The lobby of the Sun Lake Hotel had gone deathly silent. It wasn't the silence of peace or tranquility; it was the silence of a predator entering a room full of prey.
The air had grown heavy, thick with a pressure that made it difficult to breathe. The temperature had dropped so drastically that frost began to creep along the edges of the glass windows.
Ash stood in the center of it all, his back to his friends, his hand gripping Elena's tightly. He wasn't shaking anymore.
The trembling rage had solidified into something colder, harder. It was the stillness of a glacier before it calves.
"Ash?" Misty's voice was barely a whisper, trembling not just from the sudden cold, but from a fear she couldn't quite name. She took a step forward, her hand reaching out instinctively to the boy she thought she knew. "What… what's going on? Who is Galactic?"
Ash didn't turn around. He didn't acknowledge her question. His mind was miles away, at the peak of Mt. Coronet, imagining the destruction, the desecration of the land he was sworn to protect.
"Ricardo," Ash's voice cut through the silence like a whip.
It was devoid of the warmth they were used to. It lacked the childish enthusiasm or even the gentle affection he showed Elena. It was a voice of absolute command.
"Is the jet ready?"
"It is fueled and waiting on the private airstrip, Young Master," Ricardo answered immediately, his usually stoic face set in a grim line. "I have already alerted the security team at the base. They are holding the perimeter, but they are outgunned."
"Not for long," Ash muttered darkly.
He finally turned, his gaze sweeping over his friends. For a moment, Misty, May, and Dawn felt their hearts stop.
The brown eyes they had fallen in love with, the eyes that usually sparkled with determination and kindness, were gone. In their place were two pools of void, cold and unyielding. He looked at them not as friends, but as civilians standing in a war zone.
"Stay here," Ash ordered. It wasn't a request. "Do not follow us. Do not ask questions. Go back to your rooms and stay there until I return."
"You can't just order us around!" Dawn protested, her shock momentarily giving way to indignation. "We're your friends! If you're in trouble, we can help! My Mamoswine can—"
"You cannot help," Ash interrupted her, his voice rising just enough to silence her. "This isn't a Pokémon battle, Dawn. This isn't a contest. This is war. And you are not soldiers."
The harshness of his words struck them like a physical blow. May recoiled, tears pricking her eyes. She had never heard Ash speak with such disdain, such finality.
"Ash, please," Elena whispered, tugging gently on his hand. She wasn't stopping him; she was grounding him. Her touch sent a pulse of warmth through their bond, a desperate attempt to keep the ice from consuming him completely. "You're scaring them."
Ash closed his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath. When he opened them, the abyss was still there, but the pressure in the room lifted slightly.
"I am doing this for your safety," he said, his tone softening by a fraction, though still distant. "Team Galactic… they are not like Team Rocket. They do not play by the rules. If you follow me, you will get hurt. And I… I cannot focus on protecting you and doing what needs to be done at the same time."
He turned back to Ricardo. "Let's go."
As they marched towards the exit, the elevator doors pinged open.
Jane stepped out, looking refreshed from her meditation but instantly alert as she felt the residual aura in the air. Her eyes locked onto Ash's retreating form, then to the terrified expressions of his friends.
"Going somewhere?" Jane asked, falling into step beside Ash as he passed her. She didn't need to ask if something was wrong; the sheer density of Ash's killing intent was enough to choke a Gyarados.
"Mt. Coronet," Ash answered without breaking stride. "Galactic is making a move."
Jane's expression darkened instantly. A cruel, predatory sneer twisted her lips. "Those incompetent fools. I thought I told Mars to stay away from my territory." She cracked her knuckles. "I assume you won't mind if I tag along? I have a score to settle with them for my ship."
"I was counting on it," Ash replied. "Consider this your first field test as an Apprentice Guardian. Try not to die."
"Brat," Jane scoffed, though there was a glint of excitement in her eyes. "I should be telling you that."
They exited the hotel, the automatic doors sliding shut behind them, leaving a stunned group of trainers in their wake.
(Scene Change)
The ride to the airport was silent. Ricardo drove the limo with practiced efficiency, weaving through the traffic of Sun Lake Town. In the back, Ash sat staring out the tinted window, his hand still clutched in Elena's.
Elena watched him worriedly.
She could feel the storm raging inside him through their bond. It wasn't just anger; it was guilt. He felt responsible. The excavation site was funded by his company, staffed by his employees. If anyone was hurt, he would carry that weight.
"Ash," Elena murmured, leaning her head on his shoulder. "They're going to be okay. Our security team is the best money can buy."
"Galactic uses technology that rivals the military," Ash replied, his eyes never leaving the passing scenery. "And they have no regard for life. If they are at the Spear Pillar…" He trailed off, his grip on her hand tightening to the point of pain before he consciously relaxed it. "If they damage the ruins, the balance of Sinnoh could be shifted. Dialga and Palkia… they are restless."
"We'll stop them," Jane said from the opposite seat. She was checking a device attached to her wrist, a new gadget Sarah had whipped up for her, replacing her petrification cannon. "We stopped them before. We'll do it again. Besides, you have a monster on your side now." She patted the distinct black and silver Ultra Ball at her belt.
"We aren't just stopping them, Jane," Ash said, turning to look at her.
The shadows in the car seemed to cling to him, making him look older, more dangerous. "We are sending a message. APWA is under my protection. Anyone who touches it answers to the Prince."
The limo screeched to a halt on the tarmac. The jet was already engines running, waiting for them.
"Ricardo," Ash said as the door opened. "Stay here. Coordinate with Sarah. I need her to monitor the energy signatures around the mountain. If Galactic tries to use the Red Chain, I need to know immediately."
"Understood, Young Master," Ricardo nodded, stepping out to hold the door. "Give them hell."
Ash, Elena, and Jane boarded the jet. As the door sealed shut and the plane began to taxi, Ash stood in the center of the cabin.
He removed his suit jacket, tossing it onto a chair. Underneath, he wore a black tactical vest over his shirt, something he had seemingly prepared beforehand.
"Pikachu," Ash called out. The yellow mouse, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, jumped onto the table in front of him. Sparks danced from his red cheeks, his eyes narrowed in anticipation.
"(I'm ready, Ash)," Pikachu stated, his tail twitching. "(No mercy this time?)"
"No mercy," Ash confirmed. He looked at Elena, his expression softening as he reached out to cup her cheek. "I need you to pilot the jet. Keep us in a holding pattern above the cloud layer. Drop us via the cargo ramp, then stay out of range of their anti-air defenses."
Elena nodded firmly. She wanted to fight beside him on the ground, but she knew her skills were best used getting them there and being their eye in the sky.
She wasn't an Aura Guardian, and in a war zone involving Galactic's heavy weaponry, she would be a liability on the front lines. It hurt to admit, but she trusted Ash's judgment.
"Be careful," she whispered, kissing him hard. "Come back to me."
"Always," Ash promised.
He turned to the back of the plane, where a large metal case was secured. He walked over and placed his hand on the biometric scanner.
The lock hissed and clicked open.
Ash lifted the lid, revealing the contents. Inside lay his staff, the crystal lotus at the tip pulsing with a faint blue light, as if sensing its master's anger.
Beside it lay a set of vambraces made of the same strange, blue metal, and a mask, a simple, elegant half-mask that would conceal his identity from the world.
"It's time," Ash said, lifting the mask.
Jane watched him, a shiver running down her spine. The boy she had once hunted was gone. In his place stood a warrior of ancient legend, arming himself for battle.
"Welcome to my world, Jane," Ash said, his voice distorted slightly as he placed the mask over his eyes. The blue aura flared around him, bright and terrible. "Try to keep up."
Authors note:-
Well I'm truly back ...
For how long...
As long as this antique piece phone lasts....
Support with power stones....