matter to him. What mattered now was the fact that his attempt at restoring rightful balance to the world failed miserably.

"Those accursed citizens of Ketchum City," he thought, his mind ablaze with white-hot fury. "They quickly fought back and overwhelmed my men before I could bat an eyelid! I guess their hero has definitely inspired them, and in more ways than one. Why? Why couldn't I have been prepared for such resistance?!"

"Father?"

"WHAT?!" roared Enigma, opening his eyes and staring at Curtis, who was standing at the doorway of his chamber. "Can't you see I'm thinking?!"

"I've managed to round up the last of our men, the ones who managed to evade capture. Our numbers are still low, however. It's obvious they managed to apprehend a majority of our men." Curtis looked down at the ground with shame. "I'm sorry the operation didn't go as we hoped..."

"Damn right you're sorry," Enigma snarled. "Your incompetence has cost us the fruits of peace!" He gritted his teeth and spat, "You disgust me. Get out of my sight!"

"Father-" Curtis began, his eyes shimmering.

Enigma stood up and stamped his foot loudly. "DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! NOW!"

Curtis immediately ran out of the doorway, the sparkles of tears trailing behind his eyes as he did so. Nonchalant to the reaction, Enigma, muttering to himself angrily, sat back down on the ground, trying to formulate a new strategy that he hoped would counter the predicament that was before him...

After a few minutes, something hit him. He looked up and smirked triumphantly.

Chapter Text

The Forest of Hearts
Near Ketchum City

"PIKACHU, USE THUNDERBOLT!" Ash commanded as he pointed at Nate.

"Pika?" Pikachu looked at Ash, shocked that his Pikapi made such a command. However, Ash seemed to be beyond reasoning.

"DO IT, PIKACHU! TEACH HIM A LESSON OR TWO!"

Still bound to loyalty to Ash, Pikachu nodded and unleashed a Thunderbolt, which barreled straight at Nate...

"Simisage, use SolarBeam!"

A beam of bright-golden energy suddenly appeared and intercepted Pikachu's Thunderbolt, creating a mighty explosion that kicked up all the dust on the ground, which obscured Nate's vision, and he was forced to shield his eyes from the incoming dust. Once it cleared, he saw Hugh standing beside him. A few feet away, his Simisage stood beside Pignite as well. Ash, spotting the newest development, gasped in shock at the newest addition of the battle, as Pignite and Simisage stared him down.

"Hugh?" Nate asked.

"D'you really think I'm gonna stand in the sidelines for any longer and let you get all the fun?" replied Hugh, flashing his signature smirk. "Don't worry. I am gonna help you kick his unforgivable butt, Nate, whether you like it or not!" He looked at Ash, who was seething in hatred at the two young Trainers. "I was a fan of yours as well, so don't you dare think I'm gonna be forgiving towards you like Nate! Come on, Ash Ketchum, I'm ready for you!"

Realizing that Hugh was determined to participate in this battle to the end, Nate smiled slightly and nodded at his friend before facing Ash.

"Doesn't this remind of you anything, Ash?" he cried. "The morals of friendship and teamwork you always taught to the people you came across during your journeys. Whenever I have spare time, I'd spend it all by researching about you, Ash. I have seen interviews of people who met you in Kanto, the Orange Islands, Johto, Hoenn, the Battle Frontier, Sinnoh, Unova, and the Decolora Archipelago! That's a lot of people you met, Ash, and they all had one thing to say about you: that you were the kindest, most compassionate, and most determined person that they ever came across. You strengthened their faith in others, especially Pokémon! Tell me, where is the Ash that everyone has talked so highly about? Please, Ash, I know that side of you is still in there, somewhere-"

"That Ash is DEAD!" Ash roared. "I've had ENOUGH of this nonsense! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on 'em, AGAIN!"

This time, Pikachu was even more reluctant. The tone in Ash's voice...it seemed to indicate the intent to murder... It stepped away from Ash hesitantly.

"What're you doing, Pikachu?!" shouted Ash as he noticed his faithful Pokémon step away from him. "Didn't you hear what I said?! Use Thunderbolt on 'em!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu shook its head defiantly.

Ash's eyes widened, and he gritted his teeth in fury. "I will have NONE of that, Pikachu! DO IT!"

"PIKACHU-PI, PIKAPI!" cried Pikachu.

"What?! What do you mean 'no, you won't allow this anymore'?"

"Pikachu can't bear to see you act like this, Ash," Nate piped, catching Ash's attention once more. "Obviously, you've crossed a line, even for it and its standards. Come on, Ash, if your longtime partner won't cooperate with you because of your attitude, then what does that say about yourself?!"

"I-I...I..." Ash stuttered, completely in disbelief. He looked from Pikachu to Nate and Hugh repeatedly.

Then, Nate felt someone step beside his other shoulder, and, glancing across his shoulder, he saw that it was Lucario.

"I agree, Ash," Lucario said. "Your behavior is unacceptable. You have obviously forgotten everything you've taught me."

"L-Lu-Luc-Lucario?"

Then, he gasped again. Nate and Hugh watched as all of the Pokémon that were in the community, the ones under Ash's peaceful watch for Arceus knows how long, collectively and simultaneously stepped beside or behind the trio. Within a matter of seconds, Ash and Pikachu were both standing alone on the field, while everyone else was crowded near the thicket. Ash looked down at Pikachu, who looked up back at him, his brown eyes shimmering in pleading.

"Pi-Pikachu?" asked Ash.

Pikachu merely shook his head, responded with a simple "Pika", and then walked solemnly over towards Nate, Hugh, Lucario, and all of the Pokémon. Ash stared on in complete disbelief, his jaw hanging open and his arms dangling loosely, like a broken puppet. His eyes showed all of the aspects of utter defeat.

Then, they turned into eyes of rage. He closed his fists together, seemingly grinding them against each other.

"I'LL HAVE NONE OF THIS!" he bellowed as he separated his fists just as abruptly, revealing a light-blue sphere that hovered between them. "YOU DARE DISOBEY ME LIKE THAT, ALL OF YOU?! AFTER ALL I'VE EVER DONE FOR YOU ALL?!" Ash's eyes were burning with rage. "I. SHALL. HAVE. NONE OF IT!"

He promptly fired the Aura Sphere, which barreled straight towards Nate and the others. Everyone closed their eyes and braced themselves for the impending impact...

"PIKA-CHUUUUU!"

Pikachu fired a Thunderbolt at the Aura Sphere, easily intercepting it and causing it to explode before it could hit anyone. Ash screamed in a blind fit of rage and fired a second Aura Sphere directly at the Mouse Pokémon, who promptly and quickly intercepted it with another Thunderbolt. Nate gritted his teeth in frustration as he made the realization that he could never appeal Ash at this point. His father had definitely passed the brink of no return...

"PIGNITE, USE FLAME CHARGE!" he commanded.

"SIMISAGE, USE SOLARBEAM!" Hugh ordered.

Pignite charged towards Ash, his body enveloped in flames, while Simisage began charging up energy from the Sun. However, Ash saw Pignite coming, and his left arm became enveloped in a light-blue flame. Before Pignite was able to see what was coming, the former Trainer punched the incoming Fire Pig Pokémon. Then, just a split-second later, the bluish flame exploded into a small blast of deadly energy that knocked Pignite backward, rendering it unconscious.

Seconds later, Simisage fired its SolarBeam attack, but Ash quickly caught the beam in his hands, and the beam's energy continued to bounce off his palms as if it was hitting a Safeguard attack, completely impervious to its power. Then, Ash, with a mighty roar, pushed forward against the SolarBeam with all of the strength, deflecting it completely and causing the rebounding attack, seemingly powered up by a light-blue energy to hit Simisage squarely in the torso, knocking it out.

"SIMISAGE!" Hugh cried.

"PIGNITE!" screamed Nate, running up to the side of his fallen Pokémon as Ash laughed briefly.

"The wonders of Aura, Nate," he said, smirking. "Surely you remember me being a master at using it before I died, right?"

Nate looked up at Ash and growled angrily. Just then...

"PIKA-CHUUUUU!" Pikachu roared as he fired a Thunder attack at Ash, but he merely stretched out his right arm and caught the attack. The electricity flowed through his arm, still remaining as if the arm was a conductor. Some stray volts of electricity shot out of Ash's clothing, which was the only thing that appeared to take damage.

Ash smirked as Pikachu gasped. "Thanks, buddy. I needed that."

Then, he fired volts of electricity from his arm, all of which hit Hugh and electrified him, drawing out a loud scream of pain before he slipped into unconsciousness.

"HUGH!" Nate screeched.

Split-seconds later, he heard Ash fire another electric attack.

Time suddenly slowed down. Nate continued to look at his friend's fallen body, smoke rising from his burnt clothes. Rage, like none he ever experienced before, rose up inside him, and he stared over his shoulder at the incoming attack. Feeling some sort of new energy flowing through his body, Nate raised his arm, and he noticed, for a brief moment, a light-blue flame traveling across the unaffected skin, towards his outstretched palm.

Time restored itself to its normal speed the moment Nate caught the attack, deflecting it off his palm.

"WHAT?!" Ash exclaimed, surprised at the sudden turn of events. Then, he smiled as he continued to fire the attack. "Ah yes, I see. You're my son. You've inherited my Aura, as well as the means to master it and control it. But obviously, you're still new to it. You're having a hard time trying to deflect my attack."

Indeed, Nate was struggling to hold off Ash's attack until the electricity ran out. However, he began to feel woozy, and his vision started to blur.

Ash, noticing this as well, added, "And I see you're starting to lose consciousness from using too much power, during what appears to be your first time in using Aura. It looks like you need to learn a lesson in how to use it properly." The electricity flowing through his arm ran out, having been fully expended. He lowered his arm and watched as Nate collapsed on his knees, panting heavily and laboriously, struggling to handle the exhaustion. Ash's smirk widened.

"Shall we begin the lecture?" he asked.

Glancing at Hugh's fallen, limp body, Nate gritted his teeth in anger, stood up, and raised his arm, feeling the Aura flow through it and collect on his palm. He watched as a light-blue sphere appeared, hovering just a few inches away from his shaking, uncontrollable palm. Ash smiled, impressed.

"Well done, Nate," he said. "No one has ever formed an Aura Sphere completely on their first try at it. No one...except for me...and you." Then, he raised his own arm and quickly formed his own Aura Sphere. "However, you're being overwhelmed by the energy it takes to form one. Your arm is shaking uncontrollably. Pretty soon-"

Nate could not maintain flowing his energy for any longer; it was proving to be too much for his arm to handle. He broke off the connection, and then, the Aura Sphere suddenly flew from his palm, flying past Ash's shoulder, missing him completely and hitting some nearby trees. Ash chuckled.

"Just as I predicted. Don't worry, Nate, the same thing happened to me. The only thing you have to do to master the Aura is to focus your mind on one particular goal." He raised his arm and produced another Aura Sphere. "What is your goal right now? What is the one thing you want to do, more than anything else in the world? Once you find that goal, just focus your train of thought on that, and let the energy of the Aura flow through your body. And then, you're ready to battle."

"Why're you teaching me this?" Nate demanded through clenched teeth.

Ash shrugged. "Well, if I'm gonna fight you using Aura, I'd rather not go up against an amateur who can't control his own Aura. I need a good opponent if this is gonna continue." His smile widened. "And trust me, you're shaping up to be a good opponent. You just need to learn. Now, focus on your goal."

Unsure over whether he should trust Ash's words or not, Nate foolhardily decided to go for it and closed his eyes, focusing all of his thoughts on what he wanted in life the most. To become a Pokémon Master? ...No, that was inspired by Ash, his childhood hero, and now, look at where all of that ended up. To emerge victorious at the Ketchum Month Tournament? ...No. To emerge victorious in this battle against Ash, the exposed fraud? ...Yes.

Nate felt his entire body swell up in anger as his clenched fists trembled. Before him was the man he looked up to for his entire life, revealed to be his actual father; no doubt that he inherited his heroic, good-spirited, compassionate spirit, right? But apparently, it turns out that Ash was now reduced to nothing more than a coward.

A coward, who would no longer be willing to risk his life for the safety of others.

The antithesis of everything he had ever promoted.

The living proof against everything Nate had ever stood for.

And Nate didn't like that one bit. He was gonna bring down Ash Ketchum, and it didn't matter if he was his father or his childhood hero.

"He's going down for his cowardice," Nate thought. Then, he shouted at Ash, "YOU'RE GOING DOWN!"

Ash laughed as Nate charged towards him, feeling renewed by a second, stronger burst of energy that was flowing throughout his entire body like blood. He formed a glowing light-blue Aura Sphere on both hands before leaping into the air (realizing in the process that his physical capabilities had somehow been amplified) and tried to fire the Aura Spheres at Ash, but he fired his own Aura Sphere, which intercepted Nate's dual Aura Spheres and caused a bright explosion.

Thrown backward by the explosion's force, Nate, also feeling that all five of his senses have been increased to superhuman levels, landed on his feet, sliding hard and fast against the ground of the field, digging his left hand into the ice-coated earth to slow himself down. He looked up and saw Ash walking calmly towards him, a light-blue glow enveloping his outline, his auburn pupils now glowing a brilliant yellowish-golden.

"You've definitely followed my advice, Nate," he called. "I'm quite impressed by your progress. But however, whatever your goal is, it seems to have too much anger. It will blind you with your rage, and it will not help you in battle, Nate. I know the outcome of this, so I suggest reorganizing your goals-"

"SHUT UP!" Nate screamed, and he charged for Ash again, dual Aura Spheres in hand.

Suddenly, the aura enveloping Ash's outline blasted forward into a single light-blue beam, encircled by a flame-like substance. Nate jumped out of the way, successfully dodging it, but then, Ash quickly moved the beam in Nate's direction, and the Trainer felt a blazing force pierce his side, threatening to obliterate it into nothing. He felt himself being forcibly thrown backward again, and this time, he didn't have enough time to land.

The ground greeted him painfully, and Nate tumbled across the field, feeling as if every bone in his body would be broken into gravel.

Finally, he stopped.

Nate couldn't hear anything, since there was a ringing in his ears. Through his blurred vision, he could see the faint outline of Ash approaching, but from a far distance. This gave him enough time to think everything through and evaluate what he was doing wrong.

...

What was he doing wrong?

Apparently, his so-called singular goal of defeating Ash wasn't proving to be helpful for him to perform well in battle. Then again, this wasn't a Pokémon battle at all, so of course Nate wouldn't be familiar with the concept of personal combat using one's own Aura as a weapon.

"I need to know what I'm doing wrong..." Nate thought.

"You're too consumed by rage, that's just it."

Nate's eyes widened. Ash's voice was speaking to him in his mind. Then, he heard that familiar chuckle.

"Surprised, Nate? Another nifty trick, brought to you by the wonders of Aura."

"Great. Please tell me you're unable to read my thoughts..."

"That takes a highly skilled Aura-user, Nate. Fortunately for you, I'm not at that level. ...Or am I?"

"Shut. Up. NOW."

Ash chuckled again. "Don't let the rage overwhelm you, Nate-"

"Yeah, like it did with you?"

"That's different, kid. You're throwing a temper tantrum because I wasn't what you expected me to be. You're behaving like a little child. Me...I have every reason to be infuriated. Arceus has neglected his duties as the universal protector of the very thing he created. You can't just let that go. And here's another difference, Nate. I hold the rage back as I use my Aura. I use the memories of those I love dearly as I focus on my goal. You should too."

"Aren't we fighting? Or are you just teaching me?"

"Both, if you want me to. Or, if you'd like, we can just talk."

"Talk about what?"

"Life. What it means to you. What it means to me. What it means to the both of us. Answer this, Nate, and answer it honestly. Do you wanna be in control of your destiny? Or do you want someone to be pulling the strings, like you're a puppet?"

"I'd prefer if we just go with the flow. Never worry about what's ahead, or what's behind us. Obviously, you've failed to do that."

"Because destiny is always around the corner. Always. The inclination to save the world from complete and utter destruction has been etched in our blood, ever since our first known ancestor, Sir Aaron, whose death stopped a mighty, raging war that threatened to tear the land apart. Do you wanna live your life your way, without any worry, without any fear? Without having the voice of destiny always ringing in your ear?"

"Like I said, I'd prefer if we just go with the flow. Just because destiny's always around the corner, doesn't mean we always have to look. Isn't that the point of life?"

"What is?"

"The uncertainty. With this uncertainty of what's ahead, we strive to shape our own pathways by building up from our past experiences. Uncertainty motivates us to improve and become a better person, even if it means having to choose between good and evil. Either way, we offer a contribution that may seem small and trivial at first, but once you look at the long term, you may find that even the least important of experiences would result in the biggest of changes. Anything good can result in anything bad. Anything bad can result in anything good. And in the end, what we leave behind for others to build up on is what keeps the world turning. Uncertainty keeps the world spinning on its axis."

It was silent on the field. Ash and Nate merely stood there, staring back at each other. The silence was haunting, and even the sound of the wind was muted out.

"Uncertainty."

"Uncertainty. For the past decade, you've been living in fear of being called over by destiny again, so you've hidden yourself behind the stolen Plate as collateral damage. But by doing so, you are being left vulnerable by the fact that you know everything that's gonna happen, without allowing yourself to find out if it actually will happen again, as you'd expect it to. You're not being uncertain. Ash, you have to accept the fact that everything's gonna happen to you, and you can't stop it, because you can't be certain it will."

"I...I...I..." Then, Ash snarled, using his voice, "I won't, damn it. I WON'T. I won't listen to your damn philosophies!"

Nate also used his own voice, pleading with shimmering eyes, "Ash, please. Just let go of all of your certainty, all of your anger at Arceus, everything... Just do it, for the sake of those you saw die before you. Please...Dad..." Ash's eyes widened in horror, but Nate ignored it. "Dad...I know you just want all of this to stop. It will, if you-"

"Do WHAT?!" Ash interrupted furiously. "DO SQUAT?! I CAN'T! I REFUSE TO DO THAT! IT'S ALL TOO MUCH! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"

And with that, he fired another Aura Sphere with a roar, and Nate didn't see it coming. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact...

He then heard a tremendous, earsplitting explosion, and he was nearly knocked over by the strong blast of wind. Then, Nate expected his nostrils to be filled up with smoke, but instead, he was still smelling fresh air. And...there was now a bright blue light shining in his eyes...

Nate opened his eyes and saw himself staring at Lucario, who was holding up a paw. Then, he noticed that he and Lucario were enveloped in a blue shield, and all he could see was smoke from the explosion. Once it cleared and revealed a shocked Ash, Lucario lowered his paw, and the shield disappeared.

"Lucario?" Ash asked.

"I won't let you cross anymore boundaries, Ash," replied Lucario determinedly. "I will not let you bring harm to your own son, just to get your point across."

"PIKA!" Pikachu cried as he rushed to Lucario's side, electricity sparkling from his cheeks as it stared down the Trainer he had always been loyal towards.

Staring at his two best Pokémon in shock, Ash suddenly collapsed on his knees. He was shaking his head slowly, in complete disbelief.

"Why?" he asked in a voice that was barely a whisper. "Why are you guys coming to his defense?"

"For years, ever since you first brought me under your wing, you've taught me to always stand up for the ideals that I believe in, Ash. And I am doing that right now. Standing up for the ideals that I believe in. And my ideals are telling me that  you are destroying the ones you've held dear for so long. "

"Pikapi, pika-pika chu-pi pika-chu-pi pika-pi ka-pi pika-chu pi-pika!"

Nate weakly stood up and looked at Ash, just as felt all of Ash's other Pokémon crowd around behind him.

"Don't you see, Dad?" he called. "What I just told you, it's not a philosophy, it's my ideal, one that I have just realized, today, right now. There are a number of possible outcomes from a single event. Choosing a starter Pokémon, for example. I sometimes wonder what would happen if I had picked a Snivy or an Oshawott instead of my Pignite. A lot of things can result from the choice of a starter Pokémon." Nate tilted his head curiously. "Have you ever wondered what would've happened if you picked a Bulbasaur, a Charmander, or a Squirtle for your starter Pokémon, instead of your Pikachu, Dad?"

Ash remained silent for a few seconds, obviously thinking about Nate's question. Then, he replied, "I...I...I never did..." And then, his face hardened into an angry mask once again as he stood up, his fists clenched. "What does any of that have to do with that ideal of uncertainty you uphold?"

"You can't just try to predict what's gonna happen if you pick a Bulbasaur or a Charmander or a Squirtle. It's virtually unheard of. All you have to do is be uncertain and hope for the best from the Pokémon that you pick. And once you make your choice, you build up from it and learn lessons from your past experiences, and that, in turn, leads to the evolution of your starter Pokémon. Once it's fully evolved, you have become a fully-grown, mature human as well. It doesn't matter if you become good or evil, because your past experiences and your learning from them have led to your current pathway.

"You become your own person, all because of a simple choice, one that was made because you were so uncertain of the possible outcomes.

"Your decisions were different because you were so certain about what was going to happen to you. But if you recognize that anything and everything will happen, you will find that maybe all of the things that happened to you were for a reason, whether or not it was good or bad. Don't you see, Dad? Everything happens for a reason and the only way you can really move on from this is if you just become uncertain about the future."

Ash didn't respond, but instead, he looked at the ground, his jet-black hair obscuring his eyes, casting them in shadow. Minutes passed, but to Nate, they felt like long, everlasting hours, and he began to fear what his father's decision would be. Silence hung in the air like a shadow...

Finally, Ash replied, quietly, "I can't. I just can't. I've lived in fear and pain for too long. I've seen too much to indicate otherwise..."

Nate blinked, and then, he let out a heavy sigh as he realized that he could never convince his father about the truth. If he cannot, then what was the point? Without any other choice, he silently turned around, his visor casting his own eyes in shadow, his lips pursed.

"If you insist, Dad," he said. "If you don't wanna listen, then fine by me. But I am going back to Ketchum City. I'm gonna find Ho-Oh and do whatever I can to protect it from harm. And you're not gonna stop me, Dad. I'm following my destiny, no matter what pathway it leads me to!"

Determinedly, Nate ran back to the thicket, where he found his backpack lying. Grabbing it, he then glanced at the unconscious bodies of Hugh, Pignite, and Simisage.

Near the Ketchum City limits
A few minutes later

Having recalled Pignite back in his Poké Ball, Nate dashed towards the city limits of Ketchum City as fast as he could. A few feet behind him, the bodies of Hugh and his Simisage were flying behind him, being suspended by a Medicham, which was in turn being carried by an Ursaring that was running after Hugh. Several other Pokémon from Ash's community were also running with them, having volunteered to accompany Nate to the city. Leading them was Lucario, who was running beside Nate.

"Are you sure you know where you're going to do, Nate?" Lucario asked.

"Without a doubt," replied Nate. "I find Ho-Oh and protect it. You say that the Genesect Army recovered it and hid it somewhere in the city?"

"Yes, but the city is caught in a fierce battle between Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem that is showing no signs of stopping. Are you seriously-?"

"Gonna run into the city while it's still being wrecked by the three Legendary Pokémon?" Nate completed. "Yes. If it means finding Ho-Oh, then yes."

"Then I'm going in with you."

Nate stopped running and faced Lucario, who also stopped, as did the other Pokémon. "No," he replied sternly. "I'm doing this alone."

"If you can recall, Nate, your father did not carry out his destiny alone. And you shall not either. So I am coming with you, whether you like it or not."

The other Pokémon roared out in a chorus of agreement. Nate observed all of the Pokémon that had come to accompany him, and realized that they were all staring at him determinedly, obviously ready for what was to come. There was no convincing them otherwise. Then, Nate glanced at Lucario, who nodded silently at him.

"That's right," thought Nate. "My father didn't do this alone. ...And neither will I. I will need all the help that I can get."

Nate nodded at Lucario in response, and then smiled. "Well then, I guess it's all settled," he said. "You're all coming with me."

All of the Pokémon roared out in joy.

Elsewhere, Enigma, Curtis, and the remaining Sky Soldiers watched as Nate, Lucario, and the Pokémon resumed their dash towards Ketchum City.

"There he is..." hissed Enigma, a wide smirk forming upon his lips.

"Should we get him, Father?" asked Curtis. "We can cut them off at the pass ahead-"

"No, not yet," the syndicate leader interrupted. "We'll just let those fools lead us to Ho-Oh. Once they find it, we shall know. And we will have it. And worldwide peace is ours for the taking. My father's wishes for the eradication of evil and greed, and a subsequent golden era of peace, still have a great chance of being fulfilled."

"What if he fights back, Father? You know very well that he will do that. For the defense of Ho-Oh."

"I believe we have the leverage..."

Enigma glanced over his shoulder to look at the unconscious Yancy. His smirk widened even more.

Chapter Text

The Forest of Hearts
Near Ketchum City

"Can't believe that happened..." Ash moaned as he sat in the middle of the ice-coated field.

"Pika," Pikachu replied solemnly as it hopped onto his Trainer's shoulder.

Several minutes had passed since the battle between him and his son, and now, Nate ran off back to Ketchum City, with Lucario and Pokémon that were in the community that he established specifically for them. Just for them. To keep them safe and sound from harm brought by the outside world. And now, they all ran off with him. They practically betrayed him, in favor of a fool who obviously can't, and never will understand the gravity of the situation that unfolds before him.

"Can't believe that happened..." Ash repeated, still in shock. The words that Nate said, they were like poison to his mind.

Poison.

"I'd prefer if we just go with the flow."

"Damn him."

"Never worry about what's ahead..."

"Damn that kid!"

"...Or what's behind us."

"Damn him, that Nate!" roared Ash, screaming to the highest heavens. He stood up and stomped his foot so powerfully that the ice beneath it broke, sending shards in the air, flying, sparkling in the sunlight that was breaking through the banks of clouds overhead. "DAMN HIM!"

In a blind fit of rage, he stomped his foot on the icy grass once again. Then, Ash watched as the ice shards settled on the ground. For some strange reason, he found it somewhat interesting, the way the shards were glittering in the sun. ...The way the shards distorted his reflection through the cracks. It made him look like some kind of monster.

"Just because destiny's always around the corner..."

A monster...

"...Doesn't mean we always have to look."

Something that Nate was accusing him of being, for betraying the ideals he once stood up for himself, ideals that he once promoted.

"Isn't that the point of life?"

Ash angrily brushed away the ice shards with his foot before burying his face in his palms. He continued to hear Nate's words swimming around in his head, like fishes gracefully gliding along in the water. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his head, but he was unsuccessful.

"Isn't that the point of life?"

"Arceus-damn it," he grunted as he marched across the icy field, back to the thicket. The Pokémon that remained behind had already retreated into safe confines of the nearby forest, leaving the area completely desolate of any traces of life except for Ash and Pikachu.

"Pikapi, pika-pika-pi ka-pi pika?" Pikachu asked, beseeching its owner.

"Why should I help Nate?" snarled Ash, although his voice was soft, completely devoid of any hostility whatsoever. "That would have been what Arceus wanted me to do, follow my old instincts and go save the day, like the hero I used to be. I won't give him that kind of satisfaction, Pikachu. I won't."

"Pikapi, pika-chu chu-pi pika-pika!"

"I know that Nate is my son, but..." However, Ash abruptly broke off and remained silent. By that time, he stopped near the entrance of the thicket. Snow was coated on several branches hanging over it, and they seemed to glow with a pearly-white color that briefly attracted the disgraced Trainer's attention. Droplets of cold water were dripping from the snow, and Ash remembered that the cold, snowy climate was conflicting with the natural hot summer of Johto, competing for dominance.

The droplets were forming a pool at his feet, and Ash looked down at it, staring at his reflection, now distorted by the ripples caused by falling droplets.

"Pikapi, pika-pi chu-pika, pika-pi pi-pi pika!"

Ash remained silent as he continued to examine the snow. He remembered that Johto's climate did not involve a snowy period, and for him to witness such an abnormality of weather conditions seemed to astound him, slightly so. Then, as he continued to look at the snow, he suddenly remembered Nate's words.

"The uncertainty. With this uncertainty of what's ahead, we strive to shape our own pathways by building up from our past experiences. Uncertainty motivates us to improve and become a better person, even if it means having to choose between good and evil. Either way, we offer a contribution that may seem small and trivial at first, but once you look at the long term, you may find that even the least important of experiences would result in the biggest of changes. Anything good can result in anything bad. Anything bad can result in anything good. And in the end, what we leave behind for others to build up on is what keeps the world turning. Uncertainty keeps the world spinning on its axis."

Ash's attention was then diverted toward the ripples, which were growing larger by the second as they continued to spread outward across the body of water. These ripples multiplied into more ripples the moment they crashed into other ripples created by droplets falling from another point in the branches. All of these ripples were distorting his reflection, and yet, Ash could see himself clearly, without any interference whatsoever. He didn't need the distortion.

He was seeing himself, right now.

Sometimes, he made the private admission that he was indeed a monster by betraying his own ideals. However, he knew it was for the best. Arceus stood by and let him, a simple Pokémon Trainer, do all of his dirty work, and then Alpha Pokémon tried to propagandize him with an inadequately crafted explanation for his motive over why he allowed the world that he created to nearly fall into the deadly throes of chaos and destruction.

Ash knew it was for the best...and sometimes, he felt bad for knowing that. But he had no other choice. What other alternative was there?

"Pikapi?"

Ash glanced from the puddle of water to Pikachu, who now hopped off his shoulder and was now looking up at him with his glimmering, beady, amber eyes. He remembered reuniting with his beloved friend minutes after escaping Arceus with the Plate. Despite his then-newfound intention to distance himself from each and every person he knew, Ash realized that it was more of a motor function in allowing Pikachu to stay with him, instead of shunning him away.

He loved his first Pokémon. He didn't know what would happen had he awakened early as planned.

"Have you ever wondered what would've happened if you picked a Bulbasaur, a Charmander, or a Squirtle for your starter Pokémon, instead of your Pikachu, Dad?"

Indeed, Ash wondered about that, ever since his attempt at winning the Indigo League ended in failure. He accomplished so many things with Pikachu, things that would've been impossible if he had another starter Pokémon under his possession. He had always wondered what kind of person he would've turned out if he got himself a Bulbasaur, a Charmander, or a Squirtle. A good person? A bad person? The best there ever was? An utter disgrace?

His entire Trainer career was dictated upon something as simple as not waking up early.

Ash's eyes widened as multiple memories flashed across his head.

He was fighting Nate, and then talking with him about their lives.

He was rescuing Nate at the Ketchum Month Stadium.

He was raising his Pokémon community alongside Pikachu and Lucario.

He was finding a lonely Riolu, wandering aimlessly in the forest.

He was reuniting with Pikachu after finding himself to be alive again.

He was arguing with Arceus about the purpose about his life before stealing one of his Plates and escaping.

He was giving his life to save Ho-Oh from certain death, therefore destroying the world.

He was fighting the Sky Soldiers alongside all of his friends and family, seeing many of them die in the process.

He was being trained in the usage of Aura in order to effectively fight the Sky Soldiers.

He was watching as Ho-Oh disappeared inside a golden Poké Ball before being summoned and defeating Arceus.

He was reuniting with his old friends.

He was meeting up with Hilda and Hilbert in Broawin City.

He was traveling across the Decolore Islands with Iris and Cilan.

He was traveling across the Unova region, having met Iris and Cilan.

The Sinnoh region with Dawn and Brock.

The Battle Frontier with May, Max, and Brock.

The Hoenn region, having met May and Max.

The Johto region with Misty and Brock.

The Orange Islands with Misty and Tracey.

The Kanto region, having met Misty and Brock.

He was receiving his first Pokémon, a cute, little Pikachu that kept shocking him in disobedience.

He was waking up, realizing that he woke up a little too late.

Even if Arceus knew what was going to happen... There were too many great moments to consider... Many decisions that were his own making, which all led to many great things... All of the great moments of his life, no matter how aware Arceus was of them, outweighed the bad things...

And he, Ash Ketchum, never knew what would happen, but he never cared...until now...

"Uncertainty..." Ash whispered. Then, his lips curved into a small smile, and seconds later, he burst out into soft laughter, which intrigued Pikachu.

"Pikapi?" asked Pikachu.

"I'm fine, Pikachu," Ash replied, chuckling. "I just...I just can't believe that...I've been taught by him. I guess he is my son..." He looked down at Pikachu, a wide smile on his face, a smile that Pikachu clearly recognized. "Well, Pikachu, we should probably get going. I believe we've got some business to do."

"Pika-"

"I remember about Arceus. But I guess I've now become sick of sitting around here without doing anything. Nate told me I'm cowering behind his Plate like it's a shield. Maybe he's right." Ash ventured inside the thicket, where he found the Plate lying in wait for him; Pikachu scurried beside him. "Maybe I am using this Plate like a shield. But I will no longer cower behind it. I shall face my fears and confront Arceus about what he's done. I will find the answers."

Ash picked up the Plate and held it tightly to his chest in a protective manner. Then, he looked down at Pikachu.

"Well, what're we waiting for, buddy?" he asked. "Let's go."

Pikachu looked up at his owner for a second, confused. Then, he knew that Ash was being serious. There was no mistaking that determined look in his brown eyes, burning like a kindled flame, all in spite of the fact that such an expression had been absent for ten years.

The old Ash had returned, at long last.

Pikachu smiled and exclaimed "PIKA!" before hopping onto Ash's shoulder. The raven-haired man nodded before running out of the thicket.

Ketchum City

Nate, Lucario, and the other Pokémon were extremely silent as they made their way across the devastated ruins of Ketchum City, columns of smoke rising from the wreckage. Even from a distance, the sounds of mighty roaring and attacks being fired were heard as if they were close by. In the cloudy sky, Reshiram and Zekrom flew over the carnage, quickly pursued by Kyurem, who, by that point, had changed forms, its body now borrowing characteristics of Zekrom's own.

"Lucario, can you sense Ho-Oh nearby?" asked Nate.

"No," Lucario replied, shaking its head as its eyes remained closed and its ears suspending halfway into the air. "However...I sense other lifeforms..."

"The Genesect Army?"

"No, they..." Lucario suddenly stopped in mid-sentence, its pose now more rigid. "Nate, their Aura signatures are clouded with evil and darkness!"

"The Sky Soldiers..." whispered Nate bitterly. Then, he asked, "Where are they, Lucario?"

"Right here, boy," a voice sneered maliciously.

Nate looked up and saw Enigma perched on what remained of the rooftop of a building. Standing behind him were Curtis and the group of seven hooded men from the bell tower. Two of these seven were holding someone hostage, a bag draped over his or her head as the hostage struggled.

Then, Nate heard Lucario growl aggressively. Looking around, he saw additional Sky Soldiers and their Pokémon appearing on the ruins or on either side of the stone walkway he and his group were using. All of the Pokémon accompanying Nate growled menacingly at the grunts' Pokémon, all of which growled back. An evil chuckle pierced the air, but Nate didn't need to know who was issuing such a taunting laugh.

"Glad to see you again, Nate," Enigma said. "And I see you have more Pokémon in your ranks. They seem to trust you completely."

"You have no idea why," snarled Nate in response.

"I believe I do."

Nate's eyes widened in surprise. "You-You do?"

Enigma shrugged dismissively, as if this was a friendly conversation. "Isn't it obvious? You've obviously inherited your father's charm in making new friends. No doubt you've assembled your own little army of so-called friends to combat me and my New Sky Soldiers. But unfortunately, you're sorely mistaken."

In his mind, Nate sighed with relief; he didn't want to know what would happen if Enigma found out that Ash was alive.

"And how am I mistaken?" the Trainer asked.

Enigma's sneer widened. "You're obviously outnumbered."

"He's not outnumbered!"

Nate gasped and glanced at his side to see that Hugh had regained consciousness, and now summoned all of his Pokémon. Hugh subtly winked at him.

"So, how'd it go back there?" he asked.

"Not good," replied Nate, shaking his head.

"Oh." Hugh looked downcast. "That's...too bad."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Enigma said, still sneering, "but I don't give a damn. Just because your little boyfriend regained consciousness and now added six more Pokémon to your circle of super-friends, doesn't mean we Sky Soldiers will cower before your very feet. However..." Enigma suddenly took one step off of the rooftop and fell to the walkway, expertly landing on his feet without any difficulty. "...I wish to ignore a battle. I do not want that."

"What makes you think we'll fall for that?!" demanded Hugh.

"We're Sky Soldiers, boy," replied Enigma. "If you remember your history, our goal is to eradicate all traces of evil and corruption in the world. To battle against those that seek to defeat us and thwart our goal can be considered evil in a sense as well. And the last thing the Sky Soldiers would want is to succumb to the very thing that we wished to exterminate. No, I'm not here with the intention of battling you and your Pokémon.

"Instead, I wish to offer your a deal. Guide us to Ho-Oh, and we will let her go."

"Let who go?" asked Nate.

Enigma smirked and snapped his fingers. Nate instinctively looked up at the rooftop that Curtis and the seven hooded figures were standing on; the two who were holding the hostage jerked the bag off of his or her face...revealing the face of Yancy. Nate's eyes widened in horror as Enigma chuckled.

"We have become aware of that little smooch you two had at the Ketchum Month Stadium," he explained. "So, either you help us find Ho-Oh, or we will have no other choice but to do something really drastic for ourselves. But, it's all for the good of the world, right?" At that point, one of Yancy's captors produced a long knife and held it against her throat, causing Nate to gasp. "So, Nate? What do you say? Gonna help us, or are you gonna make us do the unimaginable?"

Nate glanced at Enigma, who was still smirking. He didn't know if he should agree to the given terms. He knew that the Sky Soldiers wouldn't be willing to hurt anyone, lest they become the very thing they meant to fight against, but judging by what Lucario told him, the Sky Soldiers were mostly incapacitated. They'd be willing to do anything when their ranks were low, and they were essentially limping away to recover...

But compare the potential loss of one person to the definite loss of an entire world...

Nate didn't know what to do. Either way, someone will die...

"It's okay, Nate."

Nate looked up at Yancy and saw that she was smiling slightly at him.

"If it's for the greater good," she said, "then so be it."

In response, Enigma sighed heavily and shook his head. "Very well, then..." he said.

Then, he made a slashing movement with his arm in command. The hooded figure holding the knife against Yancy's throat nodded and prepared to slash it...

"PIKACHU, USE THUNDERBOLT!" a voice commanded.

"PIKA-CHUUUUU!"

A powerful bolt of electricity appeared seemingly out of nowhere and struck the two figures holding Yancy, allowing her to escape and run off the rooftop...and land directly on top of Nate. Hugh quickly helped the two of them up to their feet while the Pokémon that were accompanying him and Nate began launching a variety of attacks at the Sky Soldiers, whose own Pokémon promptly retaliated with attacks of their own.

However, Nate didn't care about the unfolding battle. All he cared about was the man standing on a nearby rooftop, a Pikachu loyally perched on his shoulder.

"You came..." he said.

Ash smiled. "Well, couldn't resist the savory taste of a challenge any longer," he replied.

Reshiram and Zekrom watched as Kyurem flew away from them, knowing that it was briefly recuperating from the wounds it sustained from their long battle. As it did, the Vast White Pokémon glanced towards a different direction of Ketchum City. Zekrom immediately noticed its partner's change in behavior.

"What is wrong, Brother?" asked Zekrom.

"The Chosen One has returned at long last," Reshiram replied.

"Then may Arceus help us all... The fate of the world rests on the shoulders of him and his son..."

Minutes passed, and by that time, all of the Sky Soldiers and their Pokémon were now crumpled over on the ground, defeated and out for the count...except for one particular member. Nate, Hugh, and all of their Pokémon, including those in Ash's community, walked up to this member, who had scrambled up against the wall of one of the few buildings that were still standing. Nate was wearing a smile of absolute triumph as he stared down this member.

"It's over," he said. "Your New Sky Soldiers are finished, and so are you."

Enigma growled viciously. "You...You fools..." he snarled. "You can't possibly be able to defeat my legions..."

Then, his eyes widened the moment Ash appeared behind Nate and Hugh, a solemn expression etched on his face as he surveyed Enigma.

"Felix..." he said.

"Pika?" asked Pikachu.

Felix Ketchum gritted his teeth in frustration. "Impossible... Everyone was saying you were...dead..."

Ash shrugged. "Actually, I was. For ten years." Then, his lips curved into a smile. "But then, I guess I was resurrected with this guy's help." He glanced at Nate.

Nate's eyes widened, and then, he returned the smile with one of his own, seconds before he embraced his father in a tight hug.

"You came..." the Trainer said as he started to cry in happiness. "You actually came..."

"And we battled together," Ash replied as he broke the hug. "I guess that must've been a lifelong dream of yours, huh?"

"Actually, it was to become a hero like you. But this is WAY better!" Then, Nate raised an eyebrow. "Wait a minute, what about-"

"Arceus? Well, I guess that now I've gotten myself out into the open, I'm gonna have to face him, face retribution for what I've done. But as long as I have the Plate with me, I have some leverage. I don't think he can do much to hurt me. But never mind about me; I believe you've still got someone to find."

Nate nodded before glancing at Lucario. "Lucario, can you sense Ho-Oh?"

"I sense a faint Aura signature from him, at several miles," Lucario replied. "I believe we'll be able to reach him in about ten minutes."

"Well, then," Ash said, "we'd better get going. We can't waste another minute for Ho-Oh."

Nate glared at him. "You're coming?"

"Well, you're determined to protect Ho-Oh, and you're gonna need help. Besides...a father's gotta be there for his son, isn't that right?"

"Whatever happened to living your life your way, without having the voice of destiny always ringing in your ear?"

Ash sighed, shook his head, and placed his hands on Nate's shoulders. Two pairs of auburn eyes met as the father and son stared into each other seriously.

"Nate," he said, "I have taken some time to think about what you have said to me. You...you were right. About everything. About uncertainty. About going with the flow. There are many paths in life, but the paths I've taken have led up to this point. Why? Why is that so? Once Arceus appears, I intend to ask him that." Ash let out a soft laugh. "Thanks, Nate, for telling me that. For helping me up on my feet." He began to laugh again. "Usually, it was me who'd help people..."

"Pikapi..." Pikachu said, looking at his Trainer as he shook his head, smiling slightly.

Suddenly, another voice began to laugh, and Nate, Ash, Hugh, Yancy, and the Pokémon all glanced at Felix, who was snickering maliciously.

"I find this very amusing..." he wheezed.

"Of course you would," replied Nate sarcastically. "This is something you obviously wouldn't understand."

"And you obviously don't understand that the world is dying at the hands of emotional impurity. You call yourselves heroes." Felix let out a short laugh. "When the world falls into chaos and disarray, you've got no one to blame but yourselves. How could you stand by as evil continues to develop and scheme against the planet that we live in, that we call home? Sounds like what a villain would do. But hey, what can I do? It's obvious you've won. Go on ahead. Do what you will."

Ash sighed solemnly and walked up to Felix, who looked up at him.

"What're ya gonna do, almighty hero Ash Ketchum?" the syndicate leader asked. "Give me a damn sentimental lecture about how good can't exist without evil, and vice-versa? Try and convince me to change my ways, do what I have to do for the benefit of the world, but only in your way?"

Ash's reply was terse. "No. I'll just do this." He snapped his fingers, and several Bug-type Pokémon from his community swarmed around the building that Felix was leaning against. Immediately, the Pokémon fired String Shot attacks, essentially tying Felix up securely.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD?!" shouted Felix. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"

"Felix," Ash said, "when I first met you, I thought you were a good person. It doesn't matter if you were working with the Sky Soldiers at the time; I sensed a different side of you, one that doubted your father's goals. When I found that you were working for the Sky Soldiers, I thought I could convince you to change sides, had you not fallen off that cliff when you battled Hilda and Hilbert. I thought you were dead. Obviously that's not true.

"But...now that I'm looking at you again, ten years later, I've realized something terrible: you've become your father. It's too late to save you now. Too late to give you a sentimental lecture about how good can't exist without evil, and vice-versa. It's too late for you now. So, I'm just gonna leave you under the watch of my Pokémon and join my son and his friends as they save the world. I wish for the best for you in the future, Felix. Goodbye." He turned to Nate. "Let's go."

Nate nodded, and he, Hugh, Yancy, and Lucario ran alongside him, leaving behind Felix with Ash's other Pokémon. Felix began to struggle angrily.

"THIS ISN'T OVER, ASH!" he roared. "THIS ISN'T OVER! THE SKY SOLDIERS WILL TRIUMPH! MY FATHER'S DESTINY SHALL BE FULFILLED! DO YOU HEAR ME, ASH?! MY FATHER'S DESTINY WILL BE FULFILLED, AND THE WORLD WILL BE USHERED INTO A NEW ERA OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY! MARK MY WORDS, ASH!"

However, the five continued to run, until they turned a corner and ran out of sight. Felix growled and looked up at the seething eyes of his captors.

"I guess this marks the end of the war against evil," he whispered to himself. Then, he closed his eyes solemnly. "I'm sorry, Father. ...I failed you..."

As Nate, Ash, Hugh, Yancy, and Lucario continued to run down the walkway, Yancy ran up alongside Nate, a slight smile on her face.

"Thanks, Nate," she said, "for rescuing me."

"No problem," replied Nate, nodding at the pink-haired girl. Then, he noticed the smile slide off Yancy's face, being replaced with a sad frown. "What's wrong?"

"I...I can't believe I betrayed my father and brother...for you..."

Nate's eyes softened. "Yancy, if your father and your brother intended to threaten the safety of the world and everything we know in order to benefit their own selfish goals, then they they are NOT your family, then. No family should be that way, where their ideals involve death and destruction. Believe me-" He looked at Ash, who was taking the lead of the group alongside Lucario. "-I've learned that the hard way."

Yancy's eyes softened as well, and she glanced at the wreckage that was all around her.

"I know," she said, her voice barely audible. "I...I can't believe Father and Curtis would be willing to allow this to happen..."

"So,  he  has returned, hasn't he?"

Reshiram and Zekrom faced Kyurem, whose yellow eyes were glowing with malice. Its body was now borrowing elements of Reshiram's own.

"Yes, Kyurem," replied Zekrom. "The Chosen One, Ash Ketchum, has shown his face at long last, and he is more than ready to resume his destiny. He and his son shall find Ho-Oh, restore it back to health, and bring balance back to the world before it will fall to Pure Impurity."

Kyurem chuckled. "And I presume the Chosen One has the Plate," it said. It then chuckled again. "Just as I planned..."

"Don't you dare succumb to your prejudice against the Fairy type, Kyurem!" shouted Reshiram angrily. "You are being selfish, Brother!"

"The Dragon type is being usurped, Reshiram. We are being usurped. By a bunch of Arceus-damn magical fairies. It is NOT tolerable! And you call me selfish, my dear Reshiram? Fortunately..." Kyurem's eyes glinted suddenly as it made a sweeping movement with its wing. "I have an efficient remedy for this problem. I am glad the three of us have the time to catch up on long-lost matters. Our reunion has now finally come to full circle, Brothers..."

Something moved at the corner of Reshiram and Zekrom's eyes, and both dragons looked down at the devastated city below.

Kyurem's Cryogonal army was flowing across the walkways and buildings, heading in a specific direction.

Before Reshiram and Zekrom could try to stop the Cryogonal, they were attacked by Kyurem, who let out a loud roar of triumph. Its body then glowed orange as a circular reddish-purple aura materialized around it. With another roar, Kyurem then released a barrage of reddish-purple beams of ice energy, all of which barreled towards the other dragons. Reshiram and Zekrom both braced themselves for the impending attack...

"STOP!" Hugh shouted, the Trainer stopping in his tracks.

"What is it, Hugh?" asked Nate as he and the others stopped as well.

"Do you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Yancy asked.

"I can sense something coming..." Lucario suddenly announced, its eyes closed, its raised ears vibrating. "They're...multiple swarms of Cryogonal..."

"Cryogonal?!" exclaimed Hugh in surprise.

"The Cryogonal following Kyurem," Yancy explained. "It's them..."

"Wait, I don't understand what Kyurem has to do with the Sky Soldiers..." said Nate.

"Kyurem joined forces with my father so it could lure Reshiram and Zekrom out in the open. It wants to merge with them and recreate the original dragon that ruled over all of Unova. It also wants the Pixie Plate that you possess, Ash." She glanced at the raven-haired Trainer; the Plate was tucked safely away behind his cloak. "It feels threatened by the emergency of the Fairy type, which is much stronger than the Dragon type, so it has every intention to destroy the Plate that symbolizes them, to assert the dominance of the Dragon types as it merges with Reshiram and Zekrom."

"Well, then," Ash said, "we can't just stand here any longer. Lucario, continue guiding us to Ho-Oh!"

"Yes, Ash," replied Lucario as it led the group further down the walkway.

None of them knew that the Cryogonal were close behind...

Chapter Text

Temporary Cell #002318
The holding cell of Wayne Ketchum
The Silver Town prison

"Hello, Gary Oak. Long time, no see. I saved you a seat."

Gary silently stared daggers at the man responsible for the death of his longtime friend Ash. Prison sure took a toll on him, considering how emaciated he was. However, despite the lack of health that seemed evident in his body, Wayne Ketchum appeared surprisingly lively, from the strange glint present in his only eye to the seemingly excited shuffling of his foot. The Professor watched as the inmate gestured to the unoccupied seat that was on the other side of him.

"Come on, Professor," encouraged Wayne. "Take a seat."

Unsure of how to verbally respond, Gary merely partook of his offer and sat down on the chair, resting his arms on the wooden table as he stared at Wayne.

"How long has it been?" Wayne asked, his eyebrow raised, as if he really didn't know the answer to that question. "Ten years?"

"I am not here to acquaint myself with you," replied Gary bitterly. "Not now, not ever."

Wayne smirked and chuckled in response. "Well, you're welcome. I was trying to impose a friendly attitude with you, but obviously, it's not working-"

"Because you're the reason my friend is dead," Gary interrupted, the anger steadily rising in his voice.

Wayne chuckled again, as if Gary told him a good joke. "Right. Right. If you say that, then why in Arceus's name did you come over to this damn hellhole to visit me, during this time of the year, of all days of the year? Shouldn't you be attending to your precious Pokemon studies, Professor?"

"The Sky Soldiers are back, and they tried to capture Ho-Oh. Do you know anything about that?"

"Oh, of course I do, Professor." Wayne pointed to the television set that was hanging in the corner of his cell. "I've got a TV right over there, you know. One of the very few privileges that you allowed me to have when you arrested me for no justifiable purpose."

"You were about to destroy the world, Wayne."

"But with good intentions. I wanted to exterminate the evil that plagued it like a cancer. The only wrongdoing I've ever done was underestimating the power of Pure Impurity. I truly thought it'd be much lesser of a challenge, but alas, I was wrong on that. But underestimation of something as powerful as Pure Impurity isn't an act of evil. It was just a simple mistake. Yes, it was one that would've cost the entire world its survival, something that I fully recognized, yes, but I had good intentions in the end. If you were in my shoes, you would have understood that I did what had to be done."

"No. If I were in your shoes, I would've taken a different course of action. But I'm not here to debate about your ideals."

Wayne shifted in his seat. "Ah yes, that's right. You are here to interrogate me about that little incident that occurred at the Ketchum Month Stadium two days ago. The return of my Sky Soldiers. Before you ask, no, I had no involvement in that whatsoever. Remember, I'm not allowed to have any visitors."

"I know that, and I'm not here to accuse you of any involvement in that matter. See..." Gary stopped for a moment and sighed before reluctantly continuing, "I came here to visit you, after all of this time, because...I am..." The Professor hesitated. "I am asking for your help."

To his surprise, Wayne didn't seem to display any shock at the request, or even taunt him. Instead, he raised an eyebrow, but replied, "Of course you are, dear Professor. After all, it was I who founded the Sky Soldiers in the first place. And if these newbies are following in the footsteps of the old organization, word by word, then it means that their methods are completely identical to those that I employed when I was in power."

"Some of them escaped, Wayne," Gary said. "Ho-Oh's still somewhere in Ketchum City, wounded. What do you think they would do in such a situation?"

"Simple. They'd find Ho-Oh. But..." Wayne stood up and approached a nearby window, staring out of the bars and into the cloudy sky. "If their numbers are low and they are almost at the end of their game, they would become desperate. Very desperate. These new Sky Soldiers are obviously not as experienced as the old ones. It will not matter anymore if they'll have to cross the line that separates good and evil in order to accomplish their goals. At that point..."

Wayne turned around to face Gary. There was a twinkle in his eye.

"...You'll have to be very careful, Professor. Even I won't be able to predict what they'll do once they reach that point."

Gary's eyes widened in shock. Wayne was right; these new Sky Soldiers didn't seem as experienced, otherwise their grand master plan wouldn't have fallen to shambles the very second things went out of their control. And desperation opens to new measures, ones that can be thought of as impossible, out of nature.

"You don't think they'll-" he began.

"Kill Ho-Oh intentionally?" completed Wayne. He remained silent for a moment. "If it means success, then they surely would be willing enough to go for it. But I find it so odd that you're being so worrisome, my dear Professor. I thought you had your secret weapon to remedy things."

"Secret weapon? What secret weapon?"

"Have you seriously forgotten about the boy that helped bring you closer to the grasp of success?"

Gary's eyes widened even more. "N-Nate?..."

Wayne smirked. "Ah yes, Nate. Nate Ketchum, although I assume he doesn't know of his true heritage yet."

"He has."

"Oh. Well then, I pray to Arceus that he has accepted his destiny." The former villain closed his eyes and let out a long sigh of content. "We're all gonna need it. After all, only one with a pure heart can save Ho-Oh, even at the cost of his or her own life. Being the latest descendant of Sir Aaron, the first known person of the Ketchum line, who selflessly cast aside his life in order to prevent a war from devastating an entire kingdom, the key to salvation for mankind and Pokémon alike lies within Nate. And it takes so much effort for a ten-year-old child to accept the fact that he may die fulfilling this kind of destiny."

"I'm not sure if that's already happened or not. He...He and a friend of his disappeared after the attack on the stadium. We can't find them anywhere."

"Sure you can."

Gary blinked as he flicked his head at Wayne, a shocked expression etched on his face. "Really? H-How?"

Wayne frowned, and he glanced at the Professor. There seemed to be something about his expression that signified...disappointment.

"Do you not know about the other Ketchum?"

Gary stood up, overturning his chair in the process, but he didn't care the slightest.

"Ash had another child?!" he exclaimed. "Impossible! He only has one child, and that is Nate! I know that myself! I witnessed Nate's birth!"

Wayne was undaunted by Gary's outburst, instead replying, "I didn't say this other Ketchum would be Ash's child. If I can recall, I had two cousins, not one."

"Lyra?" answered Gary.

"Oh, but you have just scratched the surface, Professor. Ever since you found out Hilda was pregnant with Nate, you saw no hide nor hair of dear Lyra Silver or Khoury Evans for the duration of Hilda's pregnancy. Didn't you find that at least a little suspicious, Professor?"

"They left to spend time together. After all, after the...incident, they began dating, and they thought they'd spend the next several weeks by themselves."

Wayne's eye glinted suddenly. "Except that little honeymoon of theirs didn't last for several weeks, didn't it, Professor?"

"Considering all that we've been through, I thought that they just needed privacy. Lyra just found out that Ash was her twin brother, and Khoury lost his father to your grunts, after all." Then, as his mind began to think about what revelation Wayne was giving to him, Gary suddenly found himself connecting the pieces, which were slowly but steadily forming a clear picture... "No...wait a minute... No... No, no, that's not right..."

Knowing that Gary was realizing the message, Wayne smiled again and glanced out of the barred window. "Unfortunately, Professor, it is right..."

"But...But it's not possible..." Gary collapsed on his chair in disbelief. "Lyra should've told us that she was pregnant the entire time... But...But why didn't she?!"

"Unfortunately, Professor, that is where my information on that subject ends. I can only assume that something must have happened during their 'honeymoon'. Something that told them that it was a good idea to keep Lyra's child, Nate's cousin, the second chance for the survival of this world and everything we know, a complete secret that must never be disclosed until the right moment. And it looks like today's the right moment, Professor."

"But...But you were in rotting in a cell for the whole time, with only a TV to keep you informed! How did you know all of this?"

"Seems like you forgot that little lecture you watched Arceus give to dear Ash and Lyra, Professor. Every member of the Ketchum lineage has complete mastery of Aura, including an advanced branch of it that involves connecting your mind to the minds of others at pure will, although that innate ability is reserved to only the minds of those who share the same blood as you. The reason I remained sane for the past decade was because I monitored the progress of my cousin, my nephew, and my niece, the only remaining family I have left. I watched them as the years went by, through their minds, to see how they were doing.

"You see, Professor..." Wayne once again looked at Gary, and this time, he walked back towards his unoccupied chair and sat down on it. "Ever since your dear friend Ash defeated me, I received a sort of...enlightenment as I sat in my prison cell. I remember him lecturing to me, not once, not twice, not thrice..." Then, he smiled and let out a soft chuckle. "Good Arceus, I have lost count of the times he's given me that lecture. Anyway, he told me that sometimes, for the world to keep moving forward, for the forces of good to truly find a reason to be good, there must be a force of evil to accompany it, to balance it.

"Of course, I found the lecture to be utter nonsense and completely flawed in its basic ideals. But when I found myself sitting in a prison cell, being persecuted for countless of crimes, I found myself in a position that I hoped I'd never be in: one where evil is punished. I...I was the evil, while the courts were me and my once-mighty Sky Soldiers, out to rid the world of the evil that plagued it. I realized that no matter how good my intentions, my actions were, they were still evil because they defied the primary principle that Arceus set for us, a principle that my father and I, and those new Sky Soldiers were completely blind to.

"There must always be evil in order to stand beside good, complement it as a foil. No matter what I did, I was the villain. And I was defeated. See, that is why I am helping you out, Professor, instead of praising these wannabe Sky Soldiers and ranting on about how noble and founded my goals were and how all of you were the real villain for preventing them from coming to fruition. That is why I am helping you, Professor."

"You were ranting about your goals just minutes earlier, Wayne," Gary replied bitterly.

Wayne shrugged fleetingly, his lips pursed. "Well, old habits die hard, I guess. Anyway, what I just told you was legitimate information that is vital in completing this new adventure to save the world." He leaned towards the Professor, his eyes continuing to glint despite the absence of light in the room. "All you have to do now, Professor, is find the other Ketchum. She will master her ability to connect with Nate's mind and use it to find him."

"She?" asked Gary, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a girl," Wayne replied, smirking. "But that's all I know about her."

"I thought you were able to connect with her mind. Doesn't that mean you'd know her identity?"

Wayne continued to smirk. "There's always a catch to everything, Professor. Even catching Pokémon has a catch. You can't tell what sort of path that one single capture will take you, what development said capture can bring for you. Do you get the joke, Professor?"

Gary didn't respond to Wayne's question, Instead, he stood up, walked up to the cell door, and pressed the button on the side of it. An ominous ringing noise reverberated throughout the cell and the hallway outside, just seconds before a latching sound was heard, and the cell door opened with a creak.

"I get your joke, Wayne," Gary replied, "and I didn't find it funny the first time."

"Maybe you'll find it funny the second time," said Wayne, smiling widely and brightly as if they were concluding a friendly discussion.

"Maybe, Wayne. Maybe." Gary stepped out of the cell and looked back at the inmate as the door began to close. "Thanks. For all of your help."

"Does it look like I had a choice?"

Gary's response was terse and simple. "Not really."

Then, Wayne asked, just seconds before the door closed on him, "How's Tory doing?"

The bang resonated throughout the cell before he could get a satisfactory response from the Pokémon Professor, and the only thing Wayne could see was the familiar, sturdy iron that made up the door separating him from the freedom that he needed but didn't rightfully deserve.

Wayne sighed heavily and leaned back against his chair, staring up at the cracked ceiling.

"You're welcome," he whispered to himself. Then, his lips curved into a smirk. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, I remembered who the other Ketchum is. Plus, Ash is alive and well, Professor. Rejoice." The former villain glanced at the closed prison door. "Oh, forgot. The Professor left the room." He let out a soft chuckle. "Well, just because I learned the error of my ways and saw the golden light, doesn't mean I can't have a little last laugh on something."

The prison waiting room
Several minutes later

Misty and the others stood up from their chairs as Gary reentered the room, his hair hanging low over his face, obscuring his eyes. A tight frown seemed to be etched on his lips. Everyone else cautiously approached him, unsure of what emotional state their friend was in.

"Gary?" asked Misty. "Did you... Did you talk to him?..."

Gary was silent for a few minutes. Then, he replied in a grave tone, "Yes..."

"What'd he say?" Max asked.

"Did he provide anything helpful against these new Sky Soldiers?" asked Brock.

"He told me a lot," replied Gary. Suddenly, his fingers curled up into his palms, turning his hands into clenched fists. "Lyra?"

"Y-Yes?" Lyra answered, stepping forward cautiously.

Gary looked up at her, and Lyra's eyes widened. An expression of betrayal was evident in the Professor's eyes. His lips pursed themselves even tighter.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me? ...Why didn't you tell us?"

"Tell you about what?"

"About her. Your daughter."

Everyone gasped and turned their heads at Lyra and Khoury, both of whom now looked extremely nervous at this new predicament. The couple looked at each other, and Khoury was frantically shaking his head at Lyra as a signal. However, she sighed softly, shook her head at him disapprovingly, and looked at Gary.

"Wayne knew I had a daughter?" she asked.

"He's your cousin," Gary replied, "and a Ketchum. He said he spent the last decade connecting with your mind, Nate's mind...and your daughter's mind..."

"He...He connected with my mind?!" exclaimed Lyra, clutching her head as if her former arch-nemesis was doing so at the moment. "That...That BASTARD!"

"Wayne doesn't matter right now, Lyra. He told me that he knew you had a daughter, and that you and Khoury kept her existence a secret from us. He says he doesn't know why, though. ...Why didn't you tell us about her? Such information would've been very helpful for us..."

"We weren't supposed to tell you!" Khoury suddenly exclaimed. "We weren't supposed to tell you about our daughter until the moment was right!"

"And when was the moment supposed to be right? When Ho-Oh is on the verge of death, and the world is in danger of falling into death and destruction?"

"We're not supposed to tell you that either! Only-"

"Who in the world instructed you not to tell us any of this?!" Dawn snapped angrily, staring at Lyra in particular. "We're your friends, Lyra, Khoury!"

"You could've easily entrusted us with such information!" added Marina.

"It doesn't matter if we didn't tell you or not," Lyra said in response, looking down at the ground sadly. "We had specific instructions..."

"From who?" demanded Gary.

Lyra looked at the Pokémon Professor, regret and reluctance in her shimmering eyes. Khoury sighed, knowing that the two of them were cornered.

"Zekrom..."

Elsewhere in Silver Town

"Ms. Brown, wait!" exclaimed Rosa, stopping in her tracks. She and Kelly were on their way to the Silver Town prison, where they knew the others were at.

"What is it, Rosa?" Kelly replied, facing the young girl.

"You came..."

"Well, couldn't resist the savory taste of a challenge any longer."

"Nate's now in Ketchum City..." Rosa blinked as she tried to focus herself. "And someone else is with him... But I can't tell who..."

Kelly's eyes widened in concern, fearing that Nate might be in the clutches of the Sky Soldiers. Quickly, she grabbed Rosa's hand.

"Come on, Rosa!" she exclaimed. "We have to get to the others as quickly as we can! We don't have time to lose!"

Ketchum City

"Faster, everyone!" Nate cried as he and the others continued to run down the stone walkway. "We've gotta run faster! Lucario, is Ho-Oh nearby?"

"He's nearby," replied Lucario. "The Genesect Army is keeping him safe." Then, the Aura Pokémon gasped. "But..."

Nate's eyes widened; Lucario's tone sounded...grave... "But what, Lucario?"

"His Aura... It's growing weaker by the minute... He's  dying, Nate..."

"That doesn't sound good at all!" exclaimed Hugh.

"It isn't," Ash replied. "Ho-Oh was created by Arceus to protect the world for Pure Impurity, a powerful force of pure, unstoppable evil that Arceus buried within the planet. If Ho-Oh dies, then Pure Impurity will be unleashed and its wrath will be devastating enough to destroy the entire planet! Everything we know-"

"-Will die..." completed Nate gravely.

"We better hurry, everyone!"

Suddenly, the buildings in front of them exploded, spraying the group with a shower of small pieces of concrete. Adjusting his eyes towards the billowing cloud of light-gray smoke, Nate could identify the silhouette of a fallen dragon that appeared to be white in color...

"Oh my Arceus, Zekrom!" Yancy screamed.

Everyone else looked up and watched in horror as the Deep Black Pokémon flew across the air, small flames and pieces of ice on its body. With one last roar of pain and agony, Zekrom crashed into the buildings that were standing behind the group, spraying them once again with concrete and rubble. Once the clouds of smoke settled, they realized that the bodies of Zekrom and Reshiram were blocking both sides of the pathway, while buildings stood on either side of them.

"We're trapped..." Hugh said.

"We need to get out of here!" exclaimed Nate. "Quick, climb over Reshiram's body!"

"I think not, Nate Ketchum!" a voice commanded suddenly.

Multiple beams of light-blue appeared from above, some of which struck Reshiram, creating a large, thick layer of ice that covered the Vast White Pokémon and formed into an icy barrier. The remaining light-blue beams also hit Zekrom, freezing it as well and creating another barrier. Nate, Ash, Hugh, and Yancy gasped.

"Who in the world is doing that?!" Hugh shouted.

"I know who..." snarled Ash angrily, looking up.

The others followed his gaze and saw Kyurem levitating in the sky, its yellow eyes gleaming menacingly.

"Hello, puny humans. I believe you have something that rightfully belongs to me."

Chapter Text

Ketchum City

"KYUREM!" Ash and Nate shouted simultaneously.

"PIKA!" Pikachu added, his cheeks sparkling with bolts of electricity as it went into a defensive stance.

The Boundary Pokémon chuckled malevolently before growling, "Just hand over the Pixie Plate, Ash Ketchum, and no harm will befall you, your son, and your friends." On cue, Kyurem's Cryogonal army surrounded Ash, Nate, and the others, threatening to overwhelm them. "And believe me, the consequences of disobeying the command I issued to you will be not for the faint of the heart. ...Just hand over the Pixie Plate..."

Kyurem's yellow eyes glinted greedily as it glanced, with a hungry expression, at the Pixie Plate, which was in Ash's possession. However, Ash gritted his teeth and boldly stepped towards Nate, who looked just as defiant towards the Boundary Pokémon; Hugh, Yancy, and Lucario followed suit.

"Never," Ash replied.

"You have to let us go, Kyurem!" exclaimed Nate. "Ho-Oh is dying, and once it does, the world will be destroyed!"

"The world you swore to protect!" added Ash.

"PIKACHU!" Pikachu cried.

Kyurem's head moved for a fraction of an inch. "I will let you go to fulfill your destinies," it snarled savagely, "if you give me what I asked for..."

"Well, then," Ash said, "I guess we have no choice! Hang on, Ho-Oh; it won't be long. Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"PIKA-CHUUUUU!" Pikachu leaped into the air and unleashed a Thunderbolt attack, striking several Cryogonal.

"Yancy, stay close to me!" cried Nate as he stepped closer to the pink-haired girl. He took out six Poké Balls and threw them. "Everyone, attack the Cryogonal!"

"You guys too!" Hugh ordered as he threw his own Poké Balls.

Nate and Hugh's Pokémon teams were summoned, all attacking numerous Cryogonal with their moves. Lucario, in the meantime, began to repeatedly fire Aura Spheres to attack any advancing Cryogonal. Very soon, the Pokémon were engaging the Cryogonal army in battle, knocking out many with multiple attacks that flew left to right as Kyurem watched, seemingly in amusement. Many minutes passed, and there seemed to be no end in sight for the amount of Cryogonal.

Eventually, Hugh exclaimed, "The Cryogonal just won't stop coming! We have to think of something else, guys!"

Nate didn't respond, instead glancing at Kyurem, who continued to stare down at the scene from above. There was something uncomfortable about the way its refusal to participate in the battle. It seemed to just be a mere overseer, a deity from above. He gritted his teeth and pointed at it.

"PIGNITE, USE FLAMETHROWER!"

Pignite immediately shot a stream of red-hot fire at Kyurem, who merely remained still as the attack hit it, engulfing it in flames. Nate gasped in shock.

"Well, well, Nate Ketchum," Kyurem's voice echoed menacingly, "you're surely your father's son." The flames parted, revealing an unscathed Kyurem, who had turned into its White Kyurem form. "Reckless in his pursuits, yet strangely fortunate to benefit from such brash actions. I'm very impressed." Then, it formed a swirling ball of orange flames inside of its mouth. "But now, I presume that it is time for me to intervene! YARGH!"

Kyurem then fired a beam of orange flames from its mouth, which headed straight for Nate. The Trainer reacted quickly.

"PIGNITE, FLAMETHROWER AGAIN!" he commanded.

Pignite fired another Flamethrower, which hit Kyurem's Dragon Pulse. However, the Dragon Pulse pushed forward assertively, being stronger than Pignite's own Flamethrower. Nate gasped as the Dragon Pulse continued to head towards the Fire Pig Pokémon despite its efforts to repel it.

"PIGNITE!" he screamed.

"PIKA-CHUUUUU!"

A Thunderbolt struck the Dragon Pulse, joining Pignite's Flamethrower in the fight to force the Dragon-type attack backward. Nate glared over his shoulder and saw none other than Ash, pointing heroically at Kyurem, much like the statue in the town center. Ash then lowered his arm, spotted Nate, and nodded subtly at him, cracking a small but bright smile. Nate smiled and nodded back before glancing at Kyurem and pointing heroically as well.

"CONTINUE FIGHTING, PIGNITE!" he ordered. "GIVE IT ALL YOU'VE GOT!"

"YOU TOO, PIKACHU!" shouted Ash. "WE CAN WIN THIS!"

Nate noticed, at the corner of his eye, a Cryogonal heading straight for him, preparing to fire an Ice-type attack. Just then, a Water Pulse appeared, hitting the Crystallizing Pokémon and knocking it out. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted Hugh standing with Yancy, giving him a thumbs-up. Nate nodded back and then glared back at Kyurem's Dragon Pulse, whose power was now being rivaled by the combined might of Pignite's Flamethrower and Pikachu's Thunderbolt.

Meanwhile, as Hugh and Lucario battled the oncoming Cryogonal, Hugh shouted, "This can't last any longer! Kyurem's a Legendary Pokémon! At the rate this is going, its power will soon overwhelm Pignite and Pikachu, and only Arceus knows what'll happen next! We have to help the two of them out!"

"No!"

Hugh glared at Lucario as it finished off two Cryogonal with a Bone Rush attack. "No?!" he repeated. "Why 'no'? Nate and Ash-"

"They can handle Kyurem," Lucario interrupted harshly. "I have complete faith in that."

"How?! This is one of the Legendary Pokémon of Unova we're talking about!"

"Because they're the Chosen Ones!" Yancy suddenly exclaimed, catching Hugh and Lucario's attentions. "They're the Chosen Ones, the ones who will always be able to restore balance to the world! It's in their blood, as it always was ever since their first known ancestor, Sir Aaron, sacrificed himself to save the Cameron Palace from chaos and disarray!" She looked at Nate and Ash as they continued their battle, and whispered softly, "They're the Chosen Ones.

"I don't think they can do it." She smiled. "I know they can do it."

"YOU CAN'T WIN, ASH, NATE!" roared Kyurem, its loud, booming voice piercing the atmosphere as it strengthened its Dragon Pulse. "I WILL TRIUMPH!"

"NOT IF WE CAN HELP IT!" Ash and Nate replied simultaneously, with equal determination. They both pointed at the Boundary Pokémon. "GO!"

"CHUUUUU!" screamed Pikachu as it continued to channel its Thunderbolt.

"NITTTEEEEE!" roared Pignite as it continued to fire its Flamethrower.

It seemed as if all of the power was being put into all three attacks. All of Ketchum City was bathed in a bright light, like a star ready to go into supernova...

Silver Town

"Whoa, what's that?!"

Kelly followed Rosa's finger and found that she was pointing directly at the faraway ruins of Ketchum City. There, a bright light was shining, threatening to even engulf the entire city. Continuing to fear the worst for Nate, Kelly tightened her grip on Rosa's hand as the two continued to run across the town. Unfortunately, many civilians began to crowd around the walkways to observe the expanding light at Ketchum City, obscuring Kelly and Rosa's way.

"Hurry!" she exclaimed. "We've got no time to lose!"

"Yeah!" replied Rosa in agreement.

The Silver Town prison

"Zekrom gave you those instructions?!" cried Iris, shocked beyond belief at the revelation. "But...But Cilan and I... We spent the last few years with him... ...We thought he told us the entire truth, about what we all needed to do..." She approached Lyra and snarled, "What did he instruct you and Khoury to do?!"

"But-" began Lyra.

"I don't care at ALL about when you were supposed to give us this information," Cilan snapped, stepping beside Iris and crossing his arms. "We need answers. Nate and Hugh are out there, likely in the clutches in the Sky Soldiers, and Ho-Oh is no doubt close to death after the attempt to capture it. Tell us."

Lyra and Khoury looked at one another before sighing collectively. Then, they looked back at the rest of their friends.

"Okay, we'll tell you," Lyra replied reluctantly. "But...But if we meet Zekrom again, don't say a word about this! Okay? Promise?"

"You have our word for it," said Dawn. "Now, tell us what happened."

Lyra sighed and began, "See, we didn't know I was pregnant when we went on our honeymoon. All we were focused on was spending time together, and also remembering Ash and Khoury's father." A brief shadow of grief encompassed Khoury's face for a second, but disappeared just as quickly. "Then, just a week in, I began showing the symptoms of pregnancy, and after making sure, the both of us couldn't be any happier.

"But then..." Lyra lowered her face to stare at the floor. "He appeared."

"Zekrom?" May asked.

Lyra shook her head. "No. It wasn't Zekrom. He's to come later. It was..."

"Arceus," completed Khoury, not showing a single trace of reluctance or fear.

Everyone's eyes widened, and some gasped in shock at the revelation.

"Arceus?!" Brock exclaimed.

"What do Arceus and Zekrom have to do with you not telling us about your child?!" asked Marina.

Lyra continued, "Arceus told us that, since our child was a Ketchum, destiny will be tied into his or her life. He then told us that this destiny was greater than we ever imagined, and as a result, we had to give it away to another family and never see it again. That was the direction our baby's life was supposed to take, he told us, and that if it strayed from its destined path, the consequences would be so unimaginable, even he can't imagine what would happen.

"I didn't know what to think of it at first, but then Arceus assigned Zekrom to supervise us. That was when he gave us the instructions."

"He told us that we would see our child again," Khoury said, "but not until it was of a proper age, and its destiny was already in motion. Arceus did not mention anything against us telling you about our baby, but Zekrom did. He said that you all must not know of this until everything was already in motion. We asked him why we couldn't tell you guys, and he was only able to give us this reply: 'Until the light expands, the fox among the sheep will operate'.

"Judging by that, we thought..." Khoury hesitated for a moment. "We thought that, at the time, one of us was untrustworthy."

The resulting uproar startled the entire visitors' room.

"One of us couldn't be trusted?!" Dawn exclaimed.

"There's a traitor among us?" asked Jimmy.

"It can't be possible that one of us is a bad guy!" Hilbert cried.

"EVERYONE, CALM DOWN!"

The group glanced at a prison guard, whose arms were crossed, his shoulder pointed to the door.

"If you're gonna keep up that conversation," he said sternly, "I suggest you take it outside."

Nervously, the group slowly began to walk out of the visitors' room and into the outside street.

"I can't believe there might be a traitor in our group..." Hilda said.

"Well, Zekrom said that the 'fox' will operate until 'the light expands'. Khoury and I assumed that the first part meant the traitor will stop at a certain point. But the problem was that we don't know anything of an expanding light, so we knew we had to stay silent until we saw a sign..."

"GUYS!"

The group glanced down the walkway and saw Kelly and Rosa running towards them frantically.

"What is it, guys?" asked Gary.

"Rosa says she senses Nate nearby!" Kelly replied.

Everyone glanced at Rosa, who began to look extremely nervous at the attention she was receiving. Gary then glanced at Lyra and saw her eyes shimmering.

"I'll be damned..." he whispered.

Ketchum City

"DIE!" screeched Kyurem as it further strengthened its Dragon Pulse, the attack beginning to barrel down upon Pikachu and Pignite.

"PIKACHU!" Ash cried.

"PIGNITE!" screamed Nate.

All of a sudden, Pikachu and Pignite's outlines began to glow in separate colors of light: Pikachu was glowing light-blue, while Pignite was glowing deep-red. As they continued to glow, their attacks suddenly grew stronger, and the Dragon Pulse was being pushed back again. Everyone gasped at this new development.

"What?!" exclaimed Kyurem angrily. "What in heaven's name is happening?! I absolutely cannot afford to lose!"

"What's happening to Pignite and Pikachu?" Nate asked, looking around.

Then, he noticed that the ice encasing both Reshiram and Zekrom were also glowing similar colors, as if in correspondence with the glowing outlines of Pikachu and Pignite. He could barely see the bright light emanating from the glowing eyes of both legendary dragons as the glowing began to grow even stronger, thus enabling both Pikachu and Pignite to fully repel the Dragon Pulse, triggering a tremendous explosion that engulfed everyone in a thick, billowing cloud of smoke. Lucario, Nate's other Pokémon, and Hugh's own seized this opportunity to attack the blinded Cryogonal, defeating all of them.

As soon as the smoke cleared, Nate saw that Reshiram and Zekrom had stopped glowing, but Pikachu and Pignite weren't...and yet, they both looked as if they were fueled by a newfound source of energy. His eyes widened in realization, and then he smiled widely. Looking at Ash, who smiled back, both then glared at Kyurem, the Boundary Pokémon recovering from the explosion, now in utter bewilderment at the newest development.

"I-Im-Impossible," it said. "This can't be... I...Kyurem, the strongest Dragon-type Pokémon in the world...defeated by two weaklings?"

"They're not weaklings," spat Ash.

"They're our friends," Nate continued.

Then, both shouted, "AND TOGETHER, WE WILL STOP YOU!"

"PIKACHU, USE THUNDERBOLT!" Ash ordered.

"PIGNITE, USE FLAMETHROWER!" commanded Nate.

"NO!" Kyurem hollered furiously as it unleashed a barrage of reddish-purple beams at both Pokémon. "I REFUSE TO BE DEFEATED BY THE LIKES OF YOU!"

However, the Thunderbolt and the Flamethrower, fueled by the new energy provided by Zekrom and Reshiram, shot past Kyurem's Ice Burn attack, repelling it with ease, before striking the Boundary Pokémon with full force, causing a larger explosion. Ash and Nate heard Kyurem scream in pain.

Then, they watched as Kyurem emerged from the cloud of fire and smoke, critically wounded by the two powerful attacks. With some sort of effortless grace, it glided down towards the earth, unable to fly anymore due to the major damage it suffered. Nate, Ash, Lucario, Hugh, and Yancy collectively braced themselves as Kyurem crash-landed into the buildings beside them, once again spraying them with rubble and then engulfing them in thick smoke.

Once it cleared, however, the five, plus Nate and Hugh's Pokémon, all gazed upon the fallen body of the Boundary Pokémon, now reverted to its original form.

"Is...Is he?..." began Yancy.

"No," replied Lucario, sensing her thoughts. "He is not dead. His Aura is still active."

"You...fools..." a voice croaked weakly. The group watched as Kyurem shifted slightly, facing them. A light seemed to have gone out in its yellow eyes. "You all think that you fight for a great cause, that it is for the good of the world? Heh. You are all nothing more than mere puppets, and the almighty Arceus, who sits idly on his throne in the Hall of Origin, is the puppet-master. All of your actions only serve to his purpose. You should know..." He was looking directly at Ash as he spoke this latest sentence. "But...give me the Pixie Plate, and allow me to merge with my Brothers... Once Arceus is usurped, there shall never be any need to worry. Free will is yours to bask in. No longer shall you see a hand and strings connected to you.

"Just give me the Pixie Plate, Ash, and you shall be free from Arceus's influence..."

However, Ash frowned defiantly. "Never," he spat. "For the past ten years, I've tried to run away from Arceus, to cower behind a great shield that even he could never break. But...now...I've realized that this will not last for me. Even with all of the protection, more than I could ever ask for, destiny still found me." He then looked at Nate. "I've had my eyes opened to a new understanding, a new realization. I must let go of the burden of the reality that is before me. Certainty has plagued my life for so long. And now, I have decided to take a leap of faith and confront the problem head-on, without being certain of all possible outcomes."

Ash looked back at Kyurem and continued, "You have become so certain that the Fairy type will overwhelm the Dragon type, that you fail to understand the one critical thing that always led my life when I was a Trainer: strength and power doesn't determine the chances of victory, but determination and confidence. Have you forgotten all of the accomplishments I've done, Kyurem? I, a mere Trainer from Pallet Town in the Kanto region, encountered many unimaginable situations, squared off against many Legendary Pokémon...and I won. All because I was determined and confident of success, not because of what power I had.

"It's something that you've failed to understand, Kyurem. But just because you fail to do so now, doesn't mean it's not too late for you to change your mind."

"Why should I ever change my mind about those Arceus-damned Fairies?!" Kyurem roared savagely. "The Dragon type, the greatest Pokémon type in existence, being overthrown of its almighty power by puny little sparkling creatures? Unbearable!"

"I see you do not plan on changing your mind, Kyurem," said Nate solemnly. "Well then, don't continue to succumb to hatred. It'll consume you totally one day." Then, he pointed at the ice individually encasing Reshiram and Zekrom. "Pignite, free Reshiram and Zekrom with Flamethrower!"

Still energized, Pignite fired a powerful Flamethrower that melted the ice in mere minutes. Zekrom and Reshiram both shook off the last remnants of the ice and let out loud roars. Then, they both looked down upon the humans; Nate and Ash could sense the pride radiating from their fierce eyes.

"You succeeded, you two," Zekrom said.

"There was no doubt that you both could overwhelm Kyurem," added Reshiram as it joined Zekrom's side.

"Yeah, well," Nate replied, "we obviously couldn't have done it with you both."

"Thanks, Reshiram, Zekrom," said Ash, giving both dragons a thumbs-up.

Reshiram and Zekrom both nodded before looking up over the rooftops, sensing something.

"All of you, go, now!" ordered Reshiram. "Ho-Oh is still dying..."

"We shall stay and watch over Kyurem," continued Zekrom.

"All right!" Ash shouted. "Thanks again, you two. Come on, guys! We haven't got a minute to lose! Pikachu!"

"PIKA!" Pikachu cried, hopping on its Trainer's shoulder.

The humans and their Pokémon climbed over the rubble that was left by Reshiram's crash-landing and eventually vanished down the walkway, leaving Reshiram and Zekrom with Kyurem and the fallen masses of Cryogonal. Both dragons glanced at their Brother, who looked up at them humbly.

"You win..." Kyurem snarled.

"Oh no, we did not win, Brother," replied Reshiram. "We never did. ...No one did."

However, a new glint appeared in Kyurem's eyes. "Not for long, anyway."

"What?!" both dragons exclaimed.

Kyurem merely let out a sinister chuckle.

Nate, Ash, Yancy, Hugh, Lucario, and the other Pokémon continued running down the walkway, not noticing that more Cryogonal were following them.

Chapter Text

Ketchum City

Ash, Nate, Hugh, Yancy, Lucario, and the other Pokémon continued running down the walkway, not noticing that more Cryogonal were following them.

"What do we do once we get to Ho-Oh?" Hugh asked. "How are we supposed to bring it back to full health?"

"Well, we don't have a Rainbow Wing, one of only two methods of reviving Ho-Oh," replied Ash. "Which leaves..."

Nate's eyes widened in shock and apprehension, for he knew exactly what Ash was thinking. His worst fears were confirmed the moment he noticed the glint of sadness in Pikachu's eyes as the Mouse Pokémon continued to sit on Ash's shoulder attentively. The only other way to revive Ho-Oh was to offer the Aura force of a person completely capable of harnessing its power...at the cost of his or her life. To think that things might come down to this...

"You...can't possibly by serious..." Nate said as he glanced at Ash, his voice barely audible. "Are you?..."

Before Ash could respond, Lucario suddenly stopped, gasping in shock. Nate looked at the Aura Pokémon in confusion.

"Lucario, what's wrong?" he asked.

"There are more Cryogonal behind us..." Lucario replied gravely. In a panic, everyone began looking around at both directions of the walkway as well as up at the rooftops, expecting swarms of Kyurem's Cryogonal to suddenly appear and overwhelm them in any second.

Finally, after a couple of minutes, Hugh growled in frustration and twirled around, as did his Pokémon. A determined glint flashed across his eye for a second.

"Oh, I've had ENOUGH of this!" he exclaimed. "These Cryogonal have gotten on my nerves for long enough! You guys go on ahead! I'll hold 'em off from here!"

"Hugh!" Nate cried in protest, but Hugh glared at him, a smile etched on his face.

"You keep going, Nate. This is your destiny, not mine. Go, go, GO! GO!"

At that moment, a gargantuan swarm of Cryogonal appeared on the walkway, heading towards Hugh. However, the blue-haired Trainer pointed at the swarm.

"GO GET 'EM, GUYS!" he screamed. All of his Pokémon roared in response before firing a variety of attacks at the Cryogonal swarm, successfully repelling them as Hugh looked back at the others again. "I SAID GO!" Hugh then flashed another smile at Nate, but the other Trainer noticed that it was one of sadness. "Nate, you do me a favor. In case I don't get out of this alive and you do, tell Carrie that I love her so much and I'm sorry I never got to see her become a Trainer."

"Hugh..." whispered Nate.

"GO!"

Nate prepared to protest again when he felt someone grab his arm. He looked over his shoulder and saw that it was Ash, who was smiling at him.

"He'll be alright," he said. "Leave him. We have to be somewhere."

Knowing that it was no use to argue for any longer, Nate took one last look at Hugh before following Ash, Lucario, and Yancy down the walkway. Hugh watched them as they all rounded a corner and vanished out of sight: first Lucario, in the lead as he used his Aura-sensing ability to detect Ho-Oh; then Yancy; then Ash; and finally, Nate, his best and longest friend...his brother... He began to remember all of the times he spent with him during their childhood...

"Hi! Do you wanna play with me?!"

"Sure! What's your name?"

"My name's Hugh! What's your name?"

"My name's Nate!"

The Trainer smiled, knowing that he had faith in Nate, before glaring back at the Cryogonal, who were now battling his Pokémon.

"GO, EVERYONE!" he roared. "FOR HO-OH AND THE FUTURE OF THIS WORLD!"

The Cryogonal began to close in as Hugh's Pokémon continued to attack...

"You think Hugh will be okay?" Nate yelled as he continued running alongside the others.

"He's a strong and determined fighter," Lucario replied. "He'll be okay. For now, let's have our focus solely on Ho-Oh. We cannot afford distractions."

"Are we getting closer, Lucario?" asked Ash.

"Yes, we're getting close... His Aura's faint, but he is close by. But we must be quick!"

The group entered another walkway and began running up a set of concrete stairs as fast as they could. However, before they can complete their trek up, the four stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing the walkway ahead: it was filling up with more Cryogonal that headed towards them. Bolts of electricity sparked out of Pikachu's red cheeks while Nate's Pokémon readied themselves for battle and Lucario formed an Aura Sphere between its paws.

"More Cryogonal coming..." moaned Nate. He then looked at Lucario. "Is there another way to Ho-Oh, Lucario?"

"Yes," Lucario replied, gesturing to another set of stairs wedged between two nearby buildings, "but you must be quick, Nate. Cryogonal could fill up that passage any moment now." The Aura Pokémon promptly fired the Aura Sphere at the Cryogonal, briefly repelling the newest swarm. He then glanced at Ash, Nate, and Yancy, nodding unflinchingly. "You all go on ahead. I shall hold them off from here for as long as I can."

"WHAT?!" Nate exclaimed. "NO! Not you too, Lucario! No, we need you to track down Ho-Oh for us!"

However, Lucario shook his head. "You do not need me to track down Ho-Oh for you, Nate. You can do that yourself."

"Wha-" However, Nate stopped short, realizing that he possessed Aura-wielding abilities. And yet...he never used them to track down someone...

"All you need to do is focus on your one goal."

Nate glanced over his shoulder and saw Ash looking back at him. He was smiling slightly as he closed his eyes.

"Remember what I taught you, Nate," he said. "The only thing you have to do to master the Aura is to focus on one particular goal. And you know what that is."

Knowing fully what his father meant by that, Nate nodded and closed his eyes, allowing the whole of his focus to shift on finding Ho-Oh.

Within minutes, the entire world reappeared through the darkness, only everything was outlined by a light-blue aura. Nate looked around, stunned by the fact that he could perfectly see everything despite having his eyes closed. Then, he instinctively looked ahead of the staircase Lucario pointed out to him. A distance away, he was able to sense a large yet increasingly-faint mass that was Ho-Oh, surrounded by the Genesect Army...

He looked over his shoulder and saw Ash, Yancy, and his Pokémon staring back at him, the former's eyes now wide open. They too were outlined in light-blue.

"Let's go, Nate," Ash said, nodding.

Nate nodded, took one last look at Lucario, who nodded approvingly as well, and then dashed up the stairs, feeling Ash, Yancy, and his Pokémon following him.

"We're coming for you, Ho-Oh," Nate thought. "Just hang in there for a little longer..."

Elsewhere...

"Come on, we've gotta find Nate!" Hilda exclaimed as she, Rosa, and Kelly led the group as they all rushed into Ketchum City, passing all of the destruction that laid waste to all of the buildings and stands. "Rosa, please tell me you can still sense Nate somewhere in the city..."

"He's still there somewhere..." Rosa said as she squinted her eyes, as if attempting to adjust her ability. "But...he's moving quickly..."

Gary stared towards the horizon intently. "He's heading for Ho-Oh..." he said conclusively.

Nate, Ash, Yancy, and Nate's Pokémon continued running down the walkway, with the former two sensing more Cryogonal closing in. However, Nate wasn't all that deterred by the presence of Crystallizing Pokémon; all he was focused on was Ho-Oh. Getting to him was his only priority-

"NATE!"

Nate suddenly opened his eyes, cutting off his connection with the Aura, and twirled around. To his horror, he saw Yancy sprawled on the walkway yards away, scarlet blood streaked across her elbow and leg, a tinge of blood pooling on her lip, her foot looking rather loose, and she was crying softly. He noticed a block of concrete that was sticking up on the walkway, inches away from Yancy's loose foot. Nate gasped as he felt the Cryogonal closing in. His Pokémon all sprung into action, firing numerous attacks in an attempt to ward off the Cryogonal, but they were all repelling the attacks with Light Screen.

"YANCY!" he screamed, just as the swarm of Crystallizing Pokémon indeed appeared.

Yancy looked over her legs, seeing the Cryogonal as well, and then looked at Nate. She shook her head, sensing what the Trainer was thinking.

"DON'T COME BACK FOR ME!" she screamed over the roars of the Cryogonal. "GET TO HO-OH!"

"YANCY-" Nate began, preparing to run towards her, but Ash abruptly grabbed his arm.

"NO, NATE!" he screamed. "IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT NOW! WE HAVE TO KEEP MOVING!"

"BUT-"

"NOW!"

"GO, NATE!" Nate glanced back at Yancy, who had an arm stretched out towards him. "GO!"

Nate could do nothing else but start sprinting away and look behind him, watching as the Cryogonal closed in on Yancy, despite the best efforts of his Pokémon to hold them back, and buried her underneath the gargantuan mass of the swarm. He closed his eyes the moment he saw that terrifying sight; he struggled to hold back the pain and anguish of potentially losing her. Then, Nate tried to refocus on Ho-Oh, but it didn't take long for his efforts came to naught.

What if... What if Yancy didn't make it?... If she didn't, then...it was all his fault... He let her come along...

"It's not your fault, Nate," Ash's voice said, a little distantly, even though he was still holding his arm, a foot away from him...

Nate only nodded subtly as he continued running with his father, allowing Ash to continue tracking down Ho-Oh.

After running for several more minutes on the walkway, Ash, Nate, and the Pokémon turned a corner and immediately spotted more Cryogonal headed towards them. Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder and promptly fired a Thunderbolt attack at the Cryogonal, driving the Crystallizing Pokémon back and allowing Ash and Nate to take cover behind a nearby wrecked food stand while Nate's Pokémon joined Pikachu in repelling the Cryogonal swarm in a battle.

"There is no other way to Ho-Oh," Ash commented, letting out a frustrated sigh. Then, he peeked through a hole that was left in the stand's frame so he could observe the Cryogonal. "This is the only walkway that leads over to him..." He glanced at Nate, who was still staring at the concrete absentmindedly. "N-Nate?"

"She's...She's gone..." the Trainer moaned.

Ash closed his eyes, knowing what Nate was feeling. Then, he replied, "She might be gone, Nate-"

"You saw what happened back there!" Nate cried.

"Nate, in all of my experience, I have learned that you cannot judge a book by its cover. Remember when I told Felix that I thought he was dead? I really did. I saw him fall off a cliff after being thrown backward from an explosion during a battle with Hilda and Hilbert. I seriously thought he was dead. That is, until I saw him attacking you and your friend with his Sky Soldiers. I've learned that when you're a Ketchum, surprises are around every corner when the moment is right."

Nate looked at Ash, his eyes shimmering. "But what if Yancy actually died, then?" he asked. "It's my fault if she did! I let her come with us! I didn't tell her to get to safety! I didn't protest when she went along with us! I just...I just LET her come with us! I didn't say a word-"

"If Yancy did die, then..." Ash hesitated. "Well...I honestly can't help you there, Nate. But I've had the same experience as you did, dozens, hundreds...millions of times before. I've seen too many people die because of me. You only saw one, but I probably sound insensitive at this point." He scoffed at himself and slightly shrugged. "I mean, I can only hope you cope with your experiences better than I did. But..." He smiled slightly. "-I have faith and confidence in that."

"But...Yancy-"

"I don't know how Yancy is so special to you, and we obviously don't have time to talk about what between you and her," interrupted Ash, "but one thing is for sure, Nate: she wouldn't want you to beat yourself because of her. She left the Sky Soldiers because she understood what you were standing for. She knew all of the risks that posed with trying to control the natural processes of life. She would want to continue moving forward with what we're doing."

Nate looked back down at the ground, sighing sadly. "I guess so..." He sighed again, more longingly this time. "I...I guess...I know...how you felt now..."

Ash's eyes widened. "Oh no, Nate! If you think what you are feeling right now is exactly how I felt, then you've obviously underestimated everything that's ever happened to me ten years ago! I've seen more than just one person I care about so much die in front of me, just because of whatever decisions I've made."

"Nevertheless...I know now..." The Trainer closed his eyes, small droplets of tears flying in the air. "I now know why you were what you were all of those years ago..." He opened his eyes again and looked back at Ash, tears still dripping down his cheeks. "I...I underestimated everything... I've relied too much on those old storybooks of mine..." A hollow echo of a laugh escaped Nate's mouth as he looked back down at the ground once again. "This is not a fairy-tale..."

"It's reality," completed Ash, looking down at the ground with an emotionless expression on his face.

"You cannot possibly believe everything around you has the makings of perfection, Ash Ketchum. It's reality, not a fairy-tale..."

Ash clenched his fist as he continued, "I learned that the hard way as well, Nate." He looked back at his son. "But just because this is reality does not mean we must lose faith in it. You've never lost faith in what you believed in, and that determination, so much like me, and yet in the face of reality, is what inspired me to come back, to return. And now, I'm gonna do exactly what you told me to do. Go with the flow. Never worry about what's ahead, or what's behind us.

"And this time, I'M NOT GONNA FAIL TO DO THAT!"

His outline now enveloped in light-blue, and his pupils glowing yellowish-gold, Ash stood up from the wreckage and began firing Aura Spheres at the Cryogonal, aiding Pikachu and Nate's Pokémon in driving the swarm back. Nate watched as the Crystallizing Pokémon all began to retreat.

"COME ON, IS THAT ALL YA GOT?!" Ash roared as he continued firing Aura Spheres.

A Shiny Cryogonal suddenly appeared from the gradually retreating swarm and began firing Ice Beams at Ash and the Pokémon. Nate gasped the moment one Ice Beam hit his Gigalith, despite its best efforts to dodge the attack; the Compressed Pokémon was encased in a thick sheet of ice within seconds.

"You will NOT interfere with our master's goal!" the Shiny Cryogonal shouted, using telepathy for communication.

Pignite attempting to use a Fire-type attack to melt the ice imprisoning Gigalith, but the Shiny Cryogonal quickly cut its attempt off with a powerful Blizzard that also overwhelmed Ash, Pikachu, and all of Nate's other Pokémon, with the sole exception of his Cryogonal, which responded with another Blizzard. However, its Blizzard proved to be no match for that fired from its Shiny counterpart, and Cryogonal was flown backward, being struck incessantly by patches of snow.

Least affected by the Blizzard, Pignite fired a Flamethrower at the Shiny Cryogonal, which it dodged, but in the process, it stopped its Blizzard.

"PIKACHU, USE THUNDERBOLT!" Ash commanded, pointing at the Shiny Cryogonal.

"PIKA-CHUUUUU!"

However, the Shiny Cryogonal used Light Screen, which deflected Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Nate's Cryogonal, recovering from the Blizzard, then fired an Ice Beam at its opponent. Immediately, the Shiny Cryogonal counteracted it with its own Ice Beam, which caused a small explosion of ice shards.

"Foolish weaklings!" the Shiny Cryogonal exclaimed before firing another Ice Beam at Nate's Cryogonal, hitting and briefly immobilizing it. "You will surrender the Pixie Plate to our master in due time! I recommend you do so immediately to spare yourselves of a painful downfall!"

"NEVER!" Ash shouted.

"PIKACHU!" added Pikachu aggressively.

"As you wish, fools," snarled the Shiny Cryogonal as it prepared to fire an Ice Beam.

An Aura Sphere suddenly appeared out of nowhere, hitting the Shiny Cryogonal and interrupting its attack.

"WHAT?!"

Ash, Pikachu, and the other Pokémon watched as Nate leaped into the air from the stand and fired three Aura Spheres in quick succession. The Shiny Cryogonal tried to dodge all of them, but wound up being hit and wounded by all three. Nate and the Shiny Cryogonal landed on the concrete walkway at the same time.

"I've had enough of your constant interference," Nate snarled angrily at the fallen Cryogonal. "We have a world to save, and if you continue to try and stop us, then everything you know will fall, and you shall die." He then looked up at the rooftops of the buildings surrounding the walkway, which were all filled up with multiple Cryogonal, all seemingly in shock at the downfall of their leader. "And that goes for ALL of you. Tell your selfish master that!"

The Shiny Cryogonal suddenly flew into the air and tried to freeze Nate with an Ice Beam, but the Trainer merely stretched out an arm, an Aura Sphere in place.

"Don't you dare," he continued. "I can hit you with Aura Spheres for all day if I have to, I know I can defeat you easily. But if you continue this, heed my words! Ho-Oh is dying, and because of your attempts to stop us, to serve your master, it WILL die, and the world WILL fall. Do you wish to come along with it?!"

"But...we must serve our master..." the Shiny Cryogonal replied, its Ice Beam disappearing. "He desires the Pixie Plate-"

"For what? To ensure that he has the upper hand against an emerging type that is stronger than it? Does he prefer THAT over the end of everything we know?" Nate's eyes narrowed menacingly. "How could you all live with yourselves, serving someone who has such terrible preferences?!"

"He is the strongest Dragon of them all..."

"There comes a time in your life, in ANYONE'S lives, that there will always be someone better than you, and you must deal with it. What else can you do?"

The Cryogonal all remained silent, especially the Shiny one.

Just then, before Nate could speak again, everything suddenly became colored a scarlet hue: a beam of white-hot flames was being fired into the sky. As it did, Nate suddenly felt a stab of pain at the back of his head, and in the background, he could hear a screech of pain and agony... He instantly knew...

"DAD!" he cried, looking at Ash.

"I felt it too, Nate!" Ash exclaimed. He then glared at the Shiny Cryogonal. "If you wanna experience the end of the world, then good for you! It shall happen in just a few minutes! But if not, then I recommend you all step aside and pray to Arceus that we succeed in stopping this impending calamity!"

The Cryogonal fearfully looked from the beam of flames to Nate. Before the Shiny Cryogonal could get a chance to speak, the same pained screech, no longer in Nate and Ash's heads, erupted into the atmosphere. It was so loud that Nate and Ash both screamed and covered their ears, the other Pokémon flinched, and any windows that remained intact shattered suddenly, spraying everyone with a gleaming rain of glass shards.

"ARGH, I CAN'T HEAR!" screamed Nate over the screech.

"SO LOUD!" Ash roared.

"WHAT IS THAT NOISE?!" screamed Hugh as he covered his ears, alongside his Pokémon and the Cryogonal he was battling.

Lucario roared, collapsed to the ground, and crouched over as he covered his ears. The Cryogonal were also flinching and collapsing to the ground.

Rosa, Hilda, Kelly, and the others were all yelling out in pain as the screech assaulted their eardrums.

Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem were all roaring out in pain as the screech reached their area.

All of the Pokémon belonging to Ash's community all wailed and cried out in pain as some flinched and collapsed. The only one who was unaffected by the loud screech was none other than Felix, who was cackling sadistically and triumphantly over the high volume.

"THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA IS FINALLY UPON US, AT LONG LAST!" he roared.

Temporary cell #002318
The holding cell of Wayne Ketchum
The Silver Town prison

Wayne could hear the screech from the confines of his prison cell. Sitting up on his bed, he glanced longingly out of the window.

"Looks like things are about to come into full circle..." he whispered. Then, he grinned slightly. "This should be very interesting..."

Ketchum City

The screech finally stopped, and Ash and Nate stood up, watching as the beam of flames slowly dissipated. Nate glanced at the Shiny Cryogonal.

"What do you say about THAT, huh?" he demanded. "Are you gonna let this happen? Are you still gonna follow your master like this?"

The Shiny Cryogonal's body seemed to bow in shame. "And to think," it replied, "our master had full confidence that this would be...inconsequential."

"Well, does it look inconsequential to you, Cryogonal?" Nate's eyes softened. "Let us go, please. Once we're done...we'll give the Pixie Plate to Kyurem."

Ash's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't expect Nate to make such an offer, especially since he still needed the Pixie Plate for protection from Arceus. However, knowing that they had to be quick if they were to reach Ho-Oh, he decided to play along with his son in order to allow themselves to progress. Sighing, he then nodded in agreement. The swarm of Cryogonal, including their leader, all hovered in the air, emotionless, but evidently considering the offer.

Finally, the Shiny Cryogonal hovered closer to Nate, its eyes flashing menacingly.

"You will live up to your word?" it asked.

"Without a doubt," Nate replied. Ash nodded subtly in agreement.

The Shiny Cryogonal glanced at its cohorts, then at Nate. It replied, "Go. Find him."

Chapter Text

The resting place of Ho-Oh
Ketchum City

The heat that encompassed the area was so dangerously high and at full force that numerous surrounding objects were melting, and yet, this did not seem to bother Nate and his Pokémon, or Ash and Pikachu, as they entered the building from which they sensed the fallen Ho-Oh. Panting, feeling the exhaustion from the long run finally catch up to him, Nate then approached a door, reaching forward to open it. However, it suddenly melted away, revealing a large room.

"Arceus..." moaned Nate the moment the sight unfolded before him.

Resting in the middle of the room was the body of Ho-Oh itself. Surrounding it were the bodies of the Genesect Army, all apparently unconscious from the large excess of heat. Large, white-hot drops of melted liquid were pouring down in all directions; the entire building was in danger of melting down and imploding at any minute. Nate and Ash prepared to run up to Ho-Oh when it suddenly let out a deafening screech that forcefully blew both of them backward.

"HO-OH!" Ash shouted. "HO-OH, IT'S US! ASH AND NATE KETCHUM! WE'RE HERE! JUST HANG ON-"

Suddenly, Ho-Oh's body fired off a large beam of flames that shot upward into the sky, blowing back the already-melted ceiling and spraying Nate and Ash with flecks of melted liquid. The surrounding heat intensified rapidly, and Nate felt himself sweat more profusely, although he knew that he should have been fried at this close proximity with such heat. The Trainer tried to stand up, only to slip on the wet floor. He noticed that his Pokémon were all having similar experiences.

"HO-OH!" he shouted. "Hang in there, alright?! We're coming!"

He stood up again and walked cautiously towards Ho-Oh's body, with Ash and the others following suit. The beam of flames was growing stronger.

"What do we do now, Dad?!" shouted Nate over the roar of the fire.

"Well, we don't have any Rainbow Wings on us..." Ash replied, his voice suddenly trailing off. His lips were pursed, and Nate instantly knew what he was going to say next. "It looks like we don't another chance. We..." He hesitated for a moment. "We have to use Aura to restore Ho-Oh."

Elsewhere in the city

Rosa immediately stopped in her tracks, as did Kelly, Hilda, and the others.

"What?" asked Gary. "What's happened?!"

"Is it Ash and Nate?" Dawn added.

Rosa looked at the others and replied apprehensively, "They've already reached Ho-Oh..."

Suddenly, everyone heard a loud, piercing screech of pain, followed by a second beam of flames being fired up into the sky. Everyone's eyes widened in fear as they collectively realized what was about to happen next. Rosa suddenly ran forward, continuing to instinctively follow the Aura signature she was sensing.

"We've gotta keep moving, everyone!" Gary shouted as he watched Rosa go. Everyone nodded in agreement and burst into a sprint after the Trainer.

The Hall of Origin
Arceus's Dimension

Arceus opened his eyes, the scarlet pupils glinting as he stared into the vast sea of stars, galaxies, and nebulae of his own making. He could sense everything that was transpiring in the real world. Ho-Oh's screech of pain was falling upon his ears from a long distance. The corner of his eye caught a streaking meteor.

"It's time," he thought as he lowered his head. "Everything shall be set right."

The resting place of Ho-Oh
Ketchum City

"U-U-Use Aura?" stuttered Nate. "But-"

"That'll kill either one of us, I know," completed Ash. "But you do not know how to do that, and even if I have the time to teach you, you still wouldn't do that. I understand you still have a long life ahead of you." His lips then curved into a small grin. "Which is why I'll do it myself."

Nate's eyes widened even more, and Pikachu even gasped (in its own language).

"PIKAPI!" squealed Pikachu, his amber eyes glimmering with tears. However, Ash merely looked at his longtime partner with a sad expression.

"Sorry, buddy," he replied, just seconds before he suddenly released a powerful shock-wave of Aura energy, which knocked Nate, Pikachu, and Nate's Pokémon backward. They all then watched as Ash began walking towards Ho-Oh, being struck by stray flames shooting off from the fiery beam, but not being injured.

"DAD!" Nate screamed. "DAD, NO! DON'T DO THIS!"

The Trainer immediately stood up, just as Ash quickly twirled around towards him and fired an Aura Sphere at him. Nate countered it with his own; the two Aura Spheres collided and exploded violently, creating a thick, billowing cloud of smoke. Nate flinched, allowing Ash to fire another Aura Sphere that hit him hard and incapacitated him. When the smoke cleared, Nate weakly looked up and saw Ash resuming his fatal quest. His visor was lying beside him.

"PIKA-CHUUUUU!" Pikachu screamed as he shot a Thunderbolt at his Trainer.

However, he merely stretched out his left arm and absorbed all of the electricity, still continuing to walk towards Ho-Oh's fallen frame. Clutching the spot where Ash's Aura Sphere hit him, feeling (and tasting) a trickle of blood dripping down his lip, Nate sat up, tears streaming down his face and mixing with the blood.

"Dad..." he moaned, "please... Don't do this to me... Please don't leave me..."

"I'm sorry, Nate," Ash replied, an emotionless mask on his face. "You've still got a lot of potential ahead of you in life. Me...I should've died a long time ago. And my actions for the past ten years need to be redeemed. I must close my end of the deal. ...Maybe this is what Arceus planned. For me to save the world again, instead of you taking over Sir Aaron's legacy. Maybe you're even exempt because of that." Then, he grinned again. "But...before I do this...I wanna tell you that I was glad to know I had a son." He glanced at Nate as he raised his right arm towards the beam of flames, an Aura Sphere forming at his palm. "You, Nate."

"BUT YOU JUST CAN'T LEAVE! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME LIKE...LIKE-"

"Here, son. Consider this an early birthday present."

"Like your other dad?" completed Ash, still smiling.

"What is it, Daddy?"

"Every time I seem to look up to someone as my dad," Nate cried, "they suddenly just leave me, just when I need them the most!"

"The visor I wore when I first became a Pokémon Trainer. One day, you will become a Trainer yourself. I want you to have this when that day comes upon you."

He instinctively glanced at his trademark visor, his eyes blurring with tears. "They just leave me..." he repeated.

"It's cool, Daddy! I LOVE it! Thank you so much!"

"And you don't want me, your real dad, to leave," Ash replied, "at the cost of the world? The world you've been fighting for so hard just minutes earlier? Is that what you're saying, Nate? You will refuse to let me sacrifice myself for the safety of this world, so then the past doesn't repeat itself?"

"You're welcome, son. Remember this, you will become the best Pokémon Trainer there ever was, and I will be so proud of you."

Nate sniffled and looked down, ashamed, knowing that Ash was right. "It's just...I don't know who else to look to...as a father..."

"Hey, maybe when I become a Pokémon Trainer, I can find you, and we can have a battle!"

Ash smiled. "There is one person you can look to. I believe he fits that candidacy well. And I believe you know who that is."

"Is that a challenge I hear?"

Nate looked up at Ash, confused.

"Yes, Daddy! I challenge you to a Pokémon battle when I become a Trainer!"

"I really am proud to have you as my son, Nate," Ash continued. "A surprise, really, but one that got me back on my feet." He looked at Ho-Oh's body. "Now, it's time for me to confront my problems head-on." The Aura Sphere on his hand began to enlarge itself and encompass Ho-Oh. "Just know that I'll always be there for you, Nate, even during your darkest moments, so then I can help you up just as you helped me up." A tear slid down his eye as he grin widened. "I'm sorry, Nate, but I have to go now. Take care of Pikachu for me, and be the best Trainer you can to all of your Pokémon."

"Dad..." Nate moaned, crying.

"Challenge accepted."

Ash's Aura Sphere completely engulfed Ho-Oh, and the surrounding building was starting to cool down, the drops of liquid slowing down.

A bright light was emerging as a result...

Hugh and his Pokémon looked up, spotting the light.

"The Aura..."

Lucario and the Cryogonal halted their battle the moment their environment was bathed in the light.

"...Is..."

Rosa and the others stopped running and flinched, their eyes being blinded by the strong light.

"...WITH ME!"

Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem all watched as the light grew stronger and stronger. Kyurem bowed his head in defeat, while Reshiram and Zekrom nodded.

All Nate, Pikachu, and Nate's Pokémon could see was complete white. The outlines of Ash, Ho-Oh, and the Genesect Army were all engulfed...

Though it was all too much white, Nate didn't feel blinded by the excess of bright color at all. It was merely as if everything in the world had been painted white instead. He glanced at his visor and noticed that it was the only thing his sights could still comprehend. He picked it up and held it against his chest.

"Well, Dad..." he whispered softly, tears sliding down his cheeks. "You left me again..."

Chapter Text

Unknown location

Ash jerked open his eyes and was greeted by a burst of white light. Flinching, he then allowed his eyesight to adjust to the light, and once it did, he found that he was lying on a vast marble floor. Quickly standing up, he immediately recognized his surroundings, unchanged since the last time he had been there.

He was standing in the middle of the Hall of Origin.

"Greetings, Ash Ketchum."

Ash clenched his teeth upon hearing that familiar voice, flowing not across the atmosphere, but within the confines of his mind. However, he immediately calmed down, knowing that such an encounter was inevitable. Turning around, he found himself facing Arceus, the Alpha Pokémon, the one who started all of it. He can feel his red eyes staring down at him with all of the intensity in the world, and yet, Ash no longer felt intimidated or overwhelmed.

Whatever had to happen will happen. He only hoped that he would put up one good last fight before going out.

"Hello, Arceus," Ash spat.

"Well, here we are, yet again. If I can recall, we were even standing in this same position ten years ago, during our little talk."

"I remember it well, Arceus. I didn't forget either."

Both were silent for a brief moment as they stared each other down, neither flinching even in the slightest degree. Finally, Ash spoke again.

"Well?"

"What do you mean, Ash Ketchum?"

"Aren't you going to punish me, Arceus?" No response. " I took the Pixie Plate from you. I insulted your very being. I committed the most atrocious acts against the Creator of this world, the Creator of everything we both know! I believe such actions are punishable with death in the eyes of the Alpha Pokémon-"

"No."

Ash stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening. He was never expecting this response, out of all of them.

"W-Wh-What?"

"I shall not punish you, Ash, not after all you have done to cause me malicious harm."

It was silent again. Then, Ash snarled, "What is this, some damn joke? Don't think you're gonna trick me, Arceus. I-"

"It is no joke, Ash. I am being sincere and truthful."

"So you mean to tell me that you never saw this latest attack on Ho-Oh coming? What, did you get humbled after I stole the Pixie Plate from you? Did you cast the All-Seeing Eye away from the world? I'm also betting you also decided to destroy Dialga and the Temporal Network as well."

"I detect sarcasm in your voice, Ash."

"DAMN RIGHT I AM BEING SARCASTIC, ARCEUS! I REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT PREDETERMINATION! NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY, YOU CANNOT STOP IT, THAT IT IS NEEDED TO BRING THE WORLD ALONG!" Then, Ash softened the tone of his voice. "I know you knew everything was gonna happen like this."

"You did, yet you still followed the script."

"Thanks to some good advice from a good friend." Ash smiled briefly, but frowned again. "But just because I decided to get back on track doesn't mean I am no longer upset. In fact, Nate's advice has only helped to soften my patience. Arceus, how could you just expect me to accept the fact that you knew everyone I've known and loved was going to die, yet you'd allow it all to happen? Professor Oak, Riley, my mother, the lives of many other people that died because I couldn't reach Ho-Oh any faster the first time..." His voice choked momentarily. "All this trauma I suffered, yet there were multiple ways to prevent it from happening, all of which involved you! But no, you just allow the Sky Soldiers to suddenly defeat you! Then you take a nap while I save the world, even at the cost of my life!"

"I knew it would be hard for you to accept at first. But with the help of your own son, you've come to realize that path to recovery."

"Even so, it doesn't help the heartache. I will no longer forget the lives that I couldn't be able to save."

"Every life has a beginning and an end. The lives of those who died ten years ago have reached their ends. It's the natural process of life."

"But...you know it's all going to happen. And you have the power to prevent it."

"We exist in a reality where imperfection is necessary for the building of character. If I were to intervene every time a man is about to die, then the human race would expect me to always do so every time a man is about to die. I could just give eternal life to the human race, but what good would come from it? Death is what allows humans like you and Nate to bring out the ultimate definition of your individual lives. For example, what did you do before your death, or even to cause it? Was it worth it? Were your actions justified? What does it say about you? What does it tell everyone else?"

Ash scoffed. "Yeah. I know. You told me that last time I was here."

"Then surely you saw the truth of my statement. You died a hero, which is what everyone saw you as. A hero. And now, you die a hero again, in the eyes of your son, at the very least. And even better, no lives were lost during this entire affair. Doesn't that comfort you?"

"Yancy lost her life-"

"Oh, dear Ash, she lives. Would like me to prove it to you?"

Ash merely watched as Arceus hovered aside, displaying a holographic screen depicting Cryogonal immediately withdrawing from the vicinity of Ho-Oh's raging, fiery, destructive anguish, revealing Yancy, who was curled up on the sidewalk, shaken but otherwise unharmed. His eyes widened upon seeing Yancy stand up in caution, looking around before bursting into a run towards Ho-Oh's direction. Ash looked at Arceus in complete disbelief.

"No one died..."

"Yes, Ash. No one died. You and Nate, you both have prevented a repeat of the disaster ten years ago, the one that has caused you so much pain for the past ten years. You've redeemed yourself of those grievous losses, that horrible trauma. And yet, you continue to lecture me about the necessity of premeditation. There are only two humans who are aware of its existence, and that is you and Nate. And one has already accepted it."

"But...But still-"

"Ash Ketchum, you must understand that everything happens for a reason. What do these latest events tell you about yourself?"

Ash's response was quicker than expected. "I already understand. I was a coward by hiding myself away from all of this." He looked up. "My real grievance now is why you continue to behave like this. You're infinitely aware of the past, present, and future, yet you show no personal feelings about it. Feelings that I felt."

"I do not understand."

"Wasn't there ever a time you didn't want something to happen to a human, yet it was, in your eyes, unavoidable due to predetermination?"

Arceus's response was quicker than expected. "Yes. Many times. Some lives intrigued me. Though their paths were already set in stone ever since their conceptions, their personalities, the probabilities of what might be or could've been, their own identities...they intrigued me so..."

"Then why don't you just allow free will to dictate our lives, and not predetermination, Arceus? Uncertainty is the only foolproof solution for us to live life as best as we possibly can, through the only methods we can possibly employ, ones we're so familiar with yet are never aware of. Why don't you, Arceus?"

"If I were to leave with humans the sole power to make their own choices in their lives, without any paths laid out in advance, then the probabilities would become infinite. Dialga's Temporal Network would go rampant with the multiple possibilities. And mind you, Ash, any sort of interference with the Temporal Network, be it major or minor, would completely implode it. Without the Temporal Network to support its very structure, then Palkia's Spatial Network would implode as well. The space-time continuum would turn chaotic. Existence as we know it would be jeopardized.

"As much as you don't like it, Ash Ketchum, premeditation  must be a requirement for the commencement of this Universe."

"You're the Creator, Arceus," protested Ash. "Just make sure the space-time continuum doesn't go haywire."

"I designed the Universe with a set of rules in mind, and the Universe has been imprinted with this criteria since its creation. Even the Universe can never escape the grasp of predetermination ...Even  I cannot exempt myself from premeditation, a concept I myself have created."

"Really? So...what's next for you in life?"

"What is the next chapter in the life of the Creator? Well, Ash Ketchum, since you have asked so kindly, I will enlighten you." The Alpha Pokémon was silent for a moment, which intrigued Ash; he wondered if Arceus was actually looking into his own future. "Well, I envision myself watching the Universe for many more generations to follow. Nothing occurs that would necessitate my intervention. In my eyes, the Universe is handling itself just fine."

"The Universe is handling itself just fine?" repeated Ash. "But...But what about the Ketchum legacy-"

"It ends with you, Ash."

"But-But how was I able to end it?!" he exclaimed. "I thought the Ketchum legacy was applicable for every direct descendant of Sir Aaron-"

"It was. It is true; the Ketchum legacy is passed down from the present generation to the next one. But..." Arceus's red eyes lit up rather strangely; Ash sensed some sort of vibrant emotion emanating from them. "You've always had a way with breaking tradition, Ash Ketchum."

"I-I don't understand-"

"When you design something and apply it with a set of rules, a criteria, that it must always follow without a single thought, you would find yourself very surprised the moment your creation acts in ways you never anticipated. A free will trumping its destined path."

Ash's eyes widened. "Do you mean to tell me that I somehow broke the rules of my premeditation? That I disrupted the Ketchum legacy?"

"Yes. See, when you first died, and I encountered you here ten years ago, you acted in a way that I anticipated. I even prepared my signature move Judgment, as anticipated. What I  never anticipated was your ability to steal the Pixie Plate from me and flee this place."

"So...I already went against my rules of premeditation..." Ash's eyes widened. "But shouldn't the space-time continuum have already imploded by now?"

"Yes, which is what surprised me. However, I believe this isn't the first time you've defied my own laws. I hope you remember Michina Town."

Ash immediately remembered what Arceus was talking about. "Yes, yes I do. What did I do during that time? Was it Dialga's own time-travel that did it?"

"Oh no, the entire scenario was laid out ever since a long time ago. What I did not count on, however, was the friendship I struck with you. You had no regard for your own life, especially while you were rescuing the life of another soul. That attribute greatly intrigued me. And when I was about to die, you just refused to accept the reality of the situation. While I was expecting this reaction, I still found myself impressed by you."

At this point, Ash's jaw was wide open as Arceus rotated around, staring at a distant sun as it shined upon the Hall.

"...You see, Ash, I was never capable of feeling any sort of emotion outside of my loyalty to maintain existence itself. Initially, I was never bothered by that...until I met you. Then, I began to wonder. Was that the happiness my creations feel every day? To personally witness happiness enacted in all of its glory was a marvelous sight for me. I wondered if I, the Creator, could feel something like that. ...I presume you find it silly."

"Silly?" Ash asked. "What're you talking about, Arceus?"

"Imagine me being happy. Is it an amusing sight?"

Ash began to project the image in his mind. However, he couldn't find himself envisioning a happy Arceus. For all of those years he had ever known him, he had never imagined the Alpha Pokémon to be the happy, pleased type. In his eyes, Arceus was always the serious, wise, no-nonsense Creator who was committed to ensuring the maintenance of the Universe that he created in the beginnings of time. No, he could never imagine Arceus being happy.

"I can't even make out the picture in my head, Arceus." Sensing what Arceus was arguing, he added, "But that does not mean you can't try, Arceus. Look at us! We're here, in the wake of predetermination being defied, not once, but twice, and nothing has happened to us during the past decade! Happiness is possible for you, Arceus! You just have to believe in uncertainty, and it will lead you to paths unimaginable, paths that'll lead you anywhere!"

"It cannot be done, Ash. It-"

"Oh, come on, Arceus! You know it is possible predetermination can be defied without consequences! Why can't you try and find happiness?"

"I am the Creator, the Alpha Pokémon, Ash. I cannot just leave my post-"

"Then hire someone else to do it," interrupted Ash tersely. He knew that there was no way now that he would let Arceus behave like this. "Hire Dialga or Palkia or Giratina or any of the lake spirits! They're your Children, Arceus; they should know how to oversee an entire Universe as it progresses!"

"They have their own duties to attend to. They cannot leave and take over my position. It will upset the social order of the Legendary Council."

"So you're willing to throw away your chance of feeling an emotion you have always been interested in, in exchange for maintaining the natural order, even if it has already been defied, yet without any consequences to account for?! Arceus, you REALLY need to get your priorities rearranged!"

"They cannot be."

"Then I'm not seeing the damn point of this discussion, Arceus. Why the hell are we here? Why did you bring me here, huh? First, you were trying to give me an excuse predetermination, but then, you admitted that it can be defied without consequences! But THEN, you refuse to follow your own path!" Ash stomped his foot furiously. "WHY'D YOU BRING ME HERE, ARCEUS, HUH?! WHY ARE YOU WASTING MY TIME WITH THIS NONSENSE?!"

"Because my original intent was to apologize."

Ash was left briefly thunderstruck. "What?" he asked.

"I wished to apologize to you, Ash," Arceus replied. "My friendship with you has made me realize that your predestined path has caused you so much pain and misery. As the Alpha Pokémon, I could do nothing to avert it despite my knowledge of it all. But...as your friend, the best I could do for you was to apologize. It is evident that my duties as the Alpha Pokémon are more important than even our friendship."

Ash looked away, upset. "Yeah. You could've just told me that last time I was here."

"I hoped during that time you'd understand perfectly-"

"Like hell I would've!"

Arceus continued, "-but obviously, you were the creation that gained an independent mindset. It was foolish of me to think I had it under control. No, this entire scenario was slipping out of my control as it all progressed further and further into something unforeseen...something very chaotic, very dangerous...and yet, something very beautiful. The only thing that set it back on its intended path was your own son. And now that we're back here, I have come to realize my shortcomings regarding the whole situation. And for that, I sincerely apologize, Ash Ketchum. It comes from my heart."

"Arceus..." Ash blinked and pursed his lips before continuing. "Is that all?"

"And I plan on sending you back to your life. ...Without me watching you."

Again, Ash was shocked, albeit also excited. "WHAT?!" he exclaimed, a bit too loudly; his voice echoed across the Hall.

"You have proven to me that free will can successfully dictate a person's life, without any consequences. I cannot accept it, nor can I allow the entire world to be dictated by it. I just cannot begin to imagine what actions my precious creations, the inhabitants of this entire Universe, would commit as soon as they are given the opportunity to lead their lives however they wish, with disregard for their true potential."

"I can lead them!" the man shouted, his voice shaking with excitement. "I can put them back on the safer path if necessary-"

"You, a simple human, leading the rest of your species, who have all been held to honor and treasure their own rights and freedoms, without worries or limitations?" Arceus shook his head. "They'll despise you for that. Ash, you should be honored to be blessed with this gift of a third chance, one that lacks any expectations from the great above. You should also be honored that this also applies to your son and future generations of the Ketchums."

Ash looked up, staring longingly at the stars, nebulae, and galaxies that were hanging up above him, like some sort of ceiling art. Then, he looked at Arceus.

"But everyone else has unavoidable fates... I will be surrounded by those who will never know what lies ahead of them... Death, misery, pain..."

He looked down at the ground sadly.

"How the hell can I expect myself to live with all of that? How can I?"

"I see you have forgotten your son's great advice. Uncertainty. The one emotion that is most important to living a life without worries. It is actually much more important than Nate ever realized. It was the very thing I implemented into the concept of predetermination. Uncertainty breeds hope, one of a better tomorrow. And since you shall return to the world lacking all of the circumstances of predetermination, I urge you, Ash Ketchum, to properly spend your third chance, by helping those who have lost faith in themselves and their lives. Teach me the good of life.

"It could be perceived as pointless, considering predetermination, but knowing you, Ash, you would never leave a person to wallow in complete self-loathing and misery for any longer. To do so would mean to commit suicide." Arceus's red eyes glinted. "So, Ash Ketchum, shall you take this offer of a third chance at life, one more proper than your second one? Shall you live the remaining years of your life to the fullest by doing what you do best?"

Ash looked at Arceus longingly, and Arceus looked back. Finally, Ash replied, "But...what about you? You'll continue to support predetermination despite knowing fully well that free will can be just as beneficial of a method for someone to live his or her life, if not even more beneficial?"

"I must continue to uphold the rules I myself have established. Do not argue anymore, Ash. It is useless to sway me off my path."

"But you yourself admitted you didn't like predetermination!"

"That I have implied. But I cannot. I am deeply sorry, Ash."

"But-"

"Sometimes, Ash, you just cannot save everyone. Not from peril, nor their own ideals. Sometimes, all we have to do is just let go."

Ash blinked, then sighed in defeat. He knew that if he continued arguing like this, Arceus might deny his third, more proper chance at life.

"Yeah," he replied bitterly. "Just let go."

"I understand that it is grievously difficult for you, and considering that you have spent the last decade wallowing in your misery over the deaths of your loved ones, it wouldn't surprise me if I were to observe you still learning to overcome your inner conflicts. But that's a way of life, as tragic as it may be. And besides, you have your son to aid you in the recovery process now. His ideals are unbreakable, just like yours. He is his father's son."

Arceus then looked up, and Ash could feel a light erupt from behind him. He knew what was happening.

"Time for you to go, Ash Ketchum," confirmed Arceus. "I am glad we had this proper discussion."

"As did I," Ash replied. Then, he added, "I'm sorry, Arceus, for your own conflict. ...What about the Pixie Plate?"

"Well, I can just teleport it back to me."

Before Ash could respond to the comment, there was a burst of bright light that engulfed him...

Chapter Text

The resting place of Ho-Oh
Ketchum City

An earsplitting screech...

A great rush of wind...

The fading presence of a massive being...

Those were the things Nate sensed as he continued to hold his beloved visor against his chest. He could hear Pikachu crawling towards him, breathing softly as he did so. However, Nate wasn't concerned anymore. All he could think about was Ash...his father...the person he needed the most in his life now...

And he was gone.

Soon, an eerie, deathly silence fell upon the entire building. Nate could no longer sense the Aura of either Ho-Oh or the Genesect Army anymore. He knew that had to have flown off once the Rainbow Pokémon was restored back to full health through Ash's Aura transfer. Indeed, the ten-year-old Trainer opened his eyes and saw that the entire building was completely deserted...and surprisingly back in its original state. There was no signs of damage anywhere.

"I guess...this means...it's over now..." he thought. "...Right?..."

"Pika-pika?..."

Nate looked at Pikachu, who was at full attention. The Mouse Pokémon looked around, as if hoping to find his Trainer, his beloved friend...

"I'm sorry, Pikachu..." he said softly.

"Pikachu..." replied Pikachu solemnly, his ears drooping. He knew better than to expect the utterly impossible.

Nate's expression softened at Pikachu's reaction, and he stood up. Gazing upon the place where Ho-Oh once rested due to its critical injuries, he sighed heavily. There was no way this was happening to him, yet he knew he should've expected it. But the losses of both Ash and Yancy, they were weighing heavily on his heart...

"They're gone," he said to himself, trying his best to sound calm and collected. "They are gone, and they can't come back. There's nothing you can do about it. All you have to do now is just move on, right?" His eyes began to water with tears. "Just...Just move on... You can even learn from all of this, isn't that right, Nate? From this experience, you can be stronger." He clenched his trembling fists. "You can be stronger. You can be... You can be...be..." His head was swimming. "Dad... Yancy..."

Images of Ash and Yancy flashed across his mind. People he only knew for a short time, yet people with whom he felt a strong bond with... Gone...

"Arceus..." Nate continued, his voice wavering. "Why?..."

Pikachu's eyes softened as he looked up at his Pikapi's son. There was no denying the grief and anger that was threatening to explode out of Nate with full ferocity. All six of Nate's Pokémon could sense their Trainer's emotional turmoil as well, and not wanting to accidentally incur his wrath, they stepped away from him.

"Why, Arceus? Why?"

Then, before Nate could start shouting out to the heavens in complete outrage and distress...

"Whoa there, kid," a voice piped. "Go any further and you're gonna blow up like a Voltorb!"

Nate's eyes widened, and he twirled around. Standing there, at the doorway, was none other than...

"Dad?" he asked incredulously.

Ash smiled at his son. "In the flesh," he replied.

At first, Nate wanted to deny what he was seeing. He initially thought Arceus had chosen to mock him by presenting him an illusion of his father. However...

"PIKAPI!"

Pikachu dashed towards Ash as fast as he possibly could, while Nate's Pokémon all smiled and roared out in approval. As soon as Ash chuckled and caught Pikachu in his arms, embracing the Mouse Pokémon tightly, Nate knew that it was not an illusion that was before him. It was actually Ash Ketchum, the Hero of the Skies.

His father...

"DAD!" Nate shouted, tears of joy cascading his cheeks as he burst into a full sprint. Before Ash knew it, he was embraced by the novice Trainer, who began sobbing into his shirt. "DAD, OH MY ARCEUS, DAD! YOU'RE ALIVE! You're alive! I-I can't believe it, you're-You're actually alive..."

"Yes, I'm alive, Nate," replied Ash, his tone indicating that he himself couldn't believe it. "I'm actually alive... And I'm here..."

Nate then broke the hug and looked up at Ash with a curious expression.

"But...But how?..." he asked.

"How, you ask?..." Ash crossed his arms as a soft but slightly smug smile appeared on his face. "Well, let's just say I had a little talk with Arceus. Fortunately for us, it went much better unlike last time, and he allowed me to have a third chance at life." His smile widened. "Without having to worry about the Ketchum legacy."

"Without having to worry about the Ketchum legacy?" Nate repeated, confused. "What...What do you mean?..."

"Apparently, my defiance ended it. It all stopped the moment we saved Ho-Oh." His eyes softened. "It's actually over now..." He sighed heavily. "I've been so used to saving the world many, many times, and now, I really don't have to anymore...and neither do you..." He chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Man, it feels weird, it actually does... I mean, I now have the opportunity to lead a normal life, just like I've always envisioned... I don't know where to start..."

However, Nate smiled. "Remember, Dad."

Ash immediately caught on and returned the smile with one of his own. "Yes, that's right. Uncertainty..."

"And besides," Nate continued, "just because we now have the ability to pursue a normal life does not mean we must turn a blind eye whenever someone needs help, or if the world is in danger. We can always rise up to the occasion and do what's right when no one else can. After all, one person can make a difference in the world."

The raven-haired man scoffed. "Where the hell did you learn that?"

"One of my storybooks about you."

Ash stifled a giggle. "They're making storybooks about me for children? Is that what I'm hearing?!"

Nate chuckled. "You also have your own action figure line."

"Okay, now that's just totally RIDICULOUS!"

The two began laughing and were joined by Pikachu and Nate's Pokémon. As the group celebrated Ash's return to the world of the living, another voice spoke up.

"I see everything's back to the way they're supposed to be!"

Nate looked across his shoulder and smiled. "HUGH! You-You made it through!"

"Well, of course!" The Qwilfish-haired Trainer gave his best friend a thumbs-up. "There's no way I'm gonna go down easily, especially to a horde of nasty Cryogonal!" He then surveyed the entire building, noticing a distinct lack of Legendary Pokémon. "So...is it really over? Is Ho-Oh alright?"

"Yeah, he's alright," Ash replied. "All is well with the Universe now."

"Oh, that's great!" Hugh let out a large sigh of relief. "I just realized I had nothing to eat for breakfast..."

"Master!"

Everyone watched as Lucario dashed onto the fray as well. His eyes widened upon spotting Ash, alive and well, and with Pikachu perched on his shoulder.

"Master, you survived!" the Aura Pokémon exclaimed in relief. Then, his eyes narrowed slightly. "But...how? I felt your Aura signature fade for a moment-"

"Let's just say Arceus decided to forgive and forget," explained Ash. Then, his eyes narrowed. "And how many times do I have to tell you? Don't call me 'Master'."

However, his tone wasn't serious, and the former Trainer was still smiling happily. With that sign, everyone burst out laughing again. Then, Ash looked back at Nate.

"By the way, Nate," he said, "Yancy survived. She's alive."

The Trainer's eyes widened in disbelief. "She is?"

"Yes, she is, she truly is. Arceus verified it for me." His tone became serious as he stared deeply into Nate's eyes. "You don't have to follow my example and wallow in grief anymore, Nate. Everyone you know and love is all fine and accounted for." He smiled. "In fact, I can sense Yancy coming our way."

Indeed, a voice called out, "NATE!"

The ten-year-old boy smiled in relief as he watched the familiar girl dash into the building. A wide, joyful smile adorned her face.

"YANCY!" Nate cried. "Yancy, you're okay!"

"NATE!" shouted Yancy happily. "Nate, I'm so glad to see you alive! You have no idea- OOF!"

She was cut off the moment Nate abruptly kissed her straight on the lips before he could even restrain himself. At first, neither of them knew how to exactly react to that unexpected action. However, after several seconds of this awkward position passed, the two surrendered to the confirmation of their love and deepened the kiss. Ash, Pikachu, Lucario, and Nate's Pokémon all smiled in approval and chose to remain silent for the two lovers' sake.

As for Hugh, he merely smirked teasingly. After a couple of minutes, he cleared his throat, forcing Nate and Yancy to break their kiss and stand at full attention, their faces colored in a bright shade of crimson as they realized they were being watched during the entire duration of the kiss.

"I never knew we had a Romeo and Juliet situation on our hands," the blue-haired Trainer said teasingly while Ash and Pikachu stifled their laughter.

Nate and Yancy's blushes only intensified.

"Well, who would've thunk it?" Ash piped, joining in on the teasing. "I guess I can be expecting grandchildren soon, huh Pikachu?"

"Pika-pika!" replied Pikachu, nodding in approval.

"D-D-Dad!" Nate shouted, his face as red as a Tamato Berry at that point. "W-We're ten years old! H-How could you be s-saying that-?"

"Actually, I'm eleven years old..." corrected Yancy nervously.

"Whatever, we're still too young to think about- WHAT?! You're a year older than me?!"

Hugh only burst out into laughter. "Wow, Nate!" he shouted. "You sure have quite the taste in girls, I'll tell ya!"

"Indeed," Lucario added. "I do sense within the boy a strong desire to mate with the girl."

Nate began stuttering incoherently, looking as if he was about to explode from all the embarrassment. Yancy was also blushing intensely too from the awkwardness of the situation, seeking shelter behind her new love interest. Finally, Nate mustered enough energy to fire back with a retort.

"S-SH-SHUT UP!" He turned towards Ash. "D-DAD, T-TELL HIM TO CUT IT OUT!"

"Hey, now," Ash replied teasingly, "I've only been your father for about eighteen hours. I don't think I'm used to these responsibilities yet. You're on your own!"

Hugh and Nate's Pokémon all began laughing even louder, causing Nate and Yancy to look away from everyone in embarrassment. Just then, as everyone was happily celebrating the triumphant occasion, Lucario gasped softly and closed its eyes. It raised its ears as they trembled, detecting incoming Aura signatures.

Ash was quick to notice this. "Lucario?" he asked, forcing everyone else to become silent. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sensing Aura signatures moving in fast on our position..." the Aura Pokémon replied seriously.

"What?!" exclaimed Nate in shock.

"Is it the Cryogonal?..." asked Hugh.

"No. They're different signatures. One of them is leading the way, and it's much stronger than the rest. They're..." He opened his eyes and looked at Ash with an expression that was all his Master needed to know who it actually was. "It is your friends, Master. All of them. They're about to converge."

"Pika pika-chu chu-pi pika-pi pika chu!" Pikachu said, looking at his Pikapi.

However, Ash frowned and replied, "No. I will not reveal myself to them."

"What?!" Nate cried. "Why not, Dad?! It is all over now! Your quarrel with Arceus is finally done! Ho-Oh is fully healed, and the Sky Soldiers and their accomplices are done for! There's no more reason for you to keep on hiding!" He stepped forward. "I think it's time for you to reveal yourself to the people who missed you so much!"

"I'm sorry, Nate," replied Ash in a grave tone. "Just because I've managed to overcome these obstacles that have plagued my life for so long, doesn't mean I can just reintegrate myself back into my old life. No matter how much my friends miss me, it won't feel the same once I reenter myself in the circle..." His eyes softened, and he looked away. "Every time I will look at any one of my friends, I will just see the scars of the past, the horrors that cannot be fixed. And as much as I wanna fix the error of my ways and confront my last, darkest fear, I don't think I have the courage to do that. Which is why..." He hesitated for a moment. "I must leave..."

"NO!" Nate roared. "You can't leave now, Dad! I know you're still traumatized by what happened to you ten years ago, but all of the people you lost will not want you to continue feeling this way! They wouldn't want you to continue wallowing in fear and grief! Remember what you said to me, when I thought Yancy was dead!"

"I do remember what I said to you. But...I do remember the horrors of what I saw, and they have made much more of a lasting impression than you do..." He glared back at Nate with a soft, almost pitiful smile. "I'm sorry, Nate, but I don't have the courage to just look at my friends in the eye without remembering everything they went through with me... They may forgive me for being gone all of this time, for making them witness the horrors I have witnessed, for changing their lives forever... Maybe, just maybe, I have forgiven myself for that too... But what I won't forgive...and forget...is all of the sacrifices I made to save the world, no matter if it was all just for the greater good. Looking at the people who survived the onslaught will remind me about those sacrifices, all of those deaths... It's too much to bear.

"And I don't expect this to change anytime soon. I'm sorry, Nate, but that's just how it is."

Realizing Ash made up his mind about the subject, Nate tried his best to force a smile.

"So..." he said, "I guess...this means...you're leaving?..."

"I guess so." Ash's smile widened slightly. "But don't worry. This doesn't mean this will be our final moment together. I will definitely see you in the future."

Nate struggled to hold back his tears. He couldn't believe this was happening already, and just after they triumphed over evil and were celebrating joyously over it.

"How-" He choked back his tears. "How soon can you make that meeting?"

"I'm not sure. But when I decide to meet up with you again, believe me-" He tapped his temple. "-you'll know, son."

"Because we're Ketchums."

Ash's last sentence reverberated around Nate's mind, and the novice Trainer smiled slightly at the remark. For once, he was smiling at being called Nate Ketchum and not Nate Brown. It was a name, a symbol he was proud of accepting now, and there was no one and nothing that could convince him otherwise.

"Master, we should probably make our leave," Lucario announced. "The signatures are only a mile away, but closing in fast."

"Alright," replied Ash, nodding. Then, he looked at all of Nate's Pokémon. "Nate's taken good care of all of you, hasn't he?"

All six Pokémon roared and nodded in agreement, causing Nate to swell up slightly with pride. He looked at Pignite in particular, and it snorted back at him happily.

"Good. I want you all to continue protecting my son. Take good care of him as he has taken good care of you."

The Pokémon nodded again, while Pignite snorted flames into the air in emphasis of their commitment. Ash smiled and looked at Hugh.

"You too," he continued. "Make sure he doesn't stray onto the path I was once on, no matter what the cost will be. I'm counting on you."

"Yes, Ash Ketchum, sir!" shouted Hugh, basking with happiness at being entrusted with such a task by his childhood idol. "I won't let you down on that, I swear!"

Ash nodded and then turned his back on everyone, preparing to walk away with Lucario when...

"Wait, Dad!" Nate cried. "What should I tell the others?! They're gonna ask what happened, and they won't believe that I survived transferring my Aura to Ho-Oh!"

Though he couldn't see his father's face, Nate could sense his smile.

"Tell them the truth, of course," he replied. "Just because I'm not gonna be there when they arrive doesn't mean they don't have a right to know the real story."

"Okay..."

"Good." Ash hesitated for a moment. "Well...I guess this is...goodbye. For now."

"Pika pika!" added Pikachu, smiling slightly at the novice Trainer.

"Ye-Yeah." Nate smiled slightly at his father. He could still feel the weight bringing his heart down, but he didn't want to express it for Ash's sake. "Go-Goodbye...Dad. And...And thank you, for sticking with me through this whole thing, to the very end. You have no idea how much that really meant to me."

"No problem, kid. Just remember, you're the best Pokémon Trainer there ever was, and...and I'm so proud of you."

Nate's lip trembled as his smile widened. "Thanks, Dad."

The black-haired man nodded subtly before facing Lucario. The two nodded at each other and prepared to jump away when...

"Wait a minute, Dad!"

Ash rolled his eyes jokingly. "What, Nate? I've got things to do, places to go!"

"I just..." Nate stopped briefly, a smile of newfound happiness and resolution forming on his face. "I just wanted to ask you a favor."

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, intrigued.

"Well, by all means then," replied Ash, "fire away. Make it quick, though."

The brown-haired boy raised his arm in the air and clenched his fingers, forming a tight fist. The unwavering determination shone radiantly through his eyes.

"When we meet again, I want to have a battle with you! A proper one this time!"

Ash blinked, shocked that his son made such an offer. However, the old competitive spark shone again within him as he returned Nate's bold smile with his own.

"Is that a challenge I hear?" he asked.

"Yes, Dad!" Nate proclaimed. "I challenge you to a Pokémon battle when we meet again!"

Ash's smile widened at the sound of his son's voice, his teeth bared. Nate recognized the youthful energy in his father's eyes almost instantly. It was the same energy that was present in each and every of the videos he watched, all of his father's previous battles and exploits in Pokémon Leagues.

"Challenge accepted."

"NATE!"

Nate, Hugh, Yancy, and all six of Nate's Pokémon twirled around. The first thing they saw was Rosa running towards them at high speeds, her pigtails fluttering wildly with the wind, tears of relief falling from her blue eyes. Before Nate knew it, he was nearly knocked down onto the ground by Rosa, who embraced him in the tightest hug he ever experienced. He was completely dumbfounded by the impossible scenario that was unfolding before him: Rosa was actually sobbing, sobbing over him!

"R-Ro-Rosa?!" exclaimed Nate in surprise, while Hugh's eyes widened in shock and Yancy gagged in horror.

"I was so worried about you!" Rosa replied between sobs and sniffles. "You-You-You were- I mean, I thought you-you were gonna...gonna..."

Nate understood immediately. "Hey now, you don't have to cry over me, Rosa. I'm fine! I'm back in one piece, and that's all that matters, isn't that right?"

"But...But you were SO close to dying..."

"But I'm not dead."

"HOW COULD YOU TAKE ALL OF THAT SO POSITIVELY?!"

"Because I had all the help I needed." He glanced at Hugh, Yancy, and his Pokémon. "Right here."

"You got that right, man!" Hugh replied, giving his friend another thumbs-up.

"Oh." Rosa finally stopped crying, and she broke the hug, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm...I'm so relieved..."

Then, Nate smirked. "Were you actually crying over me?"

Rosa looked away, blushing in embarrassment. "No," she replied.

His smirk widened. "Rose?..."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"

Nate, Hugh, and the former's Pokémon merely burst out into loud laughter, while Yancy cowered behind Nate fearfully, obviously not used to Rosa's furious outbursts. As for Rosa, her face was completely scarlet, and her entire body was trembling severely. Before she could lash out again, more voices called out to the Trainers.

"NATE! NATE, THANK ARCEUS!"

The brown-haired boy gasped in relief. "Mom! Cheren! Hilda! You're all okay!"

Kelly, Cheren, Hilda, and all of the others dashed over towards the group, with Kelly colliding into Nate and giving him his second tight hug of the day.

"Ack! Mom! Mom!" he groaned. "Can't...Can't breathe..."

"Oh, sorry!" cried Kelly, releasing her adopted son immediately. "It's just...you have no idea how glad I am to see you alive." She hugged him again. "Thank Arceus!"

This time, Nate returned the hug. "I'm glad to see you too, Mom. I...I love you."

Kelly's eyes widened in shock. After everything she had been through, she didn't really expect Nate to be so willing to call her his mother, even if he did several times before. She must've been too used to the reality of their heritage by now. However, she knew that fact was a thing of the past, something that was to never be looked at as truth ever again. No, just because Nate wasn't her own flesh and blood, it didn't mean she no longer had a right to be his loving parent.

So, she tightened the hug slightly and responded, "I love you too."

Everyone else watched as the mother and son hugged for a few more minutes. Finally, Kelly broke the hug and scanned the rest of the group.

"Does...Does this mean it's...it's over?" she asked.

"Well I guess it appears so..." replied Lyra, surveying her surroundings. "Kyurem has been subdued, his Cryogonal minions have all stood down, Ho-Oh is rejuvenated and off to Arceus knows where..." Then, she looked at Nate curiously. "Wait a minute... Nate, how did you manage to restore Ho-Oh back to full health?"

"I didn't," the Trainer replied.

"What?!" everyone exclaimed at once.

"So you didn't use your Aura?" asked Max.

"Did you have a Rainbow Wing with you, then?" Misty questioned.

"No and no." Nate shook his head, a smile forming on his face. "I didn't contribute much to saving Ho-Oh."

"Then...Then how...?" Gary began.

"How was Ho-Oh revived then?" asked Hilda incredulously. "There's no way it could've restored itself!"

"Hold on..." Rosa said, attracting everyone's attention. "I detected someone else with Ash! Someone with a strong presence! But I couldn't figure out who it was..."

Everyone looked back at Nate in shock.

"What happened, Nate?!" Cheren said. "Who was with you?! It couldn't have been Hugh or that girl over there! They don't have the ability to use Aura! Tell us!"

Instead, Nate looked at Hugh, Yancy, and his Pokémon. They all smiled at him, and he smiled back, something that everyone else noticed.

"Why're you all smiling?" Dawn asked.

Nate looked back at the others and simply replied, "Well...let's just say the true hero has returned."

Chapter Text

"Welcome to another Johto TV newscast, fellow citizens of Johto! Back to our main story.

"One month after the disaster at Ketchum City, during the Ketchum Month Tournament of all things, the city still only has a fraction of its area fully repaired and cleared of the ice that encases it. At this point, it's becoming clear that the Ketchum Month Tournament will not be able to commence. Despite Mayor Zander Harrington's remarks of optimism, rumors of the tournament's cancellation are abound among the general public. Many tourists have already left Silver Town in anticipation. And Mayor Harrington has never seen lower approval ratings. Something tells me someone will be resigning soon.

"The last of the trials for all members of the new Sky Soldier group that carried out the failed attack on Ho-Oh are expected to conclude by the following week. A vast majority of the members all pleaded guilty to the charges against them. This included the group's leader Felix Ketchum, the adopted son of Wayne Ketchum, leader of the original Sky Soldiers, thought to have been deceased for ten years following his participation in the climactic battle at Mt. Silver. Felix was the first to receive his sentence, which was life imprisonment in a secluded prison, much like his father. Authorities have assured the public that there are no additional Sky Soldiers out there, and that the world is safe from harm.

"And finally, there is still no official word on how Ho-Oh was able to recover from the grievous injuries it suffered during the attack on it at the stadium. Even investigators are baffled by the sudden but miraculous turn of events. Some have said the Rainbow Pokémon received some sort of assistance from the Legendary Pokémon Reshiram, Zekrom, and/or Kyurem, who were all seen at the city during the events. Others claimed a person knowledgeable in Ho-Oh's legend and in possession of a Rainbow Wing used said Rainbow Wing to heal it. And even more others claim there may have been an Aura Guardian like Ash Ketchum was in the vicinity and decided to do the noble thing. However, as I said before, the true story has not been told, which makes all of those theories nothing more than what they already are. Theories.

"In fact, we may never know what truly happened when the world nearly ended a month ago. However, this reporter likes to think that somehow, a hero rose from our ranks and saved the day. Just like Ash Ketchum did. And I think that he would've been proud of that person, whoever he or she is."

Olivine City
The Johto region
A month after the return of Ash Ketchum
(Third-Person POV)

Ash cracked a small smile as he, Pikachu, and Lucario watched the TV set at the corner of the ceiling of the café they were sitting in. Ash had finally abandoned his shabby, aged clothing and was now wearing more modest clothes, consisting of a dark-blue short-sleeved shirt, a buttoned black leather vest, dark-blue pants, dark-blue boots, and a large dark-blue hat, which covered his face well enough so other people wouldn't recognize him. In fact, a waitress approached his table to give him his tray of food; she gave him a flirtatious wink that went unnoticed.

"So," he said, "they never told the public that I'm still alive." He chuckled briefly before leaning against his seat. "That's good."

"How so, Master?" asked Lucario.

For once, Ash didn't flinch at being called by that title. "I think my continued existence has been known to enough people. And it seems like my friends understand that I need the space. And my son as well."

"Pikapi," Pikachu piped, "pika-pika, pikachu?"

"Do I miss them?" Ash shrugged. "Of course not. After distancing myself from society for ten years, barring myself from any human contact, I've learned how to get by life without missing my friends." He then looked down at his empty teacup with a solemn expression. "But I do miss him."

"Nate?" Lucario asked.

"Yes. The fact that I have a son...really surprised me. I guess that one night with Hilda bore unexpected fruit." He looked back up at Lucario. "Predetermination sure has a funny way of making things happen. If Hilda hadn't met me, she wouldn't have met N. If she hadn't met N, she wouldn't have befriended him. If she hadn't done that, she wouldn't have grieved over his death. If she hadn't grieved, I wouldn't have...heh. Well, you know the rest."

"Pika-pika, pika-pikachu chu-pi pika-chu pika," said Pikachu.

"Yeah, and Nate wouldn't have helped me save the world. Again. I guess that's one good thing about predetermination." Ash sighed. "Anyway, yeah. I miss him."

"You would've been an excellent father, Master," replied Lucario.

"You're telling me that, after I gave my son a real beating during our first official meeting? After I tried to shoot down his childhood aspirations?"

"But your heart is still in the right place. Had the circumstances been different, you would've raised your son to be a fine man, and a finer person."

"Heh. But I don't know the first thing about parenting. First off, I was always so caught up in becoming a Pokémon Master that I never considered my future after that. I especially never thought about becoming a father, especially since I grew up without a father to call my own." Ash looked out of the café window. "Secondly, I spent these last ten years in unbearable pain and agony, emotions that cannot be easily overcome. I wouldn't have done much good in raising him now." His eyes narrowed slightly. "It was a good thing I decided to leave him."

"But you will see him again, right Master?"

"Heh, Of course. There's no way I'm gonna miss out on Nate's growth and maturation, now that I know of his connection to me." He chuckled. "I'd particularly like to know if he'll be a better father than I ever would be." The raven-haired man sighed heavily. "But for now, it's time for me to start moving."

"Pika-pika?" Pikachu asked.

"I don't know, buddy. Anywhere. Everywhere if I have to. There's no doubt the world has changed in the past decade. Who knows? Maybe I might find happiness and closure in this new world that we are in."

"But one cannot begin a journey without making a first step." Lucario leaned forward on the table. "So...have you decided our first step, Master?"

"Well..." Ash placed his chin on his palm. "We're all no longer under Arceus's watch. There's no need to hide anymore. No need for planning every step we take, weigh every chance that is before us. We're free to do whatever we wish." His gaze became more intense. "So...to be honest, Lucario...you don't have to stay with me anymore. You're strong and fully evolved; you can survive without me-"

"No, Master," interrupted Lucario. "I will stay by your side till the very end. You rescued me during a time of great need, and I have yet to repay you."

"You already repaid me, Lucario, by being my companion, and my friend."

"That alone does not satisfy me, Master. I will continue to follow you wherever you go, even to the very end of the world if I must." He bowed his head loyally. "So please, describe your next course of action, and I shall follow you without any hesitation."

Ash blinked in surprise at the Aura Pokémon's reaction. Then, a smile formed upon his lips as he realized that Lucario was set on this goal and there was nothing he could do to persuade him otherwise. With a heavy exhale, he glanced back at the TV set, watching as the anchorman switched to a different story.

"And you're not going alone," a new voice piped.

"That voice..." Ash thought.

Surprised by this new and unexpected arrival, he looked up to identify the person who approached him. His eyes widened in shock.

"Dawn?"

"Pikaka?" added an equally shocked Pikachu.

The blue-haired woman's smile widened, her eyes glittering with intense emotion. She clasped her hands over her heart.

"Did you really think that after realizing you were alive, I wouldn't try to go out and find you?" she asked.

Ash blinked in shock, then he sighed heavily and looked away. "You shouldn't be here, Dawn," he moaned.

Her lips pursed. "I do, Ash. No matter what your excuse is, I had every right to move heaven and Earth to find you and reunite with you, after so long." Her eyes then softened. "You're alive, Ash. You've been alive for ten years, and you didn't even bother to contact us, any of us, not even once. We're your friends, Ash! Always have and always will be! Did you not trust us?!"

Ash gave her a bitter glare. "Is that what you think happened?!" he snapped, startling not only Dawn, but everyone else in the café. "Is that why you're telling me off right now?! You thought it was about trust?! Didn't Nate tell you the whole story?!"

"No!"

The raven-haired man was briefly silent. "Well, I guess he withheld details out of respect for my need of privacy. He definitely is my son." He exhaled sharply. "It wasn't about trust, Dawn. I trust you guys, and I always will. It's just..." He looked away from her, the brim of his hat bringing his eyes into shadow. "It's just that I couldn't bear to look at you guys in the eye anymore. Not without remembering what happened so long ago..."

"Ash..." She looked at Lucario, a bit intimidated by his presence. "Is...Is it okay if I, uh, sit down?"

"If it's alright with my Master," Lucario replied courteously. He looked at Ash. "Master? What say you?"

"Does it look like I have a choice?" asked Ash sarcastically.

Dawn pursed her lips again, but moved to sit down. Lucario scooted closer to Ash, so the Aura Pokémon was now sitting between his master and the young blue-haired Coordinator. Pikachu also hopped off Ash's shoulder and sat next to Lucario, watching apprehensively.

"So," Ash began, looking straight into Dawn's eyes, "how's your mom?"

Dawn blinked in puzzlement at the sudden change in topic, then replied, "She's...She's well. She's living peacefully back in Twinleaf Town. She's got Glameow and Umbreon keeping her company."

"When's the last time you talked to her?"

She blinked again. "Why does it matter to you?"

"Just answer the question."

"Ash-"

Ash's tone was more serious. "Answer the damn question."

"Three months. Ash, what-"

"Was that meeting in person, or by the phone?"

"By the phone, Ash. I don't see your point-"

"So, judging from your answers, you haven't moved on either."

"Moved on from what, Ash?"

"Oh, I believe you know the answer to that, Dawn."

The woman stood up from her chair abruptly and slammed her palms on the table, startling the employees and other patrons.

"My father has nothing to do with this!" she shouted.

Ash's eyes widened in complete surprise. "Your father? Or do you mean Saturn?"

"Ash-" began Dawn hesitantly.

"The guy who believed that destroying the Universe and creating a new one in its place would rectify all the flaws of the world?" There was a venomous look in Ash's auburn eyes. "Are you actually telling me that you've accepted him as your father, Dawn?"

Realizing what she just revealed to him, Dawn sat back down and replied softly, "Yes."

The man chuckled and shook his head. "I don't believe this!"

"You don't understand, Ash. He started sending me letters out of the blue, a few years ago. He kept begging me to visit him in prison, just once. At first, I refused, but after a while, I realized that I had to confront this last, biggest demon in my life. So, I went there and saw him. He said he didn't expect me to forgive him for what he did, but that he wanted to get a second chance."

"Isn't that the same thing?" Ash asked.

"A second chance at life," elaborated Dawn. "One in prison, but a second chance, nonetheless. He wanted me to know that he was highly considering it."

"And what did you think about that?"

"There wasn't much to think about. I told him there was no need to worry, and I left. I haven't heard from him since. But that encounter motivated me to move on with my life as well. I don't talk to my mom often because, well, I didn't tell her I was gonna visit my dad. When she finally found out, it left a sour aftertaste in our relationship."

"Damn, quoting Cilan now, are we?"

"It doesn't matter, Ash. What I'm trying to say is that there is a chance for you to move on as well."

"I am aware of that! Why do you think I've been moving around for this past month?!"

"Without bothering to tell us in person that you're alive, without using your son?"

Ash looked away. "Baby steps are always the hardest." He closed his auburn eyes. "And I think it's going to take a long time before I start walking on my own. Dawn, saving the world is one thing. But seeing the people you care about the most die in front of you in the process...that's another." He opened his eyes and looked back at her. "You know, when I was lying low, for the past decade, I wondered if I really did save the world."

"But you did, Ash."

"But when you save the world...when you become a hero, there's this connotation that you save everyone and everything with it. ...Dawn, I didn't save everyone and everything. I lost people I cared about. Lots of Pokémon died. This time...I couldn't save everyone and everything."

"But you saved everyone and everything this time, Ash. No one died in last month's disaster."

"But that hasn't brought Professor Oak, Riley, and my mother back from the dead, has it? That hasn't brought back anyone from the first disaster, huh?"

"I guess not..."

Silence fell upon the table for minutes, though it seemed like an eternity to Ash and Dawn. Finally, Ash took the steaming cup of coffee that was sitting on his tray and took a sip out of it. He then placed the cup back down, a disgusted look on his face.

"Damn," he muttered. "Is this what adults like to drink? It tastes freaking awful. No wonder it gets them up in the morning like the snap of a finger."

"I recommend tea," replied Dawn softly. "It's much sweeter. It should suit you better."

"Naturally. ...Heh. After all this time, you still remember how much I liked sweets."

"Of course I remember every single thing about you, Ash. You're the one who helped me through a period of growth. You're my friend."

Ash arched an eyebrow. "Probably even more than that?"

Dawn blushed and looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about, Ash..."

"Come on, Dawn, I'm no longer oblivious to those kinds of things. I pieced it together a while back. You definitely had a thing for me...and judging by that look on your face, you still have it." He chuckled. "I betcha this wasn't the kind of romantic confession scene you were expecting."

Dawn's blush intensified. "So what if I am?" she asked, trying her hardest to sound stubborn, but she was failing at it.

"Well, you have grown into a fine young woman." Ash promptly scanned her entire form from head to toe with a smirk that would've repulsed any other woman, but Dawn kept her cool. "If the circumstances were different, I certainly would have fallen head over heels for you."

"So does this mean you haven't fallen for me?..."

Ash's expression softened. "To be honest, I don't know. I obviously didn't have much time to think about romance, now did I?"

"But now...are you?..."

Silence fell upon their table. Pikachu and Lucario shifted awkwardly in their positions. Ash's eyes bored holes into Dawn's, and Dawn's eyes bored holes into Ash's. They could feel some sort of spark between them, small but possibly essential for something greater. As they continued to focus on each other, the world all around them began to fade away to them. Nothing seemed important to them in that moment; not Pikachu, not Lucario, not the café, not even the tray of food sitting before Ash.

It was just them.

Then...

"Even if I am," Ash replied, "I can't focus on that. I have more...important matters to attend to. Such as moving on. I may have saved the world this time, but that alone isn't what I need to forget everything that happened during the first disaster. It's just unfeasible for me. And if I just...love someone, right here, right now, then I'll only see the pain and suffering I experienced so long ago. That just can't happen, Dawn. Not now. I'm sorry."

"Oh." Dawn looked down at the table. "Then...when do you think will be a good time...for you to finally move on? To finally love someone without seeing pain and suffering?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll just know when it happens."

"Even if it takes forever?"

"Even if it takes forever."

Dawn's blue eyes began to shimmer with tears, but she refused to let Ash see them. She just couldn't.

Ash continued, "I know you're crying, Dawn. It's not like I don't like you or anything. I think you're beautiful. But I also think you deserve better-"

He was interrupted by Dawn, who glared back up at him with angry, but also determined eyes.

"You are all I deserve, Ash!" she cried. "There is no one else I can love but you! You were always there to help me whenever I had problems with Contests. You were always so brave and inspiring, someone I could look up to. You were always...you. And-And I know it's gonna be hard for you to move on, to-to find peace and then settle down to live a normal life, but I don't care! I will keep loving you! I will keep striving for my next goal, and that is to win your heart! And I will follow you wherever you go, even to the very end of the world if I must, whether you like it or not! Because who knows? Maybe I can help you find the happiness and closure you've wanted! Maybe...I'm the key to your happiness and closure!"

"I don't think it's that simple, Dawn..." replied Ash softly.

"Well, I don't care! I love you, Ash Ketchum! I always have and I always will! And I want you to know that!"

Realizing she had spoken too loud, the blue-haired Coordinator looked around, expecting everyone to be looking at her with puzzled looks, and maybe even being shocked of hearing Ash's name. However, she noticed that everyone was still engaged in their private conversations and eating the food and drinks they ordered, as if it was another ordinary day in the café.

"I could tell you were going to scream," piped Ash. "So I set up a small force-field of Aura around our table. To the people on the outside, we're just another happy couple eating the food we ordered."

"Oh, yeah. ...I almost forgot you knew how to use Aura, Ash."

"Yeah, thanks to Riley, Arceus rest his soul."

Silence fell upon their table yet again before it was finally broken by Ash.

"So...you really do love me."

"Yes," replied Dawn affirmatively.

"And you really want to accompany me on my journey."

"Yes."

"To find happiness and closure, no matter how hard it may be."

"Yes."

"Even if it takes me to the very end of the world."

"If that's what it takes."

"...Even if it takes forever?"

"Even if it takes forever."

Ash blinked in surprise. "Well...I guess that means I won't be able to talk you out of it."

"Damn right you won't." Dawn's lips curled into a small smile. "Does this mean you'll allow me to come along with you?"

"No."

Dawn's eyes widened in surprise. This wasn't the answer she was expecting!

"But-But you just said-" she began.

"You're gonna have to be at the top of your game if you wanna catch up with me."

And with that, Ash smiled that smile. Dawn knew it all too well. It was the same smile he used to give everyone, a smile that radiated confidence, inspiration, and youth in their purest forms. The same smile that brightened everyone's day and told them that everything was going to be alright. When she put more thought into it, Dawn realized the smile matched the one Nate gave her and the others when they reunited with him, in the minutes following Ho-Oh's brush with death.

"Wow...I guess he really is Nate's father," she thought. Then, the Coordinator gave him her trademark smile and asked, "Oh, is that a challenge I'm hearing, Ash?"

"Oh, you're damn right it is, Dawn," replied Ash confidently. "It's a challenge."

"Well then, consider this challenge accepted, Ash Ketchum."

The two chuckled, while Pikachu and Lucario smiled happily, relieved that the meeting didn't end in some sort of misfortune. Then, Ash snapped his fingers, and Dawn felt some subtle, otherworldly force subside. The raven-haired man then raised his hand, beckoning the waitress over to their table.

"What may I get for you, sir?" she asked. Dawn noticed a twinkle in her eye, and she instantly felt a pang of jealousy.

"Yeah," Ash replied. "Uh, can you get some tea for the both of us?"

The waitress then looked at Dawn, and the twinkle quickly faded from her eyes. Within Dawn, the feeling of jealousy was replaced by one of pride and joy.

"Yes, yes, of course..." the woman said glumly as she turned around, leaving Ash, Dawn, Pikachu, and Lucario alone.

"Master," Lucario piped, "it seems you have hurt the woman's feelings. I could sense the amorous emotions she harbored towards you."

"Relax, Lucario," replied Ash calmly. "She'll find someone else. There's billions of men out there; it honestly can't be the end of the world for her right now."

"If you insist..."

"But I guess when you find your soulmate," interjected Dawn, "you'll know."

"If you insist, Dawn. If you insist..." Then, Ash chuckled. "I guess she didn't ask what kind of tea we wanted."

"Well then, I guess it'll be a surprise for the both of us. After all, like a certain someone said, uncertainty is the essential key to life, and we must remember that."

"Lemme guess. Nate said that."

"No, actually. It was you."

Ash's eyes widened in surprise. "Me?"

"Yeah! You said it to Hilda, Hilbert, Iris, and Cilan moments before you were attacked by the original Sky Soldiers. Hilda told me the story behind that quote weeks after we thought you died at Mt. Silver." Dawn blinked. "Don't tell me you forgot about saying that quote!"

Ash blinked.

"As a matter of fact...I did..."

Then, he started laughing, causing Dawn to smile widely and dreamily.

"Maybe it'll be hard, Ash," she thought. "Maybe. But right now, I think you're getting the hang of it just fine."

It took several minutes until the waitress returned, carrying a tray holding two cups of steaming green tea. Ash and Dawn spent the next half-hour enjoying the beverage, along with the food Ash bought. Pikachu and Lucario also ate the Pokémon food that came as a side-dish. Dawn then went on to buy some food for herself, which was shared to everyone else. However, despite the joyous nature of the lunch, it was spent wholly in silence.

Finally, Ash was the one to break said silence, right after he took another sip of his green tea.

"This tea tastes damn good. Adults should use this more often than coffee."

"I told you, Ash," Dawn replied, smiling cheekily. "You've always been the biggest fan of sweets."

"True, true."

The quartet resumed eating their food, again in silence. After several more minutes, Lucario spoke up suddenly, a question filling his mind.

"So, Master,  where shall we go first? Remember that it matters not which location you select for your liking. I will be behind you every step of the way."

"So will I!" exclaimed Dawn.

"Pika, pikachu!" chirped Pikachu.

Ash scanned his friends, who were all staring back at him with expectant looks. Then, he leaned back on his seat, pondering about his...their next step. He knew there were no other places in Johto he wanted to stop at; he, Pikachu, and Lucario spent the preceding month exploring every corner of that region. Kanto was next off his list, since there were a lot of memories waiting there, memories he wasn't ready to revisit just yet. The same went for Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova. At first, he strongly considered the Orange Islands, but then, he remembered his experiences with the Trial of the Soul so many years ago, and he didn't want to be reminded of that ever again. That left the only other option: traveling to another foreign region, one he had never visited before.

The question, though, was what new region were they going to visit first? He didn't exactly have the time to look up regions he had never heard of before, with Pokémon he thought never existed.

By chance, he glanced back towards the TV set attached to the corner of the ceiling. It was displaying a news report unrelated to the Ketchum City incident, which appeared to be about a faraway region he hadn't heard of before, beyond the lands of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova, coincidentally enough. As the report informed him more and more about this region, Ash's lips curled into a satisfied smile.

"So, Ash?" Dawn asked. "Where are we going?"

"Hmmm... Kalos looks like a nice place to start."

"Alright. So, Kalos it is! I'll look up flights or ships heading from Johto to Kalos right now."

Ash nodded in agreement, then took another sip of his green tea, all the while watching as Dawn took out her Pokétch and began typing on it, humming an unknown but merry tune to herself as she did so. Once he lowered his cup, he sighed in complete contentment.

"Huh. Maybe it was a good idea, deciding to bring Dawn along after all..."

Aspertia City
The Unova region
Almost one year ago
(Third-Person POV)

A flock of Swanna squawked joyously as they flew across the sky, passing over the streets and rooftops of Aspertia City. A young girl walking down the sidewalks with her mother laughed happily and pointed at the Flying-type Pokémon as they passed by them, while a bicyclist looked up and smiled in awe at the sight.

Nate, however, wasn't focused on the sight, which was a common occurrence in Aspertia. He was only focused on the path ahead, and what was waiting for him at the end of it. That was why he was running as fast as his two legs could carry him down the path, with Hugh by his side, both boys panting from the adrenaline and overjoyed from complete and uninhibited excitement. But then again, who wouldn't be excited from getting their first-ever Pokémon, after all?

"Okay!" Hugh shouted. "Let's go and get your Pokémon!"

Nate nodded and continued running with Hugh up the approaching staircase. In a matter of mere seconds, both boys reached the local lookout point viewing the nearby lake. Standing at the far-end corner was a young woman with blonde hair, who was facing away from them and staring upon the crystal-blue lake, almost longingly. She was wearing a green beret with a white bow, a white long-sleeved shirt, a black undershirt, an orange jacket, green pants, and orange shoes.

Nate decided to speak up, asking, "Are you Bianca?"

The woman turned around, revealing a pair of emerald-green eyes hidden behind red, half-moon-shaped glasses. The eyes seemed to brighten up when she saw Nate.

"Ah, yes I am!" she replied in a cheerful voice. "It's so nice to meet you!"

"Likewise," Hugh said. "Professor Juniper's letter said we'd be meeting you."

"Of course!" Bianca ran up to both boys while they stepped forward. "She and Cheren have both spoken very highly of you two! Especially you, Nate!" She looked at Nate, a twinkle present in her eye. "I can't wait to see what challenges lie ahead of you, and how you'll be able to overcome them as Pokémon Trainers!"

"Yeah, me neither," replied Nate, chuckling and rubbing the back of his head nervously.

Bianca giggled, then showed Nate and Hugh a pipe-shaped device. "TA-DA! The Pokémon that will be your partner is right in here!"

She pressed a green button on one end of the device, prompting a portion of said device to open up. White smoke immediately spewed out with a soft hiss, and once it cleared, Nate and Hugh were staring at a trio of shiny new Poké Balls.

"Whoa!" Nate exclaimed, his eyes wide in awe. "So these Poké Balls contain the starter Pokémon!"

"You got that right, Nate!" replied Bianca. "But I warn you, you'd better choose wisely! Because the one you pick will be your very first Pokémon, the one you have to be the most responsible for! Whether or not they get the starter Pokémon they want, rookie Trainers are always faced with the scary prospect of perfecting their training skills with that very Pokémon. There's a difference between training your starter Pokémon and any other Pokémon you capture down the road."

"Yes, I know. Cheren has always told me that."

"And know that Cheren's always right!" Then, Bianca smiled cheekily. "But no pressure!"

"Alright then, Nate," Hugh said. "You wanna pick your starter Pokémon first, or should I?"

"I thought we already decided that with a coin toss?" Nate asked, crossing his arms. "And I got heads?"

Hugh raised his hands jokingly. "Okay, okay. You're the boss, boss-man."

Nate rolled his eyes in response, then he redirected his gaze back to the three Poké Balls.

He never had a pre-planned choice for a starter Pokémon. All three of them sounded so appealing to him. Snivy, the Grass Snake Pokémon, which could move much faster if exposed to sunlight, and also photosynthesize by exposing their tails to sunlight. Tepig, the Fire Pig Pokémon, which could blow fire out of its nostrils and had an affinity for roasting and eating berries. And Oshawott, the Sea Otter Pokémon, which could use the scalchop on its stomach as a blade for battling and also prying open hard shells. Nate couldn't pinpoint which one of them was more awesome over the others. And to make things worse for him, none of the Poké Balls were marked, so as a result, he would be picking his starter Pokémon at random.

Upon making that realization, Nate became worried. What if he was unable to bond with the starter Pokémon he picked? What if training it was more difficult than he ever anticipated? What if he was a failure as a Pokémon Trainer? What if...?

"Yo, dude!" Hugh shouted, interrupting Nate's thoughts. "Quit staring and start picking! We haven't got all day, ya know!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" replied Nate. "I'm just...just..."

"Having a hard time deciding?" Bianca completed. Her smile widened. "It's okay, Nate. Just pick out one from the three randomly!"

"But-But what if-?"

"You don't have to worry about anything, Nate. If what Cheren and Professor Juniper said about you is true, then you'll be a great Pokémon Trainer, no matter what difficulties lie ahead of you! Just make your pick, and everything else should be laid out for you from here on out!"

"Alright..." Nate replied hesitantly. He looked down at the Poké Balls, which were all glinting in the sunlight. They were all beckoning him to reach out and take one as his own, but if only he knew which option would be the best for his career as a Trainer. After all, he wanted to be the best like no one ever was, like Ash Ketchum...

He held out his hand, directing it towards the Poké Balls.

"Here goes nothing!"