Legacy Discovered
WARNING!!!
BIG SPOILER AHEAD!!!
"Whoa... So this is Mt. Pyre?" Ash looked up in awe at the towering mountain as he and his companions disembarked from the ferry. The summit was hidden in a cloud of perpetual fog. The dock was almost the only solid ground outside the entrance to the inner catacombs. That's when Lucy noticed the doorway before them. "Shadow, why is there a doorway at the base of a mountain?" The Lucario turned and replied, "This mountain has been hollowed out. There are a number of passages and tombs inside it. And since this is holy ground, I advise against disturbing the dead." He then walked forward, leading his companions inside.
The interior of Mt. Pyre was very clean and filled with walls made from the rock itself. The floor, tombs, and various monuments were composed of marble. May gasped, "Wow, this place is even prettier than I imagined!" Max added, "I'll bet all this marble must've been pretty expensive to bring in." Ruby then asked, "Well, what first, dear?" Ash looked down at her and smiled, "We came here to have fun, right? So let's enjoy ourselves." He then looked down at Sapphire, who was resting in his arms, and said, "Sapphire, this place is sacred. So be on your best behaviour, OK?" The little Riolu giggled, "OK! Can I stay with you, Daddy?" Ash nodded, "Sure. OK then. Let's take a look around and enjoy this visit." With that, everyone began to walk off on their own to explore this sacred landmark. Ash looked around and saw some stairs. "Let's check upstairs." He then walked over there with his daughter in his arms, unaware of the long cloud of white mist that seemed to be following them.
Lucy found herself on the outside of the mountain. While it seemed to be a rugged rock from a distance, Mt. Pyre had various smooth paths leading up its side towards the summit. But possibly because of its spectral purposes, the mountain was covered in perpetual mist from just 50 feet above sea level. The Lucario began to make her way upwards along the path, which was adorned with grass and even flowers. "For a place where people are constantly reminded of death, there is plenty of life." Some time passed as Lucy made her way up the side of the mountain. "It's so quiet. Just standing on Mt. Pyre makes me feel at ease." But as she neared the top, a voice shouted, "Where ya going, little girl?!"
Lucy gulped in uneasiness as she looked around. But when she looked up, she saw a Hitmonchan gazing down at her. "Um...what do you want from me?" The Fighting type Pokemon grunted, "I need some action! It's too boring around here!" He then jumped down in front of Lucy and took a boxer's stance. Lucy backed away, "Why me?! Surely there are plenty of Pokemon around here that you can spar with!" The Hitmonchan grumbled, "There are, but every single one of them are Ghost type Pokemon! How can I spar with something I can't even touch?!" He then looked as if he was about to throw a jab.
Lucy threw up her hands and pleaded, "Don't! I know I'm a Lucario, but for reasons I can't explain, I can't use any moves! Not even the basics! I won't be able to satisfy your desire for a decent warm-up!" The Hitmonchan suddenly got a dumbfounded look in his eyes and his gloved hands fell as his arms went slack. "You're kidding..... You can't fight at all?" Lucy shook her head, "No. Sorry, but I just can't fight you." The Hitmonchan sighed and said, "Great. Just great." But after a moment, he straightened his posture and said, "Even so, a punching bag can provide some relief." Lucy looked up at him with a frightened gaze, "WHAT?! WHY?!" The Hitmonchan readied his fists, "Look, don't take it personally. There's no one else around here to spar with and I'm bored as hell. At least try to put up a fight!"
Lucy took a step back, but was sent flying with a Mach Punch to the face. She rolled down the path a bit and stopped while facing up. She saw the Hitmonchan coming down at her from a jump with a Mega Punch ready and rolled out of the way at the last second. There was a loud crash as the impact left a surprisingly deep hole in the ground. But when Lucy tried to stand up, the Hitmonchan slugged her with a hard left cross and she slammed into the rock wall, just barely stopping herself from falling down as she leaned against it with her back to the wall.
The Hitmonchan was about to nail Lucy in the face with a Fire Punch when she spoke, "I'm sorry!" Surprised, the Hitmonchan asked, "Sorry?! For what?!" Lucy replied with an upward kick to his lower regions. A sickening look spread across the Hitmonchan's face as Lucy's foot struck him in the family jewels. "That." Lucy said as she lowered her foot. As stiff as a stick, the Hitmonchan fell to his side while in too much pain to move. Lucy sighed, "I'm sorry about this, but I had to do something to defend myself. I hope I didn't hit you too hard." Lucy then made her way up the path towards the summit, curious of what was up there.
"Where is everyone, Daddy? There's no one here." Sapphire said as she looked around. Ash had set her down so she could stretch her legs. Ash scratched his head after removing his hat, "Yeah, doesn't look like there's anyone else here. Maybe this place doesn't get many visitors because a lot of people think the place is haunted. It does kinda feel like something's watching us." Sapphire giggled, "Ghosts? Neat! I can't wait to see them!" But as Sapphire said that, a cloud of mist gathered behind the tomb that Ash was inspecting. It began to solidify. Once in solid form, it waited for the Trainer to turn his back. Its pink eyes watched in anticipation as a pair of claws extended from its right hand. Once Ash stood up and turned around, it dashed out from behind the tomb and held its claws to his throat after jumping onto his back. "Boo."
Ash froze in terror as he felt the pair of claws pressing against his neck. "A ghost? Who...who're you?!" Sapphire heard her father and turned around. She gasped at the sight of something about to slit Ash's throat. "Daddy!" Ash shouted, "NO! Don't do anything! Don't make any sudden moves!" A voice came from the creature that was holding Ash hostage, "Succulent. You're every bit of a hunk as him." Ash began to sweat as a baffled look came over his face. "A...hunk?" The voice replied, "Yep. He was a total hunk and a pleasure to serve. And you have the same face that he did." With that, the creature retracted its claws and hopped down from her prey.
Ash breathed a sigh of relief. "Man, you had me scared there. Who are you anyway?" He then turned to face his attacker and was surprised to see a Zangoose standing before him who was obviously female. She smiled, "The name's Zandria." Ash muttered, "Zandria? Sounds familiar......OH! Are you the Zangoose who cooked for Ashton?!" The Zangoose gave him a weird look, "How do you know his name?" Ash laughed, "He's my ancestor! And he's alive right now!" Zandria gasped, "Seriously?! He's alive?! How?!"
Ash spent the next few minutes explaining Ashton's cycle of rebirth to the Zangoose. "Hmmm, weird. I knew that he contained the Eternal Flame, but I had no idea that it allowed him to be reborn every 500 years. But I still don't know how you heard about me." Ash reached for the Safari Ball at his waist, "She told me." The Safari Ball popped open and revealed a Suicune in a burst of intense light. The Suicune turned to face Ash without even noticing the Zangoose. "Lord Ash, is there something you wish of me?" Ash nodded and pointed behind her, "Sure do. Say hi to your old friend." She turned around and cocked her head to one side in puzzlement at the sight of the Zangoose before her. Zandria spoke, "A blue mane..... Aurora?" The Suicune gasped, "Zandria?! But how?! You're supposed to be dead! I even saw you die!" Just then, the sound of three stomachs growling was heard from Aurora, Ash, and Sapphire. Sapphire spoke, "Daddy, I'm hungry." Ash blushed, "Me too. Hey, Zandria. You can cook, right?" The Zangoose gave him a wink, "All you had to do was ask. Follow me. I know where the kitchen is. Even the staff need to eat sometimes." She motioned for them to follow her as she headed up the nearest flight of stairs.
Ruby looked around with Shadow at her side as she examined some of the tombs on the second floor. Shadow gasped, "Oh, here! I never thought I'd find it!" Ruby looked over to where Shadow was pointing to and saw a tomb with the name "Iron Claw" engraved on the front. "Iron Fang? Who was that?" Shadow smiled, "Not Iron Fang. Iron CLAW. He was my grandfather. And he was the Alpha male before Thanatos. And he was seen by many as an ideal hero." Ruby's ears perked up at this. "A hero? Do tell." Shadow gave her a wide grin, "I shall. His leadership skills were unmatched and he was respected by everyone. He even established alliances with other Lucario clans and our prosperity skyrocketed. He earned his name of 'Iron Claw' because the spikes, sometimes called claws, on his hands could slice through almost anything, even without using Metal Claw."
Ruby smiled at the lecture about Shadow's grandfather, wishing she had been born early enough to meet him. But something crossed her mind. "Shadow, didn't you say that your grandfather formed alliances with other clans?" He nodded, "I did. Why do you ask?" Ruby then asked, "Why have I heard nothing about them? When I was still in the Blackflame clan, I never even once saw a single Lucario from outside our clan." Shadow's expression turned to one of extreme guilt. "I'm sorry. That is a subject I do not wish to discuss." Ruby sighed, "OK, forget I asked. But what about Thanatos? Wasn't Iron Claw the Alpha male before him?"
Shadow looked at Ruby and spoke, "During my grandfather's reign, Thanatos was the Beta male. He was second in command of the entire clan and had a great deal of respect for my grandfather. He was also next in line to rule should something happen to the Alpha male. Although some of his interests were viewed as trivial, such as placing a Lucario's entire value on its spikes, he had great interest in the overall wellbeing of the clan. That is why my grandfather chose him to rule after his death."
There was an eerie silence for a moment. Ruby then asked, "But how did Iron Claw die?" Shadow sighed, "I don't know the details. I was just a pup who had not even evolved at the time. From what I heard, a gang of thugs by the name of Team Aqua had targeted our clan and attempted to capture us. But my grandfather and Thanatos met them head-on before they could even reach our home. They say that although the Team Aqua thugs were either killed or driven off, Iron Claw suffered mortal wounds and died before Thanatos could get him back to the clan in time. My grandfather was then brought here and laid to rest. We Lucario are great swimmers, you know. Afterwards, Thanatos assumed his role as the new Alpha male. At least that's what I have heard."
Just then, Brock came over to Ruby and asked, "Hey guys. Have you seen Lucy? We've been here for a few hours and it's starting to get late." Ruby replied, "No worries. I'll go find her." The Lucario then made her way to the doorway that led to the outside of the mountain. "She must be out here somewhere. Better try up." She then began bounding up the side of the mountain towards the summit.
Lucy slowly made her way down the mountain path after reaching the summit. "I never knew the mist cleared up at the summit. I could see for miles. Hmmm, it's been a few hours since I saw that Hitmonchan. I hope he's OK." As if to reply to that, a familiar voice shouted, "Yeah, I'm fine! But you won't be in a minute!"
Lucy looked around frantically and soon found herself on the receiving end of a Focus Punch. The type advantage was especially painful and she screamed out in agony as she was sent off the path and fell a good 50 feet to a lower path. The Hitmonchan jumped down to her and even landed right on her, causing the poor Lucario to cough up blood. "You wretch! Think I'll let you get away with kicking me there?! THINK AGAIN!" The Hitmonchan then brought his glove down into Lucy's face with a Fire Punch, once again inflicting great pain from the type advantage. He then began to pummel her with Comet Punch. Fortunately, the type match-up was poor and was not all that painful compared to the previous attacks. But he still hit her around 100 times with it, causing great pain and bruising.
The Hitmonchan took a moment to catch his breath, still keeping Lucy pinned to the ground with his foot. That was when he got an idea. "Let's see how you like it when someone hits you in the sacred spot!" He raised his foot and brought it down hard into Lucy's womanhood. The poor girl screamed in pain as the enraged Fighting type continued his assault.
Ruby stopped her climb when she heard screams of agony. When she looked down, she gasped at the sight of a Hitmonchan stomping on Lucy's lower regions! With rage in her eyes, the bold young woman used Extremespeed and dashed down the rock wall in a flash and sent her fist into the fool's face, sending him sprawling across the ground. "Ow! Who did that?!" The Hitmonchan growled as he climbed to his feet. But when he saw another Lucario female standing in front of him, he laughed, "What?! Another little girl who doesn't know how to fight?!" Ruby snarled, "Don't even think that I'm a pushover. If you lay one more hand on Lucy, I'll kill you."
The Hitmonchan gawked at Ruby's threat, "Yeah right! What are ya, her sister or something?!" A moment passed as Lucy looked up at Ruby. Finally, Ruby replied, "Yes. Lucy is like a little sister to me. And as her sister, it's my duty to protect her! Now scram!" Lucy shed a tear as she heard Ruby confess how she really felt about her. But the Hitmonchan grunted, "Wretch. Stay out of my way." With the use of Mach Punch, he blazed right by Ruby and nailed Lucy in the gut, prompting a cry of pain from her. But Ruby responded by sending a Focus Punch into the side of his face. The sound of bone cracking was heard as his jaw was shattered. "I warned you. Now DIE!!!"
Ruby began pounding the Hitmonchan with terrifying force. She forced him up against the rock wall and punched away in steady succession. Each blow caused the Hitmonchan to be pushed further and further into the mountain, a crater forming behind him that was growing in depth. Blood was oozing from his mouth and some of his internal organs were beginning to bleed. But just when it seemed that Ruby was indeed about to kill him, Lucy grabbed Ruby by the foot and pleaded, "STOP!!!"
Ruby looked down in shock at the bloodied form of her 'sister' as she held the Hitmonchan by the throat. Lucy begged, "Don't kill him! It's just not worth it! Revenge isn't worth seeking. You'll only end up hurting yourself more. Please...don't..." Lucy's face fell into the ground as she lost consciousness. Ruby slowly turned her head until she was glaring into the Hitmonchan's frightened eyes. But she soon released her grip on his throat and dropped him. "Just this once, I'll take her advice and spare your life. BUT!" She then kneeled down and brought her face just inches away from his own. "If I ever see or even hear of you tormenting my sister again, there will be no mercy. Got it?" Unable to speak from his broken jaw, the Hitmonchan nervously nodded. Ruby smiled, "Good. I was going to throw you across the bay, but I'll just leave you here. But you better be gone by morning. I'll be giving the place the once-over in the morning, so you better get to the ferry as soon as you can walk again." Ruby then lifted her sister into her arms and made her way down the mountain in search of a way back inside, leaving the Hitmonchan sweating buckets at her threat.
"Amazing. I cannot remember the last time I ever tasted cooking so delectable. I forgot just how much I missed your cooking, Zandria." Aurora said after tasting the food Zandria had cooked up in the kitchen of Mt. Pyre. Sapphire also praised Zandria, "Uh-huh! This is even better than Mr. Brock's cooking!" Ash then added, "Not just that! It's better than my own mother's!" On the table were plates of pan-fried chicken, lightly salted spinach, tempura fried sweet potatoes, and homemade seafood calzones.
Ash sighed, "Man, I can't get over how good this stuff is! Who taught you how to cook?!" Zandria giggled, "I'm mostly self-taught, but I also received training from Ashton's mother, Starlet." Just then, Aurora asked, "But Zandria, how are you still alive? I'm certain that you died not that long after Serenade left us." Ash also asked, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure Zangoose don't live THAT long. How did you live this long?" Zandria closed her eyes and sighed, "I didn't. I'm not alive at all."
Aurora gasped, "Not alive? Whatever do you mean?!" Zandria explained, "Exactly that. I'm dead. I am a specter." She then became a cloud of mist and floated over next to Ash before reforming again. "I never left this world after death. I wanted to travel the world and expand my knowledge of cooking as time went by and new methods were developed. And I did just that. But....." To their surprise, tears began to fall from the Zangoose's eyes. Aurora spoke, "I know. The desire to see Ashton again must have torn at your heart so many times." Zandria choked, "Yeah. I loved him so much; I often wanted to leave this world behind and follow him. But I endured and my cooking knowledge has expanded beyond anything I ever expected." Ash then rested a hand on her shoulder, "He is alive, you know. Would you like to come with us? We're supposed to meet up with him again in about three months from now." Zandria wiped her tears away and looked at him. "Thanks. I'll join up with him later, but I'll stick around here a while longer. I want to memorize every bit of cooking know-how around here before I leave this place." Ash nodded, "That's cool. And you're a cool lady." He then leaned over from his chair and embraced her. But Zandria sighed, "I knew there was something familiar about you. Your personality and the confidence you exude. It's all so nostalgic."
Ash asked Zandria, "Huh? Familiar? What do you mean?" Zandria looked at him with a very tender gaze, "You said that Ashton is your ancestor. But do you know who your other ancestor is? The woman who he impregnated?" Ash was very surprised at this and said, "I never thought about that part. Why? Do you know who?" Zandria brought a hand to his face and purred, "Sure do. I'm you're ancestor."
Aurora gasped, "Zandria, are you certain?! How can you be so sure that this boy is your descendant?!" Zandria giggled, "He brings to mind my son, Atlas. Competitive. Brave. Caring. Loyal. You have all the characteristics that he did." Ash gulped, "Your son?! But that means..." Zandria gently pinched his cheek, "Exactly. You have traces of Pokemon blood flowing through your veins. And that explains those zigzag markings under your eyes." Ash brought a hand to his face, "Funny you mention that. Ashton asked me about these himself." That's when he realized something. "AHA! That means Ashton married you, didn't he?!" Zandria let out a laugh and replied, "I wish he did! But no. Still, I couldn't have picked a better man to fall in love with. Even though he chose to marry another, Ashton still gave me the choice of bearing his child. And I accepted." Ash blushed, "Really?! You too, Aurora?!" The Suicune blushed deeply, "Yes. I too was given the honor of mothering his child. My daughter's name is Aura. But I have not seen her in quite some time." Ash then asked, "What about Chiara?" Zandria and Aurora pondered this for a moment, but Zandria giggled while scratching her head, "You know, it's been so long, I just can't remember!" Ash then asked, "But if he didn't marry either of you, then who did Ashton marry?" Zandria smirked, "That's our little secret. Ask Ashton next time you see him." Ash playfully snorted, "No fair!"
"Easy there. You took quite a beating. Don't move." Lucy looked up at Ruby as she bandaged her up. She thought back to when she passed out after she pleaded Ruby to spare that Hitmonchan's life. "Ruby...did you kill..." The Lucario smiled, "Don't worry about him. He's gonna have a hard time until he heals, but he'll live." Lucy breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you..." Ruby then set her hands on Lucy's face, "Don't move. This is a little trick Pearl taught me." Ruby's Aura was emanating through her hands, covering them in a beautiful blue shroud. Lucy almost immediately felt the swelling in her face go down. "Aura is life energy. And since it gives life, it heals wounds, which can endanger ones' life."
After using her Aura to heal her wounds to a degree, Ruby patted Lucy on the shoulder and said, "That should do it. Some of your wounds are too extreme for my Aura to heal on its own, so you'll just have to wait." But Lucy then asked, "Ruby...what you said about me being your sister. Were you being truthful?" Ruby looked at Lucy with concern, but then embraced her, "Yes. You're like the little sister I never had. I know the pain you went through all too well. We have the same eyes, and ones' eyes seldom lie. I already told you that. I want to make your life better. And I can assure you that Ash wishes the same for you." Lucy could not stop her tears from falling at this and held Ruby tightly, as if she was afraid to let go.
Ruby gently whispered, "It's OK. You can let go now." Slowly, Lucy released her grasp on her new sister. But she then said, "Ruby." The Lucario replied, "Yes?" But she was then stunned when she felt Lucy place a tender kiss on her cheek. "Thank you." Ruby brought a hand to her face and gave Lucy a strange stare. (That was unexpected.) Just then, Ruby let out a gasp and brought a hand to her belly. Lucy noticed and asked, "What? What is it?" Ruby gave Lucy a happy gaze and replied, "Your nephew just kicked me."
That evening, Ash began to look around for his friends and family. He soon found Ruby and asked, "You ready to go?" But Ruby asked with a blush, "Actually, I'd like to stay here for a while." Ash gave her a puzzled stare, but Ruby brought his hand to her belly. A few seconds later, Ash felt a sudden jolt. "I think our son wants to settle down for a while." Ash blushed as he realized that Ruby's pregnancy was progressing more quickly than he expected. "Um, OK. We'll hang out here until our kid is born. Let's round everyone up and let them know."
After spreading the news to his friends, Ash went looking for a place for them to rest at. As it turned out, there was an inn built into the third floor of Mt. Pyre. A little old lady greeted them, "Welcome. Oh my, we seldom get so many guests in one day." Brock asked, "You don't get many tourists, do you?" The innkeeper replied, "Not at all. We usually don't get anymore than 20 guests a week. But what can I help you with, dear?" Ash stepped forward with Ruby at his side and explained, "Well, my girlfriend here is going to have a baby and we wanted to keep her in a peaceful place until that happens." The old lady chuckled, "Oh my, lovers these days just keep getting younger. Well of course you may stay. And you are welcome to stay as long as you see fit. Allow me to show you to your rooms."
A little later, Ash asked, "OK, we have five room keys here. Who wants to sleep with who?" Brock spoke first, "I'll sleep by myself if you don't mind." Ash then handed a key to him. Max spoke next. "I think I'll sleep alone too." Ash handed another key to him. May was next. "Can Pikachu sleep with me?" The little mouse gave a big grin, "Pika!" Ash smiled, "I guess that's a yes." He then handed the little rodent to May along with her key. He then asked Shadow, "So, what about you?" The Lucario male asked in reply, "If it's fine with you, may I stay in your room?" Ash chuckled, "Sure. Can't say no to a friend. I know you and Sapphire won't settle for sleeping without me, Ruby. But what about you, Lucy?" The shy Lucario girl put her hands together and meekly asked, "If it's not a problem....may I....stay with.....you, Ash?" Ash shrugged his shoulders, "I don't see why you're so uptight about asking me that, but sure. You can stay with me all you want." She blushed, "Thank you."
That night, Ash got out of the shower with a towel around his waist. "You really are just like Ashton. You have the same sexy bod he does." Ash gagged and looked around and found Zandria looking at him with a lustful look on her face. "Oh man, you wouldn't really..." Zandria muffled a laugh, "What, you thought I was going to rape you? Why would I do that to my little boy?" Ash blushed a bit, but Zandria hopped on top of a counter and stroked his face, "Look, even though our relation is very distant, you are still my own flesh and blood. You're still technically my son." Ash asked, "Zandria...may I call you Mom?" Zandria sighed, "It's been ages since someone last called me that. It feels so.....wonderful." Ash threw his arms around her and held her tightly. The Zangoose tenderly held her child in her arms, "Don't cry. I'll always be there for you."
Ash asked as he rested his head on Zandria's shoulder, "Mom, will you still be going with us when we leave?" Zandria replied, "Not right away, but I'll catch up to you really quickly when I do leave. And don't worry about food. I'll be cooking all your meals while you're here." Ash sighed, "Thanks, Mom. I can't wait." The two of them shared a tender kiss before Ash made his way out of the bathroom and towards his clothes. Before she reverted back to a cloud of spectral mist, Zandria giggled, "He sure has a cute butt. If he had a big bushy Zangoose tail, he would be drop-dead sexy!"
At around midnight, Ash, Ruby, and Sapphire were sleeping together in the same bed, which was king-sized. Shadow was sleeping in a smaller bed that was made for one. But Lucy was nowhere to be found. But at about five minutes after midnight, the door creaked open and a form walked in before closing the door and locking it. It then set the key down on an end table nearby.
The figure walked to the edge of the bed that Ash was sleeping in. It then climbed on top and got down on all fours. Very slowly, the creature made its way towards Ash. But when it pressed down on the space between Ruby and her husband, the Lucario grumbled a bit and opened her eyes. The creature froze as Ruby looked at it. But after a moment, Ruby turned her head and seemed to go back to sleep with Sapphire resting in her arms.
Confident that there was no one watching, the creature crawled forward and lowered its face until it was just a few inches away from Ash's. But unknown to it, Ruby was watching out of the corner of her eye. She recognized the creature immediately. (Lucy, are you trying to gather the courage for what I think you're trying to do?)
Very slowly, and with a deep blush, Lucy narrowed the distance between her face and Ash's. Ruby watched with bated breath, hoping that Lucy would go through with it. After what felt like an eternity of seconds, Lucy joined lips with Ash and closed her eyes. Ruby shed a tear of joy for her sister, proud of her for taking the first step towards finding love with the one boy who could heal the wounds of her painful past. Lucy kept her lips joined with Ash's for a moment before breaking the kiss. Although knowing that Ash did not really feel it, Lucy felt somewhat better that she had done it, even though she did not know why. It was as if she was compelled to kiss him. There was something about Ash that drew her to him, but she could not understand it.
Being extremely careful to not wake anyone, Lucy crawled back off the bed and then climbed in bed next to Ash. She draped an arm over him and soon fell into a deep sleep, somehow happier than ever before.
In Lilycove City, Jessie, James, and Meowth sat at a picture phone while waiting for Giovanni to answer. The screen lit up and the sleepy leader of Team Rocket grumbled, "Are you even aware of what time it is?" James chuckled, "Yes, but this is really urgent, Boss." Meowth whispered, "Yeah. Dis is big news and we've gotta tell you." Giovanni grumbled, "Well, what is it?" Jessie whispered, "We can't say it out loud. We'll have to write it out." James then said, "I'm writing it now. Jessie, Meowth, cover me." The two other Team Rocket operatives stood up and looked around to make sure that there was no one giving them weird stares. After James had typed up the message and sent it to Giovanni, the leader's eyes went wide in surprise. The message read, "We have a Lugia."
Giovanni whispered, "Is this true?" Jessie whispered back, "Yes, all true. That's why we need to bring this to you in person." Giovanni nodded, "Very well. I'm going to tell you the directions to my current stronghold. Make sure you're not followed. Do you have a pen ready?" James pulled a pen from his pocket and a notepad he always carried around. "OK, let us have it."
After writing down the directions to Team Rocket's headquarters, the three Team Rocket members walked outside of the Pokemon Center and towards the edge of town. In the shadows of the city gates, a figure approached them. James groaned, "This is it. The boss told us himself." The figure took the slip of paper and gave them a stern glare. Jessie gulped, "Honestly! We wrote down everything he said to us! There's no way he would give us false information after what we told him!" The figure slipped the note into a small pouch at his side. "For your sake, this information better be accurate. If it does not lead me to your commander, or if any of you contact him to alert him to my objective, I will hunt you three down and disembowel you." Meowth gulped, "Um...what does 'disembowel' mean?" The clearly armed figure explained, "It means to cut you open and remove your internal organs." All three of them were blue in the face at this. James pleaded, "We swear that this data is truthful! Just don't kill us!" The figure turned to leave and said, "I trust that you did not tamper with this information. But criminals cannot be easily trusted. Don't worry. If this information is true, I will not harm you. Now go do as you see fit." The figure then made its way into the forest nearby.
At a small clearing, the figure came across a midget Lugia. "Chiara, we have the information we seek. Are you able to fly?" The Lugia replied, "I am, but I am still not quite back up to full strength. It may take us a week to reach our destination." Ashton nodded, "I see. Still, it would probably take those three longer, so there's no danger of their commander suspecting that this might be a set-up."
A moment later, the Vulcan Warrior and the Maiden of the Sea took to the night sky as they headed toward the Kanto region. For the third time in his life, Ashton would have to face off against a criminal organization at its core. That, and he was curious to see how much the Kingdom of Rohta had changed in his absence.
BIG SPOILER AHEAD!!!
"Whoa... So this is Mt. Pyre?" Ash looked up in awe at the towering mountain as he and his companions disembarked from the ferry. The summit was hidden in a cloud of perpetual fog. The dock was almost the only solid ground outside the entrance to the inner catacombs. That's when Lucy noticed the doorway before them. "Shadow, why is there a doorway at the base of a mountain?" The Lucario turned and replied, "This mountain has been hollowed out. There are a number of passages and tombs inside it. And since this is holy ground, I advise against disturbing the dead." He then walked forward, leading his companions inside.
The interior of Mt. Pyre was very clean and filled with walls made from the rock itself. The floor, tombs, and various monuments were composed of marble. May gasped, "Wow, this place is even prettier than I imagined!" Max added, "I'll bet all this marble must've been pretty expensive to bring in." Ruby then asked, "Well, what first, dear?" Ash looked down at her and smiled, "We came here to have fun, right? So let's enjoy ourselves." He then looked down at Sapphire, who was resting in his arms, and said, "Sapphire, this place is sacred. So be on your best behaviour, OK?" The little Riolu giggled, "OK! Can I stay with you, Daddy?" Ash nodded, "Sure. OK then. Let's take a look around and enjoy this visit." With that, everyone began to walk off on their own to explore this sacred landmark. Ash looked around and saw some stairs. "Let's check upstairs." He then walked over there with his daughter in his arms, unaware of the long cloud of white mist that seemed to be following them.
Lucy found herself on the outside of the mountain. While it seemed to be a rugged rock from a distance, Mt. Pyre had various smooth paths leading up its side towards the summit. But possibly because of its spectral purposes, the mountain was covered in perpetual mist from just 50 feet above sea level. The Lucario began to make her way upwards along the path, which was adorned with grass and even flowers. "For a place where people are constantly reminded of death, there is plenty of life." Some time passed as Lucy made her way up the side of the mountain. "It's so quiet. Just standing on Mt. Pyre makes me feel at ease." But as she neared the top, a voice shouted, "Where ya going, little girl?!"
Lucy gulped in uneasiness as she looked around. But when she looked up, she saw a Hitmonchan gazing down at her. "Um...what do you want from me?" The Fighting type Pokemon grunted, "I need some action! It's too boring around here!" He then jumped down in front of Lucy and took a boxer's stance. Lucy backed away, "Why me?! Surely there are plenty of Pokemon around here that you can spar with!" The Hitmonchan grumbled, "There are, but every single one of them are Ghost type Pokemon! How can I spar with something I can't even touch?!" He then looked as if he was about to throw a jab.
Lucy threw up her hands and pleaded, "Don't! I know I'm a Lucario, but for reasons I can't explain, I can't use any moves! Not even the basics! I won't be able to satisfy your desire for a decent warm-up!" The Hitmonchan suddenly got a dumbfounded look in his eyes and his gloved hands fell as his arms went slack. "You're kidding..... You can't fight at all?" Lucy shook her head, "No. Sorry, but I just can't fight you." The Hitmonchan sighed and said, "Great. Just great." But after a moment, he straightened his posture and said, "Even so, a punching bag can provide some relief." Lucy looked up at him with a frightened gaze, "WHAT?! WHY?!" The Hitmonchan readied his fists, "Look, don't take it personally. There's no one else around here to spar with and I'm bored as hell. At least try to put up a fight!"
Lucy took a step back, but was sent flying with a Mach Punch to the face. She rolled down the path a bit and stopped while facing up. She saw the Hitmonchan coming down at her from a jump with a Mega Punch ready and rolled out of the way at the last second. There was a loud crash as the impact left a surprisingly deep hole in the ground. But when Lucy tried to stand up, the Hitmonchan slugged her with a hard left cross and she slammed into the rock wall, just barely stopping herself from falling down as she leaned against it with her back to the wall.
The Hitmonchan was about to nail Lucy in the face with a Fire Punch when she spoke, "I'm sorry!" Surprised, the Hitmonchan asked, "Sorry?! For what?!" Lucy replied with an upward kick to his lower regions. A sickening look spread across the Hitmonchan's face as Lucy's foot struck him in the family jewels. "That." Lucy said as she lowered her foot. As stiff as a stick, the Hitmonchan fell to his side while in too much pain to move. Lucy sighed, "I'm sorry about this, but I had to do something to defend myself. I hope I didn't hit you too hard." Lucy then made her way up the path towards the summit, curious of what was up there.
"Where is everyone, Daddy? There's no one here." Sapphire said as she looked around. Ash had set her down so she could stretch her legs. Ash scratched his head after removing his hat, "Yeah, doesn't look like there's anyone else here. Maybe this place doesn't get many visitors because a lot of people think the place is haunted. It does kinda feel like something's watching us." Sapphire giggled, "Ghosts? Neat! I can't wait to see them!" But as Sapphire said that, a cloud of mist gathered behind the tomb that Ash was inspecting. It began to solidify. Once in solid form, it waited for the Trainer to turn his back. Its pink eyes watched in anticipation as a pair of claws extended from its right hand. Once Ash stood up and turned around, it dashed out from behind the tomb and held its claws to his throat after jumping onto his back. "Boo."
Ash froze in terror as he felt the pair of claws pressing against his neck. "A ghost? Who...who're you?!" Sapphire heard her father and turned around. She gasped at the sight of something about to slit Ash's throat. "Daddy!" Ash shouted, "NO! Don't do anything! Don't make any sudden moves!" A voice came from the creature that was holding Ash hostage, "Succulent. You're every bit of a hunk as him." Ash began to sweat as a baffled look came over his face. "A...hunk?" The voice replied, "Yep. He was a total hunk and a pleasure to serve. And you have the same face that he did." With that, the creature retracted its claws and hopped down from her prey.
Ash breathed a sigh of relief. "Man, you had me scared there. Who are you anyway?" He then turned to face his attacker and was surprised to see a Zangoose standing before him who was obviously female. She smiled, "The name's Zandria." Ash muttered, "Zandria? Sounds familiar......OH! Are you the Zangoose who cooked for Ashton?!" The Zangoose gave him a weird look, "How do you know his name?" Ash laughed, "He's my ancestor! And he's alive right now!" Zandria gasped, "Seriously?! He's alive?! How?!"
Ash spent the next few minutes explaining Ashton's cycle of rebirth to the Zangoose. "Hmmm, weird. I knew that he contained the Eternal Flame, but I had no idea that it allowed him to be reborn every 500 years. But I still don't know how you heard about me." Ash reached for the Safari Ball at his waist, "She told me." The Safari Ball popped open and revealed a Suicune in a burst of intense light. The Suicune turned to face Ash without even noticing the Zangoose. "Lord Ash, is there something you wish of me?" Ash nodded and pointed behind her, "Sure do. Say hi to your old friend." She turned around and cocked her head to one side in puzzlement at the sight of the Zangoose before her. Zandria spoke, "A blue mane..... Aurora?" The Suicune gasped, "Zandria?! But how?! You're supposed to be dead! I even saw you die!" Just then, the sound of three stomachs growling was heard from Aurora, Ash, and Sapphire. Sapphire spoke, "Daddy, I'm hungry." Ash blushed, "Me too. Hey, Zandria. You can cook, right?" The Zangoose gave him a wink, "All you had to do was ask. Follow me. I know where the kitchen is. Even the staff need to eat sometimes." She motioned for them to follow her as she headed up the nearest flight of stairs.
Ruby looked around with Shadow at her side as she examined some of the tombs on the second floor. Shadow gasped, "Oh, here! I never thought I'd find it!" Ruby looked over to where Shadow was pointing to and saw a tomb with the name "Iron Claw" engraved on the front. "Iron Fang? Who was that?" Shadow smiled, "Not Iron Fang. Iron CLAW. He was my grandfather. And he was the Alpha male before Thanatos. And he was seen by many as an ideal hero." Ruby's ears perked up at this. "A hero? Do tell." Shadow gave her a wide grin, "I shall. His leadership skills were unmatched and he was respected by everyone. He even established alliances with other Lucario clans and our prosperity skyrocketed. He earned his name of 'Iron Claw' because the spikes, sometimes called claws, on his hands could slice through almost anything, even without using Metal Claw."
Ruby smiled at the lecture about Shadow's grandfather, wishing she had been born early enough to meet him. But something crossed her mind. "Shadow, didn't you say that your grandfather formed alliances with other clans?" He nodded, "I did. Why do you ask?" Ruby then asked, "Why have I heard nothing about them? When I was still in the Blackflame clan, I never even once saw a single Lucario from outside our clan." Shadow's expression turned to one of extreme guilt. "I'm sorry. That is a subject I do not wish to discuss." Ruby sighed, "OK, forget I asked. But what about Thanatos? Wasn't Iron Claw the Alpha male before him?"
Shadow looked at Ruby and spoke, "During my grandfather's reign, Thanatos was the Beta male. He was second in command of the entire clan and had a great deal of respect for my grandfather. He was also next in line to rule should something happen to the Alpha male. Although some of his interests were viewed as trivial, such as placing a Lucario's entire value on its spikes, he had great interest in the overall wellbeing of the clan. That is why my grandfather chose him to rule after his death."
There was an eerie silence for a moment. Ruby then asked, "But how did Iron Claw die?" Shadow sighed, "I don't know the details. I was just a pup who had not even evolved at the time. From what I heard, a gang of thugs by the name of Team Aqua had targeted our clan and attempted to capture us. But my grandfather and Thanatos met them head-on before they could even reach our home. They say that although the Team Aqua thugs were either killed or driven off, Iron Claw suffered mortal wounds and died before Thanatos could get him back to the clan in time. My grandfather was then brought here and laid to rest. We Lucario are great swimmers, you know. Afterwards, Thanatos assumed his role as the new Alpha male. At least that's what I have heard."
Just then, Brock came over to Ruby and asked, "Hey guys. Have you seen Lucy? We've been here for a few hours and it's starting to get late." Ruby replied, "No worries. I'll go find her." The Lucario then made her way to the doorway that led to the outside of the mountain. "She must be out here somewhere. Better try up." She then began bounding up the side of the mountain towards the summit.
Lucy slowly made her way down the mountain path after reaching the summit. "I never knew the mist cleared up at the summit. I could see for miles. Hmmm, it's been a few hours since I saw that Hitmonchan. I hope he's OK." As if to reply to that, a familiar voice shouted, "Yeah, I'm fine! But you won't be in a minute!"
Lucy looked around frantically and soon found herself on the receiving end of a Focus Punch. The type advantage was especially painful and she screamed out in agony as she was sent off the path and fell a good 50 feet to a lower path. The Hitmonchan jumped down to her and even landed right on her, causing the poor Lucario to cough up blood. "You wretch! Think I'll let you get away with kicking me there?! THINK AGAIN!" The Hitmonchan then brought his glove down into Lucy's face with a Fire Punch, once again inflicting great pain from the type advantage. He then began to pummel her with Comet Punch. Fortunately, the type match-up was poor and was not all that painful compared to the previous attacks. But he still hit her around 100 times with it, causing great pain and bruising.
The Hitmonchan took a moment to catch his breath, still keeping Lucy pinned to the ground with his foot. That was when he got an idea. "Let's see how you like it when someone hits you in the sacred spot!" He raised his foot and brought it down hard into Lucy's womanhood. The poor girl screamed in pain as the enraged Fighting type continued his assault.
Ruby stopped her climb when she heard screams of agony. When she looked down, she gasped at the sight of a Hitmonchan stomping on Lucy's lower regions! With rage in her eyes, the bold young woman used Extremespeed and dashed down the rock wall in a flash and sent her fist into the fool's face, sending him sprawling across the ground. "Ow! Who did that?!" The Hitmonchan growled as he climbed to his feet. But when he saw another Lucario female standing in front of him, he laughed, "What?! Another little girl who doesn't know how to fight?!" Ruby snarled, "Don't even think that I'm a pushover. If you lay one more hand on Lucy, I'll kill you."
The Hitmonchan gawked at Ruby's threat, "Yeah right! What are ya, her sister or something?!" A moment passed as Lucy looked up at Ruby. Finally, Ruby replied, "Yes. Lucy is like a little sister to me. And as her sister, it's my duty to protect her! Now scram!" Lucy shed a tear as she heard Ruby confess how she really felt about her. But the Hitmonchan grunted, "Wretch. Stay out of my way." With the use of Mach Punch, he blazed right by Ruby and nailed Lucy in the gut, prompting a cry of pain from her. But Ruby responded by sending a Focus Punch into the side of his face. The sound of bone cracking was heard as his jaw was shattered. "I warned you. Now DIE!!!"
Ruby began pounding the Hitmonchan with terrifying force. She forced him up against the rock wall and punched away in steady succession. Each blow caused the Hitmonchan to be pushed further and further into the mountain, a crater forming behind him that was growing in depth. Blood was oozing from his mouth and some of his internal organs were beginning to bleed. But just when it seemed that Ruby was indeed about to kill him, Lucy grabbed Ruby by the foot and pleaded, "STOP!!!"
Ruby looked down in shock at the bloodied form of her 'sister' as she held the Hitmonchan by the throat. Lucy begged, "Don't kill him! It's just not worth it! Revenge isn't worth seeking. You'll only end up hurting yourself more. Please...don't..." Lucy's face fell into the ground as she lost consciousness. Ruby slowly turned her head until she was glaring into the Hitmonchan's frightened eyes. But she soon released her grip on his throat and dropped him. "Just this once, I'll take her advice and spare your life. BUT!" She then kneeled down and brought her face just inches away from his own. "If I ever see or even hear of you tormenting my sister again, there will be no mercy. Got it?" Unable to speak from his broken jaw, the Hitmonchan nervously nodded. Ruby smiled, "Good. I was going to throw you across the bay, but I'll just leave you here. But you better be gone by morning. I'll be giving the place the once-over in the morning, so you better get to the ferry as soon as you can walk again." Ruby then lifted her sister into her arms and made her way down the mountain in search of a way back inside, leaving the Hitmonchan sweating buckets at her threat.
"Amazing. I cannot remember the last time I ever tasted cooking so delectable. I forgot just how much I missed your cooking, Zandria." Aurora said after tasting the food Zandria had cooked up in the kitchen of Mt. Pyre. Sapphire also praised Zandria, "Uh-huh! This is even better than Mr. Brock's cooking!" Ash then added, "Not just that! It's better than my own mother's!" On the table were plates of pan-fried chicken, lightly salted spinach, tempura fried sweet potatoes, and homemade seafood calzones.
Ash sighed, "Man, I can't get over how good this stuff is! Who taught you how to cook?!" Zandria giggled, "I'm mostly self-taught, but I also received training from Ashton's mother, Starlet." Just then, Aurora asked, "But Zandria, how are you still alive? I'm certain that you died not that long after Serenade left us." Ash also asked, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure Zangoose don't live THAT long. How did you live this long?" Zandria closed her eyes and sighed, "I didn't. I'm not alive at all."
Aurora gasped, "Not alive? Whatever do you mean?!" Zandria explained, "Exactly that. I'm dead. I am a specter." She then became a cloud of mist and floated over next to Ash before reforming again. "I never left this world after death. I wanted to travel the world and expand my knowledge of cooking as time went by and new methods were developed. And I did just that. But....." To their surprise, tears began to fall from the Zangoose's eyes. Aurora spoke, "I know. The desire to see Ashton again must have torn at your heart so many times." Zandria choked, "Yeah. I loved him so much; I often wanted to leave this world behind and follow him. But I endured and my cooking knowledge has expanded beyond anything I ever expected." Ash then rested a hand on her shoulder, "He is alive, you know. Would you like to come with us? We're supposed to meet up with him again in about three months from now." Zandria wiped her tears away and looked at him. "Thanks. I'll join up with him later, but I'll stick around here a while longer. I want to memorize every bit of cooking know-how around here before I leave this place." Ash nodded, "That's cool. And you're a cool lady." He then leaned over from his chair and embraced her. But Zandria sighed, "I knew there was something familiar about you. Your personality and the confidence you exude. It's all so nostalgic."
Ash asked Zandria, "Huh? Familiar? What do you mean?" Zandria looked at him with a very tender gaze, "You said that Ashton is your ancestor. But do you know who your other ancestor is? The woman who he impregnated?" Ash was very surprised at this and said, "I never thought about that part. Why? Do you know who?" Zandria brought a hand to his face and purred, "Sure do. I'm you're ancestor."
Aurora gasped, "Zandria, are you certain?! How can you be so sure that this boy is your descendant?!" Zandria giggled, "He brings to mind my son, Atlas. Competitive. Brave. Caring. Loyal. You have all the characteristics that he did." Ash gulped, "Your son?! But that means..." Zandria gently pinched his cheek, "Exactly. You have traces of Pokemon blood flowing through your veins. And that explains those zigzag markings under your eyes." Ash brought a hand to his face, "Funny you mention that. Ashton asked me about these himself." That's when he realized something. "AHA! That means Ashton married you, didn't he?!" Zandria let out a laugh and replied, "I wish he did! But no. Still, I couldn't have picked a better man to fall in love with. Even though he chose to marry another, Ashton still gave me the choice of bearing his child. And I accepted." Ash blushed, "Really?! You too, Aurora?!" The Suicune blushed deeply, "Yes. I too was given the honor of mothering his child. My daughter's name is Aura. But I have not seen her in quite some time." Ash then asked, "What about Chiara?" Zandria and Aurora pondered this for a moment, but Zandria giggled while scratching her head, "You know, it's been so long, I just can't remember!" Ash then asked, "But if he didn't marry either of you, then who did Ashton marry?" Zandria smirked, "That's our little secret. Ask Ashton next time you see him." Ash playfully snorted, "No fair!"
"Easy there. You took quite a beating. Don't move." Lucy looked up at Ruby as she bandaged her up. She thought back to when she passed out after she pleaded Ruby to spare that Hitmonchan's life. "Ruby...did you kill..." The Lucario smiled, "Don't worry about him. He's gonna have a hard time until he heals, but he'll live." Lucy breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you..." Ruby then set her hands on Lucy's face, "Don't move. This is a little trick Pearl taught me." Ruby's Aura was emanating through her hands, covering them in a beautiful blue shroud. Lucy almost immediately felt the swelling in her face go down. "Aura is life energy. And since it gives life, it heals wounds, which can endanger ones' life."
After using her Aura to heal her wounds to a degree, Ruby patted Lucy on the shoulder and said, "That should do it. Some of your wounds are too extreme for my Aura to heal on its own, so you'll just have to wait." But Lucy then asked, "Ruby...what you said about me being your sister. Were you being truthful?" Ruby looked at Lucy with concern, but then embraced her, "Yes. You're like the little sister I never had. I know the pain you went through all too well. We have the same eyes, and ones' eyes seldom lie. I already told you that. I want to make your life better. And I can assure you that Ash wishes the same for you." Lucy could not stop her tears from falling at this and held Ruby tightly, as if she was afraid to let go.
Ruby gently whispered, "It's OK. You can let go now." Slowly, Lucy released her grasp on her new sister. But she then said, "Ruby." The Lucario replied, "Yes?" But she was then stunned when she felt Lucy place a tender kiss on her cheek. "Thank you." Ruby brought a hand to her face and gave Lucy a strange stare. (That was unexpected.) Just then, Ruby let out a gasp and brought a hand to her belly. Lucy noticed and asked, "What? What is it?" Ruby gave Lucy a happy gaze and replied, "Your nephew just kicked me."
That evening, Ash began to look around for his friends and family. He soon found Ruby and asked, "You ready to go?" But Ruby asked with a blush, "Actually, I'd like to stay here for a while." Ash gave her a puzzled stare, but Ruby brought his hand to her belly. A few seconds later, Ash felt a sudden jolt. "I think our son wants to settle down for a while." Ash blushed as he realized that Ruby's pregnancy was progressing more quickly than he expected. "Um, OK. We'll hang out here until our kid is born. Let's round everyone up and let them know."
After spreading the news to his friends, Ash went looking for a place for them to rest at. As it turned out, there was an inn built into the third floor of Mt. Pyre. A little old lady greeted them, "Welcome. Oh my, we seldom get so many guests in one day." Brock asked, "You don't get many tourists, do you?" The innkeeper replied, "Not at all. We usually don't get anymore than 20 guests a week. But what can I help you with, dear?" Ash stepped forward with Ruby at his side and explained, "Well, my girlfriend here is going to have a baby and we wanted to keep her in a peaceful place until that happens." The old lady chuckled, "Oh my, lovers these days just keep getting younger. Well of course you may stay. And you are welcome to stay as long as you see fit. Allow me to show you to your rooms."
A little later, Ash asked, "OK, we have five room keys here. Who wants to sleep with who?" Brock spoke first, "I'll sleep by myself if you don't mind." Ash then handed a key to him. Max spoke next. "I think I'll sleep alone too." Ash handed another key to him. May was next. "Can Pikachu sleep with me?" The little mouse gave a big grin, "Pika!" Ash smiled, "I guess that's a yes." He then handed the little rodent to May along with her key. He then asked Shadow, "So, what about you?" The Lucario male asked in reply, "If it's fine with you, may I stay in your room?" Ash chuckled, "Sure. Can't say no to a friend. I know you and Sapphire won't settle for sleeping without me, Ruby. But what about you, Lucy?" The shy Lucario girl put her hands together and meekly asked, "If it's not a problem....may I....stay with.....you, Ash?" Ash shrugged his shoulders, "I don't see why you're so uptight about asking me that, but sure. You can stay with me all you want." She blushed, "Thank you."
That night, Ash got out of the shower with a towel around his waist. "You really are just like Ashton. You have the same sexy bod he does." Ash gagged and looked around and found Zandria looking at him with a lustful look on her face. "Oh man, you wouldn't really..." Zandria muffled a laugh, "What, you thought I was going to rape you? Why would I do that to my little boy?" Ash blushed a bit, but Zandria hopped on top of a counter and stroked his face, "Look, even though our relation is very distant, you are still my own flesh and blood. You're still technically my son." Ash asked, "Zandria...may I call you Mom?" Zandria sighed, "It's been ages since someone last called me that. It feels so.....wonderful." Ash threw his arms around her and held her tightly. The Zangoose tenderly held her child in her arms, "Don't cry. I'll always be there for you."
Ash asked as he rested his head on Zandria's shoulder, "Mom, will you still be going with us when we leave?" Zandria replied, "Not right away, but I'll catch up to you really quickly when I do leave. And don't worry about food. I'll be cooking all your meals while you're here." Ash sighed, "Thanks, Mom. I can't wait." The two of them shared a tender kiss before Ash made his way out of the bathroom and towards his clothes. Before she reverted back to a cloud of spectral mist, Zandria giggled, "He sure has a cute butt. If he had a big bushy Zangoose tail, he would be drop-dead sexy!"
At around midnight, Ash, Ruby, and Sapphire were sleeping together in the same bed, which was king-sized. Shadow was sleeping in a smaller bed that was made for one. But Lucy was nowhere to be found. But at about five minutes after midnight, the door creaked open and a form walked in before closing the door and locking it. It then set the key down on an end table nearby.
The figure walked to the edge of the bed that Ash was sleeping in. It then climbed on top and got down on all fours. Very slowly, the creature made its way towards Ash. But when it pressed down on the space between Ruby and her husband, the Lucario grumbled a bit and opened her eyes. The creature froze as Ruby looked at it. But after a moment, Ruby turned her head and seemed to go back to sleep with Sapphire resting in her arms.
Confident that there was no one watching, the creature crawled forward and lowered its face until it was just a few inches away from Ash's. But unknown to it, Ruby was watching out of the corner of her eye. She recognized the creature immediately. (Lucy, are you trying to gather the courage for what I think you're trying to do?)
Very slowly, and with a deep blush, Lucy narrowed the distance between her face and Ash's. Ruby watched with bated breath, hoping that Lucy would go through with it. After what felt like an eternity of seconds, Lucy joined lips with Ash and closed her eyes. Ruby shed a tear of joy for her sister, proud of her for taking the first step towards finding love with the one boy who could heal the wounds of her painful past. Lucy kept her lips joined with Ash's for a moment before breaking the kiss. Although knowing that Ash did not really feel it, Lucy felt somewhat better that she had done it, even though she did not know why. It was as if she was compelled to kiss him. There was something about Ash that drew her to him, but she could not understand it.
Being extremely careful to not wake anyone, Lucy crawled back off the bed and then climbed in bed next to Ash. She draped an arm over him and soon fell into a deep sleep, somehow happier than ever before.
In Lilycove City, Jessie, James, and Meowth sat at a picture phone while waiting for Giovanni to answer. The screen lit up and the sleepy leader of Team Rocket grumbled, "Are you even aware of what time it is?" James chuckled, "Yes, but this is really urgent, Boss." Meowth whispered, "Yeah. Dis is big news and we've gotta tell you." Giovanni grumbled, "Well, what is it?" Jessie whispered, "We can't say it out loud. We'll have to write it out." James then said, "I'm writing it now. Jessie, Meowth, cover me." The two other Team Rocket operatives stood up and looked around to make sure that there was no one giving them weird stares. After James had typed up the message and sent it to Giovanni, the leader's eyes went wide in surprise. The message read, "We have a Lugia."
Giovanni whispered, "Is this true?" Jessie whispered back, "Yes, all true. That's why we need to bring this to you in person." Giovanni nodded, "Very well. I'm going to tell you the directions to my current stronghold. Make sure you're not followed. Do you have a pen ready?" James pulled a pen from his pocket and a notepad he always carried around. "OK, let us have it."
After writing down the directions to Team Rocket's headquarters, the three Team Rocket members walked outside of the Pokemon Center and towards the edge of town. In the shadows of the city gates, a figure approached them. James groaned, "This is it. The boss told us himself." The figure took the slip of paper and gave them a stern glare. Jessie gulped, "Honestly! We wrote down everything he said to us! There's no way he would give us false information after what we told him!" The figure slipped the note into a small pouch at his side. "For your sake, this information better be accurate. If it does not lead me to your commander, or if any of you contact him to alert him to my objective, I will hunt you three down and disembowel you." Meowth gulped, "Um...what does 'disembowel' mean?" The clearly armed figure explained, "It means to cut you open and remove your internal organs." All three of them were blue in the face at this. James pleaded, "We swear that this data is truthful! Just don't kill us!" The figure turned to leave and said, "I trust that you did not tamper with this information. But criminals cannot be easily trusted. Don't worry. If this information is true, I will not harm you. Now go do as you see fit." The figure then made its way into the forest nearby.
At a small clearing, the figure came across a midget Lugia. "Chiara, we have the information we seek. Are you able to fly?" The Lugia replied, "I am, but I am still not quite back up to full strength. It may take us a week to reach our destination." Ashton nodded, "I see. Still, it would probably take those three longer, so there's no danger of their commander suspecting that this might be a set-up."
A moment later, the Vulcan Warrior and the Maiden of the Sea took to the night sky as they headed toward the Kanto region. For the third time in his life, Ashton would have to face off against a criminal organization at its core. That, and he was curious to see how much the Kingdom of Rohta had changed in his absence.