The Alpha, The Legend & The Guardian...

Chapter 4 - The Alpha, The Legend & The Guardian...

Ash, Pikachu and Mewtwo appeared in the Hall of Origin. Ash and Pikachu were amazed at where they now stood. The beautiful room seemed to capture their attention so much that they didn't notice Mewtwo move forward or that they weren't alone.

"I've brought him just like you requested. Now, what other information is there to that vision?"

Ash's attention snapped back to Mewtwo, then to the Pokémon who were standing in front of him. His jaw dropped and his eyes grew wide.

"No way!"

"Pika!"

Ash then dashed forward with Pikachu hanging on to him. He reached the Dragon trio with a big grin on his face.

"It's so good to see you guys again!"

"It's good to see you too Ash," said Dialga

"Hey, you can talk!"

"We've always been able to talk. It's just sometimes we simply choose not to," replied Palkia.

"True, as well as other reasons," added Giratina.

"What, no greetings for me?" a deep, booming, yet oddly calming, voice came from behind the trio.

"Wait, is that…" Ash peered behind Giratina. "It is! Arceus!" and with that, Ash again dashed forward. He reached Arceus, who was on top of his throne. "It's been so long. How have you been?"

"It has been a while. It's good to see you in good spirits." Arceus gave the young boy a proud look, one he rarely gave. The Dragon trio became a little envious but made no sound.

"Thanks!"

"Alright, I brought the boy. Now what is the rest of the vision? What else do you need to tell me?"

Mewtwo was getting inpatient. Even though he had a little respect for Ash and Arceus, he didn't like being ignored and made to wait.

"Vision? What vision?" a clueless Ash asked the group at large.

"Pi ka?" Pikachu looked lost as well.

"I shall tell you. I will tell both of you. But first let me have Ash catch up to what you already know." Arceus said, a hint of annoyance in it that only Ash missed. Mewtwo growled lowly, and crossed his arms, and grew silent. "Better. Now Ash, I have something important to tell you…"

And with that Arceus told Ash everything he told Mewtwo; the darkness coming, how the legendaries weren't even safe, how Arceus couldn't get involved, and how he and Mewtwo were meant to fight together against the darkness. After he had been caught up, Ash had some things to say after thinking for a few minutes.

"Damn….that's really horrible. So even legendaries can be corrupted….this is awful….I want to help…I truly do….but why me?"

Ash asked as he glanced at each legendary Pokémon there. He took a breath a continued as they stayed silent.

"I'm just a teenager who hasn't even won a tournament yet. My Pokémon are strong, but I don't think they can handle something like this, especially if even legendary Pokémon can't handle it. I'm not some great hero. I don't think I'm the right person for the job."

Ash looked down at his feet, ashamed that they thought he was something special, but he wasn't.

How could they think I could do it?

Arceus knew what troubled his young friend.

"Ash." The boy looked up at the Original One. "Aren't you forgetting some things? You are an Aura Guardian and you have done many great things already, even before you knew of your true heritage."

Mewtwo's face showed a surprised expression, but only for a split second.

Of course! That's what it was! I knew what that glow was! So, the boy is an Aura Guardian as well? Hmm…he keeps surprising me. Perhaps there is more to this boy than I thought.

"You have much potential. Both you and Mewtwo. But there is more to the vision. I mentioned that I have seen the vision every morning for the past five days. I have not seen the vision today though which means something a little good for us. You will have five years to train and prepare for the coming evil."

"How do you know that?"Both Mewtwo and Ash asked at the same time.

"As I said before, only the most important visions come to me. I have seen visions before and each time, I saw them continuously for some days and then it stops. Once it stops, the amount of days I saw the vision, would be the amount of time in years it would take for it to happen. That is something that never changes. So again, that gives us the time to ready ourselves for what is to come."

"So five years. Five years is what we have to either prepare for what may inevitably be a full out war, or to do nothing and just wait for it to come for us…" Ash spoke quietly.

He glanced down at his shoes, thinking hard. After a few seconds, he clinched his fists and raised his head up to face Arceus.

"I will prepare by training hard and preparing as much as I can. I will face this coming darkness when it appears to the best of my ability and I will never give up until the end."

Mewtwo gave a surprised look at the boy.

I knew that this human…no...Not this human… Mewtwo shook his head mentally. This boy has shown me great kindness and respect…he is also not running away from this...he deserves my respect and I shall call him by his name…Ash….I knew Ash was different, but I didn't expect him to accept this great burden.

"I can expect no more from you Ash, even as an Aura Guardian and I am happy to say that I am proud that you are accepting this great burden on your shoulders. I know you will do your best and that you will not give up, like you always have done before. I have some advice and a plan for the both of you that will help out tremendously in your training and preparation."

Ash and Mewtwo glanced at each other and give a curt nod. They both stepped forward to Arceus and awaited his advice.

"Before the advice, I have been told from one of my children who has also seen a vision as well, but of a happier event. There will be a tournament of the best trainers across all the regions. It will take place in three years time, hosted at the Indigo Plateau. I think it will be a good test for you Ash to see where you stand against the best of the best and will help you find out of any weaknesses you may still have."

"Sounds great, thank you Arceus! I will definitely enter and see where I stack up."

Ash was excited to hear of a new tournament coming. Pokémon battles always perked him up greatly.

"As for you Mewtwo, I believe you will be able to achieve greater power and skill if you were to stick with Ash for the next five years. You can learn greatly from Mewtwo as well Ash."

Mewtwo was silent for a moment, but then gave a slight nod in understanding.

"Looks like we can learn a lot from each other, huh Mewtwo?" asked Ash, a little timidly.

He was unsure if the legendary psychic feline wanted to be around him or if he was slightly disappointed to be told to stick with some human. Mewtwo picked up his thoughts as he read his mind.

"Do not worry Ash. You are the only human I respect and will not hurt intentionally. I believe we can learn much from each other," said Mewtwo.

"Well, I guess we have five years to learn from one another!" Ash replied back with a smile.

Arceus had a small smile form on his face as well.

"Mewtwo. Ash." They both looked at Arceus. "If you feel you have any advice, objections or different ideas, please feel free to let me know as I give out the details."

Both Mewtwo and Ash nodded and waited patiently. The Dragon trio, although silent all this time, became still as statues as well, waiting to hear their father's plan.

"Since we have five years before the darkness emerges, we should break up that time up into smaller goals and objectives so we don't get lost in what to do. Another side note though; Ash, I know you have practiced on your Aura ability a bit, but you should train your Aura abilities every day from now on. Also, you should find that Riolu that you saved a while back as fast as you can. He will become one of your strongest friends."

Arceus gave a slight pause, as if something just hit him, and then continued.

"Actually that should be your number one priority. He is on his way to your Mount Silver training area, since that's where he last sensed you."

Ash nodded in agreement. He was slightly surprised that Arceus mentioned Riolu, but then again, he is the Alpha Pokémon and probably is let on to know everything that happens at some point or another.

Arceus continued on.

"For the first year, you should travel the world again and look for Pokémon that will aid you in the coming battles. It is a given that you should find powerful Pokémon, but also look for powerful ones who also have true fighting spirits. Your aura senses, along with Riolu's, as well as Mewtwo's psychic senses should help in that regard."

Arceus paused for a second, waiting to see if either Ash or Mewtwo had questions, but both were silent. Arceus moved on.

"From the start of the second year until the tournament begins, you should train all of your Pokémon as well as yourself to the best of your and their abilities. Mewtwo, you should help him in this regard and he will help you. You both know how to set up good training regiments. But don't forget to do some research as there maybe some things that you don't know about."

Another pause. Another silence. Arceus continued.

"After the tournament, use the results to catch up on things you may not know or weaknesses that you may not have addressed that were exploited. Also, use this time to find other Pokémon that you didn't think about before and train them up to your other Pokémon's levels. During this time, you should also start strategizing how to implement your Pokémon in an actual battle of war, and how to have your Pokémon fight multiple opponents at once."

Arceus gave a second's pause again before continuing.

"After the end of the fourth year, you should start scouting out strategic areas to set up camps and bases. Perhaps even set up secret supply stashes that you can use while on the run. Make sure to have some sort of communication system set up between all of your Pokémon, and maybe perhaps your camps so that you can give out commands efficiently while in combat. You should also have some sort of headquarters that will help set everything else up."

Arceus took a breath. He then finally finished with a couple more statements.

"That is all that came to mind at the moment. If I come up with anything else, I shall let you two know and please, if you come up with anything, let me know as well. However, this will only help a little to prepare us for what is to come. I cannot say what will happen when the fighting begins."

Ash was quiet for a moment. After thoughts racing through his head, he had some questions.

"What about my friends and my mother?" Ash asked. "Shouldn't I tell them about all this? Shouldn't they come to train as well? And what about you? And the Legendaries? Actually, shouldn't we let the world know?"

Arceus thought for a moment.

"Yes and no. Before you go to tackle these things, you may go tell your friends and mother that you are going on a long training trip. But do not tell anyone, not even your close friends or mother, about the coming darkness. The world will panic and be engulfed in chaos if they let something slip. It may even make the darkness emerge sooner than we anticipate. It may even bring those who are the cause of it to attack you before you are ready. Unfortunately, when the battle begins, I will not get involved. It may not affect me but if it does, it will wreak havoc on the entire universe. I will watch from here, the Hall of Origin as nothing can get in here without me knowing or having my permission. I will give guidance when needed. If the darkness does take over and you two fail, I would have to purge the world and start over again. I would like to not do that though as I care about all of my children."

Ash scowled. He didn't like to lie or to keep secrets, especially something that involved such high stakes from the people he cares about the most. And there was no way he was letting the world get destroyed, not on his watch.

"I understand how you feel Ash. You don't want to endanger them, but also don't want to keep secrets from the ones you love and care about. You can tell them to train, as if to battle you, but don't mention the tournament or the coming war, or any of this. It may cause unforeseen consequences. You, your Pokémon and Mewtwo are the only ones who should be training together as it will be grueling, and I fear that if they're with you while training, it may hinder your progress and growth."

Ash thought long and hard about Arceus's explanation. He knew he was right, but still didn't like what he had to do. Lie to his friends and not see them for a much longer time than usual? The raven haired trainer sighed before talking.

"I won't tell them anything about this, but I will drop by them to tell them I will be gone for a while and for them to train."

"Good. So we are decided then? We have a plan of sorts. I will leave you two to come up with the more intricate details and items of your agenda, but I believe those main points I advised will help you both greatly."

"Father, you haven't forgotten have you?" spoke up Giratina suddenly.

"Ah, no, of course not. Also, I have one final gift, for the both of you. You may use it or not, up to you. But I have prepared an island specifically for your training endeavors, and you may even set it up for what you need, away from prying eyes and hidden from any and all things, thanks to the Dragon trio here. You both remember New Island correct?"

Ash and Mewtwo both nodded.

"Good I'm pleased. Well, I have made several changes to it and I believe it will help immensely for what we are trying to do. You could also use it as your headquarters during the war as well."

"If you say it is hidden from all, then how are we supposed to reach it?" asked Ash. Mewtwo was thinking the same thing.

"Ah, you're getting ahead of me Ash. Mew, come my daughter!" called out Arceus.

Suddenly, a pink energy bubble appeared above them, then started moving around rapidly in a zigzag motion across the room, then finally hurtled towards the Alpha Pokémon. It stopped instantly right in front of Arceus' face and the bubble vanished, revealing the small, but powerful pink legendary, Mew.

"Hello daddy! How are you? I've been having so much fun back home!" giggled Mew, and then glanced at everyone. "Hi everyone!" Ash and Pikachu waved hello.

"Daughter, thank you for coming so quickly."

"No problem daddy!"

Arceus smiled. "Did you bring what I asked of you?"

"Of course! Here it is!"

Another pink energy bubble appeared but this one was smaller. The bubble disappeared, and before the inside item fell, Mew caught it. She then held it up in front of Arceus. Arceus eyes glowed a pure white, as did the item. After a couple seconds, the glowing stopped.

"Thank you daughter. Would you kindly hand that to Ash please?"

"Sure thing!"

Mew zipped towards Ash with such speed, he flinched, thinking she'd run him over. But she stopped instantly, right in front of him.

"BOO! I gotcha good!" Mew giggled. She then handed the item to Ash. It was a small blue flower crystal hanging from a black leather necklace.

"That crystal will allow you to see and get to the island. Otherwise, it is invisible to all else."

"If that's the case, wouldn't we require more crystals then? Wouldn't I and the other Pokémon require one of their own?" asked Mewtwo as Ash put on the crystal necklace over his head, letting it rest against his chest.

"No, you will not need another one as it will only be necessary for the first time you go to the island. After that, the crystal will disappear and only you, Ash and his pokémon, because of their bond, regardless if they are old or new captures, will be able to see the island and get to it unless Ash brings in someone himself to the island."

"I'm impressed," replied Mewtwo.

"I guess that could work," Ash said.

"It will work. But only until the darkness emerges. I don't know if my children will be able to do keep it that way, while being confined in their own dimensions once everything starts or when they are staying here. Until then, they will be able to keep it up since they can roam around back and forth between your world and their own dimensions until everything starts. That's why I advised multiple bases and locations in case one gets overflowed but the island should be easy enough to defend and be used as your headquarters. But it may be a good idea to have a backup made somewhere that is easily defendable."

Ash and Mewtwo nodded.

"Alright, you two should get going. If you have any questions, please, visit my daughter Mew. She'll probably know the answer you seek, and it will be good for her to have visitors once in a while, since she cannot leave the Tree of Beginning for too long, unless she comes here. Also, she knows almost everything there is to know about Aura abilities and training. Once you find Riolu, you should visit Mew so she can grant her wisdom to him for your training."

Ash and Mewtwo nodded. Mew squeaked happily at the thought of them visiting then flew around again, giggling.

"If there is something she doesn't know, or you must absolutely speak with me, come here. But only do so if it is a must. I will be busy as well, preparing in my own ways for the coming evils."

"Alright, let's get going Mewtwo. Arceus, we will do our best. We won't give up!" Ash turned to Mewtwo. "Let's go find Riolu first."

"Pika!" agreed Pikachu.

Mewtwo nodded and his eyes quickly glowed blue after. The three of them vanished, heading towards Mount Silver once more.

"What about us father?" asked Dialga.

"Yes, what should we do?" added Palkia.

"What can we do to help or to prepare?" finished Giratina.

"The only thing we can do is to keep doing our duties, to keep the world spinning. If I or any of my children get an idea, we will meet once more. Until then, go back to your homes and responsibilities. But before you do, Dialga, have you seen any possible outcomes for the future?"

"Yes father. I have seen several futures regarding the darkness and our chosen ones."

"And?"

"Most of them are quite dire indeed, from bad to worse. However, I do see a possible good future where the darkness has been overcome, but to what cost, I don't know yet. But, from all the other futures I've seen, it will take a miracle for something good to happen with the amount of odds stacking against the two."

"I see. Thank you my child. We can only hope they grow powerful enough to stop the coming evils, or at least to keep it from spreading. Alright, you may take your leave now. I would like to take a bit of break before starting on my plans. These visions have left me wanting a good rest."

"Yes father," the Dragon trio acknowledged and each left for their own respective dimensions through some portals.

"See ya daddy! Have a good rest!" Mew said before teleporting back to her home, the Tree of Beginning.

"Farewell my children. And good luck Ash and Mewtwo," Arceus said quietly as he lied down on his throne, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.