Hey, guess what? This is the last chapter! Yes, over a year and "Clash with a titan" is finally finished. And boy am I happy with this ending. Much much much happier than I was with last chapter. Read the bottom A/N for important stuffs. And don't forget to read and review! Enjoy! :)
"We leave you alone for 5 minutes and you get involved in a world changing event. Again," Gary mused, smirking at the dumbstruck boy. Ash was still panting heavily, vainly attempting to gather enough air to support his own system; manifesting that much aura in one burst had taken its toll. Glancing across at Red, the older boy was in a similar situation; gasping for air as his body shrieked for rest after expelling so much raw aura.
"Mewtwo I-"Ash began, scanning the area behind him for any trace of the clone Pokémon. However, his eyes only met the bitter snow that was still falling heavily. During their close encounter with the end of the world, the cold seemed like a very trivial matter in comparison. It almost made Ash chuckle. Almost.
Gary blinked his eyes dumbly at Ash, staring with a questioning gaze. "Mewtwo? Who's Mewtwo?" he asked. Ash shook his head, muttering a dismissive response just loud enough for it to be heard through the biting wind which had once more consumed the mountain top.
"I'm amazed it took you this long to finally step in. Was the Kanto champion scared of a little kid?" Said Green, his mocking voice directed at Red, who merely stared in silence at the older Oak sibling.
"Ash, what were you thinking?! You could've gotten seriously hurt!" Dawn finally spoke up, her slender body shivering intensely as the snow clung to her unprotected legs; a skirt was really not the best choice for climbing a mountain. Ash winced as he received her scolding; seeing Dawn upset or angry was just about one of the most nerve-wracking things in existence.
He looked down at the floor, too ashamed to face his friends directly. And why wouldn't he be? He'd been avoiding them all this time, refusing to give them the answers they so desperately craved. He'd completely shut them out of his life just so he could get revenge on Red.
Wait, Red? Is that where he heard the name before?
Ash shifted his gaze onto the silent boy, eyes widening in realisation. As soon as his name was uttered, he recognised it. He'd heard it on TV many times during his travels. This so called Pokémon master had challenged the elite four, and won using just four Pokémon: one for each member, before he finally claimed the title of Pokémon Champion.
"You're Red. That's where I knew your name from. You're the champion that went missing. Is that the reason you came up here?" he asked, his voice rising, not in anger, but more worry. But why was he worried? Red killed Pikachu! By rights, Ash should be absolutely furious with the older trainer.
Red stared at Ash silently for several seconds, before turning to Green, who had thus far listened to the exchange with curiosity. Taking the hint from Red's eye contact, Green began to speak. "Ash, I'm guessing you already know what happened 2 years ago. That incident left Red deeply scarred, much like you were with the loss of Pikachu," he explained sadly, never breaking his eye contact with the silent champion as he spoke. It was almost as if he was asking Red's permission to speak.
"But…but he was weak. He called himself a champion and he still couldn't do anything," Ash muttered bitterly, staring at the ground once more as more and more snow began piling up.
"He was not weak Ash! You suffered the same pain he did! How can you just say he's weak when you're in the same situation you're in?!" Green countered, anger rising in his voice as he heard the young trainer insult his best friend.
"I'm still just a trainer. He was a champion. He had no excuse," another bitter retort left Ash's lips, still refusing to face his friends and instead keeping his eyes locked onto the ground.
"So that's what this is about? His rank? If you were a true Pokémon trainer, you'd know that rank is meaningless!" Green roared, his anger finally consuming the boy. Ash winced at the outburst, yet he still kept his eyes locked onto the ground. If he dared to look up, he'd see just how angry Green was, just how sad and pained Red was, just how pitiful Gary was, and just how sympathetic Dawn was. All four trainers kept their gazes fixed on the young boy who stared ashamedly at his feet.
"A true Pokémon trainer is measured by the strength of his or her heart, not the strength of their Pokémon. Stats are meaningless if you don't share a bond with your Pokémon. You know this Ash. I know you do. I may not have known you for very long, but I know just how deep a connection you share with your Pokémon. I've seen it first hand during our battles. Charizard, Garchomp, Pidgeot, Tyranitar, Latias, all of your Pokémon share a connection with you; that unbreakable connection is what makes you strong," the older Oak sibling continued, his voice calming down considerably from his outburst a few seconds ago.
"And I'm pretty damn sure you shared this connection with Pikachu too." Green finished. At this, Ash's gaze rose from the floor, snapping to Green in an instant upon hearing his deceased partner's name. Like a Mega Punch to the face, realisation hit Ash.
And it hit hard.
He glanced at Red, the older boy remaining silent as he understood the true extent of his gym leader friend's words.
He glanced at Gary, who too was looking at Ash in silence, waiting for the boy to speak.
He glanced at Dawn, who stood gazing at Ash; her eyes drowning in overwhelming sympathy for the boy.
The strength of his heart. His Pokémon, past and present. Each trial they had endured, each adventure they embarked on, each region they explored. They kept growing stronger. Together. With his Pokémon.
With his friends.
His bottom lip began trembling, his arms shaking. His eyes began glistening as fresh hot tears pooled on his bottom eyelid, until finally, they fell; little droplets of sadness cascading down to the ground in a constant flow.
He felt a pair of arms encircle him, pulling him closer to the blunette as she attempted to comfort the boy. His sobbing grew worse as he buried his head into Dawn's shoulder, his tears staining her blouse as he allowed all of his sadness to wash out; all of the pain and suffering that had manifested inside the boys mind since that dark day weeks ago was flowing out of him in a never-ending stream.
But at this point, he didn't care. He had his friends with him, and that's all that mattered. No matter what pain had been inflicted, his friends were there for him, no matter what.
"I'm sorry," he choked in between sobs; his voice muffled as his head was buried deep into Dawn's surprisingly comforting shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry."
"Ssh, it's okay. Everything will be fine," Dawn whispered soothingly, idly playing with a lock of his black hair as the boy continued sobbing into her shoulder. He didn't care about the vicious cold biting at his flesh, nor did he care about how foolish he'd been. All he cared about was his friends, because as long as he had them, he would be strong. Stronger than anyone alive; his friends were his strength, his soul, his being.
The shame he felt over his actions since losing Pikachu had torn him from his true strength, and as a result, he had made some very foolish mistakes, and causing both his and Red's Pokémon to suffer the anguish of such a gruelling clash between the two titans.
How wrong he had been. How oh so very wrong. His guilt, sadness, pain, anguish, all of the negative emotions that had welled up inside him exploded in one uncontrollable burst. And it felt good. Despite the niggling thought at the back of his mind to apologise to his friends for being such a jerk, he just couldn't. But somehow he knew that his tears said more than any words could. And so, he let his tears fall.
"Slow down, will ya? You're going too fast!" the boy complained as he chased his female companion through the maze of streets. The tall buildings eclipsed the noon sun, leaving the alleys concealed in shadows as the two continued running towards their destination. The only reason the boy hadn't gotten lost thus far was due to his female companion who knew the maze-like city like the back of her hand. Although it was a miracle the boy managed to keep up with the speedy girl.
A left, a right, another right, and a final left brought the two to the end of the particular alley they were in. The girl ran up to the back wall, practically jumping up and down from the excitement. The boy, however, was crouched, his chest heaving as he desperately sucked in air. "I know you're excited and all, but please, slow down!" he wheezed in between pants. The girl silently giggled, before running straight into the wall, and somehow instead of slamming into the seemingly hard surface, she waltzed straight through with very little effort. Of course, to this pair, it was a normal circumstance.
A few seconds later, the boy composed himself and followed his companion through the wall, arriving in the city's biggest secret; as he emerged from the tunnel, Ash had to shield his eyes from the blindingly bright sun, casting a radiant glow on the heavenly garden before him. To his surprise, he noticed that the rows of plant pots running down the long pathway were very well maintained, with no weeds in sight.
A swarm of Yanma caught his attention, and he found his gaze shifting to the chirpy dragoness, who was running around ecstatically at the prospect of being home once more; despite her desperate need to get out and see the world, the Eon dragon couldn't help but feel a little homesick. Oh she couldn't wait to see the look on Bianca's face when she suddenly turned up out of the blue; or in her case, red.
"So Bianca and Lorenzo have kept the garden tidy while you were gone, huh?" Ash asked, watching as the dragoness continued to dash around frantically. She stopped briefly to give him a quick nod, before she resumed her prancing.
It had been quite a while since Ash had seen Latias this happy. After the recent events, he couldn't help but smile at the psychic dragon. He remembered the first time he came to the garden, where he spent the full day playing with Latias and her brother Latios. It was heart-breaking when Latios had died, leaving Latias all alone. Despite wanting to spend a little more time with the distraught dragoness, his very tight schedule kept him from doing so. But he always promised he'd come back and visit.
He just wished it was under better pretences than a quest for revenge…
But Ash had to admire Latias; despite the grave circumstances that had occurred during his first visit to the water city, Latias stayed optimistic, running after Ash's boat to give him one final farewell. Albeit, a very embarrassing farewell, but it was the thought that counted.
And during the boat ride away from Altomare, Ash couldn't help but think about the dragoness; how a part of her had died with her brother. The two shared such a close bond, being the only family they had. And despite her usual cheery demeanour, Ash knew that she was in pain. From that day onwards, he knew Latias would never be the same again.
"Come on Latias; let's go say hi to Bianca and Lorenzo. We have to let them know about our little agreement," Ash said, snapping the dragoness out of her joyous prancing. She nodded vigorously, before running off ahead of Ash, leaving the poor boy to play catch up yet again. The raven haired trainer sighed before running off after the dragoness.
It didn't take long for Ash to catch up though, considering how close Bianca and Lorenzo lived to the garden, and after a brief dash, they arrived on their doorstep. Latias giggled silently to herself as she watched Ash attempt to catch his breath. After a minute or so, he stood up straight, walking over to the door and knocking on it with shaky hands; he did just take Latias without asking their permission. He had no idea what their reaction would be.
After a few seconds, the distinct sound of footsteps could be heard from the other side of the door, and with a swift motion, the door swung open, revealing the bonnet wearing brunette. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of who was on her doorstep, and for a few seconds, she stared dumbstruck at the visitor.
"Uh, hi," Ash said, smiling unsurely as he raised a hand in the air in a small wave. Bianca continued to stare at Ash, wide-eyed, until she did something that the raven haired boy wasn't expecting, and with a swift motion, her hand swung through the air, catching Ash off guard as he felt pain sear through his cheek.
"Ow! What was that for?!" he yelled, cradling his cheek in one hand while glaring at Bianca. But before the girl could give a reply, she did another unexpected thing, and wrapped her arms around his midsection, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug; the muffled sounds of soft sobs could be heard emanating from the girl as she cried into his chest.
"You complete and utter jerk Ash Ketchum! You left me worried sick! How could you just take Latias without asking first? What if something bad happened? What if I never got to see Latias again?" she sobbed, her voice cracking as she spat out the words; a mix of hurt and anger in her voice as she bombarded him with questions.
Ash remained speechless as the girl continued sobbing into his chest. He turned his head, looking at Latias for support. The dragoness merely giggled to herself, before she finally took pity on her trainer and tapped Bianca on the shoulder. Through watery eyes, Bianca stared at Latias for a couple of seconds, before releasing her grip on Ash and enveloping her dragoness friend in an equally tight hug as she gave Ash.
"I was so worried about you!" she breathed as she attempted to compose herself. Through the drama, nobody even noticed another figure arrive at the door and watch the scene with quiet interest.
"Bianca, it's rude not to invite guests into our home. Come on in Ash, Latias," a raspy old voice sounded from behind Bianca.
"Sorry grandpa," Bianca sniffed, taking a step back to allow Ash and Latias entry. Ash smiled at Lorenzo, seeing him dressed the same way as he was all those years ago.
"Hey Lorenzo!" he said cheerfully. The old man smiled and nodded at Ash, before doing the same with the dragoness as they walked into the house; Lorenzo closing the door behind them.
Escorting them to the living room, Lorenzo beckoned to a sofa sitting alongside a bookshelf; a coffee table sat just in front with a book lying on top. "Sit down; I'll make us some tea. I'm sure we have lots to discuss young man."
And so the afternoon flew by, with Bianca questioning Ash on everything he and Latias did; where they went, why they went. Of course, Ash lied about the more sinister purpose as to why he took Latias. Instead, he explained that his beloved partner had died and he was feeling lonely, so he wanted some company; Latias was more than happy to oblige.
Bianca bought Ash's lies immediately, trusting that Latias wouldn't lie along with Ash therefore he must've been telling the truth. Lorenzo, however, had his own thoughts on the matter. From the minute he laid eyes on Ash, the young trainer seemed different. The ageing museum curator didn't know what exactly happened, but if they didn't want to tell them, then he wouldn't pry. And so as Ash came to the end of his story, Lorenzo left the three to talk as he went out shopping.
"Oh, we have something to ask you and Lorenzo as soon as he gets back," Ash said, suddenly remembering their ulterior motive for returning to Altomare. Of course, Latias wanted to visit, but more importantly, they had something big to ask of the two Altomare residents.
Bianca cocked her head in confusion, looking back and forth between Ash and Latias. "What do you want to ask us?" she asked. Ash shook his head in response.
"We'll wait until Lorenzo is back," he said firmly. Bianca nodded, before gathering up their mugs and taking them into the kitchen. Ash heard the sound of running water and assumed Bianca was washing up, leaving him and Latias in the living room.
The raven haired boy couldn't help but use this time to reflect on what had happened. So much had transpired in such a short time; so many emotions, so much pointless conflict, so much pain. If it weren't for Latias, he didn't think he would have lasted as long as he did; she was always there, like a burning beacon of hope shining brightly among the dark. She really was amazing.
Ash found his eyes drifting to the book lying haphazardly on the table, and he curiously scanned the title of the book. "The legend of Mt. Silver, huh?" he muttered, catching Latias' attention. Didn't Mewtwo mention something about a legend when they were up on the mountain? Curiosity getting the better of him, Ash flicked the book open to the first page and began reading.
A radiant spectrum of colours
Flowing through time and space
Like the swiftest beats
Of the sun bird's feathers
The universes chosen
Will spark from the centre
The spirit of the universe
Lay an egg of the purest blue
And hence water was consumed
By the greenest of grass
Before the inevitable tragedy
Of the radiant red that burned with glory
Yet this tragedy was prevented
And the cycle was created
As the bluest of waters
Continued churning
A jolt of energy
Surging so powerfully
A dazzling blaze of yellow
Was created inevitably
And there lay the seed
That the bug type feed on
Yet nature wasn't satisfied
And kept on evolving
To spawn poisons
So toxic to elements
previous and future
From these elements there bloomed
Life in the form of psychic
But no life is complete
Without the darkest of opposites
And therein bloomed
The ghostly apparitions
Which consumed the world
Yet they met their equal
A pure type holding many tricks
Saw through the ghost
And began breeding new energy
Even normal had an opposite
In the bravest of forms
There bloomed fighting spirit
Halt not the flap of wings
A new element appears
Soaring higher than fighting
Can hope to ascend
Yet is crushed
By the element so sturdy
It resembled the rugged rock
The crust of the earth itself
Began taking form
And lost so quickly
To an even harder element
The slickest of steel
Conquered the rock
And it too was bested
By an earth shaking element
The ground trembled fiercely
Giving birth anew
And was frozen
By the coldest of ice
But the frigid chill
Was melted by fire
A swirling vortex
Not easily extinguished
This fire roared loudly
And a new creature appeared
The most vicious so far
The deadly dragons
Clashed with one another
Out of boredom of others
Too scared to fight ice
Yet too powerful to fight any other
When finally a holy light
Descended upon the world
And gave birth
To the final element
So elegant yet fierce
Deception was its tool
And made an enemy
Of the ferocious dragons
With this the earth was protected
With a never ending circle
As the elements 18
Settled with peace on the earth
Until one day
The 19th unspeakable element
Came forth and branded
Itself upon the world
This element conquered
All elements previous
And it's tyrannical reign
All but inevitable
However the element
Showed compassion
To the others weaker than it
And offered to be friends
And peace was reinstated
And the universe
Sent a gift
For the earths cooperation
And gave birth to legends
Each assigned a key role
Disturb not the harmony
Of time, space and opposite
For these deities were segregated
To prevent their inevitable clash
And out of the darkness
There came a shadow
Who halted their clash
And maintained the universes flow
But this darkness was cursed
An unfortunate birth
Those who sleep
Near this entity
Will be locked in bad dreams
Until a ray of light appeared
Vanquishing the dark
His complete opposite
Yet neither can be good or bad
Disturb not the harmony
Of fire ice or lightning
Lest these titans reek destruction
Upon which the world they clash
Though the waters great guardian
Shall rise to quell the fighting
Alone its song will fail
Lest the earth shall turn to ash
O chosen one
Into thine hands bring together three
Their treasures combined
Tame the beast of the sea
Disturb not the harmony
Of rock ice or steel
These three guardians
Protect the giga
From awakening an early slumber
This giant will shake the earth
If these guardians shall fail
There remains but one option
Catch this titan
And return it to slumber
The dragons of eon
Complete one another
For the sister cannot cope
Without her beloved brother
If one is removed
The other will suffer
However one day
The chosen one will act
And adopt their sadness
For use in his own
Tale of misfortune
O chosen one
A heart so innocent and pure
Will be tainted with blackness
His mind will obscure
For one day he will clash
With a titan so fierce
His own history tainting his heart
Black as the night sky
During their meeting
An element will die
And the 19th will endanger
The remaining 18
For the roar of thunder
Will silence in the grasp of another
Of the same element
From this meeting will spawn
A blackness like no other
And the chosen one will fight
With his mind clouded by this other
The boy on top of the pinnacle of energy
His heart already too late to save
The chosen one will unite with other elements
Yet push away his own element
In favour of a path questionable
Not even time and space
Can stop their meeting
The clash with a titan
Will send the world into turmoil
For the body of time, space and distortion
Will slowly wither
Along with their dimensions
From the uncontainable energy
Their meeting inevitable
Yet desired by none
The importance of this clash
Lies within the chosen one
Their clash lays the same as their encounter
Upon the pinnacle of power
Arceus' own tower
For the field in which their clash is held
Gave birth to the elements
With exceptions of the 19th
That final element was born mysteriously
And can harness the power
Of all elements previously
Yet with an aura so pure
The chosen one appears
The saviour of the universe
Yet the destroyer of time and space
For if his quest is not stopped
Soon he and his elements will flock
Upon the pinnacle of the world
The place where all was created
This is the legend
Told about Mt. Silver
Flicking the last page closed, Ash returned the book to the table. The majority of the book was meaningless to the boy, yet the ending seemed vaguely familiar to him.
The sound of the front door opening broke Ash from his musings, and he turned to see Lorenzo walk in, cradling a bag of groceries in one arm as he fiddled with the door handle. Bianca poked her head out of the kitchen, greeting her grandfather with a quick smile, before returning to her cleaning.
Ash took a deep breath, turning to Latias who remained seated in her human guise next to him. "Ready to ask the question?" he asked. The dragoness nodded eagerly, turning to watch Lorenzo dump the bag on the kitchen counter before stalking into the living room, Bianca in tow.
"Okay Ash, want to ask us this question?" she asked impatiently. Lorenzo turned to his granddaughter, confusion clearly present on his face. Bianca turned to him and quickly interrupted any potential question the older man was preparing. "Ash said he had something to ask the two of us."
"Is that so? Well, ask away Ash," Lorenzo said kindly, turning to look at the raven haired boy as he fidgeted awkwardly in his seat.
"Well, the thing is, I really enjoyed travelling with Latias, and after talking to her about it, we wanted to ask you if…" he trailed off, struggling to find a way to phrase his question. A comforting hand on his shoulder from Latias convinced him to continue. "Well, Latias wants to travel with me a bit longer. Would it be okay if we stayed together for a little while longer? I promise I won't put her in danger!" He asked hastily.
Lorenzo smiled immediately, before nodding his head. The old timer had a sneaking suspicion that Ash would be asking this question at some point or another.
"No. Absolutely not!" a stern voice broke Lorenzo from his thoughts, and he turned to his granddaughter. Bianca stood with her arms folded, glaring at Ash. "You already took Latias once, and left me worried sick. I won't let you two go off exploring a new region…" she said, her gaze never once falling from Ash.
"But-"the raven haired boy began to protest, but Bianca silenced him by raising her hand, indicating she still wanted to speak.
"I won't let you two go off exploring a new region," she repeated. "At least, not alone. If you want to take Latias, then I'm coming along too!" she said, grinning like a Glameow. Ash stared at her, dumbstruck, while Latias jumped in the air, an excited look on her face.
"Bianca-"Lorenzo started, but Bianca silenced him with a quick shake of her head.
"I've made up my mind, grandpa. You can handle the shop just fine on your own, can't you?" she asked, still grinning wildly. Lorenzo couldn't help but smile at his granddaughters happiness, and without further hesitation, he nodded his head.
"If it's okay with Ash, you can go," he said, turning to Ash as he spoke. The raven haired boy merely nodded his head, giving Bianca a quick smile before standing up.
"Well then, let's go!" he said, moving towards the door. However, Bianca blocked his path, a frustrated look on her face.
"I still have to pack, dummy!" she huffed, before stomping off upstairs to gather her things. Ash returned to the sofa, mareepishly scratching the back of his head while Latias giggled silently to herself.
It didn't take long for Bianca to pack, and minutes later she returned downstairs; a backpack full of personal belongings being the only difference in her appearance.
"Ready to go?" Ash asked, standing up and preparing to leave. Bianca nodded, as she moved to stand next to him and Latias.
"Where are we going anyway?" the artist asked. Ash grinned as the name of the region popped into his head; he heard about it on the news during one of his travels, and after seeing the Pokémon featured on the news channel, he decided it was on his "places to visit" list.
"It's a region called Kalos. It's got some awesome Pokémon there!" the raven haired trainer replied excitedly, recalling the fiery fox-like creature he saw on the news. Apparently, that was one of the starters from Kalos. He couldn't quite remember the name though…
"Are you ready?" he asked one last time, and with one final nod of confirmation from Bianca, the three set off on their journey towards the mysterious Kalos region.
As the trio kept walking, Ash glanced up at the sky, spotting the orange sunset as it decorated the sky like a painting. Kalos region, here we come!
…And I know you'll be coming with me too, buddy.
The lone trainer gazed at the golden sunset from atop the peak of Mt. Silver. The warm rays of the sun even penetrated through to the mountain, melting the snow atop the vicious pinnacle. It had been a long time since he'd appreciated a simple sunset like this. And yet, the feeling was a very familiar one. It was as if the suns warm rays were caressing his very soul. It was oddly soothing.
The trainer turned around, facing the entrance to the maze-like mountain. His return would spark a lot of chaos, but after a week or so, things should settle down again. He took a step towards the cave mouth, before turning his head, stealing one last glance at the glorious sunset highlighting his exit. And a second later, he continued his path towards the cave entrance.
…
"This place was getting old anyway."
Yes, sadly, this is the end. And before anyone asks: NO! I AM NOT DOING A SEQUEL! I was pretty happy with this ending, and I really don't want to risk the story as a whole by writing a sequel...Not to mention I just don't have the time! College is a nightmare!
So the legend of Mt. Silver is finally revealed! Oh god did I have fun writing that!
Oh god the feelz! I think I've been watching too much Clannad...I'm even writing sad stuff now. Oh well!
So what do you think? I'm pretty satisfied with this ending, so hopefully you will be too :)
Now, my praise...TAKE IT! TAKE ALL OF MY THANK YOUS! It's because of you that this story has come so far. It's hard to believe that originally this was going to be a short story around 10k in length. And here we are, over 100k words! It made my day logging on to see all of your reviews in my inbox, and yes, I read each and every one of them! Thank you to everyone who reviewed! If I could give you a cookie, I would. Unfortunately, I don't have any cookies...An internet cookie will have to be enough! *gives cookie*
And with this, I mark Clash with a titan, complete! It's been so much fun writing this and hearing all of your wonderful feedback!
I bid you my final goodbye! Well...final goodbye for Clash with a titan anyway...I'll probably be writing some other, smaller fics now and again...
Good bye everyone! I love you all!
Trainer Theta