And the World Shall Rise Again;

Part 1--Memories
--Flamuh
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The voice echoed around the jewel encrusted wall; "You have always loved Pokémon?"

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A two-year-old splashed happily in a bathtub, then laughed as his BathMagic Magikarp  squeaked when he squeezed it.

"Ash!" a voice called from downstairs.  "Lunch's ready! I'll be coming up!"

Ash stopped his playing and hid behind the curtain of the bathtub. Mrs.  Ketchum  came up and grabbed him playfully.  "Why you..." she said, and tickled him until tears were in his eyes.  Ash climbed down and let his mom put his clothes on.  Then he ran down the stairs happily and was eating before his mother could go down the first step.

"Little gremlin," she teased, sitting down beside him.

And then, "Squirtttt!" sounded.  Ash began to cry in his high chair and tried to get down.  Mrs. ketchum brought him down and he ran over to the window.

A squirtle was in the backyard swimming pool. Ash pushed the backdoor open and headed outside.  His mother spent the rest of the day staring at the two playing.

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The remembrance pricked at his mind.  The Umbreon before him on the black throne began to tap it's tail as the shadowed figure of the human slowly reached for his hat.

"Yes," the human said, taking off his red and white hat and putting it beside him.  His mind hazed over as the memory left him.

"And yet," the Umbreon continued, "instead of all, you care for only one of any group of Pokémon?"

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The three Pokémon lay dazed on the road as an eight-year-old Ash suddenly ran over to the one in the middle.  "Oh I've got to help it!" Ash exclaimed, scooping up the one that seemed most hurt.  It was a badly beaten oddish with a black eye, a few weeds missing and cuts slashing through.  "Ott-eesh..." it said weakly, burrowing into Ash's arms and letting him take it home.

The Oddish was better in a few weeks.  It and the Squirtle he met got along well.  The other two Pokémon quickly escaped Ash's mind and Oddish didn't seem to worry now that it was with Ash.

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A flash of anger lit up the human's shadowed eyes before going back into the darkness.  "No, that--it was a mistake! I didn't know any better!"  

The red haze returned and drifted dopily around his mind before it seemed it had enveloped him completely.   

"Didn't know any better..." the Umbreon mused to itself.  Then, one midnight black paw flicking a silver-black ring away, it rose slowly.

"And.." it said, narrowing it's eyes, "since when did you want to escape them?"

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A twelve-year-old Ash slipped silently out of his sleeping bag and covered Pikachu up with the blanket.

"Good-bye... little buddy."   

Ash moved like a cat--slyly, unheard.  He grabbed his belt, put the Pokéballs in his backpack, and layed the backpack next to Pikachu

A single tear ran down Ash's face as he slipped away into the night...

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"No..." the human clutched it's head in pain. "Stop!  I can't take it! The memory... pain... Pikachu... Misty... I'm sorry! SORRY!"

He sank to his knees in pain, still holding his head.  The Umbreon fully uncurled itself by now and walked towards the human, showing no pity on it's face.

The dark room seemed to shake with every step the Umbreon took.  It's eyes slitted until they were no more than two silver lines in it's face.

The human jumped up abruptly as the name rang out, hanging in the air then disappeairng suddenly.  

"Ash."



*End of Part 1

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Author's Notes: Not much ta say.  Not much ta do.  Okay, send in any feedback at g466y@yahoo.com and I'll be happy, kay?