literature

The Blind Alley: Chpt 13

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Disclaimers: If I owned Pokemon, you would know it.

AN:// To everyone who believed Ash was dead at the end of the last chapter. You get cookies for being so cute and gullible!

Last Time On TBA:
Chosen one, communication, gunshot wounds, and unconsciousness.
Quote: “Don’t you trust me, Mew? Please! Wake up!”

Chapter Thirteen: Exchanges

Just be careful what you say
You might give that little soul away
-3 Doors Down

The darkness surrounding him suddenly surrendered itself to a halo of yellow light. Ash covered his face in the hook of his arm. It was several seconds before the white glare burning his retinas toned down to a bearable degree. Beyond the ring of light he stood in was the bath of darkness only parted by the sudden interruption. He stepped forward and the light followed him. The more he walked, the more bearable the light became. Until at last, his eyes could see beyond the light- and to the darkness that lay beyond.

Ash was standing on a stage. The curtains parted back at his approach revealing the audience to him. But despite the soft clatter of  voices, the chairs according to Ash’s sight, remained empty. The quiet roar of bodiless voices had begun to subside- as if they suddenly recognized the boy’s approach.

He knew this stage. He knew this place… But he had been apart of the audience before. Not the show.

A lone microphone stood resolute at the edge of the stage, waiting for him. And as he approached it, a wave of unwanted memories washed over him.

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He usually avoided the theatrical performances about the orange islands incidents. Ever since it happened, artists of every sort were determined to display their perception on how the world had been saved. Most were completely bogus. Ash had attended a few with his friends, to get a good laugh. Misty, Brock, Tracey- occasionally Gary even though he seemed envious of the attention the movies and plays gave the mysterious “chosen one”.

He was able to keep his part in the incident secret… mostly. His mother had used his name on national television. The people on Shamouti island hadn’t exactly withheld information from the media. But his last name was kept disclosed because of his only being a minor. And for that he was thankful. Ash had easily been able to outgrown the youthful façade of the scrawny twelve year old “chosen one”. While being twelve had been a bitch, thirteen graced him with height- fourteen with a voice change… and fifteen on with a completely different persona. Even those who knew him, didn’t recognize him.

After all, that was what Ash was trying to avoid. Being discovered…

For some reason, passing through Dewford town, Ash couldn’t help but notice the small bulleted poster on the pokemon center’s event board. A theater production called “The Power of One”. The graphics were melodramatic and cartoonish renderings of the legendary birds. And of course the mysterious trainer’s face was shadowed black.

Perhaps he was simply feeling lonely. Maybe he missed his family and friends that he hadn’t seen the past two years. Would there be actors to stand in as his friends? Sometimes Melody would be reenacted. Most of the more popular movies though left Ash standing at the temple playing the silly flute, or worse… singing.

He knew this couldn’t be different from any of the others. But still, Ash Ketchum ultimately decided to attend the play.

It really was like all the others. To its credit though, it did get the lines of the prophesy right. And oh how he hated it. Those words that haunted his dream. He mouthed along with the words recited by his 12 year old counter part on stage- still nauseated when the ancient words spelled out his name as chosen one. Oh chosen one. Throw away your life, your normalcy, for the legendaries. Time and time again, we’ll always find you.

And then, his look alike on stage placed all three magical spheres on the separate podiums, each glowing via Christmas tree bulbs. Melody, blonde in this production, took her place at his side, playing from a magical lute. Ocarina it was not. The melody, ironically, that Melody played was all wrong. But pretty all the same. And when the world was saved, Melody and Ash shared a kiss, that would have set Misty ablaze, before flying off onto the sunset on Lugia’s back.

How simple an ending. How far from reality.

Unbeknownst to the chosen one, two rows behind him sat a pair of staring eyes. They soaked up every chuckle and every gesture Ash made. And the eyes followed Ash after the performance ended. As the crowds went towards the exits, Ash paused to pluck a vibrating cell phone from his pocket.

“Hold on, Gary. I’m heading outside so I can hear you better.”

“Where are you?”

Ash laughed, stepping outside the theater doors and into the brisk autumn night air. “You ask when you know I’ll never answer that question.”

He walked away from the crowds, not noticing the person in cautious pursuit. He rested against the brick face of the theater, only a few feet away from the mouth of the theater. He leaned back to get a good view of the night sky, “It’s a beautiful night.”

“It’s raining where I am.”

“Aw. I’m sorry,” Ash smiled displaying mock concern.

Gary made a noise that Ash supposed was to let him know that he wasn’t fooled. “How are you?”

“I’m alive,” responded Ash sarcastically. “I just finished watching a play actually.”

“Oh really? Hamlet? Macbeth? 42 Street? Mamma Mia… please say no. Or perhaps another of those stupid ones about the chosen one.”

“The latter.”

Gary sighed, the action causing a wave of noisy static to crackle across the receiver. “How was it?”

“Horrible. The Power of One,” said Ash with a wry smile. “But at least this one wasn’t a musical.”

“You know… it’s pretty damn egotistical to keep attending plays about yourself.”

“Hey. No it’s not. I… I’m just curious to see what people think of me.”

“Don’t try to justify it, Ketchum. You know it’s true.”

“If you had plays about yourself, you’d understand.”

“Oh but I do.”

“For the last time, Waiting for Godot is not about you, Gary.”

“It might as well be, Godot.”

Ash exhaled nosily. He slid down the wall, braced himself against it, and closed his eyes. The small crowd of people had long since dispersed. He was left beside the empty theater listening to the static on the other line. At last Gary said, “Do you ever miss it?”

“Being a hero? No. Actually, I’d prefer for it never to happen again. I want to be a selfish egocentric cowardly bastard that saves his own skin before he gives a damn about anyone else’s.”

“Liar.”

“I’m not lying, Gary,” Ash opened his eyes again suddenly feeling as if he were being watched. He stood up, eyes scanning the seemingly deserted street anxiously. He only just caught Gary’s response of,

“Then why do you act so damn noble all the time?”

“Because,” Ash retorted, unable to shake the uneasiness. “I can’t change who I am.”

“Moron.”

Ash saw it again. Movement- just beyond the trashcans in front of the next building. Ash closed the phone shut on his friend’s incessant name calling. Gary wouldn’t call back- not until he made some sort of attempt to trace the GPS to Ash’s location. Of course, just because Ash had long since removed the tracker on this phone didn’t mean that Gary knew just yet.

“I know you’re there. Come on out.”

Ash half anticipated the motto right then and there. Prepare for trouble and make it double, went old the second time he heard it. But the stalker was silent as he stepped out of the shadows. He was ten year old kid- a rascally kind of look in his eye. He wore a kind of hard hat, goggles suspended from his neck, and a jumpsuit that most beginning trainers sported. What was it with young trainers and their wacky starter outfits? Was casual no longer in style?

He smiled, his bluish black bangs somewhat obscuring his glistening eyes. “I know you.”

“Well, I can’t say the recognition is mutual,” responded Ash. He suddenly wished pikachu had attended the show with him. But with it so worn out after the pokemon battles that afternoon, it decided to stay in the pokemon center for rest. Stupid, Ash thought belligerently to himself. You’re unarmed.

“My name is William. But my friends call me Will,” said the young boy. “And you’re Ash Ketchum. The one the Gods chose to be master of the pokemon world.”

Ash sheepishly scratched his head. “No um. You see… that play’s not real. Not- all of it. The legendary pokemon chose me. And they just like… occasionally have me do little chores for them and whatnot. It’s not like I reap any benefits from the job.”

“How can you say that?” snapped William, startling Ash’s nervous laughter into silence. “You’re a hero! You’ve seen more legendary pokemon than any person in the whole wide world!! How can you not want to be who you are?”

The time for pleasantries had long since passed. Ash scowled, “Look kid. I don’t have to justify myself to you.”

“I’m not asking you to,” said William. He snatched a pokeball off his belt and thrust it offensively at the older trainer. “I didn’t come here to talk, Ash. I came to officially declare you my rival.”

Ash could only stare in response. Was this truly a crossroad of life? After all, that was the last thing he had expected. He had rivals before… but he was the one who declared the other his rival, never vice versa.

“Your rival?”

“Yes. Ash Ketchum, I’m going to become a pokemon master first.”

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Ash stopped in front of the microphone. The bodiless voices had long since ceased, leaving him standing before them. They waited breathlessly for his line. The one he knew by heart.

He closed his eyes and spoke softly into the microphone. It amplified his words so that he was practically swimming in the thickness of his own echo. “Though the water’s great guardian shall rise to quell the fighting,” Ash paused the words distastefully flooding from his lips. “Alone its song will fail- thus the earth shall turn to Ash.”

A sudden wind buffeted at Ash’s back. When he opened his eyes, the image of the theater had faded. He now stood in a wind swept field, plagued by a coming storm. The wind whipped up his clothes and hair just as easily as it did the waves of grass. He turned, not surprised to see the pink floating apparition before him.

“It’s you,” Ash shouted over the roar of the wind.

Mew said nothing, its blue eyes blinking innocently down upon him. Its tail whipped out just as fiercely as did the loose articles of clothing against Ash’s body. For a moment Ash figured it must not have heard him. He drew closer, unable to keep the stinging wind out of his eyes without looking away from the pokemon.

“You’re Mew, right?” Ash shouted again. “I know. I dreamt about you after I was sedated by White Ice. You told me to find you. Well, I did. Now what do you want?”

“i am sorry,” said the pokemon at last. Its soothing female voice punctured Ash’s conscious mind much quicker than before, startling the teenager. He faltered in attempt to continue approaching it.

Before Ash could manage to as why it was apologizing, the pokemon continued, “how is your leg?”

Startled again by the pokemon’s concern, Ash looked down upon his mended leg. There wasn’t even a scar where he had been struck. “Fine. Remarkably so actually… Did you-“

“i did,” responded Mew. “the injuries inflicted upon you were my fault. i couldn’t very well let you bear the burden of my consequences.”

Mew paused, as if to let the information sink in. It did, and suddenly Ash felt a flash of something close to annoyance, “You mean to say you heard me…”

“i apologize for not responding to your pleading. i had been hoping to contact you alone and had no idea that you’d be followed to my state of imprisonment. i’m afraid the information i need to impart on you cannot fall to prying ears, not even ears of your own pokemon.”

Before Ash could find a way to respond, he was distracted as Mew began to circle herself around him. Her voice sliding though mind like liquid, “i'm afraid i was forced to take drastic measures in contacting you where as before, i was hoping to simply possess the mind of your pikachu for a brief period.”

“Possess?” said Ash disturbed.

“harmless. far less harmless than the mind link i had to force upon you, chosen one.”

“I don’t understand. What do you want from me? I thought I already paid my dues!”

Mew closed its eyes sorrowfully, “i am dying.”

All of Ash’s indignation at being thrust into the dreamscape suddenly evaporated. The vision of the stormy field froze in time, raindrops frozen in mid air- captured by the rapture of the moment. Ash stared, bewildered by the change of atmosphere and the sudden declaration.

“N- no. Isn’t there… isn’t there anything I can do? Andromeda said I had the power to heal-“ He reached out his hands as if he believed that somehow- and he didn’t know how- his touch would renew Mew’s life. Like Lucario’s had done at the Tree of Beginning. Perhaps he could summon wave aura and…

Mew moved away from Ash’s hands almost angrily, “do not believe anything that human has told you. there is nothing you can do to save me from my fate.”

“B-but,” Ash sputtered, unable to bring himself to say more. Mew, sensing his distress, calmed down. She flew closer to the boy, offering a small smile with her little lips.

“do not mourn me, chosen one. only legendaries can heal legendaries. and i’m afraid i’m beyond the realm of help.”

“Then what did you call me here for? If I can do nothing to stop it?” exasperated the teenager.

“i need you to make a difficult choice. and i’m afraid, under these conditions, the choice will be constrained inside a time limit. for if i die before you make the choice- i’m afraid you’ll die too, chosen one.”

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When Ash had been shot and the electrocuted, Andromeda set off a volley of curses at the twins. Never mind that Lewis abhorred the use of violence against a fellow trainer, and such a skilled one at that. His brother’s continued rash actions left Lewis to pick up the pieces, as usual.

Before Andromeda had formed the command to her lips, Lewis radioed in the medic crew. He had scarcely had time to search the cabinets for the emergency medical kit when Ash was suddenly and miraculously healed. He, surprised just as much as the other three were, almost climbed to his feet. Until suddenly, a backwards glance at Mew sent the boy into a reeling state of shock. He buckled to the floor next to his wailing pokemon.

Lewis was there first, even though Clark was closer. He skidded next to the young man, not that much older than himself, snapping open the first aid kit as he did so. The moaning pokemon, sensing that Lewis only meant to help Ash, actually stepped back. But it didn’t cease its piteous wail for its master’s consciousness.

Lewis flipped Ash over onto his back, felt for a pulse. It was faint but not fading yet.

Now to make sure he kept breathing.

The medics burst through the doors as Lewis performed CPR on the fallen trainer. Andromeda paced angrily behind the twins, furiously ordering via radio- the team of scientists to hurry up and come rescue her mew. As the doctor relieved Lewis from duty, slipping a breathing mask over Ash’s face hooked up to a large tank of oxygen, Lewis noticed.

Mew’s brain waves were racing. But its pulse, just as Ash’s, had become faint.

“Mew’s communicating with him,” said Andromeda bitterly to the twins. “Lets hope he doesn’t die before he wakes up.”

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Ash suddenly felt numb, “A choice? You’re giving me a choice this time?”

“you’ve always had a choice, chosen one. to act or not to act. this time is no different from the last. i beseech you to accept a terrible burden. it will not be easy. the responsibility with be great and the strain on your physical body tremendous. no human before you will have carried so heavy a weight,” Mew faulted plagued by a sudden spasm.

Ash too felt something jolt inside his chest painfully. He cringed, gripping his chest- his grip tightening on his shirt at every increasing volt of pain.

“our time grows short,” cried Mew, who’s ethereal voice even sounded pained.

“Why should I accept?” said Ash through gritted teeth.

“because to decline would be an equally horrible burden and responsibility. neither way will grantee your safety, chosen one,” another spasm delayed her speech. For several moments, Ash could only focus on the pain that was hallowing out his chest. And then he heard her voice again, close to cynical amusement. “not to act is a choice as well. if you choose to die, your only hardship would be death itself.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“the pokemon attacks against humans are increasing. i am afraid i am partially to blame. while i do not harbor any ill will towards humans, my mother does not share my sentiments. i’m afraid things will only get worse once she learns of my death.”

“Mother?” Ash barely got out before another stab of pain racked his body. He collapsed to his knees. The frozen grass field instantly changing to that of infinite whiteness underneath him. He blinked past the sweat bleeding into his eyes, trying to concentrate on what Mew had revealed to him.

So the pokemon attacks were because of Mew’s imprisonment? And now that she would soon be dead, they’d only get worse… And Mews had mothers? Ash could only vaguely conceive the concept.

“i must survive death, chosen one, to ensure the safety of both our worlds. human and pokemon, mortal and immortal. i must ask- no, plead that you take my soul into your own body and harbor me safely until i can face and cease my mother’s fury myself. and…” she added as almost an afterthought, “i must find my son before she does.”

Mothers? Sons? It was all making Ash’s head spin so much that he couldn’t bare to question it, afraid that the answer would be just as confusing. Suddenly the Mew hovering in front of Ash vanished into a small glowing sphere slightly smaller than that of a ping pong ball. It hovered for a moment before flying into Ash’s waiting hands.

Ash held the hovering object, he was sure was Mew’s true form, uncertainly. “Wh-What will your soul… a pokemon soul inside me… do to me?”

Mew’s silence was hollowing. He knew the answer before she spoke, “you will no longer be human.”

“So… I’ll be turned into a pokemon?”

“not quite. you might not even notice the difference… at first. you will not be human nor pokemon. you will be something entirely new.”

Ash leveled the orb in his hand, as if weighing the options it offered. The longer he delayed his decision the more intense the waves of pain grew. He held the orb close to his lips and muttered, “Andromeda said… that to pokemon, I am already not human anymore.”

There was a deliberate silence, although Mew knew full well what the implication of his statement was. Until at last, at great length, the legendary pokemon said, “she’s wrong. you are human, chosen one. a long time ago, you were touched by a legendary’s magic- and that in turn left you with a delicious scent. we legendaries cannot resist the smell of our own kind’s magic… but, dear child- you were never not human.”

Ash smiled, unable to keep the disappointment off his face. He was going to have to lose something after all.

How easy it would be to simply crush the soul in his hand. To say, hell with the consequences! I live for me! I don’t want this burden anymore!

But Ash knew, he was trapped. Choice? What choice? There was no ignoring the fact that he had wandered into a blind alley. They knew how he’d answer. That’s why they asked.

So before the last spasm of pain could take him, Ash swallowed the marble sized soul inside himself. It caught in his throat, burning his insides as he tried to swallow it hard  down into his chest. It moved agonizingly slow down his esophagus, clinging to the walls of this throat. It clogged his airway so he couldn’t breathe. Further and further, he pushed it down until finally he felt it drop painfully into his chest.

And then…

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Ash took a deep rasping breath of air. His eyelids flew open and his body jerked upwards, the doctors quickly fought to push the suddenly conscious boy back down. He struggled weakly until Clark- or was it Lewis, grabbed his arm.

“Calm down,” the boy instructed. “You’re safe now.”

Am not, thought Ash spitefully. But his current state of exhaustion left him unable to put up much of a fight.

‘Pika pii!!’ sobbed Pikachu suddenly bypassing the doctors to cuddle against his master’s shoulder and cheek. ‘Stupid Pika pii! Stupid! How dare you do that to me! Again! I hate it when you do this to me! You stupid Pika pii! You’re so stupid!'

Despite its harsh words, it affectionately continued to rub its cheek against Ash’s own, spilling tear after thousandth tear.

“Hey Pikachu, I’m sorry I worried you buddy,” said Ash weakly stroking his pokemon with one hand.

‘Stupid!’

“Mister Ketchum is stable, ma’am,” called Lewis or Clark or whoever he was. Although Ash couldn’t crane his head to see where, Andromeda obviously was still in the room.

Ash only just heard her before he fell through the veils of consciousness.

“Good. Because my Mew is dead and I want to know why.”

After that, Ash welcomed the darkness graciously.

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To Be Continued
Please Read and Review!

I actually wrote this entire chapter in one sitting. Four hours without stopping. It was addictive! Like soda!

I’m surprised I got this many reviews even though I scarcely gave you guys a day or two to respond to the last chapter! Well, hopefully this cliffhanger wasn’t as menacing as the last.

Next chapter, Misty confronts Giovanni about his past. And Ash begins to question his new state of being inhuman.
This chapter practically wrote itself.

Cover Art by :iconmiyatoriaka: by request.

Pokemon (c) Nintendo

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PPGirl16's avatar
The Power of One? I loved that movie! I watched it in theaters when I was younger, and even got the Ancient Mew card. I've seen it several times since then; so many, in fact, that I think I can recite the whole prophesy:

"Disturb not the harmony of Fire, Ice, or Lightning, lest these Titans wreck destruction upon the world in which they clash. Though the water's great Guardian shall arise to quell the fighting, alone its song will fail, thus the Earth shall turn to ash. O Chosen One, into thine hands bring together all three. These treasures combined tame the Beast of the Sea."

Upon first hearing the legend, I thought they meant the clashing of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres would cause the world to burn to a crisp; the "turn to ash" part. I didn't think it was talking about a person by that name, much less a ten-year-old boy. As for the card, sadly, I lost it.

"You will not be human nor Pokémon. You will be something entirely new." I wonder what Mew means by that? :?