Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Final Destiny ❯ Actions ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

::Part Three::<<actions//even this seemingly eternal bliss cannot last, as a friend turned enemy reappears and relaxation is found in an unexpected place.>>

"I had that dream again.." Ash told Ayaka as they sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast.

"Dream?"

"Oh..that's right, I never did tell you about that. Well..it's kinda weird. It's this reoccurring dream I've been having for..oh...maybe six years now every few weeks. The main part is this battle, between Pokemon and clones of themselves, but mainly between two really strange and powerful psychic cat Pokemon. The Pokemon are killing each other, and one of the cats is planning to destroy the world. Then, I run between the two cats, their attacks converging on me, killing me. I can't control the dream at all, it's like I'm just watching from the sidelines."

"That's really odd. I mean, all dreams are weird, but a dream reoccurring every week or so for six years? Hmm..."

"Yeah. I don't really pay much attention to it anymore to tell ya the truth."

"That's probably what I'd do. Hey! How'd ya like to go out and ride horses? I've got a couple of nice Ponyta in the stable out back! Whadaya say?"

"I'd love to! I rode a Ponyta in a race like six or so years ago. I doubt if I'm still a good rider, but I know I enjoyed it a lot!"

"Cool! Okay Akamadake, we'll be back for lunch!"

"Alright! Just be careful!"

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The air was hot and humid, even in the morning, and sweat pasted Ash's hair to his forehead. But he didn't care. He held hands with Ayaka and walked over to the small stable behind the house. There were two Ponyta there, one with fur as white as snow and the other with fur colored as gold as the summer sunlight. Ayaka climbed on the white one, and whispered gentle words into the ear of the golden one.

"Alright Ash. You can get on. He won't burn you."

"That's good," he said as he climbed up onto the horse's back. His fur was like warm silk. Ayaka's Ponyta galloped out of the stable, and Ash followed.

"Hey Ayaka! I'll race ya!"

"Okay..but don't count on winning this time!"

"Don't worry..I will!!"

They dashed off across the field, through the trees, over the lake, and all over the area.

Misty watched from behind a tree, Mystic standing tall next to her.

"I don't know...I don't want this anymore."

"Shut up jerk!" a deep, echoing voice scolded her.

"I don't want to..." she felt herself walking as she drew her ice spear, glowing with an ice blue light.

"Leave me alone..."

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"Told ya I'd beat ya!" shouted Ayaka, laughing.

"Aww..it's only cause I'm hurt though.."

"Excuses...excuses...you know you're fine now!!"

"Shaddup..hehehe!!!"

They burst out laughing, and their Ponyta conversed in a language unknown to humans. Ash's head snapped around quickly, fear in his eyes.

"Hahaha...hey..what's wrong??"

"I don't know..I thought I heard someone..."

"I didn't hear anything!! Are you going...crazy??"

"Hehe..I guess it was nothing!! Sorrie!"

Even as he was speaking, a figure in a tight black jumpsuit sprung out of the bushes and kicked Ash's Ponyta in the side, causing it to jump into the air. In its fright, its fire sprung up. Ash fell back onto the ground, crying out in pain as the flames scorched his skin.

"What the...??" he questioned, summoning his energy to dull the pain of his badly burned forehead and left arm. He looked up at the figure, surprised to recognize her. It was Misty, but there was something odd about her. Her hair hung limp and matted, her face beaded with sweat. Her movements were strangely deliberate, almost as if she was fighting herself.

"Ash...please..." she began. "Run..run away! I don't wanna hurt you!"

"Huh?"

"Ash! Are you alright?" Ayaka cried, running to him.

Ash watched as Misty's eyes clouded over for a moment. When her vision returned, her eyes were cold and angry.

"Do you have some sort of a DEATH WISH??" she yelled.

"Mist', what's goin' on with ya?" Ash asked as Ayaka helped him up.

"I already told you...YOU BOTH MUST DIEEE!!!!" she cried as she charged at them.

Ash sidestepped the attack, but Ayaka was caught head on, glittering ice crystals surrounding her. When the ice cleared, Ayaka stood for a moment, her body encased in a thin layer of ice. Her body glowed slightly as her life force slipped out of her. She collapsed to the ground, motionless.

"NO!!!! AYAKA!!!" Ash cried, tears streaming down his face. "YOU LOSER!!!!" he yelled, charging at Misty. He picked up a rock from the ground and hit her hard on the back of her head. She fell to the ground, unconscious. Ash turned her body over, meaning to give her a slap in the face, but he noticed a blinking light under the skin of her left arm.

"Huh?" he said. He felt the arm. It seemed as if there was a computer chip or something under her skin. He picked up her sword and sliced the area. Blood dripped down her arm. He felt sick, but he had an idea of what was wrong with Misty. Turning away, he reached his hand under her skin. He felt something cool and hard, and pulled it out. He looked back at his hand, and wiped the blood on the object off on the grass. It was just as he suspected, an implant. Someone had been controlling Misty. But who?

Seeing that Misty was bleeding heavily, he tore off his shirt and wrapped it tight around her arm. His blood felt icy cold.

"What's goin' on.." he said to himself. "I've seen blood before, and I've never gotten sick. But...maybe it's Ayaka and Misty that are bothering me."

He looked at Misty. Her face was pale, but her chest rose and fell evenly. Then he turned to Ayaka. Her eyes and mouth were wide open in an expression of surprise. Her whole body was an odd ice blue color, even her clothes. When he touched her face, he drew back his hand, burnt from cold.

"No...Ayaka.." he said, tears returning to his eyes. He turned away from the two girls and was badly sick. He sat up after a minute, feeling weak and helpless. He wiped sweat and blood and vomit off his face, and stood up tentatively.

"Alright..I can't touch Ayaka..but maybe I can carry Misty back to the house." He pushed his hands under her body and leaned back, trying to lift her. His legs buckled, and he lay on his back for a moment, trying to clear his mind and stay conscious.

"Can't do that...well..I'll just have to get Akamadake to come out here." He stood again, swayed for a minute, but then regained his balance. He trudged along towards the house. He felt awful. He was dizzy and felt like he would be sick again. It took him about ten minutes to go the two minute's walk back to the house.

He opened the door, and Akamadake stared into his eyes for a minute before reacting.

"Oh my gosh!! Ash!! You look like you got hit by a truck..what's wrong??"

"Misty...Ayaka...outside..." he said before dropping to the floor with a loud thud.

"Ash...Ash can you hear me?"

He groaned before answering softly. "Please..go...they need you more than me...please...you're their only hope...." his body went limp, unconscious.

"Ayaka!!!" Akamadake cried, running out of the house. He came to her body. She shimmered with ice, her eyes staring intently into the distance. He touched her face gently, refusing the reflex to draw back from the intense cold, and tears flowed from his eyes.

"Please...help...me..." a voice managed softly. Akamadake turned to see Misty lying a few feet away from him, dazed, blood flowing freely from her arm, which Ash hadn't really done too great of a job bandaging with his shirt.

"You piece of scum! How could you even think I'd help the one who destroyed my BEST FRIEND!!!"

"Please...listen to me.......it wasn't my fault...he was...controlling me.....the implant....over there......I can save your friend......but only...if you...save....me......" she fainted again. Akamadake looked to where Misty had gestured, and saw a little black computer chip with a couple of flashing lights and an antenna, covered with blood.

Realizing that he could do nothing for Ayaka now, and perhaps never if Misty didn't survive, he scooped the girl's body into his arms and ran back to the house. He stepped in, noticing Ash now sat leaning up against the cabinet, his eyes halfway open, breathing heavily. But he knew that even though Ash was in a lot of pain from his burns, Misty's situation was much more serious. He took her upstairs and sponged off her arm before quickly bandaging it tightly. He felt at her wrist for a pulse, and was happy to find that it was steady. He drew the bed covers up around her shoulders, and dashed back downstairs.

Ash looked sort of greenish white, with the exception of the red blood streaked from his forehead down his left cheek to his chin. When Akamadake spoke to him, he stared back at him, feeling weak and queasy.

"It's okay Ash....you'll be alright. I'm gonna pick you up and take you upstairs, okay?"

He shook his head. "Ayaka...?" he questioned softly.

"I don't know Ash...I really don't..."

His mind was reeling now, everything spinning around him. "Ayaka..." he groaned. "Please...why Aya-chan...?" He put his hand out to his side to steady himself, to get a grip on the world, afraid he would fall forever into oblivion if he let go.

"Ash...you need to lay down, and I need to treat your burns. Please, let me take you upstairs."

Ash nodded, tears falling silently down his face. Akamadake picked him up and carried him up into his room. He lay in bed with his eyes wide open, his lips slightly parted, still staring in shock at the afterimage of Ayaka in his mind. He couldn't feel anything. Slowly, he lost track of his thoughts, and he didn't know where he was anymore. Slowly, he fell asleep without even knowing it.

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Misty and Akamadake stared at Ash's sleeping form.

"Is....will he be alright?" Misty inquired.

"Oh yes...he'll be fine. He was burned pretty bad, but I have that taken care of. He's pretty worn out with sadness...but with any luck you've got a good plan up your sleeve for him."

"My Ice Exile attack is powerful. I had never used it before...I've never had to. It sends the person to the shadow world....a cold, lonely, heartless place that you can lose yourself forever in. My mother told me a story once though, of a great warrior who fell victim to the Ice Exile. His name was Karenochi Fushigara. He had a beautiful wife named Sakura who loved him more than life itself. She was overcome with sadness at the thought of never seeing him again. She went to the kingdom's great library and searched and searched for any reference of the shadow world. After many weeks of looking, she had given up hope. She was about to leave the library, but she decided to flip through one more book. She picked up a huge book bound with aqua leather that was worn away with age at the sides from so many people reading it. In the back she found a chapter about the shadow world. There was a spell in the book, to send yourself there. It then spoke of a crystal that could free the soul of the one trapped there. The crystal was worn as a pendant around the neck of the great ice demon, Yuki, who ruled as supreme queen of the shadow world. Sakura cast the spell, and a month later, she returned with Karenochi in her arms. She then told the story of how she had stolen the crystal from Yuki while she was asleep. Yuki soon found her, but she was too late, watching as Sakura and Karenochi disappeared. She found her crystal again though, and vowed to keep careful watch over it lest she ever lose another subject of her kingdom."

"I see..." Akamadake replied. "So you believe it may still be possible to save Ayaka? But do you know where we can get our hands on that spell?"

"I have it. As an ice master, I was taught every aspect of this legend when I was very young."

"Good! So there's still hope! I can't wait to tell Ash!"

"Do you think he'll be okay to do it? I mean, he might not be as lucky as Sakura was. He might not catch Yuki when she's asleep."

"Perhaps...but Ash is a strong person. He loves Ayaka, and I think his love will help him in his quest to save her."

"That's true. If anyone can do it, Ash can."

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Ash sat up, letting his eyes grow accustomed to the light. He got out of bed and put on his robe and slippers and walked out into the hallway. He rubbed his eyes. He felt tired and worthless. Once again, his life had been torn into little shreds and scattered to the wind.

But for the first time..a different feeling accompanied that feeling of worthlessness... a feeling that he, in fact, could accomplish what he planned to set out to do. To rescue Ayaka, of course. And...gradually...his old happy hyper, eager to accomplish self reappeared. He ran back into his room and rummaged through his stuff to find his old blue and white jacket and green biker's gloves.

"If I'm going out on some mythical quest," he thought, "I should at least wear my traveling clothes."

He smiled as he looked in the mirror. "But something's missing.." he realized.

He pulled his old Pokemon league cap out of his backpack, adjusted the strap, and put it on his head.

"Perfect.." he thought.

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Ayaka opened her eyes slowly. She felt herself lying in soft comfort, like snow. It did feel cold...and as she pushed herself up she realized it was snow. She reached up to brush her hair out of her face, and felt that the soft hair had crystallized into hard, icy cold strands. She found her eyelashes, too, had frozen. She stood up, and walked. The snow stung her bare feet at first, but soon they were numb. There was nothing but endless snow on every side but one. To her left, there was a frozen river, beyond which lay a dark forest. The night sky was moonless and starless, but she could see by the light that the snow seemed to glow with. A cold light underlit everything, giving the already surreal landscape an almost frightening appearance. She ran over to the river and looked at her reflection in it. The surface of the ice was perfectly flat and smooth, and she saw herself perfectly, as if in a mirror.

She wore the same clothing she had been wearing during her fight with Misty, but she looked like a different person. Her skin was as white as the snow around her, and sparkled like ice. Her hair hung in frozen strands, and her eyes sparkled not with the warm, forest green that they had previously, but with a ice cold green.

She was cold, and saw no shelter around her. Suddenly, frightened, she called out. "Hello!? Can anyone hear me!?"

Her eyes darted to movement she saw in the woods. A little girl ran out from beyond the trees, with straw golden hair and bright blue eyes, she couldn't have been older than ten.

"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing out on the snow plain?" her childish voice rang out.

"My name's Ayaka! Who are you? Can you help me..I think I'm lost?!"

"Lost? But everyone...unless....another new person? No new people for years...then suddenly there's like a whole bunch of ya! Well...you should get out of the cold. Follow me! Be careful about walking on the ice. It's solid, but awful slippery."

"Right!" Ayaka replied, venturing carefully out onto the frozen river. After falling on her butt several times, she decided to get a running start and slide across.

"Hee! That was kinda fun!"

"Okay..follow me!" The girl ran off into the forest, Ayaka dashing after her.

Her numb feet slipped on the snow and ice, and she held her hands over her mouth when the cold air began to burn her lungs. But..at that fast pace..they were quickly at their destination.

A large log cabin sat in the darkness of the snow covered woods. Even the grass here was frozen, encased in ice, an uncomfortable beauty surrounding them. The girl opened the door.

"Hi! Yuki! I'm home!"

"Hello Kameko..." The voice was cold and sharp, but not unkind. A tall woman stepped out into the door area. Her skin, lips, even her long, wavy hair was glittering white. The only part of her that wasn't that icy color was her eyes, which shone a glistening pale ice blue. Ayaka could tell she wasn't human. Her ears came to points at the ends and her arms and legs were too long, at least by human standards. And around her neck she wore the most beautiful crystal pendant, that sparkled like a blue diamond.

Ayaka recognized her from the stories that were so common on Earth. The ice demon, Yuki. She shrunk back, trying to creep to the door.

"I see you recognize me," said Yuki. "A demon I may be, but evil I am not. Would I have kept Kameko and the others alive so long if I was...evil?"

"The...others?" Ayaka inquired.

"Yes.... They call themselves...gym leaders...of a place called Kanto. They said one of their own, a girl named Misty, attacked them. sending them into my world."

Suddenly, Ayaka began to remember clearly their battle with Misty. Could see Misty attacking their Ponyta, and then turning on her.

"Ashton...." she said quietly.

"Excuse me?" asked Yuki.

"Oh..nothing!!" said Ayaka with a fake smile. "Just thinking 'bout someone!!"

"Because...I recognized the name you said...Ashton. The one gym leader, I think Erika was her name, mentioned a boy called Ashton. Perhaps..you would like to speak with the others?"

"Uh huh..sure!!"

Erika and Brock walked into the room, and spotted Ayaka. They turned to each other, clearly startled by the appearance of the girl that they had thought Misty killed a while ago.

"But...you're dead.." Erika said.

"I don't think I'm dead...at least I wasn't the last time I checked. Can you tell me...though...where am I?"

"We're in the shadow world. Misty used her Ice Exile attack against all of us...and we were sent to this place. We can't get out though. Ever."

"Ever?? Never ever??"

"We don't know a way.." replied Brock.

"Where's Ash..what have you done with Ash??"

"We don't know where Ash is. He's not here in this house with us. We don't know..."

"But...Misty must have attacked him too....I've gotta find him!!"

Yuki walked up to the trio. "I wouldn't advise you to go out on your own. The ice world is a cold and lonely place. You can get lost..and never find your way home..."

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"Alright Ash..are ya ready?" Misty asked.

"Ready as

"Ash..wait.." began Akamadake. "I don't know what's out there. I don't know what you might find. Please though...bring yourself and Ayaka back safe. Please..I'm counting on you."

"I'll try my best Akamadake."

"Okay...Ash..I want you to lay down on the bed and close your eyes and try to relax as much as you can. I would use the attack on you...but it can kill people...luckily not Ayaka...but it has. So I'll use the ancient spell instead. Good luck Ash..."

Ash laid down on the bed and shut

Akamadake watched as Ash was surrounded by blue crystal, creeping slowly up his arms and legs, over his chest, over his neck, his face, his softly closed eyes. He grasped his hand, withstanding the intense coldness, and closed his own eyes.

"Yes...good luck Ashton," he whispered.

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Ash opened his eyes on the snow covered plain of the shadow world. He had had a wonderful dream. Ayaka and him were together again. They were at the small lake, and riding horses, and training Pokemon. He hadn't thought much about the Pokemon for a while...but now...as he stared out over the snowscape, utterly alone, he longed for the company of his little pikachu. He stood up, and brushed the snow off his jeans. He turned around, observing his surroundings.

"Nothing but snow to every side..." he said to himself. "Which means I'm lost...doesn't it."

"Ashton!!!!" he heard a familiar voice call out to him. "You're not lost!!! We're together!!!"

The girl who the voice had come from ran up to Ash. He recognized her immediately.

"Ayaka!!!!" he cried with joy as they embraced each other. "I thought I'd be alone forever..." he whispered to her..tears of happiness streaming down his face.

"You'll never be alone again..." replied Ayaka. "Not as long as we're together."

He didn't think about his mission...he didn't think about Yuki or the shadow world or the crystal or anything...and neither did she. They stayed there for a long time, just being together...just enjoying finally being together again.

"It wasn't very long...but it seemed like forever..." said Ash.

"Yeah...I know what ya mean."

"So...I guess we've gotta go...try to get that crystal..."

"Yeah..I guess. I met Yuki. She's not half bad. I guess she's just gotta do her job of not letting anyone out of this place."

"Maybe...but she's still our enemy. We can't forget that."

"It's easy for you to say that. You don't know her. Her kid, Kameko, she saved my life. She found me out here and led me to their house. The gym leaders..they were all attacked too. Only Erika and Brock survived though...they're back at the house."

They started walking back to the house, Ayaka leading Ash.

"They're all gone...everyone but Brock and Erika. Who was it...who was controlling Misty? I'd like to get my hands on that little..." anger surged through him.

"Controlling Misty?"

"Oh yeah...that's right...you were already here. I found a computer chip thingey in Misty. Someone was controlling her."

"Didn't you ask her then?? Or...did she..."

"No..she's fine. But she doesn't remember a thing. Though she does feel sincerely badly about what she's done."

"Hmm...that's really quite strange..."

"Can we stop for a rest here....it seems like we've been walking forever."

"Yeah...you're right..we should. It's harder to breathe with the air this cold..and you can get tired quickly."

They sat down with a sigh of relief. Ash flipped onto his chest and closed his eyes, his cheek resting in the soft snow. Ayaka layed on her side facing him. She watched him, her frozen green eyes observing his every breath. He too was frozen like her...his hair covered in glittering ice crystals...his skin as pale as the snow around him. He looked peaceful and angelic, she thought. She touched

"I love you Ash..." she said, before closing her eyes and falling asleep herself. And even in her dreams she thought of him...the picture of him engraved upon her mind.

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Ash woke up first...and saw Ayaka sleeping peacefully.

"I love you Ayaka..." he whispered..as not to wake her.

"Ashton..." she said softly in her dreaming. He smiled.

"You dream of me too then..." he said. "I will always dream of you."

He could see by the daylight, but this world was still strangely dark. And so quiet. No sounds of scurrying Rattata, no noise of the flap of Pidgey's wings. Not even the rustling of tree branches in the wind. It was dead silent. It made him conscious of every sound that he made, he could hear his every breath. And Ayaka's every breath too.

Ayaka opened her eyes slowly, and then smiled at seeing Ash in front of her. "Ashton...I dreamed...that we were back together..I dreamed that we will be okay...and that the gym leaders were back. But we had to fight someone...a Pokemon...first."

"That's nice. I hope we will be okay." He tried to ignore the thought of the gym leaders. He missed them...more than anything. But he let himself forget..just for now.

They pushed themselves up from the ground and brushed the snow off their clothes. They started trudging through the snow. They were silent...trying to conserve their energy. In the time that Ayaka had spent with her, Yuki taught her how to walk and breathe in the cold so she wouldn't get exhausted. But she worried about Ash...and therefore didn't start conversation.

Ash watched Ayaka through the light falling snow. It glistened and landed on her nose like tiny flower petals. He stretched and yawned, wiping a snowflake from his cheek. The snow crunched under his feet. It sounded nice. He licked his lips and felt them quickly crystallize again.

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"Kameko!! Quick..go to the back room...hide somewhere!!!"

"What is it Yuki?? What's happening??"

"No..no time for that...run!!! Get out of here now Kameko!!!!!!"

"But..Yuki.." she protested quietly before dashing out the back door into the snow.

Cold blue eyes stared at Yuki, glaring at her intensely. She took a deep breath and reduced the temptation to back down.

She thought about Ash. "He's sweet," she thought. "No..that's silly. I'm not here to be sentimental. I'm a demon. I don't have feelings. Or..at least I shouldn't...."

"I hope you haven't failed me..like my other servant did. I stopped receiving transmissions from her. I assume she is dead. Do you have the boy? I hope you haven't hurt him...I hope you've saved that honor for me."