Nuzlocke End and Start

Lilith wasn’t sorry she was retiring. She really wasn’t.

She’d miss the travelling but she wouldn’t miss losing friend after friend during the journey and after three league victories, she had earned herself a name and a reputation, one that had attracted the attention of Professor Cedric Juniper, who had asked her to move to the recently built town of Nuvema in Unova to help him raise the Pokémon for those who wanted to start their own Pokémon journeys.

His call had come in at the perfect moment too. She hadn’t long defeated Cynthia, earning herself the money that would allow her to set up her own Day Care Centre. Land in Unova was cheap and with her winnings from the three leagues she’d defeated, Kanto, Johto and Sinnoh, she could afford at least a couple of acres and still afford to set herself up comfortably.

She liked this plan.

Mostly because she could keep her Pokémon, as long as they stayed within her boundaries, she could do something she was good at, raising Pokémon, and she didn’t have to run the risk everyday of losing her best friends.

She wondered when she’d become so lonely that her Pokémon, especially her very first Pokémon, her Charizard, Firestorm, had become closer to her than her own family had become, she knew that it had been long before Kanto’s Elite had fallen before the power of Firestorm and Permafrost, but she didn’t know when.

It didn’t matter now. She had her victories, though they were pyrrhic at best, with each league costing her more and more of her friends and she had her surviving friends, Firestorm, her very first Pokémon among them, she had her money, money she hadn’t had when her mother had kicked her out of the door at age ten with no warning, and she had a future ahead of her that didn’t involve pitting her creatures against another Trainer’s for what some would call ‘sport’.

Alright she was raising other people’s for the same reason, but the league was changing, shifting. Already Pokémon Training was more popular than it had been  when she’d left home originally and been forced down the path of a Pokémon Trainer, which was the way that more Trainers than they’d like to admit had started their journey.

Oh she’d have to have her team checked all over again, but she was certain that with a Professor speeding the process along it wouldn’t be too long before she and her squad could settle down in their new home...

LINE_RECOGNITION_HAS_GONE_AGAIN

It was perfect.

Her ranch, Green Ranch, was perfect. From its three acres of land, some of which was wooded to its white walled, thatched roof cottage it was perfect.

It was exactly how she had dreamed it would be and her Pokémon loved it, from her lake, to her forests, to her meadows upon meadows.

It was perfect...

It had cost a pretty penny too, but she had been able to afford it and get herself started up, though part of her funds for food were coming from the wages that she was earning breeding Pokémon for the Professor. Tepig, Snivy and Oshawatt, fire, grass and water, not so very different from Kanto and yet unlike Kanto in every way.

She was safe here. Safe from Team Rocket, safe from prats like Dean and Sam, safe from ever having to save the world again.

Her life was hers again. To do with what she pleased. She was one of those rare ones, the ones who didn’t fail their journey, who did something spectacular and then settled down and went into something else entirely, fully paid for by their years on the Pokémon Circuit.

And what was better was that she didn’t have to speak to her mother again if she didn’t want to and she really really didn’t want to. Nor did she want to speak to Professor Oak, who had both assisted in her expulsion from her home and outed her when she’d been hiding from Team Rocket in Johto.

Moving to Unova meant she’d never have to do either of these things again if she didn’t want to.

She was safe, she was free, she was home.

Home. It was a wonderful word. A little pre-emptive considering that there was a little work that needed to be done on the cottage before it was really ready to be inhabited, but it was hers and hers alone and while she was waiting for her home to be finished, Professor Juniper had allowed her to move into the room his daughter used when she was home from University.

Just one more year and there would be two professors in the Juniper family...

By the time Aurea came home for the holidays Lilith would be out of her room and into the ranch.

Just a couple more weeks...

LINE_RECOGNITION_HAS_GONE_AGAIN

It had been years since she’d moved to Unova and this was either going to prove the best mistake or the worst mistake of her life, but she’d fallen head over heels for a Trainer who had been staying in her spare room and studying under Professor Aurea Juniper.

Cedric had left Nuvema over a year ago, and had tried to convince her to come with him, certain that a Trainer as skilled as she would love a chance to see new places and new Pokémon, and she had almost gone. Left the Day Care in the care of Professor Iris and just left.

Now she was glad she hadn’t... or rather she had been until the test results had shown themselves. Now she didn’t know what she thought or felt...

Not that she wasn’t used to having little ones running around, but those were Pokémon. She knew how to deal with Pokémon. She knew what they needed in their food, how to handle them, how to teach them...

A human baby was a completely different matter.

She had no idea how she was going to run the centre when she got too heavy to work. Technically it was already dangerous for her to push herself too hard and her morning schedule was being completely ruined by the sickness that struck with frustrating regularity...

It was more terrifying than going up against the Elite Four. That she knew how to do...

He’d promised. Promised that he would stay by her side and help her...

She would need the help...

LINE_RECOGNITION_HAS_GONE_AGAIN

She’d thought her life was perfect before, back when she’d been thirteen years old.

Now, at eighteen she knew what perfection was. It was a beautiful blue eyed baby girl with thick dark  hair already coming through.

Her little girl, her precious baby, her darling Mara-Rei...

They didn’t need the brute that had left town three months ago with no warning and left her in the lurch. With Professor Juniper’s help they would be fine.

She hoped...

LINE_RECOGNITION_HAS_GONE_AGAIN

She had hoped it wouldn’t come to this but Mara’s tenth birthday had arrived all too quickly and unlike her mother, she wanted to leave home and train Pokémon.

Her little girl wanted to go out and travel and see the world, just as her mother had at her age. Mara hadn’t seen the hardships of Pokémon training, only heard the stories of her Tri-Champion mother’s victories from fans and passing Trainers and seen child after child leave town with a Pokémon raised on her mother’s ranch.

They’d fought over this many times. Lilith didn’t want her daughter leaving home so early. She had been lucky. Her journey, while it hadn’t been easy, had been better than most. Hundreds of Trainers left home a year but only one or two ever made it all the way to the Elite Four and there was almost never anyone who defeated the Champion to win it all.

Mara didn’t see why, if her mother had left home at ten years old, she couldn’t do the same.

Eventually they’d come to a compromise.

Mara had to finish school but in exchange Lilith would provide her daughter and her two friends with Pokémon without squabbling the day after her daughter’s final exam.   

Considering Cheren and Bianca, it wasn’t the safest deal Lilith had ever made, but it could have been much much worse and it meant that Mara wouldn’t leave home until she was sixteen, which would be both an advantage and a disadvantage.

Lilith felt safer knowing that while her daughter may have resented the fact that her mother had prevented her leaving so young, her daughter had a couple more years in which to learn how to cook things that weren’t freeze dried and would be old enough to look after herself.

Hopefully by then she would have the common sense not to get involved in troubles like the ones her mother had gotten into when she was young...

LINE_RECOGNITION_HAS_GONE_AGAIN

Back When I Was Writing a Kingdom Hearts Self Insert...

Sam looked from the scene in front of her to her sketchbook and back, drawing was harder then creating the scenes on her computer. She changed pencil, from her graphite one to a red pencil that she used to pick out the colours of the bush just to the left of her.

It was a year and a half since she’d gotten back from her adventures with the Keybladers, when they’d locked the Keyhole of the Elements, the last door to Kingdom Hearts, the Heart of all worlds. She’d come to univeristy to take Computer Games Art and Design, was in her first year, and seemed to have made a group of friends that while she didn’t trust them enough to tell them about her Keyblade adventures, she felt she could trust them with everything else.

Someone screamed but Sam ignored it, people at university seemed to scream for no reason a lot.

Then she jumped a mile as a Shadow, the lowest of the Heartless, leapt at her.

Calling her Keyblade without thinking about the effects, she defeated the Shadows who were attacking her class.

“Run!” She snarled as a new batch appeared, this time with Neoshodows too.

Her classmates didn’t need any more promting, as the Teacher directed them to return to the classroom, “Samantha?” He asked.

“GO!” She snarled as she counter attacked, cutting through the ranks.

The Teacher ran.

“Hey!” She snapped at some Heartless who were chasing her friends as she raced back to the classroom, “Pick on someone your own level.”

The Heartless turned and attacked.

“BURN!” She snarled.

The Heartless left.

Sam considered not going back to class.

The first time she’d had Heartless trouble for weeks and it just had to be when there were people around… shit.

She went, the Teacher would have come looking for her if she hadn’t.

Sending her Keyblade back to ‘hammer space’, she pushed the classroom door open.

Someone cheered quietly but everyone was watching her like she was an alien.

“Samantha?” The Teacher asked, “Are those things gone?”

Sam nodded, looking at the floor.

“What was that weapon you used?” The Teacher asked.

“My Keyblade.”

“And what were those things?”

“Heartless.”

“Sam?” Drake asked, walking over, “You can’t really have a Keyblade, that’s from a game.”

“Can you deny those were Shadows? Like the ones a year and a half ago?”

Drake opened his mouth, then frowned and gave her a strange look, “But…”

Sam sighed and called the Rising Phoenix to her, making people jump back, “I’m not going to hurt anyone, this is the Rising Phoenix, the Keyblade of Fire.”

“You’re Sora?” Haili asked.

Sam snorted, “No but I know him, do you remember that game that came out, the unexpected Kingdom Hearts 3 that came out before the sequal we were expecting?”

“The one where there were Elemental Keybladers and…” Drake looked at her, “One of the characters looked like you.”

“Exactly.”

“Then the games are real?”

Sam nodded, “I am Chosen of Fire.”

Questions exploded from all angles at once.

Sam looked at the floor, this wasn’t good.

She looked over to her friends.

They were avoiding her gaze.

“One at a time,” The teacher snapped, “Sam, I assume that you want this to be kept quiet.”

“Please, this can’t get out.” Sam looked despirate, she knew she did.

“Everyone?”

There was mass disappointment but everyone promised.

However from there Sam’s life went downhill as the Heartless started coming more and more often.

Isla Del Leyendas: Part 22

Delia Ketchum had her back turned to the TV when the coverage of the legendary battle came on. “We have reporters on the ground and in the air, as the legendary Pokemon that have gathered at Isla De Leyendas have started to batt… we’re going live!”

“I’m here on the scene, in Newcopter 1, and the fight below me has grown even more intense, Lugia and Rayquaza seem to be attempting to disrupt the fighting but it doesn’t look like they’re having much luck. What the? Is that? Maybe Harriet can get a better look, it looks like there are Pokemon Trainers down there!”

Delia wheeled around, Pokemon Trainers?

Thankfully, there was no sign of Ash anywhere.

Then a Pokemon’s roar made everyone stop.

The grounded news reporter showed the Trainers that had been using their Pokemon in an attempt to stop the fighting, had managed to get to the legendary Pokemon, and to the shock of everyone, the legendary Pokemon didn’t attack them, instead they allowed the Trainers to climb aboard or on their backs, or necks. The cameraman zoomed in on the Trainers, and it looked like they were talking to the Pokemon.

Then the camera switched back to the helicopter, who was filming a fight between a adult man and a teen, and a Pokemon that had been in Ash’s storybooks as a child.

The helicopter made a low pass as the teen restrained the adult and the Pokemon prepared an attack.

It was then a teen Delia recognised as Gary Oak emerged.

On the return swoop Delia caught one good look at the fighting teen’s face, before the Hyper Beam attack was loosed and everything faded in an explosion.

Ms. Delia Ketchum, and Professor Samuel Oak were on the next blimp to Isla De Leyendas.

A day later, Misty and Brock joined them.

Two weeks later May and Max had joined them.

It was now four weeks since Ash had been brought into hospital.

And there had been no change in his condition.

Delia Ketchum remembered several times when Ash had gotten himself into danger like this, but not once had Ash ended up in hospital, not once had his Pokemon been left as weak as they had… were they linked, and until Ash recovered, would they not?

“You’re a Pokemon Trainer,” She had once said to him, “And that’s just how it is… but next time, could you try to save the world, just a little closer to home?”

“I guess, I could give it a try.” Ash had replied, and yet this had to be almost the furthest away from home Ash had ever had to save the world, Mrs Ketchum was beginning to feel that fate was out to get her son.

Delia Ketchum was getting a coffee out of the vending machine when May rushed down the corridor, “Mrs Ketchum! Mrs Ketchum!”

“How many times have I asked you to call me Delia?” Delia asked as she turned around, coffee in hand, she took a look at May, “What’s wrong? Has something happened? Is Ash alright?”

“Come see for yourself.”

Mrs Ketchum dropped the coffee and ran after May.

She wasn’t sure what to expect as she walked into the room, where Gary Oak, Brock, Misty and Max were gathered around the bed, which the head of had been raised so the person in it could sit up slightly without any effort. “Guys.” May whispered. Brock and Misty moved aside. And Delia saw something that caused her breath to catch in her throat.

A pair of deep brown eyes looked over to her.

“Oh Ash.” Delia rushed over, hugging her son tightly. She only let go when Ash groaned slightly. “You’re awake.”

“Hey Mum.” Ash whispered, wincing away slightly.

Delia realised he was expecting another ear bashing, like the ones she’d given him after his adventures with Lugia and with the Unknown.

“Oh, Ash, you had me so scared.” Delia sat on his bed, and Ash friends filed out of the door, Brock shut it behind him. “I saw you get hit by Hyper Beam on TV, I got the next blimp out. Professor Oak was talking with all the other Trainers who were there, he’s around the Hospital somewhere. The doctors were afraid you weren’t going to make it.”

“So was I.” Ash admitted, “I didn’t think I could.”

“I’m just glad you’re back.” Delia told her son, this time hugging him carefully. A hug that Ash returned.

There was a knock on the door.

“Come in.” Ash whispered, and then frowned at how weak his voice was.

“Come in.” Delia called for him.

The Doctor came in, “Brock said he’d come round?”

“Hi.” Ash whispered.

“Welcome back to the land of the living, Mr Ketchum, you gave us all a scare. How are you feeling?”

“Not too bad, surprisingly unhurt.”

“Have you told him?” The Doctor asked Mrs Ketchum, she shook her head, “You’ve got very few of the bruises left, a few bones that still need to heal, but a lot of the cuts and bumps that you gained in your time in the time in the Temple have all healed.”

Ash frowned, “How long was I out?”

“You’ve been in hospital a month, Mr Ketchum.”

Ash’s frown deepened, then he looked around, “Where’s Pikachu? And all of my other Pokemon? Are they ok? Are they hurt?” Ash asked in a panic.

“Calm down, your Pokemon are fine. They’ve all been healed and are all resting in their Pokeballs.”

“And Pikachu? Where’s Pikachu?”

“I think Danielle took him down to get something to eat, Pikachu hasn’t left your side, other then to eat, since you came out of surgery.”

Ash bit his lip, “How long ago did they go?”

The Doctor looked at Ash carefully, then smiled and shook his head, “You two really don’t like to be separated do you?” Ash shook his head. There was a happy cheer outside, then the door slipped open and an electric mouse Pokemon walked in.

Pikachu looked around Ash’s room, his Trainer’s mum was here still, and the Doctor was back… He was beginning to hate the white, bland place that was a Pokemon Centre for humans, a Hospital as Gary had called it, but why had he been told to go in? The only person he wanted to see was… Pikachu smiled broadly as he saw that the one he’d been waiting for had woken up…

“Pikapi!” Pikachu shouted, and rushed over and hugged his Trainer, friend and brother tightly.

“Hi Pikachu.” Ash said softly, then leant back against the bed.

“Don’t wear yourself out, Ash.” Delia said, concerned.

“He’ll be fine, Mrs Ketchum, now I want to run some tests. May I speak to him alone, a second?”

Delia nodded, “Come on Pikachu.”

“Pika.” Pikachu shook his head.

“I meant without any other humans in the room.” The doctor said with a smile. Now that Ash was awake, that Pikachu of his was probably never going to leave the room. “You and the others can come back in once I’m done.” Delia looked put out but left, once the door was shut the Doctor turned to Ash with a serious look on his face, “How do you really feel?”

Ash smiled slightly, “Like I got hit by a rolling Golem.”

“I thought you might, how’s your head?”

“Nowhere near as sore as it was before Arceus’s Hyper Beam hit me.”

“Was the head injury gotten in the fight outside the Temple?”

“No, I bashed my head in a fight in the Temple.” Ash told him. The Doctor nodded.

“And your chest?”

“Painful, but no where near as bad as when I passed out.” The doctor nodded again.

“And the rest of your injuries? Not all of them were results of the Hyper Beam, I think.”

Ash shook his head, “I got them fighting with… Kale.” Ash’s sudden snarl made Pikachu look up, “What happened to Kale? The guy who started the whole thing?”

“Kale is dead. He wasn’t as lucky as you.”

“The Hyper Beam killed him?” Ash asked, relaxing slightly.

“Yes. You held him back long enough for Arceus to end the threat.”

“How do you know…?”

“The legendary battle was being shown on TV, everyone who was watching TV at that moment of time saw it.”

Ash sighed, and closed his eyes as the Doctor started the basic tests, “Tired Ash?” The Doctor asked.

“A little.” Ash admitted.

“You’re not to overtax yourself, I don’t want you to end up back in the Emergency Room. If you get too tired, then tell your friends to leave, or to be quiet, and go to sleep, you’re body has been through a lot, Gary Oak told us that you nearly died on the mountain after your first fight with Kale, It should have been impossible for you to be able to restrain Kale as long as you did with the injuries you’d sustained.”

“If it hadn’t been for Arceus, I couldn’t have done, he leant me his strength and blocked the pain, but even that was giving out.” Ash admitted.

“Well, you’re a very lucky Trainer, Ash Ketchum, and now I’ll leave your friends and mother to berate you and get the full story, since no one knows your part, bar you.”

“Iason was there with me, in the first round, and Gary.” Ash said, his eyes opening and shooting towards the Doctor.

“Yes, but they have questions too.” The Doctor said, pushing open the door, Gary slipped back in as the Doctor went out.

“I’ve got a question before the others come in.” Gary said, his eyes showing his confusion, “What did you mean you were ‘on borrowed time anyway’?”

Ash sighed, “Arceus told me that my body was dying, when I saw it after my first fight with Kale, and that I could only come back to fight Kale again, after that, I’d die, and there’d be no coming back. Win or lose, I was going to die, and the strength Arceus had given me, was fading. I figured that I could take Kale down with me… I didn’t expect to ever wake up.”

“That’s why you were so confused when you first came round.” Gary realised, “Arceus told you that you were going to die…” Gary sighed, “Honestly Ashy-boy, you nearly gave my Gramps a heart attack when he saw the fight on TV.”

Ash smiled slightly as Pikachu finally let go of his hospital clothes and Gary let the others into the room. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And with Ash going to recover soon and everything settled I decided for some weird reason that that was a fit place to end it so I could move onto the next book 

Isla Del Leyendas: Part 21

Pikachu looked around, where was he?

Correction, where were they?

He, and all of Ash’s Pokemon, the he’d used in the fight against Kale, were floating in what looked like a cloud. Laid, unmoving, in front of the Pokemon was…

“PIKAPI!!!??” Pikachu yelled, remembering what had happened, Ash had been on the receiving end of a Hyper Beam attack from Arceus, God of Pokemon. He ran over.

“SWELLOW!?”

“SCEPTILE!!!??”

“DONPHAN??!!!”

“GAILIE!!!???”

“TORKOAL??!!!”

Pikachu shook Ash, then remembered something Misty had done when Ash had nearly drowned, and put it’s cheek next to it’s Trainer’s mouth. Nothing… “Pikachuuuu!” Pikachu shocked him carefully, “Chu!!! CHUUUUUUUUU!” Nothing… no response… “Pikapi…” Pikachu sobbed, he couldn’t be gone again, he couldn’t be. Pikachu had to jump back as a white light rose up between the Pokemon and their Trainer.

Arceus appeared in front of them.

And instantly had to jump to the side, away from a Thunder attack.

‘You dare attack your God?’ It asked.

Pikachu looked around. The other Pokemon looked unsure what to do, but Pikachu knew. And launched another attack.

>You killed my friend!< Pikachu snapped, before he fired his attack. >You killed Ash!<

‘No, Kale killed your Trainer,’ Arceus answered as it dodged, ‘I merely gave Ash enough time to finish what he had started. He came back to protect you.’

“So you took him away from us?” Sceptile snarled the question.

‘He would have had to leave, his body was too hurt, if I hadn’t attacked when I had, your Trainer would have come back for nothing. What do you care? He’s a human, like the one who nearly caused the Legendary War.’

~That’s not true!~ Swellow snapped, ~Ash is nothing like Kale, you can ask any of us!~

‘Your Trainer was a human being, what makes him so special, compared to the humans who walk among us every day?’

/Ash was kind and caring and helped us, in ways no other human would!/ Torkoal growled, letting off smoke. /He saved my life!/

)Ash helped me become stronger more confident!( Galie put in.

“He put himself in harms way to protect me!” Sceptile growled.

~Ash gave me the confidence to beat anyone!~

*Ash helped all of us evolve!* Donphan shouted.

‘Is this so? But what about you, Pikachu? Ash’s most trusted partner, and yet you’ve never evolved, what could he have possibly done to deserve your trust?’

>We’ve been together for years.< Pikachu started, >Ash only ever asked me to evolve once, and I chose not to and he accepted this, even when it might have cost him the chance at a Gym Badge. I didn’t want to, I wanted to beat the Raichu as I was, and Ash let me try again, evolution wasn’t the most important thing to me, Ash’s friendship was. If he’d have insisted, I would have evolved just to help him. He risked his life many times to protect me, we’re like brothers! You can’t take him from me!< Pikachu felt tears running down it’s face.

‘Your ‘Brother’ is gone, he sacrificed himself to save the planet. You should be grateful to him.’

Pikachu froze. No. No. No. Not again, Ash… >Take me instead!<

‘You’d offer your own life to bring your Trainer back? Willingly?’

~Not only Pikachu!~

*But us too.*

/We’d all offer our lives to save Ash’s./

‘It is in my power to grant the deepest wishes of Pokemon, I can grant your wish, but there is a price for such a gift. It requires a sacrifice, each of you must give some of your life force to restore your Trainer’s. But you will be weakened for a time, and your Trainer will not be as strong as he once was. If you can accept this, and promise to protect him… If you are willing to sacrifice part of your own life, then I will bring back your Trainer.’

>Now and all ways. Take it!<

~I would with my life, save him!~

*Of course, give him back!*

“As long as he has my Pokeball with him I will protect him, let him live!”

)I wouldn’t let anything happen to him, Ash must live.(

/I owe him my life, bring him back to us!/

Lights surrounded the Pokemon, yellow around Pikachu, red around Torkoal, pale blue around Swellow, green around Sceptile, grey around Gaile, and brown around Donphan.

The lights rose from the Pokemon, leaving them feeling weak, and pooled together in front of them.

And entered Ash’s still form.

For a moment nothing happened.

Then Ash’s chest started to rise and fall.

‘It is done. Remember your promises, for the time may come when he needs your help. Lugia’s gift will return to him when he re-enters the realm of the living, and that is where I will return you all.’

>How can we trust you to keep your promise? You took him from us in the first place!< Pikachu asked.

‘This is the first time in eternity, that I have been questioned and threatened, the loyalty you Pokemon have shown this human… I will return him first if that is what you wish.’ Pikachu nodded and Ash’s form vanished. ‘Now sleep, Pokemon of Ash Ketchum, and remember your promises.’

Isla Del Leyendas: Part 20

Gary Oak gasped as Ash’s eyes shot open, it shouldn’t be possible, he’d seen Kale bring Ash down, just moments ago Ash would have passed away, now he was back, and all the old confidence burned in his eyes, along with something that Gary didn’t quite understand.

Gary backed away quickly as Ash got to his feet, a bright white light appeared by Ash’s side, and the boy looked down and to his left as it died down. A Pokemon, one that Gary had only seen in books and mythology stood by the Trainer’s side.

“Ash?” Gary asked, completely confused.

“Welcome Arceus.” Ash greeted the Pokemon, “Gary.” He said with a nod, then the two of them walked down to where Iason and Kale were fighting.

“Iason.” Ash called.

Iason stopped and backed away from Kale, if this was some trick, he didn’t want to be taken by surprise. Then he looked over his shoulder and froze, “Ash? But you’re… I saw you…”

“I had help.” Ash gestured to the Pokemon by his side.

Iason’s eyes nearly popped out of his head, “How? When?” Iason shook his head, having given up on logic hours ago, “Welcome Arceus, God of all Pokemon.”

“This isn’t possible!” Kale snarled, “That Pokemon doesn’t exist!”

“Yes, it does.” Ash said coldly, “Iason, go and help the others, Kale is mine and Arceus’s.”

Iason shuddered at Ash’s icy tones, something that before now, he’d never heard from the teen, he decided to go, as much as he hated it, leaving Ash and Kale to it. Ash and Kale stared at each other, in a contest of wills that Kale backed away from first.

“How many times do I have to kill you?” Kale snarled as he and Ash circled around each other.

“You won’t beat me this time.”

“Don’t be so sure.” Kale growled and launched a punch at Ash, who blocked it and retaliated. Arceus roared and every single legendary Pokemon stopped, all eyes turned to the fight between the Chosen of Arceus and Kale.

“Come on Ashy-boy,” Gary whispered from his vantage point, “You can take him this time.” Watching the fight, it seemed like the strength Kale had stolen from Juni and Hayley, and which he had used to easily overpower Ash the first time, seemed to have vanished, and yet Gary knew he’d been using it against Iason just a minute ago.

Arceus growled, catching Gary’s attention. Of course, Ash had told Iason that he’d had help from Arceus, could the Creation Pokemon be lending Ash his strength now?

Kale was shocked and angry. He had easily overpowered Ash before, he’d left the teen for dead, there was no way Ketchum would have recovered and become this strong this quickly, this couldn’t possibly be the same boy. Kale staggered backwards as Ash landed a punch to his face.

Kale snarled, his plan was coming apart. The legendary Pokemon had stopped fighting when the non-Pokemon had roared and now, what was worse, was that they were beginning to listen to their Chosen, they would turn on him soon and then he would be as good as dead. He snarled and leapt on Ash attempting to wrestle him to the ground.

To his shock, Kale was the one who ended up pinned.

“Return the powers of the Chosen.” Ash snarled. Kale just stared at him.

Ash’s voice… there were two voices, speaking in unison, Ash’s voice, and another, a deeper, infinitely more powerful one. “Kale, return the powers and restore the balance now!”

“Why should I?” Kale snarled, spotting a weak link in Ash’s defence, he’d forgotten to pin one of Kale’s arms, providing him with a chance to… Kale punched Ash in the face, causing the Trainer to release his grip for only a few seconds. That was all Kale needed to flip their positions.

Ash glared up at him, then Arceus tackled Kale, knocking him off the teen.

Ash got to his feet, “Kale,” Ash was speaking, but Kale could no longer tell where Ash’s voice ended and the other voice began. “The Legendary War you almost caused would have destroyed the world, what is your defence?”

Gary watched Ash carefully. He wasn’t acting like Ash, he was acting like a judge about to hear a trial and deliver a verdict. ‘Arceus isn’t helping Ash!’ Gary realised, ‘It’s using him!’ Gary looked from the Pokemon, to his friend, and realised the predatory gaze in Arceus’s eyes was reflected in Ash’s eyes.

“I don’t need to defend myself against you, Ketchum.” Kale snarled, “I would have captured the Legendary Pokemon and ended the war before it had begun, I have no wish to rule a ruined world.”

“You won’t be ruling any world.” Ash/Arceus spoke.

“This world will be mine, and you can’t stop me!” Kale’s growled, and attacked. Ash merely stepped aside, and grabbed the offending arm, twisting it behind Kale’s back, before grabbing Kale’s other shoulder, with his free hand, restraining the bad guy.

“Arceus!” Gary’s eyes widened, that had been Ash’s voice, Ash was calling to the Pokemon that now was stood before Kale and Ash, glaring at the idiot who had dared to mess with the legendary Pokemon. “Arceus, end this!”

Gary’s eyes widened as Arceus prepared to use its Hyper Beam. Ash wasn’t moving… showed no signs of moving… Gary came out from his vantage point. “Ash, what are you doing?” He demanded.

Ash’s eyes shot towards Gary, “Gary, I’m doing what needs to be done, now get away from here.”

“Ash, you’ll be killed!”

“I’m on borrowed time anyway.” There was pain in Ash’s eyes as he said this. “Tell everyone I’m sorry.”

“Ash!”

“Pikapi!” Gary caught Pikachu as he tried to rush over to his Trainer, having come round in time to see the final few seconds of the fight, Gary was shielding it from the attack as Arceus launched the Hyper Beam. “PIKAPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!”