Part 2 of Vision of hope!

Disclaimer: Destiny is mine! Pokemon is Nintendo’s, Game FREAK, 4Kids, Shogakukan comics, Hasbro, etc…

Notes: <> indicates telepathy, ** indicates thoughts, this is poke speech. This makes a few references to CCA, but you don’t have to read it to understand. A few references to the pokemon adventure series too, but you don’t need to have read pokemon adventure to understand this.

Elizabeth – I c

Tmp – yes, this is championshippy, but I don’t think Charlotte or Lance is in this fic until later, probably a few chapters down the line.

Link Masters – well, it wasn’t Shadow Island like I normally do… I like new things.

SS2 Megami-sama – my thanks! *Bows*

Part 2: The end of the innocent

“Great job, Starlight.” Ash said, stroking the psychic eevee’s long ears. “It’s a good thing that they didn’t suspect that I had more than six pokemon.”

< No problem. But why did you want to leave? > She asked in confusion.

“Humans love a good story. I didn’t want to deal with the pressure/popularity.” Ash told her. “They want to find out everything about your life once you become famous. You don’t exist for yourself anymore, only for the public’s interest.”

< Ah. >

Pikachu looked sad. But what about Misty…

She wanted to know.

“What about Misty?” Ash asked, unconcerned.

Pikachu didn’t understand how Ash could care so little. Don’t you love her?

Ash laughed. “Pikachu, you think the strangest thoughts sometimes. Of course I don’t love her! She couldn’t care less about me, she beats me up every chance she gets, she deliberately provokes me to arguments, she brings up that bike all the time, and she openly flirts with other people. Why would I love her?”

But I thought… Pikachu whispered.

Ash crossed his arms. “Sorry, Pikachu, but you’re way, way, off.” A small smile curved his lips. * Besides, there’s someone else waiting for me. *

Pikachu still looked kind of depressed. * They would have been perfect for each other… *

Meanwhile…

“Ash is gone!” Misty said. “He left his backpack and everything here! Even his pokédex!”

“There’s a note, too.” Gary said. He walked over and picked it up.

Dear Mom, Gary, Misty, Prof. Oak, and whoever else this may concern,

I’m leaving. I can’t tell you why, because I can’t betray my friends. I can’t tell you where I’m going either, or even if I’m coming back. The thing is, popularity is just not my thing. I like having my privacy, and I intend to keep it that way. Tell Gary that I wish I could have said goodbye as friends. Tell Misty that I left $200 for her, and that ought to be enough for a new bicycle. Tell Professor Oak that I’m sorry to disappoint him, but someone else will have to fill the pokédex, Gary could do it. I wish I could stay, but destiny is calling and I’m not staying behind.

Love,

Ashura Satoshi Ketchum

For a minute, an atmosphere of stunned silence pervaded the area.

Finally, somebody broke down. But it wasn’t whom you would have expected. It was Gary.

“I’m so sorry, Ash! I never meant any of those things I said to you! I sacrificed our friendship for nothing, popularity was just worthless magic beans compared to it, and now, I don’t know if we can be friends again.”

Misty shrugged. “Well, at least I get a new bike. About time.”
Delia burst into tears. Professor Oak tried to comfort her. After a while, they all retired to their rooms, not sure what was going to happen now.

Meanwhile…

Ash turned to Sunny, deliberately ignoring Pikachu, who was still trying to convince him to go back. “Do you think this looks good?” He was dressed in a dark blue shirt and pants, with a dark red nova on the front. His newly dyed dark red hair was neatly spiked and the hat was gone. Instead of sneakers, he wore white boots, and white mid-forearm length gloves had replaced his green fingerless gloves. From his shoulders trailed a cape of dark blue silk.

< Very dangerous. > Sunny said. < I think it’s very nice. >
Ash blinked. “You’re telepathic too? Oh, I forgot. All the legendaries are telepathic.”

Sunny smiled, showing her teeth. < I like it. It is a lot better than the way you used to dress, so childish. >

“I know.” Ash said. He paid for his new clothes, before leaving in a swirl of fabric. The salesgirl sighed. * He’s so cute… *

Where are we going? Pikachu ventured to ask. These new clothes had changed Ash completely. Like he wasn’t the same person anymore…

Ash absentmindedly pulled out a map. “Hmm… Mount Silver looks good. It should still be safe there.”

Where’s that?

It’s a very dangerous mountain in the Johto region. Sunny answered. * What a naïve pokemon. I wonder how Ash ended up with this one. *

“Shall we go?” Ash asked. His eyes turned a gold color and shimmered brightly.

They vanished in a blur of light and reappeared on the mountain.

Ash walked into a cave in the side and immediately touched something. Even with her sharp eyes, Pikachu still couldn’t tell what it was.

As they walked in deeper, a wall of fire sprang up behind them. That was followed about half an hour later with a wall of water, then a wall of ice, and finally a barrier of lightning.

When they reached the end of the passage, Pikachu was feeling very tired already. She barely managed to keep her eyes open as Ash lightly pressed his fingers against a solid rock wall, and it slid open.

The inside resembled a palace, but everything was done in dark colors. From the black granite pillars to the dark red carpet, the only thing that offset this depressing décor was a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

What is this place? Pikachu asked in mingled fear and awe.

< This was a dwelling prepared for the chosen one since his birth. > A telepathic voice spoke. < And at last, he has come. >

Pikachu frantically looked around for the owner of the voice. Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of Ash. Sunny didn’t even blink, but Ash tensed for a second before he recognized it.

“Hi!” Ash said, hugging the new pokemon. It was a stormy blue-gray wolf with silver eyes and a white chest. It had blue-white wings tipped with silver and dark blue feathers framing part of its face. It also had special paws, which could enable it to land on a tree branch, like a bird. All in all, it looked very majestic and dignified.

< Welcome, chosen one. >

Ash laughed. “Aw, c’mon, Tempestwolfe, you don’t have to call me that! How have you been? Were you bored here?”

< Oh no. The legendaries take one-month rotating shifts. It just happened to be my turn when you arrived. I only stay here once every couple of years. >

“Cool.” Ash said. “Well, I’m going to go take a nice, hot bath. When’s dinner?”

< In a few hours. >

“Okay. I’ll make sure the pantry and refrigerator are still magicked after I finish.” Ash said. He walked into a bathroom located near the entrance. Pikachu followed.

Ash looked up. “Hi, Pikachu.”

Ash, what’s going on?! Pikachu wanted to know. First, you turn down your chance for fame and leave Brock and Misty, and then you show me this place that I didn’t even know existed, and now you’re talking to legendary pokemon like it’s a natural occurrence! Not to mention that you’ve been acting strange.

“Well, when your past comes calling, you know what you have to do and how you have to achieve your goal.” Ash said in a serious tone.

You’re not making any sense.

“Pikachu, I’m a legendary pokemon who has been reborn several times. I have enough power to destroy the world. I have responsibilities and I intend to fulfill them. I have to protect pokemon from humans, especially the rare and legendary ones.” Ash said calmly. “Winning the championships is unimportant compared to this.”

But it’s like you grew up overnight! Ash, you’re only twelve! There’s no way you can deal with this!

Ash shrugged nonchalantly. “So? In a past life, I was only twelve when I had to save the world by capturing all the pokemon cards. I may look young, Pikachu, but I’m actually very, very old.”

You’re scaring me, Ash. I don’t feel as if I know you anymore. What happened to that happy young boy who wanted to become a pokemon master?

“Maybe he’s still here.” Ash said, touching his heart. “But he knows when its time to step aside and allow Ashura to take his place.”

Pikachu shuddered and scampered off. Ash sighed. * Such a young one, still so innocent. It’s too bad I had to shatter that mirror. But I had no choice. *

Ash finished his bath, dressed in a comfy pair of gray sweatpants and a sweatshirt, and went to check out his food supply.

“Oh good. The spells are still in place.” Ash said in relief. He smiled and looked at his stuff. Then, he went upstairs to his bedroom. Satisfied that everything was fine, Ash hopped onto his bed and began playing with his ‘Ash’ pokemon cards. They sparkled and glittered in the light, their white borders glowing.

“Nothing like home sweet home.”
Bulbasaur and Squirtle hopped onto the bed. Want to play gin rummy with us? Fortunately, neither of them was as high-strung as Pikachu and could easily accept the new situation.

“Sure.” After six rousing games of cards, Ash and his pokemon headed downstairs to have dinner.

Pikachu just stared as food appeared on the plates of the pokemon present. It was partly because of the magic, and partly because of the sheer number of pokemon that were in the dining room.

Hi! I bet you’re new here. A voice said. Pikachu turned and found her looking at another pikachu. This one was a male, with a scar on one ear.

Yes, I am. What’s your name?

You can call me Pika. He said. I was Ash’s first captured pokemon six lives ago. And I don’t mean to brag or anything, but I’m probably the strongest pikachu in existence.

Aw, Pika, you just want to show off. Another voice said. This one was from an Eevee. Hi, I’m Star. I’m from the same life as Pika and some other cool pokemon. I can turn into any of the three eevelutions. Flareon, Jolteon, or Vaporeon, and I helped Ash beat Bruno.

I helped too. I was Ash’s first pokemon. This came from a Poliwrath.

Pikachu just gaped.

After a while, everyone had finished eating. Ash dismissed them and most of the pokemon went off in little groups together to work on different things.

Pikachu ran after Ash as he walked up the stairs.

“What is it, Pikachu?”

How many pokemon do you have, Ash? There’s so many!

Ash shrugged. “Hmm… I’m not sure. Why do you want to know?”

With this many pokemon at your control, you could easily take over the world. I’m afraid of that happening, Ash. I feel like I don’t know you anymore. This is just wrong…

Ash’s eyes glowed for a second. “Yes, I know. But…”

Pikachu shivered, squeaked, and ran.

Ash petted Sunny on the head. “I don’t think she’ll stay. She’s still too young and naïve to comprehend any of this.”

< Will you let her go? >

“Perhaps.” Ash said. “As long as she does not reveal this secret to anyone.”

< Can she be trusted? >

“That is yet to be determined.” Ash said. A tiny jewel, only about 3 mm across, pale yellow in color, appeared in his left hand. Ash whispered something and it attached itself to the tail of the fleeing rodent pokemon.

< I see. > Sunny said. * After all this experience, he is no longer the innocent child that he was. Perhaps it is better this way, as he will be more willing to take up his mantle of duty. And perhaps not… Thunder was always supposed to remain a child… *

End part 2!

Completed 2/5/04

Phantomness decided to be nice and update a little more!
For some reason I seem to have developed a dislike for Pikachu, although I have no idea why…

Ah well, review and I might update faster

I put this on hold for 2 years? Wow…