So this one time, before most of you were even around, I wrote a story about the adventures of the Ash Gang (back in the day stuff). I made sure to make everything really hazy, so only people around that time will understand what happened.
I was waiting for food and typed this up on my phone in about 1 hour and a half or so. So I made a story book to enlight recent events that happened. Like nobody would read this, but I don't really care, it was a good waste of time. (Takes about 5 min to read, if ya got the time, not as long as it looks). Let the tl;dr's fill the fourms!
Lore of the Ash
Part I
Chapter III
Some say that they are evil. What do I think? Well, my opinion has a great weighted bias towards it, so I shalln't share it. By writing these scripts, it is fair to give you, the reader who has stumbled upon these few pages of probable unquestionable amount doubt, the decision of what your mind, your emotions, and your inner workings that are outside the boundries of our psychological understanding, the choice of branding a mere, small adjective upon them. I needn't to tale of the upcoming trials you will encounter, wandering the trails of this literature. It is a dangerous, dark road, and your mind may easily be turned about, such one as a boat that has been adrift at sea during a most memorable storm, waves of gods' smashing down upon the decaying decks. However, whether that cargo reaches port safely, is up to you. The captain. Not every fact listed in this piece of literature can be true, so expect arguments to come about while reading, as said again. Nobody can be exactly sure of what happened during this time, but from my studies and past experiences, this is the best I can do. So let's continue, shall we?
It was a particularly quiet evening. Animals were scouring the land for any single hiccup of food that might be found in the surrounding lands, before the great light dimmed out across the world, and the evils that awake after the rooster has fallen into his slumber, crawl about from their deep trenches.
I honestly don't plan on explaining what a rash decision is, as I believe you are wise enough to know of one's becomings. But was it truely such one as described? Or a mere act of pride? As if heavy rains, slowly turning to hail through, piercing the cold, sharp winds that are present on a faint autumn evening, had slowly worn away at the strands of an umbrella, and it was ready to collapse on the man or woman holding it altogether.
That is one fatal flaw that we have come to welcome. Pride. How can something so little abstract cause such sane men to do deeds of the unspeakable? Such easily swayed emotions, become so stern when pride has touched them, ever so lightly gliding upon the smooth, delicate aura of which we have no control. I trust you should know what I speak of, as I went into great detail about it in the previous article, whether your eye pierced the riddle that was crypted into the page, however, is another matter altogether.
What does matter, though, is what went on that night. The Dark Nights have settled in by now. The rule of the Ash was established, as the seat of champion was taken by one called so. And the lands were wounded with scars that would not fade away for many days and nights to pass. Crops were failing, the populations of the already scarce life was diminishing into dangerous numbers. Wolves had come from the mountains, patrolling the surrounding areas of civilization, preying on any remaining sheep that dared to venture off the beaten paths.
Highwaymen, mercenaries, and bandits were raiding travelers as they ventured along the roads of Kanto region. A simple call with coin thrown in would send menacing faces after even their cousins. The bounties, some big, some small, shook the population down with a terrifying interval. The High Kings had even called for assassinations of ones they deemed unfit.
The surrounding environments have become very dangerous during the nights as well. With little men to clear out the infestations, many creatures have overpopulated. During this time, many people looked at the Gods for help. Two most popular ones arose during this time, and worship for them was common: The Sun Arceus and the Moon Arceus . Commonly featured as enemies, they are actually close friends. The elected Kings of Religion, however, were not, and the Moon King and Sun King often fought.
In a shortened verse, the times during the Dark Nights were very bleak, death and gold were the main factors that lead people to do what they did. With all the crime, many were frightened to leave the safety of the cities in fear of returning without their valuables. However, the plain truth was, most never returned at all.
With the fall of the Pewter Police, the Pewter Path and Mount. Moon were desolate. Only life that dared travel through was quickly squandered with blade. No words were spoken, and yet the sand turned red with hatred. If the bandits did not encounter you, you will have served a most wonderful meal for the undead. The dwellings of Mount. Moon, now home to a greater amount of terrible than ever before, has grown dark.
A challenge was made in the battle arena. The people have grown bitter, and have had hatred towards the Ash for a long time. Few people still entrusted them with power. These were beckoned to be called as loyalists. With the Ash's new title and power, many people have grown immensely uneased, unwilling to stall for an opportunity that might arise to knock them off the throne. Such was the case. The Sun King and the Champion of the Moon had been contemplating a plan of action against the new rule. However, word was spilled, and the loyalists had beckoned with the rule to propose a challenge, to have a fighting chance instead of facing execution. The rule agreed, and both the Sun King and Champion of the Moon were forced into head on combat with the rule and one of his best warriors. As told by the tellings of past, this was not the first match in which these quad souls has fought. Legend has it, that before their rise to power, a high stakes bet was made. The Ash paid with the loss of their valuables and their honor. For a time. Rumor has it, that the challenge took place on the arena lands in which the Ash had been defeated in the last battle.
But as said, they had slowly regained power and wealth. Slowly, but surely. This was as greater a loss for them than that of the Half-Night. Although the High Kings took a great many valuables, none could match the loss of that bet. However, they continued operations, funded by shadows of the underground. Slowly, hiding out within the mountains of the Pewter Pass and Mount. Moon itself, they built an arsenal.
I still remember, during the days of old, that even Viridian Forest was unguarded. The Ash were spread out evenly between there and Mount. Moon, being easily weakened by constant raids of hired swords. Oh, but during that time, the High Kings had a greater army, a greater force over the lands. They had run out a great many raids against the bandits living in Viridian Forest, including ones working for the Ash and the Ash themselves. Within a week, the last of the Raids of Old have been ceased. Only a few, petty troubles still dwelled in the depths. And the choice of leaving them to rot by the High Kings those years ago have turned into the worst. Even that place has grown dark, and the populations are once more anew. Except this time, the present force to exterminate, or to even herd them out is no more. Although guarded against any theives and the such, one can say nothing of the creatures that still run the very maze that is the Viridian Forest.
In the present days, the Ash were now local to Mount. Moon, and were a force to be reckoned with without a great arsenal and a much needed small militia. New adventurers were much wary, although word didn't spread quick through the dense cloud of them. It was quite an interesting sight indeed. Perhaps it was all the challenges that this area had rubbed off on adventurers throughout the world, or perhaps the interest of coin that had attracted so many new people. This case still remains a mystery. It did, however, give birth to a new breed of warrior. With many theives and bandits pillaging travelers of their wares, many have grown accustomed to unarmed battle. Slowly, weapons became of little importance, and unarmed and unsuited travelers became more avoided if anything.
However, all these new adventurers gave light to the High Kings' new buildingmen. Many of the old have either worn themselves out, or have traveled on after the Dark Nights had started. The buildingmen were focused on rebuilding Johto, a rule that was taken by the Kanto armies right before the rule of Ash came to power. This was yet another reason for the little amount of military arms during the Dark Nights. Many causalities were sustained during that war. Many High Kings of Kanto weren't particularly fond with the land pf Johto itself, and so new plans for buildings were made as they were being reconstructed. The Dark Ages were a big factor where most of the Johto buildings took place. As said in the previous chapter, this time was before the Dark Nights, back when there was more order and nobility. During the Dark Ages, much of Johto was rebuilt. But with the troubles of Kanto shortly afterwards, it was never inhabitated, or even finished.
The rule had grown accustomed to the new unarmed fighting style, which also became believed as the one true way one can prove manhood. This was the style prepared for the challenge that the Champion of the Moon and the Sun King had issued. They would fight at sunrise. In a battle that will be remembered by them, and yet fell out of popularity quickly by the rest of the people for years to come. The timers started down, as the horns of battle blew into the starry sky. The bleak orange paint reduced through the ever-growing, immense, blue canvas. The wolves howled, and the animals scattered as the four men: The Champion of the Rule, the warrior, the Sun King, and the Champion of the Moon, all rushed towards each other.
The battle went on for hours. The clash of armor being hit by fists echoed through the night. Bents in the armor creased into form, by Gods, pure diamond shriveled upon contact with fist. Many people departed to the depths of the insides their homes or fled to safety in fear that another rule had come to take land. Screams of pain and horror pierced the night. Bones breaking, the horrendous sound of thunder and battle were sweeping the lands. Orders were heard being shouted in between the two parties, jeers and cheers flew over the walls of the arena and boomed throughout the towns like anvils being dropped onto concrete. Whispers between villagers were scarce, all asking the same questions. Nobody worked, nobody drank. Nobody was cheerful that night. They all waited, listening to the sounds of combat, of pure, blood-wrenching combat that went on inside the arena. Not one soul slept that night.
The Champion of the Moon called upon his Arceus for help. He replenished his armor, as the Sun King readied his iron-clad fist for another swing. The warrior and the Sun King fought throughout the dotted lands. Dirt was being flung in an enormous blast radius of missed swings, and the pure, rich minerals slowly crumpled into nothing. Food was scarce, oh the amount of cows that supplied the feasts of battle. Mountains of diamond simply vanished over night! Replenishing their strength, and resting, round after round, they went into battle again and again. This wasn't any normal battle. This was a battle even heard by the Gods themselves. The Champion of the Rule and his warrior attempted to seclude a single, only to be pushed back in their attempts by the other. Traps by dozens, very obstacles were destroyed. Some say that even the lava falls stopped for a short time, when the Champion of the Rule was slammed into the ground by the Sun King.
Their will power was depleted, their strength was crippling, as they rushed on possibly on pure adrenaline. Their bodies told them to stop, but their hearts told them they were at war. The battle raged on, the warrior landing a crippling blow to the Sun King's leg, that mortally wounded him in the maze of the arena. The warrior raised his fist, to deliver the finishing blow, but the Sun King's eyes had closed shut. He dropped the limp body on the cold, hard stone of that night. The warrior was sweating, panting, as he looked over his victory. However, the battle between the two champions continued as he rushed into the white lands of wool to continue the fight.
The Champion of the Moon, although not as worn as his two enemies, was no match for the two of them. Even calling upon his Arceus to grant him the most powerful punches that mortals could handle could not permanently propel the two fighters into the ground. They got up, time after time. And pretty soon, they overpowered him, and a crippling blow was delivered to his throat, and then another few blows to his cranium. He fell, but not to death. Into a coma. There he lay. Upon the ground. Defeated, and yet not. Who was the winner of this battle? The question everyone, including the villagers, still hiding under sheets or tables, asked themselves.
That is when the Sun King, standing but wounded, approached from behind. There, he approached from the sleek, dark maze, and to his opponents. The warrior and the Champion of Rule were hurt, bleeding, and their armor falling apart with each step the Sun King took. He clenched his fist, as they all looked into each others eyes.
Then, without rhyme or rhythm, without any warning or call, they rushed at each other. The yells heard during the next seventeen minutes were the most blood-tingling of them all. "Powerful" would not begin to describe the forces that was present in that arena. Bones were cracking with every hit, and none of them could withstand any more of this. As the Sun King threw the warrior against the wall, the Champion flung his body onto his tackling, him to the ground.
With a last burst of energy, the prayers of the Sun Arceus answered, he delivered a blow that knocked the Champion off of his body. But the warrior came in slowly, as the dazed Champion also approached. They both lifted their fists up, and lightning fast, delivered their strikes at once. An enormous crack boomed throughout the towns, a column of smoke billowed over the walls of the arena. Everything was still, as small pieces of rubble and smoke rippled throughout the area around the arena. Glass shattered as the waves of smoke smashed through them, and great trees were covered in a black shadow. The smoke dissipated, slowly, it decreased, landing on the pale colored grass of the moonlight. Nothing moved. Nothing spoke. Nothing took a single breath. The smoke settled, and the stars' light pierced through the heavy fog of smoke. And out of the arena, out of the battle, lumbered out two shadowy figures. Two of the survivors, of that battle. Two of the best. The bravest. The strongest. The Victors.
The Champion of the Moon awakened days later, being cared in a Center in Lavender Town shortly after. The Sun King was not heard from for weeks, and one day appeared. He lived on as if nothing had happened. Some say that the Sun Arceus Spared the Sun King. Some say that the Ash secretly worship the Sun King and his beliefs and spared him. However, over time, a new theory took place, one that explain why neither the Champion of the Moon nor the Sun King had died. And this theory, stating that they were truly High Kings themselves, would become the most popular.
