The Master Tournament

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. Nintendo does.

At last, I have returned. After years of waiting on your part, I have come to reward your patience with the sequel to Ash's True Family, which I plan on updating/rewriting to fit my new style. some of you will have seen most of this chapter before as it was the teaser from the update in the prequel story, but at least it is a start.

Without further ado, on with the show.

A few months after the rescue of Ash:

Mewtwo sat on a log, deep in thought, while Ash was training his Pokémon, 'I still can't believe Mew was right, all those years ago.' Then, another thought struck him, one that gave him pause for concern, 'Is it really that close? I need to make sure he has his Lunar Wing, just in case.' The thought that came across his mind really concerned him. "Ash," he called.

Looking over at his Uncle, Ash noticed the puzzled look on Mewtwo's face, "What is it, Uncle Mewtwo? I don't think I have seen you so puzzled about something before." In truth, he never has seen Mewtwo that puzzled, not even some of Aunt Mew's shenanigans confuse him as much.

"Do you have your Lunar Wing with you?" Mewtwo asked back, a tone of concern in his voice.

"Yeah, it's in my bag, back at camp. Why? Is Uncle Darkrai going to be going on one of his terrors soon?" Ash responded to the question. Every once in, as part of the natural balance of the world, Darkrai ensnares the world for a night in his nightmares.

"Yes and no." Mewtwo answered, "It won't be for a few months; however, it will be the worst one humanity has had in a century."

"Why is that?" Ash asked.

Mewtwo had uneasy look on his face, "Every one-hundred years or so, on the day of the first full Solar eclipse, Darkrai is able to unleash his full mastery of the dark-type power he was given, they call it, the Day of Darkness and the Night of Terror. At dawn of that day, Darkrai creates an eclipse that lasts all day, and when night falls, he will eclipse the moon, and unleash his nightmares to terrorize the world. On that day, Dark-types gain a temporary, but significant boost to their power, and psychics, effectively lose their strength."

"How is it that the world isn't severely messed up after Uncle Darkrai does this?" Ash asked.

"Well, your mother and uncles Lugia and Manaphy, maintain the oceans. Your father and aunt Heatran maintain the planet's core. They just have to work a little harder than they usually do. Most psychics just hide for the day, you aunt Mew usually goes to the Tree of Life, Cresselia hides on her island, I have no idea where Deoxys and Jirachi hide that day, and this will be my first experience with it, so it will be interesting," Mewtwo explained.

"When will this occur, exactly? Ash inquired.

"The first full solar eclipse is supposed to happen just before the tournament. Bad timing, I know, but that is how it is this time. We best be prepared for when it comes." Mewtwo answered. "We best head back to camp, your friends will start to wonder where we are." They headed back to Brock and Misty.

As they walked, Mewtwo made an off-hand remark, "Did you know that, apparently, there is a cult that worships Darkrai, and sees his nightmares as the true path of the world."

"I did not know that." Ash replied.

"Fortunately, they are scattered groups that do nothing more but preach a coming ruin, Darkrai himself condemns them, then again most of us who have cults condemn them, Giratina seems to despise his, and Rayquaza will hyper beam any of his that intrude on his slumber."

"Yet Arceus has full blown religion, with all of you somewhere in the mythos." Ash put in.

"That is a different story, Arceus is the Creator after all, and the rest of us as divine helpers or something, me and Deoxys were late additions." Mewtwo countered, indicating that he has kept up with holy scripture. "Pokémon worship is different than that of humans, where Pokémon just see us as what we are, the embodiments of near absolute power over a specific type, and that we are the natural balance, with the exception being Arceus and Giratina, of course. Some of the reverence humans do is welcome, others it is a nuisance. I do think Arceus plans at some point soon to set things straight. She does work in mysterious ways sometimes, in which no one has any idea what she has in mind. Anyway, this can be continued at another time." Mewtwo finished as they approached the camping spot.

There you have it. The first chapter is done, and I must say, it is good to be back, and hopefully, I will not disappear for too long in between chapters. I make no promises, but I will try. I hope you all are excited for what is to come, as I am too.

The Emperor is out. Peace.