Farewell to the Guardian
Throughout the Hoenn region, Pokemon were celebrating the Chosen One's triumph over the Nightmare. From the brink of death, he had tapped into his full potential and destroyed him, removing him from existence, forever. However, Ash Ketchum, the Chosen One himself, was anything but pleased. Through his success at fulfilling his destiny, he had lost his Guardian. Even though he had saved the Earth, he felt like a failure.
Ash gripped his closest friend's corpse while sobbing heavily. His fiancé, Latias, as well as his closest friends stood by, silently mourning their brother's death. Mewtwo thought, "He was so young. Why did he have to die?" Suddenly, the ground began to quake. When everyone looked at Ash, they saw that the red and black flames had enveloped his body again! A massive shockwave sent everyone backwards as Ash began to scream at the top of his lungs. Tears where falling from his face as he felt a surge of sorrow, loss, rage, and hatred for himself. The entire planet felt like it was falling to pieces!
Bayleef struggled to climb to her feet while being buffeted by strong winds, "What's wrong with him?! Why is he doing this?!" Latios yelled, "I don't know, but if we don't calm him down soon, he'll shake this whole planet until it falls apart!" Only Latias had the courage to approach Ash while braving his surging dark aura. After a few heart stopping minutes, she managed to place her arm on his shoulder. "Ash, I know it hurts! I know what it's like to lose someone dear to you! But you still have us! We won't leave you! Neo did not die in vain. It was not your fault!" Bit by bit, Ash's aura became weaker and weaker. Soon, it completely disappeared and his armor returned to being his normal clothing. His white hair returned to normal length and turned black again. When Ash opened his eyes, they were the gentle brown color that Latias loved so much.
Bayleef, Latios, and Mewtwo approached their friend to try to keep him calm. Suddenly, Ash yelled, "You don't get it! I'm the one who let Neo die! I could have saved him, but I choked!" He started to cry again and fell to his knees. Mewtwo spoke, "Perhaps you could have saved him, but look." Ash looked at Neo's corpse and was shocked by what he overlooked. Even in death, he was smiling. "You see, the only thing that mattered to him was your survival. He died happy, knowing that you would live on. Don't dishonor his sacrifice." At last, Ash stopped crying. He wiped his tears away and embraced Mewtwo, "Thanks. I needed that." Mewtwo patted his back, "My pleasure."
Ash let go of Mewtwo and turned to Groundon, who was still nearby. "Groundon, I need a chunk of rock." As directed, he thrust his massive claw underground and yanked up a solid piece of bedrock. Ash took it and set it next to the tree were Neo had fallen. Next he summoned his sword, which still glowed an eerie gold. With a single swing, he created a shallow hole next to the tree. Oh so gently, he laid Neo's body in it and began to cover it with the dirt he had removed. "Neo..... I'm sorry that I let you die. You always wanted me to be happy, and even threw your own life away for it. I'll never forget you." Once Neo's corpse had been laid to rest, Ash took the chunk of rock and embedded it into the ground at the end of the fresh dirt. Then, using his sword, carved out a few words in the makeshift tombstone. "Goodbye.....my friend." Neo's brothers and sisters gathered around the grave to pay their final respects. After they had said their farewell's, Ash spoke to his friends, "I know this sounds cold, but don't tell anyone what happened to Neo, especially Amber and Onyx." Latias agreed, as did everyone else. They were only a few days old and would probably not understand. Lastly, Ho-oh came forward. After spreading her wings, she shed some of her rainbow-colored feathers over the grave, which seemed to absorb them. "Rest in peace, my beloved child." To Ho-oh, Neo was not her brother, but her son. Soon, Ash thanked his many friends before they returned to their homes. He then began to walk towards Ever Grande City, where his friends and children were waiting for him. Mew two, Latias, Latios, and Bayleef stayed close by. On the tombstone, there were just these words, "Here rests Neo, the Guardian of the Chosen One. Born a Destroyer, lived a Guardian, died a hero."
As soon as Ash and his friends and fiancé came within their sight, Amber, Onyx, Pikachu, and all of Ash's other Pokemon came running over to him. Amber and Onyx couldn't stop themselves from crying as they embraced their mother and father. "Mommy, Daddy, we were so worried!" Latias whispered, "Shhhhh, we are all right, my babies. Daddy made sure we would be fine." Ash tried to smile, but was not doing a very good job of it. As soon as they all reached the rest of their friends, May burst into tears and embraced Ash. She couldn't even speak, she was that relieved to see him alive. Max spoke, "Are you really OK, Ash? Hey, where's Neo?" Everyone looked at him. Ash tried to smile again, "He had some business to take care of back in Mossdeep City. He'll be back." Max breathed a sigh of relief, "That's cool. I almost thought he was dead for a second!" Ash left out a nervous laugh.
Meowth suddenly ran up to Ash, "Wait a sec! Where's da Boss?!" James added, "Yeah, you should know! Where is he?!" A moment passed before Ash looked at Team Rocket with a cold stare, "Your boss..........................is dead." Team Rocket was in shock. Brock asked, "Ash, did you really...?" Ash looked downwards, "I didn't have a choice." Latios spoke after a moment of silence, "He had to kill him. He even claimed he was going to give us "Special Treatment". Finally, Ash said, "Well, I guess I'll go register now. I don't want to miss the competition after everything I've gone through." As Ash walked through the gates, Jessie shouted, "Wait!" Ash sighed, "What now?" All three of them dropped to their knees, "Well... We don't have anywhere to go now. Team Rocket is gone. Please, let us come with you! We'll make it up to you some how!" Ash thought about it for a moment, and then said, "Fine, you can come with us. But if you try anything stupid....." Team Rocket froze at the sight of Ash's eyes turning completely white again. "You can figure it out." After Ash's eyes returned to normal, Team Rocket grasped his legs, giddily thanking him for giving them a second chance. Bayleef muttered, "That's the Ash I fell in love with. Always so forgiving."
After registering and checking into a hotel, which was free for participating Trainers and their companions, Ash locked himself in his bedroom. As he thought back, he could feel more and more hatred for himself. "Neo... You did so much for me... You brought me and Latias together. You brought Latios back from the dead. You helped me and Mewtwo become friends. And, in return, I....." Suddenly, Ash heard knocking on the window. When he looked up, he saw Amber and Onyx floating outside. After letting them in, they tackled him playfully to the bed! Ash let out a slight chuckle.
As Ash hugged his two children, Amber whispered, "I love you, Daddy." This caught Ash by surprise. Onyx added, "I love you too, Daddy." Suddenly, Ash felt tears dripping onto his face. "Daddy, don't ever leave us and Mommy again. Please." Ash grinned a little, "Hey, I'm really sorry if I worried you, but I'm fine now. You're my kids and I want to be a good Dad to you, even if I'm still a kid myself." Amber and Onyx looked up at him with a baffled look. "Really?" Ash let out a good laugh, "Yeah! I guess you can't count yet, but I'm still just twelve years old! Hahahaha!" Amber and Onyx giggled. Their own Dad could relate to them better than they thought. Onyx asked, "Daddy, what's that?" He pointed to a red plastic object sticking out of his backpack. "Oh, that's my Pokedex. It has info on a lot of different Pokemon. Want to see?" His two children squealed and flew over to it and carried it back to their father. For the next hour, Ash showed his children as much data as he could find in the Pokedex.
Late that night, Ash stayed up. The guilt of having let his Guardian die still weighed heavily on his mind. He had tucked his kids into bed and gave them both a goodnight kiss. Latias had gone to bed after Ash told her that he would be along shortly. In fact, it had been over an hour. "I could have saved him. I could have... but I....." Ash was startled by the sound of footsteps behind him. When he turned around, he blushed at the sight of May in a nightgown. They were on the roof of the hotel. Pikachu had accompanied her and seemed really sleepy.
May yawned, "Ash, what are you doing up so late? It's not like you to stay up like this." Ash remained silent for a moment and replied, "I just needed some air. That's all." May's tone turned serious, "No it's not! There's something you're not telling me." Ash began to sweat a little, "What are you talking about?" May looked hurt, "I've seen you depressed before, but not like this. Even after you killed Black Tulip, your depression was different from this." Pikachu looked up at May and then at Ash. May then said, "Something happened to Neo. Tell me. Where is he?!" Ash sighed, "Fine, I'll tell you. But you have to promise to keep this a secret from everyone, especially Amber and Onyx. Pikachu, the same goes for you." They both nodded. "Neo.....is not coming back. The Nightmare.....he killed him." May just stood there. Pikachu just muttered something, and then fell silent. Finally, May spoke, "You're lying. Neo is immortal! He can't die!" Ash tearfully explained everything that happened to his two friends. At the end, they were both in tears.
"So.....that's why. I see why you don't want your babies to know about it. They would be devastated." Ash nodded. "By the way, where is his grave?" Just as he was about to answer, Ash noticed an Emerald green glow coming from outside the city, near where he buried Neo. "Uh, over there." May was shocked by the weird glow. "Is that normal?" Ash shook his head, "I dunno, but I know he's dead. That glow is probably nothing. Well, I'm going to bed. Good night May, Pikachu." Ash went back downstairs and joined his fiancé in bed, leaving a stunned Pikachu and May on the roof, shaken by news of Neo's death.
A few days later, Ash slept later than he usually did. When he walked downstairs to the lobby, he heard, "So master, you ready to show the world your Trainer skills?" Ash's heart leapt. He looked over to one of the sofas, where he heard the voice. For an instant, he saw his best friend and Guardian, Neo. But reality caught up with Ash's mind, and Neo's image vanished. Ash almost felt like crying. Life without Neo seemed unbearable now. "Ash!" Ash looked over to his group of friends who were having breakfast. "Hi, Daddy! We saved you some doughnuts!" Ash walked over and sat down, halfheartedly nibbling on a doughnut.
Brock spoke first, "Hey Ash, did you know that the tournament started today?" Ash glanced over to him. Brock went on, "Lucky for you, your opponent called in sick and you won by default. Pretty lucky, if you ask me." Ash didn't care. He had lost almost all interest in battling. Suddenly, he noticed that May and Pikachu were not present. "Hey, where's May and Pikachu?" James spoke, "Oh, they went out somewhere. They said they would be back in under an hour. Hm? What's with the stare?" Ash replied, "I completely forgot about you three."
May and Pikachu were not far from the battlefield where the planet's fate was decided. May had picked out a bouquet of flowers to place on Neo's grave. However, she wasn't sure if she wanted to see the grave of a good friend. However, when she came within sight of the gravestone, both she and Pikachu stopped. May muttered, "Oh no..... He's been....." May dropped her bunch of flowers before running straight back to Ever Grande city.
Ash, Laitas, and Bayleef were watching some TV to pass the time. Suddenly, there was something banging on the door to their room! "ASH! OPEN UP!" Ash opened the door to see May and Pikachu looking like they had seen a ghost. "What's up?" After taking a seat and catching her breath, May went on, "Neo's grave! He...it..." Ash interrupted, "What? Couldn't you find it?" Pikachu spoke, even though May couldn't understand him, "It was empty! Someone dug up his grave!" Everyone in the room froze. "He was...grave robbed?!" This was bad. If Team Magma or Team Aqua had retrieved his corpse, they may be able to use his DNA to craft a more obedient clone to conquer the planet!
Ash stuttered, "This is bad... Really bad!" Before anyone could say anything, Bayleef yelled, "Ash! You have to see this!" On the television, a reporter spoke, "We have just seen all the preliminaries completed. One Trainer in particular really stood out. He won the match without a single attack striking his Pokemon! What was more; he used only one throughout the entire match! Let's get some words from this prodigy. Axl, do you think you'll have any trouble reaching the finals?" The camera moved to capture the face of the boy the reporter was referring to. As soon as Axl could be seen, Ash, Pikachu, Bayleef and Latias stared dumbfounded at the screen. "Oh, I think the only opponent I have to worry about is Ash Ketchum! He is my brother, after all." The reporter wrapped things up, "There you have it, everyone! From Axl Ketchum himself, he seems to have his eyes set on one opponent. But will he be able to defeat his next opponent and meet his brother in the finals?! We'll see tomorrow, when the semifinals occur. Until then, this is reporter Gabby, signing off."
Everyone in the room screamed, "AXL KETCHUM?!" Latias yelled, "Ash, he looks and sounds just like you! Do you really have a twin brother?!" Ash replied, "No way! If I had a twin brother, I would know! But did you see his clothes?! They were the same ones that I wore when I was taking the last three League challenges! How did he get those?!" Just then, the phone to the room ran. When Ash answered it, he heard his Mom speaking, "Ash! Who was that on TV just now?!" Ash answered, "I have no idea! Those clothes he's wearing! Did he steal them from the house!?" Delia answered, "No. I just went upstairs and checked your room. Your clothes and hat are right where I left them." Ash was silent for a moment. "Mom, I don't know who that guy is, but I'll be sure to make it to the finals to ask him myself. See ya, Mom."
"This "Axl" Ketchum...... Who is he? And what connection does he have with Ash? Is he really a long lost brother? I guess it would be pretty interesting if he was, but I really doubt it." Latias couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was in store for them. Ash yelled, "Heh, if that Axl guy wants to meet me in the finals, well, bring it on! I'll make sure to beat the next opponent without them forfeiting!" Latias giggled, "I was wondering where the Ash I fell in love with disappeared to!" Ash smiled, "Yeah, I feel a lot better now. This time..... I will become the Champ! My dream is to become the world's greatest Pokemon Master! I've waited long enough! This time, the world will learn the name, Ash Ketchum!"
Ash gripped his closest friend's corpse while sobbing heavily. His fiancé, Latias, as well as his closest friends stood by, silently mourning their brother's death. Mewtwo thought, "He was so young. Why did he have to die?" Suddenly, the ground began to quake. When everyone looked at Ash, they saw that the red and black flames had enveloped his body again! A massive shockwave sent everyone backwards as Ash began to scream at the top of his lungs. Tears where falling from his face as he felt a surge of sorrow, loss, rage, and hatred for himself. The entire planet felt like it was falling to pieces!
Bayleef struggled to climb to her feet while being buffeted by strong winds, "What's wrong with him?! Why is he doing this?!" Latios yelled, "I don't know, but if we don't calm him down soon, he'll shake this whole planet until it falls apart!" Only Latias had the courage to approach Ash while braving his surging dark aura. After a few heart stopping minutes, she managed to place her arm on his shoulder. "Ash, I know it hurts! I know what it's like to lose someone dear to you! But you still have us! We won't leave you! Neo did not die in vain. It was not your fault!" Bit by bit, Ash's aura became weaker and weaker. Soon, it completely disappeared and his armor returned to being his normal clothing. His white hair returned to normal length and turned black again. When Ash opened his eyes, they were the gentle brown color that Latias loved so much.
Bayleef, Latios, and Mewtwo approached their friend to try to keep him calm. Suddenly, Ash yelled, "You don't get it! I'm the one who let Neo die! I could have saved him, but I choked!" He started to cry again and fell to his knees. Mewtwo spoke, "Perhaps you could have saved him, but look." Ash looked at Neo's corpse and was shocked by what he overlooked. Even in death, he was smiling. "You see, the only thing that mattered to him was your survival. He died happy, knowing that you would live on. Don't dishonor his sacrifice." At last, Ash stopped crying. He wiped his tears away and embraced Mewtwo, "Thanks. I needed that." Mewtwo patted his back, "My pleasure."
Ash let go of Mewtwo and turned to Groundon, who was still nearby. "Groundon, I need a chunk of rock." As directed, he thrust his massive claw underground and yanked up a solid piece of bedrock. Ash took it and set it next to the tree were Neo had fallen. Next he summoned his sword, which still glowed an eerie gold. With a single swing, he created a shallow hole next to the tree. Oh so gently, he laid Neo's body in it and began to cover it with the dirt he had removed. "Neo..... I'm sorry that I let you die. You always wanted me to be happy, and even threw your own life away for it. I'll never forget you." Once Neo's corpse had been laid to rest, Ash took the chunk of rock and embedded it into the ground at the end of the fresh dirt. Then, using his sword, carved out a few words in the makeshift tombstone. "Goodbye.....my friend." Neo's brothers and sisters gathered around the grave to pay their final respects. After they had said their farewell's, Ash spoke to his friends, "I know this sounds cold, but don't tell anyone what happened to Neo, especially Amber and Onyx." Latias agreed, as did everyone else. They were only a few days old and would probably not understand. Lastly, Ho-oh came forward. After spreading her wings, she shed some of her rainbow-colored feathers over the grave, which seemed to absorb them. "Rest in peace, my beloved child." To Ho-oh, Neo was not her brother, but her son. Soon, Ash thanked his many friends before they returned to their homes. He then began to walk towards Ever Grande City, where his friends and children were waiting for him. Mew two, Latias, Latios, and Bayleef stayed close by. On the tombstone, there were just these words, "Here rests Neo, the Guardian of the Chosen One. Born a Destroyer, lived a Guardian, died a hero."
As soon as Ash and his friends and fiancé came within their sight, Amber, Onyx, Pikachu, and all of Ash's other Pokemon came running over to him. Amber and Onyx couldn't stop themselves from crying as they embraced their mother and father. "Mommy, Daddy, we were so worried!" Latias whispered, "Shhhhh, we are all right, my babies. Daddy made sure we would be fine." Ash tried to smile, but was not doing a very good job of it. As soon as they all reached the rest of their friends, May burst into tears and embraced Ash. She couldn't even speak, she was that relieved to see him alive. Max spoke, "Are you really OK, Ash? Hey, where's Neo?" Everyone looked at him. Ash tried to smile again, "He had some business to take care of back in Mossdeep City. He'll be back." Max breathed a sigh of relief, "That's cool. I almost thought he was dead for a second!" Ash left out a nervous laugh.
Meowth suddenly ran up to Ash, "Wait a sec! Where's da Boss?!" James added, "Yeah, you should know! Where is he?!" A moment passed before Ash looked at Team Rocket with a cold stare, "Your boss..........................is dead." Team Rocket was in shock. Brock asked, "Ash, did you really...?" Ash looked downwards, "I didn't have a choice." Latios spoke after a moment of silence, "He had to kill him. He even claimed he was going to give us "Special Treatment". Finally, Ash said, "Well, I guess I'll go register now. I don't want to miss the competition after everything I've gone through." As Ash walked through the gates, Jessie shouted, "Wait!" Ash sighed, "What now?" All three of them dropped to their knees, "Well... We don't have anywhere to go now. Team Rocket is gone. Please, let us come with you! We'll make it up to you some how!" Ash thought about it for a moment, and then said, "Fine, you can come with us. But if you try anything stupid....." Team Rocket froze at the sight of Ash's eyes turning completely white again. "You can figure it out." After Ash's eyes returned to normal, Team Rocket grasped his legs, giddily thanking him for giving them a second chance. Bayleef muttered, "That's the Ash I fell in love with. Always so forgiving."
After registering and checking into a hotel, which was free for participating Trainers and their companions, Ash locked himself in his bedroom. As he thought back, he could feel more and more hatred for himself. "Neo... You did so much for me... You brought me and Latias together. You brought Latios back from the dead. You helped me and Mewtwo become friends. And, in return, I....." Suddenly, Ash heard knocking on the window. When he looked up, he saw Amber and Onyx floating outside. After letting them in, they tackled him playfully to the bed! Ash let out a slight chuckle.
As Ash hugged his two children, Amber whispered, "I love you, Daddy." This caught Ash by surprise. Onyx added, "I love you too, Daddy." Suddenly, Ash felt tears dripping onto his face. "Daddy, don't ever leave us and Mommy again. Please." Ash grinned a little, "Hey, I'm really sorry if I worried you, but I'm fine now. You're my kids and I want to be a good Dad to you, even if I'm still a kid myself." Amber and Onyx looked up at him with a baffled look. "Really?" Ash let out a good laugh, "Yeah! I guess you can't count yet, but I'm still just twelve years old! Hahahaha!" Amber and Onyx giggled. Their own Dad could relate to them better than they thought. Onyx asked, "Daddy, what's that?" He pointed to a red plastic object sticking out of his backpack. "Oh, that's my Pokedex. It has info on a lot of different Pokemon. Want to see?" His two children squealed and flew over to it and carried it back to their father. For the next hour, Ash showed his children as much data as he could find in the Pokedex.
Late that night, Ash stayed up. The guilt of having let his Guardian die still weighed heavily on his mind. He had tucked his kids into bed and gave them both a goodnight kiss. Latias had gone to bed after Ash told her that he would be along shortly. In fact, it had been over an hour. "I could have saved him. I could have... but I....." Ash was startled by the sound of footsteps behind him. When he turned around, he blushed at the sight of May in a nightgown. They were on the roof of the hotel. Pikachu had accompanied her and seemed really sleepy.
May yawned, "Ash, what are you doing up so late? It's not like you to stay up like this." Ash remained silent for a moment and replied, "I just needed some air. That's all." May's tone turned serious, "No it's not! There's something you're not telling me." Ash began to sweat a little, "What are you talking about?" May looked hurt, "I've seen you depressed before, but not like this. Even after you killed Black Tulip, your depression was different from this." Pikachu looked up at May and then at Ash. May then said, "Something happened to Neo. Tell me. Where is he?!" Ash sighed, "Fine, I'll tell you. But you have to promise to keep this a secret from everyone, especially Amber and Onyx. Pikachu, the same goes for you." They both nodded. "Neo.....is not coming back. The Nightmare.....he killed him." May just stood there. Pikachu just muttered something, and then fell silent. Finally, May spoke, "You're lying. Neo is immortal! He can't die!" Ash tearfully explained everything that happened to his two friends. At the end, they were both in tears.
"So.....that's why. I see why you don't want your babies to know about it. They would be devastated." Ash nodded. "By the way, where is his grave?" Just as he was about to answer, Ash noticed an Emerald green glow coming from outside the city, near where he buried Neo. "Uh, over there." May was shocked by the weird glow. "Is that normal?" Ash shook his head, "I dunno, but I know he's dead. That glow is probably nothing. Well, I'm going to bed. Good night May, Pikachu." Ash went back downstairs and joined his fiancé in bed, leaving a stunned Pikachu and May on the roof, shaken by news of Neo's death.
A few days later, Ash slept later than he usually did. When he walked downstairs to the lobby, he heard, "So master, you ready to show the world your Trainer skills?" Ash's heart leapt. He looked over to one of the sofas, where he heard the voice. For an instant, he saw his best friend and Guardian, Neo. But reality caught up with Ash's mind, and Neo's image vanished. Ash almost felt like crying. Life without Neo seemed unbearable now. "Ash!" Ash looked over to his group of friends who were having breakfast. "Hi, Daddy! We saved you some doughnuts!" Ash walked over and sat down, halfheartedly nibbling on a doughnut.
Brock spoke first, "Hey Ash, did you know that the tournament started today?" Ash glanced over to him. Brock went on, "Lucky for you, your opponent called in sick and you won by default. Pretty lucky, if you ask me." Ash didn't care. He had lost almost all interest in battling. Suddenly, he noticed that May and Pikachu were not present. "Hey, where's May and Pikachu?" James spoke, "Oh, they went out somewhere. They said they would be back in under an hour. Hm? What's with the stare?" Ash replied, "I completely forgot about you three."
May and Pikachu were not far from the battlefield where the planet's fate was decided. May had picked out a bouquet of flowers to place on Neo's grave. However, she wasn't sure if she wanted to see the grave of a good friend. However, when she came within sight of the gravestone, both she and Pikachu stopped. May muttered, "Oh no..... He's been....." May dropped her bunch of flowers before running straight back to Ever Grande city.
Ash, Laitas, and Bayleef were watching some TV to pass the time. Suddenly, there was something banging on the door to their room! "ASH! OPEN UP!" Ash opened the door to see May and Pikachu looking like they had seen a ghost. "What's up?" After taking a seat and catching her breath, May went on, "Neo's grave! He...it..." Ash interrupted, "What? Couldn't you find it?" Pikachu spoke, even though May couldn't understand him, "It was empty! Someone dug up his grave!" Everyone in the room froze. "He was...grave robbed?!" This was bad. If Team Magma or Team Aqua had retrieved his corpse, they may be able to use his DNA to craft a more obedient clone to conquer the planet!
Ash stuttered, "This is bad... Really bad!" Before anyone could say anything, Bayleef yelled, "Ash! You have to see this!" On the television, a reporter spoke, "We have just seen all the preliminaries completed. One Trainer in particular really stood out. He won the match without a single attack striking his Pokemon! What was more; he used only one throughout the entire match! Let's get some words from this prodigy. Axl, do you think you'll have any trouble reaching the finals?" The camera moved to capture the face of the boy the reporter was referring to. As soon as Axl could be seen, Ash, Pikachu, Bayleef and Latias stared dumbfounded at the screen. "Oh, I think the only opponent I have to worry about is Ash Ketchum! He is my brother, after all." The reporter wrapped things up, "There you have it, everyone! From Axl Ketchum himself, he seems to have his eyes set on one opponent. But will he be able to defeat his next opponent and meet his brother in the finals?! We'll see tomorrow, when the semifinals occur. Until then, this is reporter Gabby, signing off."
Everyone in the room screamed, "AXL KETCHUM?!" Latias yelled, "Ash, he looks and sounds just like you! Do you really have a twin brother?!" Ash replied, "No way! If I had a twin brother, I would know! But did you see his clothes?! They were the same ones that I wore when I was taking the last three League challenges! How did he get those?!" Just then, the phone to the room ran. When Ash answered it, he heard his Mom speaking, "Ash! Who was that on TV just now?!" Ash answered, "I have no idea! Those clothes he's wearing! Did he steal them from the house!?" Delia answered, "No. I just went upstairs and checked your room. Your clothes and hat are right where I left them." Ash was silent for a moment. "Mom, I don't know who that guy is, but I'll be sure to make it to the finals to ask him myself. See ya, Mom."
"This "Axl" Ketchum...... Who is he? And what connection does he have with Ash? Is he really a long lost brother? I guess it would be pretty interesting if he was, but I really doubt it." Latias couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was in store for them. Ash yelled, "Heh, if that Axl guy wants to meet me in the finals, well, bring it on! I'll make sure to beat the next opponent without them forfeiting!" Latias giggled, "I was wondering where the Ash I fell in love with disappeared to!" Ash smiled, "Yeah, I feel a lot better now. This time..... I will become the Champ! My dream is to become the world's greatest Pokemon Master! I've waited long enough! This time, the world will learn the name, Ash Ketchum!"