In the Black World —
Sanna and Rian released their respective Pokémon, Ariados and Espeon. However, from Ash's observation, these two Pokémon weren't strong. Judging by their Aura, they were barely at Gym-entry level, maybe not even that. Were they really here to kidnap a Latias, whose power was comparable to Elite Four-level?
Latias's disguise was naturally invisible to Ash's Aura sense. If he had used his Aura power to scan her earlier, he probably wouldn't have chased her so blindly. Don't be fooled by how Latias's human form appeared to walk slowly; she wasn't actually walking on two legs but floating in mid-air. Those legs were just an illusion for others to see. That's why, in Ash's eyes, the seemingly unhurried Latias had slipped away from him in the blink of an eye—because she wasn't walking at all, but flying!
Back to the topic… Why was Latias afraid of these two women? In terms of combat power, those two Pokémon were no match for her. In terms of speed, these two women couldn't catch Latias… Forget it, he'd deal with them first.
"Judging by your actions, you seem to do this kind of thing a lot. I think… if I hand you directly over to the police, there might be some unexpected gains…"
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Don't make me laugh! We run rampant across the Johto region. As the number one phantom thieves in Johto, will we lose to a little brat like you?"
"Hah, sis, no need to waste words on him. It's just a Pikachu; we can take it down easily."
"Ariados, Shadow Sneak!"
"Espeon, Psybeam!"
The three Pokémon attacked almost simultaneously—a jet of dark ink-like light, a dazzling purple beam, and a brilliant golden bolt! The three beams converged, but in an instant, the golden light completely overwhelmed the other two, striking Ariados and Espeon directly. The two Pokémon screamed, their bodies blackened by the Thunderbolt, and fainted on the spot.
Sanna and Rian were dumbstruck. Wha… what was with this Pikachu?! Don't be ridiculous! Was Pikachu supposed to be this strong? Even as Johto phantom thieves, they knew the common folklore that Pikachu was as weak as a wild Rattata. Could it be… the legend was fake? Was Pikachu actually a super-rare Pokémon that just looked cute but was incredibly powerful? What nonsense!
"Pikachu, hit them with Thunder Shock. Keep it on the weaker side."
Ash's voice rang out, reaching the thieves' ears. Their bodies reacted subconsciously, twisting to the side. The next second, a weakened golden spark of electricity shot out, barely scorching a small patch of ground where they'd just been standing. Even a powered-down Thunder Shock would probably have knocked them unconscious instantly!
"Rian, let's retreat!"
"Right behind you, Sis!"
Rian was already thinking the same thing. The strength Ash displayed completely contradicted his appearance! He looked like a kid, but his mind was sharp as an adult's… In short, Ash's Pikachu had one-shot their Pokémon, and they had no other Pokémon to use. Even with their high-tech gadgets, without Pokémon support, they probably couldn't capture both Pikachu and Latias. For now, retreat was the only option. But they still refused to believe Ash would follow Latias around the clock!
BOOM!
Sanna pulled out a round smoke bomb and hurled it to the ground. Smoke instantly filled the area. Passersby who had been watching were choked by the sudden cloud. Ash's vision was also obscured for a moment. By the time he activated his Aura sense to locate them, the two had already recalled their fainted Ariados and Espeon and fled.
"These two are quite skilled… Fine, I'll catch them next time."
"Now then… what about you? Latias?"
"Pika pika~"
After the smoke cleared, Ash murmured to himself, not bothering to pursue the women. Their Pokémon were only Gym-level at best. Even if they were slightly stronger, they couldn't cause much trouble. If Latias got serious, she could probably swat them away casually, right? What he needed to think about now was… why was Latias here? And why was she looking at him without any fear at all…
Latias smiled at Ash, saying nothing, and simply took his hand, pulling him into the maze of crisscrossing alleys. Ash, pulled off-balance, stumbled after her, with Pikachu scurrying along on all fours. Not far away, however, the uneasy figures of Misty and the others, who had come looking for Ash, happened to witness this scene. Instantly, the two girls' faces darkened.
Originally, they'd thought Ash chasing after a girl might have been a misunderstanding. After all, while Ash had some emotional intelligence, he wasn't the type to actively flirt. More importantly, Ash wasn't that carefree, so Sabrina and Misty figured he might have had a legitimate reason for running off. And now… Heh. Hehehe~
...
[Lance:] Wow! The sky's gone dark! Rivers of blood! There's going to be a river of blood!
[Caitlin:] A river of blood? As long as Black Ash explains things casually to Misty and Sabrina, they should understand what's going on. After all, it's not Kanon, it's Latias.
[Kanon:] Right, right. Such an obvious misunderstanding can be cleared up easily… By the way, Ash, how did you know to choose D?
[Ash:] Um… I just felt the other me wouldn't leave Misty and the others behind to stay in the Secret Garden overnight, right?
[Ash:] When I was in the garden, I also felt it was getting late and I had to meet up with Misty and Brock, so I chose to leave. The same should be true for Black Ash.
[Kanon:] I see… That makes sense. Black Ash isn't the type to ignore his companions. I didn't expect you to think so carefully, Ash!
[Ash:] Haha, it's nothing. After all, that's another me. Of course I can guess my own actions a little!
At this, Steven hated himself even more. Why hadn't he just trusted Ash? Why had he gone and chosen what he thought might be right? And now look! His gems were gone! The Diancie crystal was gone! The pain! It hurt so much!
...
In the Black World —
Led by Latias, Ash arrived at a dead end. Immediately after, Latias ran headfirst into the wall. Ash almost yanked her back by reflex, but then he reconsidered. Latias wasn't so foolish as to run into a wall she could see, right? So… this wall had a secret?
The moment Ash hesitated, Latias had already passed through the wall, pulling Ash along with her.
Upon entering the wall, they found another world! Colorful flowers dotted a fluffy blanket of green grass, and tall trees stood beside the green and red blossoms like sentinels guarding the lovely floral spirits. A crystal-clear stream and a slightly arched bridge… This place was… like a fairyland!
Once inside, Latias let go of Ash's hand, then, with a light, agile movement, ran further in. Ash looked blankly at the surrounding scenery, as if he hadn't expected such a place to exist within Alto Mare.
"So beautiful… right, Pikachu?"
"Pika~ Pikachu!"
"Bring Misty and the others? I don't think this is our home. We can't just enter whenever we want. If we want to bring Misty and the others, we need permission from the owner of this place."
"Pika~"
Pikachu nodded in agreement. As for the owner here… it should be Latias, right? Ash took Pikachu and walked deeper into this fairy-tale-like garden. Lush green leaves, meandering streams, towering trees… It was rare to find such a place within a city; he wondered how it was built. And the entrance just now… It must have been concealed by psychic power, which was why no one had discovered it all this time, right? So this must be… Latias's private sanctuary?
"Hmm hmm~"
As Ash ventured further into the garden, Latias in the distance made a sound of unknown meaning and waved at him excitedly. Ash tilted his head in confusion, then walked over to her side. Latias then pulled Ash toward a swing and gestured for him to sit on it.
"Do you want to play on the swing with me?"
"Mm-hmm!!"
"I still have a lot of things I want to ask you… Huh?!"
Ash felt a strong gust of wind rushing toward him. He raised one hand, erecting a barrier. Instantly, the figure charging with the gust slammed into the barrier! The hidden figure felt as if it had hit an impenetrable wall and materialized, a pained expression on its face.
"Ladi… os?"
The figure that appeared before him left Ash stunned. It was blue, shaped like a jet—the rumored brother of Latias, Latios!
"Um? Mm-hmm!!"
"Oww~"
Seeing her brother deflated, Latias forgot about playing on the swing with Ash. For the first time in front of Ash, she revealed her true form—a red and white figure, similar in appearance to Latios, though much smaller. With a worried look, Latias helped Latios up, while Latios, still in pain, glared fiercely at Ash.
"Um… Well, I'm sorry, Latios. That was a subconscious reaction. But you can't blame me entirely, right? Who told you to sneak attack without a word!"
"Besides, I didn't do anything weird to your sister!"
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 200+chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789