//------------------------------// // Witch // Story: My Little Pokémon // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Hoenn. Mossdeep City. Battle Carnival. The Pokemon Festival. Afternoon. The Battle Carnival. A place where trainers can enjoy the wonders of a carnival and battle at the same time. Best of both worlds. Over at the Battle Carnival, Twilight was currently having a turbulent battle against Cadence and Shining Armor, which was a surprise on its own. Facing off against family was not what she was expecting, especially on a constantly moving and seemingly endless water slide. But elsewhere within the carnival, Ash had already come across some opponents. Mainly the employees. As per the challenge of this place, he was allowed to use one of his own Pokemon and five more that were borrowed. Choosing to battle alongside him for the first time were Victini, Meloette and Hoopa. Truly a somewhat intimidating combination. Such a powerful Pokemon in the hands of a powerful trainer would scare many if they knew who they were up against. Despite these options, he had yet to do so, thus, Pikachu was out now, scuffling with an opposing Pokemon. And for these two, it wasn't a problem at all their battle was all but wrapped up now. "Finish it with Quick Attack, Pikachu!" Ash bellowed as Meloetta and her fellow Psychic-Types were cheering her on. Meloetta borrowed some of the outfits from this carnival, using the pompoms and so did Victini and Hoopa, boosting Pikachu's confidence. It was effective, no doubt, as Pikachu was feeling the energy that was being given to him by his mythical friends. "Meloetta!" "Pika!" Pikachu had finished off his opponent which was a Breloom, dashing past the Grass-Fighting-Type at lightning speeds. Breloom didn't know what hit it. In the blink of an eye, Pikachu had struck Breloom after passing it, delivering a heavy blow for an attack that was so minuscule and a Pokemon that was so small in comparison. "B-Breloom..."Like a sack of potatoes, Breloom dropped, confirming Ash to be the victor. It was a swift victory too. "Not my Breloom!" The colourful employee dropped to the ground, shaking her head violently. "You're strong...perhaps too strong for me. But a win is a win. Congratulations." "Good stuff, Pikachu!" Ash ran past the carnival employee with Pikachu. "Thanks for the battle!" "Pikachu!" "I swear this new generation of Pokemon Trainers are unnaturally strong." The lady sighed, returning Breloom to its Poke Ball. "Must be the gene pool." Ash and Pikachu would advance, taking the nearby door. After this, Ash would spice things up, selecting any Pokemon that he was currently sided with. Either the two Pokemon both Twilights had given him or even just the three Mythicals beside him. "Ashkan! Choose Hoopa next! Hoopa!" Hoopa requested to be up next. "Tini! Tini! But Victini insisted that he should go next. Meloetta pushed them both aside, already wanting to battle with Ash since the very beginning. They started bickering amongst each other, each eager to go next. "Don't worry guys. I'll give you all a chance. Gotta give Absol and Rapidash their chances too." Ash reassured that each of them would get their chance. And if they were lucky, a double battle would ensue, giving two of them an opportunity. Entering the next room within this massive carnival, Ash was met with a classroom of all things. It was certainly less bombastic compared to everything else but at least it kept the carnival theme, having colourful patterns on the walls, floor and ceiling. Ash slowly walked inside the classroom as the lights automatically turned on the further he went. Of course, despite the silence, there was someone here, waiting for Ash to arrive. And Ash would be expecting this trainer with a colourful appearance. But the trainer in question was not someone he or anyone else was expecting. Once those lights came on, a lady wearing that same fun and bombastic carnival getup could be seen, wearing a comically tall hat that was at least as long as Ash's arm. "I've been waiting for you, Ash Ketchum. Waiting to talk to you that is..." Just then, this lady spoke to Ash with a formal tone, referring to his full name. And judging by her words, she was waiting specifically for him out of anyone else. "Huh? Uh, thanks. I didn't think one of the employees would wait for me like this." Ash replied. "Oh, an employee? I suppose this outfit would lead you to believe that." The lady spoke before raising her head. And by doing so, her face had been revealed instead of hiding with that tall hat. That's when Ash and Pikachu instantly recognized important parts of this woman's face. And with a smirk on her face, it was clear that this lady wasn't waiting for Ash just because of the challenge. Green hair and crimson eyes. Once more, the witch had appeared. "Hey wait a sec...aren't you..?!" "Since it's you, I'll formally introduce myself. In my favourite and true outfit. Minus the hat." The witch would finally reveal her true self, which was hidden behind a plethora of hats and outfits that fit the scenario and setting. She removed the carnival outfit with her mystical power, erasing the comically tall hat and appearing with a familiar dark appearance that another individual with green hair and crimson eyes commonly wears. "Pika?!" Pikachu's eyes dropped as the resemblance to Ghetsis was almost uncanny from what he could see. Victini, Meloetta and Hoopa weren't surprised at all. They were out of the loop when it came to the Ghetsis debacle. "Well? Am I exactly how you envisioned me? Twilight Sparkle did tell you about what she discovered back at Arche Valley, didn't she?" "Green hair and red eyes. You're that witch that we've been hearing about. And you were there back at Nimbasa City too when Alpha Pikachu showed up." "Glad you remembered. I wanted to meet you even back then but you were surrounded by others. I suppose the same applies to this scenario with these Pokemon around you. Either way, glad to formally meet you. You know me as The Witch." "Yeah." Ash had a straight face as his current mood was unknown. Meeting the Witch for the first time sparked a neutral expression on his face. "You're not working here, are you? You showed up here like you always do without anyone seeing you first." "That's true. I always show up when they least expect it. So, how are you feeling? I bet you have a lot of questions for me. Knowing you, you'd either want to see my magic or something akin to my appearance." "I've got something to say." Ash already had a lot on his mind and wouldn't hesitate. Whatever comes next, the Witch was most likely ready to respond to. "Thanks. You helped my friends out a lot so far." Ash ended up thanking her. For all the witch has done while remaining a mystery, he could only show gratitude. "That's the first thing? I'm not surprised. You are one for kindness, aren't you?" "But...something's been on my mind because of how you helped us. At Arche Valley's library, Twilight said she found out that you look like Ghetsis for a reason. Apparently, long ago, Ghetsis' ancestors had something special, where they could release alter-egos from their bodies. I think that's how it went?" Ash tried remembering exactly how Twilight described it to him. "You'd be correct. In the far past, they had this innate power to create alter-egos. Something no one else could do And usually, they'd appear in the form of witches." The Witch confirmed. "A shame they're not around anymore." "But you're here though. Twilight suspected that you're Ghetsis' alter-ego. He's the only one from his family who's around. Except for N, who's adopted. I wasn't sure at first but since you're here..." "Well? What will you do?" The Witch then revealed a staff that she was hiding in her dark cloak. "Supposedly, if I am Ghetsis' Alter-ego, what is your next course of action?" "I just don't get it." Ash scratched his hair. "If you are...why would Ghetsis have something like this? Why would he make someone who would help us?" "Pikachu?" "Hmm...you raise great questions, Ash Ketchum. If he did, why would it be someone like me? He only seeks your downfall, among many others. Alter-egos aren't always predictable and what you think they are. If Ghetsis were to have one, would that alter-ego be as helpful as I am?" "I don't know honestly." At this point, Ash wasn't sure what to think. The witch was only bringing more questions to the table than anything "Hoopa gets it!" Hoopa spoke up. "Hoopa has an alter-ego. Well, had. Hoopa used to have someone big that was scary AND Hoopa's shadow. But now Hoopa can become that big, no problem!" "That's true, Hoopa. And even after what happened years back, you made closure with your shadow. So what do you make of this?" "Beats Hoopa." Despite knowing something about alter-egos, Hoopa could only shrug, not giving a clear answer. "That doesn't help, Hoopa...But anyway. I don't know for sure. But I'm still grateful for all your help. And if you are Ghetsis' witch then..." "Then?" The witch was waiting for Ash's response. His proper response instead of another brick wall that he would run into. "Not much I can say. Except, how come you showed up? I get that he might have the power to do that but...why?" "I can answer that. This all stems from the heart of the user. This is something that I can confirm with you Ash Ketchum and it's something you should keep in mind. Ghetsis' heart is as black as a black hole. It already sunk to the darkest depths once he decided to form Team Plasma for the first time. Compared to who you've faced and eventually will face, nothing will match the darkness in Ghetsis' heart. And it's not getting better. Ghetsis is getting stronger." "Is that because of the magic in him?" "My magic?" Just now, King Sombra finally decided to show himself in his shadow form. For this, he wanted to hear things clearly. "Oh yes. But it's also because of his family line. He's the last of his line after all. At least by blood. The Magic from King Sombra only amplified what had already been unleashed. You've noticed that he's been getting younger too, hasn't he?" "He did look younger the last time I faced him." Ash thought back to when he and Ghetsis had a body swap. Even before that, during the invasion, Ghetsis appeared younger than when they first battled all those years back at Unova. "Weird." "The power within him comes naturally. And I can say that as time goes on, he'll only get stronger with that power until he reaches an insurmountable peak. You're not going to let that stand, are you?" "No way! But...Team Plasma's in a universe none of us can reach. Daybreaker did a great job making sure we couldn't find or reach it. So you already know a lot about Ghetsis." "Just like how I know a lot about you. And all of your friends." "I hope you don't mean me." Sombra shook his head, still not fully seeing Ash as his friend. "Then, you've gotta know this. How long have you been around?" Ash asked. "Hm. I wouldn't want to tease you with all these questions. Truth is, I'm relatively new to this world. I may be old but I'm practically a year old. And I'll reveal this truth to you. I'm not Ghetsis' alter-ego. Not at all." "Oh. So...if you're not...then does that mean there's someone else out there?!" Ash gasped, realizing there might be someone within Ghetsis' ancestral line that was out there in the world. "Not really." The Witch shook her head. "I may not be Ghetsis' alter-ego, but I have some relation to him. I am his mother's alter-ego. The one he lost years ago along with his father. That's who I am." "Even though she's gone, you stuck around? How can that be?" Sombra questioned. "Think of it as a mother's willpower to live. Though she left this world, she was able to unleash me from the grave. I'd rather not think of myself as her replacement but as proof of her will. Honestly, I should've been born the day she perished but it took years for me to emerge." "How'd it happen then? What took you so long?" Ash leaned in. "Pika?" "I said it was a year ago, didn't I? It was Ghetsis who woke me up. On that day when he failed to gain victory, even when stealing your body, I woke up. It was his frustration that did the trick. And here I am. But for a long time, I had no purpose until I decided to observe this world and learn as I go. Especially about you and your friends. And I have to say...it's wonderful." "So are you like...Ghetsis' mom?! Or grandma?!" Ash immediately assumed what role she took. She was Ghetsis' mother's alter-ego, so she could count as family. "Am I? Oh, that's strange isn't it?" She giggled, finding that amusing as it was technically true in a sense. Only she could confirm who she was to Ghetsis. "Well, yes. Yes, I am. We are still the same. I hope my son hasn't been giving you too much trouble." "It's a mountain of trouble." Ash sighed as Ghetsis gave his friends a lot of trouble more so than him. "So what's your name then?" "I don't have a name. I'm a witch. But that could work. Call me Witch if you want." "Hmmm...Yeah. Witch sounds pretty neat. No complaints here." Ash accepted the name 'Witch'. On this day, he met Ghetsis' mother in a different form. "Man...when Cobalion said Pokemon and humans are one and the same, he wasn't kidding. There's a lot of neat stuff about us humans that I keep learning about." "I'll admit. You don't look as boring as you appear." Sombra could agree to that. The humans held various mystical abilities that were comparable to Pokemon. Some of them even came from Pokemon. "Oh! You're here to battle me, right?" Ash focused on the main reason why he came here. The battles. "Let's have at it, Witch!" "Me? Battle? Oh well...I have Pokemon of my own but I've never taken part in a battle before. A year old and I've only caught Pokemon." The witch leaned on her staff. "Never once?" Ash gasped. "I'm somehow too young to battle and old enough to battle. But I wouldn't mind. Especially if it was against you, Ash Ketchum. My skills might not be the best." "It's fine. I'm always down for a battle, witch." Ash led out a Poke Ball, ready to battle whoever he comes across. Experienced or inexperienced. "Hm. I'll give it a try. I believe these two might be interested." Witch then held out her staff, emanating a green light from it. This was the first showcase of her mystical powers. And much like how Galaxy Master could summon Pokemon, two Pokemon emerged from her staff once the light had appeared. Ralts and Deino to be exact. "Ralts!" "Deino!" "These are your Pokemon?" Sombra squinted. He knew that Witch was new to this but she didn't think she was this new. "Hm. Boy. You'll obliterate her with ease. Hurry up and get this over with." "Just Ralts and Deino, huh?" Ash kneeled to face these two Pokemon who had their eyes covered. Pikachu, Victini, Meloetta and Hoopa would great their fellow minuscule Pokemon as it was a party of tiny lightweight Pokemon. From cerebral Psychic-Types to mischievous Ghost and Dark-Types. "I love them very much. When I was first brought into the world, these were the two Pokemon that resonated with me the most. Wandering around the world with such an old body and mind yet a young experience can make you lonely. I'd love to battle but my little darlings just aren't strong enough." "Hoopa can fix that!" Hoopa felt like he could solve this issue. His rings would be the answer to it, of course, as he held one of them out. "Alléhooparing!" "No, no." But, Witch swiftly stopped Hoopa. "I don't feel like battling anyway. Honestly, I'd like to live a quiet life. If I could find a place to live permanently that is. But...how about I help you once more, Ash Ketchum?" "Sure. You've helped me and my friends a lot when you showed up." "For a better challenge, I'll let the opponents here harness your skills." Suddenly, the Witch pointed her staff at Ash, focusing her magic on the Alola Champion. Ash's body was briefly surrounded by a verdant light that had then ascended to the skies. Ash and everyone gasped, following this verdant light as all of Ash's skills were currently within it. The Witch managed to manifest Ash's years of battling experience in the form of energy before splitting the light into multiple smaller lights. They watched as these small lights spread out, ready to enter the opposing trainers. "Y-You can do that?!" Sombra stammered. "You copied his skills?!" "I certainly did. This will spice things up a bit, won't it?" The Witch giggled. "Now, your next opponent is waiting for you, Ash. Expect them to be on your level." "That's...Awesome!" Ash had no problem with it. If anything, he loved it. Being able to test his skills out against someone that had his skills were brilliant and a grand opportunity to catch. "This'll help me with the Pokemon World Championships too. It's the best way to see how far I've gotten and where I can go from here. Magic is the best! Thanks, Witch!" "Hm. Have fun like you always do." Witch saw them off as Ash and his party rushed to the next room which was right up ahead. They learned so much from this mysterious lad who truly meant well. Granted, she could still pull of an eerie smile and an eerie voice thanks to her tone. "And I shall watch for once." But since Ash's skills have been transferred into energy, that meant that Twilight and the rest of Ash's friends were set to face off against a trainer that possessed the Alola Champion's skills. Speaking of Twilight, she was still facing off against Cadence and Shining Armor while moving through the water slides. She had just returned Ash's Dragonite, who was taking a small break before she could jump back into the action. She also had Hilda's Serperior who was still out and facing off against Sylveon and Aegislash. "Alright, Cadence. You wanna play like that? So be it. Are you ready for some Eeveelution action, Eve?" Twilight spoke to Espeon who was struggling to balance herself on the constantly moving water slide that seemed endless "Espeon!" Espeon was ready, staring down her fellow Eeevelution. "Oh, Eve's the one I was waiting for the most," said Cadence. "I can't wait to-" But before Cadence could finish her sentence, in the blink of an eye, the light of Ash's skills had flown by, entering the body of the Princess of Love. Cadence blinked, feeling a strange sensation within her. The same went with Shining Armor, who also blinked once. Both of them felt a new kind of rush within them. Those were Ash's skills they were feeling. The skills of someone who has travelled across the land for years, trained with various Pokemon and learned so much. All of those skills were added to their current skills, increasing their capabilities as Shining Armor finally stood up. "Oooh. I don't know what's up...but I feel great!" Shining Armor exclaimed. "Do you, Cadence?" "Same here. A bit hungry too. Let's eat after we're finished here." "You two won't get the chance to eat after I'm done with you! Eve! Serperior! Let's go!" Twilight exclaimed, unaware of the kind of skills she was about to face. But it would be all too familiar to her once she sees it. Meanwhile, when Ash entered the next room, he was met with a massive Merry-go-round that was within a dim room. The lights from the merry-go-round complimented this room, however, creating a nice contrast. Ash's next opponent appeared to be a pony from what he could observe. Two of them. "Alright, I'm here! And me and my friends are ready to go at it!" Ash bellowed, grabbing the attention of the two ponies. The light from the merry-go-round had focused on them, revealing who they were. Much like how Twilight came across familiar faces, there were other familiar faces located within this Battle Carnival. "Perfect timing!" Clouchaser and Flitter from Cloudsdale had shown themselves to be the next opponents for Ash which would also result in a double battle. And they certainly weren't wearing bombastic clothes in the beginning. "We were getting bored waiting." "Cloudchaser. Flitter. Nice!" Ash grinned with excitement. And knowing that his skills had been passed on to them thanks to the Witch, he was expecting great things. Even though Cloudchaser and Flitter had no idea what had become of them. "We didn't think-" But since they were on a merry-go-round, the second it turned to the other side, Cloudchaser's voice had faded away before then returning, finishing her sentence. "...we'd be facing you." "I wouldn't wanna do it on this though." Flitter left the merry-go-round. "It moves around too much. Especially when it accelerates." "Usually, we'd be pretty nervous facing you, Ash. But I've got a good feeling about this one." The effects of Ash's skills were already starting to kick in for Cloudchaser and Flitter. Even in the face of such a strong opponent, they were ready. "Love to hear it. Victini. Hoopa. You'll be up first." Ash chose Victini and Hoopa to be the first ones to battle since a Double Battle was incoming. "You'll be ready too, Meloetta." "Victini!" Victini flew ahead along with Hoopa, ready to aid Ash in battle. And for once, it wouldn't involve the fate of a region or even the world. Watching this battle would be the Witch. Once again, she didn't make a sound when she arrived She was just there. Witch would stand in the corner, observing Ash and seeing just how his fame proceeds him. And to an extent, the skills of the trainer who battled her theoretical son. "Time to throw down, you two! Win or lose, let's have fun!" As the journey continues. Chapter 868 End.