When a life fades away

31. Harsh lessons under the cloak

Welcome back to "When a Life fades away". Be careful, this chapter contains mature content, be careful. I won't stop over details in a heavy way but there will be some parts that aren't suggested for younger people.

Anyway, let's get started.

An intense light engulfed the summit of the Mountain as the egg was finally crackling. Revealing the features of the majestic Pokémon Dialga.

Dialga was exactly how the books in Cynthia's grandma's house showed. It was a dark-blue, sauropod-like Pokémon with some gray metallic portions and light blue stripes. A chest plate was on its torso, which had a deep blue diamond-like crystal embedded in the center. Dialga had a fin-like structure on its back, three spines on the back of its neck, and a crest on its head. It also showed two structures on the sides of its head that extended outward and resembled horns and fangs.

As the light dimmed, the Time Pokémon stared at the three humans who were bracing themselves. In its mind, it connected with the Lake Guardians.

Mesprit showed it Dawn's emotions and how they made her a better person.

Uxie showed how Goh displayed knowledge and how he could push through a challenge with it.

Azelf, finally, showed Serena's willpower and pure passion, her desire to help Ash being the thing to make her even better.

Dialga nodded and finally faced the three of them. It was going to test them. If they managed to defeat it, it would listen to them, otherwise, people capable of passing the tests from the Lake Guardians and waking Dialga itself would be a threat, so it would kill them.

Dialga roared, alerting Dawn, Serena, and Goh who grabbed their Poké balls.

Serena released Delphox and Sylveon; Dawn released Togekiss and Piplup; Goh let out Cinderace and Flygon.

And of course, the three Ash's Pokémon that wanted to help: Dawn would command Staraptor, Serena would control Dragonite and Goh would use Gengar.

"STARRRRAPTOR!" roared the flying Pokémon as soon as she emerged from the Pokéball.

Dragonite wanted so badly to hug Serena but knew better.

Gengar stuck out his tongue before putting a determined look on his face. He would help his trainer no matter what.

"Let's go!" proclaimed Serena after a deep breath. She was ready to bring Ash back.

....

"My doom?" asked Ash, his eyes showing confusion, surprise, and anger all at once.

The cloaked figure smirked under the mask. He had waited for so long to reveal himself to the boy.

"Hand over your plates, hero from the future. Or else, you'll have to face the consequence for your actions" he stated firmly.

A lot of thoughts overwhelmed Ash at that moment: who was he? Was he responsible for the rift and the dead researcher? So, it wasn't Volo after all. Maybe, he was wrong. Then, why that cloak? What was that dark aura? Why appearing now? Maybe because he was gathering the final plates. So, they had a role after all... wait, he also knew that Ash came from the future... Too many doubts were obscuring his judgment until...

"PIKAPI! PIKAPIKAKA!" Pikachu snapped him back to reality.

Ash looked around. Akari was laying on the floor, and her Pokémon as well as Growlithe and Braviary had fainted.

Greninja got up, his breathing was hard and he was clearly damaged. Pikachu wasn't good either. But they had no chance and fight.

"Umpf, you think you stand a chance in those conditions?" remarked superbly the masked foe, his gaze on the boy, his clothes bruised, the look on his face transpiring a long-repressed tiredness.