A dead, bleeding scyther had landed right behind them, in a puddle of 
its

own blood. Both of its own sharp, blade-like arms, had been twisted
around and made to impale itself on them. Its serpent-like head hung

>from its neck by a thin string of tendon, almost decapitated.

Okay, now whoever this is can offically kick ass, if he can do _that_ to 
a Scyther.

The towns-people began to approach them from their hiding places in the
buildings. An older man, who had to be their leader or Mayor, was in 

the

lead.

"T-That was most impressive." He looked at the pikachu staring 

curiously

at him from its perch on the stranger's backpack and shivered. How 

could

such a small pokemon be that powerful? He shook his head and regarded 

the

cloaked stranger again. "W-Who are you?"

Cloaked Figure[grabs man]:  "I'm Batman."

The stranger reached his hand towards the hood covering his head and
slowly removed it, settling it back. It revealed a handsome, young 

man's

face, who seemed to be in his early twenties, although his golden brown
eyes seemed older than their time.

The night wind picked up again, blowing the smoke of the ruined village
towards the south, ruffling the stranger's longish, black hair and
obscuring one of his eyes.

He blew the hair out of his eye with an upturned lip and a gust of
breath. He answered them. "I am Ash."

This is a suprise, mainly because I didn't really expect him to even be 
in this fic...

Ash sighed as he warmed one of his hands on the campfire and sipped
some coffee from a mug in the other. Would these kids ever leave him
alone? he wondered, observing the crowds of children, infants and
teenagers alike, as they scampered around his tent.

Does he really expect tham to stop?

"Does that cloak mean it's true you're a Pokemon Master?"

"Why don't you have any more Poke-balls?"

"Silly, he's only got one pokemon."

"How come you only have one pokemon?"

Good question, What happen to his Soldiers? (Bulbasaur, 
Charmander(/-meleon/-izard), and Squirtle)  For some reason, I always 
called them that.

"I've never heard of a Master with only one pokemon."

"Mister, why is your pikachu a weird colour?"

Yet another good question.

And the questions they asked. He couldn't believe he had been this
noisy as a kid. He must have really been annoying. 

Yes you were, Ash.

A new voice spoke up. A woman's voice. "I've heard about the one with 

the

black, or 'shadow' pikachu."

Ash looked up quickly. It was a tall, attractive, blond woman. For a
second the voice had sounded familiar and a knife stabbed through his
heart. But it was not her, so he looked down again to contemplate the
bubbles in his coffee.

Uh-oh.  I get the feeling I'm not gonna like the answer to that one...

"It is said that he was unbeatable and that he was once the top trainer
in the Pokemon League." Her eyes narrowed.

The kids hearing this, became silent. They began to look at him
fearfully. Some even began to step backwards.

Never provoke the owner of a Shadow Pikachu that just slaughtered a gang 
of giant Pokemon.

However, one of the teenagers was still there. "Mister, I don't believe
for one instant you were one of the evil Pokemon League," she said
forcefully. It was the girl he had saved from last night. "No one who 

was

one of them could be as heroic and handsome as you are..."

_EVIL_ Pokemon League?  Loosey, you got some 'splainin' to do...

The blond woman sucked in her breath. "Hikari!"

Ash began to roll up his sleeping bag. "She is right. You do not know
me." He clenched his fist and stared at it, his thoughts a thousand
miles away. "You do not know me at all."

Of course, getting to know you is turning out to be a _very_ interesting 
task.

<><><>

"Kachu ..." Pikachu said sadly as it looked around at the debris that
used to be Viridian City. Ash understood Pikachu's sadness. This place
held memories for him too. It was the first city he had reached back in
his training days. If not for Nurse Joy, Pikachu would not be here now,
and most likely he would not be here either. Most likely, dead. He and
Pikachu had stuck by each other through thick and thin.

Veridian City, _destroyed_?

Ash stared at the broken down wall of one of the old buildings. In fact
that was probably part of the Medical Center which saved Pikachu's 

life.

Now this city was nothing but a deserted pile of rubble. Even the air
smelled dead. It was just like all the other major cities that had been
destroyed back in the Dark Pokemon Wars. 

Okay Loosey, 'splain.

Finally the dust settled. There was a gaping hole in the wall and next 

to

it lay a huge, brown boulder about a dozen feet across. There was a
creaking of stone and thick, grey limbs began to sprout from the large
rock. Large claws as sharp as daggers extended from the newly-made
appendages and a snake-like head grew from the centre of what would be
its torso. The eyes on the rocky, serpent head, suddenly swivelled 

open.

They were an angry red, the colour of blood.

Hmm, a Golem.  A BIG Golem.

"TRAITOR," the head hissed.

"Golemdor," Ash acknowledged, bending his legs slightly. He was already
planning his attack.

"IT WAS YOU WHO INTERFERED WITH THE RAID ON THE XELIAN SETTLEMENT
YESTERDAY. YOU HAVE BEEN A LOOSE CANNON TOO LONG ASHURA. TODAY IT ENDS.
YOU SHALL FINALLY PAY FOR YOUR TREACHERY."

Will that be cash or check?

"I think not."

And *poof*, Ash disappears.

The golem tried to avoid him, still confused and beginning to get a
little scared at the furious attack the human displayed. He seemed to 

be

doing something to his legs. After all, back in the Pokemon Wars, this
one had gained a reputation ...

Go on...  ...Oh, poop!

There was the sound of clapping. Ash quickly turned around from his 
position standing on the fence to see a blue cloaked person applauding 
him. He or she was leaning on one of the toppled walls of a destroyed 
building lazily, one foot tapping to some unknown beat.

"Only a true Pokemon Master could defeat one of the eight Master 

Pokemons

of the Pokemon League."

Seven now.

There was something familiar about that voice. "Who are you?"

The green cloaked figure stood up straight, aqua eyes staring at him 

from

underneath the hood. "I am Mistaria. And I have a proposition to make
you."

And here's where it get's good.

--- End of Part 1



Well ... this is my first Pokemon fanfic and all ... and already,
everyone is OOC =). 

But from what you've said soo far, that's understandable.  After all, 
they've had ten years to change.

Well seeing as this is in the future and I have my

reasons for Ash acting this way, I hope that excuses it. And before 
everyone shouts at me that pokemon can't talk, there's a reason why 
the golem could do it...

Just ask Meowth and that Gastly from Maiden's Peak.

The storyline is going to contain some influences from Ninja Scroll
(about the 8 Devils kind of thing) in case you haven't already noticed.
And anyone else think that a little black Pikachu would have absolutely
rocked? =). Actually, there's also a reason why Pikachu is a weird 

color

in this fic too. And also why Pikachu has some new weird attacks. I've
thought of everything =).

I could think of a few good reasons, Need any help?

Anyway, C&C would be much appreciated! Even the many spelling and 

grammar

errors being pinted out would help! =) Oh and for those Ranma fans who
are still waiting for my next parts, I have just about all of them 

"Half

done"

I'm going to have to hurt you for that one...

Great story, and I can't wait to see more.

SAMAS


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