Accepting Ones' Fate
The morning after Ash ascended to his second form, his spirits were no better than the day before. The horror of killing someone weighed heavily on his mind. Not even a kiss from Latias could lighten his mood. He was afraid of his own potential. What was the point of being the one who would defend the world if it meant doing something that he hated?
Latias came to Neo, "I can't stand to see him like this. Isn't there something you can do to help him?" Neo sighed, "The only way I can help him is to help him get total control over his dark powers. He doesn't become evil, just brutal. He is still able to discern friends from enemies." He then walked towards Ash.
"Hey. You still upset about yesterday?" Ash didn't answer. "You know, Lugia may have some words of wisdom for you. Feel like paying a visit?" With a half hearted nod, Ash replied, "Sure, but I'd prefer to go alone. Could you keep an eye on everyone while I'm gone?" Neo answered, "Sure. Take your time." Ash ascended into his silver haired form and flew off for the Orange Islands. However, a pair of Team Rocket operatives were watching. "Heh, looks like the main threat is gone for now." The other one said, "Yes, and he will be in for a real surprise when he gets back. Ready, Drowzee?"
Ash reached the Orange Islands much sooner than he thought he would. He landed at the island where he first met Lugia, hoping he was still nearby. Ash called out, "Lugia! Are you there?! Please, I need to speak to you!" After a moment, the water in front of Ash began to ripple. A moment later, the majestic form of Lugia rose from the ocean and landed in front the Chosen One. "You called?" Ash embraced his old friend's face and shed a few tears. "I'm glad to see you again." Lugia replied, "So am I. I trust that your Guardian is performing his duty well?" Ash nodded, "Yeah. He does everything I tell him to. But I need to speak to you about something important." Lugia listened.
"Yesterday, I killed someone who tried to kill me. I never wanted to kill anyone before, but I couldn't stop myself." Lugia spoke, "You must not be afraid to use that power. Although the power of darkness is fearsome, it is just like the power of light. Both can be used to kill, but they can still be controlled. You will have to use the power of darkness again eventually. You must not be afraid to kill. More often than not, the only way to stop evildoers from doing harm is to destroy them. You did the right thing by killing your assailant. She would have killed all your companions right after she killed you. Including your true love." Ash felt a chill flow through him. The loss of Latias seemed like something that was unthinkable. Even if he lived, he would die of sorrow if she perished. "If you wish to protect the ones you love, you will have to use the power of darkness. In time, your full potential will be unlocked and you will have full control over your abilities. Don't be afraid. You are the only one who can destroy the ultimate evil that will appear someday." Ash embraced Lugia again. He felt much better after listening to his words of wisdom.
Lugia added, "By the way, when you return to your friends, tell Neo that his father wishes him well." Ash jumped, "FATHER?! I thought you were his brother!" Lugia laughed, "He has Lugia DNA in him, but it's not my DNA. The Lugia his creators acquired DNA from was my son! You've met him before. His name is Silver." Ash remembered the young Lugia at the Whirl Islands in the Johto region. "Oh yeah! I remember him! He sure was cute! Man, Neo is gonna flip when he learns that he has a Mom and Dad!" Lugia turned to leave, "Take care. I want to see the day where you become my Son-in-Law." Ash yelled, "Wait!" Lugia stopped. "What do you mean that I'll be your Son-in-Law?" Lugia explained, "Neo is my son, but his sister is your fiancée. Although I'm not directly related to Latias, I will still be close enough to become your Father-in-Law." Lugia was shocked to see Ash starting to cry. "What is wrong? Did I say something terrible?" Ash answered, "No. I never knew my Dad. I'm just so happy that I'll finally have one." Lugia lowered his head and gave his future Son-in-Law a gentle kiss. Ash hugged him back. "If you ever need me, you know where to find me." They said their goodbyes and parted ways. Ash couldn't wait to tell the good news to Neo.
Ash flew back towards the Hoenn region. He could imagine the look on Neo's face when he would tell him about his parents. However, when he got to Mossdeep City, he was greeted by an eerie site. All of his friends were out cold, just lying on the ground! They didn't seem to be injured, but there was something wrong. When he landed, Ash made an unnerving discovery. Neo was missing. Did he do this? Ash managed to wake Pikachu up. "Hey buddy. What happened here?" Pikachu answered, "I think it was Neo. He went crazy and attacked us. I don't know why." "Are you feeling better?" Pikachu hopped out of Ash's arms and stretched, "Yep! That nap really felt good!" Ash laughed, "Well, could you zap everyone else awake?" "OK. WAKE UP, EVERYONE!" With a Thunderbolt, Pikachu zapped everyone and they woke up instantly! After they explained what happened, Latias found a note nearby. "Guys, I think I found something!" Everyone looked at the note, "If you want to see your Guardian again, come to the southernmost part of Mossdeep." It was most likely a trap, but Ash didn't want to lose Neo.
When they got there, the gang found an armored bunker. As they approached the door, it opened. Mewtwo spoke, "They must be expecting us. I'll go first. Stay close." Ash stayed right behind Mewtwo. He was already in his first powered up state. When they entered a large, dark room, someone spoke. "Well, it has been a while since we last saw you brats. What can we do for you?" Ash yelled, "Let Neo go! We know you have him here!" Another voice answered, "Oh, sure we'll let him go. But only if he wants to go with you." The lights came on and everyone saw who the two villains were. Butch and Cassidy, two senior Team Rocket officers that had given them a lot of trouble a few times before. Also, they saw Neo standing in front of them. He had a glazed look in the eyes.
"Hey Neo! Let's go! I've got something to tell you!" Neo just stood there. Cassidy laughed, "Sorry, it looks like he doesn't want you as his master anymore. Oh yes. You do remember Drowzee, don't you?" They stepped to the sides. Everyone saw a Drowzee wearing some strange head gear inside a sturdy glass tube. It then hit Ash, "You jerks! You've got him under some kind of mind control, don't cha?!" It was the same Drowzee that was mind controlling many Pokemon on a certain island in the Orange Islands! Butch answered, "The kid's smart. Yeah, he is! We thought since the mind control device only works on Pokemon, why not try it on Team Rockets' #1 target? Sure enough, it worked like a charm! Now we have total control over the Ultimate Bioweapon!" Ash asked, "So if all you wanted was Neo, why did you want us to come here?" Cassidy smirked, "Actually, the only one we wanted to come here was you. The others don't matter." Brock then asked, "So, what do you jerks want with Ash?" Butch answered, "We were ordered to finish the job that Black Tulip could not. And who would be better for the job than XD-385?" Ash felt a sinking feeling in his gut. Neo wouldn't really try to kill him. Would he?
Cassidy snapped her fingers, "OK Neo. Your first assignment is: Destroy that brat!" To everyone's horror, Neo entered his strongest form! His eyes and hair turned Emerald green and his body was enshrouded with a fierce green aura! He made a dash for Ash! With a powerful hook, he sent Ash flying into a wall! "Sorry Neo. I won't die here!" Ash's eyes became bloodshot and his body was covered in a golden flame! He then made a lunge at Neo, who tried to intercept him with a Silver Wind attack! Ash swooped under the shot and got behind Neo! With great speed, he began circling Neo while laying powerful blows on him! However, Neo was still the stronger fighter. He grabbed Ash by the leg and began to beat him against the floor like a rag doll! He then blasted Ash in the face with Blast Burn, the deadliest Fire type attack of all! Latias looked on as her boyfriend fell to the floor.
After a moment, Ash climbed to his feet. (I don't have a choice. If I don't go all-out, I don't know what they will do to everyone else! I just hope I have better control over myself this time.) Ash let out a scream and the whole room became pitch-black! When the lights returned everyone saw that Ash's hair and become a fiery hue again and his aura had become dark blue and blood red! "Ready for Round 2?"
Ash made the first move. He slammed Neo hard with a blow that was backed with dark energy! Neo tried to counter with a double Leaf Blade attack, but Ash blocked it with what seemed to be a weapon made of dark energy! He was holding a pole of it in his hand like a sword! Latios whistled, "Hoo, looks like things are going to get interesting." At speeds that no one could keep track of, the two combatants zoomed around the room while slashing at each other! Neo tried to blast Ash with a Flamethrower, but Ash countered with a stream of dark flames fired from the palm of his hand! The battle raged on for hours. It seemed that the two were perfectly equal in these forms. Then, Ash tried something new. He threw his sword at Neo! He dodged it, but Ash just made another one! The sword of dark energy just floated in place!
Ash just stood there while holding a stream of dark energy in one hand while the other one just floated in the air behind Neo. Then, he struck. In a flurry of slashes, Ash used both swords to hack and slash away at Neo from both sides! Neo just couldn't break free! After an intense minute, Neo collapsed in a heap of pieces! No one was certain if he survived. The pieces of Neo began to shine and reform. Ash glanced over to that Drowzee and saw that he was showing signs of mental fatigue. He then slapped himself on the face. "Duh! That Drowzee was controlling Neo directly the whole time! No wonder he couldn't break free of that attack!" With a sweep of his arm, Ash created another break in the dimensional field near the glass capsule and blasted it with a burst of dark energy! It had no problem tearing through the reinforced tube. The Drowzee survived, but the mind controlling head gear was totaled.
Once Neo was back in one piece, he looked around in a daze. He then saw Ash standing in front of him. He was still in his dark state. "Uh, Master? What are you doing?" May yelled, "He spoke! He must be back to normal!" Just then, he saw the two Rocket members trying to sneak away. He asked Ash, "May I?" Ash replied, "Be my guest." Neo Teleported over to them, scaring the heck out of them. "You think I'm going to let you freaks off the hook after you turned me against my own master?! Think again!" Despite their pleas, Neo began pummeling them with his fists! After a good minute, everyone left the bunker, leaving the battered Rockets alone. They would be sore for a long time.
After everyone checked into the hotel for the night, Ash decided to tell Neo about Lugia. "So Ash, did Lugia give you any words of wisdom?" Ash replied, "Yep. That's why I used the power of darkness against you. Also, your Dad says "HI"." Neo looked at him funny, "MY DAD? Sorry to break it to you, Ash, but I don't have any parents." Ash laughed, "That's what you think! You have Lugia DNA in you, right? Well, that DNA wasn't obtained from the Lugia you are thinking of! It was taken from his son! I even met him once in the Whirl Islands. His name is Silver. And since he is your brother, Lugia is your Dad! Also, Silver's Mom is your Mom, too!" Neo began to laugh hysterically, "NO WAY! I have a Mom and Dad?! HA HA HA! Man, life sure does surprise you sometimes, huh?! Oh, I'd like to meet him someday!"
That night, Ash began to plot a strategy for his next Gym battle. He asked Mewtwo and Latios to not participate in it since they were just too strong. Latias asked Ash, "Could I fight next time?" Ash replied, "Are you sure? I really don't want to see you get hurt." Latias embraced him, "Don't worry. The only way I'll get stronger is through battling. I want to get stronger so I can protect you. Is that all right with you?" Ash answered, "OK. But if you get in over your head, I'll call off the match." Latias gave him a grateful kiss. In the next room, Bayleef was troubled by the recent turn of events. It wasn't Neo that Team Rocket was targeting; it was her one true love, Ash! She was also upset that she wasn't nearly as strong as the three other Pokemon that were traveling with them. She promised herself, she would find someway to get stronger. She then came up with an idea that involved Neo and a certain place she had seen that day. She finally fell asleep, dreaming of days with her trainer.
Meanwhile, Giovanni had gotten word of the failed attempts to capture XD-385 and destroy Ash. "That does it. If I can't have that Bioweapon, then no one can. I'll capture him myself." He contacted his researchers and ordered them to prepare the experiment. (It won't be long now. In a few weeks, I will become this worlds' ruler!)
Latias came to Neo, "I can't stand to see him like this. Isn't there something you can do to help him?" Neo sighed, "The only way I can help him is to help him get total control over his dark powers. He doesn't become evil, just brutal. He is still able to discern friends from enemies." He then walked towards Ash.
"Hey. You still upset about yesterday?" Ash didn't answer. "You know, Lugia may have some words of wisdom for you. Feel like paying a visit?" With a half hearted nod, Ash replied, "Sure, but I'd prefer to go alone. Could you keep an eye on everyone while I'm gone?" Neo answered, "Sure. Take your time." Ash ascended into his silver haired form and flew off for the Orange Islands. However, a pair of Team Rocket operatives were watching. "Heh, looks like the main threat is gone for now." The other one said, "Yes, and he will be in for a real surprise when he gets back. Ready, Drowzee?"
Ash reached the Orange Islands much sooner than he thought he would. He landed at the island where he first met Lugia, hoping he was still nearby. Ash called out, "Lugia! Are you there?! Please, I need to speak to you!" After a moment, the water in front of Ash began to ripple. A moment later, the majestic form of Lugia rose from the ocean and landed in front the Chosen One. "You called?" Ash embraced his old friend's face and shed a few tears. "I'm glad to see you again." Lugia replied, "So am I. I trust that your Guardian is performing his duty well?" Ash nodded, "Yeah. He does everything I tell him to. But I need to speak to you about something important." Lugia listened.
"Yesterday, I killed someone who tried to kill me. I never wanted to kill anyone before, but I couldn't stop myself." Lugia spoke, "You must not be afraid to use that power. Although the power of darkness is fearsome, it is just like the power of light. Both can be used to kill, but they can still be controlled. You will have to use the power of darkness again eventually. You must not be afraid to kill. More often than not, the only way to stop evildoers from doing harm is to destroy them. You did the right thing by killing your assailant. She would have killed all your companions right after she killed you. Including your true love." Ash felt a chill flow through him. The loss of Latias seemed like something that was unthinkable. Even if he lived, he would die of sorrow if she perished. "If you wish to protect the ones you love, you will have to use the power of darkness. In time, your full potential will be unlocked and you will have full control over your abilities. Don't be afraid. You are the only one who can destroy the ultimate evil that will appear someday." Ash embraced Lugia again. He felt much better after listening to his words of wisdom.
Lugia added, "By the way, when you return to your friends, tell Neo that his father wishes him well." Ash jumped, "FATHER?! I thought you were his brother!" Lugia laughed, "He has Lugia DNA in him, but it's not my DNA. The Lugia his creators acquired DNA from was my son! You've met him before. His name is Silver." Ash remembered the young Lugia at the Whirl Islands in the Johto region. "Oh yeah! I remember him! He sure was cute! Man, Neo is gonna flip when he learns that he has a Mom and Dad!" Lugia turned to leave, "Take care. I want to see the day where you become my Son-in-Law." Ash yelled, "Wait!" Lugia stopped. "What do you mean that I'll be your Son-in-Law?" Lugia explained, "Neo is my son, but his sister is your fiancée. Although I'm not directly related to Latias, I will still be close enough to become your Father-in-Law." Lugia was shocked to see Ash starting to cry. "What is wrong? Did I say something terrible?" Ash answered, "No. I never knew my Dad. I'm just so happy that I'll finally have one." Lugia lowered his head and gave his future Son-in-Law a gentle kiss. Ash hugged him back. "If you ever need me, you know where to find me." They said their goodbyes and parted ways. Ash couldn't wait to tell the good news to Neo.
Ash flew back towards the Hoenn region. He could imagine the look on Neo's face when he would tell him about his parents. However, when he got to Mossdeep City, he was greeted by an eerie site. All of his friends were out cold, just lying on the ground! They didn't seem to be injured, but there was something wrong. When he landed, Ash made an unnerving discovery. Neo was missing. Did he do this? Ash managed to wake Pikachu up. "Hey buddy. What happened here?" Pikachu answered, "I think it was Neo. He went crazy and attacked us. I don't know why." "Are you feeling better?" Pikachu hopped out of Ash's arms and stretched, "Yep! That nap really felt good!" Ash laughed, "Well, could you zap everyone else awake?" "OK. WAKE UP, EVERYONE!" With a Thunderbolt, Pikachu zapped everyone and they woke up instantly! After they explained what happened, Latias found a note nearby. "Guys, I think I found something!" Everyone looked at the note, "If you want to see your Guardian again, come to the southernmost part of Mossdeep." It was most likely a trap, but Ash didn't want to lose Neo.
When they got there, the gang found an armored bunker. As they approached the door, it opened. Mewtwo spoke, "They must be expecting us. I'll go first. Stay close." Ash stayed right behind Mewtwo. He was already in his first powered up state. When they entered a large, dark room, someone spoke. "Well, it has been a while since we last saw you brats. What can we do for you?" Ash yelled, "Let Neo go! We know you have him here!" Another voice answered, "Oh, sure we'll let him go. But only if he wants to go with you." The lights came on and everyone saw who the two villains were. Butch and Cassidy, two senior Team Rocket officers that had given them a lot of trouble a few times before. Also, they saw Neo standing in front of them. He had a glazed look in the eyes.
"Hey Neo! Let's go! I've got something to tell you!" Neo just stood there. Cassidy laughed, "Sorry, it looks like he doesn't want you as his master anymore. Oh yes. You do remember Drowzee, don't you?" They stepped to the sides. Everyone saw a Drowzee wearing some strange head gear inside a sturdy glass tube. It then hit Ash, "You jerks! You've got him under some kind of mind control, don't cha?!" It was the same Drowzee that was mind controlling many Pokemon on a certain island in the Orange Islands! Butch answered, "The kid's smart. Yeah, he is! We thought since the mind control device only works on Pokemon, why not try it on Team Rockets' #1 target? Sure enough, it worked like a charm! Now we have total control over the Ultimate Bioweapon!" Ash asked, "So if all you wanted was Neo, why did you want us to come here?" Cassidy smirked, "Actually, the only one we wanted to come here was you. The others don't matter." Brock then asked, "So, what do you jerks want with Ash?" Butch answered, "We were ordered to finish the job that Black Tulip could not. And who would be better for the job than XD-385?" Ash felt a sinking feeling in his gut. Neo wouldn't really try to kill him. Would he?
Cassidy snapped her fingers, "OK Neo. Your first assignment is: Destroy that brat!" To everyone's horror, Neo entered his strongest form! His eyes and hair turned Emerald green and his body was enshrouded with a fierce green aura! He made a dash for Ash! With a powerful hook, he sent Ash flying into a wall! "Sorry Neo. I won't die here!" Ash's eyes became bloodshot and his body was covered in a golden flame! He then made a lunge at Neo, who tried to intercept him with a Silver Wind attack! Ash swooped under the shot and got behind Neo! With great speed, he began circling Neo while laying powerful blows on him! However, Neo was still the stronger fighter. He grabbed Ash by the leg and began to beat him against the floor like a rag doll! He then blasted Ash in the face with Blast Burn, the deadliest Fire type attack of all! Latias looked on as her boyfriend fell to the floor.
After a moment, Ash climbed to his feet. (I don't have a choice. If I don't go all-out, I don't know what they will do to everyone else! I just hope I have better control over myself this time.) Ash let out a scream and the whole room became pitch-black! When the lights returned everyone saw that Ash's hair and become a fiery hue again and his aura had become dark blue and blood red! "Ready for Round 2?"
Ash made the first move. He slammed Neo hard with a blow that was backed with dark energy! Neo tried to counter with a double Leaf Blade attack, but Ash blocked it with what seemed to be a weapon made of dark energy! He was holding a pole of it in his hand like a sword! Latios whistled, "Hoo, looks like things are going to get interesting." At speeds that no one could keep track of, the two combatants zoomed around the room while slashing at each other! Neo tried to blast Ash with a Flamethrower, but Ash countered with a stream of dark flames fired from the palm of his hand! The battle raged on for hours. It seemed that the two were perfectly equal in these forms. Then, Ash tried something new. He threw his sword at Neo! He dodged it, but Ash just made another one! The sword of dark energy just floated in place!
Ash just stood there while holding a stream of dark energy in one hand while the other one just floated in the air behind Neo. Then, he struck. In a flurry of slashes, Ash used both swords to hack and slash away at Neo from both sides! Neo just couldn't break free! After an intense minute, Neo collapsed in a heap of pieces! No one was certain if he survived. The pieces of Neo began to shine and reform. Ash glanced over to that Drowzee and saw that he was showing signs of mental fatigue. He then slapped himself on the face. "Duh! That Drowzee was controlling Neo directly the whole time! No wonder he couldn't break free of that attack!" With a sweep of his arm, Ash created another break in the dimensional field near the glass capsule and blasted it with a burst of dark energy! It had no problem tearing through the reinforced tube. The Drowzee survived, but the mind controlling head gear was totaled.
Once Neo was back in one piece, he looked around in a daze. He then saw Ash standing in front of him. He was still in his dark state. "Uh, Master? What are you doing?" May yelled, "He spoke! He must be back to normal!" Just then, he saw the two Rocket members trying to sneak away. He asked Ash, "May I?" Ash replied, "Be my guest." Neo Teleported over to them, scaring the heck out of them. "You think I'm going to let you freaks off the hook after you turned me against my own master?! Think again!" Despite their pleas, Neo began pummeling them with his fists! After a good minute, everyone left the bunker, leaving the battered Rockets alone. They would be sore for a long time.
After everyone checked into the hotel for the night, Ash decided to tell Neo about Lugia. "So Ash, did Lugia give you any words of wisdom?" Ash replied, "Yep. That's why I used the power of darkness against you. Also, your Dad says "HI"." Neo looked at him funny, "MY DAD? Sorry to break it to you, Ash, but I don't have any parents." Ash laughed, "That's what you think! You have Lugia DNA in you, right? Well, that DNA wasn't obtained from the Lugia you are thinking of! It was taken from his son! I even met him once in the Whirl Islands. His name is Silver. And since he is your brother, Lugia is your Dad! Also, Silver's Mom is your Mom, too!" Neo began to laugh hysterically, "NO WAY! I have a Mom and Dad?! HA HA HA! Man, life sure does surprise you sometimes, huh?! Oh, I'd like to meet him someday!"
That night, Ash began to plot a strategy for his next Gym battle. He asked Mewtwo and Latios to not participate in it since they were just too strong. Latias asked Ash, "Could I fight next time?" Ash replied, "Are you sure? I really don't want to see you get hurt." Latias embraced him, "Don't worry. The only way I'll get stronger is through battling. I want to get stronger so I can protect you. Is that all right with you?" Ash answered, "OK. But if you get in over your head, I'll call off the match." Latias gave him a grateful kiss. In the next room, Bayleef was troubled by the recent turn of events. It wasn't Neo that Team Rocket was targeting; it was her one true love, Ash! She was also upset that she wasn't nearly as strong as the three other Pokemon that were traveling with them. She promised herself, she would find someway to get stronger. She then came up with an idea that involved Neo and a certain place she had seen that day. She finally fell asleep, dreaming of days with her trainer.
Meanwhile, Giovanni had gotten word of the failed attempts to capture XD-385 and destroy Ash. "That does it. If I can't have that Bioweapon, then no one can. I'll capture him myself." He contacted his researchers and ordered them to prepare the experiment. (It won't be long now. In a few weeks, I will become this worlds' ruler!)