The Chosen Ones
by Dawn Hunter
Chapter 1
*5 years ago*
Ash had finally done it. At the age of sixteen, after six years of traveling and training, he had become the youngest Pokemon Master ever. He had been given the title a mere three days ago, and now he was headed home to celebrate with his family and friends. Little did he know that the next few days would impact his life harder than anything else could ever hope to.
"Hey! There it is!" Ash yelled as his house in Pallet Town came into view.
"Pika!" Pikachu jumped from his usual spot on Ash's shoulder and sped towards the house, followed closely by Ash and the rest of his companions that he had traveled with over the years.
The next day, after getting some rest, Ash and co. began getting the house set up for the party they were going to have that night. Everyone was just about jumping up and down from the energy given to them by the excitement. At 5:00 that evening, the grand party began.
Ash had been wandering around for an hour. He sighed at the trick his mom played on him. When she said there would be plenty of people here, he didn't know she meant all of Pallet. Ash decided to head for the kitchen for refreshments. On his way, he ran into Brock.
"Hey, Ash guess what?"
"What?"
"In a few days Max and Dawn are leaving on their own journey and they invited Tracy and I along for a while. You know, just to give them some pointers."
"That's great Brock," Ash said with a small smile. Really he was a little disappointed that he had not been invited, but Brock wasn't to know that.
Ash's disappointment grew as he later learned that May and Drew were going to travel together for a while and weren't interested in having anyone else come with them, and that Gary had to go by himself to a far away region to study some new pokemon. However, the biggest blow was yet to come.
Hoping that maybe Misty would like to travel with him (practically pleading in his mind that she would) Ash went to talk to her. When he found her his eyes landed on an unpleasent sight. Ash wasn't sure what he was doing here, but Misty was laughing and holding hands with.... RUDY! Once she noticed Ash standing there, Misty began to explain.
No. He wasn't. Ash was in shock. After it sank in, he felt like someone had dropped 10,000 pounds of dead weight on him. All of the disappointment he had felt was washed away by anguish and sadness from this particular piece of news. But if this made her happy, then he wasn't going to ruin it. So, against his will, Ash put on a smile and congratulated them. Feeling sick, he went to his room and sat down on his bed.
"Pikapi? Pi pikachu?" (Ash? Are you ok?), Pikachu asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Ash croaked,"Why don't you go get some ketchup out of the fridge or something?"
Sensing that his trainer wanted to be alone, Pikachu did as Ash suggested and left. After Ash was sure Pikachu was downstairs, he went to packing. After he finished, he silently slipped out the front door, unnoticed by anyone, and began to walk away. With that, the youngest Pokemon Master disappeared. No one has seen or heard from him in 5 years.
2 years after Ash was declared missing, Team Rocket took over the world. Shortly after that, a rebellion rose up against them. This rebellion was led largely by Ash's old friends who blamed the tyrannical Giovanni for the disappearance of the Master. For three years now war has engulfed the pokemon world.
* * *
*Present day*
Misty sighed sadly as she leaned on the railing of the balcony of Rudy's mansion. It had been five years ago today that the search for Ash had been called off and he was pronounced dead. Though her mind had given up on him and moved on, after five years her heart still hadn't let her believe he was dead.
She sighed again. This time in frustration. The night before her wedding was not the time to be having such thoughts. However, Misty did notice that, since she had decided to marry Rudy, the closer and closer it got to the wedding, the harder and harder her heart fought to convince her mind that she was making a mistake. More often lately her thoughts had turned to Ash. As if her own heart was reminding her of the thing she had always been too stubborn to admit.
"Pikachupi?" (Misty?)
"Huh? Oh, hi Pikachu," Misty said tiredly. When Ash disappeared, Pikachu had decided to stay with Misty.
"Pi pika chu chu pikachu. Chu pi?" (Everyone's looking for you. Are you alright?)
"Yeah I'll be fine. C'mon, let's not keep everyone worried." She turned and began to walk inside.
Misty was almost to the door when she became aware of a steadily growing whirring sound. Suddenly the still night air became very windy and the noise drowned out the din of the party downstairs. Misty turned around and was confronted by a black helicopter hover a little ways away from the edge of the balcony. On its side was painted a large red R. How had Team Rocket found them?! Misty quickly took out a bandana and covered her face to mask her identity.
"Pikachu, thunderbolt!" Misty's muffled yell was almost lost to the whirr of the copter.
"Piiikaaachuuu!" Lightning flew from the small yellow pokemon straight at the helicopter, which suddenly became a falling ball of fire.
However, the whirring sound died down, it didn't go away, Misty looked into the sky to see thirty helicopters bearing down on them.
"Come on Pikachu, we have to get out of here," Misty said and ran inside with Pikachu at her heels.
Halfway down the stairs Misty met Rudy who stuttered as she grabbed his wrist and ran downstairs dragging him behind her. Once they got to the ballroom where the party was it didn't take very long to get the word out: They were under attack. By now Misty could here the helicopters surrounding the mansion. She led everyone as they and their guards charged out of the building, where they ran headlong into an army of Rocket grunts.
* * *
Meanwhile, in a far away place, a dark figure sat in a large chair watching the battle unfold and the trainers and their pokemon fight to the death on a large screen. No one could tell in the dark room, but the man wore an evil smile on his face. When he spoke, anyone within earshot shuddered.
"So, Giovanni," the man said in a cold, deep voice, "You have finally found the leaders of the rebellion. Well, they are not yours to kill. And besides, I'm afraid that they need to live. At least for now." With that, he raised his hand and back on the island the real chaos began.