Title: Vision of Hope

Disclaimer: Shadow does not own pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo, Game FREAK, 4KIDS, Shogakukan comics, etc. Destiny is mine! So are new attacks/pokemon!

This is the revised version of ‘What if’, because that one was rushed and stuff. The old version will still be up if you want to read it. Okay? *Grins hopefully* Too many people objected to killing off characters I dislike. *Sweatdrop*

Ages: Ash is 12, Misty is 14, and Gary is 13

Timeline: Right after Ash loses to Richie in the Indigo League Championships.

Chapter 1: A loss and a gain

“And the round goes to the red trainer, Richie!” shouted the referee. Ash dropped to the ground as he held out a poke ball. “Charizard, return.” He said in a monotone. The fire lizard was pulled back into its ball. Richie came over to Ash, who wiped at his eyes for a sec before putting on a fake smile and shaking Richie’s hand enthusiastically. Richie, Misty, Brock, Professor Oak, and his Mom could not tell that behind that seemingly friendly smile lurked something they didn’t know about.

“Why didn’t I heal my pokemon first?” Ash asked as he lay on his bed that night. “It’s all my fault, making you fight while you were tired out from battling team rocket.”

But we wanted to battle for you! Pikachu protested. Her cheeks sparked indignantly.

Yeah! It’s not your fault! They made you battle as soon as you got there! Squirtle protested, shaking his head emphatically.

Besides, you ought to blame that big oaf. Bulbasaur stated primly. I wish Charizard had never evolved.

So do I. Muk said as it oozed over.

“I wonder…” Ash said as he mused thoughtfully. “Pikachu, you know how they say that extreme sadness and stress causes odd things to happen to people?”

Really?

“When I lost, I felt like I was watching a video of things I had never done before… it was really strange… and I had other pokemon too. Do you think it might be a hallucination?”

Possibly. Or it could have been a psychic block. Another voice spoke up. They all turned. There stood a female jolteon with odd silvery-blue eyes.

“Who are you?” Ash asked, majorly confused.

I am Sunny. One of your guardians who have been watching over you ever since Serebii deemed it fitting for you to enter the human’s world. It stated in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

“Wha?”

Ash, you are not merely another human trainer. Within your heart lies great power and potential. However, at such a young age, it was kept a secret from you. But now it is deemed fitting that you should at least receive your memories back.

Ash’s eyes widened as his mind was assaulted with a variety of images. A pale glow surrounded his body. When it cleared, Ash resembled a seventeen or eighteen year old. He had grayish white wings that had sprouted from his back. His legs were covered with white feathers, which disappeared into razor-sharp talons. His upper body was covered with golden armor. There were white feathers fringing his hair, and a feathered tail of one long golden feather and two long gray feathers trailed down from his back.

“But I thought I had white wings?”

White represents purity and innocence. I’m not saying that you’re a horrible person, Ash, but your feather coloring represents your heart. When you were still a child, you were sheltered from the evil and debauchery of humanity. However, you have been exposed to some of it, and the darkness shows in the gray feathers on your body.

“So that means, if my wings ever turn black…”

Humans and pokemon will be unable to coexist anymore. Unless there are golden feathers also, the promise of hope, there will be much bloodshed before the issue is resolved.

That’s terrible! Pikachu said.

The Jolteon shrugged. He was born with this power to sense the emotions of those around him. He can block that emphatic power, if he so chooses, but…

“So what do I do now?” Ash wanted to know.

I believe that Serebii has requested that you try and halt the tide of destruction before it is too late. After all, you are powerful enough to stop the raging forces.

But how can I help? Ash did not realize that he had unintentionally switched back into poke speech.

That is for you to discover. But I will stay here and guide you. You can call me Sunny.

The next day…

“Ash, WAKE UP!”

Ash was woken up by the splash of cold water in his face, as well as the sound of Misty’s screaming in his ears. This dual combination was quite effective, but Ash hated it.

“I’m up! Sheesh! Can’t you leave me alone?” Ash asked as he climbed out of the bunk bed, dripping wet.

“Why should I?” Misty asked as she stuck out her tongue.

Ash climbed out of bed. He had somehow detransformed after falling asleep. At least that way he didn’t have to explain his appearance.

“Because I’m asking you nicely?”

“Too bad. Breakfast is getting cold. Come and get it!” Misty said as she dashed into the next room.

Ash silently vowed to get her back for these repeated insults before he hopped into a clean outfit and ran after her.

Ash morosely picked at his food. He ended up sneaking most of it to his pokemon under the table. But nobody noticed, since Misty was too busy teasing him and his Mom and Oak were out having a walk.

“Let’s go shopping!” Misty said as soon as Ash was finished.

“Misty, I loathe shopping.”

Misty shrugged. “So? You’re coming with me whether you like it or not!” She grabbed his arm and proceeded to drag him outside.

Just then, Sunny came in. Thinking that Misty was attacking her precious ‘little brother’, she immediately fired off a thundershock.

Misty fell over, twitching.

Ash ran back in and locked himself in his room.

Four days passed. Ash scarcely left his room. Misty and the others attributed it to depression and stated that it would wear off. Truth be told, Ash was actually secretly training at night and sleeping during the day. Of course, Misty soon got tired of it.

“ASH! Quit moping and get on with your life!” She yelled in his face.

Ash’s eyes narrowed. “What’s it to you, misty?”

“You know what? I think you’re just a selfish brat, Ash Ketchum! The old Ash would never do anything like this!”

“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think.” Ash replied scathingly as he swept out of the room.

Misty grabbed his arm. “You’re not leaving until I finish talking to you!” She spat. “I was right! You’re just a pathetic excuse for a trainer!”

“That’s what you think!” Ash said. He was getting very annoyed.

“If you were so great, why won’t Charizard listen to you, huh?” Misty taunted. “I bet you couldn’t even control Charmander!”

“You want proof?” Ash asked eerily. “Charizard, I choose you!” Charizard poofed out and promptly fell asleep.

Misty blinked.

Ash pulled a silver spray bottle out of his pocket and sprayed a generous dose in Charizard’s direction. It immediately glowed with the white light of evolution. However, when the light cleared, there laid a sleeping Charmander.

“Miss me, Flare?” Ash asked as he picked Charmander up.

Hi! What happened? Flare asked in her kawaii little voice, which sounded like a chorus of ‘Chars’ to misty.

“Oh, you evolved, but the result was terrible, so I devolved you.” Ash said as he tickled the little pokemon. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Charmander shook her head cutely. Nope!

Ash petted the little pokemon on the head. “So, how about a pokemon battle to settle this score then?”

“You’re on! Misty chooses Starmie!” Misty said haughtily.

“Charmander, use Slash!” Charmander rushed over and slashed at Starmie’s jewel with its little claws.

“Starmie, Watergun it out of your way!” Misty said.

“Dodge and then use Seismic toss.” Flare nodded, ducked beneath the Starmie’s water blast, and then leapt into the air and squashed the Starmie. She then proceeded to throw it into the nearest tree. When the tree fell over with Starmie still lodged in it, Misty had to admit defeat.

“Still think I’m a loser Misty?” Ash asked.

“Grr… you cheated!”

Ash shrugged. “Have it your way.” He said as he walked back into the house.

Misty went for a walk. Ash and Pikachu had a nice long talk with Flare, who was rather shocked at the way she had behaved as a Charizard. However, Ash reassured her that all was forgiven. “I could give you an Everstone so you don’t have to worry about evolution until you’re ready for it.”

Sounds good to me. Flare said. Ash gave her a pretty red collar with an everstone set in the center. Afterwards, Ash fed all his pokemon some poke chow. He made sure that his door was locked. Unbeknownst to professor Oak, Ash was smarter than people gave him credit for. He had already modified his poke belt to hold a lot more poke balls, and he had learned how to shrink poke balls to the size of beads so they would fit more comfortably without damaging the pokemon inside. Also, he had managed to enlarge the interior area of the poke ball.

“So, are you guys full now?” Ash asked.

Several pairs of eyes looked up at him and several heads nodded.

“Good, why don’t we go watch the awards ceremony?”

Okay! Great idea! Cool! Sounds good to me! We can fly there!

“Mom, I’m going to the awards ceremony!” Ash called as he released Pidgeotto.

“All right, dear!”

The ceremony actually made Ash rather depressed, but he hid it well. * I’ll just try harder next year * He thought. He was starting to yawn when suddenly, all the lights went out.

A spotlight appeared.

“Prepare for Trouble!”

“And make it double!”

“We are Team Rocket!” Suddenly, the stadium was filled with Team Rocket agents.

“Hand over all your pokemon now!” Jessie said. She and James were in charge of this very important mission. And the boss hadn’t allowed them to finish the speech.

“Yeah!” James said, holding up his poke ball magnet. Immediately, a strong electrical force was emitted and all the poke balls started flying away from their respective trainers.

“Pikachu, use Shockwave to disrupt the charge!” Ash said. Pikachu nodded and began firing off electrical pulses.

Misty was running after her poke balls. “Give them back, you hag!”

Jessie smirked. “Why?” She asked as she picked them off the gigantic magnet. “Ooh, the boss will like these.”

Sunny leapt into the air to help Pikachu. Back off, you petty thieves!

Meowth gulped. Let me recap. Sunny is a dog. Meowth is a cat. Sunny is mad at Team Rocket. Meowth is part of Team Rocket.

THUNDER! Immediately, Team Rocket all fell over, twitching. Sunny growled and looked at them angrily.

Meowth ran away as fast as it could, as soon as it had recovered from its ‘shocking’ experience. It never wanted to see another electric pokemon again!

“Pidgeotto, use Whirlwind!” The attack sent all of the TR agents flying.

“Looks like Team Rockets blasting off again!” James called as they wound up in the stratosphere again.

Ash smiled. Then, he vanished, along with all his pokemon.

End part 1!

So, what do you think? Drop a review and tell me!
Completed 1/8/03