8. Ash's Torren Story

Chapter 38 A New Cult?

At the same time when the Timeless are having a meeting in the Crystal Caves, Ash and his friends have just left the Dragon Ruins. Before they are going to Route 14, Ash suddenly feels a headache as he kneels.

"Brother, are you all right?" Nora asks as she tries to get her up.

"What is this feeling..." Ash mutters, then his eyes glow white and he stops moving.

"Brother, what is going on?" Nora asks.

Emily says, "I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this."

Ash wakes up and sees himself at a familiar place, he looks around and says, "This is the Spear Pillar...I remembered when Cyrus captures the Dialga and Palkia here..."

He looks up and says, "But why is it so dark? Don't tell me it is another one of the Alamos Incident..."

Just then, he sees a man walking towards them. "Jaern?" Ash gasps as he tries to reach his Pokeballs, but there is none, and Jaern just walks past him, like Ash himself is a ghost.

"He can go past me? I guess he can't see me..." Ash thinks, then he follows him and they reach the Throne of Hegemon.

"This place is...bizarre..." Jaern says as he looks around.

"Such an odd place to have built anything at all." Jaern says. "I can't believe people can live out here. And more importantly...why is there a temple here, of all places?"

"Ah, our guest of honor has finally arrived." A voice booms inside the place and Jaern stays calm.

"What is this? Show yourself." Jaern yells. Just then, they see a person wearing a Giratina outfit walking toward him. "Who on earth are you? What do you want? You are the one behind all of this, aren't you?"

"Behind all of this?" Ash is confused.

"Me? Behind everything? What could you possibly mean?"

"I...I have been researching. I know where the First Augur, Adam's Crystal came from. I looked into Persephone's past, which led me to Zenith and the Infernal Cult and what he can do! And all of it...All of it ties back to you!"

"What?" Ash is confused.

The figure then gives out a malicious laugh and says, "You've certainly done your research."

"Are you cultists? Trying to catch Giratina?" Jaern yells.

"No. We might look the part, but we are anything but." The person says.

"You've been playing us like pawns! You've been playing ME like a pawn!" Jaern yells. "I lost everything, my wife, my daughters...all because of you!"

"Actually, I know you don't want to hear this, but...You weren't part of my plans. You're a minor nuisance at best. A bit part. My intention was for the Infernal Cult to eventually overthrow the First Augur and secure the crystal for me. But no, you just had to interfere, didn't you? You just had to play the edge antihero, didn't you?"

Jaern can feel the power from the person, he says, "You're evil."

"I am surviving." The figure says as he walks closer.

Jaern takes out the piece of Crystal and says, "Stay away from me. Don't make me break the crystal!" He yells as he tries to throw it onto the ground.

"Hah Any more than you already have?" The figure says, but he stops and turns around. "But I'll let you go. Your shard is nearly useless to me without the other 4. And though I didn't care for you at first, you've slowly become useful."

Just then, a black mist covers the field, and then both Ash and Jaern can't see anything. "Enjoy your trip home, Jaern..."

"Gah!" Ash wakes up as his eyes turn back to normal, Nora asks, "Brother, are you okay?"