Chapter 8
    “So where are we going?” Ash asked the old woman as they walked through the 
shadowy alleys of Pewter City.
    The old lady stopped.
    “Ash Ketchum, eh?”
    Ash stopped dead. 
    “How did you-?”
    “Yes, I’ve heard your name. A hero… a living saint, even. Then… a traitor….”
    “How did you know my name?” Ash demanded.
    The old lady turned to him. Ash shuddered. Now that he saw her up close, he could see 
how ugly she was.
    “I know a lot of things about you, Ash. The only reason I looked, though, was because 
you mentioned the tablet.”
    “Hold up, what do you mean, looked? And what do you know about the tablet?”
     “Oh I know everything about the tablet, Mr Ketchum.” The old lady turned to face 
him, her dark glasses shining. “When I say looked, I mean I looked into your mind.”
     “What? Are you one of those Psychics?”
     “Oh, no, I’m not one of those attention seekers! Oh no, I am something much 
more….. interesting.”
     Ash stared at her then raised an eyebrow. “Look, what do you know about the tablet?”
     “If you want to know,” the old lady began, “catch me.” And she disappeared, smoke 
swirling from where her outline had been. 
     Ash nearly fell over.
     “WHA!!??” he exclaimed, “What is this!!??”
     “Just find me…”  
     “Wha- how!!??” 
     “You’ll know. Just follow the music.”
     Ash’s heart skipped a beat. The music….
     “How do you know about that?”
     “I looked into your head, didn’t I? I can see what your mind sees.  It is much easier to 
hear what it hears, though. And oh, I did. Such beautiful music.”
     Ash started to twist around, looking in all directions, anger consuming him. He had 
told no one…
     “WHAT ARE YOU!?” he roared, “HOW DO YOU KNOW!?”
     
He had first heard it four years ago, when he was twelve. 
    He had been dragged by the underwater current in a river, clutching his Pikachu, while 
trying to escape a flock of angered Spearow. He had been certain he was going to die. 
   Then a note of music suddenly played in his head. 
   His eyes tightly shut, he listened. It happened again, only that time several more notes 
joined it. After a few seconds a song was softly caressing him up, through the water and 
onto the bank, a fishing rod in his collar.
   Due to the sudden shock of air to his lungs, the music was forgotten, and he raised his 
head to see Misty for the first time. 
   Ever since then the music had played continually, and every day it got a tiny bit louder, 
though hardly noticeable. 

Four years later, Ash could hear it loudly everywhere he went. 
   He had told no one of it, worried they would be concerned, and he lived with it. It 
hadn’t been hard, only irritating a couple of times.
   But it was obvious. This…. creature could not only tell him about the final tablet, but 
also about the music. And he could feel it. As soon as she had said it, the notes had 
become clearer than ever before, ringing out inside his head, pointing him forward. And 
he ran, taking turns when he felt he had to, hopping fences when he felt he had to, flying 
over certain buildings with Charizard when he felt he had to.
   He didn’t even bother staying undercover. He was chased by the police and the public 
alike, but he easily got away. Because unlike anyone else on the run, he knew exactly 
where to go.
* * * *
    “Where do you think he could have gone?” Delia asked Brock as they walked around 
the streets.
    “Looking for the tablet, I suppose. Just wait. He’ll be back.”
* * * *
Ash and Charizard flew over the streets of Pewter, people shouting and swearing at them. 
Then Ash saw it; the wisps of smoke that hung in the air.
   The music in his head was thrusting him on, straight towards it, and then he heard the 
old woman’s voice.
   “Nearly got me. Come on!”
   The smoke gathered speed, and so did Ash, as he commanded Charizard to move faster.
   “What do you know about the music!?” Ash cried.
   “That it only chooses the one who needs to be chosen.”
   “That doesn’t make any sense!!”
   “Then forget about it and ask me your other question.”
   “What are you?”
   And the old lady spoke, telling Ash of what she was and what he had to do. 
   Surprise was the first thing to hit him, then a strong determination to do what he had to 
do. 
   “Charizard,” he began, “FLAMETHROWER ON THAT SMOKE!!!”
* * * *
   A rumbling sound filled the streets. 
   Brock and Delia stopped, looking around. 
   Charizard came out of nowhere, flames pouring from his mouth. Ash was on his back, 
commanding him to attack.
   They passed over quickly, but not until the street was showered with flames.
   “What the hell!?” Brock exclaimed, helping Delia back to her feet and staring after 
Ash.
* * * *
Finally, Ash stood, alone, on a rooftop, confronted with black smoke that morphed into 
the old lady.
   “If you want to kill me you have to do it yourself, not get your Pokemon to do so.”
   She twirled her stick between her fingers, her sunglasses glimmering.
   “I realised.” Ash replied, clenching his fists.
   “Just remember that I would only be your second kill. And you were in a war! I can’t 
believe you only killed one man.”
   “Yeah, I joined in near the end before I made a deal with Giovanni. The man I killed 
was the man who killed my Pikachu.”
   “And there was another time on which you wished to kill.”
   “The man who killed Misty, yeah.”
   “But will you really do it?” the old lady asked, setting her stick firmly on the ground.
   Ash thought for a moment. Then began to walk forwards, saying, “Yes. I need the 
tablet.”
   “Just remember that whatever happens, the song was not meant for this moment alone.”
   “Right now I only care about getting the tablet.”
   “Yes, exacty why you need to kill me.”
   “Exactly.”
   Then the old lady smiled: “Because I am the tablet.” 
   With that, Ash charged forward, ready to fight, and the old lady took off her sunglasses.