The continuation…

 

Chapter 6: Lying eyes

 

            “Ash?!” Bugsy asked in shock. “You know where the Hyper Stone is? But…”
            “Oh, its definitely in here. I don’t have it with me.” Ash said. “But I couldn’t tell aniki or aneki.”

            Bugsy blinked.
            “Lance or Charlotte.” Ash clarified. “They’re both my older siblings.”

            Bugsy looked majorly confused. “Why not?”

            “Because,” Ash said, “I’m the only one that can use it. And I don’t want them to sacrifice their lives for me again.”

            Bugsy patted Ash on the back and tried to calm him down. * What’s going on? *

            “Fire, Ice, and Thunder, a balance. But the darkness tipped the balance so now the Hyper Stone is needed to restore it. But the balance will not be fixed in this lifetime, no, it will take time…”

            “And time, we don’t have.”

            “Ash, calm down.” Bugsy said. “Let’s just go get the stone and get out of here.”

            “All right…”

 

            The two walked inwards, until finally, they saw a black shrine encrusted with pearls. They walked in and beheld a glowing green stone.

            “That’s it.” Ash said.

            “How do you know?”

            “What else would it be?” Ash said. “Besides, I’ve seen it in my dreams.”

            Bugsy was feeling a little disconcerted. “Ash, are you sure you’re ok?”

            “Of course I’m sure, I’m Shadow.” Ash said.

            Bugsy didn’t have time to react before Ash’s form blurred and in its place stood a laughing, black-cloaked woman.

            “YES! I have it!”

            “Francine!” Bugsy hissed.

            “Quite right,” Francine said, as Ash’s body crumpled to the floor. “His doubt was all that I needed to temporarily possess him, and now the stone is mine, all mine!”
            “Oh no you don’t!” Bugsy said. “I’ll stop you!”

           

            “Really, little bug trainer? Misty was right, you know, bugs are just weaklings. But I have time, so I’ll play a little with you. Fearow, go!”

            Bugsy’s eyes were hard chips of emerald ice. “I won’t let you hurt anyone else. Scyther, go!”

            “Well, this will be interesting. Fearow, use Drill Peck!”

            “Scyther, Kawarimi no jutsu now!”

            Scyther substituted a boulder for himself, and Fearow’s beak shattered. “Good! Now use Hyper Beam!”

            Fearow went smashing into the stones and fainted.

 

            “You seem too sure of yourself.” Bugsy said.

            “Damn you! Sandslash, go!”

            “Sandslash… Scyther, stay in the air.” Bugsy said. She tossed out another pokemon. “Dustox, you’re up! Use Giga Drain!”

            The poison moth nodded and attached itself to Sandslash’s back, draining away its energy. Bugsy took this chance and had her Butterfree use Flash.

            Francine stumbled, temporarily blinded. Bugsy quickly commanded Butterfree to tackle. The hyper stone flew out of Francine’s grasp and onto the floor.

            Francine reached for it, cursing as she blinked the spots from her eyes. However…

           

            “Pidgeot! Wing Attack!”

            “Alakazam! Psychic!”

            “Dragonite! Hyper Beam!”

            The other three teams dashed in from the other corridors, pokemon armed and ready. Francine scowled and charged, shadow energy streaming from her form, but there was another flash of light and she stopped again.

            Bugsy grabbed the Hyper Stone and put it in her pack. “Guys, I think we should evacuate now!”

            An earthquake started, and the agreement was quite mutual. Lance picked Ash up and Sabrina teleported them all out.

            Then, the cavern collapsed.

 

            “You okay, Sabrina?” Claire asked.

            Sabrina nodded and blinked a few times. < Just slightly dizzy, I’m fine. >
            “Did you get it, Bugsy?”

            Bugsy nodded and picked up the stone. “Yes, I’ve got it.”
            “Cool.” Falkner said. “Okay, so now what do we do?”

            “Technically, I think we’re supposed to destroy it.” Winona said. “But why?”

 

            “The balance again.” Claire said, looking at her cousin.

            Lance shrugged and put Ash down, now Charlotte’s Chansey and Sabrina’s Espeon were looking over him, checking for injuries. “Yes. Its important.”

            “All right.” Bugsy said. “But Ash made me promise that he would be the one to use it.”
            Strangely, nobody complained. Bugsy was a bit surprised by this acquiesce, having expected a few of them to argue instead of comply. But there were no complaints.

            “Now we just wait for Ash to wake up…”

 

            A clock ticked slowly.

 

            Finally, Ash awakened. His eyes looked haunted. “Did you get it?”

            Bugsy nodded and held out the stone.

            “Thank you,” Ash said, smiling, before he suddenly vanished, along with Bugsy.

 

            “What was that for?!” Falkner demanded.

            Charlotte’s eyes snapped open. “He’s going to do it himself, isn’t he?”

            Lance nodded, lips set in a thin line. “Yes.”

            “We can’t let him do that!”

            “We have to. Remember, think about how he feels about all the sacrifices.” Charlotte stopped short and finally nodded, meditatively silent.

            “Would someone please explain what is going on?” Winona asked.

 

            “Well, it’s a long story…” Lance began, blue eyes suddenly distant and unfocused. “It begins like this…”

           

           

            Ash flew into the air, wings unfurling as he underwent the transformation into Destiny. Bugsy clung on to him, slightly frightened, but knowing he wouldn’t hurt her.

            “How do we destroy this crystal, Ash?”

            “There’s an attack called Time Invocation.” Ash said. “Used to destroy darkness. Its my special attack.”

            Bugsy nodded. “What can I do to help?”

            “I need you to be my anchor.” Ash said. He pressed a silver locket into Bugsy’s hand. “Keep this for me, okay?”

            “Okay.” Bugsy promised, not knowing what she was getting into.

 

           

            “You expect us to believe this story?” Falkner said, sounding rather flabbergasted. “Sorry, but I can’t help feeling like you’re pulling my leg.”

            Lance shrugged. “Believe what you will.” Silver and blue energy pulsed around her form, before forming into a blazing comet that streaked off into the sky. At the same time, red and gold energy formed a phoenix that also flew into the air.

            “I hope Ash will be all right…”

            “This is the best we can do…”

 

           

            Ash gasped as he felt energy flood his body, and silver and gold tints appeared in his hair. * Those two… not that I don’t appreciate them, but… they better not be giving me actual lifeforce… no, this is just their guardian energy, it will be okay… *

            Ash landed on an island. His armor glittered and sparkled in the moonlight, and his wings rustled softly. “You okay, Bugsy?”
            “Yes…”

            “All right then…”

 

            Slowly, Ash began to chant in words of a long forgotten language. Hundreds of rainbow lights swirled around him, until finally coalescing into a glowing globe of pure white energy.

            And then, it all exploded.

            Bugsy shielded her eyes from the blast of power, and was shocked to see Ash falling towards the ground, wings gone, transformation completely reversed, leaving him practically defenseless.

            “Ash!”

            Keeping a firm grip on the locket, Bugsy summoned her Scyther and quickly began diving down, trying to catch him before he hit the ground. Somehow, against the laws of physics, she did.

            Ash shuddered as he woke up. “Is it gone?”

           

            Bugsy nodded. Ash sighed in relief and then collapsed again. Bugsy quickly caught him and managed to move him onto the grass instead of atop a pile of rocks. Then, she sat by his side and waited for him to wake up.

 

End Chapter