b y

S m i l e y 1 3

written by  smiley13.
htmlized by TR_Haunter.  TR_Haunter

Chapter 4:  Changes

Ash was standing face to face with his former friends. Each of his allies had switched
to Dark Trainers, they had a ring on their finger, the ring was of a upside-down red triangle
in a black circle, the symbol of the Dark. Ash was out-numbered, with no way out.
"Come on Ash.." Brock said in a hypnotic, haunting tone of voice.
"Do the right choice." Misty added.
"Join the the Dark." Oak finished.
His former friends were closing in on him. Ash had no way out, it was a join or die situation.
"NO!" An unseen voice shouted, followed by a figure about as tall as Ash standing in front of
him.
The figure turned toward Ash. The figure had spiky brown hair, his skin was rather
pale, his clothing was a blueish-purple color, he had a patch of a white 8 pointed sun on his
chest, Ash had seen this person before, he knew that somewhere, sometime, he had seen this
person before.
"Gary?" Ash asked.
"Yeah..it's me..." Gary replied.
Ash just nodded and faced the new enemy as did Gary.
"Join the Dark, destroy the weak Light..." Misty said as she took out a small gun and fired.
"AAAARRRRRRGHHHHHH!!!" Gary fell down, grasping his wound.
"Ash...Ash.....Ash...." Ash's former friends were chanting slowly.

* * *

"Ash...Ash....Ash....wake up Ash...COME ON!" Misty was trying to awaken Ash.
He had fallen asleep on a bench in Viridian City, the non-stop walking in the forest had
made him incredibly tired. It was late in the afternoon when the group finally arrived in
Viridian. Pikalus had a slight limp in her walking due to an eariler confrontation with Shade
and his Krad.
"Uh...okay, okay..I'm awake..geez." Ash moaned slightly in a 'just 5 more minutes please' tone.
"I'll go book a room at the inn, you 3 go to the pokemon center, Pikalus needs those wounds
healed." Oak turned and started walking to the inn.

* * *

Ash and co. entered the large main room of the pokemon center. Nurse Joy was standing
there at the desk as always, she had a strangely familiar ring on her finger. Ash was carrying
Pikalus in his hands. Pikalus had a rather nasty cut in her leg, nothing too serious, but enough
to make Pikalus a rather poor fighter.
The Center itself was resconstructed from the eariler blast that had wrecked the joint
5 years ago, when Ash first encountered the now-defunct Team Rocket, and Pikachu made a total
mess of Jessie and James and the pokecenter in Viridian. Ash broke off from his flashbacks, and
walked up to Nurse Joy. Ash was about to open his mouth, but he was pushed aside by Brock, who
was more than eager to talk to Nurse Joy.
Nurse Joy pretty much looked the same, nothing new about her. She was startled when she
saw Brock take a hold of the Nurse's hand.
"Uh...uh..hello...how may I he.." Joy had a rather large sweatdrop on her face and couldn't
finish her sentence before being interupted by Brock.
"Do you want to...go out to dinner sometime?" Brock said in a casual yet nervous tone.
Nurse Joy put her hand under Brock's chin, and she guided him close to her.
"I just have one thing to say to you..." Joy said in her most seductive tone possible, her lips
moving as to barely touch his lips.
"Wh..wh..what?" Brock said, he was shaking. Nurse Joy then took her hand away from his chin and
put her hand in his face. She pushed with incredible force for someone with her build.
"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! I DON'T DATE LIGHT TRAINERS!!" She fingered the ring, it was a red
triangle inside of a black circle. "See this ring? Good! Now get out!" Brock immediately got
up and walked outside. Nurse Joy then put her attention to Ash and Misty(not to mention
Pikalus).
The young nurse(how old is she anyway?) immediately noticed the 8 pointed sun badge
on their chests, the symbol of the Light she hated so much. However, even her hatered for the
Light was cancelled out by her prime motivation, to heal all pokemon to perfect health.
"Here Light Trainer, take this..." Joy took out a small spray bottle filled with a pink-ish
liquid, she tossed it to Ash.
"It's super potion..now get the hell out of here Light Trainer!" the Nurse pointed to the door,
Ash and Misty, seeing what she had done to Brock, decided to get out quickly yet calmly.

* * *

"WAAAAAAHHHH!!" Brock was lying indian-style on the ground, crying like a baby.
"What's wrong Brock?" Oak asked quizically.
"Nurse Joy is a Dark Trainer!!! WAAAAHHHHH!" Brock continued crying.
"Nurse JOY!?" The Professor exclaimed, "Shit, the Dark has a stronger grasp on things than I
thought." The old man looked down and closed his eyes sadly. "Well..it's getting Dark...we need
our rest for tommorow."
"WHY!?! WHY!?!" Brock whined some more.
"You didn't know Viridian was a split city?" Misty asked Brock
"Split?"
"Yeah..where both Light and Dark Trainers dwell, usually riots happen here..."
"Yeah...and we'll be victims of a riot of we don't get to our rooms!" Oak told the group.

* * *

The sun had set into the horizon by the time Oak had checked the group into the inn. The
clock on the nightstand read "9:30pm". The room was simple, 2 beds, a small couch. A nightstand
stood in the corner, it had a simple lamp shade on it, with a digital alarm clock. A few simple
paintings decorated the walls, and there was a window giving a person a nice view of the city.
"It's been a long day...I'm going to bed." Misty streched and then got into one of the beds.
"Yeah..me too." Oak decided that he would sleep on the couch, he was so used to it from studying
so hard at night.
"*sniff* *sniff* I'll get my *sniff* rest too." Brock wiped the last of his tears and took
the second bed.
"I'll just stay awake." Ash had gone through too much, his mother had been killed by a man with-
out a soul, he had his town destroyed..killing many of those that he cared about.
Ash picked up the remote control that was on top of the TV. Ash tried to take it back to
his seat, but he saw that the remote had a damned cable attached..to prevent it from being
stolen.
"Dammit." Ash muttered quietly before he pushed his chair closer to the TV and sat down, not
knowing exactly what would be on.
"Mew.." One channel began before Ash changed it.
"Your pokemon will be delighted by this.."
"Studies today show that.." Ash wasn't really paying attention to any of the channels.
"Last night...Pallet City was found in ruins. The only evidence found of the criminals responsible
was a symbol of a Dark Trainer. 338 people were found dead, thousands of others injured."
A news reporter was on the screen, talking about that horrifying event so causally,
so calmly, so uncaring and heartlessly. Even when the other reporters were saying "Most tragic
indeed, Ariel." Ash could tell that they didn't care. Ash turned off the television in disgust,
he saw that all the sleeping areas were filled up. Ash wasn't about to sleep near Misty(She was
so annoying), or Brock(He could..nevermind), and Ash wasn't about to sleep under an old man's
buzzsaw snoring. Ash didn't have his sleeping bag handy, so he just curled up on the floor
and slept uneasily.

* * *

Ash was standing in front of a grey globe. The globe had some redish fluid covering it in
many areas, there was some red where there was no grey or brown. Ash was so involved with the
globe that he was shocked when he saw 6 other figures surrounding it.
"So sad that this had to happen." One figure said. Ash tried to capture the voice, but he forgot
the sound of it the second he heard it..only the words remained.
"Yes..so sad that the Earth had to go through this...we're are it's only survivors." Ash again
couldn't remember the sound, only the words.
One figure nodded it's head.
"WHAT!?? THAT'S EARTH!?!" Ash exclaimed.
"Yes..or at least..what is left of it, conflict lead it to be destroyed like this." Yet another
figure said.
Ash stared at the globe, a dead Earth, no different from any other planet in the Solar System,
that red fluid...blood, blood of innocents, blood of those who did no wrong, blood of the young,
blood of the old. Ash couldn't bare to see it any longer....

* * *

Ash was so startled by a loud stomping noise that he didn't bother to scream this time. He
looked outside the window to see a large black dragon-like creature that stood about 4 times his
size, it walked on all fours. He saw Misty barely opening her eyes, Brock was still sleeping,
mumbling "Oh Nurse Joy, I've been waiting all my life to kiss you.", Oak was too deafened
by his own snoring to even hear the noise. Ash decided to leave the two people be.
"What the hell is that out there?" Misty pointed to the large dragon.
"Let's find out..." Ash pointed his pokedex at this pokemon.
"Kuarizard, this large dragon-like pokemon is well known for being loyal to none but it's
trainer. It will destroy anything or anyone else if provoked..use extreme caution around these
menaces!" The Pokedex gave it's warning loudly and clearly.
Ash woke up Pikalus to get her for the upcoming battle. The small pokemon opened her eyes
weakly. Ash looked at the alarm clock, 3:30am.
"Damn...it's late." Ash grumbled.
"We can't just let this thing trample the whole town!" Misty was shocked at Ash's behavior.
"*Yawn* Fine...Pikalus...let's go." Ash mumbled.
"*kaaaa* Pi-ka...." The small mouse slowly nodded her head half asleep.
Ash silently opened the door, Misty went through first, Pikalus followed. They were to have a
long morning.

* * *

Ash and Misty hid for a while, away from the hungry eyes of the ravanous beast. The
Kuarizard was destroying small houses, eating anything that was inside. Ash could hardly handle
it, he had to do something to stop this lizard's senseless killing. Ash was about to make a move
before he saw two white and red blurs run right past him.
"What was that?" Misty exclaimed.
"I don't know..." Ash responded.
The Kuarizard heard this and then decided that it wouldn't hurt if two Light Trainers were
on the menu.
"Shit..look what you've got us into!" Misty yelled at her friend.
"ME!? You wanted to come out here!!" Ash yelled back.
"Just shut up! I don't wanna die arguing, or at all!"
"Pikalus, LIGHTWAVE!" Ash called out.
"Pi....ka.....LUUUUUUSSSSSSS!" The small mouse jumped at it's enemy with a large beam of light.
The beam trailed from it's furry little body and hit the Kuarizard squarely in the face.
"Ku.." The large black dragon didn't even flinch at the large beam.
The beast reared it's large neck and then flung it's neck at the pair, with his mouth ready
to bite right into anything in his way (which just happened to be Ash and Misty).

* * *

"Damn..why do those two look so familiar?" A girl said.
"I don't know.....that pokemon looks pretty powerful.." A man...about in his early 20's said.
"I wish it was like the good old days..before these things happened."
"Before the fall of Team Rocket.."
"I miss those days!" The girl began sobbing. <>

Transfer interrupted!

* * *

"It's been nice knowing you Ash." Misty told his friend.
"Never say die." Ash said quietly.
The beast's open mouth was rushing towards the two youths quickly. Ash and Misty both
closed their eyes. The end never came, the kids heard a loud roar and saw a bright explosion
hit the side of the dragon. As the Kuarizard ran off somewhere else.
Two familiar shapes came into view. One was a blue-haired man, he had rather long hair that was
parted at the sides. The other was a red-haired woman, she had a rather curvy figure, her hair
was long and was rather dirtied up. Both had a red and white uniform with a red "R" on them, but
the uniforms were both cut up and rather dirty. They had an 8 pointed white sun on their
shoulder.
"Jesse?" Ash said
"James?" Misty followed.
"Ash?" James said
"Misty" Jesse added.
"Yes!" All four responded at the same time.
The happy reunion was interuppted by a large cloud of black smoke emerged from nowhere.
"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 shall strike you down like a blade.
I am the one who they call...................Shade."
"NOT AGAIN!" James whined in a serious tone.
"He's the little punk who destroyed Team Rocket!" Jesse added.
"Ha! Fools, haven't you learned yet? Haven't you learned your lesson?..." Shade begun.
"Never mess with the Dark." Shade grimaced.
"NO!" an unseen voice said.
Nurse Joy ran in front of Shade. She had a serious expression on her face.
"Damn you! Shade, I thought we had a deal!" She yelled at the hooded face.
"Deal?" Ash thought.
"You said that if I could convert at least half of this town to the Dark...you wouldn't target
this place for an attack!" The Nurse was at near tears in anger.
Shade just picked up the young Nurse by the neck, and threw her aside like a rag doll.
"Out of my way..those children...they are the Light, they must be killed before they accomplish
their goal!" Shade then commanded "KUARIZARD! RAGE!"
The large dragon then began to rush at the group.
"Get out of the way!" James ordered. Jesse and the others responded by diving to the sides.
"James...YOU GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Jesse called out to her friend, but James stood his ground.
The Kuarizard came rushing towards the young man, James jumped out the way, but the
lizard quickly lashed his claws at James, cutting him at the side.
"James, NO!" The three others yelled.
James was still alive, but he was bleeding at his side, the cut had got him rather
well.
"Ugh...damn, I did this..for all of you.." James' walking was slow and unsteady.
'He's risking his life....for us?' Misty thought as she saw James standing, wounded and unsteady.
"Take this as a lesson to all of you...never resist the Dark..unless you want to end up like
ARGH!" Shade grasped his side as he felt a bullet. He turned around to see Nurse Joy with a gun
armed.
"Damn you...killing innocents, presuading others to do so too! You're pure evil." Nurse Joy
raised the gun again and was about to fire, but Shade pushed her away with his Dark powers.
"Kuarizard, dark flame!" Shade commanded in a weaker voice due to the gunshot.
The lizard began to spew it's breath, which was cold and instead of brightening up the
place, it made everything nearby darken a bit.
"Pikalus..Light whip!" Ash called to his little friend. The mouse ran up and smacked the gaint
lizard right across the face, but Kuarizard tossed the rodent with full force from his face
without a scratch.
"PPPPIIIIIIIIKAAAAAAA!!!!!!!" The Pikalus screamed as it flew through the air, the rodent was
lying, weakly, barely moving.
"Kuarizard, this is too easy..CRUSH IT FLAT!" Shade was ready for the final attack.
"Pi....." The Pikalus whimpered when it suddenly got a white aura around it. "KA.....LUUUSSSS!"
A bolt of lightning came down on Pikalus as she shot out a large circular bolt of lightning
that shot in a wave-like circle.
"DAMN! The Light is weak..it can only survive and fight back so long..I shall return." Shade
then ran into the shadows, leaving his pokemon alone at the mercy of Pikalus's shock.
Ash looked at his pokedex and heard it say something.
"Pikalus's strongest attack, Lightning Crash, this attack is well known for destroying everything
within a 5-mi-" Ash didn't hear the rest as he was pushed back by his own pokemon's strong
blast.
"..the hell?" James was at Jesse's side, he was still weak from the attack. He didn't see much
as the blast pushed him back on his back.
"I...I..I did it...I beat Shade again......." Ash looked outwards as he saw the Kuarizard start
to become dust from the Lightning Crash.
"Ash...good job...you trained Pikachu enough to make her strong for a Pikalus." Misty gasped as
she saw the Kuarizard die.
"Huh...? Ash won?" Nurse Joy lifted herself up after recovering from Shade's push. Her attention
was then grasped by the sound of James in pain.
"ARRGH!" James did a small shriek in response to his pain. The others ran to his side.

* * *

"You're going to be fine..don't worry." Misty said to comfort James, even they both knew that it
was the end of the line.
"Don't lie...I know what's going to happen." James said quietly. His blue eyes were half-open.
"NO! We've been through this too long!" Jesse exclaimed.
"Don't worry...I surrendered myself to the Kuarizard because..it would've killed all of you,
it's best to sacrifice one life for three..." The sun was starting to rise as James blinked
slowly.
"NO! JAMES! NO!" Jesse began.
"So beautiful, the sunrise..."
The former villian was admiring the brilliant chariot rising "..The Light.." James let the
energy flow from his body into eternity.
"He's gone.." Joy took James' pulse, Jesse broke into tears.
"NO! DAMN YOU SHADE!!" Those words echoed throughout the city.
"You loved him..didn't you?" Misty put her hand on Jesse's shoulder.
"No..but he was my friend, my best friend, my only friend in fact..." Jesse took Misty's hand
from her shoulder.
"Jesse..it's alright...I know how you feel." Ash comforted Jesse. "My mother was killed by the
Dark."
"I-see.."
Joy looked at the ring on her finger, a symbol of evil, a symbol of all those who have
killed and will kill. She took the ring off of her finger and crushed it in the palm of her
hand.
"No longer..." The Nurse said quietly.
"Hmm?" Ash said.
"No longer shall I be a servant of the Dark."
"Oh." Ash smiled and nodded.

* * *

James' burial was rather quick, but emotional. Jesse didn't stop crying once, Ash bowed
his head in respect to his brave sacrifice, Misty was trying to comfort Jesse to no avail,
Joy felt freed that she was no longer with the Dark.
"Goodbye brave soul." Ash whispered.
"Goodbye friend." Jesse kneeled down and put a red rose on James' grave.
"If you want..you can join me." Ash said.
"Fine..I'll go as far as Pewter..I'll settle down there." Jesse sighed.
Ash nodded and continued walking.

* * *

"What did we miss?" Brock and Oak asked Ash and Misty after seeing that they had with them.
"Lets just say...that even in the Darkest of hearts..there is a Light.." Ash smiled and then
continued walking with his new and old allies.
"To Pewter City?" Brock asked.
"To Pewter City." Ash answered.
And so they continued their journey.
 

To be continued...