Escape from Hoenn
A torrent of rain drenched the landscape as Lucash hurried to the west. As young as he was, he could not shake the feeling that this was a bad omen. He knew that the one-eyed Lucario called Thanatos wanted to do something to his father, but he could not even fathom what it was. "Daddy..... Where are you?!"
Suddenly, Lucash's ears picked up sounds coming towards him. He froze. Soon he saw three Lucario leap through the trees nearby, one of which was carrying a young female Lucario over his shoulder. Just after them followed another Lucario. But just after passing Lucash, it landed on a tree branch and stopped. Lucash looked up at it out of curiosity. After a moment, the Lucario turned its head to the right and looked down at Lucash over its shoulder. Its vicious red eye glared down at him, frightening Lucash into falling backwards. The sense of malice was unmistakable. It was Thanatos.
Lucash looked up at the Alpha male in terror, certain that he was about to become his next victim. But the evil Lucario soon spoke, "Forget about him. Your father was a scumbag who raped your mother. He never loved you." With that, the Alpha male turned and followed his teammates. Lucash waited a moment in case Thanatos was about to come back and attack him. When he was certain the Alpha male was gone, Lucash climbed to his feet and looked back to the west. "Daddy..."
Lucash continued to run to the west in search of his father. But before long, he saw a lone Lucario leaning against a tree while trying to stand up. But with every attempt, he would fall back down. Lucash ran over to him and recognized him right away. "Mr. Shadow?" The former Blackflame Five member looked up at the tiny Riolu with a truly sorrowful expression. Shadow looked as if he had been crying nonstop for the last ten minutes. "I'm sorry..... I couldn't stop them....."
Lucash walked up to Shadow and asked, "Are you OK?" Shadow sobbed, "What does it matter? I failed to save my best friend!" He then smashed his fist into the ground. Lucash then asked, "Where's Daddy?" Shadow hesitated for a moment before pointing to the west down the road. But when Lucash began to walk towards his father's location, Shadow spoke, "Don't....." Lucash looked back at Shadow. "You.....you don't need to see him as he is now." Lucash then asked, "Then when is Daddy coming back?" Shadow bowed his head and cried, "Your father...is not coming back. Ever." Lucash then looked back down the road and said, "If Daddy's not coming back, I'll go to Daddy." As he watched his friend's son walk away, Shadow growled, "Curse you, Thanatos..... CURSE YOU!!!"
The Blackflame Five stopped in the trees near where Ash's companions had been knocked out. All of them were still unconscious. Hawkeye nodded, "I don't think they'll be waking up for another hour at least. Even with all this rain." Silent Fang snickered, "Yep. When I knock someone out, not even sticking them in a waterfall will wake them up faster." Just then, Titan grumbled, "Give it a rest already, Pearl. Why are you still crying?" The lone female sobbed as she hung over Titan's shoulder. "I couldn't..... I couldn't save him....."
Thanatos grumbled, "That freak really got to her somehow." The Alpha male jumped over to a tree branch near Titan and raised Pearl's face until they were eye-to-eye. "Snap out of it. That boy was the worst of his kind. He turned one of our own against us and even raped your own sister. RAPED! How can you think that he was just some innocent child?!" Pearl stopped crying for a moment and just let her head hang. "You'll never understand. You're just a black-hearted beast who only cares about power and preventing others from thinking for themselves. You will never understand what it means to love someone." Thanatos frowned, "I'll pretend I didn't just hear that." He then jumped to a distant branch so that he had a good look at his comrades. "Mission accomplished. Our clan should be safe now. Let's return to our home." But as they began to make their way back to the west, Pearl whispered, "Safe? How are we any safer than before?"
After several minutes, the Blackflame Five reached Shadow's location. "Just a moment." Thanatos then jumped down to his former comrade and kneeled in front of him. "Is that leg of yours well enough to walk yet?" Shadow silently looked away. "No? Silent Fang should be capable of carrying you back. Are you ready to return to us?" At this, Shadow turned to Thanatos and spat in his only eye. The Alpha male turned away as Shadow's saliva struck his eye. After wiping it away, Thanatos slowly looked back towards Shadow. The former assassin stared at the Alpha male with a gaze of pure defiance and hatred. "You used me to murder countless 'rival' clan members. And now you have murdered the only friend I have ever known. I am your enemy forever."
Thanatos stood up and sighed, "That brainwashing is taking its time wearing off. Poor kid..." Thanatos jumped back up into the trees. "He's not ready yet. Let's pull out." The Blackflame Five followed their leader towards the west. "Let's make a detour ahead to the south. The sooner Pearl forgets about that rapist, the better." But just before they left each other's sight, Pearl and Shadow exchanged one last glance. Shadow's eyes seemed to ask, "Why?" Pearl's eyes replied, "I tried. I really did."
Lucash soon came to a wide clearing in the road. Something had caused the ground to sink a bit into forming a bowl shape. By this time, the sun was gone and the night had begun. But Lucash could still make out a mound of sorts at the very center of the clearing. Gathering his courage, the tiny Riolu began to walk towards it. The whole time, he felt a sense of dread that was new to him.
Lucash's eyes began to pour tears as something in the back of his mind told him that his father was gone for good. But he kept telling himself to not lose hope, for that would mean letting his father go. Lucash came to a stop at the side of the mound where a large round object lied partially buried in the mud. It was too dark to make out the features. Lucash stood motionless as he watched the object in front of him. He whispered, "Daddy...?" As if to answer this, a deafening thunderclap was heard as a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the area for a few seconds. But that moment of light was all Lucash needed to make out his father's face. His right eye, the one that was not covered by the mud, looked ahead. But Lucash felt a terrible sense of horror at his father's soulless gaze. It was as if he was looking at a ghost. "DADDY!!!"
The tiny Riolu dropped to his knees and screamed, "Daddy! Wake up! Your eyes are open, so say something! You can't be asleep! Wake up!" He frantically shook his father in the hopes of waking him from his death. "Daddy... You're scaring me..... Stop it. Please say something..." Lucash held Ash's head in his arms and held it against his chest, "I love you, Daddy... Say you love me too....." Lucash waited, knowing that his father would surely speak his love for his son. But those words never came. The truth began to sink in. And it was too much for the newborn Riolu's mind to bear.
"Daddy...... DADDY!!!!!" Lucash screamed as he fell upon his father's corpse. "Come back! Don't go away!" The Riolu wailed as he buried his face into his father's jacket. "Why...? Why'd they do this to you?!" Lucash's mind drifted back to the evil gaze Thanatos had given him as the Blackflame Five passed by. "Your father was a scumbag. He never loved you. Just forget him." Lucash trembled as he raised his head from his father's body. "No.... Daddy loved me.... Daddy loved Mommy! He loved Sapphire! He loved all of us!" His eyes shuddered in rage as his Aura began to billow around him. "You....you monsters! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!!!!!!"
The Riolu stood up and let out a scream of wrath to the sky as the rain fell around him. "DADDY!!!!!" A moment later, the boy became consumed by a brilliant white glow. His body began to change as his rage demanded more power to make his father's killers pay with their blood. Lucash began to grow. His ears grew taller and a second pair of dreadlocks could be seen. A spike grew from his chest and the backs of his hands. Just when Lucash was beginning to run out of breath, the white glow vanished. In the process, the tiny Riolu had become a powerful Lucario. Lucash then dropped to his knees and pounded both hands into the muddy ground, sending small waves rippling across the large puddle of rainwater.
Lucash looked down at his father, still consumed by hatred and rage. But it was soon overwhelmed by sorrow and loss. The newly evolved Lucario fell across his father's corpse and cried. "Why...? Why'd you have to die, Daddy?" Lucash sobbed, unable to understand what his father had done to deserve to die.
As Lucash mourned the loss of his father, a steadily growing warmth began to spread in Ash's corpse. Lucash did not even notice it until it had reached the temperature of a hot sidewalk on a summer day. "Ouch! What's that?!" Lucash fell backwards as he pushed himself off his father. A second later, Ash's corpse burst into flames. Lucash screamed, "Daddy!" However, the flames were simply covering Ash, not burning him. To Lucash's amazement, the flames began to pull together into a single form. The flames spread out until they took the shape of a beautiful bird.
"Daddy? What..." Lucash looked on in total bewilderment at the burning form that now floated above his father's body. The apparition was still connected to the Trainer's body through a short pillar of flames. Suddenly, the creature spoke in a wise and beautiful female voice, "Do not be afraid, little one. I am a flicker of the power of the phoenix. You know her as Ho-Oh." Lucash asked, "Ho-Oh? Who is she?" The creature replied, "So you do not know of her? It matters not. I mean no harm to you." Lucash then asked, "But who are you?" The apparition explained, "I was not simply infused with your father on a whim. It all began with his ancestor. The Angel of the Eternal Flame."
Lucash asked, "Angel? Daddy's.....something was an angel?" The creature of flames replied, "In a sense, yes. He fell gravely ill as an infant and could only be saved by the Eternal Flame. But when Ho-Oh infused it with him, she infused her own power with him as well. Over the centuries, the Eternal Flame has been divided and passed on through his children and their children. And since your father is a direct descendant of him, the Eternal Flame burns within his soul as well. I am the Eternal Flame. A fragment of the phoenix's never-ending existence."
The Eternal Flame continued, "To be honest, I am still Ho-Oh herself. She is speaking through me to you." The apparition of flames then looked down at her master, "Your father..... For the past twelve years, I have watched him grow. For a child to become a father at such a young age is unheard of, but he would not let age stop him. He is a true marvel. An inspiration to those around him. The world has not seen someone like him since the Angel of the Eternal Flame himself." She then sighed, "He deserves another chance."
Lucash asked, "Another chance?" The Eternal Flame nodded, "The Eternal Flame is able to revive its master from a premature death. I will soon revive him." Lucash then asked, "His children? Does that mean...?" The Eternal Flame nodded, "Yes. The Eternal Flame has been passed on to you and your sister as well." Lucash then asked, "But you said you'll bring Daddy back?" The Eternal Flame nodded, "Yes. However, never forget that this resurrection can only be used once in a lifetime. If your father dies prematurely once again, it will be for the last time. Treasure him. Protect him. Never allow such a fate to befall him again until his proper time has come."
With renewed hope, Lucash asked, "If you're gonna bring Daddy back, will you do it now?" The Eternal Flame giggled, "Straight to the point. Just like your father." As the Eternal Flame began to spread out and cover Ash's corpse, its voice whispered, "Never forget..... There are no extra chances from this point forward....." The flames engulfed Ash's body for a moment before disappearing. Lucash watched with bated breath, praying for his father to move.
Lucash gasped when he heard a mumble. A second later, he saw his father's arm move. It reached up and pressed its hand into the ground for leverage. He then raised his head from the mud. After shaking the mud from his face, he groaned, "Gross..... Why do I feel like I just ate a bucket of mud?" At this, Lucash screamed, "Daddy!!!"
Ash turned to his right and saw a small Lucario crying. "Huh? Who're you?" The Lucario then lunged at Ash and wrapped his arms around his father. "Daddy... Say you love me!" The voice was only slightly deeper now, but Ash still recognized it. "Lucash? What the heck happened to you?!" The Lucario child demanded again, "Say you love me, Daddy!" Ash chuckled a bit and folded his arms around his boy's body. "I love you, Lucash." The newborn cooed, "I love you, Daddy."
Without releasing Lucash from his grasp, Ash looked down at his son's new form. He was much smaller than the average Lucario. He also noticed that his eyes were still the extremely dark brown that his were. But he also noticed that messy tuft of hair on his head. Lastly, Ash saw that Lucash's four dreadlocks were not rounded at the ends, but were instead spiked. But he then noticed something that scared him. Blood was covering the three spikes on Lucash's hands and chest and was flowing downwards, as if they had forcefully grown in.
"Lucash, are you hurt?" Ash asked. The Lucario looked up at him, "Huh?" Ash then let go of him and pointed at his hands and chest, "Look! You're bleeding! Does it hurt?" Lucash looked at himself and replied, "Um, kind of. I never saw that before." Ash breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good. Had me scared there." But as Lucash looked himself over, his face went from happy to horrified. "But these are just like..." Lucash's mind trailed back to the five Lucario who had shown up just before he collapsed for a moment. And the memory of Thanatos looking down at him was still fresh in his mind.
Ash noticed Lucash's face and asked, "What's wrong?" Lucash began to cry, "These are just like them! I'm a monster too!" Lucash looked away in shame and cried, feeling that he was not deserving of his father's love. Ash looked at his son's spikes and realized what Lucash was so upset about. Unlike his mother and sister, Lucash had grown the three spikes that the Blackflame Five members had.
"Lucash, that's not a big deal. Come here..." Ash reached out to hold his son, but the Lucario pushed him away, "Don't touch me! I'm a monster! Just like them!" Ash then shouted, "Well, what about Lucy and Shadow?! Are they monsters too?!" Lucash gasped, "N...No! Shadow is... And Auntie Lucy..." Ash smiled, "See? Those spikes don't make any difference of if you're a good guy or bad guy." Ash then held his son close, "Lucy's a really sweet girl. And Shadow did everything he could to protect me. Just because they have those three spikes doesn't mean that they're monsters. It's what you do that decides if you're a good guy or bad guy." Lucash immediately saw the wisdom in his father's words and hugged him tightly. "Daddy.....you're so awesome..."
Ash shivered, "We'll catch a cold if we stay in this mud for much longer. Let's get outta here." Lucash nodded and started to make his way to the east. He noticed that his father was lagging behind and waited. "Man, I feel really stiff..... And this deep mud is really messing with my shoes. I'm gonna need to visit the drycleaners after this." Once Ash made his way out of the mud pit, he shook as much mud from his legs as possible. "OK, let's go find Shadow." Lucash smiled, "OK! I saw him over here!" Lucash ran off to the east. Ash groaned, "Not so fast! I'm still feeling pretty rusty!"
Shadow silently mourned the loss of his friend as he lied against a tree. (It should've been me. Ash never killed anyone... I'm the one who deserves to die!) Just then Shadow heard Lucash call, "Mr. Shadow! There you are!" The Lucario turned to the west, "Leave me be, Lucash. I wish to be..... What the...?" Shadow's expression changed to one of utter shock. Stiffly walking behind Lucash was Ash, still a bit muddy from lying in the mud for so long.
Ash noticed Shadow ahead and called out, "Hey, Shadow! You OK?! I hope they didn't bust you up too much." The Lucario could not even blink as he looked at the friend he thought he had lost. "Impossible. I must be delusional. Maybe if I..." Shadow punched himself in the face and shook his head. But when he looked back again, Ash was still there. "What'd you hit yourself for?" Without saying a word, Shadow began to climb to his feet. The pain in his left leg was agonizing, but he would not let it stop him. He then began to run towards Ash with a significant limp. "Shadow?" The wounded Lucario finally tripped just before he reached him, but his Trainer caught him before he could hit the ground. "What's wrong?! Are you hurt?!" But Shadow simply sobbed, "I thought..... I was so sure that they..... BWAAAAHHHHAAAA!!!"
Ash and Lucash looked at each other with baffled expressions. It was a very awkward moment to see a proud warrior crying with such vigor. Ash patted Shadow on the head, "Does your leg really hurt that much?" The Lucario then threw his arms around Ash's waist, "I thought I lost you....." Ash blushed slightly and kneeled so he was eyelevel with his friend. "Shadow, I'm fine. You don't have to cry." The Lucario sobbed, "I'm not crying out of sadness. I'm just overjoyed that you survived." Ash asked, "Am I really that important to you?" Shadow nodded, "More than you know." Ash then gave his friend a hug, "That really touches me. But I'm fine now." After a moment longer, Ash asked, "Shadow, can you walk?" He pushed back from Ash, "I think I can...OW!" The Lucario fell down with a thud. Ash bent down and examined his left leg. "What happened? It's really warm and swollen." Shadow explained, "Titan smashed it with his Aura Axe." Ash looked it over some more, "Well, I wouldn't know by looking at it. Whoever patched you up did a really good job of it. I'll bet you'll be just fine in a few days." Shadow breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness. But how will I get around until then? WHAT THE?!" Shadow gasped as Ash picked him up and sat him on his shoulders. "WHOA, WHAT'RE YOU DOING?!" Ash laughed, "Until you can walk again, I'll be your legs!" Shadow planted his hands against Ash's scalp for support, "This is gonna take some getting used to." Ash then spoke, "Let's get going. Oh yeah, Shadow? Lucash?" The two Lucario looked at the Trainer. "Don't tell anyone what happened." After that, the rain slowed to a stop and the clouds disappeared, revealing a beautiful night sky.
On their way back to the group, Shadow looked down and noticed that Lucash did not look like a Riolu. "Ash, what happened to your son?" Ash looked down at the Lucario child and then up at Shadow, "I dunno. Didn't he evolve?" Shadow shook his head, "For a Riolu at the age of ten days? Impossible. The youngest Riolu I've ever heard of evolving was three months old. It's not natural for such a child to evolve. I can't understand what could've forced your boy into evolving this early. It must've been an induced evolution." Ash looked down at Lucash and saw that he did not seem aware of his father's conversation with Shadow. Ash whispered, "But is it really a bad thing?" Shadow sighed, "I fear that whatever happened made him seek greater power. But still, he does not look like a half-human Lucario. I think he sacrificed a more human form for the raw power of a feral Lucario." Ash looked back at his child. "Sacrificed? Why?" Shadow sighed, "You already know the answer to that." Ash bowed his head, "Revenge."
Ruby rubbed her eyes as she climbed to her feet, still soaked from the rain. After letting out a sneeze, she noticed that her son and lover were missing. "Lucash?! Ash?!" The young mother looked around frantically, but soon heard a familiar voice, "You OK, Ruby?!" The Lucario looked to the west and saw her boyfriend and child. "Ash! Lucash! Are you OK?! Huh? Shadow, what in the world?" Ruby noticed the proud warrior riding on Ash's shoulders. "Don't ask. My leg was busted and I can't walk for now." This did nothing to explain things to Ruby and she fell over laughing. "Oh my, that's too much..." Just then, Lucash walked over to Ruby, "Mommy, is Sapphire OK?" Ruby wiped some tears from her eyes as she caught her breath. "Yes, she seems fine. We just need to wait for her to wake up.....huh?!" She then realized that the child in front of her was not her son at all. But after a few sniffs to check his scent, Ruby cried, "Lucash, what happened?! Who did this to you?!" The young mother took her child into her arms, "Tell me who did this to you!" Shadow then explained, "There's no reason to be so upset. Even though he evolved extremely prematurely, he is still Lucash."
Ruby looked down at her child's face. He still had the same dark and gentle eyes that his father did. "Yes. It doesn't matter what you look like. You're still my little boy." Ruby then tightened her embrace on her child. Lucash hugged her back, "I'm OK, Mommy. Daddy is too." That was when Ruby remembered. She let go of Lucash and ran up to her lover, "Ash, are you all right?! You're filthy!" Ash chuckled, "I'm fine, Ruby. They almost had me, but I fooled them by playing dead." Ruby gave him a strange look, "And that.....worked?" Ash nodded. Ruby pondered this, "Honestly? I'm pretty sure Hawkeye would've noticed if you were still alive." Ash shook his head, "I acted like I was dying. That fooled them. Thanatos said something about having done enough." Ruby was then about to give Ash a hug, but stopped herself short. "Get over to the laundry mat. I'm not touching you until you get all that mud taken care of."
The next one to wake up was Sapphire. She looked around and saw her father and brother. "Daddy! Lucash!" She stood up and dashed over to them, but stopped at the sight of her brother. Despite his radically different form, Sapphire recognized him right away. "Huh? Lucash? How'd you get so big?!" Lucash blushed a little, "I guess I'm the big brother now." Ash added, "For now at least. You're still a growing boy." But at this, Sapphire ran over to Lucash and demanded, "Lucash, hold me!" Her 'big' brother reached down and lifted her into his arms. He was only a few inches taller than her. "You're really light, Sapphire." Sapphire giggled, "Maybe you're just really strong!"
One by one, Ash's companions regained consciousness. They were all curious of what had happened while they were out. Max laughed, "You tricked them by playing dead?! Ash, that was dirty, but cool too!" May nodded, "Don't say that was a dirty trick! Those monsters deserve the worst!" Brock then asked, "But in any case, they think Ash is dead now. That means they won't come back. So we can continue on with the Hoenn League challenge, right?" However, Ash remained silent as his gaze trailed to his girlfriend and children. Lucy asked, "Ash? What's wrong?" Ash sighed, "No way. We're done here. I'm going home."
Max shouted, "Done?! What are you saying?! You mean that you don't care if you don't become the greatest Pokemon Master of all time?!" Ash yelled back, "It's not worth it if my family has to be in danger for it!" He then turned to Shadow, "Shadow, they seemed pretty convinced that you and Ruby were still loyal to your clan. What would've happened if they knew the truth?" The Lucario sighed, "In short, Ruby, your children, and I would be dead now. I am guilty of betraying the Blackflame clan and preventing them from killing Ruby, who is guilty of mating with someone from outside the clan. Your children are equally guilty of being born from your 'forbidden' union with Ruby." Ash then faced the group, "And that settles it. Going through with this challenge is not worth it. I would have to be the worst boyfriend and father in the world to put glory and fame before the lives of my family."
May objected, "But the Blackflame clan thinks your dead now! They won't come after someone they think is dead." Ash countered this, "But if they catch my scent, they'll know I'm still around. And as long as we're in Hoenn, we'll never be safe. One screw-up and my family will be wiped out. We need to get out of here before that happens." May sighed, "Ash, you never cease to amaze me. You're such a good dad." Ash blushed and scratched his head, "Um, thanks. I guess it's part of this maternal instinct." He then looked down at Max, "Hey, Max. Could you check the Pokenav and see where the closest ferry to home is?" Max nodded and took out the yellow device. After a moment, he frowned, "Not good. The closest city with a ferry for the Kanto region is in Slateport City." Brock groaned, "All the way back there?!" But Max added, "Fortunately, there's a ferry in Lilycove City that takes us just south of Mauville City. All we have to do then is hike south to Slateport City and you guys will be home free!" Ash nodded, "Great. I'm pretty sure we'll be gone before those guys ever figure it out. But since it's late, let's turn in for the night." The group then made their way east to Lilycove City.
After checking into a hotel, Ash gave Brock his dirty clothes and shoes to be taken down to the laundry room. After washing all the excess mud from his body, all Ash had on was a robe that he found in his hotel room's closet. "Hey, Lucash. You want a bath?" The little Lucario nodded, "OK! I'm coming!" Ash watched as his son ran into the bathroom and jumped into the filled bathtub with great joy. "He really likes water."
Ash pulled up a stool and took a seat next to the tub. "This feels really warm!" Lucash said as he splashed around a bit. Ash could already see some mud coming from Lucash's fur. "Hold still. I gotta apply the soap." Ash took a bar of soap and began to rub his son's back with it. But as he rubbed away, Ash felt Lucash's fur shift with each movement. "What the?" Lucash also noticed, "There's something on my back, Daddy. Could you pull it off?" Ash then made Lucash raise his arms. "Is this what I think it is?" Sure enough, when Ash pulled up, a vest of yellow fur came off of Lucash's body. The color scheme under it was the same as Pearl's with her vest removed. "Cool! Looks like you got a shirt when you evolved!"
Lucash looked at himself after his shirt was removed. "There's a little yellow here. And everything else is blue!" Lucash then spoke, "Daddy, something feels weird down here too." Lucash stood up and set his hands on his upper legs. Ash reached for them and pulled down. What seemed to be blue fur was really a pair of shorts. "Pants too? Cool! You're like a combination of Pearl and Ruby!" Like Ruby, Lucash's legs were completely black while the yellow fur on his front side went all the way down to his genitals. His backside was entirely covered with blue fur. It was then that Ash realized that he was looking at a nude MALE Lucario for the first time. (I'll bet Shadow looks just like this too.) Ash had Lucash wait in the tub for a minute while he took his shorts and vest down to the laundry room.
Once Ash got back, he asked, "Ready for some washing?" Lucash nodded, "Yep! Wash me good, Daddy!" Taking the bar of soap in hand, Ash began on Lucash's legs while they were still submerged. Lucash giggled as his father rubbed his feet. But when Ash reached his genitals, Lucash burst into wild laughter. "Heheheeehahahaaha! That really tickles, Daddy!" Ash chuckled, "Those are some sensitive parts down there. But are they really that ticklish?" Lucash could not even speak as his father caressed them with the soap. "I'll take that as a yes."
Once Lucash's bath was over, Ash carried the newborn into the bedroom while wrapped in a towel. "Did you like bath time?" The Lucario pup smiled, "Yes! That was fun! Let's do it again tomorrow!" Ash grinned, "You got it. Next time we'll take a shower instead." Just then, Ash noticed Ruby standing in the doorway. "How's Big Daddy doing?" Lucash waved, "Hi, Mommy! Uh.....I'm hungry." Ruby walked over to her son and took him in her arms. "I could tell. Oh?" As the towel fell, Ruby saw that her son was missing some layers of fur. "OH! I remember that Pearl said Lucario sometimes have a shirt and pants when they evolve! Does Lucash have both?" Ash nodded, "Yeah. I just took them down to the laundry room since they were kinda muddy." Ruby smiled and held Lucash to her breast. As her son began to suckle, Ruby spoke, "Sapphire's in bed right now. Don't worry about her." Just then, Ash asked, "What about Lucy? Any idea where she is?" Ruby nodded, "She's on the roof. There's a lovely full moon tonight, so she wanted to see it." Ash gave his girlfriend a little kiss on the cheek, "Thanks. I'm gonna check on her. Make sure to let me in when I come back."
Ash went to the top floor with the elevator and then took the last flight of stairs up to the roof. Once he stepped out on the roof, Ash saw the moon in the sky. "Wow. Ruby wasn't kidding about the moon. Pretty romantic setting too." Ash then looked around for anyone there. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed what seemed to be a dark purple flame of sorts billowing out from behind a maintenance shed. Curious, he approached it.
Ash knew something was amiss as he closed the distance between him and the source of that sinister Aura. It felt truly diabolical and he was almost too afraid to look behind the corner. So instead he pressed his back against the side of the shed and inched over to the edge without revealing himself. He heard a voice muttering to itself. "No...I don't want this... It's not worth it... Not after what it did to her... It was bad enough then. I don't want it to happen again...especially to him. He's done so much for me..." Ash finally gathered the courage to peek behind the wall. But when he did, he froze at the sight of what seemed to be Lucy. She had her left hand holding her head while her right arm was pressing against the wall for balance. But her fur was vastly different. What used to be blue was now a golden yellow while whatever used to be yellow was now completely black. What was more; the purple Aura that Ash saw was engulfing her. Despite what he knew Lucy to be, Ash could not help noticing the maleficent presence Lucy was presenting.
"Lucy, what's wrong?!" Ash called out as he set a hand on her shoulder. At his touch, Lucy gasped. The purple Aura vanished and her fur steadily returned to its natural colors. Lucy began to totter a bit and fell into Ash's arms. "Wha...what happened?" Ash tried to avoid making her worry and grinned, "You kinda spaced out there. Ruby told me that you came up here to look at the moon. I decided to check it out myself. And man, it's a really nice view up here too." Lucy gave a happy smile at Ash's reply. It was as if she had no memory of what had just occurred.
Ash and Lucy took a seat on a bench and gazed at the sky. Lucy leaned against Ash while the Trainer draped an arm over her shoulders. Ask then asked, "Lucy, can I ask you something?" The Lucario looked up at him and smiled, "Sure." Ash blushed slightly as he asked, "What.....what do you think of me?" Lucy remained silent for a moment before replying, "You're a valiant boy who is easy to befriend. I'm not exaggerating when I say that joining you was one of the best decisions I ever made." Ash blushed deeply, "Really? Come on, I'm not that special!" Lucy giggled, "You can be modest at times too. I can't help but feel at ease when I'm near you."
Ash gulped, "Lucy...do you...have a crush on me?" This shocked the Lucario as she blushed, "What?! No! You're the best friend I've ever had, but how could I ever fall in love with you?!" This seemed to bum Ash out a bit as he looked away. "Oh.....never mind then." It was then that Lucy realized what she had said. "Um, sorry. That didn't come out right. What I really meant is..." Ash then looked back over at Lucy and listened. Fighting back tears, Lucy spoke, "What I meant is that we can't be together."
This shocked Ash to his soul. "Can't be together? But we're together right now." Lucy replied, "I mean..... Oh, you know it already." Ash frowned, "Lucy, you're right about one thing. I'm not in love with you right now. But that can all change someday. Who knows?" Lucy then sobbed, "You can't understand. I must not ever feel such a way about anyone." Ash replied, "Are you saying you're unworthy for me?! But you and Ruby are the same! If she's worthy enough for me, why can't you be?!" Finally, Lucy stood up and cried, "I can't get too attached to anyone. Only friends at best, but no further than that. It will hurt too much." But when she tried to make a run for the stairs, Ash grabbed her by the wrist.
"Let go of me!" Lucy screamed as Ash held her back. The Trainer shouted, "Lucy, you're being silly! Just listen to me!" The Lucario strained to get away, but Ash's grip would not release. Finally, he pulled her towards him and held her in a tight embrace. For some reason, Lucy calmed down immediately. "Lucy, I don't know what happened to you in the past and I don't care. You're my friend. I want to make up for the pain you had to feel every day in the past. Just let me make you happy." Lucy looked up at him, "It doesn't bother you? Even if I refuse to tell you?" Ash smiled, "You just tell me when you want to. I promise that it won't change the way I feel about you." Finally, Lucy broke down and hugged him tightly to her body. "What did I ever do to deserve a friend like you?"
The next morning, Ash led his friends and family down to the docks at Lilycove City. But before they got very far, a voice called out, "Oh, Ash sweetie! Where've you been for the last two months?!" Ash gulped as he slowly turned around, "Where have I heard that voice befo...aw man, not her!" Walking towards him was a familiar Gardevoir. Ash sighed, "Hi, Jade."
Ruby looked up at Ash, "Jade? You know her?" Ash blushed, "She was my waitress the night I found you working at that strip club." Jade giggled, "You remembered me! You're so thoughtful. And let me guess. Your sweetheart you told me about is Ruby?" The Lucario nodded, "I am. And these are our children. Sapphire and Lucash." The two babies waved at the busty Gardevoir. "Oh my goodness, they're simply darling! I wanted to tell you what a hunk your boyfriend is. I only wish I got to him first!" Ruby giggled, "You know it! I just can't get enough of him! If he had the stamina for it, I would ride him from dusk to dawn!" Sapphire looked up at Ash and asked, "How does Mommy ride you?" Ash gave her an embarrassed stare and replied, "When you're older."
After a moment of fantasizing about Ash, Jade asked, "So, where you guys heading?" Ash replied, "We're going home to the Kanto region." Jade then swaggered over to him until her large breasts were pressing against his chest, "Really? Well, when will I see you again, hot stuff?" Ash sighed, "Probably never." The Gardevoir gave him a surprised look, "Come again?" Ash explained, "I don't want to tell you the details, but we need to leave Hoenn and never come back." Jade gave him a suspicious stare, "Are you in trouble with the law?" Ruby objected, "No, of course not! We just got into trouble with some really rough folks and now they're hunting us. But once we leave Hoenn, we'll be safe." Jade sighed, "So this is goodbye forever....." Ash nodded, "Yeah. I don't want to leave Hoenn just yet, but it has to be done." But then Jade gave him an amorous gaze, "Well, if this is really goodbye, I absolutely must give you a going away present."
Before anyone could react, Jade grabbed Ash by the shoulders and pulled him towards her. She then pressed her lips against his and forced her tongue into his mouth. Lucy was especially surprised by the Gardevoir's straightforward approach. "Amazing. I had no idea Ash was quite this popular with women." Ruby turned to her and chuckled, "Now you know why I'm so hesitant about leaving him alone with other girls." After a moment, Jade very slowly pulled away from Ash, their tongues hanging out of their mouths with a string of saliva connecting them. She whispered, "You taste just as good as I remember." She then turned to Ruby and bowed, "Watch over him for me." Ruby smiled, "I will. And say hi to the boss for me." With a final wave, the two former coworkers bid farewell. But not until Jade gave Ash a loving wink before she walked away. And to top it off, she spoke to him through telepathy, "See ya, handsome."
Brock gave Ash a quick shake, "Hey, wake up! If we take too long, we'll miss the ferry!" After a few seconds, Ash gagged, "Uh...ah...guh...OK...OK! I'm awake! So the ferry's about to leave?! Let's go!" Ash took off for the harbor with his family and friends in tow, except Brock was carrying Shadow on his back. (I'm actually looking forward to seeing Mom again. I can't wait to show her Lucash.)
As the ferry pulled out of the harbor, Ash stood at the bow with Ruby by his side. "It won't be all that long before we leave your home behind for good. Are you sure you want to leave?" Ruby sighed, "I'd be happy to never even have to hear the word 'Hoenn' again. The only thing I ever got from this place is bad memories." Ash placed a hand on her shoulder, "I hear ya. Don't worry. You can start a new life once we get back home." Ruby wrapped an arm around Ash's backside and smiled, "I already have. It began when I met you." Just then, Ruby remembered, "Ash, I heard that there's going to be a dance in the main hall tonight. Wanna go?" Ash grinned, "Sure! Can't wait." Before heading inside to his cabin, Ash took one more look at Lilycove City before it was out of sight. "I'm gonna miss this place. But it's for the best if staying here means putting my family's lives at risk. Pearl.....thanks for trying to save me."
Suddenly, Lucash's ears picked up sounds coming towards him. He froze. Soon he saw three Lucario leap through the trees nearby, one of which was carrying a young female Lucario over his shoulder. Just after them followed another Lucario. But just after passing Lucash, it landed on a tree branch and stopped. Lucash looked up at it out of curiosity. After a moment, the Lucario turned its head to the right and looked down at Lucash over its shoulder. Its vicious red eye glared down at him, frightening Lucash into falling backwards. The sense of malice was unmistakable. It was Thanatos.
Lucash looked up at the Alpha male in terror, certain that he was about to become his next victim. But the evil Lucario soon spoke, "Forget about him. Your father was a scumbag who raped your mother. He never loved you." With that, the Alpha male turned and followed his teammates. Lucash waited a moment in case Thanatos was about to come back and attack him. When he was certain the Alpha male was gone, Lucash climbed to his feet and looked back to the west. "Daddy..."
Lucash continued to run to the west in search of his father. But before long, he saw a lone Lucario leaning against a tree while trying to stand up. But with every attempt, he would fall back down. Lucash ran over to him and recognized him right away. "Mr. Shadow?" The former Blackflame Five member looked up at the tiny Riolu with a truly sorrowful expression. Shadow looked as if he had been crying nonstop for the last ten minutes. "I'm sorry..... I couldn't stop them....."
Lucash walked up to Shadow and asked, "Are you OK?" Shadow sobbed, "What does it matter? I failed to save my best friend!" He then smashed his fist into the ground. Lucash then asked, "Where's Daddy?" Shadow hesitated for a moment before pointing to the west down the road. But when Lucash began to walk towards his father's location, Shadow spoke, "Don't....." Lucash looked back at Shadow. "You.....you don't need to see him as he is now." Lucash then asked, "Then when is Daddy coming back?" Shadow bowed his head and cried, "Your father...is not coming back. Ever." Lucash then looked back down the road and said, "If Daddy's not coming back, I'll go to Daddy." As he watched his friend's son walk away, Shadow growled, "Curse you, Thanatos..... CURSE YOU!!!"
The Blackflame Five stopped in the trees near where Ash's companions had been knocked out. All of them were still unconscious. Hawkeye nodded, "I don't think they'll be waking up for another hour at least. Even with all this rain." Silent Fang snickered, "Yep. When I knock someone out, not even sticking them in a waterfall will wake them up faster." Just then, Titan grumbled, "Give it a rest already, Pearl. Why are you still crying?" The lone female sobbed as she hung over Titan's shoulder. "I couldn't..... I couldn't save him....."
Thanatos grumbled, "That freak really got to her somehow." The Alpha male jumped over to a tree branch near Titan and raised Pearl's face until they were eye-to-eye. "Snap out of it. That boy was the worst of his kind. He turned one of our own against us and even raped your own sister. RAPED! How can you think that he was just some innocent child?!" Pearl stopped crying for a moment and just let her head hang. "You'll never understand. You're just a black-hearted beast who only cares about power and preventing others from thinking for themselves. You will never understand what it means to love someone." Thanatos frowned, "I'll pretend I didn't just hear that." He then jumped to a distant branch so that he had a good look at his comrades. "Mission accomplished. Our clan should be safe now. Let's return to our home." But as they began to make their way back to the west, Pearl whispered, "Safe? How are we any safer than before?"
After several minutes, the Blackflame Five reached Shadow's location. "Just a moment." Thanatos then jumped down to his former comrade and kneeled in front of him. "Is that leg of yours well enough to walk yet?" Shadow silently looked away. "No? Silent Fang should be capable of carrying you back. Are you ready to return to us?" At this, Shadow turned to Thanatos and spat in his only eye. The Alpha male turned away as Shadow's saliva struck his eye. After wiping it away, Thanatos slowly looked back towards Shadow. The former assassin stared at the Alpha male with a gaze of pure defiance and hatred. "You used me to murder countless 'rival' clan members. And now you have murdered the only friend I have ever known. I am your enemy forever."
Thanatos stood up and sighed, "That brainwashing is taking its time wearing off. Poor kid..." Thanatos jumped back up into the trees. "He's not ready yet. Let's pull out." The Blackflame Five followed their leader towards the west. "Let's make a detour ahead to the south. The sooner Pearl forgets about that rapist, the better." But just before they left each other's sight, Pearl and Shadow exchanged one last glance. Shadow's eyes seemed to ask, "Why?" Pearl's eyes replied, "I tried. I really did."
Lucash soon came to a wide clearing in the road. Something had caused the ground to sink a bit into forming a bowl shape. By this time, the sun was gone and the night had begun. But Lucash could still make out a mound of sorts at the very center of the clearing. Gathering his courage, the tiny Riolu began to walk towards it. The whole time, he felt a sense of dread that was new to him.
Lucash's eyes began to pour tears as something in the back of his mind told him that his father was gone for good. But he kept telling himself to not lose hope, for that would mean letting his father go. Lucash came to a stop at the side of the mound where a large round object lied partially buried in the mud. It was too dark to make out the features. Lucash stood motionless as he watched the object in front of him. He whispered, "Daddy...?" As if to answer this, a deafening thunderclap was heard as a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the area for a few seconds. But that moment of light was all Lucash needed to make out his father's face. His right eye, the one that was not covered by the mud, looked ahead. But Lucash felt a terrible sense of horror at his father's soulless gaze. It was as if he was looking at a ghost. "DADDY!!!"
The tiny Riolu dropped to his knees and screamed, "Daddy! Wake up! Your eyes are open, so say something! You can't be asleep! Wake up!" He frantically shook his father in the hopes of waking him from his death. "Daddy... You're scaring me..... Stop it. Please say something..." Lucash held Ash's head in his arms and held it against his chest, "I love you, Daddy... Say you love me too....." Lucash waited, knowing that his father would surely speak his love for his son. But those words never came. The truth began to sink in. And it was too much for the newborn Riolu's mind to bear.
"Daddy...... DADDY!!!!!" Lucash screamed as he fell upon his father's corpse. "Come back! Don't go away!" The Riolu wailed as he buried his face into his father's jacket. "Why...? Why'd they do this to you?!" Lucash's mind drifted back to the evil gaze Thanatos had given him as the Blackflame Five passed by. "Your father was a scumbag. He never loved you. Just forget him." Lucash trembled as he raised his head from his father's body. "No.... Daddy loved me.... Daddy loved Mommy! He loved Sapphire! He loved all of us!" His eyes shuddered in rage as his Aura began to billow around him. "You....you monsters! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!!!!!!"
The Riolu stood up and let out a scream of wrath to the sky as the rain fell around him. "DADDY!!!!!" A moment later, the boy became consumed by a brilliant white glow. His body began to change as his rage demanded more power to make his father's killers pay with their blood. Lucash began to grow. His ears grew taller and a second pair of dreadlocks could be seen. A spike grew from his chest and the backs of his hands. Just when Lucash was beginning to run out of breath, the white glow vanished. In the process, the tiny Riolu had become a powerful Lucario. Lucash then dropped to his knees and pounded both hands into the muddy ground, sending small waves rippling across the large puddle of rainwater.
Lucash looked down at his father, still consumed by hatred and rage. But it was soon overwhelmed by sorrow and loss. The newly evolved Lucario fell across his father's corpse and cried. "Why...? Why'd you have to die, Daddy?" Lucash sobbed, unable to understand what his father had done to deserve to die.
As Lucash mourned the loss of his father, a steadily growing warmth began to spread in Ash's corpse. Lucash did not even notice it until it had reached the temperature of a hot sidewalk on a summer day. "Ouch! What's that?!" Lucash fell backwards as he pushed himself off his father. A second later, Ash's corpse burst into flames. Lucash screamed, "Daddy!" However, the flames were simply covering Ash, not burning him. To Lucash's amazement, the flames began to pull together into a single form. The flames spread out until they took the shape of a beautiful bird.
"Daddy? What..." Lucash looked on in total bewilderment at the burning form that now floated above his father's body. The apparition was still connected to the Trainer's body through a short pillar of flames. Suddenly, the creature spoke in a wise and beautiful female voice, "Do not be afraid, little one. I am a flicker of the power of the phoenix. You know her as Ho-Oh." Lucash asked, "Ho-Oh? Who is she?" The creature replied, "So you do not know of her? It matters not. I mean no harm to you." Lucash then asked, "But who are you?" The apparition explained, "I was not simply infused with your father on a whim. It all began with his ancestor. The Angel of the Eternal Flame."
Lucash asked, "Angel? Daddy's.....something was an angel?" The creature of flames replied, "In a sense, yes. He fell gravely ill as an infant and could only be saved by the Eternal Flame. But when Ho-Oh infused it with him, she infused her own power with him as well. Over the centuries, the Eternal Flame has been divided and passed on through his children and their children. And since your father is a direct descendant of him, the Eternal Flame burns within his soul as well. I am the Eternal Flame. A fragment of the phoenix's never-ending existence."
The Eternal Flame continued, "To be honest, I am still Ho-Oh herself. She is speaking through me to you." The apparition of flames then looked down at her master, "Your father..... For the past twelve years, I have watched him grow. For a child to become a father at such a young age is unheard of, but he would not let age stop him. He is a true marvel. An inspiration to those around him. The world has not seen someone like him since the Angel of the Eternal Flame himself." She then sighed, "He deserves another chance."
Lucash asked, "Another chance?" The Eternal Flame nodded, "The Eternal Flame is able to revive its master from a premature death. I will soon revive him." Lucash then asked, "His children? Does that mean...?" The Eternal Flame nodded, "Yes. The Eternal Flame has been passed on to you and your sister as well." Lucash then asked, "But you said you'll bring Daddy back?" The Eternal Flame nodded, "Yes. However, never forget that this resurrection can only be used once in a lifetime. If your father dies prematurely once again, it will be for the last time. Treasure him. Protect him. Never allow such a fate to befall him again until his proper time has come."
With renewed hope, Lucash asked, "If you're gonna bring Daddy back, will you do it now?" The Eternal Flame giggled, "Straight to the point. Just like your father." As the Eternal Flame began to spread out and cover Ash's corpse, its voice whispered, "Never forget..... There are no extra chances from this point forward....." The flames engulfed Ash's body for a moment before disappearing. Lucash watched with bated breath, praying for his father to move.
Lucash gasped when he heard a mumble. A second later, he saw his father's arm move. It reached up and pressed its hand into the ground for leverage. He then raised his head from the mud. After shaking the mud from his face, he groaned, "Gross..... Why do I feel like I just ate a bucket of mud?" At this, Lucash screamed, "Daddy!!!"
Ash turned to his right and saw a small Lucario crying. "Huh? Who're you?" The Lucario then lunged at Ash and wrapped his arms around his father. "Daddy... Say you love me!" The voice was only slightly deeper now, but Ash still recognized it. "Lucash? What the heck happened to you?!" The Lucario child demanded again, "Say you love me, Daddy!" Ash chuckled a bit and folded his arms around his boy's body. "I love you, Lucash." The newborn cooed, "I love you, Daddy."
Without releasing Lucash from his grasp, Ash looked down at his son's new form. He was much smaller than the average Lucario. He also noticed that his eyes were still the extremely dark brown that his were. But he also noticed that messy tuft of hair on his head. Lastly, Ash saw that Lucash's four dreadlocks were not rounded at the ends, but were instead spiked. But he then noticed something that scared him. Blood was covering the three spikes on Lucash's hands and chest and was flowing downwards, as if they had forcefully grown in.
"Lucash, are you hurt?" Ash asked. The Lucario looked up at him, "Huh?" Ash then let go of him and pointed at his hands and chest, "Look! You're bleeding! Does it hurt?" Lucash looked at himself and replied, "Um, kind of. I never saw that before." Ash breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good. Had me scared there." But as Lucash looked himself over, his face went from happy to horrified. "But these are just like..." Lucash's mind trailed back to the five Lucario who had shown up just before he collapsed for a moment. And the memory of Thanatos looking down at him was still fresh in his mind.
Ash noticed Lucash's face and asked, "What's wrong?" Lucash began to cry, "These are just like them! I'm a monster too!" Lucash looked away in shame and cried, feeling that he was not deserving of his father's love. Ash looked at his son's spikes and realized what Lucash was so upset about. Unlike his mother and sister, Lucash had grown the three spikes that the Blackflame Five members had.
"Lucash, that's not a big deal. Come here..." Ash reached out to hold his son, but the Lucario pushed him away, "Don't touch me! I'm a monster! Just like them!" Ash then shouted, "Well, what about Lucy and Shadow?! Are they monsters too?!" Lucash gasped, "N...No! Shadow is... And Auntie Lucy..." Ash smiled, "See? Those spikes don't make any difference of if you're a good guy or bad guy." Ash then held his son close, "Lucy's a really sweet girl. And Shadow did everything he could to protect me. Just because they have those three spikes doesn't mean that they're monsters. It's what you do that decides if you're a good guy or bad guy." Lucash immediately saw the wisdom in his father's words and hugged him tightly. "Daddy.....you're so awesome..."
Ash shivered, "We'll catch a cold if we stay in this mud for much longer. Let's get outta here." Lucash nodded and started to make his way to the east. He noticed that his father was lagging behind and waited. "Man, I feel really stiff..... And this deep mud is really messing with my shoes. I'm gonna need to visit the drycleaners after this." Once Ash made his way out of the mud pit, he shook as much mud from his legs as possible. "OK, let's go find Shadow." Lucash smiled, "OK! I saw him over here!" Lucash ran off to the east. Ash groaned, "Not so fast! I'm still feeling pretty rusty!"
Shadow silently mourned the loss of his friend as he lied against a tree. (It should've been me. Ash never killed anyone... I'm the one who deserves to die!) Just then Shadow heard Lucash call, "Mr. Shadow! There you are!" The Lucario turned to the west, "Leave me be, Lucash. I wish to be..... What the...?" Shadow's expression changed to one of utter shock. Stiffly walking behind Lucash was Ash, still a bit muddy from lying in the mud for so long.
Ash noticed Shadow ahead and called out, "Hey, Shadow! You OK?! I hope they didn't bust you up too much." The Lucario could not even blink as he looked at the friend he thought he had lost. "Impossible. I must be delusional. Maybe if I..." Shadow punched himself in the face and shook his head. But when he looked back again, Ash was still there. "What'd you hit yourself for?" Without saying a word, Shadow began to climb to his feet. The pain in his left leg was agonizing, but he would not let it stop him. He then began to run towards Ash with a significant limp. "Shadow?" The wounded Lucario finally tripped just before he reached him, but his Trainer caught him before he could hit the ground. "What's wrong?! Are you hurt?!" But Shadow simply sobbed, "I thought..... I was so sure that they..... BWAAAAHHHHAAAA!!!"
Ash and Lucash looked at each other with baffled expressions. It was a very awkward moment to see a proud warrior crying with such vigor. Ash patted Shadow on the head, "Does your leg really hurt that much?" The Lucario then threw his arms around Ash's waist, "I thought I lost you....." Ash blushed slightly and kneeled so he was eyelevel with his friend. "Shadow, I'm fine. You don't have to cry." The Lucario sobbed, "I'm not crying out of sadness. I'm just overjoyed that you survived." Ash asked, "Am I really that important to you?" Shadow nodded, "More than you know." Ash then gave his friend a hug, "That really touches me. But I'm fine now." After a moment longer, Ash asked, "Shadow, can you walk?" He pushed back from Ash, "I think I can...OW!" The Lucario fell down with a thud. Ash bent down and examined his left leg. "What happened? It's really warm and swollen." Shadow explained, "Titan smashed it with his Aura Axe." Ash looked it over some more, "Well, I wouldn't know by looking at it. Whoever patched you up did a really good job of it. I'll bet you'll be just fine in a few days." Shadow breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness. But how will I get around until then? WHAT THE?!" Shadow gasped as Ash picked him up and sat him on his shoulders. "WHOA, WHAT'RE YOU DOING?!" Ash laughed, "Until you can walk again, I'll be your legs!" Shadow planted his hands against Ash's scalp for support, "This is gonna take some getting used to." Ash then spoke, "Let's get going. Oh yeah, Shadow? Lucash?" The two Lucario looked at the Trainer. "Don't tell anyone what happened." After that, the rain slowed to a stop and the clouds disappeared, revealing a beautiful night sky.
On their way back to the group, Shadow looked down and noticed that Lucash did not look like a Riolu. "Ash, what happened to your son?" Ash looked down at the Lucario child and then up at Shadow, "I dunno. Didn't he evolve?" Shadow shook his head, "For a Riolu at the age of ten days? Impossible. The youngest Riolu I've ever heard of evolving was three months old. It's not natural for such a child to evolve. I can't understand what could've forced your boy into evolving this early. It must've been an induced evolution." Ash looked down at Lucash and saw that he did not seem aware of his father's conversation with Shadow. Ash whispered, "But is it really a bad thing?" Shadow sighed, "I fear that whatever happened made him seek greater power. But still, he does not look like a half-human Lucario. I think he sacrificed a more human form for the raw power of a feral Lucario." Ash looked back at his child. "Sacrificed? Why?" Shadow sighed, "You already know the answer to that." Ash bowed his head, "Revenge."
Ruby rubbed her eyes as she climbed to her feet, still soaked from the rain. After letting out a sneeze, she noticed that her son and lover were missing. "Lucash?! Ash?!" The young mother looked around frantically, but soon heard a familiar voice, "You OK, Ruby?!" The Lucario looked to the west and saw her boyfriend and child. "Ash! Lucash! Are you OK?! Huh? Shadow, what in the world?" Ruby noticed the proud warrior riding on Ash's shoulders. "Don't ask. My leg was busted and I can't walk for now." This did nothing to explain things to Ruby and she fell over laughing. "Oh my, that's too much..." Just then, Lucash walked over to Ruby, "Mommy, is Sapphire OK?" Ruby wiped some tears from her eyes as she caught her breath. "Yes, she seems fine. We just need to wait for her to wake up.....huh?!" She then realized that the child in front of her was not her son at all. But after a few sniffs to check his scent, Ruby cried, "Lucash, what happened?! Who did this to you?!" The young mother took her child into her arms, "Tell me who did this to you!" Shadow then explained, "There's no reason to be so upset. Even though he evolved extremely prematurely, he is still Lucash."
Ruby looked down at her child's face. He still had the same dark and gentle eyes that his father did. "Yes. It doesn't matter what you look like. You're still my little boy." Ruby then tightened her embrace on her child. Lucash hugged her back, "I'm OK, Mommy. Daddy is too." That was when Ruby remembered. She let go of Lucash and ran up to her lover, "Ash, are you all right?! You're filthy!" Ash chuckled, "I'm fine, Ruby. They almost had me, but I fooled them by playing dead." Ruby gave him a strange look, "And that.....worked?" Ash nodded. Ruby pondered this, "Honestly? I'm pretty sure Hawkeye would've noticed if you were still alive." Ash shook his head, "I acted like I was dying. That fooled them. Thanatos said something about having done enough." Ruby was then about to give Ash a hug, but stopped herself short. "Get over to the laundry mat. I'm not touching you until you get all that mud taken care of."
The next one to wake up was Sapphire. She looked around and saw her father and brother. "Daddy! Lucash!" She stood up and dashed over to them, but stopped at the sight of her brother. Despite his radically different form, Sapphire recognized him right away. "Huh? Lucash? How'd you get so big?!" Lucash blushed a little, "I guess I'm the big brother now." Ash added, "For now at least. You're still a growing boy." But at this, Sapphire ran over to Lucash and demanded, "Lucash, hold me!" Her 'big' brother reached down and lifted her into his arms. He was only a few inches taller than her. "You're really light, Sapphire." Sapphire giggled, "Maybe you're just really strong!"
One by one, Ash's companions regained consciousness. They were all curious of what had happened while they were out. Max laughed, "You tricked them by playing dead?! Ash, that was dirty, but cool too!" May nodded, "Don't say that was a dirty trick! Those monsters deserve the worst!" Brock then asked, "But in any case, they think Ash is dead now. That means they won't come back. So we can continue on with the Hoenn League challenge, right?" However, Ash remained silent as his gaze trailed to his girlfriend and children. Lucy asked, "Ash? What's wrong?" Ash sighed, "No way. We're done here. I'm going home."
Max shouted, "Done?! What are you saying?! You mean that you don't care if you don't become the greatest Pokemon Master of all time?!" Ash yelled back, "It's not worth it if my family has to be in danger for it!" He then turned to Shadow, "Shadow, they seemed pretty convinced that you and Ruby were still loyal to your clan. What would've happened if they knew the truth?" The Lucario sighed, "In short, Ruby, your children, and I would be dead now. I am guilty of betraying the Blackflame clan and preventing them from killing Ruby, who is guilty of mating with someone from outside the clan. Your children are equally guilty of being born from your 'forbidden' union with Ruby." Ash then faced the group, "And that settles it. Going through with this challenge is not worth it. I would have to be the worst boyfriend and father in the world to put glory and fame before the lives of my family."
May objected, "But the Blackflame clan thinks your dead now! They won't come after someone they think is dead." Ash countered this, "But if they catch my scent, they'll know I'm still around. And as long as we're in Hoenn, we'll never be safe. One screw-up and my family will be wiped out. We need to get out of here before that happens." May sighed, "Ash, you never cease to amaze me. You're such a good dad." Ash blushed and scratched his head, "Um, thanks. I guess it's part of this maternal instinct." He then looked down at Max, "Hey, Max. Could you check the Pokenav and see where the closest ferry to home is?" Max nodded and took out the yellow device. After a moment, he frowned, "Not good. The closest city with a ferry for the Kanto region is in Slateport City." Brock groaned, "All the way back there?!" But Max added, "Fortunately, there's a ferry in Lilycove City that takes us just south of Mauville City. All we have to do then is hike south to Slateport City and you guys will be home free!" Ash nodded, "Great. I'm pretty sure we'll be gone before those guys ever figure it out. But since it's late, let's turn in for the night." The group then made their way east to Lilycove City.
After checking into a hotel, Ash gave Brock his dirty clothes and shoes to be taken down to the laundry room. After washing all the excess mud from his body, all Ash had on was a robe that he found in his hotel room's closet. "Hey, Lucash. You want a bath?" The little Lucario nodded, "OK! I'm coming!" Ash watched as his son ran into the bathroom and jumped into the filled bathtub with great joy. "He really likes water."
Ash pulled up a stool and took a seat next to the tub. "This feels really warm!" Lucash said as he splashed around a bit. Ash could already see some mud coming from Lucash's fur. "Hold still. I gotta apply the soap." Ash took a bar of soap and began to rub his son's back with it. But as he rubbed away, Ash felt Lucash's fur shift with each movement. "What the?" Lucash also noticed, "There's something on my back, Daddy. Could you pull it off?" Ash then made Lucash raise his arms. "Is this what I think it is?" Sure enough, when Ash pulled up, a vest of yellow fur came off of Lucash's body. The color scheme under it was the same as Pearl's with her vest removed. "Cool! Looks like you got a shirt when you evolved!"
Lucash looked at himself after his shirt was removed. "There's a little yellow here. And everything else is blue!" Lucash then spoke, "Daddy, something feels weird down here too." Lucash stood up and set his hands on his upper legs. Ash reached for them and pulled down. What seemed to be blue fur was really a pair of shorts. "Pants too? Cool! You're like a combination of Pearl and Ruby!" Like Ruby, Lucash's legs were completely black while the yellow fur on his front side went all the way down to his genitals. His backside was entirely covered with blue fur. It was then that Ash realized that he was looking at a nude MALE Lucario for the first time. (I'll bet Shadow looks just like this too.) Ash had Lucash wait in the tub for a minute while he took his shorts and vest down to the laundry room.
Once Ash got back, he asked, "Ready for some washing?" Lucash nodded, "Yep! Wash me good, Daddy!" Taking the bar of soap in hand, Ash began on Lucash's legs while they were still submerged. Lucash giggled as his father rubbed his feet. But when Ash reached his genitals, Lucash burst into wild laughter. "Heheheeehahahaaha! That really tickles, Daddy!" Ash chuckled, "Those are some sensitive parts down there. But are they really that ticklish?" Lucash could not even speak as his father caressed them with the soap. "I'll take that as a yes."
Once Lucash's bath was over, Ash carried the newborn into the bedroom while wrapped in a towel. "Did you like bath time?" The Lucario pup smiled, "Yes! That was fun! Let's do it again tomorrow!" Ash grinned, "You got it. Next time we'll take a shower instead." Just then, Ash noticed Ruby standing in the doorway. "How's Big Daddy doing?" Lucash waved, "Hi, Mommy! Uh.....I'm hungry." Ruby walked over to her son and took him in her arms. "I could tell. Oh?" As the towel fell, Ruby saw that her son was missing some layers of fur. "OH! I remember that Pearl said Lucario sometimes have a shirt and pants when they evolve! Does Lucash have both?" Ash nodded, "Yeah. I just took them down to the laundry room since they were kinda muddy." Ruby smiled and held Lucash to her breast. As her son began to suckle, Ruby spoke, "Sapphire's in bed right now. Don't worry about her." Just then, Ash asked, "What about Lucy? Any idea where she is?" Ruby nodded, "She's on the roof. There's a lovely full moon tonight, so she wanted to see it." Ash gave his girlfriend a little kiss on the cheek, "Thanks. I'm gonna check on her. Make sure to let me in when I come back."
Ash went to the top floor with the elevator and then took the last flight of stairs up to the roof. Once he stepped out on the roof, Ash saw the moon in the sky. "Wow. Ruby wasn't kidding about the moon. Pretty romantic setting too." Ash then looked around for anyone there. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed what seemed to be a dark purple flame of sorts billowing out from behind a maintenance shed. Curious, he approached it.
Ash knew something was amiss as he closed the distance between him and the source of that sinister Aura. It felt truly diabolical and he was almost too afraid to look behind the corner. So instead he pressed his back against the side of the shed and inched over to the edge without revealing himself. He heard a voice muttering to itself. "No...I don't want this... It's not worth it... Not after what it did to her... It was bad enough then. I don't want it to happen again...especially to him. He's done so much for me..." Ash finally gathered the courage to peek behind the wall. But when he did, he froze at the sight of what seemed to be Lucy. She had her left hand holding her head while her right arm was pressing against the wall for balance. But her fur was vastly different. What used to be blue was now a golden yellow while whatever used to be yellow was now completely black. What was more; the purple Aura that Ash saw was engulfing her. Despite what he knew Lucy to be, Ash could not help noticing the maleficent presence Lucy was presenting.
"Lucy, what's wrong?!" Ash called out as he set a hand on her shoulder. At his touch, Lucy gasped. The purple Aura vanished and her fur steadily returned to its natural colors. Lucy began to totter a bit and fell into Ash's arms. "Wha...what happened?" Ash tried to avoid making her worry and grinned, "You kinda spaced out there. Ruby told me that you came up here to look at the moon. I decided to check it out myself. And man, it's a really nice view up here too." Lucy gave a happy smile at Ash's reply. It was as if she had no memory of what had just occurred.
Ash and Lucy took a seat on a bench and gazed at the sky. Lucy leaned against Ash while the Trainer draped an arm over her shoulders. Ask then asked, "Lucy, can I ask you something?" The Lucario looked up at him and smiled, "Sure." Ash blushed slightly as he asked, "What.....what do you think of me?" Lucy remained silent for a moment before replying, "You're a valiant boy who is easy to befriend. I'm not exaggerating when I say that joining you was one of the best decisions I ever made." Ash blushed deeply, "Really? Come on, I'm not that special!" Lucy giggled, "You can be modest at times too. I can't help but feel at ease when I'm near you."
Ash gulped, "Lucy...do you...have a crush on me?" This shocked the Lucario as she blushed, "What?! No! You're the best friend I've ever had, but how could I ever fall in love with you?!" This seemed to bum Ash out a bit as he looked away. "Oh.....never mind then." It was then that Lucy realized what she had said. "Um, sorry. That didn't come out right. What I really meant is..." Ash then looked back over at Lucy and listened. Fighting back tears, Lucy spoke, "What I meant is that we can't be together."
This shocked Ash to his soul. "Can't be together? But we're together right now." Lucy replied, "I mean..... Oh, you know it already." Ash frowned, "Lucy, you're right about one thing. I'm not in love with you right now. But that can all change someday. Who knows?" Lucy then sobbed, "You can't understand. I must not ever feel such a way about anyone." Ash replied, "Are you saying you're unworthy for me?! But you and Ruby are the same! If she's worthy enough for me, why can't you be?!" Finally, Lucy stood up and cried, "I can't get too attached to anyone. Only friends at best, but no further than that. It will hurt too much." But when she tried to make a run for the stairs, Ash grabbed her by the wrist.
"Let go of me!" Lucy screamed as Ash held her back. The Trainer shouted, "Lucy, you're being silly! Just listen to me!" The Lucario strained to get away, but Ash's grip would not release. Finally, he pulled her towards him and held her in a tight embrace. For some reason, Lucy calmed down immediately. "Lucy, I don't know what happened to you in the past and I don't care. You're my friend. I want to make up for the pain you had to feel every day in the past. Just let me make you happy." Lucy looked up at him, "It doesn't bother you? Even if I refuse to tell you?" Ash smiled, "You just tell me when you want to. I promise that it won't change the way I feel about you." Finally, Lucy broke down and hugged him tightly to her body. "What did I ever do to deserve a friend like you?"
The next morning, Ash led his friends and family down to the docks at Lilycove City. But before they got very far, a voice called out, "Oh, Ash sweetie! Where've you been for the last two months?!" Ash gulped as he slowly turned around, "Where have I heard that voice befo...aw man, not her!" Walking towards him was a familiar Gardevoir. Ash sighed, "Hi, Jade."
Ruby looked up at Ash, "Jade? You know her?" Ash blushed, "She was my waitress the night I found you working at that strip club." Jade giggled, "You remembered me! You're so thoughtful. And let me guess. Your sweetheart you told me about is Ruby?" The Lucario nodded, "I am. And these are our children. Sapphire and Lucash." The two babies waved at the busty Gardevoir. "Oh my goodness, they're simply darling! I wanted to tell you what a hunk your boyfriend is. I only wish I got to him first!" Ruby giggled, "You know it! I just can't get enough of him! If he had the stamina for it, I would ride him from dusk to dawn!" Sapphire looked up at Ash and asked, "How does Mommy ride you?" Ash gave her an embarrassed stare and replied, "When you're older."
After a moment of fantasizing about Ash, Jade asked, "So, where you guys heading?" Ash replied, "We're going home to the Kanto region." Jade then swaggered over to him until her large breasts were pressing against his chest, "Really? Well, when will I see you again, hot stuff?" Ash sighed, "Probably never." The Gardevoir gave him a surprised look, "Come again?" Ash explained, "I don't want to tell you the details, but we need to leave Hoenn and never come back." Jade gave him a suspicious stare, "Are you in trouble with the law?" Ruby objected, "No, of course not! We just got into trouble with some really rough folks and now they're hunting us. But once we leave Hoenn, we'll be safe." Jade sighed, "So this is goodbye forever....." Ash nodded, "Yeah. I don't want to leave Hoenn just yet, but it has to be done." But then Jade gave him an amorous gaze, "Well, if this is really goodbye, I absolutely must give you a going away present."
Before anyone could react, Jade grabbed Ash by the shoulders and pulled him towards her. She then pressed her lips against his and forced her tongue into his mouth. Lucy was especially surprised by the Gardevoir's straightforward approach. "Amazing. I had no idea Ash was quite this popular with women." Ruby turned to her and chuckled, "Now you know why I'm so hesitant about leaving him alone with other girls." After a moment, Jade very slowly pulled away from Ash, their tongues hanging out of their mouths with a string of saliva connecting them. She whispered, "You taste just as good as I remember." She then turned to Ruby and bowed, "Watch over him for me." Ruby smiled, "I will. And say hi to the boss for me." With a final wave, the two former coworkers bid farewell. But not until Jade gave Ash a loving wink before she walked away. And to top it off, she spoke to him through telepathy, "See ya, handsome."
Brock gave Ash a quick shake, "Hey, wake up! If we take too long, we'll miss the ferry!" After a few seconds, Ash gagged, "Uh...ah...guh...OK...OK! I'm awake! So the ferry's about to leave?! Let's go!" Ash took off for the harbor with his family and friends in tow, except Brock was carrying Shadow on his back. (I'm actually looking forward to seeing Mom again. I can't wait to show her Lucash.)
As the ferry pulled out of the harbor, Ash stood at the bow with Ruby by his side. "It won't be all that long before we leave your home behind for good. Are you sure you want to leave?" Ruby sighed, "I'd be happy to never even have to hear the word 'Hoenn' again. The only thing I ever got from this place is bad memories." Ash placed a hand on her shoulder, "I hear ya. Don't worry. You can start a new life once we get back home." Ruby wrapped an arm around Ash's backside and smiled, "I already have. It began when I met you." Just then, Ruby remembered, "Ash, I heard that there's going to be a dance in the main hall tonight. Wanna go?" Ash grinned, "Sure! Can't wait." Before heading inside to his cabin, Ash took one more look at Lilycove City before it was out of sight. "I'm gonna miss this place. But it's for the best if staying here means putting my family's lives at risk. Pearl.....thanks for trying to save me."