b y

S m i l e y 1 3

written by smiley13.
htmlized by TR_Haunter.  TR_Haunter

Finally..the third chapter in a series of 25(Mankind...I'm not crazy! It's no different from
The Human Paradox having 8 chapters). After a month's delay...

Chapter 3: Shade
 

"Wake up, Ash." Ash heard a familiar voice greet him into the new morning.
Ash opened his eyes to see his mother's face, the sun was shining over small city of Pallet
(Boy how the place had grown in 5 years!). Ash rubbed his eyes in shock as he saw everything.
"Breakfast is ready...AHHHHH!" Ash's mother scream as a knife came in view...the holder of the
knife wasn't visible. Ash only heard the thud of his mother's body as the he felt a sudden
jolt of pain...and then...
 

* * *
 

Ash's scream rattled the treetops, his old companions and friends were awakened by the
deafening sound.
"What's wrong Ash?" Misty asked in a concerned tone.
"N-Nothing." Ash hesitated in his response, he didn't want to worry any of his friends with
silly things like nightmares, at least Ash kept trying to convince himself it was just silly.
Ash was having more and more nightmares..what was their meaning?, he wondered, the dreams got
more and more macbre. He decided to shake them off and move on.
The clouds were gathered in the sky, ominously glaring down upon the group, covering them
with a large shadow. The clouds looked dark gray.
"Looks like it's going to rain." Oak looked up at the sky.
"No duh." The others said.
"I wasn't prepared for this..not just rain..but for the whole situation, with your mom.." Brock
then decided to was best not to reopen old wounds with Ash and shut his mouth.
"Damn." Ash simply muttered, trying to ignore his friend's unintentional mistake.
"AHH! I'm scared of storms!" Misty screamed and clutched on to Ash a bit, he blushed slightly at
the sight.
"Pika, pika." Pikalus said grimly in agreement.
"What are you waiting for? LET'S GO!" Misty rushed on..trying to get away from one of her worst
fears.
 

* * *
 

Lightning began to strike, leaving small craters in their wake. Ash was using his Psyhic
pokemon to divert any bolts that got too near. Later up ahead on the trail...the group was
stunned by what they saw.
"Oh my God...is that what I think it is?" Ash looked a small statue..a shrine almost, it was of
the small child that Ash saw in one of his nightmares, and saw described in Oak's journal..the
shrine was crude but recognizable..the word below the shrine said "Nitan".
"Yes..thats the one." Oak responded.
"What is?" Brock and Misty asked.
"I've seen that pokemon before somewhere." Ash said..avoiding the fact that he saw it in a dream.
"Should we..AHHH!" Oak couldn't finish his sentence before a stray lightning bolt hit, sending
the party flying, they all hit the ground with a loud "thud".
 

* * *
 

"Pika...lus" Pikalus woke up woozly. She saw her master, Ash, laying..Pikalus put her ear to his
heart..no sound, silent, the errie silence of death. As if to confirm Pikalus's fear, Ash wasn't
moving, and he was rather beaten up and bleeding. Pikalus looked at the others, she shook them
to wake them up, it was no use. Pikalus turned her back on her former masters as a sign of
mourning.
"Unhhhhhh." Professor Oak groaned slightly, his age had made him naturally tougher than the
fallen youths.
"PIKA!" Pikalus jumped cheerfully into Oak's arms, then made a few sorrowful "lus, lus" in the
direction of the motionless teens.
"I see...they were so young." Oak shook his head slowly, even though somewhere...somewhere in
the back of his mind, was telling him that they might be alive, it was a sort of hope, a sort
of faith. Oak was so caught up in his thoughts he was startled when he heard a small lullaby
style song behind him. Pikalus turned around as well to see the shrine glowing to the rythm of
the music. Oak looked down to see Pikalus almost hypnotized by the music, bobing her head slowly
to the music. Oak tried studying the sound carefully, but each note left his mind as quickly
as it entered. The music played faster, and faster, still keeping with the rhythm, until the
music stopped. The shrine then glowed at it's brightest, then it the light was blown away by
a small breeze passing as if the shrine was made out of sand.
"Strange...but beautiful." Oak remarked.
Pikalus was shot out of it's hypnotized state "Pika." Pikalus responded. Pikalus's hearing
caught something, with her acute hearing, she could hear Ash's heartbeat, she then heard another,
Misty's heartbeat...then Brock's..they were alive! Their wounds and bruises had been completely
healed as well!
"Ugh...what happened?" Ash groaned as his tired bones ached all over.
"I think...something happened...it was almost as if we died." Misty responded with her best
guess.
"I WANNA STAY DEAD! I was in a beach! Nurse Joy was with me in a bikini! She was about to
kis..." Brock was interuptted by Misty's "Shut up" look.
"Uhhhhh.....oh-kay..Brock, you can try your luck with a REAL Nurse Joy when we get to Viridian."
Ash said to calm down his friend, Brock just nodded, wiping all the tears from his eyes.
"The mind of a girlfriendless 18-year old...oy." was all Misty said with a small sigh.
 

* * *
 

The moon had just risen, everything was getting a silver-blue lining, the moon shone
almost majestically over the forest and fields.
"Oh..it's so romantic!" Misty said in a tone which could only be described as wonder.
"Yeah..but who would want to spend it with you?" Ash snickered. He couldn't help himself, it was
just for old times sake.
"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?!" Misty got in a immediate fit, she almost felt like punching
Ash for that remark.
"Cut it out.." Oak and Brock both said in the same tired tone, they both wiped off the sweatdrop
from the back of their heads. They had just finished their sentence when a deep, menacing, yet
rather silent voice was heard.
"I am the enemy of the weak race you call the Light."
"I am the one who lurks in the shadows of the night."
"I am the one who will strike you down like a blade."
"I am the one who is called...................Shade." as the voice finished it's sentence, a
figure appeared before Ash. The figure(who was most likely Shade), was dressed in a dark gray
cloak, he stood as tall as Ash, he had a hood which shrouded his face in shadows.
"I've heard that voice before...but where?" Oak pondered out loud, Shade then saw the man
standing next to Ash.
"I see that the great Professor Micheal Oak survived my little attack, you were a fool to belive
that you could survive much longer." Shade snapped at Oak.
"So you're the son of a bitch who assualted me!" Oak could feel his rage rising with each word.
"I would kill you now, but whats the fun in that? I like to play with my victims...torture
them." Shade did a cold giggle at this. "Which is why I would rather challenge the young Ash
Ketchum, that Pikalus looks strong..about as strong as a mild breeze!" Shade said knowing that
Ash is one to defend his honor whenever it's threatened.
"I'll show you...bring it on." Ash responded in a calm, confident tone.
"From the darkness I call..Krad!" Shade threw a black and white pokeball to the ground. The
pokemon that came out was a crab-like creature, only with many sharp and pointy spines sticking
out of it's shell, it was about as large as a small table.
"Krad, Krad." The pokemon said in a screech-like tone. Ash instictively pointed his pokedex at
the creature.
"Krad, a water/dark pokemon. It can launch it's many spines like projectiles, once a spine hits
soft enough skin, it will stay embeded in the victim, the victim will most likely die unless
treated right away." The machine droned out it's long report.
"Water and Dark, eh? Electric and Light...both classes superior to the other...this should be
easy." Ash said in a confident tone.
"Actually..there is no proof as to whether Light is superior to Dark or vice versa." Oak
corrected Ash's unintentional but seriously wrong mistake.
"Another day, another bonehead mistake." Misty laughed at the situation, before Ash could
respond, both Oak and Brock shook their heads in disapproval.
"ENOUGH TALK!" Shade yelled out at his opponents.
"Fine...Pikalus! I choose you!" Ash was surprised he could remember his old calling out pharse
so easily.
"Krad, spine shot now!" Shade called out to his pokemon. The Krad responded by launching it's
many spines at Pikalus.
"Pikalus, thunder shock!" as Pikalus responded to Ash by launching it's electric bolts at the
Krad. The spines amazingly literatally tore right through the bolts.
"Rule number one when fighting Light or Dark pokemon: Don't EVER use non-Light or non-Dark
attacks on a Light or Dark pokemon!" Oak told Ash firmly.
"Damn." Ash muttered.
"Pikalus, light whip!" Oak called out to Pikalus. Pikalus began running toward the crab, and
was immediately ambushed by the deadly spines.
"Pikalus, agility!" Ash called out and Pikalus immediately began dashing through the assualt,
being so quick as to the spines just barely missing her. Pikalus then used her light-trailing
tail to slash right across the Krad's face.
"KRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDD!"
"Krad, Tsunami now!" Shade commanded to his pokemon, but Krad just whimpered in pain.
"Krad return!" Shade took back his Krad and muttered "Weakling."
"The day will come soon...before I go young Ketchum..I would like to leave these thoughts for
you. Not only did I assualt the professor here, I also lead the attack on Pallet, and I had the
pleasure of saying 'Hello' to your mother...and then saying goodbye!" Shade took from his pocket
a small braclet, it was a bracelet Ash gave his mother for her birthday once, it was 24k gold
and had his mother's name inscribed on it. Shade tossed the braclet to Ash's feet. Ash picked
it up and upon looking at it, Ash went into a fit of rage and began running at Shade.
"YOU LITTLE BAST.." Ash's words were cut short when Shade put his hand spread out in front of
Ash. He was sent flying back, he hit the ground hard.
"Ah...one of the little quirks of being with the Dark..you get a few powers as part of the
deal." before Ash could respond, Shade was gone.

* * *

Ash was sitting on a rock, pondering to himself the events that had just happened. He had
discovered his mother's killer, he had learned a thing or two about battling with a new enemy
and he has learned that this is no longer a game...he and the world are in serious danger.
Ash was so caught up in his thoughts that he was startled when Misty came behind him.
"I know Ash...I want the little creep dead too." Misty tried to comfort Ash.
"You don't know anything...my mother is dead...my town is destroyed, nearly all my friends have
been killed! I haven't seen you and Brock in nearly 3 years dammit! Everything I ever knew, all
my loved ones...dead. I lost everything." Ash was still in his fit of rage.
"I....I see...I'm sorry..." Misty said sympathetically.
"It's alright...." Ash apoligized.
"Viridian City isn't too far away...Pikalus did get a few minor injuries, we should be there
soon..." Misty got up and began walking along the trail.
"Yeah..." Ash said quietly.
He knew..he knew that it isn't a game anymore, the whole world was in trouble should
Shade defeat Ash.
He knew.

To be Continued....