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Love in the Time of Tribulations (Multishipping, PG-13)

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Hey there, everyone! Welcome…er…welcome back? At least, I'd hope I have returning readers! I'm back with the final installment of the Ancienverse. Yes. Final. This is the last major story I will be writing for this particular universe, cleaning up every loose plot thread I have introduced throughout the series. I feel it'll be a very wild ride for all of us, and hopefully an emotional one. But that's beside the point! This isn't the space for me to ramble on; that's below!

NOTE: This story is the final in a series of stories, which I will detail in a moment so that you don't miss anything. Also, this story is to be much darker than the previous two. Not grimdark or anything, but still darker. It also contains spoilers through XYZ 43, maybe 44. This fic is also on fanfiction.net. Anyway, the stories in the Ancienverse:

Love in the Time of Teamwork

Firsts, Fans and Failure

A Little Give and Take

A Starlit Sibling Session About Scientific Sweethearts

Love in the Time of Turbulence

Fragmented Figments

Seconds, Skates and Science

Quietude


Author: Epicocity

Rating: T, for violence

Pairings: Amourshipping (duh), Marissonshipping, Laserbladeshipping and an undisclosed pairing​

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokémon. For the last time…stop asking.
Love in the Time of Tribulations

An Amourshipping Pokémon Finale

Chapter 1

A Meeting​

"You seem amused, young man," rumbled a deep voice among the ambient sounds of the café. No one else seemed to hear him save for the boy to which he was talking. Said boy, a young man with green hair, turned to him with a rather surprised expression. The man, for his part, looked away from the television and the coverage on the Nova Incident. He really wanted to shake his head at that one. Ash just couldn't help it…

"Huh? Oh, well I guess I kind of am," the boy replied. The man regarded him with interest, sipping on his cup of coffee as he waited for the boy to say more. Eventually, he did. "I know the people involved in the Nova Incident and…well, Ash does have a girlfriend. He's dating Serena."

"Ha, that is funny…" the man commented with a short, barking laugh. Truth be told, he could hardly believe it. All his research hadn't turned up any of that information, even if he knew very well the boy that was sitting right in front of him. "…though a little disappointing for any girl who's developed a crush on him. She seems like a nice girl, too. Must give her all sorts of problems to date a boy who seems to be involved in every crisis that comes this world's way."

"Really? I think she's used to it," the boy responded, shrugging a little. The man wasn't entirely sure what to make of it himself, so he just emulated the boy and finished his coffee. It felt nice, running down his throat. Having finished that, he stood and stretched a little, checking the TV. Unfortunately, the time wasn't displayed.

"Well, he certainly seems to be becoming the favorite at the League despite it not even starting," he told him, stretching a little as he adjusted his long coat. "Who knows? Maybe he'll win it all this time. That would be rather interesting. How is it you know him, by the way?"

"Ash?" The man's face fell into a slight frown, hearing the acclaimed boy's name. How long had it been since he'd spoken it with his own lips? Now he was, by mere chance, standing before someone who knew him personally. "Oh, he's my rival…and someone I admire very much. That's why I'm not surprised that he…" Here, the boy stopped and the older man surveyed him a moment, his black hair itching slightly. "Well, Ash may be the favorite, but I won't let him win the League so easy."

"That's the spirit!" the man assured him, laughing lightly and clapping the boy on the back. Inside, he had a feeling the conversation was over and he began to move towards the door from the café. "I look forward to a strong battle between you and Ash, Sawyer."

He didn't stick around to hear the boy's surprised response. He hadn't intended necessarily to say either boys' name, but he was glad to be able to say it out loud. Regardless, he disappeared from the café like no one ever knew he was there and out onto the streets of Lumiose City.

The city appeared to be humming with the activity of people going to and fro. Some Pidgey flitted through the air and the man watched as a woman pushed her stroller, a little Chingling bouncing over the baby's head. Still others were walking their Furfrou. The man just sighed to himself and continued along, heading for the exit to the Mélancolie Path. As he did so, he looked down at his large watch, fiddling absentmindedly with the watch's face. He clearly needed to pick up the pace.

A shadow flitted overhead while he shoved his hands into his pockets and the man afforded himself a chance to smirk. She was a real worrywart, she was. Though she had nothing on what would be waiting for him near the gate from the city. The man's foot stepped in a shallow puddle, a remnant of the rain the day before, and its ripples spread outward. Sighing with slight annoyance, he continued on, glancing up towards the Trainer's Village that was being constructed right here in Lumiose. He had to admit, he found it odd that they'd be having the League in such a popular town. That was like asking for trouble.

"You're late, Jack," rumbled a deep voice standing next to the gate from town. The man, Jack, stopped and leaned back, his hands going deeper into his pockets.

"I thought I was right on time," Jack said with a slightly haughty smirk. The man before him, leaning against the posts of the gate to pass from town, straightened himself, standing firmly on both feet. Jack observed him a moment, watching as he ran his hand through his own black hair, the multicolored charm shining on his wrist in the sunlight as he did so. It served to highlight how dark his skin was, but Jack paid more attention to the man's eyes. "You're looking tired, Lionel."

"I'm fine," Lionel bristled at him, puffing his chest out. "You look happy."

"Hmm…guess I am," Jack replied, taking his strides forward once again. This time, he took the lead in front of Lionel and stepped onto the rain drenched path that led from the city. Of course, it was mostly just a course of mud and leaves now, but that hardly mattered. He didn't mind getting himself dirty. Not to reach where they were going. "The Nova Incident is still a matter of concern."

"Is it? I'm surprised we didn't get involved," Lionel noted. This made Jack purse his lips, though he said nothing for a moment. "I'd imagine it's all taken care of, though."

"Naturally," Jack responded. "Still…no matter the actions we've taken, there's been a very disturbing trend as of late. I'd have thought nothing of it before, but these last couple years are starting to disturb me."

"Operation Tempest? The ruins in Unova?" Lionel questioned, catching up and keeping in stride. The man, slightly younger now that Jack thought about it, was a little shorter than him, but was able to match him stride for stride. "You really think he had a hand in them?"

"Not directly," Jack answered, turning down a concealed dirt path. The forest around them grew darker and their feet continued to slosh through the mud. "Then again, he rarely does anything directly. He's sneaky like that."

"And the rumors of this Kalos Crisis…He likely is involved with that. Makes me wonder why we aren't getting involved."

"Why bother? It hardly interests me!" Jack proclaimed, earning a disgruntled wrinkle of the nose from Lionel. He couldn't help but laugh at the expression. "Oh, calm down. Whatever will happen with the Kalos Crisis, I'm not concerned about its ramifications. There's been no hint it will involve anything of…ancient properties. At least none that aren't monitored."

"I suppose you have a point, though I don't like playing the bystander," Lionel begrudged him. Jack nodded, agreeing with the man's point. So, he answered it in kind.

"That's why we won't be. He'll be going on the offensive himself soon. First Ancien, now Nova? He's stepping it up. I'm sure that once Ash stops whatever the Kalos Crisis is about, he'll become more direct in his methods. Are we sure that man didn't mention anything about the Weapon?"

"Very certain. As for our other quar-"

"Shh!" Jack suddenly shushed harshly. Lionel ceased making any noise to peer ahead through the darkening brush. There was light a little ways off, but Jack wasn't making a single move towards it. He was listening, his eyes swiveling every which way. He knew he should have checked himself when leaving the café. It had been reckless, but he'd wanted news on the Nova Incident.

A twig snapped somewhere far off and Jack relaxed, a smile on his face. Lionel, however, didn't. In fact, he was almost looking at him like he was insane. He might have been, but he felt there was no real threat.

"You know, my dear, if you wanted to sneak up on us and track us to where we were going, you may have wanted to try the oaks. Pines are too heavy with Pinecos and some other trees could very well be Trevenants, though you'd know all about that," Jack said, almost in a mocking tone. Lionel was wrinkling his nose again as they heard another twig snap and a hooded figure dropped onto the ground in front of them.

"How did you notice me, Red? !" the girl in front of him cried. Jack raised his eyebrows at the use of his codename. He felt it was a silly and cumbersome thing, but Lionel insisted on it being used when out in the field and not in a city. All to "hide his identity". He didn't feel a need to, but as he hadn't been figured out yet by most people, he knew that Lionel's suggestion was a good one. As for identities, however, the girl in front of him was more unsettling. He couldn't see her face, but the blonde tresses flowing out slightly told him who she was.

"You're graceful, but next time, you may want to try getting yourself dirty," Jack pointed out. Grinning a little, Jack reached over to a small string hanging from his chest and made to pull out the object concealed beneath his shirt. "Twigs don't snap on this muddy path."

"You're such an annoyance. Pangoro!" the girl cried, tossing a ball with an underhand throw. From it emerged a giant panda, a shaft of bamboo in its mouth as it loomed over them with strength. Jack sighed sadly.

"Pangoro is such a brute for a beauty like yourself. And that hood hardly becomes you," he said. The girl took a step back, and though he couldn't see her face, he could tell she was glaring. He would have chuckled, but didn't; seeing her so riled up was a bit of a treat. Reminded him of someone all too fondly. "If you were to bring it down, we could all see your lovely face. Remember when you used to wear all those st-"

"Stone Edge!" the girl commanded, crouching low as she did so, and throwing her hand out. Pangoro, rather deft despite its size, bounded into the air with a somersault and then slammed its fist upon the ground with a cry.

"Oh, dear. Think I hit a nerve?" Jack asked of Lionel. The darker skinned man sighed and stepped forward.

"Let me handle this, sir," he said with a tired rubbing of his eyes. "Banette, operation time."

"Bane!" cackled the Marionette Pokémon. Lionel put his hand on Jack's chest and pushed him back.

"Let me handle this, Red."

"Oh, I'm sure you will, Grey," Jack snickered out. Lionel stepped forward with a scowl as large stones jutted out from the ground, aiming straight for their little group. Banette chattered excitedly.

"Ugh, whoever came up with that filthy codename system? Fake names would have been good enough. Protect." Banette's ghostly arms snapped outward and a circular shield was erected right in front of it. The stones slammed into the surface of the shield and broke up, the shattered pieces sticking themselves into the mud. "Now, Phantom Force."

"Dark Pulse," the girl said, emerging from her crouch. Pangoro tossed its massive arms back and then heaved them forward, firing an inky black helix of energy at the spot where Banette was. Only Banette disappeared. Pangoro looked around, confused. "Behind you!"

"Nette!" Banette cried, slamming upwards from the ground to gouge Pangoro in the back. It then began to dance around Pangoro and back in front of Lionel. Pangoro shook its head, not wounded but still dazed from the strike.

"Swords Dance!" Pangoro righted itself and slammed its fists together menacingly as swords began to glow and circle around the giant Pokémon. Jack watched with a disinterested frown as Lionel stepped forward and held his bracelet up, one of the charms on it still shining.

"Banette, let's show this little girl how sneaky we can be. Mega Evolve!" Lionel grasped the shining charm, his keystone, and it exploded with light at the same time that Banette did as well. The lights connected together, bursting with energy as Jack watched with now folded arms. Banette's arms grew longer, its body bigger as numerous parts of it unzipped, revealing a pink and rippling skin underneath. Then the light burst out to reveal the tittering form of Mega Banette. The girl didn't look concerned, watching the swords still circling around her Pangoro. "Snatch."

Banette moved even faster than before, almost disappearing before it hung in front of Pangoro like a truly twisted marionette. Its ghostly limbs shot out and nabbed the swirling swords, causing an expression of surprise to appear on Pangoro's face. Banette began cackling as the stolen swords circled around it, and then it vanished again.

"B-be alert!"

"Phantom Force…" Lionel was sounding bored, which was no surprise to Jack. He tended to get a little…sadistic, when his opponent was levels below him. Banette appeared and suddenly pummeled Pangoro from behind, sending the large Pokémon stumbling into the bushes. The girl whipped her cloak out to take Pangoro's pokeball out.

"Time to retur-"

"Pursuit," was the simple command. Jack's frown etched deeper, looking over to his ever-loyal companion, leering at the battle scene with a twisted grin. He would have scoffed, but decided to let the battle finish out. After all, it was over now. Banette's body glowed with an eerie purple as the girl's red beam from her pokeball shot out. It wasn't enough when Banette's hands shot out with ridiculous speed, intercepting the beam and pummeling Pangoro without mercy. The Pokémon was slammed up in the air and then down before being lifted and tossed right towards his trainer and dumped at her feet.

"That's enough, Grey," Jack told him pointedly. "I think the point has been made."

"Right…sorry. Just want to make sure she doesn't keep following us to places she shouldn't," Lionel stressed as the girl finished calling Pangoro back, reaching for another pokeball. Jack turned his attention from his companion to glare at the girl, who flinched, especially when he threateningly reached for his necklace.

"I wouldn't, my dear," he said warningly. That gave the girl pause and she swallowed loudly. "I believe it's time you leave."

"I don't think so…I…have a mission to-"

"Does that mission involve getting killed?" Jack snapped at her, giving the girl complete pause. Her hand wavered on her pokeballs as she stared at them (or he presumed she did given the hood). "I don't wish to take your life…and I don't think he would have wanted it, no matter what your dear leader believes is necessary."

"Shut up! What would you know?" the girl yelled. Next to Jack, Lionel sighed, as though tired of the proceedings taking place. He ignored him.

"I would hope you know full well what I know," Jack said tersely. The girl was almost shaking, though he wasn't quite sure if it was fury or fear. "Now, go back to DARC and tell them to keep doing whatever they will. Our battle will reach its finale very soon, and we won't let you do what you wish."

"Tch, you can't give me orders!" the girl protested, but she seemed to shiver when Banette turned to look at her with its leering faces. That alone was enough to make the girl drop her hands from her Pokeball, instead grabbing a small device that she dropped on the ground. The second it hit the ground, as expected, it began to spew smoke to obscure her, though Jack could still see the girl's outline through the smoke. He took a step forward and made sure to raise his voice so that she could hear.

"A warning, my dear," Jack said sternly. "We will not back down, and if you plan to harm any of them, there will be no restraint left." She said nothing, her form beginning to retreat over the dead leaves and twigs of the area. "Oh, yes…and keep away from Ash Ketchum. Goodness knows if you try anything to him, he'll pay it back in kind and stop you before you even start. And if he doesn't…then expect no mercy from us."

His declaration made the girl stop for just a moment, as though the name froze her up. Then her hurried footsteps continued on. A bright light briefly showed out as Banette reverted form. Jack looked to Lionel who nodded his head towards Banette and the Ghost type flitted into the trees, obviously to make sure that they would no longer be followed by the girl or anyone else. With the situation resolved, Jack sighed out.

"Conflict is so annoying," Jack expressed. This earned a laugh from Lionel.

"Says the man practically waging a war for how many years now?" he asked as they began to walk forward, nearing to the light at the end of the copse of trees. Jack didn't answer him. "Regardless, I don't know why we never capture one of their members."

"Because it would be pointless," Jack waved off. "Capturing wouldn't provide any intel worth having. Better to have them scare the others with tales of how we thoroughly drove them off, no?"

"You're soft…" Lionel expressed. The pair stepped out of the trees into an area with flowing waterfalls and a small pond off to the side where a group of people were gathered. They caught sight immediately and waved before Banette flitted back down to Lionel's side. He patted the Pokémon on the head and returned it. Jack took another step forward only for both he and Lionel to be stopped by a Samurott holding a Razor Shell to each of them. "Then again, if you weren't, we'd have our whole ax-crazy crew causing more problems than not."

"Passcodes and identities," spoke a man, one of the people by the pond groups. He had slicked-back blond hair, tied into a ponytail with a pair of glasses. His hands were shoved in his pockets, though Jack knew that he wasn't complacent in the slightest. If anything, he was the most aware of anyone there. Jack cocked a smirk at the man and his security measures, but chose to partake in them.

"For history and family, we will shine the light of peace on this world. So do I, Jack, solemnly swear," Jack responded, clasping a fist over his heart. Lionel simultaneously did the same actions, only stating his own name. The blond observed them a moment longer before nodding to Samurott, who withdrew. Then he stood forward and embraced the both of them.

"I'm glad to see you're safe. The both of you," he said. Jack just smiled and patted him on the back until the man withdrew and Jack walked forward. He breathed in the fresh air, looking up to the tops of the waterfall where a familiar dark shape landed in the midst of the water up there. Offering a nod to the one resting there, Jack took a better look around the area where his comrades were gathering. More importantly, his eyes landed on the small path that led further in, past the waterfalls and his smile dropped.

"Your stringent security measures are almost slipping, Aidan," Lionel commented with a chuckle. The blond, Aidan, glared at Lionel and punched him on the shoulder.

"Shut it, Grey…" Lionel snapped another glare. Jack shook his head and ignored their usual pointless bickering. "Of course I'm cautious. If anyone were to discover our base location or our identities, our families would be in danger, no?"

"Whatever's left of them…" Lionel commented, playing with the charms on his bracelet from what Jack could hear.

"Aidan, did we find the information we're looking for?" Jack said, slightly harsher than he intended to. Aidan snapped to attention and nodded in almost military precision.

"Just about. It's only rumors but we think we've found a location for the sixth. I've sent Jenny and Ryan to go observe and report," Aidan informed him. "As for the seventh…well, it is mobile. I have some old research buddies looking into it, without knowledge of course, and I feel like we're drawing close. I'll let you know when we have more information."

"That's fine for now…" Jack said simply. Pushing his hands into his pockets, he walked forward towards the narrow path, his own eyes narrowing. Lionel and Aidan trailed behind him. Everyone was on their own missions, recovering what needed to be recovered, and soon all the information he'd been recovering would at last pay off. A small cry filled the air from the top of the waterfall and Jack nodded his head. The air was changing. The events in Ancien…the events in Nova…all too soon, the Kalos Crisis would be upon them…and then everything would change. They'd need to remain in the shadows until then; goodness knew that their enemy would.

"I take it your trip to the city was most fruitful, then?"

"Yes…very…" Jack said with confidence, putting one step on the narrow path and stopping. He looked back at his comrades who both appeared to understand. They wouldn't be getting anything out of him now, not with what he was going to do. Instead, he took another look at the sky. Rain seemed to be rolling in. I'll see you very soon…Ash…

"Jack, one thing," Aidan mentioned, drawing Jack away from his thoughts. He permitted his friend a singular moment to ask his question. "What took you both so long to get back? I was under the assumption your city trip wouldn't take long."

"Heh, it didn't," Jack confirmed for the man before smirking wider. "We were delivering our declaration of war."

Several Weeks Later…

Diantha's footsteps echoed through the hall of the venerated Kalos League branch's headquarters. Casting a gaze outside at the cascading waterfalls through the stained-glass windows, she had to marvel at how quickly workers had managed to patch up the headquarters…though it was undoubtedly nothing compared to the work that needed to be done on Lumiose City. More importantly, she noticed all the security measures resting outside via either helicopter, hovering machines, Pokémon, or all three. Not that this particular League Summit was as…well-advertised as the previous one.

"No, no, that's all right," a voice, a familiar one, called from ahead. Diantha adjusted a bag she was carrying on her shoulder and looked up to see a man dressed in a suit back out of a room. "I'll make sure to let the president know your concerns at the meeting. Yes, it's all right, Aaron, I understand. Take care."

"Michael!" Diantha called out as the door the man was emerging from closed. The man in question, a dark-blond-haired individual, turned and touched his earpiece, ending whatever conversation he was having. "You seem busy."

"Tell me about it," the man sighed. Diantha picked up her pace a little to catch up to him. Standing next to him, she marveled his ability to consistently look like he'd never aged a day since the last time she saw him six months ago, when they had begun planning for the Lumiose Conference. If only she'd known then what a disaster it would be. "I've been so busy since planning for the Leagues started, I'm exhausted. It's a constant pull: plan Unova and Kalos, and once they've happened I have to start planning for the others. Gives me little time for hobbies."

"I understand completely. Was that Aaron from Sinnoh?" Diantha asked of the man, Michael. Michael sighed, allowing Diantha a moment to look at him with interest. He really did look far younger than he had any right to, especially with all of his stress. Though…that was only the case if one removed the goatee and glasses. It did make him a little silly, but also all the more intimidating at the same time; certainly befitting of the man that was the Vice President of the League.

"Yes, apparently he's not coming…owing to the, er, ambush from last time," Michael admitted sheepishly. "At this point, I feel like I'm just errand boy for Charles, er…President Goodshow."

"Nonsense!" Diantha informed him, raising her head a little to meet his eyes. Michael turned his head with a smile, the Champion catching the azure blue sight of them beneath his rimless glasses, which sometimes appeared more a fashion statement than a necessity. "I view your contributions far better than my own! I could never organize Leagues or deal with everything you must. I have to admit, I'm not sure the Lumiose Conference could have ever occurred without you putting in such diligent work! We were so busy dealing with the fallout from the Nova Incident, after all…"

"Well," Michael admitted with a rather sheepish laugh, "I must admit I'm flattered to hear such high praise from the Champion of Kalos! Either way, with what happened in Lumiose, I have to say I'm a little grateful that President Goodshow put a slight hold on planning for conferences. Makes sense in the face of League Reform. You're spear-heading the movement, yes?"

"Mm," was the response. Diantha now turned her head away, looking down the hall to the far more secure room where the Second League Summit would be hold. Her smile fell a little, remembering what had led them there. Too much…From whatever happened in Ancien to the Nova Incident and Dalton's ambitions. To her surprise, the man, for all his insanity in his actions had a strong point…a point that Lumiose proved even further. Her fist tightened around her bag; she was so useless. She had put the fate of the world in children, again. And the one who guided them hadn't even won the League!

"Diantha, are you all right?"

"Hm…oh, yes, just some reminiscing," the Champion answered. Michael nodded. Seeing that, Diantha considered him a moment. She hardly knew Michael, not with her busy schedule, but his was a rather dull story, all things considered. Some years ago, he had started in the League Offices, a rather unremarkable trainer, as an accountant. That was before she'd become Champion. He had always been an odd one, completing his work quickly and then vanishing for stretches of time. It was eventually revealed that he took his time going on explorations to enhance his cultural understanding of the League he was serving in a hopes to better improve the conferences. He rose through the ranks quickly, once Goodshow had taken an interest in him. It was thanks to him that so many League Conferences had gone off without a hitch…until the latest, of course.

Not that Diantha knew him all too well. In fact, most of them didn't know him that well…not that it was a surprise; between regions, the Champions and League officials hardly interacted, really. Having two summits in a single year was strange in and of itself, and seeing Michael at even one of them was even stranger. Regardless, she liked the man enough to consider him a good support for Goodshow. She even identified with his feeling of being Goodshow's errand boy. Sure, she was a well-known face as an actress and was the face of the Kalos League, but sometimes she felt like little more than someone for Kathi Lee to order around.

At least the softly smiling man before her had his earnestness, dedication and devotion to Goodshow. She appreciated that the most.

"I'm glad you were able to come to the summit, this time," she finally spoke up, watching him for a reaction. He turned to her and crinkled his eyes with a smile.

"I wouldn't miss it! I feel bad having to miss the last one when I could have helped, but you know, the conference took precedence," Michael admitted and they drew very close to the door to the meeting room. "I'm away from the branches so much, it's like a breath of fresh air. Now, let's see how many people actually remember me, shall we?"

Diantha had no time to reassure him of anything as he pushed the doors open and led the pair of them into the room. Diantha instantly scanned the room, catching sight of the long table around which multiple people were seated. At one end was the president and a nondescript League official (though, Diantha noticed him to be the same one that was at the previous summit), while at the other end was a consortium of Champions. Dotting the rest of the table were various members of the Elite Four, conversing quietly.

"Ah! Diantha, Michael, you're here!" President Goodshow called out from his place at the table, picking at a plate of grapes. Michael bowed low while Diantha nodded. There was a scraping of a chair and the Kalos Champion noticed that Cynthia had stood and was walking over to the pair, with her hand outstretched.

"It's been too long, Michael," Cynthia greeted him. Shifting the stack of folders in his arms, Michael shook the Sinnoh Champion's hand. "I don't think we've seen each other in years."

"Busy times."

"That's for sure," said another voice, though one that Diantha usually heard relatively little of. She craned her head to notice Lance, Champion of the joint Kanto-Johto regions, sitting lazily in his chair next to Steven, who greeted her with a wave. It was remarkable that all the Champions could gather so easily. "You're looking well, Michael. Younger every time I see you."

"I have a good health regimen," Michael confessed to the red-haired champion. "To be honest, it's nice to see familiar faces! Not much has changed in the years, huh? Still the same Elite Four members and all. Only Mr. Stone has changed, replacing Wallace, right?"

"Oh, don't be modest, Michael!" Goodshow called out, waving the man over to his side. Michael gave another bow to the pair of female Champions and scuttled off to the president's side. Diantha quickly shook Cynthia's hand and the two women began walking over to their place at the table, passing by a confused Alder. "This is your handiwork! Without your efforts on the Conferences and scheduling Championship matches, the entire structure between regions would crumble."

"Er…who is this guy…?" Alder whispered as they were passing by.

"Stop talking, Alder," Cynthia breathed out. The flaming-haired man just shrugged, as though he couldn't be bothered to remember a guy's name or role in their organization. Diantha said nothing, sitting in the middle of the five Champions.

"I highly doubt the League would fall apart without me," Michael insisted. "I just do what I can. Don't we all?"

"Well spoken!" Goodshow said, sitting up in his chair and pushing his plate of grapes away as the League official next to him stood. Michael took that moment to seat himself. "After all, keeping the League and the world together is why we're all here!"

"Champion Diantha, I believe you were the one to call for this summit," said the League official as soon as Goodshow finished. Diantha cleared her throat to indicate confirmation and stood, herself. "I give the floor to you."

"Thank you," she said kindly, glancing around at her fellow trainers. The President and official took their seats once more. "To be honest, when I called for the summit, it was in response to the Nova Incident and various…revelations that were made plain to me. Things changed with the Kalos Crisis."

"Kalos certainly seems to be having its share of problems lately," Cynthia noted. Diantha couldn't deny any of that. "First we met regarding the Ancien Debacle, then the Nova Incident happened and the Kalos Crisis…"

"Makes you wonder if someone's making these things happen," Michael joked, though his tone suggested it was a humorless one.

"I would not be surprised," Steven said sternly. Despite her intentions being derailed, Diantha was more than prepared to aptly listen to Steven's words. His involvement in her own region's crisis gave her a level of respect for the man. "There are actually rumors in Hoenn, or there were when I was busy excavating, of a group…they call themselves ARC, and they're very interested in ancient artifacts. I don't know much about them or their purpose though, so it's mere speculation and rumor."

"Yes, well, the cause of these recent events is, sadly, not my main focus here," Diantha decided to say, pushing the topic back to where she wanted it to be. "What I am proposing is League Reform."

"Reform?" Alder said in disgust. "What needs to be revamped? The Gym system works, the Conference system works, the-"

"All due respect, Alder," Diantha cut across him, "the system doesn't quite work." That made some mutters occur from members of the table. The only ones who didn't look all that surprised were most of her fellow Champions and the president. "I saw firsthand how ineffective the League system has been in Nova. I watched a man who had descended into madness from losing his daughter try to change the world as we know it because we hadn't protected her. And Lysandre…I don't think I need to speak much about him. His ambitions were hardly secret."

"They're raving lunatics, though, aren't they?" Alder tried to wave off, as if it hardly mattered. "We're more than a match for all of them."

"That may be…" Cynthia decided to chime in, "but they're effective. These recent issues have driven that point in quite well. Even Cyrus, I believe, was once a good man who came to believe this world wasn't one worth living in. Of course, I don't prescribe to the theory we should just give up on the world, but maybe there are some things that need fixing."

"I can second that," Steven brought up. "I know a girl who had just started her journey, and within a short amount of time she had suffered more trauma than anyone her age should have ever had to. No child should have to know that level of pain."

"Pain…huh?" Alder breathed out. Diantha turned her head to watch him as he frowned. His face looked in conflict but eventually he sighed and nodded. "No, I don't want to see children live through that."

"And this is the point I'm making," Diantha said loudly, bringing the point up to the table at large. "We send children out on journeys, or rather, allow them to go on them with little more than a word of farewell. Yes, there are those more adept to surviving on the road or that have been trained by their parents, but what of those that aren't? How are we defending them? And when a disaster happens, why aren't we doing more to prevent these things?"

"We can't stop every missile in midair," Lance reminded her. "Some things can't be stopped before they happen."

"And I understand that," she told him sharply. "However, that doesn't excuse our actions once they have. Look at Ancien, at Nova, and Lumiose. That alone should point out how ill-prepared we are to deal with any threats on the horizon."

"Yes, but those things were resolved, huh?" called a Hoenn Elite Four Member by the name of Drake. Diantha inclined her head to listen to him. "Ash Ketchum, right? He put a stop to those foes."

"And he is a child, too," Diantha sighed out heavily. "I believe Ash is very skilled. Runner-up at the Kalos League, defended our world…but he made that choice. And he'd make it again and again…but he shouldn't have to do it alone. And we certainly shouldn't try to make it that the other children on the road that aren't as equipped as Ash be involved either."

"Suggestions then, Champion Diantha?" called the League official. Diantha once more straightened her back and placed her bag on the table, reaching into it for a small stack of documents and sliding them across the table. Michael was the first to grab them.

"I suggest a few guiding principles, namely three of them," the Champion of Kalos spoke to the room, drawing attention on her. "First, I propose an Inter-Regional Communications System. I've already begun doing research into this and it's very possible with some genius engineer minds within a matter of days or even hours. It would need approval, however. This would allow us a greater communication should any of the worst happen to befall a single region.

"Second, I want to have a very small and direct corps researching legends. I think the recent circumstances have shown that Legendary Pokémon are typically involved with every little aspect of these crime syndicates. If we have a greater knowledge of these legends ourselves, our opportunity of stopping things before they occur will skyrocket. And finally, I want the Gym Leaders to play a more active role in the defense of their regions. I understand the need for them to travel sometimes, and that's fine, but I find it would be just as important to keep an eye around their areas in case anything fishy is going on."

"Proposal's pretty sound…" Michael commented, having been flicking through the papers during her speech. "Mr. President, I could easily get some engineers on the first part of the proposal if it's approved. The second would take some time, as would the third…"

"That's not a problem," Goodshow grumbled out, rubbing his back a little. "I like all of the ideas, though, with the recent trends…I wonder how we'll be able to hold up until your points can be implemented."

"Verily, why not a tournament?" Diantha couldn't help but blink at the voice of Wikstrom from the table. He usually spoke so little that to hear him speak and suggest such a thing was nearly unheard of.

"And invite more danger?" Diantha reminded him.

"Nay, we shall deter it!" the Elite Four member stated with a clanking of his armor. "Why not hold it at the stadium on League Headquarters grounds, right here? That would allow a greater degree of control. We do have our own lives to lead, but given the security of our League, I believe it would be fine."

"I suppose…"

"It's an idea, Sir Wikstrom," Michael agreed. That surprised Diantha a little, to hear such an idea be agreed to so easily. Diantha placed her hands behind her back, lacing her fingers as she stared at the vice president. "Ah, forgive me, we're getting ahead of ourselves! Before we move forward with the tournament, are we all in agreement with the rest of the proposed League Reform?"

"I certainly take no issue with it," Cynthia stated simply. Her own agreement seemed to pass around the table, including to those (like Alder) that had been more reluctant. In fact, they quickly put it to a unanimous vote and discussion moved onto this idea for a tournament. Diantha, however, was unsure. Having a tournament so soon after the disaster of the Lumiose Conference was disconcerting. Michael appeared to read her mind and proved his adeptness at his job by attempting to allay her fears.

"Champion Diantha, if you're worried, I'd be more than happy to place stringent security measures over the tournament," he mentioned casually. Diantha looked at him in expectation. "Well, we'll have it here, myself and the president can oversee proceedings and we can only include trainers that have undergone a screening process."

"Well…I highly doubt that last part is necessary…and this is the most protected location in the region given what happened…I just fail to see the point in it," Diantha admitted, taking a seat finally as she looked across the table. Michael tapped his pen on the table a little before clapping his hands.

"How about something a little different? !" he cried out. "If we want League Reform…wouldn't it help to have those who choose to fight be part of a special squad to protect their fellow trainers. We open the tournament to the Ancien Warriors, the Nova Nine, those involved in the Kalos Crisis and anyone interested in the protection and welfare of our society. No prizes, awards, real winners or accolades; just a chance to serve the people. The…hmm…The Purity Tournament…er, Peace?…Maybe the name needs some work, but the basics work, right? Just make it a set of different kinds of challenges to keep the competitors and audience on their toes. A real tournament of inspiration to get people's mind off the ugliness!"

"Brilliant as ever, Michael!" Goodshow chortled out, thumping the man on the back. Diantha cracked a smile at the action. It may not have been the greatest strategy, but perhaps having a fun tournament with nothing at stake beyond the chance to help their fellow trainers was a good idea. With a nod, she accepted the idea.

"Great! I'll get to work right away, planning the event and sending the invitations out. Anyone not invited by invitation will go through the screening process via examination. President Goodshow, why don't we both attend together?"

"Been a while since I attended a league-sponsored event in the Kalos Region. I'm game," Goodshow mentioned with a grin. "Now, what ideas do we have?"

"Fire rings!" Flint shouted out with a grin. Some other people around the table chimed in with their own ideas and Diantha sat back. She knew most of them wouldn't be there, but as a statement that Kalos was still standing, it was quite the positive sign. Well, Diantha had to admit with an exhaling breath, it may not heal the gaping wound we caused, but it's a start. That's good enough for now.

*Chapter continued in next post...
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Chapter continued from last post.

"You're beyond late, Reeree!" screamed the voice. Well, maybe she wasn't screaming, but it sounded loud, even with the sound of machinery and water. The girl in question, Reeree, looked up and noticed the girl talking to her, dressed in a black cloak and an elaborate face-mask, leap down from a set of pipes and land with all the grace of a gymnast. Reeree drew her cloak tighter around herself, not letting her hood slip.

"I'm almost certain I'm on time, Mimi." Mimi scoffed, running her hand through her blue hair. "Did Master Carl receive the message I sent?"

"Of course he did. I delivered it personally," Mimi answered. Reeree nodded and began walking past the row of pipes to the crack of light at the end of the darkened hall. "You're not going to remove your hood?"

"You haven't removed your mask," she pointed out to the girl. Mimi shrugged, completely understanding. "We all have a habit of keeping anonymity."

"Maybe you girls do, but I sure don't…keh heh heh," cackled out a voice. A crinkling sound was heard and both Reeree and Mimi turned to see a large, heavyset man emerge from the darkness of the pipes. Despite the narrowness of the hallways, he seemed to be quite fine with fitting through it and keeping pace with them. In his hands was a bag of chips, which he appeared to be reaching into all too often. For her senior, particularly in age, Reeree held little respect for him.

"You're super creepy, Mister Cedric," Mimi informed him, the trio nearly upon the sliver of light in the room. Reeree was the first to push it open.

"I am not working with you and your pathetic team ever again!" came a shout from the center of the room. Reeree squinted her eyes, discerning the few figures around the round table, lit only by the embers of odd candles. First she caught sight of the one speaking, though it wasn't like he was identifiable with his beanie cap and sunglasses. It made him look more like a thug than one of their compatriots. He was talking to another hooded figure, similar to herself. No surprise considering the time the two of them had joined. All that was plain was that under the hood was a boy.

"Like I care, but it's orders! I'm not a fan of your rather brutal tactics, myself!" the hooded boy roared. Both boys leaned over, glaring sparks towards one another until someone else, a friend of hers, inserted himself between them and pushed them apart.

"Enough of this fighting!" the boy yelled, his blond hair and goggles shining eerily in the light of the candles. Reeree really had no idea why they liked to keep it so dark in their meeting room. Cedric shuffled past her and plopped down upon a chair, shoveling another handful of chips into his mouth with a leering grin. Mimi wrinkled her nose at it. "We're all friends here."

"Hardly," the boy in the beanie said. "We each have our own goals…our own purpose, right? I don't consider you my friends."

"More than likewise," the hooded boy spat. They looked to be ready to glare daggers at each other as the blond stepped back, allowing Mimi to insert herself in between them teasingly.

"Now, now, boys…no fighting, for me?" she said with a little wink, visible through the facemask. Neither really seemed interested, and the girl gave a pout. "Fine, but I don't like it when we fight. Teasing is one thing, but we're still a team."

"Yeah…a team, right…" the blond scoffed out next to her and Reeree walked forward to pat him on the back consolingly. "This is taking away from my experimentation time!"

"And what number is this?" she asked of her friend. The boy flushed, snapping his goggles against his face and drawing the collar of his jumpsuit against himself. Reeree decided to not make fun of him.

"It's slow going…"

"It's always slow going with you! No wonder you always stay behind at headquarters instead of going out into the field," the hooded boy said. Reeree glared at the boy while Cedric laughed. For some reason, all the boys seemed to find a need to fight in their group whenever they were gathered in one place.

"Like you're one to talk," beanie boy said.

"Shut up…" Mimi expressed with a huff of annoyance. "We Seven haven't gathered like this in almost two years. We've all been away on our specific missions. It's nice to see everyone, so can we not fight for once?"

"Maybe when you provide a challenge, I'll actually listen to you, but you're not worth it, idiot!" Mimi snarled loudly, walking up to the boy and slamming his head against the table. He was unfazed by it.

"Don't let my coquettish looks put you off guard, jerk. I can make you draw blood if I want to…and you know how much that could appeal to me…"

"Stop this bickering, all of you!" Silence filled the room as a loud clang was made on the table. The other six in the room turned their heads to face the last person in the room, who was the oldest of all of them, though he was obscured in shadow. Reeree moved forward, drawing his face a little in the light to show his slicked-back red hair, and a scar on his forehead. In his hand was a pokeball, which he had used to bang on the table. "You're all acting like children."

"Keh heh, let them act like children for a moment, Carl," Cedric cackled out. His laugh always sent shivers up her spine. "There's not much opportunity for them to be what they are in our line of work."

"That's beyond the point," Carl argued, standing from his seat and fully bringing himself into the light. "The time has come at last for the final stages of our operation; no time for pointless bickering or amusing antics."

"Oh ho?" Cedric asked, the chip bag that had been in his hands now abandoned. "So…we can finally begin."

"I was wondering why we were called here," beanie boy said before smirking darkly. "Finally. I've been waiting for this day for six long years."

"Something we can agree on. We're ready to go."

"All communications are active, and the stage for our future is set," her blond friend said from next to her. "I'll support you mostly from the base, but I am ready to head out to the field."

"Yes! A good chance to show these spineless people their new world," Mimi laughed out. Reeree said nothing, continuing to watch Carl as Cedric stood as well, his mouth empty of chips as he grinned a rather manic smile, making him look beyond unhinged.

"At last…our plans come to fruition. The day of reckoning…The Final Day is here. Keh heh…keh heh heh heh!" Cedric laughed out, his belly shaking with every single chuckle. Carl, for his part, ignored most of them and began to walk around the table, heading for the door on the other side of the room that lead to an outside area. Reeree followed after him and the scraping of chairs told her that the others were on the move right behind her, sweeping out their plans into the light.

"Time to do what needs to be done, then," she finally spoke to Carl. The redhead smirked at her. "Our final mission begins now. The time for war is upon us at last."

"Indeed," Carl said with a guttural growl underneath his deep voice as they swept out of the dark room like a determined entourage, "let us go forth and show our mission to the world. Go forth, my fellow sins, gather all of this world's excess sinners and raze it to the ground!

"Let us bring a crushing blow of destruction upon humanity and Pokémon alike!"

Author's Note: A quite different first chapter, no? Now, there were a lot of parts to this chapter and I'm sure you all have questions (that I can't totally answer) but I can say a few little things. For one, if you can't tell, this first chapter was written to give a feeling of a final story. Ash and the others didn't appear at all. This was entirely intentional because having a first chapter without him ups the tension. To that point, we had a lot of characters and plotlines in this sole chapter alone. Who are Jack, Lionel and Aidan? Who is Reeree, the girl who faced Jack and Lionel at the beginning? What about Mimi, Cedric, Carl and the other members of this mysterious group? What are their plans? All to be answered in due time.

On a different note, the three sections may read similar, simply because it's a group of characters meeting. Again, intentional, given the chapter title. For the record, the first portion took place during the last chapter of "Turbulence" if that wasn't plain. As for the character of Michael, given the League Reform, I wanted a character in there who could help to represent that but that wasn't part of the game cast. Beyond these notes, that's all I have. Look forward to seeing Ash and the rest of the gang, and for the tournament to begin, next chapter.

Also, as a special notice, I have two things to say. 1) The Ancienverse now has a TV Tropes page! Give it a check under Ancienverse. 2) I have a Twitter account, so follow me EpicocityFanfic for updates on the story and some other fun tidbits, and for any news on other stories. In the meantime, I hope I can see all my old reviewers that I love and adore (and even some new ones) out here to Review, and Dare to Be Silly.
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Bit of a slow start, but that's okay. A quick note or two: this story is officially being set after XYZ 43, but taking little elements from 44 (maybe 45) like Prism Tower and parts of the party. Now, Chapter 2!

Chapter 2

An Invitation​

"This place…is huge!" Ash's exclamation, and simultaneous skidding to a stop, caused Serena to jerk in her place and bump into her boyfriend's back. Skirting around him to take a glimpse at just what had him so captivated, Serena gasped. What spread out before them really was amazing in every possible way.

"It's a castle! A castle!" Bonnie cheered out. Serena shifted her gaze to the lemon blonde next to her and smiled. Whether she was keeping a façade or not, it was nice to see Bonnie with a smile on her face. Actually, it was nice to see a smile on anyone's face in their group, even the lagging Clemont behind them.

Taking in a deep breath, the honey blonde surveyed the sprawling sight before them: a castle that was larger than even the Battle Chateau. Its turrets stretched high and it looked almost ancient…or at least a replication of something ancient, since according to her guide, Serena knew the castle had been built only fifty years back or so. To her, it almost felt like standing at the center of the world. This was the Kalos League Headquarters, and she never thought she would actually see it…at least, not after the Lumiose Conference. Sliding her eyes over to her boyfriend, she saw Ash looking positively excited over something slightly beyond the castle.

It wasn't hard to tell that he was excited about the large stadium that was connected to the castle, which had a similar exterior but, from the pictures she had seen, had a much more modern interior. Surrounding it were helicopters and airships, all emblazoned with the League logo on them. They were certainly pulling out all the stops for protection on this particular event, and judging from the massive number of crowds below, the people hadn't been all too deterred by what had happened in Lumiose City.

"This is really awesome," Ash breathed out next to her. She smiled at him and took his hand in hers. "Come on, Clemont!"

"I'm…trying…" Clemont huffed out, finally catching up to them, only for them to start their quick pace down the slight incline that would lead them to the stadium. When he finally had, Bonnie appeared to take the opportunity to scold him.

"Brother, stop being so slow. You'd think after facing disaster enough times, you'd learn how to run better!"

"I try, Bonnie, but I'm just not built that way!" Clemont argued with his sister. Serena giggled at it, while Ash almost remained oblivious, his sights laser-focused on the stadium they were heading to. "I am excited, though. Not often a gym leader gets to participate in a League sponsored event!"

"Yeah! I wonder what kind of tournament it is, huh, buddy?" Ash proclaimed, turning to the yellow companion on his shoulder.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out happily. Ash reached up with his free hand and scratched him behind the ears. "Chaaaa…"

"It is a little different, huh?" Serena noted, now separating her hand from his to reach into her bag. Ash frowned a little but went right back to smiling as the crowds at the stadium began to become thicker. From her bag, Serena pulled out the thick cardstock with gold embroidery and lettering on it. "Never thought I would be invited, that's for sure. I'm not even a League trainer."

"Yeah, but you're still a great battler, between Ancien, Nova, and Lumiose, after all!" Ash pointed out to her. That kind of encouragement served to remind her of why she loved the boy standing next to her so much. He always believed and encouraged all those around him in any way he could. Knowing that, Serena smiled, offered him a peck on the cheek and went back to looking at the invitation that all three of them had received from a League official just a week ago.

Ms. Serena

You are cordially invited to take place in

The Peace Tournament

To be held in a week's time at the Kalos League Headquarters

We look forward to your participation!

Naturally, with Ash and Clemont also receiving the invitation, their plans were set and they packed up to make an unprecedented rush to the site of the tournament. It helped with how advertised the entire event was. "The Peace Tournament", a competition of which the rules were unknown. According to Professor Sycamore and his connections, the entire tournament was meant to be a symbol of peace after what had happened in Lumiose City after the League. Serena would have questioned the logic behind it, but it made sense to give the people something to hope for in the face of such destruction. It certainly had Ash facing forward. Not that he'd ever let his League loss affect him once in front of others, but it was nice to see him so giddy about taking part in a tournament.

"Wonder where we go…" Clemont asked, pulling out his own invitation. Ash, having seen both of them pull out theirs, went to grab his own. Naturally, Pikachu was the one to find it for him as they finally pulled to a stop in front of the castle gates.

"Inside the castle, maybe?" Bonnie noted. Ash didn't appear to care because he stepped forward and the castle gates shuddered open, allowing access. Serena blinked and looked around. No one else was near them, yet the doors were opening all the same for them. She could only suppose this was the location meant for the participants to enter, despite how seemingly empty it was. Ash led them forward, walking with confidence in his steps.

"I'm Ash Ketchum and I'm here for the Peace Tournament!" he announced with authority as their quartet entered in. For a moment, Serena wondered if her boyfriend was speaking to thin air, until a voice answered back.

"Proceed through the barricaded hallway to reception, Mr. Ketchum and companions. Present your invitation to the official there!" That was all the voice said. In any other situation, it would have seemed creepy and sent shivers up Serena's spine, but given the sight of people further down the hall, it just came off as amusing. Ash only found it exciting.

"Let's go!" he exclaimed, grabbing back onto her hand and the two of them began to run down the hall. Bonnie proceeded to push her brother. They were about three-quarters of the way down the hallway when Ash's face broke into a positively giddy expression.

"Alain! Alain!" Serena whipped her head in a double-take towards the two figures ahead of them. They appeared to stop and do the same, allowing the quartet a better look at them. Sure enough, illuminated by the abundance of light in the painting-lined hallway, Serena could distinctly notice Ash's great rival and the girl that was very important to him. Alain, for his part, offered Ash a small smile while the girl with him, the ever-excitable Mairin, looked and waved at Serena. She waved happily back. "So, you got invited, too?"

"Y-yeah," Alain said simply. Ash was the one to separate their hands now in order to shake Alain's. "Obviously you did, Ash."

"You betcha! We all did…well, except for Bonnie," Ash admitted with a chuckle.

"I would if I was a trainer! Me and Dedenne would shock the competition!"

"Ne ne!"

"What about you, Mairin?" Serena asked, greeting the red-haired girl with a light hug. It hadn't been long since they'd last seen each other, helping out around Lumiose, but Serena always felt happy meeting with the bright and bubbly girl, Chespie plodding along at her side.

"I didn't get an invitation, actually…" Mairin admitted sheepishly. "Probably for the better. I'm a bit of a klutz after all…and I've hardly done any battling…"

"That's all right, you can watch with me!" Bonnie said happily, running forward to grab the girl's hands. Mairin laughed at this and nodded happily. Serena turned to see Alain watching the girl with a soft expression. She would have said something to him, but Clemont was very quick to interrupt the moment.

"Um…maybe we should all go get registered?" he suggested, drawing all of their attentions onto the scientists. "After all, the deadline is soon, no? Guess they want to get the tournament started as soon as possible."

"Oh yeah! We should definitely do that!" Ash exclaimed. Then there was a laugh and for a moment it sounded foreign, until Serena realized that it was actually coming from Alain. She turned and definitively smiled at him. He almost looked embarrassed from his outburst.

"Sorry, it's just…" he said wistfully for a moment, "I've never known someone so impassioned about battling as Ash."

"Of course I am!" Ash stated with a fistpump. "Every battle is a new opportunity to grow. Each one is a new experience."

"Okay, Mr. New Experience, let's at least get registered before we get too excited," Serena told him, taking his hand and beginning to drag him off lightly. Alain appeared to watch them and their joined hands a moment before following after, walking side by side with Clemont. Mairin and Bonnie took up the rear. It was almost odd, running into them so casually here, but it was nice to have such a reunion; not that it was much of one considering they had all been in Lumiose until a few days ago (and clearly Alain and Mairin had had a slight head start). "I have to admit, I'm a little excited myself. The last tournament was a lot more fun than I expected, even with everything afterwards."

"I know why you were excited, Serena…" Bonnie sang out. This caused Serena to flush intensely as she whipped a glare back at the lemon-blonde. Thankfully, Ash didn't try to jump in on the conversation.

"Huh? Why was Serena excited about what tournament?" Mairin asked innocently. Serena tried to secretly shoot Bonnie a look that told her to shut up, but Bonnie was never one for listening.

"We all went to this big and awesome tournament called the Kalos Team Tournament with lots and lots of people and cute Pokémon!" Bonnie explained. "My brother, Ash and Serena were all on a team together with some other friends and they totally won! And then there were these crazy dragon people and they attacked the town, but Serena brought everyone together, and Rayquaza was there and-oof!"

The sound of Bonnie's voice drew Serena's attention and she turned back to see that the girl had bumped into a halted Alain. He was looking down at the floor. It was really no surprise as to why: hearing about a destroyed town must have had an effect on him. Still, he shook his head and quickly apologized to Bonnie before they set off again and emerged into an area with a woman at a stand. They approached it, but not before Bonnie whispered something to Mairin.

"At the end, Ash and Serena kissed."

Serena swore her face lit up like an almost angry tomato. Even Ash appeared to be embarrassed by this, scratching the side of his head. It wasn't that they didn't like being boyfriend and girlfriend, but the details of their relationship were still very…personal. Except for Bonnie. That girl had the tendency to inconveniently involve herself in too many aspects of their relationship. She hadn't even stopped pestering her brother about contacting Korrina after their second date. Their father didn't help things either.

"That's really sweet!" Mairin said, and it was almost like the two were sisters (which, oddly enough, made her the older sister in some respects as Mairin acted more child-like than her).

"You know, Alain, I'm surprised you didn't go to the Kalos Team Tournament," Ash pointed out. "It would have been fun to face you there."

"Sounds like it would've been…though, I wasn't exactly the best team player," Alain admitted. "Either way, congratulations on your win. Maybe we'll be able to face off or work together during this tournament."

"That sounds like fun!"

"Welcome to registration for the Peace Tournament," the receptionist said with a clearing of her throat, as though impatient with their conversation. "Could all participants please present their invitation? If you do not have an invitation, we request you go through a screening process."

"No problem! We all have our invitations, right here!" Ash said proudly. At once, the four invited trainers handed over their cards for the receptionist to take. She took them and other than a brief moment of widened eyes, remained professional as she logged them in the system. Upon hearing a beep, the receptionist filed away the invitations and handed over a set of keycards to each of them.

"These are your keycards, the room numbers you'll be staying in here at the League Castle are printed on them," she told them all in a clipped voice. "There are refreshments here on the lowest level, along with numerous restaurants, shops and a Pokémon Center for taking care of your Pokémon. All participants are expected to be in the stadium proper at the time of the tournament start each day. Today, naturally, the tournament's opening ceremonies will begin promptly at noon. As for your guests and spectators, they should remain in the stands at all times for safety's sake. Do note, nothing of dangerous properties will be allowed in the stadium."

"Awesome," Ash noted. Serena leaned over his shoulder and noted that his card had the same room number as her own. From Alain and Mairin comparing their own cards, they appeared to have the same number (though different from theirs) as well.

"Please enjoy the tournament, and the best of luck at being a part of the final team."

"Team?" Clemont asked. The woman just smiled with an impassive expression. Ash, like always, shrugged as though the details were hardly important until a later point in time.

"Who cares, Clemont? Let's take a look around the area before we head for the stadium!" Clemont couldn't argue with that, and Ash managed to lead their group past the receptionist, through a smaller hall, and out into an area bustling with activity. Serena noted numerous doors leading outward, through which various spectators were pouring in to grab a bite to eat or buy some merchandise. It was almost impossible to tell who would be a participant, and who would be a spectator. Well, one person was obvious to Serena as being a clear-cut participator.

"Hey, Ash!" Her raven-haired boyfriend stopped and peered around before his face lit up. In fact, all of them decided to wave at the energetic trainer coming their way. "I'm not surprised to see you here. I was pretty sure you had gotten an invitation."

"I'm not surprised you got one either," Ash said as he took a few strides forward to clasp hands with the green-haired trainer that was Sawyer. Once they had drawn away, Sawyer waved while giving greetings to the rest of them. "Have you seen anyone else you know?"

"A couple. Tierno, Trevor and Shauna were around here somewhere, but I think Shauna dragged the two off to a boutique," Sawyer admitted. He adjusted a pack on his shoulders with a smile. "Oh, and I ran into that one girl…um…Mi…something…"

"Shame he didn't remember my name, but you remember me, don't you, Serena?" Serena must have jumped a couple feet with an accidental shriek.

"Miette!" she said, her voice raising an octave and the touch of the blue-haired girl on her shoulders. Whipping around, she saw Miette sashaying around her with a little smirk, stopping only to place a hand on Sawyer's shoulder like she was resting against him. Sawyer's cheeks tinged pink, but so would any boy when a girl used them as an arm stand. "Why am I not surprised you're here?"

"The Ancien Debacle put all our names on the map, I guess," Miette said lazily. "I arrived here last night, ran into Sawyer this morning and we caught up."

"I didn't know you guys knew each other…beyond the tournament, of course," Clemont noted. Miette somewhat ignored him, still looking towards Serena when she responded to his inquiry.

"We worked together during the Debacle…and we both have a Slurpuff, so we chatted," Miette admitted. "And how are you two doing, Ash, Serena?"

"We're just fine!" Serena huffed. Ash rubbed the back of his neck, almost like he was embarrassed. "Ash and I are still going strong. R-right?"

"Definitely!" Ash piped in, obviously letting his embarrassment fall away. Miette blinked before smiling softly, like she was genuinely happy to see that between the two of them. It quickly gave way to a smirk as she hooked her arm with Sawyer's.

"I'm happy for you guys then. We should chat more later, after the first round of this tournament or something, huh? Let's go, Sawyer! I want to check out the area."

"Uh…sure. But why me?" Sawyer questioned with a nervous chuckle. Miette, naturally, didn't give him an answer, beginning to drag him off towards one of the exits. "See you in the stadium, Ash…I think!"

Before Ash could respond, Miette was brushing past Serena, a befuddled Sawyer trailing well behind her. As she passed by, her smirk increased and she winked. "Just try not to go showing off with little private sessions, Serena."

"We do not do that, Miette!" Serena hissed under her breath, and moments later, the blue-haired performer was gone. Keeping her fuming at Miette's teasing in check, Serena recovered her head in time for Ash's smiling face to fall.

"Aw! I wanted to battle Sawyer again…" he complained, his body slumping as he walked over to the table. Those with him followed him to the large, round table with a napkin dispenser, and bottles of ketchup and mustard on it. Pikachu instantly leapt for the red colored bottle. Serena just shook her head and headed for the table to sit next to him. As she did so, she heard Alain chuckling.

"I don't know how you manage to make so many friends, Ash," he noted, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Mairin patted him consolingly on the back, almost like Alain was questioning how to make friends; like he didn't have any or something.

"It's easy! We all love Pokémon! That's enough for me!" Ash said proudly, pounding his fist on his chest. Serena smiled at that. His ever bubbling-enthusiasm made her very happy, and it made her love him all the more. Granted, her smile only lasted a few moments before replaced by confusion at the sight of a Piplup emulating her boyfriend on the table. Pikachu was staring at said Piplup with the ketchup bottle halfway to his lips.

"Pip Piplup!" squeaked the Penguin Pokémon proudly. Pikachu continued blinking before abandoning the ketchup bottle.

"Pi-kachu!" Pikachu cried, joining hands with the penguin as they danced around on the table. Ash squinted at the frolicking pair a moment.

"I know that Piplup…"

"So do I…" Serena noted. She hadn't expected to see it, but judging from the way Piplup and Pikachu were interacting, she knew very easily who it belonged to. Turning her head, she saw the form of the navy blue-haired Dawn dashing across the shopping court with a pink bag in hand. "Oh! It's Dawn!"

"I was wondering…where Piplup…ran off too…" Dawn wheezed out as she approached the table they were all sitting at. Once she'd come to a stop, she rested her hands on her knees, unaware of the multiple stares aimed at her, particularly from an oblivious Alain and Mairin. "But I guess there was no need to worry! How are all of you?"

"Yay! Dawn's here! Piplup, you're so cute!" Bonnie cheered, taking Piplup away from Pikachu and giving him a hug. Serena watched as Piplup almost struggled against her hold, but his pride held him back. Pikachu, meanwhile, leapt onto Dawn's shoulder.

"Good to see you, too, Bonnie! And you, of course, Pikachu!" Dawn said happily, a light laugh on her lips. "But I'm not surprised to see you guys here!"

"I'm surprised to see you, though," Ash responded, rising from his seat to give Dawn a rousing high-five. Serena also stood and hugged Dawn once Pikachu had returned to the table. It was nice to see the coordinator again. "I thought you were in Johto?"

"I was in Johto. Then I got that invitation for the tournament. I know we only saw each other a few months back, but honestly, Contests weren't going that well for me recently so I thought the tournament would be a nice break," Dawn answered as she placed her bag on the floor next to the table. Clemont walked over to another table and pulled a chair over for her to sit in. "Help me get my groove back, but there's no need to worry! And I guess when you're involved with emergencies, you tend to get noticed. Still, great to see you again. How have you guys been?"

"We've been great," Serena answered.

"You do well at your…what was it called? Master Class?"

"Serena almost became Kalos Queen!" Ash said proudly. "She was so close to beating Aria!"

"No, I wasn't, but it's always nice to have your support, Ash," Serena corrected him. "She did much better than I did. But if you want to talk close results, talk about Ash! He made runner-up in the Kalos League. Another attack and he would have won it all, but…"

"Nah, Alain's pretty strong. I'm just happy I got to have a great fight! Well, kinda…it stings a little, but maybe I can make it up with this tournament." Serena noticed Alain looking a little uncomfortable while Mairin ribbed him. "So, if you're here, does that mean May, Brock and Gary are here too?"

"Nope," Dawn answered swiftly. "May's been on a real hot streak lately and I guess Brock has some work going on near Olivine City. No idea about Gary, though…I'm pretty sure Conway followed me here…guy is such a stalker…"

"It's almost like an Ancien City reunion!" Clemont pointed out. "I wonder how many of the rest of us are here. I'd like to talk with Conway and Kenneth again to work on some new kind of collaboration."

"I'm sure there's plenty," Serena pointed out. As she said this, she took a moment to take a look around the area at large, scanning for the signs of any familiar faces from the Kalos Team Tournament. Even from just that brief glance alone, Serena could see the faces of some people she recognized like Nini and two trainers from the Kalos Team Tournament named Bruce and Trent discussing something intensely (or Trent and Bruce…they were so nondescript, she couldn't remember). There was no sign of Aria anywhere, though that was to be expected given her duties. However, she hoped to run into Shauna, but figured they'd meet on the battlefield at the very least.

"So, not to sound rude or anything, but who are you guys?" Dawn asked kindly, a slightly nervous smile on her face. "It's just…I don't remember you from Ancien, but Ash tends to have a lot of friends."

"I'm Mairin, and this silent guy is Alain," Mairin said to the bluenette. Dawn clapped her hands together, clearly pleased to meet the two of them and went to shake their hands. As she was meeting and greeting them, Serena heard Ash's stomach grumble. He looked at her with an apologetic laugh. Serena could only smile, reaching into her bag for some macarons she had packed for the road. The second she set them on the table, there was a bright light and Chespin appeared.

"Chespin!"

"Oh, no! You already ate half of Serena's batch on the road this morning!" Clemont scolded his Pokémon liberally. Chespin immediately looked downcast.

"It's all right, Clemont," Serena assured him. At the same time, she looked around and found a magenta-haired waiter that she signaled over with a wave. Said waiter stomped over angrily, her notepad not even out of her pocket. "I doubt that amount would be enough for us before the tournament starts. Yes, could we have some sandwiches?"

"Whatever, twer…I mean, the customer is always right!" Serena tilted her head in slight bewilderment, but as the waitress moved off to the small stand where she and a blue-haired cook were working with another companion, Serena just shrugged it off.

"So, Ash, runner-up…that's really great!" Dawn was saying as she returned her attentions to the group as a whole. The first thing Serena saw was that Alain was looking slightly more comfortable in the group setting, though still not quite used to it. She supposed that was what happened when you traveled alone for so long. Chespie and Mairin were far more at ease. "Honestly, when your mom told us you'd only made Top Eight in Unova, I got kinda worried."

"But there was no-"

"Don't say it, Ash! Just don't say it…" Bonnie chided with glaring eyes. Ash laughed nervously at that, Dawn joining in mere moments later. At this, Serena caught sight of the pink bag that Dawn had brought over.

"What's in the bag? And how did you get here from Johto?" Serena asked of the girl kindly. Dawn smiled and grabbed the bag to pull out some magazines and other small fashion accessories.

"Just some magazines on Kalos designs for my Contests. I want to try and vary up my look. Taking in different cultures is a great way to improve yourself, after all," Dawn told her. In that moment, Serena felt an extra sort of kinship with Ash's former traveling companion; they were both into fashion, something that she hadn't known those months ago during the Kalos Team Tournament. "As for the how, the invitation came with a helicopter. I took it! Guess they wanted everyone who was actually going to compete to be able to get there in time."

"Here you go," the waitress suddenly said, bringing a massive platter of food and setting it on the table. Ash, oblivious to all else, instantly grabbed for one faster than even Chespin. Serena quickly grabbed out her wallet and paid the waitress with a thanks. She said nothing in return, but the honey-blonde didn't mind, taking her own sandwich before they were gone. As she took a bite, Dawn leaned in.

"How's it been going with Ash, Serena?" She was glad she swallowed before Dawn had asked that question; there were too many people interested in her and Ash's relationship today. "You guys are still together, right?"

"Yeah, we are…" Serena answered, chancing a brief glance at Ash. He was too absorbed in eating to notice the conversation going on. Likewise, Bonnie and Clemont were chatting with Mairin and Alain respectively. There was no way she was getting out of this. "It's been going well…I think. We had some problems, but we worked them out."

"I'm glad to hear it," Dawn said with a reassuring nod. "It's nice to see Ash out of his dense phase, and you're good for him. Here's hoping you're together for a long time."

"I hope so as well," Serena agreed, flitting her eyes over to her boyfriend one more time. She then decided to take another bite of her sandwich while Dawn proceeded to eat her own. In a way, she was very grateful to have Dawn's blessing when it came to dating Ash. Having been one to have a crush on him herself (by her own admission) and having known Ash for quite a time, Serena felt that having Dawn's permission (for lack of a better word) was just as important as Ash actually being in love with her and she with him.

"And I am not surprised to see my fellow niners here with me," a voice said, far too close to her ear for comfort. When she looked back over, she realized why that was. Astrid had arrived and slung her arms over both Serena and Ash's shoulders like she was hugging them.

"Astrid!" Serena cheered, grateful to see the older blonde girl she had grown close to during the Nova Incident. "You were invited as well, obviously."

"Naturally, and I wasn't passing up this opportunity for anything. Not after my performance at the League," she said. For a second, she drew back to grab a chair while Ash looked just slightly apologetic. "No need to apologize, Ash. I lost because you were better. You did make runner-up, after all."

"Oh, Astrid…" Bonnie suddenly sang out. "Will you-"

"Absolutely not, Bonnie!" Clemont suddenly snapped. Instead of using his Aipom Arm to pull his sister away, he instead used it to cover her mouth. "I told you a million times, I'm not interested."

"But you and Korrina haven't even gone on another date in forever…I need to be active until you do!" Bonnie insisted after pulling the arm away from her mouth. Everyone at the table laughed at Bonnie's particular antic, except for the Pokémon who were too busy running around the table or gorging themselves on food. Even Alain managed a chuckle.

Serena decided to finish up her sandwich before any more conversation could be had, or any more interruptions were made. It was really nice to see everyone again. Those they had worked with and fought with in those intense situations that had led to this tournament. Though the intentions of the tournament hadn't been outright stated, Serena could begin to guess at them, given the crises that had befallen Kalos in the last few months alone. Regardless of that, the sense of unity shared within the trainers sitting at that table alone was enough to make it all worth it. That even if they'd be taking part in a tournament against each other, they could still sit and have friendly conversation. It made her feel like part of something bigger and greater than herself.

After finishing their sandwiches, the idle conversation turned to small things. Which Pokémon they had seen, how their own Pokémon were doing. Piplup, in particular, looked determined to show off, which happened to annoy Chespin when his munching got interrupted. Somehow, Alain got along very well with Astrid and the both of them plus Ash had a riveting conversation about battling. Meanwhile, Clemont and Dawn began talking about his inventions, and Clemont was somehow captivated by something as simple as the ball capsule seals. Serena whiled away the time talking with Bonnie and Mairin about Mairin's possible journey choices before the clock hit noon and a chime suddenly rang out through the area.

"Will all spectators please make their way to the stadium stands. All spectators make their way to the stadium stands. Participants, please gather in the Courtyard," called the receptionist's voice over the intercom in the hall. At the woman's cool tones, a number of people made their exodus from the area, though a large amount was certainly left behind, indicating who all of their competitors would be.

"Good luck, big brother!" Bonnie said triumphantly. Dedenne chattered on her head excitedly, as though agreeing with her. "Let's go save some seats for all of them, Mairin!"

"Right!" Mairin nodded, offered a slight wave to Alain, and she and Bonnie set off with the flow of spectators. Serena watched until they vanished into the crowd and then grabbed her bag, as did the others, before they began to make their way to the center of the open area. The court became quieter as more and more people left, leaving behind only the competitors and some of the vendors in the area. The waitress and her co-workers were packing up quickly, dressing in vendor costumes as though they were ready to sell snacks inside the stadium.

As the six-man group made their way to the center of the court, where many of their fellow competitors seemed to be gathering. Sawyer was there already, sitting on the ground with a slightly dazed expression as Miette lazily smirked next to him. Conway and Kenneth were there as well, a fact that Clemont took immediate notice of. Ash was scanning the area carefully, as if looking for any other familiar faces, but upon seeing none he gave up. Serena just took his hand as they proceeded into the gathering group. Further in, there was an eclectic group of competitors, from those wearing cowboy outfits for some reason, to a pastry chef to a girl in a concealing cloak near another girl with a face mask. There was also a group of boys silently bickering amongst themselves, though Serena couldn't see their faces. Those last two were odd, but Serena figured that some people liked their anonymity. Most importantly, though, was the brunette fast approaching them. Serena barely had enough time to disengage her hand from Ash's to greet the girl who approached her with a hug.

"Great to see you, too, Shauna!" she said to the brunette once they'd separated from their hug. "I'd heard you were here, but it's nice to meet up before the tournament actually starts."

"Only this time, I don't plan to lose to you like last time," Shauna told her.

"I don't plan to lose, either! But, wow, Serena, you sure look great today!" Serena grimaced inside, but didn't let her smile drop as Tierno came twirling forth with a dance to praise her looks. Shauna didn't look particularly happy with his announcement. Nor, it seemed, did Ash.

"Serena looks great every day," Ash said with a linking of their arms. To that, Serena allowed herself to smile; it wasn't often that Ash acted even remotely jealous or protective in that sense, so it was nice to see. Tierno actually looked a little abashed by his antics and quickly straightened up. "Hey, Trevor."

"Hey," Trevor greeted. The orange haired boy looked a little fidgety, and Serena soon saw that his gaze was flicking over to Alain, as though worried about his presence there. That was no surprise. There wasn't a chance to say any more.

"Competitors for the Peace Tournament, welcome!" boomed an unfamiliar male voice. "With our spectators now in their seats, I ask you all to make your way through the main gate lined with lights and towards the stadium proper. When the announcement comes, we ask that you enter the field in an organized fashion for the opening ceremonies. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter!"

"All right! Let's go, guys!" Ash said, almost like he was the leader of the competitors at large. No one seemed to have a problem with that, and it was no surprise. Being a hero of Kalos not once or twice, but thrice, was enough to make anyone want to follow him, if they knew him…and she very much doubted that no one here hadn't heard of him.

Of course, their linked arms meant that Serena got dragged right alongside him. It was slightly mortifying, but other than that, she kept easy pace with him as he led the group of trainers up to the neon-lit hallway that felt like arrows pointing their way to the stadium. Other than that, it was dark, but as they proceeded along they came to a gate that they all stopped before. Once they had, there was a loud beep, and the metallic gates slid open, as if granting the trainers access to the stadium. The opening of the gate was followed by the loud roar of a crowd and the participants all continued towards the bright light. The closer they got, the more details that Serena could make out, like the hallways that stretched from either side, evidently leading to the different sides that the competitors could enter into. However, right in front of them was a massive gate that Serena could see led out to a big field, held in the air by the same technology that had kept the Lumiose Conference running. Only, instead of a small field that hung over a chasm, it was large and covered the entire stadium floor. Ash stopped them all outside the entrance, per instructions, and they clustered.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" cried a voice over the roaring crowd. Serena's eyes narrowed, recognizing it all too well from their weeks in Ancien City as that of Harrison "Harry" Kalas. It was no surprise he was called to commentate on the tournament. "Welcome, one and all to the Peace Tournament!"

"Yeeeeeah!" roared the crowd enthusiastically. Serena found herself swallowing. This felt bigger than the Kalos Team Tournament, and only now was she feeling nervousness; a nervousness that not even the Master Class had given her.

"Before we begin the Opening Ceremonies, allow me to introduce our guests of honor for this League-sponsored and world-broadcasted event: President Charles Goodshow, and League Vice-President Michael!" Kalas cried out to the largely cheering crowd.

"It's my pleasure to be here, especially after not attending an event in Kalos for so long," Serena heard an older man's voice call. She figured that was Goodshow's voice.

"Mine as well. I hope that this tournament is much to everyone's satisfaction!" cried the second voice. It sounded just a little recognizable, but Serena couldn't put her finger on it.

"And I'm sure it will be. For now, though let's introduce our competitors! All one hundred and eight participants invited or screened to take place in this particular tournament from around Kalos and other regions. Of course, not all those invited have arrived to take part, but I'm sure the one hundred and eight that have will give a good tournament. So, without further ado, give a welcome to our Peace Tournament Combatants!"

Another roar of the crowd flew out, cheering wildly for all of them. Serena's sense of trepidation increased until Ash grabbed her hand and squeezed it in reassurance. With his beaming smile, she renewed her resolve and smiled back with determination. Ash quickly adjusted his hat and then stepped forward onto the grass field that was currently in place as the major field. The second his face became visible, the screaming crowd increased their volume. It only got louder as the rest of them followed. Ash lifted his fist into the air as he arrived on the field, Pikachu emulating him proudly. That seemed to get the crowd even more pumped.

"And here they are!" Kalas cried out. "I'm sure many of you will recognize some faces. We have some real VIPs at this tournament."

"Well, that was the intention," Michael laughed out. Serena continued walking onto the field and noticed screens dotting the entire stadium, showing each and every one of them on a rotation as they walked onto the massive arena. "After all, those invited here by invitation were those involved in the recent events around Kalos, or those who made it decently far in the Kalos League. The rest had to undergo an extensive screening process held by myself and the President."

"I'm noticing some people are actually concealing their faces down there," Kalas noted, voice booming out over the crowd.

"Yes, well, we decided that some people aren't fans of having their faces broadcasted over the entire world, so anonymity was important," Goodshow expressed calmly. "But after the screening process, we're quite okay with that."

"Right you are, President Goodshow," Kalas concluded heartily. "Now that our competitors are on the field, let's begin!"

"I wonder what we'll be doing first. How about you, buddy?"

"Pika…" Pikachu said, folding his arms in intense thought.

"Ladies and gentlemen, after a mere two weeks, we are here to bear witness to the Peace Tournament, a tournament meant to bring together trainers for a multi-day competition that will strain both trainer ability and various other elements. To explain this, Vice President Michael will provide the structure of the tournament."

There was just a brief moment of silence and then the vice president's voice filled the quieting stadium. Serena flitted her vision around, trying to find the box where they were. She couldn't find them, but she did catch sight of a waving Bonnie and Mairin with a bunch of empty seats around them. "As Mr. Kalas has explained, we have designed the Peace Tournament as a means to unity and solidarity amongst all Pokémon trainers. To this point, it was decided, there is no winner!"

"No winner?"

"Pika? !"

"Seems odd for a tournament," Alain commented, giving off a surly fold of his arms.

"By this we mean that no one person will receive a trophy, commemorative plaque or any other such accolades. In fact, by the end of the Peace Tournament, there will be no less than three victors, who will be seen as a top-notch squad for regional security, should they choose to accept the post! But that is what is making this Peace Tournament so unique.

"Starting tomorrow, we will embark on a very different tournament format that will whittle these 108 trainers down to a mere three. To point, we will not be using any traditional format. There will be no three-on-threes or full battles. There is no point system. There will hardly be a tournament hierarchy at all. Instead, each separate day will utilize a different format. Some days, the trainers will work together, other days, against each other. Your team member one day, may very well be your enemy the next. But don't worry, each trainer will receive worthy recognition no matter which stage of the tournament they fall out in. After all, you're only here because you're worthy of taking part!"

"Well said, well said. Now, before we truly begin the tournament, I think it's fair to introduce the battle format for tomorrow's beginning battle festivities?" Kalas asked. There must have been a murmur of assent because on the screen appeared 108 cards, each of them with a different face. It looked similar to when they were at the League and the trainers to battle were selected and paired off for matchups. All too suddenly, the cards began to swirl around. "The opening round's battle format is…

"…a single round elimination battle!" That got the crowd attention as the cards stopped shuffling and all 108 trainer cards were paired up against one another. Kalas gave no chance for Serena to look further before making another quick announcement. "By tomorrow, these trainers will be down to fifty-four!"

"Hey, look, I'm battling Tierno," Ash pointed out. Just from looking at him, Serena could tell her boyfriend was psyched, along with Pikachu. No doubt Tierno was just as excited wherever he was within the crowd. Hearing that, Serena peered closer at the screen, trying to find her own picture and matchup. Skimming along, she found multiple others. Miette seemed to be facing off against Nini, and Astrid was going against Alain's opponent for the semifinals from the League. There were some others, but she didn't pay as much attention to them when she found her own picture next to that of a girl with a facemask and blue hair. Looking back into the crowd, she quickly located her opponent, but the girl gave no reaction but a supposedly cold stare. She could admit to getting the shivers.

"Well then," Kalas picked back up, obviously assuming everyone had had a chance to look, "now that our competitors know their opponents, we can get into the meat of the opening ceremonies, giving all of you a chance to personally know every participant in the Peace Tournament!" That was met with enthusiasm as fireworks launched into the air and painted the sky in dazzling colors, despite it being daytime. "The Peace Tournament starts now!"

Author's Note: Yes, there were a lot of characters introduced in this chapter…or re-introduced, as it were. Originally, this and the next chapter were going to be one and the same, but the introductions would have felt remarkably rushed as would what follows, so I split them to sort of flesh it out. I hope it all worked for you. That said, I've brought in a lot of major characters. Now, you'll probably note the lack of Team Nova and May, Gary and Brock. My reasoning for the three are revealed in the chapter but as for Team Nova, their lack of participation will be touched on next chapter. Needless to say, I chose Dawn for this because I felt I established a small rapport between her and Serena in Teamwork…and because I like her character. Sue me. (Plus, gives a good reason for Conway.)

As we embark upon the finale, I hope that each of you will continue with me in every chapter. I really love all your thoughts and insights, so please enjoy! In the meantime, Review and Dare to Be Silly.
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Love how everyone picked up on the SlurpuffShipping last chapter (thanks Omegaz for the name!). But now it's Chapter 3!

Chapter 3

An Encounter​

Serena had to admit to herself that she was incredibly nervous; nervous enough that she was unable to sleep that night. Following the rules stated for the tournament, Kalas had then taken the time, one by one, to give mini-dossiers on almost every competitor. She was so mortified at the time that she was actually going to be deliberately focused on outside of a Showcase setting that she missed most of the interview/dossier coverage. Not that she was the only one as Ash seemed somewhat embarrassed and Clemont outright froze up, to Bonnie's later admonishment. Still, none of those three had the same problem she had and were able to sleep like logs. In the case of Ash, he was literally sawing them with Pikachu plastered on his trainer's face.

For just a second that night, Serena watched the two best friends sleep, Ash subconsciously scratching at his stomach. Smiling softly, the restless Serena headed for the balcony that was attached to their room. Silently opening the door and closing it, she stepped out into the cool night breeze. It helped to calm her, especially when combined with the sound of the waterfalls crashing around them. From where she was, Serena could see the source of the noise, the empty stadium and even into the room next door, which it turned out was where Alain was rooming with Mairin, Astrid, and Dawn of all people. They were all sleeping soundly, or so it appeared. Alain looked to be fidgeting a little.

"Maybe I'm not the only nervous one…" she breathed out. Though, she had little doubt that they were nervous for entirely different reasons. She couldn't speak to what Alain could be nervous about, but she certainly knew what was on her mind. Tomorrow she'd be squaring off against someone in a one-on-one battle. The last time she'd done that to conclusion, she'd failed horribly. And while she certainly felt she'd grown and improved since then, a certain sense of terror at the thought of falling flat on her face for the umpteenth time in front of millions of people flooded through her. Realizing the fresh air was doing nothing for her now, Serena returned into the suite.

Checking to see that the others were still asleep, Serena retreated over to a TV that was in the room for their usage, flicking it on and lowering the volume so that she could hear it, but others couldn't. From just the first few seconds, Serena could tell there was practically twenty-four-hour coverage of the Peace Tournament.

"Some interesting competitors taking place in this tournament, isn't there?" Serena blinked at the sight of Kalas on the screen. As she drew her knees in to her chest, she had to wonder if the man ever slept. Next to him was the vice president, Michael. Watching him a moment, she noted his kind face and comforting blue eyes as he nodded at Kalas' comment. "Who do you think will make it to the top three from this selection of participants?"

"Well, I can certainly place a wager on two of them: Alain and Ash Ketchum should at least be able to make the final rounds," Michael said with a stroke of his blond beard. "Their participation in the Lumiose Conference and the Kalos Crisis isn't to be discounted. Yourself?"

"I'm quite partial to those who took part in the Kalos Team Tournament!" Kalas admitted. "Dawn and Serena were quite impressive battlers on the final day of the tournament. I'd put my money on Sawyer, though. That boy's Sceptile is a force to be reckoned with!"

"Aha, yes, I forgot that you were there for that tournament," Michael chuckled out on the screen. "But this is keeping the talk on known trainers that have made a name for themselves in the last few months. Any screened participants catch your eye?"

"Well, it's much harder to tell with them because we've yet to see them in action," Kalas admitted, "but if I had to choose from bearing and the Pokémon shown through the screening process, the trainers Reeree and Mimi were impressive. In particular, Mimi's Meowstic looks quite strong. I think the battle between her and Serena tomorrow should be-"

Serena shut the TV off. The pit of nervousness was widening to a chasm in her stomach. She'd be facing that Mimi tomorrow and her Meowstic, likely. She knew who she wanted to use, despite a disadvantage, but it was only right that she and he do it together.

"Serena?" Said girl turned to see Ash sitting up on his bed, Pikachu now in his lap and yawning lazily. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just can't sleep."

"I know how you feel! I'm really excited for tomorrow!" Ash said with a grin, even if it was a tired one.

"I wouldn't quite say that's what it is…" Serena admitted. Ash's smile fell into a questioning expression. "I'm…kinda nervous."

"Oh…" Ash said. His downcast comment lasted for all of a second before he sprang out of bed. "All right! Then let's go for a run!"

"What?" Serena questioned as Ash offered a hand to her with his smile.

"Sometimes, when you run, you don't think about anything other than running. Really helps to clear your head. Pikachu and I do it before almost every major match, right, buddy?"

"Pika pika!" Serena finally allowed an easy smile to settle onto her face at Pikachu's agreement. There was just something about the way Ash offered to help every time that made it so easy to be with him. She also figured she could count this as the two of them going on a date. Knowing that, she nodded and the two of them got dressed, leaving a note for Clemont and Bonnie.

Ash took the lead ahead of her, through the hallways of the castle and to the path that wound around the area. Unlike Clemont, it was easy for her to keep pace with him as they ran. About halfway through their run, skirting by the stadium, the sun began to rise over the crest of the waterfalls to cast a beautiful reflective light on the area. It was near there that the two of them decided to take a break for some water, sitting on a bench and watching the sun rise. Seeing it do so, Serena leaned her head on Ash's shoulders, enjoying the slight moment of peace they were getting.

"Don't worry, Serena," he said confidently. "You'll be great out there today! I don't care how strong that Mimi girl is, you're stronger in more ways than one."

"Thank you, Ash," she told him. Feeling much more confident in her skill and her chances, Serena and Ash got back to their running, popping into the main court for a quick breakfast. Alain was alone in the court at the time, sitting silently in his own obvious contemplation. He looked just a little exhausted.

At some point, Clemont had come down, carrying a sleeping Bonnie in her Tyrantrum pajamas, along with their bags and pokeballs. They thanked him and ate breakfast in relative silence until Bonnie woke up and things got louder. Like yesterday, however, the bell rang for the spectators to take their seats, only this time, the competitors would be going with them, already knowing the results for who would be up first: Astrid against the trainer Remo. They ended up going in a massive group, with Alain, Dawn, Mairin, Sawyer and Shauna's group all planning on sitting up in the stadium with them.

"It'll be pretty awesome to face off with you today, Ash. It's been a while," Tierno said, dancing his way over to a fistbump with Ash. "Can you handle my dancing strategy this time?"

"I've got it covered," Ash said confidently, with Pikachu's encouragement. Serena just shook her head as their whole group took seats to stare down into the battlefield. It was no longer a grass patch, but looked to have been replaced with a literal desert of shifting sand. Thankfully, that sand wasn't blowing up at the audience, blocked by an electronic barrier of some kind.

"Huh, looks like we're having all different kinds of fields like at the League," Sawyer commented. Serena found that interesting herself; it meant she'd have to pay attention to the field every time, unlike at the Kalos Team Tournament, where there was only one battlefield. Not that a desert field was that hard to figure out, as both Astrid and her opponent stepped onto the field, the girl waving up at their section. It almost felt really quick that they were already set up for the first round (though one hundred and eight competitors and fifty-four battles in a single day was nothing to scoff at).

"Gooooood morning, ladies and gentlemen!" Kalas' voice boomed out over the area, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. "Welcome to the very first day of the Peace Tournament. For those of you who missed it, or just need a reminder, the very first day's round of the Peace Tournament is a set of one-on-one battles. Each participant is only allowed the use of a single Pokémon. The one able to knock out their opponent's Pokémon will proceed on with the tournament. Each round will take place on a different field, and the use of Mega Evolution is allowed. There is no time limit.

"Now, let's meet your combatants in the first round! In the red corner is the cool, striking beauty, a member of the Nova Nine! Give it up for Astrid!"

As the crowd cheered, Serena applauding alongside them, she had to give consideration to why she hadn't seen any of Team Nova there, especially after hearing them mentioned. Clemont leaned in towards her. "You're wondering why they're not here, either?"

"Well, they were at the KTT…" Serena admitted. Clemont nodded, folding his arms and thinking. Eventually, after a few seconds, he seemed to come up with an appropriate answer.

"Maybe Seamus and the others are really busy with their school. That's a big responsibility to just drop for a tournament. Just like how Korrina told me she wanted to stay and run her gym…or rather, Gurkinn told her to." Serena couldn't help but agree with that kind of analysis (considering Clemont was the new lead authority on Korrina), but any sort of response she would have made was drowned by Kalas' further introductions.

"In the blue corner, is the draconic trainer and semifinalist of this year's Kalos League, Remo!" Surprisingly, there was slightly less cheering for the burly trainer, though it wasn't like he seemed to care. When the roar of the crowd quieted down, the referee on the field stepped forward.

"Let the battle begin!"

"Come on out, Absol!"

"You're up, Garchoo!" Serena inched forward on her seat, while Ash almost flew out of it. Both the Disaster Pokémon and the Land Shark Pokémon hit the sandy field lightly, but neither of their trainers wasted time. As expected from their performances in the League, Serena watched as both trainers clasped their keystones and Mega Evolved their Pokémon. The light practically eclipsed the stadium as it swirled around them, giving Absol wings and Garchomp blade-arms. "Make the first strike! Stone Edge!"

"Wow, they're really getting into it right away!" Ash exclaimed excitedly. Serena would have giggled, but she was too drawn to the sight of Garchoo swinging his blade arms down and the line of stones that quickly extended through the desert ground, away from them. Either way, she had a feeling that the pure power exuded in this battle would make it very short.

"Beat up the sand with Shadow Claw!" Absol roared out, its paw wreathed in shadow before it slammed upon the sand. A large gust of particles blasted up into the air, obscuring the entire field from those in the stands. All that Serena could see if she squinted was the sight of the stones racing towards where Absol was in an arc. "Now, Dark Pulse!"

"Sol!" Absol roared out, and the next thing that Serena saw was Absol leaping up on top of one of stones and firing an inky nexus of energy at Garchoo. Serena folded her hands and watched as Garchoo quickly dodged to the side and leapt up at Absol.

"Use Dragon Claw!"

"Counter with Megahorn!" Green claws sprouted from Garchoo's bladed arms while Absol's horn glowed white. It then leapt from the stones towards Garchoo and clashed with him in midair. Only, Garchoo having two arms provided enough advantage, for the other claw to come forth and slam Absol into the desert as the sand faded away.

"Now, use Dragon Rush!" Remo sounded confident, and for a moment, Serena actually worried that Astrid was going to be knocked out far too quickly. Casting her gaze onto the blonde, however, her fears melted away. She was waiting for Garchoo to get in close.

"Megahorn, again!" Absol howled as the glowing blue Garchoo got close and ducked just under the attack to slam its glowing horn into the dragon's stomach and sending it flying through the air, grimacing in pain. Astrid had this battle firmly under her command.

"Garchoo, bring it down with Draco Meteor!" Garchoo roared in midair as his body glowed with the color of brimstone. That color seemed to siphon off into his mouth before being fired outward in an orb that broke apart into numerous streaking meteors. That attack had even given Alain some momentary trouble in the Lumiose Conference, so there was no doubt that Remo was going straight for the finish.

"Don't let it hit! Psycho Cut!" Some meteors were already impacting with the ground, causing Absol to dash back and forth to avoid them, but as it did so, Absol's horn glowed with a powerful purple color before it leapt through the incoming meteors onto the remaining stones and fired off the crescent shaped energy right at the nearly immobile Garchoo. That energy sailed forward, cutting through the meteors. It left Absol open for a moment and one of the meteors struck Absol, covering it in smoke. Moments later, the Psycho Cut slammed into Garchoo, and the dragon dropped to the ground. There was a moment of temporary silence and then a light was given off from Garchoo's body.

"Garchomp is unable to battle! Absol is the winner, giving the victory to Astrid!" called the referee. Serena pumped her fist, happy for her friend's victory. Even Bonnie seemed pretty ecstatic over the victory. The crowd was happy either way at having seen a great battle to start off with, and Ash looked ready to jump on the field for his own battle (despite the fact that his wasn't even close to next up). In fact, the new competitors, two trainers that Serena didn't even know (one named Derek, who looked shift, and another named Cecily, who was far too excited), were already taking to the field.

"You guys are cheering pretty loud," Dawn pointed out from her spot on the other side of Ash. Piplup was on her lap, flapping his flippers as he cheered for the pair of battlers tossing out their Pokémon to the field. "She must be a pretty great friend of yours."

"Well, she is," Serena confirmed. "She fought with us in the Nova Incident, so we all got rather close there."

"Oh yeah…I heard about that…"

"As intelligent as ever, Dawn, my dear," chuckled out a voice. Serena's eyes widened as Dawn visibly shuddered. It was no surprise from the boy emerging from literally behind her seat. Most of their group's attentions were on the battle below, but Serena couldn't help but watch Conway's creeper tactics. "Heh heh heh, and how have you been Serena?"

"Eep! I-I've been great…" Serena squeaked out, not entirely happy with being noticed by the obvious stalker. "How have you been?"

"I've been quite good since we parted ways," Conway answered, still keeping up his infuriating habit of adjusting his glasses. "Of course, knowing that Dawn would be competing in such a prestigious tournament, I had no choice but to choose to compete. I hope we get the chance to face off again…"

"Yeah, great Conway, isn't your match up next?"

"So it is…so it is…heh heh heh…" Conway then slid away once again, like a phantom. When he was gone, Dawn let out a shuddering breath.

"I think he's been stalking me forever…if Kenny wasn't around for a time, I don't want to imagine how much I would have seen of him…" Serena had to let off a nervous giggle before turning back to the field as Conway and another KTT compatriot, Trent (she thought that was his name at least), took the field to battle it out.

A whole string of battles followed, each one filling Serena with tension more than the last one. There were plenty of random participants taking part with battles ranging from riveting to downright boring (which was most evident by Bonnie yawning), but any time one of their friends went up to battle, Serena felt a nervous pit form. Naturally, though, for each of their battle-hardened warriors, they had no reason to worry. Sawyer and Alain probably had the easiest matches up to that point, sweeping through with their ace Pokémon. Serena noticed that Alain didn't even need to Mega Evolve Charizard, but the small smile on his face (and Mairin's subsequent comment) told her he was having fun for once. Even for those going up against their fellow Ancien comrades like Clemont did well, perhaps a little too well in hardly taking a scratch, and Miette managed to defeat Nini in battle.

Eventually, the scoreboard showed that Ash's match would be the one following the current one.

"All right, guys! I'm up!" Ash said, he and Pikachu pumping their fists proudly.

"So am I!" Tierno said, standing up in the row behind him. Ash turned around to grin at his opponent, both of them reaching forward to shake hands. "May the best trainer win."

"You got it."

"Both of you, good luck," Serena encouraged them. Of course, in her mind she was certain Ash would win, and was rooting for him no matter the case, but she still wanted to show support for both sides. With everyone else's well-wishes, the two combatants headed for the hallways to get to the arena. Down below, the girl named Reeree, that had been on the new program the night before, was battling Kenneth and his Magnezone with a Delphox.

"Magne!" Magnezone cried out as its body began spinning across the metal-plated battlefield. Kenneth had given no verbal command, just like he had done in the Kalos Team Tournament, but Magnezone was acting all the same, striking right for Delphox.

"Delphox, use Hidden Power," Reeree commanded confidently. The Delphox on the field spun its wand around before thrusting it forward. Unlike her Braixen's Hidden Power, Delphox's were much smaller, but more numerous, as they rained out like homing missiles. Magnezone's spinning body instantly began to reflect the small orbs of light away from its body and Serena found herself very interested in watching. Magnezone began to slow down a little, but before it could slow too much, its body rammed into Delphox, tossing the Fox Pokémon back and tumbling against the steel plating.

"Kenneth is just the same as ever," Clemont commented as Magnezone returned to its trainer's side. "He never lets the opponent know what he's thinking."

"That girl doesn't, either," Alain said quietly, but enough for them to hear him. "She's only ordered a few moves, but every single one has been precise." Serena couldn't argue with that. Even as Sawyer noted the strategies used, Serena could tell each move had a purpose. Her initial move had been a Flamethrower to create enough visual distraction for Delphox to move into a decent position. She must not have anticipated the Hidden Power to do much damage, either, but it had slowed Magnezone enough to lessen the impact.

"Fire Spin, columns," Reeree ordered simply. Delphox, like its trainer, had no problem with keeping things curt and short, jabbing its wand forward. Serena recognized the strategy all too well, having utilized it quite often in battle, herself. Especially so if the opponent was above Braixen's head. Pillars of fire erupted from the metal plating, aiming in a row straight for the hovering Magnezone. The Magnet Area Pokémon didn't even move, it's magnet-like appendages raising into the air as a powerful column of fire erupted beneath it, trapping it within its vortex.

Serena frowned a little, intensely observing the battlefield when she saw it happen. A drop of water fell, and then another and another, until Serena could officially confirm that it was raining on the battlefield. That had been why Magnezone wasn't moving; it had been using Rain Dance. Sawyer excitedly commented on it from the seat behind her. "That's genius. Now all fire type moves are cut in half."

"I wouldn't cut that Delphox out yet…" Clemont noted. No one else said anything, too focused on the battle to do so.

"Fire Blast on the steel," the hooded girl commanded effortlessly. Delphox spun around, as if dancing, before plunging its wand onto the steel plate with a five-pronged burst of fire. The fire spread out and the plate began to glow red, its whole entire surface heating up quickly. Serena swallowed, and observed the rain tinkling on the heated metal. At first, it seemed negligible, but Serena noticed that little specks of steam were flying off from the surface. Magnezone was on the move and fired off a silvery shot of Flash Cannon. The attack collided with Delphox, knocking it off balance, but otherwise not affecting it. Kenneth wasn't done, though he clearly considered the battle over.

"Zap Cannon!" he ordered proudly. Through the falling rain, Magnezone's appendages spun around wildly before firing off a yellow blast of electricity that seemed so powerful through the rain, that the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. The attack struck Delphox…but not before Reeree had given an order.

"Use your wand as a lightning rod. Reduce the damage," she said and Delphox obeyed. The wand ended up taking the brunt of the Zap Cannon, though Delphox's fur was clearly sparking, and it was gritting its teeth from pain. Regardless of what it was, Reeree's original plan appeared to finally be taking root. The amount of steam from the rain hitting the steel plate was now pouring outward, obscuring the two Pokémon from view. "Now, Hidden Power!"

"Phox!" This time, the attack was very clearly meant to deal damage. The mini orbs streaked out once more, flying through the air and steam like silvery comets and colliding with Magnezone in very quick bursts that sent it spinning in an uncontrolled tumble through the air. Having cut through the steam and striking Magnezone, the rain began to cease, and the steam began to clear. But the battle was very obviously over, as Delphox had closed the distance between itself and Magnezone.

"Fire Blast," was the final harsh command as the tip of Delphox's wand touched onto Magnezone and then blasted off in a brutal torrent of flames, taking almost half a minute to finally cease. When it did, the result was more than obvious.

"Magnezone is unable to battle. The winner is Delphox. The victory goes to Reeree!" called the referee. The stadium, as per usual, began to cheer while Serena watched with only a light applause. She had been quite skilled…and for a moment, Serena wondered if she would have to face that Delphox at any given point. It seemed quite the daunting task, especially when the girl recalled her Pokémon and walked off the field with nary a word. Shortly after, the metal plate receded and was replaced with a beach setting. Thankfully, Kalas' voice rendered her thoughts about the girl inconsequential.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, don't get too excited over such a strategic battle, because I'm sure what's going to come next is sure to blow you away!" he roared with enthusiasm. Bonnie practically jumped out of her seat, and the murmurs of the audience all but spoke to their anticipation of the coming battle…and Serena was sure that it wasn't because of Tierno.

"In the red corner, a quarterfinalist in the Kalos League and once of the Ancien Warriors, everyone give a cheer for Tierno!"

"It's dancing time!" Tierno cried out. The crowd, like with every known name, roared appreciatively as Tierno danced onto the field, spinning around and skidding to a stop. He still had nothing on the next announcement, bringing a smile to Serena's face as she gripped her ribbon with a giddy feeling.

"And in the blue corner, the runner-up to this year's Kalos League, the MVP of the Kalos Team Tournament, a national sensation, a leader, and a regional hero, everyone get on your feet and cheer for ASH KETCHUM!" Kalas screamed, almost sounding like his voice was going hoarse. The whole stadium seemed like it was going to go hoarse from screaming. Serena didn't think it were possible, but he was certainly the most popular trainer there. Yet, to her bursting pride towards him, he seemed almost mortified, both he and Pikachu rubbing the back of their heads in embarrassment.

"Okay, buddy, ready to go?" Ash called out once the screaming subsided.

"Pikachu!" his ever-faithful companion assured him with sparking cheeks as he dropped onto the sand and surf. Serena stood at that.

"Good luck, yourself, Serena," Bonnie said, reaching over to take her hand and squeezing it.

"Yeah, we'll all be rooting for you," Clemont stated as if it were a given. Which, if she thought about it, it probably was.

"Thanks, guys," Serena stated. Turning away from the group, each of whom were watching the battlefield with rapt attention at the two friends ready to battle down below, Serena started off at a jog towards the hallway, hoping to not miss a moment of the match, despite her own being next.

"I had a feeling you'd choose, Pikachu, Ash," Tierno said loud enough for his voice to carry. Serena kept her eye on him while he tossed his pokeball into the air. From the brief burst of light, his Raichu emerged. "That's why I figured we'd have a Pikachu versus Raichu battle."

"Sounds good to me, Tierno!" Ash said happily. Serena shook her head a little, stopping at the entrance to the hallway. At that moment, the referee lowered his flag for the battle to begin. "We'll start it off. Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out bounding forward with a white burst of speed.

"Raichu, dance on and dodge it!" At Tierno's command, Serena had no choice but to turn away, hoping that she could catch it on the monitors in the hall. Judging from the sound of two bodies colliding, Tierno's dance strategy hadn't been outdone by Pikachu's speed. Feeling confident in Ash's chances, Serena jogged into the hallway and towards the hall for the red corner. Sure enough, the monitors in the hall were playing the battle as Pikachu bounded off of Raichu. "Raichu, use Dig!"

"Rai rai!" Raichu cried out before leaping into the air and digging his way underneath the ground. Serena couldn't stop the little smile.

"No way, Tierno! Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the ground!" Ash commanded, throwing his hand out. Pikachu leapt into the air, his tail glowing, before he slammed it down on the ground. Sand flew everywhere but Serena was surprised that Raichu hadn't been tossed out with it. Ash seemed to realize his own mistake as the ground was moveable, instead of solid. Raichu burrowed out from underneath Pikachu, sending him flying through the air. "You can take it, Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

"Pika pika pika chu pi!" Pikachu cried out, forming the crackling ball of electricity at the end of his tail and flinging it at Raichu.

"Use Focus Blast and cancel it!" Raichu called forth a yellow sphere of energy which he hurled at Pikachu's own orb. The two collided, exploding forth in a shower of sparks and sparkles. Pikachu landed on the ground following the attack, and as the trainers seemed to be deciding on their next moves, Serena continued down the red-lined hallway, passing a turnoff that led to some stairs where the cheers were muffled. Halfway down it, she stopped at the sight of the hooded girl, Reeree, watching the match on a monitor there.

"Raichu, let's use Charge Beam, and get 'em moving!" Tierno was ordering. Serena drew closer and saw Raichu spin around lightly on his feet with the orb of electricity that soon turned into a beam.

"Dodge it, Pikachu, and use Iron Tail on the sand again!" Pikachu instantly did as asked, rolling to the side to avoid the electric beam before slamming the sand, once more obscuring the area. "Now, let's confuse it!"

"Your moves won't throw off our rhythm, Ash. Use Dig!" Tierno said, moving back and forth in a couple of dance steps. Raichu emulated him before digging into the ground quickly.

"Pikachu, use your Quick Attack to keep your speed going. Don't let him know where you are!" Pikachu nodded and bolted forward. The sand made it difficult for him to gain much traction, but it seemed to be working because Tierno hadn't given the command just yet for Raichu to strike.

"He has a strategy…" Reeree noted in a low voice. Her voice sounded almost too familiar, like she'd heard her in a showcase or something…or maybe it was the fact that it was laced with a slight sniffle. "Ash…he…he has a strategy…"

"Really? Ash always figures something out, but he usually thinks on the fly," Serena told her kindly. The girl turned to her, but she still couldn't see the face underneath the hood.

"Hmm…good luck against Mimi," she said dismissively, almost condescendingly, before turning away from the monitor and walking away. "You'll need it against her, little princess."

"Uh…thanks?" Serena questioned, not understanding exactly what the girl was implying. Regardless, she was quickly gone from view and Serena turned back to the screen. While she was doing so, she noticed a small wet spot on the floor of the hallway, but regarded it as a mess that wasn't cleaned up. The dodging game on the screen had picked up to a feverish pitch as Pikachu came close to the water and Tierno made his move.

"Now, Raichu!"

"Rai!" Raichu cried as he came hurtling out of the sand, right at the border between the beach and the water.

"Perfect, Pikachu! Now, get into the air and hit Raichu from behind with Iron Tail!" Ash commanded. Pikachu planted his hind legs in the ground and with all the strength he could muster, leapt upward, sailing over Raichu's emerging head. Within the blink of an eye, his tail glowed and he slammed it into Raichu, sending the other Mouse Pokémon flying forward and into the water.

"Ah!" Tierno gasped out. "Use Thunder! Quick!"

"Your dancing moves won't help here, Tierno! Pikachu, use Electro Ball, and then Thunderbolt!" Pikachu quickly formed the orb of electricity, firing it off again at Raichu. Raichu's hands were spread wide, a nimbus of electricity and thunder forming over Pikachu. Once the Electro Ball hit, however, that came to a swift end.

"Pi…ka…chuuuuuuuuu!" The raging bolt of electricity aimed straight for Raichu, piercing through the water's surface and sending a powerful shockwave rippling across its surface for several seconds. When the attack ended, it took a few more seconds for Raichu to surface, utterly fainted.

"Raichu is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner, so the victory goes to Ash Ketchum!"

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu cried happily, bounding across the sand to Ash and leaping into his arms. Ash laughed giddily at their win, spinning around in place while Tierno appeared to recall Raichu with a slight frown that turned into a smile seconds later.

"And there you have it folks, Ash Ketchum has earned a decisive victory on day one!" Kalas announced to the crowd that was cheering loudly.

"No surprise he made runner-up, quite honestly. That Pikachu certainly packs a punch!" Goodshow laughed out heartily. The battle having finished, Serena turned towards the final stretch of the hall to the battlefield. She had a feeling of who she'd see coming out of it, and sure enough, Tierno was trudging down the hallway.

"You put up a great fight, Tierno," Serena said kindly to her friend. Tierno perked up at the sound of her voice, and for a moment, she thought he would hit on her, but he instead just smiled softly.

"Yeah, but Ash is somethin' else," he had to admit. "I can see why you fell for him…He's strong."

"There's more to it than that," Serena told him sweetly. Tierno nodded before reaching forward and putting his large hands on her shoulders.

"Well, good luck out there, Serena. You better win! I'm rooting for both you and Ash."

"Yeah," was the response she gave. At that, Tierno passed off a wave and began to trot down the hallway. Serena just continued until she was facing the exit to the battlefield. Taking in a deep breath, she stepped forward. She'd win this. She wasn't the same girl she was a few months ago. She wasn't going to give up on something she started. She wasn't going to break down and cry when things didn't go right. She was her own person; runner-up for the title of Kalos Queen.

Serena was going to win this.

"For our next match, coming from the red corner, you all know her: part of the winning KTT team, runner-up in the recent Master Class, and one of the starring Ancien Warriors, everybody give a warm welcome to the one and only Serena!" Taking that as her obvious cue, Serena stepped forward, affixed a smile to her face and waved to the crowd. The easiest thing to see was her group of friends, all screaming her name and cheering wildly. Ash, in particular was throwing his fist into the air proudly. More than that, the entire stadium was cheering at her entrance, as if she was almost as popular as Ash. "Facing off against her is the mysterious Mimi!"

Not as many screams or cheers filled the air with that one, but it was no surprise when no one knew who the girl was. That didn't matter; she was the opponent she needed to face in that moment. As both Serena and Mimi stepped into their trainer boxes, the honey-blonde performer noticed that the field had been swapped out for that of a canyon. It was quite the complex field, but Serena felt there were ways she could make use of it. Across the expanse of the canyon, the girl Mimi nodded at her, as if acknowledging her as an opponent.

"Meowstic, time for battle!" Mimi called out. Matching Serena's expectations, she saw the predominantly blue cat emerge, his ears folded in. Serena gripped her own pokeball and tossed it forward.

"Pancham, let's go!" she cried, and the Playful Pokémon emerged, sunglasses and all. "We're fighting a battle, so let's do our best, okay?"

"Pancham cham!" Pancham said, nodding with an adjustment of his sunglasses. At that, the referee lowered his flag, indicating that the battle should begin.

"Mind if I take the first move, little princess?" Mimi said, though there wasn't a sense of hostility or arrogance; it was more amusement. "Meowstic, use Disarming Voice, as loud as you can!"

"Meow….stiiiiiiiiiic!" screamed the feline. It was loud enough that the attack, firing off in purple heart-shaped projectiles, scraped along the edges of the canyon, ripping at the stones. Serena cringed a little, but wasn't backing down.

"Use Stone Edge!" Serena ordered. Pancham flipped forward, his little hand slamming down on the ground. From them emerged the glowing pillars of sharp-edged stones that flew through the canyon. "Now, get on top of them and flip over to the canyon's walls!"

"Pan!" Pancham confirmed, flipping on top of the stones he had created before flipping over to the wall and holding on. His evasion had been successful just as the Disarming Voice ripped through the stones and obliterated them.

"Psyshock!" Mimi ordered. Meowstic's ears unfurled a little and he created a purple orb in his hands that fired out in three rays that aimed right for Pancham.

"Roll through the air and land an Arm Thrust!" Serena quickly ordered for a counter. Pancham acknowledged by leaping off of the stone and spinning through the air. It was an absolutely perfect emulation of the Counter Shield technique that Ash had been using occasionally. Thanks to that, the Psyshock attack managed to barely graze Pancham, not stopping his assault in the slightest. As he slipped past the attack, his arms began glowing white as he aimed for Meowstic.

"Now, Psychic. Slam it into the canyon wall!" Meowstic's eyes glowed blue and it caught Pancham just before his attack was about land. With what seemed to be a tremendous effort, Meowstic then heaved Pancham to the side, where he slammed into the wall violently. Serena grimaced, but she knew now was no time to falter. She learned that all too well.

"Dark Pulse!"

"Shadow Ball!" Pancham, stabilizing himself on an outcropping of rock, summoned that dark nexus of swirling energy before firing it powerfully at Meowstic. At the same moment, the Psychic type formed a crackling ball of shadows by his mouth and let it fly. The two attacks collided, providing a momentary reprieve. Serena balled her fists as the crowd around them cheered. She needed to find a way to get around that Psychic or she couldn't get close.

That was when it became so easy. The cheering crowd, the battlefield, everything; it all put it into perspective. This wasn't a battle, but a performance. Sure, there was a target, but all she had to do was imagine that the canyon was the stage. And all she had to do now was make the field even. "Pancham, cover the canyon in Stone Edge!"

"Cham," was Pancham's positive response. He bounded off the canyon wall and spun downward to the floor, touching both paws down on the ground. Mimi, as expressionless as her mask made her, seemed a little surprised. From Pancham's hands erupted so many stones, it was impossible to find him in the midst of all of them.

"Rapid fire Shadow Ball. Mow them down." Meowstic's ears now unfurled and around him appeared numerous orbs of shadows. With a flick of his ears, the orbs sailed forward, colliding with the stones. However, it only managed to destroy the first layer of them, making them explode into glittering dust.

"We're not letting that work," Serena proclaimed. "Pancham, use the stones as a stepping point and use Dark Pulse!" Pancham was already on the move, flipping on top of the stones and sending the Dark Pulse firing. Meowstic, having just fired off the Shadow Balls could do nothing but stand there as the attack slammed into him, exploding with black sparks and sending him backwards.

"Psyshock!" Mimi ordered. From Meowstic's hand, the purple streaks sailed out towards Pancham with almost perilous accuracy.

"Dodge it using the canyon walls!" There was no desperation in her voice, and Pancham didn't appear to sense any because he managed to bound from the stones to the canyon walls as one of the beams sliced through them and destroyed them. The other two quickly attempted to home in on their mark. Pancham wasn't giving them a chance as he leapt away from the wall to the other side of the canyon. The second of the three beams impacted with the canyon, exploding against it. The other one, however, was much tighter and kept its hold on Pancham, who leapt back on the wall to the other side. He was mid jump when the third slammed into him, driving Pancham upwards.

"Disarming Voice!" Meowstic opened his mouth and the heart-shaped beam flew out to the descending Pancham, nailing him painfully. If this were to keep up, she knew that she'd certainly lose.

"Pancham! We're not giving up, right! This isn't over! Make a ring of stones!"

"Pan….cham!" Pancham cried out emphatically, righting himself as he hurtled through midair, making sure to touch the ground with his paws. From that singular point, the stones flew forward in a line until they created a ring that surrounded Meowstic and obscured its vision.

"Now, break them up!"

"Get rid of those-ah!" Mimi had near no time to give her Pokémon commands because Pancham did a somersault through midair, his arms glowing white as he slammed through the erected stones. As Pancham pushed through, all of the stones battered across Meowstic's body before he was slammed into the ground by Pancham's Arm Thrust.

"Finish it up with Dark Pulse!" Pancham, still with one hand on Meowstic wasted no time in summoning the black energy with his other hand before nailing Meowstic straight with it in a super-effective strike that exploded. When the dust cleared, Pancham flipped backwards and Meowstic was laying sprawled out on the ground.

"Meowstic is unable to battle! Pancham is the winner, which means the victor is Serena!" The crowd erupted with cheers and Pancham quickly ran back towards Serena as fast as his stubby legs could carry him, leaping straight into her arms.

"Ah ha! You were great, Pancham!" she cried happily. Across the field, she could see Mimi recall her Meowstic and look over at her with an indiscernible expression. It took a moment, but eventually the girl said something to her that only she could hear.

"You're pretty good, little princess," she said calmly. "Looks like I'm out of the tournament, but don't grow complacent now. You'll have a target on your back, and I'm sure Reeree will be real interested in you."

Serena could only blink, slightly confused by the statement of both well-wishes and threats combined. Regardless, she shrugged it off and hugged Pancham again. They had won. They had straight-up won in a one-on-one battle. No help. No assistance. No other Pokémon. It had just been the two of them, and they had won due to skill and strength. It made Serena happy beyond belief. Now she could truly say that she was catching up to Ash, even if she knew she'd never quite reach his skill level at all.

Regardless of all that, the cheers from her friends when she returned to her seat told her one thing: she was moving on to the next day of the tournament.

Author's Note: Another chapter, gone. As I mentioned in the last chapter, this was meant to be a part of it. Obviously, the length precluded that and I was able to show more fights as a result. Of course, I'm not showing any more of day one because it would drag on forever. Instead, I chose the most important ones, even if their importance isn't necessarily revealed yet. In particular, I needed to write Serena's battle. Obviously, in Teamwork, she lost her very first battle against Conway with Pancham. Flash forward to here, and she's able to win her one-on-one with Pancham. And yes, she's never outright won a one-on-one, always requiring someone's help, having a different style of battle (appeals) or using multiple Pokémon, so this was meant to be a big step.

Other than that, there was quite a lot in this chapter, from Ash's popularity, to Conway reappearing (in the only way he knows how), our further introduction to Reeree and Mimi and…whatever they're up to, amongst other character interactions. But don't worry! I know the plot seems…odd at this moment thanks to the tournament, but it'll pick up real soon. I promise.

Each of your lovely words fills me with joy as we go along this final journey together. Until the next chapter, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
For the first time I realize I have nothing to say on this particular note…Um…enjoy? Anyway, time for Chapter 4!

Chapter 4

A Horde​

Reeree enjoyed pictures.

To her, they represented a more beautiful time; a memory that could be captured and never let go of. It was a simple thing like that which so many people forgot. A picture, a painting, all of them could sear an indelible memory into one's soul. It was so different from fighting, where one moment you could feel a burning passion, and then the very next it was gone. There was nothing to hold on to. And all too often, Reeree felt there was something that desperately needed to be held on to.

"They're nice pictures, huh?" Mimi asked. She hadn't said anything for a long time, simply standing there with Reeree in the darkness. It was a comfortable friendship, one that Reeree wouldn't trade for anything in the world. It was one of the few things she had left after all. "Although, some are a little scary, huh?"

"Kalos is steeped in history, you know that," Reeree said quietly. However, her tone was laced with warning, as if reminding her to shut her mouth and move on. Mimi quirked an eyebrow, but didn't speak, heeding the warning. Reeree stepped along, her gaze briefly flitting upward to the moonlight filtering in through the high windows. Everyone else must have been asleep, but here she was losing herself in the pictures that lined the halls of the League Headquarters.

Feeling a sense of calm pervade her body, Reeree returned her focus to the pictures. Most of them were location paintings, beautiful landscapes that stretched as far as the imagination would let them. Then there were those that detailed history, bloody and violent. Not that anyone who looked at the pictures would be able to guess that was what they depicted unless they were a historian of some sort, but Reeree knew. More like she had to know.

"Once upon a time there was a noble and just king…" she spoke out, though it seemed to come more as singing, a haunting melody. Mimi closed her eyes at the sound of it, losing herself in the reveries of history. "That king loved all people, Pokémon and things. But the king could not stop the war to come, for people and Pokémon made the world undone."

"And then the flower went off to war," Mimi continued. Reeree stopped at her continuation of the lost poem of history. Her gaze lingered on the sight of a man, holding a single flower. To anyone else, it may have been a random picture, but it wasn't, and she knew that. "But what was it for? What was it for?"

"That flower came back in a little box, and the man, he could not deal with what was lost," Reeree proceeded, her haunting melody and song echoing off the hallway's stone walls. "And so he built it, terrible and great, that weapon that ruled over all the world and its fate. But when hatred sets in, it sets in deep, and this world for once, it knew its defeat."

"And the rest is lost to history…" Mimi concluded for her. Reeree stopped in front of one more picture. This one was a little blurrier than all the rest, but within the paint could be seen the shape of a blossoming flower of opalescent quality; the artist had truly captured its shimmer and the terrifying and palpable aura that surrounded it. "He'll be making his move soon, you know."

"I'm well aware of that," Reeree stated simply. She reached her hand out to allow her fingertips to brush against the oil painting softly. "You're the one who needs to be careful. Losing in the first round like that…and against Pancham, of all Pokémon."

"Hey, she was strong!" Mimi protested angrily. "I'd almost think she could give you a run for your money."

"I'd like to see that…" More silence in the empty moonlit halls. "Either way, just as our Father predicted, almost all of them made it through, and with little effort on their part. I'm hardly surprised."

"Father has been quite adept at predicting things, though it's hardly premonitions, and it hardly matters in the long run." Reeree didn't feel the need to point out that it was easy to predict things when you tried to manipulate all the little things.

"I wonder how long the other two will last in this tournament…though I'd imagine it matters little. We still need the final key, after all, and there's not much of a window left." Mimi nodded simply, her own thoughts clearly directed inward. Reeree continued to look at the painting and she could imagine fire surrounding it. Almost everything was in place, there was one key remaining hidden in the wider world, and they would get ahold of it first to tip the balance in their favor. It would all be over soon.

This filthy world would be over soon.

"Hello, hello, and welcome to the second day of the Peace Tournament!" Kalas' voice blasted out over the stadium. "Yesterday, you saw our 108 competitors whittled down to 54 by a show of strength, testing themselves within the heat of combat. Those 54 are now presented on the screen!"

Ash and Pikachu looked towards the screen where all fifty-four pictures were presented. Next to him, Serena was leaning forward in interest. Slipping his eyes over to look at her for just a moment, he smiled. She had been really awesome the day prior, the way she had managed to command Pancham to take down an opponent he was at a clear disadvantage against. Of course, she had told him that his words had encouraged her and helped her to keep a clear head, but he knew that she always had the ability to win.

In fact, they had all celebrated their win except for Tierno who didn't let his loss get him down. If anything, he was just as excited, dancing on top of a table while telling Ash to make sure that he got into those final three slots. He got yelled at by the waitress almost moments later. Serena had apologized for their group, but the woman still seemed to walk off grumbling until she'd slammed a platter of dinner foods before them.

"Pikapi, pika," Pikachu said from next to him, and Ash was pulled away from the reminiscence of the previous night. Instead, he focused on the commentator's words, drowning out the cheering crowd, and on the scoreboard with his and his friends' faces on it.

"However, today's battle is not a one-on-one format, oh, no! Instead, today's battle representation is…HORDE BATTLE!"

"Interesting…" Clemont commented, though Ash could barely hear him over the cheering crowd. "I quite wonder how they'll pull this one off."

"Okay, so…we have to fight a lot of Pokémon?" Dawn questioned. On her lap, Piplup was munching on something. "How are they going to judge us based on that?"

"Lup?" Piplup asked, looking up at his trainer before returning to munching on his cookie.

"To explain the intention and general format of this day's tournament portion is Vice President Michael," Kalas informed the crowd and they quieted enough to let the vice president explain things.

"Yesterday, our contestants were tested on their pure battle ability. However, the purpose of the Horde Battle is to judge how well they can handle difficult situations with numerous opponents. A swarm of them. A horde, if you will," Michael elaborated to the crowd at large. Ash found himself drinking in the words. It seemed like they were going to be fighting against a large group of Pokémon all at once. "To this end, every trainer will, as I'm sure most of you have guessed, be facing off against numerous Pokémon at once. They won't be alone, though.

"Every single Horde Battle is not a single trainer against an entire horde, but rather three trainers at once. This is not a team battle, let me stress that. Their goal inside of the competition is to rack up as many points as possible. Each Pokémon within the horde is worth a singular point, and the Pokémon horde is randomly selected, as is the battlefield. Also within the group is a differently colored member of that horde, which is worth a grand total of ten points. At the end of the ten-minute limit, or if the entire horde is eradicated, the two trainers with the highest amount of points will proceed to the next round."

"Whew, sounds complicated," Kalas chuckled out, trying to keep the crowd entertained. "Though, let's clarify for our audience: are the trainers allowed to interfere with their opponents on the field?"

"They are," was the simple response. "However, let it be known that this particular competition will be a battle in restraint as well. Should you faint any of your competitors' Pokémon instead of a member of the horde, you will be instantly disqualified and the round will end."

"Guess that makes their work cut out for them. But without further ado, let's present the eighteen different matchups for today's round of the competition." Ash scooted forward a little and watched as all the pictures flipped around and then began to shuffle themselves together, making it impossible to keep track of. Eventually, they stopped and flipped back over. Ash only had to look through the first three groupings of names to find his picture, along with Serena and Clemont's.


SERENA vs. DAWN vs. CHARLES

CLEMONT vs. REEREE vs. DEREK

ASH vs. CONWAY vs. POL​
"We're in the first three rounds. That's unusual," Serena commented. "Well, let's have a good match, Dawn." As she said this, both she and the bluenette stood, reaching across to grab each other's hands.

"Nothing says we can't work together to ensure we're in the next round, though," Dawn indicated with a wink. "Ash, can you stick with Piplup? I have somebody who wants to go out for me to impress a special someone."

"Pika?" Pikachu asked with titled ears and a questioning expression. Even Ash had a feeling to whom Dawn was referring but he nodded to ensure that he would watch over Piplup. Pikachu hopped from his shoulder to join his friend on the chair. Then Ash watched as Serena and Dawn left together. For a moment, he actually couldn't stop staring at Serena from behind; she held more confidence than she had the day before. He couldn't wait to see her on the battlefield.

He'd hardly said it aloud much, but anytime that Serena was doing anything lately (which hadn't been often after the Master Class) he was captivated by her movements and her Pokémon's movements. Of course, he knew that he was in love with her, that much was easy, but when little movements were starting to dazzle him, it reminded him of every reason he had fallen in love in the first place. It made his thoughts about the nearing end of his journey in Kalos concern his mind. Not that it was going to matter; he wanted Serena there, and for now, he would live in the moment.

"Let's welcome our first three trainers to the field. The field for this particular round is…Grassland!" Kalas announced. Ash turned his gaze to the battlefield down below and watched as the large chasm in the stadium was replaced by rippling grass fields. Stepping on top of it were the three trainers, each of them joining in the center to shake hands before going to a corner of the field. Ash paid most attention to the participant he didn't know: a boy with blond hair and an expensive looking suit. "Our first competitors today are Serena, our very own Kalos Princess; Dawn, a popular coordinator from the Sinnoh region; and Charles, whose family owns the Torchic Company, a popular distributor of…"

Ash could admit to zoning out. He just wanted to get to the battling. Whose parents owned what weren't important. Before any more announcements were made, each of the three trainers tossed out their Pokémon, with those pictures appearing next to the trainers faces on the scoreboard. As expected, Dawn had called out Buneary who sent a sudden wink up to the stands where Pikachu was sitting. Ash also wasn't surprised that Serena had called out Braixen, undoubtedly her strongest and best-equipped for dealing with large amounts of enemies (she certainly had enough practice). Meanwhile, their fellow trainer, Charles, sent out a Flareon that looked well-groomed.

"Now that our combatants have chosen their Pokémon, the horde Pokémon of choice is…" A roulette reel began to spin in the center of the scoreboard, circulating through a number of shapes until it stopped on a specific silhouette. That very picture colored in. "Plusle and Minun!"

"Oh, boy…" Ash said, leaning back in his seat. Both Pikachu and Piplup appeared to facepalm.

"What's wrong?" Shauna asked from the seats behind him. Ash turned around, noticing that everyone but Alain was looking at him with interest.

"Uh…Dawn has some…issues…with Plusle and Minun. Or she did, at least," Ash told them with a nervous chuckle. He wasn't about to tell them the whole story (considering Dawn would probably kill him) but it was enough to make him turn back to the stadium. "Serena, Dawn, just do your best!"

"Yeah! Go, go, Serena and Dawn!" Bonnie cheered out with Dedenne, kicking her legs back and forth. Both girls looked up to their part of the stadium and raised their fists in the air. That old sign of victory having returned, Ash raised his fist as well, along with the others in their situation except for Alain and Mairin, who looked confused.

"There are fifty Plusle and Minun in total. The top two trainers at the end of the ten-minute limit will proceed to the next round," the referee on the last remaining portion of the field announced. "Horde Battle, begin!"

"Buneary, let's start things off with a little Ice Beam!"

"Bun bun!" Buneary cried out, opening her mouth and firing out a wide beam across the grass field. All too instantly, the entire battlefield was covered in a sheet of ice, crystallizing and giving off a shimmer that was reflected in the sunlight. Buneary hardly needed Dawn's command to twirl forward and begin skating upon the ice. At this moment, Ash noticed the first of the horde emerging onto the battlefield from ports on the side of the stadium. Keeping his gaze on Dawn a moment longer, he noticed her stiffen just a little but keep her cool.

"Flareon, use Incinerate. Get rid of this annoying ice," the trainer, Charles, said dismissively. Flareon shot out a globe of flame out onto the field. As it came to impact in the center of the ice field, it mowed through three of the Plusle that had come out before striking and melting the ice. It turned into water, seeping into the grass underneath. On the scoreboard, the number "3" appeared next to Charles' name.

"Come on, Serena! Get some points!" Bonnie called out. Whether it was because of the younger girl's words or not, Serena finally sprang into action.

"Sorry, Dawn, but I have to get rid of your ice field! Braixen, use Flamethrower!" Braixen jumped upward and spun in a pirouette before pointing her wand out. A gush of flame burst out in a massive stream that eclipsed much of the field as she swept it along, melting all of the ice. A number of Plusle and Minun were caught in the attack. As the flames got close, Buneary jumped up and somersaulted over them. When the torrent of flames ended, Ash saw that all the ice was gone, and the grassland was no longer a grassland, but more of a muddy mire…in which the Plusle and Minun were stuck. Buneary appeared just fine.

"That works for me! Buneary, use Bounce!" Buneary landed quickly on a dry patch and bounded upward with strength, slamming her feet into a nearby Minun. She appeared to use that as a springboard to fling herself toward the next one and slam into it. "Alternate with Dizzy Punch!"

"Bun bun Buneary!" Buneary cried as she bounced on another Plusle and then flipped through the air to strike with a glowing, elongated ear, driving two into the ground at once. Ash looked to the scoreboard. Of the fifty Plusle and Minun, Dawn was in first place with a whopping ten points, followed by Serena with five and Charles with three. The last two weren't taking their points quite so lightly, and the horde was beginning to attack back as a number of them were surrounded by a blue aura of electricity that exploded outward.

"Use Fire Blast to defend!" Serena commanded. Braixen held her wand forward and shot the five-pronged attack at the bursts of electricity. The two attacks collided and canceled each other out, only for an orb of fire to slam into Braixen's side. Of course, Ash thought, you can interfere with your competitors as long as you don't faint them. "We're not taking that! Braixen, use Hidden Power!"

"Brai!" Braixen confirmed, the swirling orbs of Hidden Power appearing around her wand before she flung it and the silver spheres went cascading into the field. One of them veered off course and struck Flareon, pushing it back, but only barely. The remaining four spheres broke into the attacking Plusle and Minun, defeating them and adding another four points to Serena's score. She didn't stop there.

"Fire Spin, get onto the field, but look out for the water," she ordered of her top Pokémon. Braixen nodded and shot off into the field. As she ran, her wand continued to switch hands, tapping different places of the ground to make columns of Fire Spin erupt outward. Some of the opposing Pokémon's attacks hit her, but Braixen kept going. By the time she'd cleared the field, she'd left a slew of Plusle and Minun in her wake, adding another seven points to Serena's score and putting her in the lead. Half the time remained, and less than half of their horde remained with it.

The air changed, and Ash could feel that the other Pokémon were getting more desperate. Even Pikachu and Dedenne seemed to ruffle themselves at the charge permeating the air. Sure enough, a group of five Plusle and Minun had joined together in the middle of the stage, when Ash noticed something: a Minun at the top with green colored ears. Those on the battlefield seemed to realize it as well.

"Buneary, Ice Beam at their feet!"

"Flareon, cancel that out with Flame Burst! Then use Overheat on the stragglers," Charles said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Flareon ran forward into the mud and shot out a shot of flame that went straight for the blue beams spurting from Buneary's mouth. The two attacks collided, a thin layer of steam exploding from them. Buneary jumped backwards as Flareon reared back with a powerful cry, slamming its legs down and sending out a great torrent of flame around the area. It quickly added five more points to Charles' score as the timer was ticking down. He was still behind the front runners, though.

"Dawn, looks like we have to work together to stay at the top!" Serena called out. "I'll provide the distraction we need!"

"On it! Buneary, head for Braixen!" Buneary bounded forward, aiming straight for Braixen. Ash noticed the timer was getting very close to ending. If Charles took out just a couple more, Dawn would be out of the competition. With only a minute left, and the combined pyramid of Pokémon having used their Discharge to completely negate the earlier Overheat, they had to find a way to circumvent it.

As it turned out, Serena and Dawn had. Buneary had leapt over to Braixen and gotten on top of her wand. With that, Braixen heaved her wand and sent the bunny flying through the air, right towards to group of Pokémon. Ash scooted forward, wanting to see the very clear result. With an absolutely gleaming smile, he watched as Serena ordered Braixen to use a Fire Blast that not only prevented Flareon from getting close to the clustered group but also forced the Plusle and Minun to divert their attack solely to blocking the blow. It left them vulnerable up above.

"Now, Buneary, use a spinning Dizzy Punch!" Dawn yelled. Right above them, Buneary went spinning through the air, right for the green eared Minun on top. Her ears glowed white and then she slammed into the pyramid, slapping each of her opponents around with her ears until the entire set was defeated and the bell suddenly rang. The final score tallies were placed on the screen.


DAWN 24

SERENA 16

CHARLES 8​
"Time is up!" Kalas' voice rang out. "And given the current standing of the points, the trainers passing onto the next round…are the lovely maidens, Dawn and Serena!" The crowd gave a wild cheer as all three participants called back their Pokémon after thanking them and proceeded to leave the field. The water-infested grass field sunk below the surface, all to set up for the next battle. To that, Clemont stood.

"Go and win, Clemont!" Bonnie encouraged her brother.

"I will!" he said emphatically before turning and walking off. Serena and Dawn returned before he and his opponents took to the field.

"You guys did great out there!' Ash assured the both of them positively.

"Yeah, you and Braixen were even more in sync than usual, Serena," Shauna praised her performance. Serena laughed slightly nervously with words of thanks and took her seat. Ash, feeling happier and prouder than ever, decided to put his arm around her to watch the next battle. She appeared to blush a little at the contact, but leaned into it.

"Time for the second round, folks! Battling it out on the Marshland, it's the Lumiose Gym Leader and Electric type expert, Clemont!" Clemont received quite the cheer, similar to the one Serena had gotten, though it was no surprise; he had been just as much a part of those incidents as he and she had. "Also on the field is the mysterious and frightful tactician, Reeree, along with Derek, who competed in the Kalos League just a few weeks back!"

At the conclusion of Kalas' words, the three combatants on the field tossed their pokeballs towards the swampland. From Clemont's pokeball emerged Chespin, though it was hardly a surprise with the land's layout. On the other side, the girl Reeree sent out her Delphox once more. Serena sat forward, as if interested. Derek, a rather lanky trainer with a rather plain face, sent out a Haunter. The roulette of horde Pokémon began to spin rapidly.

"And our combatants in this round will be facing off against…a horde of Wooper!" Each trainer, sans Reeree, seemed to tense in their readiness for the battle as the Wooper began to emerge from the water within the marshland. Then the referee lowered his flag.

"Haunter, use Poison Jab!" Derek commanded as the first of the Wooper popped out. Haunter floated quickly through the air, both of its disembodied hands glowing even more purple than its gaseous body already was. Then both of its hands flew out, slamming the group of Wooper upwards quickly. Before they could hit the ground, Clemont had leapt into action.

"Finish them off with Vine Whip, Chespin!"

"Pin pin!" Chespin agreed, the vines stretching out from his neck to whip into the midair Wooper. Ash's face stretched into a toothy grin. Clemont was really pulling out a brilliant strategy, pulling away points from his opponent like that. Strangely enough, though, the girl Reeree hadn't quite made her move yet, like she was observing her opponents, watching how they fought. On the scoreboard, the points had been awarded evenly at three points to both Derek and Clemont.

"Get Chespin away with Ominous Wind!"

"Brace yourself!" Chespin retracted his vines and crossed his arms in front of himself as Haunter spun around, making swift rotations in midair. From those rotations, an eerie looking burst of gray wind blasted out, buffeting Chespin, who began to be pushed back towards the edge of the arena. "Lock your vines into the ground to prevent yourself from sliding, then fling yourself forward!"

"Ches…." Chespin grunted out, following Clemont's commands by planting his vines deep into the ground, holding out against the wind. Once it started to cease a little, he followed-up on Clemont's other command and flung himself forward, sailing straight for Haunter. "…piiiiin!"

"Great job, Chespin. Now use Pin Missile!" Chespin's spines glowed brightly before sending a stream of green missiles sailing out. Haunter looked at them and whooshed out of the way, but it was obvious that the Gas Pokémon was hardly Chespin's target. The attacks completely missed it, knocking into the Wooper. Some of them countered with a well-timed Water Gun or Mud Bomb, but Clemont managed to all too easily bring in another four points.

"Yeah! Go, Clemont! That's my big brother!"

"I hope he's paying attention to that Reeree girl," Serena said worriedly. Ash frowned at her concern, but he couldn't help but agree. She'd yet to make a move, but if her battle from the day before was anything to judge by, she was a particularly strong opponent.

"All right, great job, Chespin, let's bring in some more points!"

"I'm not letting you! Haunter, use Shadow Claw on that Chespin."

"Intercept, Delphox." The entire crowd almost seemed to roar with approval that the last of the three had finally made her move. However, it proved to be a very unusual move. Instead of countering with an attack, or going after the horde, Delphox flitted forward, right in front of Chespin to take the Shadow Claw head on.

"What the hell, girl? ! Are you insane?"

"Inventor boy, we can team up can't we?" Reeree said confidently. Clemont surveyed her with a healthy amount of skepticism, pushing his glasses up by their bridge.

"I guess so…" he answered tentatively.

"Good, then I'll cover for you while you take away his points. Though, first…use Hidden Power!" Delphox's wand glowed with the numerous amount of mini-spheres before firing out powerfully. They struck into about six Wooper, adding those points next to Reeree's face on the board.

"Like I'll let you do that. This is a free-for-all. Haunter, use Ominous Wind on all the Wooper you can!" Derek ordered passionately. Clemont ignored the incoming attack to order Chespin to attack all the Wooper with a wide sweeping Vine Whip. He managed to sweep through two of them before a rogue Water Gun blasted at the Spiny Nut Pokémon's face and sent him tumbling back. At this point, Haunter was unleashing its Ominous Wind…only for Delphox to stand in the middle of it. It didn't even try to defend, but took the powerful attack head on.

"Is she…?" Ash questioned, finally seeing the game that Reeree was trying to play. It wasn't about points or alliances at all.

"She's playing on psychology," Alain confirmed. "Clemont has proven that he won't attack the other opponent if it means losing points, so she went for someone who would. She's baiting him into attacking in a wide area."

"But why?" Serena and Sawyer managed to ask at the same time. Ash tapped his chin thoughtfully as down below, Haunter fired off another barrage of Poison Jabs. Only one of them managed to find their mark on a Wooper. Instead, Delphox took the brunt of all the attacks.

"She wants to end the round," he concluded. That drew more looks from his friends around him, even Pikachu. "By forcing Delphox to take the attacks, she's ensuring that Delphox faints quickly, disqualifying Derek without any hassle. It's a bold move…and a little sick…"

"Like Paul…" Dawn commented. "He sacrificed Aggron and Gastrodon just to draw out your team, and what she's doing is no different." Ash agreed with that, even if he didn't actually say it aloud. Rather, he kept his gaze intensely focused on the battle unfolding below as Haunter rushed in with Shadow Claw, only for a Fire Spin to erupt between it and its target, forcing it to keep it in the battle with Delphox. She really was a tricky tactician.

"That's enough. Use the biggest Ominous Wind that you can and blow away every single Wooper on the field! We'll earn all the points and show them for getting in our way!"

"Chespin, quick, use Pin Missile to get the Wooper into the air and then Vine Whip to smash them down!"

"Pin pin ches!" Chespin cried out, firing the green projectiles that exploded all over the marshland, making water and mud fly everywhere along with the Wooper. As Haunter started swirling around quickly and the gray wind began blowing, Chespin's vines shot out and slammed all the Wooper into the ground, giving Clemont even more points…regardless of whether the points mattered or not.

At that moment, the gray wind reached a fever pitch. At the same moment, Delphox gracefully slammed its wand into the ground, creating a ring of fire that trapped it and Haunter within the same area. It was dual purpose, and Ash could see that right away. Not only did the attack not reach the Wooper thanks to the barricade of flames, but Delphox had nowhere to turn and was struck point blank by the powerful Ghost attack. It flew back, straight through the flames until Delphox was slammed against the wall, completely out cold. The bell rang instantly.

"Delphox is down! Owing to fainting an opponent's Pokémon, Derek is disqualified from the tournament! The trainers moving on are Clemont and Reeree!"

The crowd appeared to be mixed on that one, half of them cheering and the other half murmuring, as if they'd no idea what had just happened. Ash did, though, and as he watched the dejected trainer watch Reeree curiously he decided that he wasn't going to let the same thing happen to him. Not in the slightest. Removing his arm from around Serena he stood as Pikachu leapt off his shoulder, like he read his mind.

"Stay with Serena, buddy. I'm going to win this," he said confidently. Responding pleasantly to his friends' words of encouragement, Ash kept his gaze on the field. More accurately, he watched the girl, Reeree, retreat. She had told him everything he needed to know about making it past this round of the tournament. You could work together. You could bait your opponents. You could steal points from your opponents. Knowing all of that, though, Ash had the perfect Pokémon in mind for his battle.

"Good luck, Ash. I know you'll make it through," called Clemont's voice as the lemon-blond passed by him in the hallway.

"Yeah. You did great, Clemont." The two quickly exchanged a fistbump with one another as they continued in opposite directions. Fixing his gaze upon the goal in sight, Ash smiled and adjusted his hat. Two of his best friends (well, one was his girlfriend, but he sometimes saw that as an upgraded version of best friends) had already made it through. Now it was his turn. As he came close to the exit, he saw that the field had already been brought up: a badlands setting.

"Now introducing our third round combatants, it's your hero, Ash Ketchum!" Like the day before, the crowd erupted in cheers. Ash had to admit it was getting quite mortifying. He could only imagine what his mother would say if she was seeing this (which, he realized soberly, she probably was). "Joining him on the battlefield are the scientific genius, Conway, and the unknown, but powerful trainer, Pol! Their battlefield is the Badlands!"

Ash strode onto the field, keeping his mind in the game to avoid being distracted by the crowd. With little trepidation or nervousness, Ash walked forward to the center of the field where both Conway and this Pol character, a guy who looked more thug than trainer with his beanie cap and sunglasses, were waiting. All three extended their hands, though Pol appeared to do it begrudgingly.

"Let's have a great battle, guys," Ash said to them. Pol just scoffed and turned away, heading for his section of the field. Conway shrugged.

"I certainly hope so as well. Good luck, Ash, heh heh heh…" Ash wasn't sure what to make of Conway's usual creepy mannerisms as he slunk away, so he just headed for his own section, and grabbed his pokeball from his belt as his opponents did the same.

"Noivern, I choose you!"

"Vern!" Noivern cried as he emerged, spreading his wings wide before landing on the rocky surface. At the same moment, Dusknoir (to Ash's expectations) came out from Conway's side while a Drapion was sent out by Pol.

"And the horde Pokémon for this particular battle is…Gible!"

"Perfect! Noivern, you're ready for this, right?" Noivern spread his wings wide, indicating that he was ready for battle. Once more, Ash took the opportunity to adjust his hat and smile up at his friends. Then the referee lowered his flag. "Let's start off with Supersonic on Dusknoir!"

"Veeeeeern!" Noivern cried, shooting off like a jet towards Dusknoir. Ash still kept another eye peeled on Pol's Drapion, which he was already giving orders to. Ash looked to see the powerful soundwaves emerging from Noivern's ears as they slammed into Dusknoir, causing the Gripper Pokémon to grow confused. One complication off his back, Ash turned his attention to the emerging Gible and the Drapion that was attacking them with Pin Missile.

"As calculation defying as ever, Ash…clever, eliminating the possibility of Trick Room like that," Conway said with a snicker.

"Well, I'm not going to let you put a stop to Noivern!" Ash said with his trademarked grin. "All right Noivern, fly close to the ground and use your echolocation to find the location of all the Gible underneath the ground. Memorize them!"

"Like I'll give you a chance! Drapion, use Cross Poison, send it at Noivern!" Pol argued in a gruff voice. That caused the grin to drop from Ash's face. He sounded so harsh and familiar, but that was of little concern when a great purple X was flung Noivern's way as he scanned along the ground.

"Spin and dodge, then use Boomburst to force all the Gible out of the ground!" Ash ordered. It was a complex command, but he had full faith that his Pokémon would be able to pull it off. Sure enough, Noivern spun in midair, sailing right under the intersection of the Cross Poison before snapping his wings out to sail back along the ground. As ordered, large and powerful soundwaves blasted out from Noivern's large ears, slamming into the ground and ripping apart every stone and clot of dirt that it could. As expected, over a dozen Gible were ripped from out of the ground. "All right, now zoom through using Dragon Claw!"

"Intercept with Pin Missile!" This guy wasn't giving up, but Noivern was too fast, even for the quick attack given off by Drapion. With all the skill of an expert flier, bested only by Talonflame, Noivern zipped through the air, his claws glowing green. Spinning once to avoid the Pin Missile, Noivern moved in a very quick zigzag pattern, similar to when using Acrobatics to cut across each Gible with a Dragon Claw and slam them into the ground. It took only seconds for all of the Gible to be knocked out. Ash turned his attention to the marauding Drapion, and knew what he had to do.

"Noivern, move in close on Drapion!"

"Get ready to intercept." It was almost a tense face-off as Noivern sailed at high speed right for Drapion and the scorpion waited for him to make a move. Then they were almost within a hair's breadth of each other. "Now, Poison Fang, let's go!"

"Dorap!" Drapion cried, its fangs glowing purple as it attempted to take a bite out of Noivern. Ash wasn't allowing that to happen.

"Use Acrobatics and plant Drapion's head into the ground!"

"Vern!" Noivern screeched, backing up right as Drapion took a bite out of the air, leaving behind its purple sickly glow for just a brief second. Noviern's body glowed with a turquoise hue as he zipped through the air before landing his attack right on top of Drapion's head and driving it down. The earlier Boomburst had managed to shift the rock formation slightly, allowing for Noivern's strength to pierce through it and trap the Poison type's head deep inside. With both his opponents neutralized, Ash decided to make a move before either could recover.

"All right, Noivern, let's do it again! And look for that specially colored one!" Noivern nodded as he streaked along the ground once more, sending off short bursts of soundwaves to locate all of the present Gible. Ash looked over to see that Dusknoir had practically recovered when Conway suddenly had an idea. At the same time, Noivern gave a sharp cry to indicate he'd found his target. "Let's act quick!"

"Dusknoir, Shadow Punch."

"Noir!" The cry was strangled, the confusion still having a hold over it. Instead of attacking any particular target, however, the shadowy punches were turned back on the Ghost type, pummeling its own self. Ash almost cringed; Dusknoir was likely back to normal. Thankfully, Noivern had skimmed along the ground with a destructive Boomburst to draw out their targets, including a Gible that was bright blue in color.

"Now, use Acrobatics and Dragon Claw at the same time!"

"Trick Room!" Ash almost held his breath as Noivern's speed picked up, claws glowing green and he slashed forward, slashing at one Gible before slicing at another. It was going to be close, and it didn't help that Drapion had used its tail to dig itself out. Pol quickly ordered a Pin Missile. The Trick Room had nearly closed in around the arena as Noivern's speed burst petered out and he made a final slash on the bright blue Gible, grabbing it with the green claw and going down with it to ground level.

The Trick Room closed. The Pin Missile slowed. Conway was standing there with shiny glasses of triumph, but Ash already knew that he could breathe. He'd done what he set out to do. Dusknoir was much faster on the move now, cleaning up what was left of the Gible on the field with furiously quick Shadow Punches. Drapion and Noivern, with their speed, stood no chance of getting an attack off against the Gible. It was hard to tell from the look on Pol's face, but as Dusknoir cleared out the final Gible, Ash had a feeling that the boy had greatly underestimated the both of them, leading to such a horrible performance. Though the situation could have easily been reversed, and Ash knew that.

"That's it folks! All of the Gible have been wiped off the field, and what a show it was! It's nearly unprecedented, a trainer taking more than half the points available within a few moves!" Kalas said with joyous enthusiasm. Ash, no longer stuck in the moment, looked at the scoreboard for his results.


ASH 36

CONWAY 18

POL 5​
Ash didn't need to hear the responses to know that he was going on to the next round. He didn't even need all the raucous cheers from the crowd at his supposedly amazing performance. All he needed was Noivern returning to him with such a look of triumph; and all Noivern needed was the look of pride he'd given him. "You were great, Noivern. Did you have fun?"

"Vern!" Noivern informed him with a flap of his wings. Ash laughed proudly as the Soundwave Pokémon pulled him into a hug. Responding in kind to his beloved Pokémon with a pat on the head, Ash watched Pol recall his Drapion with his mouth twisted into a scowl.

"Worthless…" he seemed to mutter. The whole scene struck Ash as odd, and familiar.

"As ever, you defy all calculations, Ash," Conway suddenly said from next to him, and both he and Noivern jumped. Clearly, Conway didn't just sneak up on Dawn like that. "At least we're both moving on."

"Yeah, maybe next time we'll work together," Ash chuckled out. He extricated himself from Noivern's hug and returned the dragon as both he and Conway made their way off the field together to let the next round begin (a set of trainers that Ash had only seen battle yesterday). Still, looking back to the point where Pol had left the field, he got a very eerie feeling that he couldn't explain.

It was gone by the time he'd returned to Serena, who had led a practical group hug in celebration of Ash's victory (Alain didn't take part and Serena had topped it off with a light kiss), but the general thought was still there and he couldn't shake it. Something was starting to feel very wrong about this tournament and some of its competitors. Regardless, he sat down, and pushed the thought from his mind to watch the battles, hoping that his momentary ridiculous thought was wrong.



"Ash Ketchum has moved onto the next round. Are you surprised, Mr. President?"

Jack's ears perked up, but he didn't move from the spot he was kneeling. One of his subordinates was watching the Peace Tournament coverage some distance away, trying not to disturb him. The tournament seemed to be proceeding apace, and he knew that it was both a good and a bad thing. Not that it was any surprise for Ash to progress quite handily through the tournament, along with those that had gathered with him. Jack hadn't been keeping up too much with the tournament, but he liked to attend it vicariously through his men. It was truly the only one of his matches he hadn't been able to attend in the recent years.

"Sounds like it's heating up," Lionel commented, leaning against a stone face. "He's really one of the best trainers in Kalos, isn't he?"

"So are his friends," Aidan said, striding forward. Jack tilted his head, noticing that a young recruit was at his side, looking all too apprehensive, as though scared he would have his head chopped off.

"Your son isn't taking part in tournament, I noticed," Lionel directed towards Aidan, though the blond didn't give a direct answer.

"Regardless, sir, our scouts at the tournament and elsewhere have returned," Aidan replied, ignoring Lionel and his remarks completely. Jack quirked his eyebrow, shifting a bit on his knees to look back at the scout in the darkness, lit only by the moonlight. What an eventful day it must have been if the man was shaking that hard.

"There's no reason to be nervous, Derek. Just tell us what you know," he said softly, trying to calm the man. Clearly his words had the reverse affect, causing the boy to shut his mouth. It wasn't like he'd be angry; Derek's main goal was to gather information, not win the Peace Tournament; the same goal that his participation in the Kalos League had. His loss had no effect on their overall plan.

"While Derek gets his mouth in working order, we have a report that the third key was taken from its burial site," Aidan informed him. Jack frowned, but reached a hand out, touching it to the cool stone in front of him. "Looks like we're all even now."

"So we are…We'll all have to act on every angle we can: the forest, the man…the tournament. Please, Derek, inform us: were they there?"

"Y-yes, sir, Red!" Derek replied with a salute. "I don't think they knew I was a member of ARC but I clearly saw at least four members of DARC at the tournament. I followed the one who lost to Ash and…they're making their move tomorrow, I think."

"Tomorrow, huh?" Jack said. He patted the stone in front of him and began to stand. "Looks like things are moving quickly now. Good thing we're all prepared, and everyone is ready to carry out their duties. So, don't be afraid, Derek. You did well making it to the point that you could confirm things. No need to shake. And no need to call us by our code names, either; you're in good company."

"My apologies, sir…Mr. Ketchum, sir," Derek practically stuttered out. Jack smiled.

"No worries…Looks like DARC took our declaration quite seriously," the black haired man replied. In the light of the moon, covered only by shadows, the z-shaped markings on his face, small though they were, became evident. "Time for ARC to bring the war to them, then…"

"And your plans?" Aidan asked curiously. Jack just smirked and turned away, allowing his gaze to cast over the wide field he had been before. No…not a field, but a graveyard filled with countless souls of the fallen. Those he had killed. In that moment, though, none of it mattered, because he had one thing on his mind.

"I'm going to the Peace Tournament to face my son."


Author's Note: So, our second day concludes of the Peace Tournament. Obviously, I'm not showing every single round or battle, because it would both kill me and be so utterly pointless that you'd wonder what the hell I'm doing. To that extent, I'm showing the relatively important ones while building up the plot. Of course, if you couldn't tell, the next chapter is when the real plot is kicking in (as if it hasn't already…) Hopefully, though, you've enjoyed the battles I've provided thus far and found them, maybe, different.

Beyond that, yes, I've dropped some bombs on you this chapter! Well…one bomb! But still, Mimi and Reeree's conversation is important to the plot if you haven't guessed what it's about yet. The clues are all there, however, and sheds some light on the inner workings of DARC. And, of course, the end: Jack is Ash's father. Yes. Why Jack? Well, obviously the codename of Red is reference, but the name Jack is from the fact that his name is one of the default names you can choose in RBY so I went with it because it sounded right. But the graves, on the other hand…well, that and his enigmatic words are mysteries yet to be solved.

I'm very grateful to have you all here, sharing your words and helpful, realistic wisdom with me, and I hope you continue to do so. Until the next chapter, Review, and Dare to Be Silly.
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Time for Chapter 5!
Chapter 5

A Plot​

"For all your Peace Tournament coverage, it's the Battle Show, hosted by the tournament's very own Harrison Kalas," the voice announcer blared over the television. Ash turned his head from his position on his bed to watch the screen. Near him, seated on the ground, was Serena, who was currently brushing Pikachu's fur. Meanwhile, Clemont was working on an invention as Bonnie had joined Ash on the bed, laying on her stomach and kicking her legs up and down. It was getting late, but Ash was interested in what they'd talk about regarding the first two days of the tournament.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Battle Show, where we talk about the latest televised battles," said the enthusiastic tones of Kalas. Ash scooted forward to listen. "Today's topic, as you all know, is the ongoing Peace Tournament. Here to speak regarding the battles is Kalos Champion Diantha via teleconference."

"Ooh, it's Diantha! Clemont, come look!" Bonnie said cheerily.

"I'll be there in a-" Boom! "Coming…" Ash ignored the slight plume of smoke in the corner of their room and watched the camera split screens to reveal the Kalos Champion, sitting with her usual dignified presence in another room.

"Now, Champion, as I take it, you're joining the festivities of commentating on our fourth day, correct?"

"Indeed," Diantha said courteously. "No worries, however. I've been keeping up with the progress, and we've seen some rather excellent battles over the last two days, and some extremely unorthodox strategies today."

"I completely agree. First, let's show our viewers some brief clips of the first two days, and then we'll talk some highlights." Following Kalas' words, clips suddenly flashed across the screen. It was surprisingly well put together as a selection of clips, almost like a Pokevision video. The first day flashed by rather quickly as Absol put a swift end to Garchoo, Pikachu shocked Raichu in the water, Pancham slammed through the stones, and Ash caught quick moments of the two Charizard in the competition (owned by Alain and Trevor respectively) as Trevor's Mega Evolved to put an end to its un-expectant opponent. Clemont was also briefly shown with Luxray wiping out a Pinsir with Wild Charge.

After this, clips from that day's competition were shown, mostly in chronological order. Ash looked down at his girlfriend when it showed her and Dawn working together to bring out a near flawless victory. That made him happy, though she seemed focused on brushing Pikachu's fur still. When he looked back over, it was showing a brief shot of his own battle and the mysterious Pol. He frowned a little, but moved past it to the battle between Alain, Sawyer, and some other random trainer. Despite neither of them using their Megas, instead using Bisharp and Aegislash, the two had taken more than an ample enough of points, with Alain having quite a bit more than Sawyer. It was nice to see him shake Sawyer's hand afterwards. Perhaps the most brutal battle to watch was the matchup between Trevor, Shauna and Miette. Despite the two friends working together, Miette was actually able to keep them on their toes. He had to admit that he found her impressive in her use of Cotton Spore to drive them apart and snag points. Shauna was kicked out, just like Tierno the day before.

"Miette's even better than she was in the Kalos Team Tournament," Serena commented. There was a bit of annoyance scrawled on her face, but it was just a passing look. "I wonder if we'll actually have the chance to compete against each other this time?"

"If you do, you'll win," Ash said, as though the result were obvious. Serena nodded as Ash watched her, and for a second, Ash considered asking her about something, specifically what Miette had been talking to her about on the day they'd all reunited, but Diantha and Kalas were back on the screen so he forgot it.

"Quite the talented battlers, no?" Kalas asked of the Champion.

"Most certainly," Diantha said politely. "No doubt those who made the semis of the Lumiose Conference are the frontrunners of the tournament. Ash and Alain have shown masterful command of the competition, and I don't think they're using their full strength yet. Sawyer, as well, is an opponent to reckon with."

"I wouldn't count out some of the dark horses in this competition," Kalas pointed out, leaning on the news desk. "Reeree has been making quite the name for herself at this competition and I'd love to see a battle between her and our frontrunners at this point."

"As would I. I'd also like to see a battle between some of the lesser known battlers like Serena, Dawn and Miette. All three are trainers that haven't been involved with the battle circuit, but have put up very impressive showings and tactics in the first two days to assure victory."

"Yes, yes, and Clemont and Trevor as well. One's a big name, but his battles haven't shown a high level of strength or technique so he passes under the radar."

"I can't help that…" Clemont seemed to cry out as Bonnie consoled her brother.

"You've been fine, Clemont," Serena told him kindly, finishing her brush job. Pikachu thanked her and jumped onto the bed.

"Champion, where do you suppose the competition will go from here on out with only thirty-six competitors remaining?" Harry asked of her. Ash leaned forward even more, wondering just what the Champion would say before a bulletin suddenly flashed across the screen, interrupting the broadcast.

"Aw! I wanted to know what Diantha was going to say!" Bonnie complained sharply. Ash folded his own arms in a huff, not happy about the interruption either but not saying anything.

"We interrupt this program with an important news broadcast," said the sultry tones of Malva's voice. Everyone in the room seemed to tense at the sound of her voice, which proved justified when they noticed how concerned Malva actually looked. "Earlier this evening, a science lab located in the swamps beyond Couriway Town was burned to the ground. The assailants and their intentions are currently unknown, however, it is advised by units on the scene to avoid the area owing to the potential for hazardous chemicals in the area. If you plan to travel that way, please consult your travel guides, which will provide alternate routes to take."

"We now return to your regularly scheduled programming," said an announcer's voice, but Ash was beyond caring about the Battle Program anymore. All of his friends seemed to feel the same, as Kalas and Diantha's voices became little more than background noise.

"Why would someone burn an old science lab?" Serena asked, tilting her head back to look to Ash, who was in turn looking at Clemont. He was stroking his chin with thought.

"There could be numerous reasons for sneaking into a laboratory, research and all that stuff," he mused aloud, "but burning one down is dangerous! And to think of all the science they destroyed…"

"I think only you care about that Clemont…" Bonnie commented wryly.

"Yeah, but…how could it burn down?" Ash asked. There weren't a lot of ways that places burned down easily…and it certainly didn't happen often enough. However, there was a piece of his mind that reminded Ash of what Lysandre had said: there was a darker part of this world that he had no idea existed. Whether this was a case of that, he had no idea.

"Numerous ways," Clemont informed him simply. "It could have been a lab accident, or maybe a stray Fire-type wandered past or…"

"Or someone burned it down on purpose," Serena concluded. It was certainly a frightening possibility, but no less valid. That only played into Ash's own thoughts; ones that he didn't want to have at all. "Of course, that does make you wonder why they would."

"Destroying the evidence of them being there is the only reason I can think of," the lemon-blond inventor answered. Ash stared ahead, their numerous theories swirling in his head while he stared blankly at the television. Eventually, thinking about it simply became too much.

"Aaagh!" he suddenly screamed, drawing the attention of his friends to him. "Enough of this serious thinking! We need to get sleep to be in tiptop shape for tomorrow's battles."

"You're right, Ash," Serena said. She then picked herself up from the floor, leaned over to give him a quick kiss and then went over to her own bed to prepare for the night.

"I agree. Bonnie, it's time to get some sleep," Clemont said. Bonnie rolled over on her back as Dedenne rolled along the bed.

"But I'm not tiiiired," she said with a large yawn. Clemont just shook his head and, with Ash's help, picked Bonnie up off the bed and brought her over to her own. She mumbled as they moved her. "Me and Mairin…gonna wish everyone good luck…and ice cream…Yay, Dedenne…ice cream…"

Those were Bonnie's last words for the night before she was off and snoring into oblivion. Ash bid Clemont and Serena good night before quickly changing and climbing into bed. Next to him on his pillow was Pikachu, the both staring wistfully out at the sky. Soon, the rhythmic breathing of his companions filled the room, leaving Ash alone. For once, he couldn't stop his brain from whirring, and Pikachu appeared to pick up on it.

"Pikapi?"

"Hmm?" Ash vocalized quietly. Pikachu's ears twitched curiously. "Just thinking…I wonder if something big will happen tomorrow."

"Pika chu chu pika?" Pikachu asked. Ash reached over and scratched his beloved partner behind his ears, causing the mouse to coo.

"Don't know…I'm just excited about something." That appeared to be a good enough answer for Pikachu, who rolled over and fell asleep. That was enough for Ash, and after a brief glimpse of his girlfriend sleeping peacefully, he fell asleep.

The next morning was hectic. Not that they woke up late. If anything, they woke up earlier than usual, but given that it was the third day, the general air of the League headquarters was very much buzzing with energy. Less than forty competitors certainly made things more exciting for everyone involved. All that energy made sure that Ash was up early the next morning, a fact Serena picked up on very quickly.

"You're up early," she noted with a giggle, grabbing her clothes to change in the bathroom.

"Well, I'm excited," he answered sheepishly. "I mean, who knows what kind of competition we'll have today. That kind of mystery is pretty awesome, right?"

"In a way," Serena noted, her voice echoing from the bathroom. Ash just decided to stretch while he waited for her. Over on Clemont's bed, the boy was waking up with a loud yawn, having clearly heard them talking to each other. "Hey, what do you say to a breakfast date?"

"All right!" Ash said. He was hungry, after all, and he certainly wasn't going to say "no" to a date with Serena. He may not have been perfect boyfriend material, and he was still nervous about it and all, but he felt he was finally starting to get the hang of this whole relationship business. A minute later, Serena emerged from the bathroom, looking just as perfect as she always did. Making sure she had her bag and Pokémon, she walked towards the door and Ash joined his hand with hers to make their way down.

As they left the room and closed the door (a muffled explosion sounding out behind it), Ash saw Alain and Dawn both exiting from the room right down from theirs. Dawn waved happily, having obviously completed her usual morning practices while Alain was a bit more groggy. As the bluenette flitted by, she told them he wasn't the happiest of morning people, but otherwise went her own way. Ash and Serena just smiled at that, avoided a grouchy Alain and made their way to their favorite little food stand in the main court below.

"I'm so hungry…" Ash said while they were waiting for their food.

"Sometimes you're always hungry," Serena admitted. Ash couldn't argue with that. "Hey…Ash, I've been meaning to ask something."

"Shoot," he said with a grin towards his girlfriend. Her cheeks tinged pink a little and she took a breath.

"What are you planning to do after the tournament is over? I mean, I know you're probably ready to go home soon and I was just…I was wondering…" Ash tilted his head. It seemed like she was asking if she could come with, or at the very least whether they'd inform their mothers about their present relationship (something the both of them had easily been avoiding for a while; parents knowing about their children's relationships was a scary thing). Before she could manage to ask her question, however, they were suddenly interrupted.

"Ash Ketchum, my boy!" The raven haired trainer was suddenly thumped on the back, pitching forward a little. When he looked up, or straight ahead, he was staring into the crinkly-eyed and bearded face of Charles Goodshow. Just behind him, Ash noticed the form of the vice president, Michael, who was busy pulling up seats for the both of them. It was a bit annoying that their date had been interrupted, but Serena hadn't seemed to mind. "Been a while!"

"P-president Goodshow, how are you?" Ash spluttered out, sitting up straight and offering his hand. The president took it with a smile as he sat in his chair next to Ash.

"Ash, I didn't know you knew the president," Serena said, her eyes twinkling. Ash just laughed and scratched the back of head.

"Ash and I go way back. He's as trustworthy as they come!" Goodshow said with a hearty, good-natured laugh. "You're Serena, right? Your last two battles have been fun to watch."

"Come now, Mr. President," Michael said with a shaking head. He took the brief time to smile at both Ash and Serena before going on. "I thought you were coming over to Mr. Ketchum to thank him, not reminisce about the past."

"Well, reminiscing is part of the package," Goodshow admitted. He then leaned over the table, towards Serena. "I met Ash during the opening ceremonies of the Indigo League, what, almost six years ago, right?"

"I guess…I lose track of time when I'm traveling. Sometimes, I feel like I'm still ten!" Ash admitted, thoroughly embarrassed. It was like having his mother right there, only without the trappings of having to introduce Serena as his girlfriend.

"Ah, well, Ash is one of the best trainers I've set my eyes on," Goodshow admitted. "League win or no, I don't think I've ever seen a trainer so consistently place in at least the quarterfinals…the only time he didn't was his very first conference! Makes me glad to have met you boy. Especially after Ancien, Nova and Lumiose. You've been busy since I last saw you battling that strong Paul trainer and Tobias in the Sinnoh League."

"Yeah, me and Pikachu have gotten lots and lots stronger," Ash insisted. Pikachu appeared to agree with a hearty puffing of his cheeks.

"It shows on the battlefield," Michael noted. He then held his hand out, which Ash took. "Michael, as I'm sure you know. To be honest, I'm really glad you decided to take part in the tournament. I've wanted to meet you for a while, after hearing the great things Cynthia has said about you. I can see they're all true."

"Well…um…" Ash really wasn't sure what to say. He liked having his ego stroked, just like anyone else, but the way made Goodshow made him sound was like he was perfect. If there was anything Brock, Misty, May, Dawn, Iris and Cilan reminded him of every day, though, it was that he was anything but. He kind of preferred that. Even his relationship with Serena proved how imperfect he was, yet she loved him anyway. "That's nice of Cynthia to say, but…"

"But you feel they're not all true," Michael noted sagely. "Yes, we often highlight our virtues when our flaws are under attack, and our flaws when our virtues are elevated. It's a sign of modesty, I believe. In any case, Mr. President, we have somewhere to be."

"Right you are!" Goodshow said, hopping out of his chair. "I look forward to your battles today, young ones!"

"As do I! I hope to see the both of you make it into the final three, or at least the final round," Michael admitted. "Good to meet both of you, Ash, Serena."

"Likewise," Serena said. Michael gave a final nod while Goodshow waved and the two walked off, just in time for their food to arrive for breakfast. "Talk about a hurricane blowing through…"

"Didn't expect it," Ash laughed out, taking a spoonful of eggs into his mouth.

"You're a really popular guy, aren't you?"

"You are too! Let's not forget all those fans at our first date!" Ash pointed out. "I also feel like Jimmy had a thing for you, and what's up with Tierno?"

"Those things are totally different!" Serena said with a flushed face as she took a bite of some pancakes. "I'm in love with you…those guys don't matter to me in the same way."

"Well, I feel the same. And even if I'm well known by the top people in the League, I'm still just Ash," he felt the need to clarify. She seemed to like that answer, because she leaned across the table to give him a kiss on the lips, even with a little bit of egg sticking out of his mouth.

"Aw, that's sweet." The two separated at the voice, and Ash felt his own face flush a deep red. He hadn't expected anyone to see that, least of all Miette. That made it awkward. "You guys do that often?"

"None of your business, Miette!" Serena said. Ash noticed her own face on fire, and her arms folded. "My relationship with Ash isn't your concern."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I just like teasing you, Serena, you know that," Miette commented with a wink. "Though your kissing could use a little work."

"Like you would know," Serena snapped. It was certainly a different side of Serena for Ash to see, but he just felt he wanted to sink into the ground at Miette's comments (regardless of whether his face presented that or not) on account of how utterly embarrassing it all was. "When have you ever kissed a boy?"

"Never, but I only need one."

"Uh…is this really important?" Ash asked meekly. Serena backed off, looking slightly mortified that she had gone this far in the conversation. Thankfully, Ash caught sight of Sawyer ambling over, his notebook half hanging out of his waistcoat's pocket. For a brief moment, he thought he was safe, until he noticed a very teasing smirk on Miette's face.

"Hey, Sawyer," the blue-haired girl called, drawing Sawyer's attention. He finished approaching just in time for Miette to grab him, lean in and kiss him on the cheek for quite an amount of time. "That's how you kiss a boy."

"That doesn't count and you know it," Serena said irritably. Sensing what was coming next, Ash looked to Pikachu and both of the boys began to shovel their food in as quick as was inhumanly possible. Sure enough, it only took a moment before Serena stood. "Ash, let's go!"

"Yes…d-dear?" He really wasn't sure what made him say that, but he had only a second before Serena grabbed his hand and the two of them began stomping off towards the stadium, leaving a confident Miette and dazed Sawyer behind. Pikachu barely had time to leap onto his shoulder. Like a charging Tauros (and he felt he would know) they blasted through the court, Ash nearly running into a guy and getting his foot caught on his trench coat. They had gotten into the stadium before Serena finally slowed down. "Uh…Serena?"

"Huh?" Serena finally seemed to realize how far she had taken the pair of them. Ash almost laughed, but decided it was the wrong move in that moment; this was, after all, a reverse of when Ash had gotten lost in Ancien. Serena finally stopped outside the gate to their usual seats.

"What was that all about?"

"Sorry, Ash…it's just…Miette can make me so mad…" Serena said, deciding to seat herself. Ash chose to do so as well. "I mean, she's my friend, and I love her…but I thought her teasing days were over when we got together."

"Nah! If she's teasing you, it means she really considers you a great friend," Ash pointed out. Serena looked surprised at this, but appeared to consider his words. "After all, all my other friends would tease me about lots of stuff. My friend Iris used to call me a kid all the time…though I'm not sure now if that was the good kind of teasing or not…"

"You're right, Ash. Sorry I got so steamed up." There was very obviously nothing to apologize for, so Ash just waved it off and the two leaned back in their seats, hands still joined as they watched the stadium fill in. While they waited, Pikachu decided to sneak out a bottle of ketchup from Ash's bag and lick at it. Before long, the rest of their friends were joining them.

"Where were you guys?" Bonnie complained a little. "We looked all over the area but Miette said you'd left already…"

"We ate quickly," Ash answered. It was true…at least on his part.

"That makes sense. We all know how hungry you can be in the morning," Dawn joked around, giving him a little poke on the shoulder.

"Although, Sawyer was acting really weird around Miette. Do you have any idea why?" Clemont asked. Neither decided to answer, and were spared the agony of doing so by Alain and Mairin's arrival, succeeded by Shauna, Tierno and Trevor. The stadium filled quickly at that point, and Ash's own attention was put on the battlefield switching out to that of a forest.

"It's Day Three of the Peace Tournament, everyone, and the feeling in the air couldn't be more electric!" Kalas cried out, generating cries in the crowd. "We've witnessed intense one-on-one battles, exciting horde battles, and today's competition will put to the test the bonds of teamwork, coordination and passion. Will a trainer be able to work with others in order to achieve victory? That's right folks, our competition is…TAG BATTLE!"

"Whoooooooo!" roared the crowd loudly as, like the day before, the pictures of all the trainers in the tournament appeared on the screen.

"Now, let's see who will be pairing up and facing off for today's event!" As if his words were the snapping of a finger, the pictures began to swirl around rapidly until settling and flipping over, revealing eighteen pairs, and nine separate matchups. Ash's eyes darted around the board until he found his picture. "Thirty-six trainers go in, eighteen come out. Who will proceed to the semifinal round of the Peace Tournament? Before we begin, the first two teams will have the opportunity to strategize."

That was when Ash saw the matchups. Most of the middle matches didn't hold as much significance, but the first one was oddly hilarious.


CONWAY, DAWN vs. JENNY, DANI​
"No…no way…I have to team up with Conway?" Dawn said with mortification.

"Come now, Dawn, it will be like old times. I still remember the day we first teamed up," Conway said. Ash almost jumped, though he really shouldn't have been surprised. Conway really did have the tendency to pop up everywhere Dawn was.

"Yeah…I'm sure you do…Oh, well, you're a good partner, so no need to worry!" Dawn said, bouncing out of her seat. Conway looked surprised by her sudden acquiescence but took it in relative stride. "Let's win this together, Conway!"

"Indeed my dear, and I have the perfect strategy, heh heh heh…" The two vanished into the hall beyond the stands like ghosts. Ash just chuckled and shook his head, returning his attentions to the board and the final four matchups.


TREVOR, ALAIN vs. CLIME, BELLE

ASH, SERENA vs. SAWYER, MIETTE

CLEMONT, MARIE vs. ELINA, SEAN

ASTRID, REEREE vs. JUDE, RORY​
"Wow, looks like we're teaming up for the day, Serena!" Ash said excitedly. Serena turned to him and grinned, both of them pumping their fists at the same time. Clemont looked thoughtful next to Serena, obviously wondering just who his partner was going to be. Bonnie also looked thoughtful, but Ash felt it was very clearly for different reasons than her brother. More awkward was the look between Alain and Trevor, which was no surprise, given how their last actual encounter had gone down. Ash just let the issue go, knowing that they'd be able to work their problems out; after all, they both owned Charizard, which was a great starting off point.

And speaking of starting off, both of the different teams were already striding onto the battlefield, prepared for battle. Kalas wasted no time either, choosing to explain the rules.

"The rules of the tag battle are very simple: take out all your opponent's Pokémon. When both of one side's Pokémon have fallen, the battle is over. There is no time limit, and Mega Evolution is allowed. Good luck to all the teams taking part! Let Day Three begin!"

"Mamoswine, spotlight!"

"Lickilicky, come out!" Ash watched as Dawn and Conway called their rather unorthodox choices to the field. In the meantime, their opponents, Jenny and Dani sent out a Swoobat and a Floatzel respectively. The referee lowered the flag for the battle to begin. Surprising to Ash, Conway and Dawn didn't make the first move; Swoobat did.

"Air Cutter!" cried the trainer Jenny. Swoobat flapped its wings and rotating blades of air flew out. They kept piling up, too, until they were completely obscuring Dawn's opponents from view…at least, from how it must have looked in her position. Sure enough, Ash noticed that Floatzel was on the move, its fist imbued with a frosty glow similar to his own Buizel's.

"Ice Punch!" the other girl called. The blades of air impacted with the slow moving Mamoswine and Lickilicky, preventing them from moving just enough for Floatzel to strike them both with the chilly fist.

"All right, Mamoswine, Take Down!"

"Lickilicky, use Gyro Ball." Ash's eyes narrowed. Something strange was going on with Conway and Dawn. He wasn't sure if it was some sort of tension between them or just the air around the stadium in general, but something was off in the way they were interacting. It was like they weren't even partners for the battle. Either way, Mamoswine was charging forward as Lickilicky began to spin rapidly. Floatzel had jumped back towards Swoobat as their opponents came barreling at them. Only Lickilicky was going slightly off course and clipped one of Mamoswine's tusks. This seemed to enrage it.

"Conway, watch what your Lickilicky is doing!" Dawn snapped at him. "You almost interfered with our attack."

"I thought we agreed for me to be the strategist for this fight."

"I would, if your strategies didn't suck…"

"Floatzel, Hydro Pump!"

"What are they doing…? I thought they worked together before…" Serena pointed out while Floatzel let out a large torrent of water at the immobile Pokémon. Ash frowned, watching the battle taking place. His eyes scanned around the area, searching for some clue of what Dawn and Conway were up to while Dawn ordered a Hidden Power. The large silver orb was no match for the burst of water that engulfed Mamoswine and Lickilicky. Down below, Dawn and Conway continued bickering (well, Dawn was doing most of the bickering) and Ash had to scratch his head, really unsure of what they were doing.

"Calm Mind! Then use Heart Stamp, Swoobat!" Jenny ordered from within the battlefield. As a brief flare of purple aura flashed around a relaxed Swoobat, Ash looked across the field. There he caught sight of someone watching the battle with interest. The man there looked up with an impressed nod before locking sights with Ash. He smiled and pointed to the bickering pair. Ash tilted his head, unsure to what the man was referring to until he looked at Dawn. Her eyes were different. She wasn't actually mad, at least as far as her eyes were saying. It was almost like…

"…a ruse…" he breathed out. Looking over to the man that had pointed it out, he saw the guy leaving the stands. How had he noticed it so quickly? It was unimportant as Swoobat swooped forward, shooting a large heart-shaped projectile from its nose. It went forward like a bullet, fast and powerful. Then Ash noticed Dawn and Conway's eyes flash.

"Mamoswine, Ice Shard!" Mamoswine roared and from its mouth shot off a large chunk of ice. The singular chunk traveled even faster than the Heart Stamp, colliding into it and breaking through, right onto Swoobat.

"Now, Lickilicky, use Power Whip," Conway said with confidence. Lickilicky rolled forward a little, and using its tongue (which was glowing a bright green) stretched across the battlefield to hit both of their opponents at once. Swoobat was brought down to the ground and both it and Floatzel were held there. Mamoswine was on the move.

"If you will, Dawn," Conway expressed.

"Right! Use Ice Fang!" Mamoswine's fangs glowed with an icy intensity as it thundered across the forest, knocking down any trees in its way until it reached the spot where their opponents were held under Lickilicky's tongue. Just before Mamoswine struck, the tongue retracted as Mamoswine's fangs froze pieces of Swoobat and Floatzel and pushed them back. "Worked perfectly!"

"As calculated," Conway stressed, adjusting his glasses. Ash couldn't help but smile. He knew that Dawn and Conway wouldn't go down as easy as they were making it seem, but that was Conway's strategy through and through. He liked lulling his opponents into a false sense of security before striking with certainty. He had done the same thing against Paul in Hearthome. Ash only had to wonder how that man had figured it out so quickly.

"Air Cutter! They fell for it before," Jenny cried out.

"They won't be able to break it this time, either," Dani insisted. But Ash knew the battle was already over. The second that Conway and Dawn had decided to act, the battle had been decided. "Giga Impact!"

"Mamoswine, Take Down! Push Floatzel back!" Through the swirling blades of Air Cutter, Floatzel charged, its body wrapped in a swirling yellow blaze. Mamoswine wasn't an easy opponent to challenge thrugh, and it charged forward with a white light around its body. Within moments, its tusks were clashing with Floatzel's body, neither Pokémon giving an inch. Then Ash saw Floatzel's leg slip a little. Mamoswine took the advantage and Take Down overpowered Giga Impact to throw the Sea Weasel Pokémon straight into its ally, which was surprisingly just recovering. Ash noticed why: Lickilicky was atop Mamoswine and its tongue was retracting from having used Lick on Swoobat.

"Well, I think it's time to finish this. Lickilicky, use Thunderbolt," Conway ordered. An electric field surrounded Lickilicky and Mamoswine's body while the Tusk Pokémon yawned. That electricity soared outward, impacting with both an unsuspecting Swoobat and Floatzel for several seconds before ceasing and dropping both to the ground, fainted. The referee waved his flag as the bell rang.

"Well, folks, that's it! Dawn and Conway are moving on to the next round. It looks like Jenny and Dani were no match for their…rather unorthodox strategy and power divide," Kalas chuckled out. Ash now sat back in his seat.

"That was a good strategy," Serena noted. "They really took control of that battle."

"And we'll take control of ours!" Ash told her confidently. She nodded as he looked back to assure Sawyer that they would win when he saw that the green-haired boy was missing. He figured that his rival must have been with Miette to strategize. Not letting it bother him, Ash turned back to the battlefield. Not knowing any of the remaining competitors for the next four matches, Ash was able to enjoy them while taking note of those competing; at some point, he hoped to face some of them. At one point, Trevor and Alain left their seats to collaborate for their match. Shortly after that, a team won to mild applause and cheers. It was something Ash had noticed; the crowd tended to cheer louder when he or the others were on the field.

Sure enough, as the field changed over to a rock field with the dividing mountain and water, and Trevor and Alain took the field, the stadium erupted in cries. It was certainly no surprise that the latter had made it into this round. Not that Ash knew either of their opponents, but it made a clear choice on who to root for, especially when the other team barely interacted with one another. The boy wearing a large hat and what appeared to be goggles looked laser focused on the other side of the field where both Trevor and Alain nodded to one another before tossing their pokeballs into the air. Both of their Charizard emerged.

"Serena, we should get going," Ash told his girlfriend. "I feel like this match will be rather short."

"All right," she agreed and the both of them stood. Pikachu hopped from Ash's lap over to Dawn's, choosing to stay and relax with Piplup. Bidding a brief farewell to his best friend and the others, Ash followed after Serena to the hall. Right as they entered the hallway there was a bright light and both of the Charizard on the field Mega Evolved. The Heliolisk and Florges didn't stand a chance. "So, what do you have in mind for what to do? You left Pikachu behind, after all."

"I think Hawlucha's been itching for battle, so fighting a strong opponent like Sawyer would be just what he wants," Ash admitted to her. Serena seemed to think on this before snapping her fingers.

"I think I'll use Sylveon, then," she said cheerily. "Would help for her to battle alongside someone less familiar than Bunnelby or Pikachu."

"Sounds like a plan! We'll win this for sure!" As the words left his mouth, the couple approached a screen displaying the battle. As he suspected, Trevor and Alain were dominating the battle. Trevor's Charizard seemed to struggle a little due to paralysis, but the ability of his Pokémon had set the stage for Alain's to absolutely mow down Florges with a powerful Flamethrower that scorched the mountainside. In response to this, Ash stopped walking for a moment to see Heliolisk throw a Thunderbolt at Trevor's Charizard. The ginger trainer appeared to give his Pokémon an order because his Charizard used its tail to send up some water and block the blow, only for Alain's to swoop in with Dragon Claw. Even if it was short, Ash was utterly engrossed by the battle.

"They're strong, aren't they?" Ash nearly jumped at the voice, whipping around. Leaning against the wall opposite him was the man with black hair and a trench coat. Now that he was up close, there was something familiar about the man and his smile, his brown eyes sparkling.

"You!" Ash quickly reacted. "I saw you during Dawn's match!"

"Did you pick up on her and Conway's strategy, then?" the man asked with a grin. As if on a reflex of trust, Ash nodded. "Good…that's good…"

"Who are you?" Ash asked, his gaze narrowing just a little. The man appeared to breathe in before responding to him.

"We'll save that for later, Ash."

"How do you…?"

"Don't battle," the man said sternly. This caused Ash to glare at him indignantly. "You're free to make your own choice, but this tournament is about to change irrevocably, and if you take part in your next battle…I fear there will be no way to revert that."

"Um…look, I don't know who you are, but what are you talking about?" Ash asked, now folding his arms across his chest in defiance. "It's just a battle."

"Yes, but-"

"Ash!" Serena suddenly called out. The raven haired trainer averted his gaze from the man to look at his girlfriend, standing slightly down the hall expectantly. "Alain and Trevor just won their battle. It's time to go."

"Be right there!" Ash called, turning back to the man. "Look…um…"

"Oh, Ash…you're just like I was at your age…" the man chuckled out, turning away with a light wave. "Oh well. Come see me after your battle. I'll be waiting."

"O…kay…" Ash vocalized as the man walked down the hallway. That had been such an awkward and weird conversation, he really wasn't sure which part was the strangest. Whatever strangeness there was about the conversation, however, melted away at the feeling of Serena's touch.

"Everything okay?" she asked kindly.

"Y-yeah…just weird," Ash answered, giving her a hesitant kiss on the cheek before taking her hand and walking towards the battlefield. "Let's win this."

*Chapter continued in next post...
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Chapter continued from last post.
"Mm," came the response. Coming out from off the battlefield were Alain and Trevor. Unlike after their own battle, Trevor had a spring in his step and even Alain was smiling a bit, offering a nod to Ash as they passed by. Ash nodded back, the words of that strange man still swirling in his head, causing Alain to look at him curiously but walk on. Finally, they reached the very edge of the entrance, and Ash and Serena's hands separated. He took that time to slap his face a little. This was no time to get distracted by something so strange.

"And entering the field now, we have four celebrities battling it out for the next round! In the blue corner, it's Kalos League Semifinalist Sawyer and Master Class competitor Miette!" Kalas roared to the crowd. Ash breathed in, adjusting his hat and he and Serena walked forward, towards the grassy field that was the stage for their battle. "And in the red corner, it's Ash and Serena! Let's get ready for a great battle, folks!"

"Clawitzer, come on out!"

"Your turn, Slurpuff!"

"Sylveon, let's go!"

"Hawlucha, I choose you!" All at once, the four Pokémon that would be battling were sent out. Ash directed his gaze across the field with a determined grin. It felt a little odd to be facing Sawyer again so soon, but at the same time, it was oddly relaxing. They were two friends, coming to understand each other further through battling. That man and his odd knowledge regarding Dawn, or his want to speak with him, or his cryptic message didn't mean a thing. All that mattered was the battle.

"We're not going down easy, Ash. Miette and I have a pretty great plan!" Sawyer said. Ash just nodded, turning to Serena, who also smiled with determination.

"Yeah, well so do we! We'll see which couple is the better one!" he told the green-haired boy in response. Sawyer seemed taken aback, but said nothing in return, focusing on the battle. Before the referee could lower the flag, Hawlucha approached Sylveon with his fist extended.

"Lucha?" he articulated. It took a moment for Sylveon to look up at Serena.

"Hawlucha's our partner today, okay, Sylveon?" she told her Pokémon with confidence. Sylveon nodded and smiled at Hawlucha, holding one of her feelers out to give him a fistbump. Then the referee lowered his flag.

"All right, Hawlucha, let's get this started with Karate Chop on Clawitzer!" Ash called. Hawlucha grinned and dashed forward, his fist glowing a bright white.

"Maneuver around it with Aqua Jet, Clawitzer!" Sawyer commanded. Clawitzer's body was wreathed in a veil of water, almost similar to when Greninja transformed, and then it shot off, zipping around the field in a zigzag to avoid detection. Ash's eyes followed it, as did Hawlucha, who stopped a moment.

"Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!" Serena ordered. Her voice echoed around the battlefield as Sylveon's feelers whipped around, creating the pink wind that blasted outward. At the same time, Slurpuff extended her hands and did the exact same move. The two attacks met in the middle of the field and rippled outward just as Clawitzer's Aqua Jet managed to bring it behind Hawlucha. Ash was waiting.

"Behind you, let's go!"

"Lucha ha!" Hawlucha cried, whipping around and bringing a powerful Karate Chop slamming down on Clawitzer's head. The Aqua Jet still seemed to affect him, because it pushed him back slightly, even if the Howitzer Pokémon staggered a bit.

"Now, let's use High Jump Kick!" Hawlucha's knee came sailing upward to slam into Clawitzer's jaw and sending it sprawling backwards. Sawyer seemed slightly surprised by the quick movement, but his Pokémon managed to recover quite quickly with an annoyed expression.

"Let's slow Hawlucha down with Cotton Spore, Slurpuff," Miette called. The Fairy Wind attacks had dispersed at this point and now fluffy white patches of cotton were surrounding Slurpuff's figure. Then they raced away from her body and straight for Hawlucha. Before the Wrestling Pokémon could blink, they had surrounded him.

"Now, Ice Beam, Clawitzer!"

"Claw…" Clawitzer jetted forward a little and aimed its claw, firing out the same beam of frost that had taken Hawlucha down the last time they had battled.

"Cross your arms!" Hawlucha quickly did as commanded and the ice struck, beginning to freeze the spores, and Hawlucha with them. Ash looked over to Serena, and realized she was already on the move, ordering a Fairy Wind that scattered the Cotton Spore like petals in the wind. Hawlucha came out of it with a grin, the attack barely giving any damage to him while increasing his motivation to win, just as planned. Ash grinned over at his girlfriend, who nodded and threw her hand out.

"Sylveon, use Double Team and Swift!" she ordered. Sylveon opened her mouth and gave a cry as numerous copies of her appeared all over the field, covering up even Hawlucha from any decent sort of visibility. Each of them raised their feelers as bright golden stars appeared in the air.

"Ah, we need to break it apart. Use Dragon Pulse!" Sawyer said to Miette. She smirked at him, as though all of it were in hand. Ash wasn't going to give them the moment to relax or think they could.

"Hawlucha, get ready to roll!" Ash ordered with a fist. Even through the storm of Sylveon, now being taken down by some sharp-shooting Energy Balls from Slurpuff and the powerful Mega Launcher powered Dragon Pulse, joining with the pink to make a weird purple glow, Ash could see Hawlucha nod. Then Sylveon's feelers whipped out, sending all of the stars cascading with them. The lack of clones caused the star barrage to be much less than it could have been, but Ash had no problem with that. "Now, use X-Scissor!"

"Luchacha!" Hawlucha leapt up into the air, crossing his hands as they glowed a bright purple before sailing through the stars. Neither Clawitzer nor Slurpuff could make a move within the barrage and Hawlucha sliced through both with his powerful move, sending them off balance. Slurpuff bounced along, but recovered relatively quickly.

"Well, we're not taking that. Time for our second well-planned strategy. Slurpuff, use Psychic!" Slurpuff's eyes glowed blue and suddenly, both Hawlucha and Sylveon were lifted into the air. All of Sylveon's copies vanished as she and her partner were swirled through the air and then thrown unceremoniously towards Clawitzer, who was waiting with an open claw.

"Water Pulse!" Clawitzer's claw opened and a large sphere of water formed at its tip, firing out at the gathered pair. The second the attack made contact, it exploded and they both dropped to the ground. Ash would have called out, the same way Serena suddenly yelled for Sylveon, until he noticed that Hawlucha had grabbed Sylveon carefully and slowed his descent.

"Great job, Hawlucha! Now, let's take Slurpuff out quick with Karate Chop!" Ash cried. Hawlucha grinned just like his trainer and ran right for the Fairy type after placing Sylveon down.

"Intercept with Aqua Jet," Sawyer called confidently. The water spluttered back into life and Clawitzer shot towards Hawlucha, prepared to take Hawlucha out before he could take out its partner. Serena wasn't letting that happen though, and without even a word, their wordless partnership kicked in.

"Sylveon, combine Fairy Wind and Swift to keep Clawitzer out of the way!" she said proudly. Sylveon, having recovered from the earlier Water Pulse, pranced forward, snapping her feelers out, generating the stars that aimed quickly for Clawitzer. At the same time, the pink wind rippled out with the stars, tinging all of them with a pink dust that didn't fail to hit its mark. Clawitzer was sent off course, and Slurpuff was rendered useless under the attack until Hawlucha slammed his fist down upon her, smashing her into the ground.

"Slurpuff, no!" When the dust cleared from Hawlucha's attack, Slurpuff was completely out of the picture, knocked out on a crater in the ground.

"Slurpuff is unable to battle!" the referee called. Ash gave a fistpump as Serena cheered a little. It only lasted a second, both knowing that the battle wasn't over yet. There was still Clawitzer to deal with.

"Serena, I have an idea, but it'll require a bit of work from Sylveon," he said to his girlfriend, already thinking about how to quickly end this next stage of the battle.

"You know me and Sylveon are up for it," Serena assured him with a light pat of his shoulder.

"Awesome, then Hawlucha, run right at Sylveon. Time to get some air!" Ash cried out. Despite the rather unorthodox order, Hawlucha ran right for his companion in battle. Serena seemed to understand what he was going for and she threw her hand out once more.

"Use your feelers to toss Hawlucha into the sky!"

"Sylvie!" Sylveon acted instantly, her feelers whisking themselves over to Hawlucha, wrapping him up, and then tossing him upward. As soon as he had gained enough altitude, Sylveon let go and Hawlucha slipped into a freefall.

"You're right where we want you, Ash. Use Ice Beam!" Sawyer commanded. Hawlucha aimed its claw upward as the Ice Beam began to coalesce before firing outward powerfully, just as it had before. Ash was ready this time.

"Now spin, and use Flying Press!" Hawlucha twisted one of his wings and began to spin in midair, the buffet of air granting him some room from the Ice Beam, but keeping him on track to hit Clawitzer. Once he was sure he was safe, Hawlucha's wings snapped outward as he went for a full body attack on Clawitzer.

"Take him out with Water Pulse!"

"Not if we can stop it! Sylveon, snap the claw closed with your feelers." Sylveon proved to be faster than Clawitzer and her feelers closed around the claw where the Water Pulse was forming and it exploded inward at the same exact moment that Hawlucha slammed into Clawitzer, stirring up all the dust on the ground. Ash waited a moment, hoping for a favorable result, and moments later Hawlucha leapt back with a proud expression.

"Clawitzer is unable to battle!" the referee called back as the dust cleared and showed Sawyer's Pokémon knocked out. "The victors of the battle are Ash and Serena!"

"Yes!" Ash cheered out. Hawlucha quickly ran over, holding up his fist to his trainer. He quickly bumped it in victory while the crowd cheered. Next to him, Serena was hugging Sylveon and stroking her fur. "We did it, Serena!"

"Yeah!" There was a brief, almost magical, moment where Ash wanted to grab her and kiss her in front of the entire crowd, but the moment passed when he realized just how embarrassing that would be. He opted for a brief hug, even if that was nearly as embarrassing. Once he drew back, he took a moment to look at Serena's dazzling face before returning Hawlucha and walking off the field. Serena was right behind him.

"Thanks, Serena…you were great out there," he said as they walked back into the hallway. She said nothing; then again, she didn't need to. Maybe they had only been dating a short time, but Ash felt they had been through so much already that they understood every miniscule meaning between each other. Maybe he was fooling himself, but Ash knew he'd never give up Serena for anything.

"Good job, you guys," Clemont said. Ash looked up, noticing that the blond-haired inventor and his partner were approaching them. Just beyond, Ash caught sight of Bonnie and Mairin. So too, did Serena, it seemed.

"Why are Bonnie and Mairin out here?" she asked. "Oh, and thanks, Clemont."

"After Trevor's battle, he, Shauna and Tierno went to get some lunch and I think Alain said something about using the restroom," Clemont informed them. "With you two battling, they decided to wish me luck by walking me here since there was no one else other than Dawn. You know Bonnie and how she can get…"

"So true…" Serena giggled out in response. "Well, good luck on your match, Clemont. We'll be rooting for you!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you'll win it!" Ash encouraged his friend, putting an arm around his shoulders.

"Thanks, Ash," Clemont said before Ash drew away and the inventor continued on. Once he had gone to step onto the battlefield, Ash grabbed Serena's hand and they proceeded down the hallway.

"You did battle well." Ash suddenly stopped, jerking Serena back with him. He really shouldn't have been surprised; the man did say he'd be waiting for him after all. "I'm proud of how easily you commanded the battlefield."

"Ash…who is this…?" Serena asked. She sounded worried, and he didn't blame her. He did let go of her hand though, and stepped forward towards the man, who was smiling softly at him.

"I don't know," came the answer. "You said this tournament was about to change before I went to battle. Well, I battled and nothing changed. So, why did you say something like that? And who are you?"

"I'm…" the man started to say before sighing loudly. Then he began to chuckle, all while rubbing the back of his head. "Man, this is harder than I thought…What do you say to your kid after over a decade?"

"Huh?" Ash's arms went limp at his side and he stared blankly ahead. Had he heard correctly? Or was he just interpreting the conversation wrong? That had to be it, because he could swear that this man had just called him…his kid… "Wait…what are you…saying?"

"Ash?" Serena asked, her voice filled with even more worry. "Is…is this…?"

"I'm sorry, Ash…" the man said. He really did sound apologetic, as though he couldn't find the right words to say. "I…I came here with the intention of reuniting with you, telling you so many things but I feel so awkward."

"This whole conversation is awkward…" Ash couldn't help but comment. The man nodded his head, as if he was acknowledging the point. "So…just tell me who you are instead of beating around the bush! And while you're here, tell me why you are, too."

"All right, all right! Geez, you're as headstrong as I was, too," the man said with his hands held up in surrender. "But still…I'm glad to see you've grown so well. You see…well, I'm Jack Ketchum and I'm…"

"…dad?" The response was involuntary. Like a switch going on in the brain, the words and images before him connected into one. Ash nearly stumbled backwards but was held up by Serena. As he stared over the man before him, over Jack, he suddenly felt like he was looking in an older mirror. His eyes were almost the same, his hair, and those marks on his cheeks. Ash wasn't quite sure if he could trust it or not, but there was no doubt in his mind, not when seeing the man grin at him with such familial love: Jack Ketchum, this man, was most certainly his father. "But…you…my dad disappeared years ago…a training journey or…"

"That's…true," Jack admitted with a nervous laugh. Ash's head was swimming, unsure what to make of all this. What he wanted for the moment was to just sit down and think things through, and he rarely wanted to do that. Serena, on the other hand, had no problem.

"If you're really Ash's father," she spoke up, coming to stand in front of Ash like a shield, "then why are you here? Why now? How do we know we can trust anything you say when you're just-"

"You've grown quite lovely, Serena," Jack suddenly interjected. Serena stepped back at that herself. "Quite the young lady you've become, and I can understand your concerns. If someone random came up to me and told me something earth-shattering, I wouldn't be sure whether to believe it either. You're very astute."

"Th-that's beside the point!" Serena said, holding a shaky finger out. Ash's face solidified itself into a frown, and he was able to step forward to stand strongly by his girlfriend's side.

"It is," Jack agreed. He stopped leaning on the wall and looked at the both of them. "Truth be told, I came here because I wanted to see my son again, before things took a turn for the worse. Well…that and I wanted to ask for your help, but I won't push that."

"Help? With what?" Ash asked. He couldn't help himself. It had nothing to do with whether the man was his father or not, but that someone needed his help. That instantly triggered something inside him.

"I'll spare you the details, but I told you that the tournament was about the take a major change…because the president is about to be assassinated, and I want to prevent that."

"Like you can! Use Frenzy Plant!" Ash and Serena's bodies acted faster than possible, both reaching for their pokeballs. In a flash of light, both Greninja and Braixen emerged. Within the same time, great, barbed roots emerged from around the hallway. Not as devastating as the damage in Lumiose City, but with stone chunks flying off the walls, the Pokémon moved to protect the people. Greninja sliced through one side with Cut while Braixen burned the others with Flamethrower.

"All right, who's there? !" Ash demanded. All thoughts of his father were slowly being pushed from his mind, his battle senses on alert.

"DARC…" Jack said simply, walking into the hall. "You'd best show yourself before I have to make things ugly."

"Who's DARC? Or what?" Serena asked.

"That's what I'd like to know…" Ash mumbled. His head swiveled on his shoulders, eyes flitting around the hallway to look for their sudden assailant. The voice sounded so familiar, almost in the same vein that Jack's voice did. A memory from the past. "Come on out and show us who you are!"

"I'd rather blast you to pieces first," the familiar voice responded. "Drapion, stand by for battle!"

Stand by for battle…The words rang in Ash's ears, and he heard his heart stop. He felt his blood slow. Jack telling him that he was his father was nothing, that was an easy pill to swallow; one he could have time to register later. But this one…

Stand by for battle…It couldn't be…he wouldn't…

"Paul? Is that you?" Ash asked, a mixture of surprise, fear, and anger filling his voice. He didn't have to wait long for the answer. A bright light burst forward, showing the very same Drapion he had battled yesterday as its trainer came out of the shadows, drawing all three of their attentions to him. The boy in question, the mysterious Pol, removed his sunglasses as he did so, revealing the striking eyes that Ash knew all too well, even without the purple hair that was now peeking outside of his beanie cap.

"Yeah…and how the hell do you know my real name?"

Author's Note: Yes, this was a long chapter, but in my defense, a lot kinda happened. Reports on a fire on a laboratory. The tag battle portion of the competition. Jack reveals himself in an awkward conversation (because, let's face it, how would that not be awkward). And then the identity of Pol is revealed as…dun dun dun, Paul! (You all guessed at that) And he doesn't even know Ash! There's a lot I'm throwing at you here, and the plot is about to fly off now thanks to this chapter. As for the two fights I chose to show this chapter, they each have a reason. The first is easy to guess…the second…not until the next few chapters. Note, however, that from here the story, like the tournament, will irrevocably change.

How will Ash handle this? How will Serena handle this? What will happen to the president? And what role does Ash's father have to play? All this and more next time!

I look forward to all of your words on this, and I hope this story is living up to your expectations so far. Until the next chapter, please remember to Review and Dare to Be Silly.
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Enjoy Chapter 6!

Chapter 6

A Chase​

Too many thoughts were swimming in Ash's head. So many that any normal person would have a hard time staying upright.

Standing just a few feet away from him was his father. The father that had disappeared…well…he wasn't exactly sure when. It was definitely sometime after he had met Serena, or so he could presume from his words. That hardly mattered in the space of the moment, because Ash had all but admittedly forgotten his father. His mother had done such a great job of raising him without his father that he had no need for one. And once he started his journey…well, that seemed to be that. Now that he was standing before him though, Ash had to wonder just where his father had been all this time, and what his true motive for coming here was. It was a mind-boggling situation for sure. He was glad to have Serena by his side for that particular revelation.

She couldn't help with the second one, though.

Ash didn't expect Paul to be standing in front of him, even if he was dressed slightly differently. The Pokémon were all the same, though, as was the catchphrase that allowed him to identify him. Most of all, he didn't expect the boy to have next to no memory of him. Their rivalry had been too fierce for either one of them to just forget it so easily. Even to this day, Ash looked back on their final battle as his greatest match, the one that probably made him into the trainer he was today.

It was a good thing that Ash wasn't a normal person. That allowed him to step forward, Greninja acting as his temporary bodyguard.

"Paul, it's me, Ash," he said confidently. There was still some slight turmoil in his mind over why the purple-haired trainer had forgotten him so easily, but he wasn't going to let it affect him all that much.

"I know who you are, but I don't know how you know who I am," Paul insisted with a glare. He still wasn't removing his cap, but his eyes glared over at him, almost piercing the space between them.

"Come on, you can't have forgotten me! We were rivals! We pushed each other! We-"

"Yeah, great for you. Cross Poison, let's go!" Surprised by the ruthlessness in Paul's sudden attack on them, Ash stepped back, but quickly clenched his fist.

"Greninja, use Cut!"

"Nin!" Greninja shouted, summoning his white blade of light and slashing through the purple cross shaped attack like it was nothing.

"I don't know how you forgot me, but it looks like I'll have to make you remember," Ash said sternly. Nothing else was coming to matter. His father was there, but that could be dealt with later. Right now it was about Paul, and the fact that he was outright attacking him. "And the best way to do that is through a battle!"

"Ash!" Serena called warningly, but for that brief moment, he ignored her. This was between the two of them.

"Greninja, use Aerial Ace!" he shouted. Greninja's fist glowed white and he jumped towards the Drapion in the hall before slamming down on its head.

"So, the Horde Battle wasn't a fluke…" Paul commented with a nasty smirk stretching his face. "Interesting…let's see if you're as good as the news reports say, or if you're just another path-"

"Water Shuriken!" Ash interrupted him. Greninja clasped at his side and tossed the watery blades right at Drapion. "You should know it wasn't a fluke! I'll just remind you!"

"Ash…" He stopped at the sound of his father's voice, barely missing the sight of Drapion's tail knocking aside the shuriken. "This isn't the place. There's no time."

"But he's-" Ash was unable to complete what he wanted to say. He felt a tightness around his legs that was slowly working its way up his body. Suddenly, his arms were snapped to his side, telling him that something was incredibly wrong. Looking down and around, Ash saw his body along with those of Greninja, Braixen, Serena and his father were surrounded by purple tendrils that were restricting movement. He recognized the move, but couldn't quite place what it was called.

"Keh heh heh…you're already failing at your mission, Paul? That's all too…what's the word you use? Pathetic?" cackled a voice. Ash looked around to see a man approaching from the path that led to the stands. As he got closer, Ash could see he was a man of wide girth, a bag of some snack held in one arm while he held a pokeball in another. Preceding him was a wicked looking Trevenant.

"Who asked you, Cedric? !" Paul snapped angrily. Ash kept his eyes on him. He was acting so different…well, not different; he was mostly the same as he was when they first met. That was what was strange, though.

"Keh heh, carry out your mission, Paul. The others are waiting, and we've planned too deliberately for you to be hung up on this boy," the fat man, Cedric, told him. Still keeping his watch on Paul, Ash struggled in vain against the hold of what he now recognized as Forest's Curse. Still, he saw the annoyance and frustration leak into Paul's face as he called back his Drapion and a Torterra that was evidently out of sight.

"Fine…Just take care of them, then."

"Of course…keh heh…wouldn't do to have interference." The man ended his statement by shoveling some chips in his mouth. Serena blanched. "Oh, Jack…or is it Red? Could never keep track of your code name system…though I'm not surprised you came to interfere. Tell me, how did you find out about our plans? I'd be most interested."

"By listening to something other than my own stomach growling, Cedric," Jack replied and somehow Ash could tell his father was smirking.

"Oh, you're funny. Squeeze them 'til they pop, Trevenant."

"No way! Greninja, use Aerial Ace!" Ash yelled. All at once, every single one of Greninja's limbs glowed and he spread them all outwards, breaking the bonds of the Forest's Curse around him. He dropped, but the second his webbed feet hit the ground, he was racing forward and using Cut to have them all go free. Ash quickly landed on his feet and made sure to catch Serena as Greninja did the same for Braixen.

"Who's this guy?" she asked of him, but he figured it was rhetorical, considering he had no answer.

"Cedric, a member of DARC, like Paul," Jack answered, raising his voice.

"Okay, and what's DARC, exactly?" Ash felt the need to ask. The answer, or what was closest to one, didn't come from Jack.

"Take your pick of acronyms, but for right now…keh heh, let's just say it means Despair and Regretful Cries!" Cedric responded gleefully. "Trevenant, use Horn Leech!"

"Trev!" Trevenant's top began to glow green as its numerous spindly legs scuttled along the ground, aiming right for Greninja and Braixen. Ash opened his mouth, but Serena shook her head, tossing a pokeball as she did so.

"Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!" Sylveon emerged, looking slightly surprised at being called out again so soon. Regardless, she whipped her feelers and sent the attack rippling towards Trevenant. It provided a momentary distraction. "Now, Flamethrower, Braixen!"

"Brai brai!" Braixen cried, snapping her wand out to create a guttural torrent of flame that impacted with Trevenant's eye.

"Ash, you need to go after Paul!" Serena then insisted. "I can handle things here, but if they're going after the President…"

"Right, I'll leave it to you, Serena! Meet up with me when you're done!" Ash called. He looked to Greninja, who appeared to get the message and ran forward. Cedric attempted to intercept them.

"Oh, there's no chance of you-oof!" It had been like a bullet: a Raichu blazing out of nowhere to slam Cedric in the stomach. The large man slammed into a wall on the other side as a loud cheer erupted from the stadium, allowing Ash access past him. Greninja was at his side, and so was Jack and the Raichu a couple seconds later.

"You have a Raichu?" Ash asked of him. His father grinned down at him, and Ash would have loved to ask more, but knew it wasn't the time. The two pelted down the hallway quickly.

"This way," Jack said, turning down another offshoot. Ash noticed that it led to a long stretch of stairs upward, likely to the upper area of the stands. The cries quieted down for a moment as they began their ascent. Greninja and Raichu acted as vanguard during their ascent. "Are you certain Serena will be all right? Cedric is difficult foe for the best of trainers."

"That doesn't matter," Ash assured him, sparing a glance to the older man. "If there's a tough opponent, all of us work together and do our best to pull through. She'll do what needs to be done, because she never gives up. Right, Greninja?"

"Gren," the Ninja Pokémon assured him with a nod. That made Jack chuckle.

"You really are just like I was at your age…full of optimism and drive."

"Okay…but we should talk later. I still think this is weird…" Ash noted. If he were entirely truthful, he still didn't fully trust the man who was his father, even if he happened to trust Team Rocket more than he should have.

"Fair enough, I can see how this is all unsettling…but I am on the level." Ash had no response, but he pulled up to a stop when Greninja leapt back. His eyes narrowed as vines suddenly erupted from the very spot where Greninja had been just moments before.

"Paul…come on out!" Ash roared, throwing up a fist. He heard no response at first, but saw as his old rival stepped out at the top of the stairs, standing right next to his Torterra.

"Ninja!" Greninja cried out. Ash was confused by the sudden cry, but when his partner tugged on his shirt, Ash turned around to see an advancing wall of puff coming at them.

"Oh…impressive. They mean to trap us," Jack noted amusingly. Ash wasn't sure what was so amusing about it, but Greninja looked ready to battle any opponent that came their way. So was Ash. "So, how many of you are here so far? Paul, Cedric, Mimi, right? Am I missing any?"

"It doesn't matter to you, Red," said a feminine voice. Ash thought he recognized the voice but couldn't remember where he'd heard it…at least until the girl with the facemask that had been Serena's first opponent stepped out. "We're not letting you move forward. That's our job."

Red? Ash questioned internally. His father's name was Jack, not Red…He'd heard a lot of weird names, but a color topped them all. Nevertheless, his father was speaking calmly, as though they weren't stuck in a rather tricky situation. "I thought Paul's job was to assassinate the president."

"No, I'm just here to stop pursuers," Paul said coldly. "Cedric just didn't want me to face you. Seemed to think I was no match for someone as pathetic as you."

"Well, I'm afraid he's right," Jack commented with a smirk. "You really aren't. Raichu, use Electric Field!"

"Churai!" Raichu screamed, only she sounded more guttural than most did. The entire field was suddenly brimming with a charge. Paul and Mimi were on the move, with Paul leaping onto Torterra, as Mimi backed up to avoid the range of the move. It wasn't much, but it did provide the mouse with an advantage. Jack stepped forward, or rather back towards Mimi.

"So, I had my intel wrong…it wasn't an assassination, but an abduction. Kudos to your deception, but here's where it ends. Ash, I trust you can handle Paul."

"You can count on me," Ash said affirmatively, turning back towards his rival while his father faced Mimi. "Bring it on, Paul. Greninja and I will match your challenge."

"I don't think so…there's a reason we trapped you on the stairs. Torterra, Stone Edge." The Continent Pokémon reared back (to which Paul was surprisingly able to balance himself) before slamming his forelegs down. Stones circled around its body, large and jagged, before firing down towards them on the stairs, more numerous than Ash had expected.

"Greninja, use Cut!" Ash called out. Greninja whipped out both of his blades at once and began to slice and dice rapidly at the incoming stones. They were more numerous than expected, and far too fast for Greninja to keep up with all of them. First it was just a single one nicking his shoulder, but then another smashed against his chest, and then his head. "Ah…Greninja, just focus. Full power!"

"Greninj!" Ash raised his hand into the air as Greninja did so too. Light and water swirled around them. Ash felt his senses become attuned, seeing the stones now flying at Greninja through his own eyes. Felt the torrent of water form into a giant shuriken on his back. They were ready for round two with the stones. Not even needing a command, Greninja whipped out his watery kunai and whipped around like water to beat back all of the stones in a much easier fashion than before.

"Man, we can't get ahead…" Ash mumbled under his breath. Sure, they were able to keep easy pace with the near infinite Stone Edges but they would have to actually push Torterra back to clear a way to the ultimate destination: the President's Box.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Ash turned as a loud roar pierced the air and a giant jet of flame rocketed into the cotton on the other end of the stairs. Ash grinned, knowing just who had arrived to help. The cotton was burned to crisps and the giant orange form of Alain's Charizard came soaring onto the stairs. It was a tight fit, but the Fire type made it work. The situation only got better when Ash saw the yellow shape flit out from atop Charizard and come crashing onto Torterra's head with a powerful Iron Tail.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu called out from where he flipped away, the Continent Pokémon recovering.

"Glad you're here, Pikachu, but…"

"I found him when I came back from the restroom," Alain said, running onto the stairs. Mimi was pressed against the wall, having narrowly avoided the Flamethrower, and was too slow to catch him. "Seemed like he sensed you were in danger. I'm surprised they're giving you problems, Ash."

"They caught us off-guard," was Ash's sheepish answer. Alain nodded and came to stand by him while Charizard landed next to Greninja. "So…you just found us here?"

"Sort of. Pikachu was the one that heard you, somehow. I decided to help out. Didn't expect this," he growled angrily. With his words, he stepped forward, raising his fist. "What do you people want here?"

"Don't bother questioning them," Jack barked out. His words drew Alain's attention, though it seemed that Ash's father hardly cared. Under the circumstances, and despite his misgivings, Ash felt that was ultimately for the best. "They're here to stall, and if you want answers, they won't give you any."

"Then we just need to break through!" Ash proclaimed loudly.

"That's foolhardy…but it has its merit," his father concurred. "Can I trust you to handle the president, Ash?"

"Sure, but aren't you…?" Ash began, almost questioning his father's decision in this matter. If he wanted to protect the president, why would Jack leave it up to him? Why wouldn't he go instead? Much to his surprise, his father seemed to read his mind as Mimi finally got up from her position on the wall to face them, a shadow of her Pokémon in the darkness behind her.

"If you have me go ahead, I may be able to catch up, but if they lay any more ambushes, we're out of luck. If the two of you move on ahead, we stand a better chance. I can handle these two."

"No, you won't! Frenzy Plant, let's go!" Torterra once more reared back and slammed down. Pikachu jumped out of the way as a massive thorny vine came ripping out of the stones on the stairway. Ash and Greninja were already on the move.

"Greninja, use Cut! Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Ash quickly ordered. Greninja blitzed forward with his watery kunai slicing the Frenzy Plant into ribbons just as he had done against Sceptile in the League. Any branches that he missed, Pikachu beat away with Iron Tail. "All right, sorry, Paul. I'll have to make you remember me later, I guess. Aerial Ace!"

"Nin!" Greninja dismissed his knives as one of his fists glowed white. Then he closed the distance between himself and the purple-haired trainer to sink his fist into the boy's stomach. That recoil gave Ash and Alain the chance they needed to proceed onward, rushing past the bulky body of Torterra.

"No, don't let them get away!"

"Charizard, use Flamethrower to ward them off," Alain commanded. Despite the tight fit in the hallways, Charizard managed to angle his head backwards before letting loose a torrent of flame that cut off all approach to them for that moment. "We don't have much time before those flames go away. Let's get moving…to wherever we are."

"We need to save President Goodshow. Those people want to hurt him."

"Are they insane? The security around the president…it must be enormous after the League."

"Really? Well…that's what he told me. And the fact that people are trying to stop us tells me that my dad must be right," Ash said, keeping his gaze on the hall ahead of them. Alain gave him a wild look of surprise.

"Your father?" he asked. Ash could only smile sheepishly.

"Yeah…long story."

"Sounds it…" Alain concurred before both skidded to a stop. It was a rather grisly sight before them. Cheers were erupting around them, and if Ash turned his head just a little, he knew he'd be able to see the crowds and the stands below, watching the continuing match between Clemont and his opponents. Right in front of them, though, were no cheering individuals but a pair of bodyguards slammed into the wall. One of them had blood trailing behind him. Alain quickly ran to that one. "I'm no doctor, but I think they're alive."

"Wonder what did this to them…" Ash commented. Pikachu and Greninja were on high alert as the three of them stepped forward. "A Pokémon or…?"

"I don't know of any human with this kind of power," Alain spat as he straightened up. "The real question is how they were caught so off guard…"

"Those people are pretty sneaky. We were wrapped up in a Forest's Curse before we even knew it," Ash told him. Now that the initial shock had worn off, he could see that the door to the President's Box was slightly ajar, showing that someone had gone inside.

"I'm just saying that you'd think someone would have heard something. Unless it was sudden or an illusion of some sort." Alain looked deep in thought, but Ash was already on the move to the door, opening it to the sight of the President's Box. Like the outside, it looked almost untouched except for one area which was obvious the second the door was opened.

In the corner opposite them, Michael was slammed against a set of computers or other electrical equipment. Ash had no idea, not being an expert on those sorts of things. What he did know was that someone was hurt badly, and he needed to help. He walked forward, keeping instinctively low on account of the giant window that looked out over the stadium. From a gap, he could see Kalas sitting there, commentating on the battle below. It could have been his imagination, but his voice sounded shaken. Either way, Greninja stayed behind, keeping watch on the area while Ash and Pikachu made their way to Michael, who looked to be out cold. Alain came into the room following that.

"Is he all right?" the older trainer asked. Ash shook his head, not knowing much about medical condition or whatnot. Pikachu scooted forward and touched his tail to the unconscious man. Ash watched as he seemed to summon a little electricity to his cheeks, sending it through his tail and into the vice president. After a few tense seconds, Michael shot up, coughing loudly. Once the coughing stopped, he looked around wildly, gaze landing on the two trainers.

"Wh…where's the President?" he croaked out.

"Uh…" Ash voiced. He'd been so preoccupied with whether or not Michael was okay that he hadn't even bothered looking for the main reason they were here. After a quick look, he realized they were alone. Alain was looking too, but considering his head wasn't moving, it seemed he was focusing on one particular spot. "Not here. Sorry. What happened, exactly?"

"We were…ambushed," Michael expressed, rubbing a bruise on his forehead. "The chef came in for food. You know, so we wouldn't have to call for a break. President Goodshow went to grab his food when he was attacked by the chef. I tried to stop them, but they were fast."

"Did they use a Pokémon?" Alain asked, briefly looking away from the spot he was staring at. Michael nodded, struggling to stand. Ash reached out and offered a hand to him, which he took gratefully. Helping the man up, he seemed to struggle but righted himself by placing a hand on the wall.

"A Pidgeot, I think," was the answer. Ash frowned. It was unusual for a Pidgeot to be so strong as to knock someone out in one blow, but he supposed that it had gone up against humans and not Pokémon. "It grabbed the president and the chef ran off."

"What did he look like?" Ash demanded. If they were going to find the man that had kidnapped the president then he needed to know what they looked like. Unfortunately, Michael shook his head.

"I don't really know. He was wearing a chef's hat, but…I think…he had red hair? Maybe?"

"That's something," Alain noted, turning back to the spot he had been staring at. "They're probably going to escape through the top of the coliseum. It is an open-air stadium, after all."

"That's suicide!" Michael demanded before clasping at his chest, the wound from getting hit into the computers obviously acting up. Ash made to hold him up, but the vice president waved him off. "There are numerous security measures! If they try to escape that way, then the president will be harmed."

"We won't let it come to that," Alain growled out. Ash could only nod at that in total agreement. "They must have planned this quite well, knowing everything they could about the stadium's blueprints. That backdoor, it leads to the exterior of the stadium, yes?"

"Yeah, it's for a fire escape, just in case," Michael said simply. "The footing is slippery up there, though. The spray of the waterfalls and the narrow ledges. It's dangerous enough, even if they are planning on leaving by air. I should go with you."

"But you're hurt," Ash reprimanded him. Not that he was one to talk, he realized. If someone had taken his friends and wounded him, he'd be seeing red.

"I can manage."

"We can't have people holding us back, not if we want to get the president back," Alain reminded him. Michael nodded, and it seemed he was able to stand on his feet.

"No problem. I have my Hydreigon on me as well. So, shall we go?" Michael insisted. Alain looked conflicted, and Ash swiveled his gaze back and forth between the two older individuals. Eventually, Alain had no choice but to nod in acceptance and he called Charizard back to his pokeball, the lizard obviously unable to fit through the small room. With that done, the black-haired Mega trainer led their ragtag group towards the door that was practically concealed.

"Pikachu, Greninja, let's go!" Ash called to both of his Pokémon, drawing Greninja's attention. As the Ninja Pokémon turned to him, Alain threw the door open and led them forward. The vice president followed after and Ash and his Pokémon took up the rear. Before them was another set of stairs extending upward, but this one didn't seem to be blocked by any assailants and their group began to take the stairs three at a time. Still, something was on Ash's mind. His father had said that they wanted to assassinate the president. So, why was he being kidnapped? Had plans changed? Or was his father's information faulty?

Or was he lying?

Alain was, naturally, the first to reach the top of the stairs and kick the door open. From the open door, light streamed in and the roar of waterfalls could be heard. Only seconds later saw Ash passing through the door onto the stone that made up the outer rim of the stadium, all to aesthetically give it an older look. To the side, Ash noticed a metal railing that led downward, but when he put his gaze over it, there was no one there.

"They must be further along," Michael said, but it sounded like he was gasping. "This stone plinth wraps around the stadium. For safety purposes."

"Sounds fine to me. Charizard, come on!" Alain tossed his pokeball again and Charizard emerged, skimming along under the view of the top of the stadium. Michael briefly staggered to the side, holding to the wall that prevented them from falling into the stadium. It was the other side that Ash was worried about, however, and he decided to help the vice president out by slipping underneath him as a support.

"Pikachu, Greninja, go on ahead and help Alain out. We'll be there in a minute," he told them with a strained grin. Pikachu looked worried about it, while Greninja sped ahead. It took a moment, but Pikachu soon acquiesced.

"Pikapika," he said before bounding off. Ash tightened his grip on Michael and the two began walking forward. It was slower than before, but it wasn't like they were moving at a Slugma's pace.

"Sorry," Michael expressed. "I just…I want to help the president before they take off with him. I owe him that much."

"No problem. We've all gotta stick together at times like this," Ash assured him as they took careful steps on the stone walkway. It wasn't long before Ash heard Charizard's roar. They must have caught up to their quarry.

"Charizard, Dragon Claw!" Alain was heard yelling. Ash finally rounded a curve to see Alain having tossed his hand forward. He also saw the man that Alain was facing. To Ash's eyes, the man looked oddly familiar with his red hair and a scar on his forehead. Facing front was a Pidgeot, but in his arms was an unconscious President Goodshow. Charizard was also flying forward at Pidgeot with green claws.

"Steel Wing," the red-haired man said coldly. Pidgeot shot forward, almost as quick as a jet plane, both wings glowing white as it slammed into Charizard and threw him off. Ash was surprised; Alain's Charizard rarely had such difficulty blowing off an attack.

"Let Mr. Goodshow go!" Ash yelled, finally in range. The man turned his head to look at him, only lingering a moment before turning his gaze away towards the sky in disinterest. "Pikachu use Electro Ball! Greninja, Water Shuriken!"

"Pika pika pika pika chu pi!" Pikachu cried, forming the crackling ball of electricity and sending it sailing towards the large Pidgeot. At the same time, Ash and Greninja both reached back, though only Greninja grabbed hold of his giant shuriken before tossing it. Both attacks slammed into Pidgeot's chest, making the avian sail back from the blow. The redhead appeared to contemplate his situation, looking directly at Ash.

"Too many problems…" he sighed out. "Pidgeot, Hurricane."

"Pidgaw!" it cried and as it stabilized itself, Pidgeot flapped its wings with a giant gust. Ash pitched to the side, as did Alain and Michael, gripping at the stadium's stone façade. Pikachu hunkered down as Greninja inched forward to grab him. Only Charizard was having a hard time battling through the gusts, prevented from moving any closer to the kidnapped Goodshow.

"G…Greninja," Ash gritted out. "Use Double Team, and Water Shuriken, normal style."

"G-gren…" Greninja concurred, shimmying along to place Pikachu down before crouching. Multiple copies of Greninja appeared all around the area, and each of them grabbed watery shuriken from their waist and tossed them at Pidgeot. A number of them disappeared in the wrath of the Hurricane, but quite a few found their mark and the attack ceased. Ash quickly righted himself and he and Greninja began running towards their foe.

"Aerial Ace!" Ash yelled, his feet pounding on the stone, making sure to not lose his footing. Greninja's limbs glowed white as he barreled along.

"Mirror Move," the redhead claimed, shifting Goodshow's body on his shoulder. Pidgeot flipped around and zipped right at Greninja, white streaks of wind blowing past its body. Then its beak came in contact with Greninja's fist. Both strained against each other and Ash took the moment to run right at the red-haired man. He emulated Greninja in that moment, punching right at the man. At the same time, Greninja's strength overcame his opponents and Pidgeot was sent flying backwards, barely able to right itself before it could slam into the stone.

Ash wasn't as lucky when the man's leg came out and slammed him in the stomach. He skidded backwards, clasping his chest from the pain, but felt it was nothing. That kick wasn't nearly as strong as Dalton's.

He didn't expect the Thunder, though. Recovering from the blow to his chest, Ash felt his hair stand on end and he looked up to see a cloud forming over he and Greninja's heads. It was over in seconds: Pikachu and Alain calling for him, the bolt of thunder raining down on both of them, he and Greninja gasping in pain until the transformation was canceled, leaving them on the stone plinth. Pikachu quickly ran to him; Alain wasn't far behind.

"What…was that?" Ash groaned out. "Greninja, are you okay…?"

"Nin…ja…" Greninja croaked out, which was enough for Ash in the moment. His whole body hurt, but was slowly recovering strength. At least, he had enough strength to look up and see an airship that most certainly hadn't been there before.

"Wait…I know him," Alain commented. Ash squinted his eyes to see the sudden airship and who was atop it. Focusing in, he noticed the form of the boy that had faced Alain and Trevor just a couple rounds earlier, his goggles and hat concealing himself, with a Kecleon and his Ampharos by his side. Ash had no problem figuring out that it was the Ampharos that had attacked him and Greninja.

"The Kecleon…it must have cloaked the airship," Michael said. "No wonder they could break through our defenses."

"Well, they won't get away with it," Alain growled. "Charizard, Thunder Punch!"

"Pidgeot, respond in kind," the redhead said as the airship moved close enough, but not enough to be seen within the stadium. Ash had to wonder just how well they had planned all of this. Pidgeot sailed through the air at Charizard and its wing crackled with electricity. Angling differently, Pidgeot avoided Charizard's attack entirely and nailed it with that electric wing. Charizard began to spiral downward. "Thank you. Let's fly."

"No! You're not…going…anywhere…" Ash groaned out, barely bringing himself to his knees. The man didn't even spare him a glance. Pidgeot came to hover just below him, and with nary a word, the man jumped on him. The Bird Pokémon then flapped upwards towards the airship which appeared to halt before pulling back slowly.

"Vice President, can you contact your security forces?" Alain asked. Michael appeared to shake his head. Ash, meanwhile, tried to stand before falling onto his butt.

"I'd have to go all the way back, and we've no time for that. We're near the end of matches for the day so things are on a shift change, too. They planned this well," Michael chuckled out, almost with a twisted admiration. "We've no time. We need to pursue and rescue the president. Your Charizard can take the both of us there, correct?"

"Hey, I can help, too!" Ash protested. Alain looked at him with a frown.

"You and Greninja look exhausted. We can handle this. Charizard!" Alain cried out. With a great roar, Charizard managed to fly upwards and to a good enough level for both Alain and Michael to jump on. "We'll be back soon."

"Wait…" Neither of the two older males listened as Charizard shot right off for the airship. Ash groaned and pulled himself back up against the stone. Maybe they were right. "Pikachu, Greninja, I know I can't go after them, but that Pidgeot was pretty strong, and this is the president's life we're talking about."

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked with tilted ears.

"Send Clemont and Serena a signal." That was all he needed. Pikachu's cheeks lit up, and as Greninja tossed a water Shuriken into the air, so too did Pikachu make his Thunderbolt rage. Ash hoped they'd get the message.*Chapter continued in next post...
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Chapter continued from last post.
"Luxray, Wild Charge!" Clemont commanded. Bursting with electricity, his trusted Pokémon blasted forward. His partner's Pokémon was down, and only a Masquerain was left against them. That didn't last long as Luxray's attack slammed into the opponent, who barely managed to fire off a Signal Beam that completely missed. Once the bug flew backwards, Luxray leapt back, hunkering down from the recoil. Everything was fine, however, as Masquerain was down.

"Masquerain is unable to battle! Clemont and Marie are the winners!" the referee called confidently.

"Yes! Thanks! You were really great out there after my Ledian fell," his partner, a relatively cute girl with curly fuchsia hair said.

"No problem! But we may be opponents tomorrow," he said, reaching a hand over to shake hers. She grinned at him and decided to run off the field. Clemont felt rather proud. Even with his companion's stumbling, he was able to relatively single-handedly pull out a victory. Sighing to himself, he looked over the battlefield and adjusted his glasses.

Something felt wrong, now that he was out of the heat of the battle, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. For one, he hadn't heard any of his friends cheering, despite the both of them wishing them luck. That was unusual, since Ash was one of the most vocal supporters he knew. More than that, he hadn't even heard Bonnie, who was, if possible, more vocal than Ash. It was possible that she had gone for ice cream with Mairin after seeing him off, but he would have thought she didn't want to miss her big brother's match. Still, it was more a quibble than anything, and easily brushed off. She could have easily been occupied with eating said ice cream, after all. However, his feelings of trepidation increased a hundred fold as he began to turn off the battlefield. Just as he went to leave he saw a watery star fly up beyond a certain point before breaking into blue sparkles by a massive bolt of lightning. To any spectator, it would have looked like fireworks…but Clemont knew better. Or so he thought.

So, he turned right away and ran as fast as he could off the field. His breath shortened way too quickly, but he decided to pump his legs faster. Something was going on; he could feel it in his bones.

"Um…Clemont?" the voice of Marie called as he ran past her, but he didn't pay attention to her, continuing down the hall.

"Braixen, Sylveon, no!" he heard Serena yell. I knew it, he thought darkly. Gripping Luxray's pokeball closer to himself, he pelted down, trying to keep a control over his sides seizing up. Serena and Braixen soon came into view. The Fox Pokémon was sprawled on the ground, with some purple tendrils emerging from the ground underneath her. Sylveon was meanwhile being called back by a red beam of light.

"Luxray, sorry, but use Wild Charge!" Clemont roared, sending the Gleam Eyes Pokémon out once more. Luxray's body blazed with electricity even before he touched the ground, roaring towards the Trevenant that Clemont now saw. The man behind the Trevenant seemed to widen his eyes as his Pokémon was slammed into. "Serena, what's going on? I saw a Water Shuriken and Thunderbolt."

"Ash? !" Serena asked in worry, but her gaze soon focused. "These guys were trying to assassinate the president. Ash and…his father, they went to stop them while I dealt with him, but he's tough."

"So, they're the bad guys then. Who are you?"

"Keh heh, it's the inventor boy…Clime would probably love to meet you…" the man cackled out before shoving some chips into his mouth. "And your sister. She was the one with that, what's it called, Zygarde?"

"Leave Bonnie out of this!" Clemont yelled. He had no idea who this man was, but he knew that he sickened him, even bringing up the thought of his sister. The man's eyes widened curiously.

"Oho! Guess someone has a weak spot. None of my concern, though," he said giddily. "I'm done here. Thank you for the amusement, little girl, inventor boy, keh heh…keh heh heh heh!"

"Braixen, stop him with Fire Spin!" Braixen struggled to her feet but was too late to make a move. The man grabbed hold of his Trevenant as the Elder Tree Pokémon vanished like a wisp on the air. The flame column still spurted upward but touched nothing but air. Clemont was left staring at the vanishing spot with concern. An ill feeling was settling into his bones, as though something was all too wrong. The way he had mentioned his sister, and being part of a group trying to assassinate the president…Clemont only realized how lost in his thoughts he was when Serena shook him lightly. "Clemont, you said that Ash sent a signal?"

"Yeah, it looked kind of like the signals we used in the Kalos Team Tournament to let each other know where we were," Clemont answered, his mind still lingering on the man's words.

"Then let's go," Serena said, grabbing his arm and beginning to pull him along. It was so unlike her to be worked up enough to actually drag him, but when he realized the gravity of the situation, that Ash might be in danger, it made sense. To that, he decided to pick up his pace, as difficult as it was. Clemont's mind whirled along with his feet.

"You said Ash's father was here?" Clemont asked. "I had no idea he even knew his father. I mean, he never talks about him."

"I know, but I'm sure he was just as surprised," Serena commented. "I know I was."

Clemont could only give a slight grunt at that, part exertion, part agreement. Scuff lines began to mark the hallway leading towards a set of stairs, and Clemont figured it was the signs of a recent battle, which he quickly pointed out. They were about to turn down the stairs when Clemont was certain he heard Dawn's voice calling out. To that end, the pair of them stopped.

"There you are!" her voice yelled down the hall, and sure enough, the pair of blondes saw Dawn approaching with a waving hand, Piplup waddling along at her feet. "Have you guys seen Pikachu? I was so busy watching Clemont's battle that I looked over and noticed Pikachu was missing. The others haven't come back yet, so I wasn't able to ask them…"

"Pikachu probably went to find Ash," Serena noted. That was the obvious answer to Clemont, and made the most sense. But he was more worried about something else.

"But Bonnie…she and Mairin weren't back yet?"

"I thought they were going for ice cream…" Dawn noted. That was true, but Clemont reran his reasoning and couldn't see how Bonnie would completely miss his battle. Serena took momentary charge with the simplest of suggestions.

"Let's just find Ash," she said. There was a slight murmur of agreement at that and the now-trio ran forward towards the stairwell. The second the stairs came into view, it made the whole area look like a battle zone. Scorched walls, broken stones, and a man standing on the stairs returning a Raichu to its pokeball.

"Jack," Serena said, though she didn't sound particularly happy. The black-haired man, Jack, turned and seemed to smile at Serena.

"I'm glad you're all right, Serena," he said. "I'm sorry. We were held on the stairs here so I sent Ash on ahead while I took care of them. They weren't a challenge, but the girl, Mimi, she used Cotton Spore to obscure my vision and render Raichu's attacks useless without a clear target after they appeared to get some confirmation of acquiring targets…which is odd…"

"I thought the president was going to be assassinated," Clemont said sternly. He had a feeling that this was Ash's father, but the conflicting information made things ring false in his mind.

"So did I…" Jack answered. "What happened to Cedric?"

"He disappeared," Serena told him. Next to her, Dawn looked beyond confused but started to follow as Serena began running up the stairs. "But we think Ash is in trouble."

"I sent him after the president. By now he should…" Jack trailed off, his lips stretching into a thin, and rather displeased, line. "Let's go."

"Go where? Guys, what's going on?" Dawn asked as Piplup quickly hopped onto Dawn's head. "Is there something going on?"

"Um…talk as we run?" Serena asked with a nervous expression. Dawn nodded, but Clemont paled; did they really have to run? Apparently they had little choice in the matter since Jack was already running up the stairs quickly. Serena and Dawn followed right after while Clemont took up the back, but managed to keep even pace with them. As they did so, Serena filled Dawn in on the basics. Clemont was surprised the girl didn't have a bigger reaction when they reached the top of the stairs and saw the knocked out bodies.

"Okay…too much to take in…" Dawn finally said, exhibiting signs of a delayed reaction. The roar of the crowd in the stadium was loud and Clemont chanced a brief glance to see the trainers down below. Reeree's Pangoro had managed a powerful Arm Thrust on its opponent.

"Ladies, Clemont, we'll talk about all of this later, I promise. But right now, Ash and the president are priorities," Jack barked back at them. That quickly got each of their heads on straight and they continued on, through the president's box. Clemont was surprised at how easily Kalas was commentating when they were sidling right past him, even if he briefly glanced back. None of that mattered when they hit the next set of stairs through a door that light was streaming through. Even Clemont felt his fatigue at running wasn't affect him as much as usual; though a slight acrophobia struck him when they left the security of the stairs and he gripped at the stone façade of the stadium.

"Clemont, where did you see those signals from Ash?" Serena asked.

"A little further along," he stated. Up ahead, Jack nodded and the four of them carefully made their way along the stone plinth. Looking up (because there was no way he was looking down), he saw an airship, or what looked like part of one flying over the waterfalls and towards the ravines on the other side.

"Ash!" cried Serena and Clemont could finally look to see his friend approach her boyfriend. He looked pretty roughed up, along with Greninja.

"They took the president!" were the first words out of Ash's mouth. "I don't know why but, there was a man with red hair and then I was attacked by that trainer, Clime, from a cloaked airship, and-ow!" Ash's body seemed to still have slight lingering effects from whatever words he'd spoken.

"Not good…" Jack gritted out. "Of course she's with them today…"

"Uh, what are you talking about, Ash's dad?" Dawn asked, looking overwhelmed by whatever was going on. Jack didn't answer them, but strode over to his son and crouched down to pick him up.

"Are you all right to walk?" he asked. Ash nodded, but looked very confused.

"Yeah…but what about the president?"

"I'd rather get you to safety first, Ash," was the stern response. "If they kidnapped him, it means they won't hurt him, and it would take time for me to get to that airship anyway. I'd rather have my people on it."

"But…we can't let that happen!" Clemont protested. Jack turned, as did both Serena and Dawn, to look at him in surprise. "He's the president of the Pokémon League! And I'm a Gym Leader! I can't just let someone kidnap him and leave it to someone else to rescue him. I have a duty."

"Duty's well and good, but-" Jack began to remonstrate the boy, but underneath his shoulder, Ash seemed to straighten with a smile. Unsure of what his best friend was doing, Clemont watched as Ash grabbed a pokeball from his belt and tossed it to him.

"Alain and the vice president are up there, too. Take Noivern and help 'em out, Clemont," Ash responded. Clemont smiled, glad that Ash had his back on this one, but he still looked to the boy's estranged father for approval. The man's eyes were narrowed, as though he looked disturbed by the notion.

"Go…but keep your eyes peeled, and don't underestimate them," Jack stated. Clemont still wasn't sure who "they" were, but he nodded all the same, throwing Noivern out of his pokeball. The large bat looked a little confused for a moment but Clemont just patted him on the head and jumped on. He got the clue after that. "DARC is a wily bunch, so make sure you come back safe!"

"Uh, o-okay!" Clemont assured him. "Noivern, let's find that airship!"

"Good luck, we'll be waiting, Clemont. Help him as much as you can, Noivern!" Ash called out, though it sounded a little like grunting. Noivern flapped his wings jubilantly and then shot upward. Clemont took a moment to steady himself, screaming a little and fixing his now-askew glasses. Once Noivern finished rising and started flapping forward, clearly using soundwaves to detect it, Clemont calmed down and focused on the destination they were heading for. For a moment, he looked back and saw Jack and Serena helping Ash along while Dawn looked confused even if she helped Greninja up, but he couldn't help that, no matter how weird the situation was.

That thought was bolstered by a roar up ahead.

"Vern!" Noivern cried out, as if informing Clemont that they were getting close. To that, Clemont shakily grasped one of his own pokeballs as the sight of the airship, one large enough to allow people to stand atop it but small enough that it was relatively undetectable even without cloaking, approached them. Surrounding it was Alain's flying Charizard and a Hydreigon, aiming for an Ampharos and a Pidgeot on the deck.

"Noivern, use Boomburst!" Clemont cried. He may not have been the Pokémon's trainer, but Noivern appeared to grin, happy to carry out the order nonetheless. From his ears, Noivern sent a turret of visible noise right at the pair of opposing Pokémon (or, Clemont presumed that the Hydreigon was friendly given its position next to Charizard). On the deck, the boy, Clime, turned with a frown, even if his eyes were unseen beneath the hat and fogging up goggles.

"Ampharos, Signal Beam!" Ampharos turned and from the jewel on its forehead fired a light purple beam, mixed in with flecks of blue. The attack collided with the Boomburst and exploded, drawing everyone's attentions but Alain's.

"Use Thunder Punch on Pidgeot!" Alain called, grasping his fist tightly. Charizard flew forward, his fist crackling loudly as he sailed for Pidgeot. Noivern finally drew close enough and Clemont sucked in a breath before jumping off towards the deck. He landed on his feet, though it sent a shudder through his body that was rather uncomfortable before he tossed out Chespin's pokeball.

"Oh, dear, we're outnumbered now. Pidgeot, it's time. Mega Evolve!" the red-haired man opposite them said. As he did so he reached for a necklace hanging around his neck that contained a keystone and a small, straight wooden object. He clasped the keystone and bright light shined forth from Pidgeot. Through the haze of light, Clemont could see the man reach for the other object and touch it to his lips.

"Chespin, use Pin Missile!" Clemont decided to call out. He couldn't do anything about the transformation, but he could still attack the one just waiting around. Chespin's spines glowed white before firing off the green projectiles towards the waiting Ampharos.

"Hydreigon, use Dragon Pulse!" the vice president called. Hydreigon reared back, and from all three heads fired the purple, draconic beam at Ampharos. Clime turned his head to the incoming attacks.

"Light Screen," he commanded and a chill ran down Clemont's spine. He couldn't explain it, but he feared for the direction of the fight in that moment. The Dragon Pulse and Pin Missile struck against the shield, but Ampharos didn't even budge or look damaged at all. Not that it was entirely unexpected. "Carl, sir…"

"Hold on, Clime, this battle will end soon enough," the redhead spoke, his voice rising. The bright light finally cleared away to reveal Pidgeot's changed form: a larger body with blue-tipped wings and a magnificent crest of plumage sprouting from its head. "Steel Wing."

"Don't underestimate me. Keystone, respond to my heart! Beyond evolution! Mega Evolve!" Alain called out, touching his fingers to his keystone. Like usual, Clemont watched the transformation take place around his Charizard to reveal its black skin and blue flames. Carl looked as calm as ever. "Dragon Claw!"

With green claws, Charizard rushed at Pidgeot. Already Clemont could tell who was going to win that clash; it wasn't Alain. Pidgeot had total mastery of the skies, dipping just a little and turning its body to slice across Charizard's exposed stomach with its Steel Wing. Charizard roared in pain, and Clemont knew he couldn't pay attention to that much longer.

"Chespin, Vine Whip!" Clemont called. Chespin's vines whipped outward, right at Ampharos. Hydreigon attacked it at roughly the same exact time, heads lighting up with Dragon Pulse again. Michael wasn't wasting time either, as he ran right at Carl himself.

"Where have you taken the president?" he asked, any passion replaced with cold demands. He reached Carl just before Chespin and Hydreigon's attacks landed and whipped a kick around. Clemont was surprised at how athletic the man was, but at the same time figured someone in such a VIP status would have moves to defend himself. It did no good against his opponent, though, who caught his leg and pulled him forward.

"You can't possibly think I'd tell you where I'm taking him. That's…what's a word you'd use? Classified."

"Ampharos, wide-range Signal Beam!"

"Pha!" Ampharos puffed out, its jewel glowing again before setting off the light purple beam once more. Alain was quick enough to duck as the cascading beam swept across the entire deck. Most notably, Hydreigon took the full brunt of the attack and was sent spiraling down. Clemont watched its fall, noting that they were now fully over the ravine, a river winding its way through it.

"No, Hydr-"

"Don't you have other worries?" Carl grunted out before kneeing the vice president in the stomach and sending him backwards. Clemont was frozen in place. He really wasn't one for this kind of situation. This was definitely Ash's forte. That split second of hesitation was enough as the Signal Beam came straight for him.

"Vern!"

"Pinpin!" Both Chespin and Noivern flew right in front of him as the Bug type attack collided and sent them backwards, crashing into Clemont, but protecting him all the same. The vice president wasn't as lucky, clutching at his chest while he looked coldly at Carl.

"Are you all right, sir?" Alain growled out, the anger evident in his face.

"Yes," Michael said, nodding slowly. For some reason, this allowed Carl to smirk.

"Well, I don't think we expected this. Clime, I think we've had enough of this. Make sure our hostages are strapped in before we take off. I'll cover you."

"All right," Clime said and he turned back. Clemont stood.

"Noivern, Boomburst! Chespin, Pin-" Before he could give his second command, Carl snapped his fingers. Even in the open air, over the whining of the airship, it sounded so clear and frightening. He wasn't sure why, but Clemont's whole body was shutting down, especially from the cry that pierced the air. Alain, too, looked around for the source of the noise.

"Time to clean out the trash," Carl said. "And before you think of moving, or doing anything to the airship, just remember who we have hostage."

"I'm sure the president can take care of himself," Michael said, his head inclined dangerously towards their opponent. Off to the side, Ampharos had been returned and Clime had vanished below the deck.

"I'm not talking about the president. Latios, now!"

Latios? ! Clemont's mind thought to himself with abject fear and he turned. Like a jet plane roaring through the sky and in his ears, the inventor watched as from below the airship the legendary Pokémon with white and blue skin blasted upward and shot across the top of the deck once, knocking all of the trainers onto their behinds. Even Charizard was spinning out of control, enough for Pidgeot to slash across him with another Steel Wing. Clemont attempted to get up as Latios came back around…aiming right for him. He reached for his pokeball.

"No, look out!" Michael yelled. Clemont slowly turned his head as everything finally moved in slow motion. The vice president was up and running, his feet moving across the deck enough to reach Clemont and push him back down, just out of the range of Latios' attack. The Eon Pokémon wasn't denied its victim though as its arms were extended, as if to grab Clemont, but instead caught onto Michael and sent them both over the edge of the airship.

"Wait!" Clemont screamed, his voice finding its way into his throat. Those words were in vain because Latios had let go and Michael fell, tumbling through the air. Clemont's adrenaline spiked and he shot back up to watch the plummeting vice president. Quickly, the blond turned to Noivern.

"Go after him!" Noivern struggled to get back into the air but managed it all the same and shot downward. Latios wouldn't be denied, however, and fired a Dragon Pulse right at the Soundwave Pokémon that slammed into him, sending Noivern careening into a stone fixture. That momentary distraction prevented Clemont from witnessing the grisly end of the vice president.

"That was unexpected, but I suppose kind people are so easy to manipulate," Carl noted.

"No, we're not!" Alain growled through gritted teeth. Clemont shot his own gaze over to Carl, the wind whistling in his ear. The man looked positively disinterested, bringing a tablet out from a pouch on the side of his pants and turning it to them.

Clemont's heart dropped.

On the split screen in front of him were three separate mini-cells, no doubt located on the airship. That wasn't what concerned Clemont; it had been easy enough to figure out with the kidnapped president. It was the occupants of the other two cells that made Clemont pale, and his pulse rise. Bonnie and Mairin were inside each of them, passed out like they had been hit by a Sleep Powder. Clemont balled a fist and he snapped a glare at the redhead that still looked entirely uninterested.

"Let my sister go!"

"I think not. She's a secondary bargaining chip. Even Ash Ketchum wouldn't risk hurting her. The other girl was just a moment of opportunity," Carl informed him. "I think this is checkmate."

"Charizard, Dragon Claw!" Alain suddenly roared. He looked positively furious, and it wasn't hard to guess why. Clemont, too, was feeling a certain ferocity in his veins as he stared at their enemy. He just wasn't as quick to act. This turned out to be the best course of actions.

"Oh, you really like to get violent when someone important to you is hurt. Or just when things don't go your way," Carl said, stowing his tablet away. "Your sin reminds me of another…how sad. In any case, I was planning on releasing a hostage anyway, but now I'll just have to remove your fangs. Clime, release the redhead."

"Release…?" Clemont questioned as Carl began to smirk. "Alain, those cells, they open up below! Mairin is-"

Sure enough, there was a loud whooshing noise from down below and a sudden scream. Clemont wasn't sure what else he could do to stop this, not with Noivern out of commission. Instead, he just took a moment to return Chespin and decided to run right for Carl. He wasn't a fighter, but his sister was on the line, and he'd be damned if he would let this man get away with her.

"Pidgeot, Hurricane!" Carl said as he stepped backwards…and began to lower into the airship. Clemont didn't stop, which gave him no time to avoid the large avian flapping in front of him. Its wings flapped powerfully and Clemont kept his footing for all of a second before the large and shuddering gust of wind carried him off the airship and into its slipstream. He wasn't alone as Alain was knocked off as well, Charizard shooting straight for him. Carl disappeared into the confines of his airship and Clemont looked downward, his heart clenching as he saw Mairin fall with a scream.

"Charizard, get Mairin first!" Alain ordered. The Flame Pokémon roared and shot downward as quickly as it could. Clemont watched with bated breath as he became level with Mairin, caught her in his arms and then soared upwards to nab Alain. Clemont just closed his eyes, not even bothering to scream when his back landed on something soft. That made him open them.

"Noivern!" Clemont cried in relief. He was glad that Ash's Pokémon was safe. And that it had saved him, but that was beside the point. Noivern flapped powerfully, drawing level with Charizard as both Pokémon were winded from the attacks they had endured.

"They got away…" Alain growled out next to him.

Clemont nodded, but inside he was seething. It may not have manifested verbally, but as Clemont watched the airship fade away, becoming invisible to the naked eye, and Latios soared back into the sky, his body began to shake with anger. His sister was all alone and captured for whatever reason. It was some sick game, and he wanted no part in it. All he wanted was Bonnie safe and sound, even if he had to rescue her himself. Instead of saying this, though, he just turned to Alain.

"We need to tell everyone else about what happened to them…including the vice president. Then we'll get information from Ash's dad," he told Alain confidently, much to his own surprise. Alain nodded, and both of the Pokémon turned back to fly over to the stadium. And though Clemont didn't say it, one thought kept repeating in his head, I'll rescue you, Bonnie. Just you wait. Wait for me.

Author's Note: Long long chapters…to be fair to this one, while I could have split it, not enough really happened in the first half to justify it. So, the situation has turned sour: the vice president fell to his death, the bad guys have a legendary, Bonnie is kidnapped, and they got away with the president. Yeah, that's a lot. Now, why did they do all this? Well, I'm not telling. Truth be told, this was kind of a difficult chapter because of the things that happened in the second half. Revealing that Bonnie was kidnapped was the hardest part, and I hope that it all makes sense and worked out well. How it happened is just a short story for another time. And in regards to the vice president's death, the reason for that will be revealed next chapter.

We're just now getting into the meat of the plot, so I hope you'll keep on keeping on! Until the next chapter, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Well, I'm sure everyone will be enjoying their Sun and Moon Demo, but I hope you'll find the time to read and review this story! I love you all! Time for Chapter 7!
Chapter 7

A Gamble​

"You have to be kidding me…" Diantha spoke, louder than she'd anticipated to. Thankfully, there was no one else in the room with her. All that she had was the screen in front of her as she dabbed some makeup on. That all seemed so silly now on account of the man that was giving her information.

"I'm afraid I'm not Champion, our illustrious President Goodshow was taken today, and-"

"Please, Harrison…it's getting late," the Kalos Champion sighed out, placing her tools down to frown at the man on the screen. Harrison Kalas just grinned sheepishly, running a hand through his hair.

"My apologies, Champion, but I've been in the role so long that speaking as a commentator comes as second nature," Kalas apologized before clearing his throat. When he spoke again, it was in his normal tone of voice. "Anyway, yes, President Goodshow was abducted. Before I even had the chance to blink, he was gone and Vice President Michael was down. I didn't stop the commentary."

"Good…that's good, Harrison. If you had, people would have suspected something, and we can't afford another problem at the moment." Kalas nodded a little as Diantha scoffed inside. It wasn't like they hadn't expected there to be problems, but certainly not a straight up abduction. And of the President no less! The only questions that remained were why, and whether they would receive some kind of ransom call. "Have you informed Lance of the situation? He is a top agent in the organization you inform for."

"I did, and I also contacted the International Police to see if there was any chatter on their side, per Lance's orders, but got nowhere," the commentator continued. "Looker informed me that the only thing he could think of is that it was connected to that lab fire, but that it was a stretch made only by the timing of the two events."

"So, we're no closer…and the Vice President?" Here, Diantha felt she would receive a less favorable answer. Sure enough, Kalas frowned, and even delayed in giving her an answer. In some way, this was why she hated working with the G-Men and their informants, no matter how affiliated with the League they were: their shifty answers hardly made for good communication.

"He…fell," was the simple answer, though it hardly told Diantha of anything. "Some trainers gave pursuit after the President. The Vice went with them, and he didn't return. I can only imagine he was lost over the ravine. That's what I seemed to overhear when the trainers reunited."

"You couldn't get any more?"

"I think I was noticed, honestly," Kalas said. "I've been undercover at so many different venues for gathering info that I didn't think it was possible, but there was a man with the trainers. He was very tight-lipped, like he knew I was listening. He just helped the trainers along since one of them looked injured slightly."

"Let me guess…Ash Ketchum?" Diantha asked with a rather tired sigh. Harrison nodded. She wasn't surprised. Ash had a way of being involved in every major event that happened to the Kalos region. Whether it was by chance or some greater working of fate, Diantha neither knew nor cared, but she felt whatever circumstances there were, things were safe with Ash around. Though she could have kicked herself for thinking that. "All right. Thanks, Harrison."

"And the tournament? With both our presidents out of action, that makes you de facto leader of the region, right? Do you want us to proceed?" Kalas asked sternly, yet with a slight waver in his voice. Diantha had to think a moment, pinching the bridge of her nose as she did so.

"We proceed. I'll contact Malva and have her join you. I know I was scheduled to, but this changes things," she told him. "I'll be there as soon as I am able to fix whatever damage may have been done, but we can't let anyone know what's going on, outside of those that already do. This region has faced enough crises without the people panicking even more."

"Understood. I'll contact Lance again and we'll work out the details for protection and press releases."

"While you're at it, have him put together a team to scour the ravine and find the vice president…or his body. I would hope the river didn't carry him too far," she concluded grimly. Kalas didn't look too happy at the notion either, but it was one that Diantha felt needed to be said. At the moment, they needed to prepare for the worst, and as a leader, she wasn't letting more harm come to her precious region or the League.

"Will do," Kalas replied with enthusiasm, at least until he sighed. "Man, I really wish I had retired, but I just had to go to the Kalos Team Tournament. I rue the day Lance signed me on as an informant…oh well, keep in contact, Champion."

Like that, Kalas had disappeared off the screen. Diantha heaved a breath and sat back on her seat. Things just went from bad to worse…

For the first time, Diantha was wondering if the theory of the recent events being connected actually held some merit. From the unprecedented debacle at Ancien, to the events that followed at Nova. Then there was the Kalos Crisis. Never had she imagined destruction on such a large scale, and so undetected. Had Olympia not warned them, Diantha felt that Lumiose, the region and the world would have crumbled that much quicker. Although…that wasn't quite true. Not with Ash there. Now there was this situation: the president being kidnapped by anyone had never been seen before. Had it been at any other time, she would have thought that it was some random thugs looking for a huge ransom, or maybe even an allowance into the League without badges. But now…after all that had transpired…

Now, she knew better.

This wasn't a random act. It was a prelude. She could feel the clouds gathering around them, ready to burst with a powerful storm that would obliterate all in their path. That alone was a frightening prospect, and no matter how much Ash played hero and his friends would do all in their power to whatever end, Diantha knew it wasn't enough. She believed and trusted in them, but it would be pointless if she didn't do her part, and as it was, she couldn't do that. Not with such a dearth of information on what was going on behind the scenes…in the underworld…

"Unless…" she mused aloud. It was such a risky play, to ask him for information, but he was the only one who would have anything. After all, he had known about that ancient artifact and other details connected with Dalton. It was a long shot, but the boy could potentially have the information that would change everything.

Diantha stood, her lips frowning in a thin line. It was time for all or nothing, and if it meant rescuing the President and preventing further disaster, she'd have to make a deal with the devil. Feeling her skin crawl, Diantha strode from the room, grabbing her tablet on her way out, making sure to lock it now that she had executive power. Right outside the room was Kathi Lee, waiting like a hawk for her.

"Diantha, we have a Lumiose Galette commercial during the afternoon before we get you rested up for the tournament visit tomorrow."

"I'm not going," Diantha said sternly, though she was certain it came off harshly. "Cancel everything, Kathi. I have a more important trip to make."

"Trip? What happened? Diantha!" Kathi went stumbling after her as the Champion purposefully strode down the hallway and towards the pair of glass doors that led outside to the studio lot. She didn't have to walk far to find her helicopter waiting there for her, almost like it had known she was coming.

"Inform our major prison for the region that I'm coming for a visit," she said seriously. If Kathi was floored by the request, she didn't show it whatsoever. Either way, Diantha decided to further inform her ever loyal companion of the reasoning behind it. "The League is now in a state of emergency, leaving executive decisions in the Kalos Region to me. To that end, there's someone I need to see."

"Understood," Kathi said solemnly, and she took out her phone. Diantha merely seated herself upon her helicopter, staring out the window with a finger on her chin in contemplation. Deep in her mind, she was unsettled by the action she was taking and the choice she was making. Yet she knew that no other course was available to her. None but this risky gamble.

Her mind still wasn't settled by the time the helicopter had landed on the helipad right outside the prison. She hadn't even noticed that they had been in flight. The warden appeared to be waiting for them, having obviously gotten Kathi's call. He appeared amicable, if completely flustered by her arrival.

"I'm sorry Champion, but this is most irregular," the warden said with fidgeting hands twisting into themselves or running over his bald head. Diantha smiled down at the man.

"I understand, warden. However, I need to speak to one of your prisoners. His name is Travis. I escorted him myself personally." The warden stopped, and she with him. His reaction appeared odd; surely he would have been prepared for any visitor for a prisoner, particularly one that Diantha, herself, had brought in just a few weeks prior. Yet he looked almost frightened.

"Er…he's currently in solitary," the warden answered.

"Is there a reason?" she asked. Not that she cared much for Travis' wellbeing, but if he was under lock and key more so than usual, then she felt that she needed to know the reason. After all, she knew little enough as it was.

"Err…umm…It's just little things. He wouldn't stop talking, you see. Babbling really, laughing. It really angered another of the inmates and they got into a fight. Had to put them both in solitary…"

"Babbling about what exactly?" the Champion asked as she walked forward, into the prison. The warden stumbled on after her, trying to keep up, but she no longer cared for his excuses to keep her away from the answers she wanted.

"Random things…I thought he was insane, but the psychiatrists all assure me he's as sane as can be," the warden chuckled nervously. Diantha came to a stop before a door, and the warden swallowed loudly before unlocking it. He took the lead shortly after that, no doubt leading her to where Travis was. "Keeps mumbling lots of names though. Ash, Seamus, Dalton…and yours, Champion. He…he seemed to think you'd be paying a visit, ironically."

"Good. Then this should go smoothly." The warden didn't appear quite so sure about her statement, particularly when he stopped in front of a large metal door and slid the latch open to allow Diantha access inside. She proceeded forward. He didn't. The door slammed shut behind her, drowning the room in shadow, only a few cracks of light streaming in. So, Diantha walked forward, seeing the iron wrought bars drawing nearer, her heart growing sicker with every step. In fact, every step echoed off the wall like a horrid heartbeat as she drew closer to the bars, only to stop in front of them.

At this, she turned in towards the occupant inside, to find him sitting up on the bed. Red hair disheveled, and his scars, both burn and cut related, practically glowing in the darkness. He was no doubt expecting her.

"I knew you'd come…Champion," he said with such loathing and mockery that Diantha scowled. "Things have gone real bad on the outside, huh?"

"And how is it that you know this?" Diantha asked, hoping to regain her bearings and hold control over the conversation.

"Because you wouldn't be here if they weren't," he said with a scoff, like it was obvious. "So, what happened?"

"I thought you would have known," she said. Travis laughed, the eerie sound echoing off the wall. It reminded her all too well of their last conversation in the prison at Nova Town.

"I don't know everything, but I did tell you, didn't I? I was right, wasn't I?" he jeered through the prison cell. He was unmoving from his spot on his cot, and the Champion figured that he was chained there. "A crisis came to Kalos."

"And was averted."

"Was it?" That sent an uncomfortable tingling down her spine, but she refused to let it show on her face. She wasn't giving this wicked and twisted boy any sort of satisfaction. "One of them was…but maybe this crisis is a little too big to handle…"

"Tell me what you know," Diantha demanded angrily. The sick feeling in her stomach intensified; she had no time for any sort of games anymore.

"Ah ah ah," Travis scolded her. She was certain he would have wagged a finger at her if he could. "I don't think so…Information isn't cheap."

"I don't think you're in a place to bargain."

"Oh? Correct me if I'm wrong, Champion, but you came to me looking for information," Travis said. Diantha felt she could have thrown up at the correct insinuation, but she kept herself stoic at his jeering. "So, it would seem, as I'm the only source of this information, I hold all the cards. Feels nice. Unless you want to pass on my information, and leave it all up to Ash. But you strike me as someone reasonable enough to not do something so stupid. Not after the Kalos Crisis. So, what's it gonna be?"

Diantha debated just walking away and leaving Travis alone with his miserable state of existence. Unfortunately, she knew the enormity of what could be at stake, with the president's life on the line, and though it horrified her, she asked her question. "What do you want, Travis?"

"Full immunity," he said quickly. "I want out of this filthy prison with my Pokémon at my side. You give me that, and I'll tell you everything I heard in the underworld."

"As if I could do something like that so easily," Diantha said with a scoff. At these words, Travis leaned forward and she could now see more of him in the light. He looked almost grotesque, a pale shadow of the once handsome boy he likely had been before Ancien.

"I'm sure you'll find a way…if you want my info," he said confidently, a smirk stretching the horrid features on his face. "And this is only open for a limited time, by the way."

"Ever the same, I see," Diantha commented. To that, Travis appeared to grin before sitting back in the shadows. Watching him do so, she knew that she should have expected him to ask for such a ludicrous request. Thinking it and hearing it out loud were two entirely different things, though. Now that she knew it was the only offer on the table, she had to take a moment to hesitate.

Travis was scum. There was no doubt about that, but his use as a resource in the moment was a rather unyielding need. These two thoughts broke and conflicted with one another. It was ever the issue of letting one clearly unhinged boy (no matter what the psychiatrists said) go free to cause havoc, or watching her region fall into chaos again simply because she was unwilling to let a lesser evil go free for information. A conundrum no matter what way it was looked at. Travis was patient though, watching her through the darkness.

In all honesty, the decision was not a difficult one. She knew what she had to do, for good or ill, before the situation grew out of her control. It was everything else surrounding the single issue. Travis was a variable, too wild to control, and while it would have been best to discuss the situation in a committee with her fellow Champions, their respective duties and the problem at hand all but prevented that. No, this was her decision to make.

Furrowing her brow a little, Diantha reached into her bag for her tablet and pulled it open. Clicking on the League system, she inputted the code for an emergency situation to ensure her access to all systems as acting-Kalos region president. It accepted her once more and within seconds, she was at the prison information and the forms that would allow the full release of prisoners; a pardon. Even though her hand shook, the desperate times made Diantha type in Travis' name on the form. Only his name wasn't alone. Next to it were others: Charles, Tiffany, Theodore.

If she was letting the devil out to play, she'd send the devil she did know to keep it in check.

Taking one last shuddering breath, she clicked on the mark that made the order go through. After a few moments of loading, the four separate release forms appeared on her tablet. She expanded Travis' and pressed it against the cell bars.

"Congratulations, you're a free man. The order will fully go through tomorrow afternoon and you'll be on your way, Pokémon and all," Diantha informed him. In the dark, she couldn't see his expression and figured it could go any which way from surprise to glee to outright cockiness. "Though you will be escorted out of here by me, personally. Until then, talk."

"No way. I'm not talking and then having you rescind that order," Travis spat. The thought had crossed her mind at doing so, but she was glad her countermeasures against the boy didn't hinge on it with his perception. "However…I'll give you a freebie while we wait."

"That's generous. What is it?"

"You remember that weapon we talked about, Champion? Well, they're after it."

"They? Who are 'they'?" Travis didn't answer that one, but in the moment it wasn't like he needed to.

"They're after that Ultimate Weapon and every single thing to make it work…then, they'll destroy this pathetic world and everyone in it."

"Wait, what happened to Bonnie? !"

"She was kidnapped by some bad guys?"

"And the president, too? !"

"If I had just sat with you guys today…"

"Hey, everyone just calm down!" Ash shouted out over the din at their favorite little café station. Pikachu and Piplup both looked around wildly at his command. The magenta haired waitress placed another platter of sandwiches down before returning to her companions to mutter with them. Serena just ignored that and focused on her boyfriend's words. He was looking better now, at least. Nurse Joy had easily examined him and Greninja, slapped a bandage on and told them they were fine and free to go. Serena was a little more skeptical, but she felt way too skeptical of anything in general, especially after today's events. She felt absolutely horrible inside.

"Ash is right," Clemont sighed out, hands gripping tightly at his jumpsuit. "This is my fault. I failed to save Bonnie or the presidents, and after you trusted me, Ash. So don't blame yourself, Sawyer."

"Clemont, don't say that," Serena chided him, turning towards him with a stern glare. Ash seemed to want to encourage her words by flinging an arm around Clemont. "You did your best. Mega Evolutions and Legendary Pokémon…how could anyone compete with that after finding out their sister was taken?"

"Even I failed…" Alain said. He wasn't sitting like the rest of them, but leaning against a pillar in the open court. The place was surprisingly empty, but they had been slowly gathering there for hours after the final match ended with the girl Reeree and her partner attaining victory. Serena sat back, acutely feeling the failure coursing through all of them.

It was a sharp feeling of defeat, really; one she hadn't felt since Ash had been captured at Nova Town. Seeing Clemont and Alain return from the airship with a hyperventilating Mairin and dejected looks all but told them that they had failed. Jack, not being one for words (unlike his son), instantly decided to try and get "his people" on it. Whatever that meant. It mattered little, because as they returned down to the base level of the stadium, they had encountered Shauna, Tierno and Trevor, all of whom were surprised at how beaten up they looked. What followed was a mess of more people coming up to them as they grew in size, from Astrid, to Conway, down to Sawyer and Miette, the latter of whom was remarkably silent, as the former gaped at the sight of Jack. All this was pervaded by one simple fact: Bonnie and President Goodshow were taken hostage by an organization known as DARC.

They didn't know much more, but Jack's words about them being wily must have made sense.

"It's actually my fault…" Mairin said sadly. Alain looked over at her and Serena did the same. "Bonnie and I went to get ice cream and were on our way back to the seats when we got hit by some kind of Sleep Powder or…I don't know…"

"That's not your fault, Mairin," Serena reminded her. Chespie appeared to agree. He had been left behind after being hit by whatever had downed them. There was nothing you could do to being ambushed at a place you thought you were safe. Although, even Serena was trying hard not to blame herself for her own mistakes in not stopping Cedric.

"It's no one's fault! I mean, sure, it's weird that we all keep getting captured and stuff, but we all tried our best," Ash said confidently. Drawing the others eyes to him. While some still weren't extremely aware of the situation, they all seemed inspired by Ash regardless. "We will get Bonnie and the president back! No matter what!"

"Yeah!" Sawyer cheered alongside the trio from summer camp. Miette cast a bemused look at the boy and he grinned sheepishly. Alain stood up straight.

"You're wrong, Ash," he said coldly. That caused Serena to look over at him in alarm. He almost sounded angry (or just default, as Serena didn't truly know him well enough to make a judgment). "There is someone to blame: him."

At Alain's words, Serena turned her head (along with everyone else) to look at the raven-haired man tilting back on his chair while he looked at something on a tablet. In that moment, watching him tilt back and forth with a small little smile, she could actually see the family resemblance. As if the markings on his cheeks weren't enough, his general look made him seem like an older version of his son who looked at him in a mix of confusion, happiness and hurt. It made Serena unsure as to whether she should comfort him or…something else. Anything else. Regardless, Jack appeared to pick up on the tension directed towards him.

"Oh, I'm not to blame for this. Not at all," he stated, staring pointedly at Alain. The black haired trainer didn't quite believe him as he came off from his leaning positon to approach him. Just as he came close, Jack slammed the chair down, its sound echoing around the court. Alain backed off, as though frightened. "Don't lump me in with them."

"But they only kidnapped the president because you were here…and you, whoever you are, didn't help us to get him back," Alain said, his voice lower than it had been before. Serena wondered if he was just saying these things as a means to assuage his own previous guilt for unintentional actions and their results.

"I was here to prevent that, though my intel said they were planning an assassination. Clearly, it was false, but I'm unsure that the result would have ended up much different," Jack said, sighing a little as he scooted forward. Astrid and Dawn pushed themselves aside to allow the older man to join them at the table. He grabbed a sandwich and now there was no more doubt in Serena's mind: he was definitely Ash's father. The only thing left to doubt were his intentions. "I didn't know they were going after your sister, though, Clemont. For that, I'm sorry. Had I been more aware, I may have found them. Though I am trying to get some of my people on the situation. It's just been difficult…"

"Your people?" Sawyer asked. A brief flick of her eyes told Serena that the green-haired Hoenn native was surreptitiously sliding his notebook out. "Who are you exactly? I met you before in a café, but you were gone before I could ask."

"Which answer you want?" Jack asked him, eyes twinkling a moment before he looked over at Ash and Pikachu, who tilted their heads curiously. "Well, you're all Ash's friends, and I know enough about each of you that there should be no problem…regardless of what Lionel says."

"You know all of us?" Tierno blabbed out before he could help himself.

"Of course. I'm Ash's father, so naturally I've kept tabs on my son's adventures," he said casually. That made the table become stunned with silence. Only Ash, herself, Clemont and Dawn looked anything but surprised (she supposed Pikachu wasn't all that surprised either). And even then, hearing it a second time didn't make the revelation any more familiar.

Ash never mentioned his father, always being one to live in the present, but if it had been anything like her own, she expected him to have left at a very young age. Clearly that was true, but where Serena had no recollection of her father, Ash clearly knew his…at least somewhat. At the very least, he recognized him as such with very little prompting. Beyond that, though, none of them knew much about him, and could trust even less. Ash's father was not Ash, after all.

"Anyway, that's not important. Not in the realm of Alain's question, anyhow," Jack breathed out. "My name's Jack Ketchum, you can call me Jack or Red. I'm not particularly picky about the use of my codename. I am the leader of ARC, if you're interested."

"What's ARC?" Mairin said, shuffling forward on her seat. Jack looked at her before clearly realizing that every eye around the table was on him. Serena had a feeling the waitress and her band were watching him too, whispering under their breaths.

"ARC is an organization dedicated to the retrieval and sealing of ancient artifacts. At least, those that can be. Stands for Artifact Recovery Corps," Jack explained. "We do a lot of work behind the scenes, finding as many artifacts as we can before they get used for villainous deeds. Sometimes we dip our toes into the underworld to hear of anything going on. Of course, there are always some things we miss…

"Well, anyway, that's me and that's my job. Lately, though, we've had to deal with a very troublesome band of individuals in DARC: the Destruction and Reparation Coalition. I know, lots of acronyms. But they're the ones who kidnapped the president."

"Hmm," Clemont mused thoughtfully, his face appearing calm even though Serena knew he wasn't. "But, if you're in conflict with them and you hunt artifacts, why would they want the president? What are they looking for?"

"I have a guess that's led to some actions on both sides, but it's really just that. Nothing I'd be willing to share at this moment. The one thing I can tell you is what they're after: the total destruction of this world."

The thought lingered uncomfortably around the table. Only Dawn and Conway looked less perturbed. Everyone else hung their heads and Serena couldn't help but stare at her fingernails. Destruction of the world…How she wished those words and goals would be unfamiliar to her, but now they fit like a glove, and an uncomfortable one at that. It was becoming a little cliché, to be honest, but no less sickening. This was reflected the most on Alain's face. Clearly he was harboring some sense of guilt and shame from what went down with Lysandre. Jack looked to pick up on this.

"I thought you all might have that same kind of reaction. After all, you're part of the Ancien Warriors, the Nova Nine, the Kalos Heroes!" The way he said it almost made it seem like a joke, but they weren't laughing, and he wasn't smiling. "In all honesty, I can understand your thoughts. Year after year this world keeps getting steadily worse. If it weren't for such stalwart and optimistic trainers such as yourselves, I'd wonder where we would be. Goodness knows the number of artifacts I've tried to shut down, but ancient people seem to have liked creating world-ending devices, and Arceus knows Pokémon have had their fair share of that as well. For every one we find and destroy, or otherwise place under extreme protective custody, another one pops right up.

"For example, the Red and Blue Orbs. After the incident in Hoenn, ARC managed to confiscate them at a later date, yet the meteorites in Ancien City became active at that time. We found the Dark Stone, only for Reshiram to awaken from the Light Stone and cause problems. Now this whole thing! It's a never ending job, but I've loved doing it. It's one of my passions in life."

"It is?" Ash asked, himself surprised. "I didn't know…" To any other, Ash sounded inquisitive and curious, but Dawn and herself looked over at him while Clemont kept his gaze on Jack. They were all thinking the same, however: Ash's voice had been filled with a small sense of hurt and neglect, something only those closest to him could tell. Well, unless they were related to him, as Jack seemed to pick up with a frown. "Is that why you left mom? And me?"

"That, Ash, is a story for a far less dire time," Jack said solemnly, once more changing the mood around the table. "Right now, however, the stakes are risen too high. I'd hoped to stop DARC from gaining a foothold in their plans and figured that preventing the President from being assassinated would do it, but I was misled."

"Then what can we do?" Sawyer asked confidently, gripping his closed notebook. "There has to be something!"

"There probably is…but I need to rescue Bonnie," Clemont reminded them.

"And I want to retrieve the president," Alain confirmed. "I feel it's my fault he was able to be captured anyway." Neither mentioned the weight of losing the vice president.

"But you guys are still fellow competitors," Astrid pointed out with a sigh. "You guys can't just leave when you're still in the competition. It would look strange and call more attention than there should be, especially when you guys were oddly discreet in your earlier attempts."

"I can't sit around and do nothing!" Clemont suddenly yelled, standing and slamming his hands on the table. Ash's arm was thrown off as the sandwiches went flying high only for Dawn and Conway to help catch them quickly. "Bonnie is my sister! Tournament or not, she's too important to me to let this DARC do whatever they want to her!"

"You're right, Clemont," Jack said calmly. He appeared to be the only calm one there. Serena knew for sure that her heart was racing and she was finding it extremely difficult to not blurt out whatever was on the tip of her tongue. "You should rescue your sister…just not right now."

"What?" the inventor asked in a rather cold and emotionless tone.

"Understand me, I know the value of family despite my rather questionable actions," Ash's father continued onward. "I would say that family is what has driven me in a number of my choices, but DARC is manipulative, and they will be able to stop you before you even get close if they see you coming. Pulling out of the tournament will do just that."

"What are we supposed to do, then?" Serena asked, finally putting her own thoughts into the conversation. "Bonnie is a precious friend of ours. We can't just leave her in their hands. What exactly do you want us to do? Especially when we barely even know you…"

"I know," Jack sighed out a little, "but right now we need to do what we can while keeping DARC from thinking that all of us are on the move."

"Do you have any idea of what they're actually doing, then?" came Dawn's question. Jack didn't turn his head, but decided to answer.

"Whatever they're trying to do in order to achieve their endgame, we've come to a conclusion that they are looking for a near limitless source of energy. Powerful life energy that could power something that would manage to destroy the world, even tear a hole in space if it needed to is our current hypothesis…or at least Lionel's, but he usually knows what he's talking about. My belief is that they're searching for Xerneas."

"Xerneas?" Trevor blurted out in surprise. "But no one has seen Xerneas in centuries, maybe even millennia!"

"That's not true," Ash piped in, looking rather stern in his expression. "We saw Xerneas in the Allearth Forest, right?" At that, he looked to her and Clemont with a questioning look in his eyes. Now that Serena thought about it, he was right. It had been so long ago and so much had happened that she had forgotten of their excursion with Diancie and Carbink. (Though she shouldn't have, as she also remembered it was where they had met Astrid.)

"Yeah, but…Ash, Xerneas is just a tree now, remember?" Clemont said, frustration seeping into his voice.

"That's perfect for them. It's something that won't fight back," Jack noted, now standing up and drawing himself to his full height. Despite only being slightly taller than Alain, Jack seemed to tower over all of them. "Then it looks like our first course is set!"

"Our?" Ash questioned. Jack turned, looking embarrassed, and began to rub his nose. Another similarity, Serena noted in her head.

"Well, I know you're in the tournament, too…but I was kind of hoping you'd come with me, Ash," he said, still rubbing his nose with a slight smile. "I know I just said that Clemont shouldn't, but…well, the issue of Xerneas is far more time sensitive as I'd like to find it before they can strike, and you can lead me there. Plus, they already know of your involvement. Bonnie is likely in no danger for the moment, but if Xerneas is obtained…"

"I get it," Ash said, nodded his head, but frowning all the same. He looked contemplative, which was rather unlike him, but Serena could understand. After everything that had been thrown at him in the last few hours alone, anyone would take a moment to think it over.

"I understand if you want to keep battling in the tournament, but I'd just like to reconnect. I know those moments can't heal such a rift, but I'd really hope we could at least work together." Jack now shifted his hand to the back of his head to rub it with a little laugh. "Like today. I know it was serious, but I had a lot of fun fighting alongside you!"

"Oh," Ash said, looking a little surprised at his father's confession. Serena looked to her boyfriend and could see confusion bubbling in his eyes, but along with it was the same fire that burned whenever he was excited. Serena knew his decision from that exact moment, but he seemed to have a hard time getting it out. "Can I have a moment to talk about it?"

"Take what you need," Jack said, seating himself once more and opening his tablet once again. Ash, meanwhile, pushed his chair out while looking at Serena. He nodded a little and she chose to follow him as he walked away. Clemont was right behind them, none of them stopping until they were out the court and amidst the lulling sounds of the waterfalls. When they reached there, Ash turned around and opened his mouth.

"Go with him," Serena said softly. Ash looked taken aback by this, mouth gaping like a Magikarp; Pikachu was nodding in agreement, though. "Ash, I know it seems weird but…as we sat there, I could see it in both of you. There was a connection, and a desire to know each other. Even if I wasn't sure whether to trust him or not, so many of the little things he did reminded me of you and…you need to go with him."

"Serena…are you sure?" Ash asked. He folded his arms, but Serena just stepped forward and unfolded them. Then she came even closer and cupped his face.

"I'm very sure," she said quietly. "Not many people are as lucky as you to meet their estranged fathers, unorthodox situations or not. I know I've never really met my dad. Besides, Clemont and I can handle things here. I'm seeing this tournament through to the end!"

"I agree with Serena," Clemont added with a nod. "If Bonnie were here, she'd say the same thing. Besides, if you stop them at Allearth Forest, then maybe you can find out where they took Bonnie and get there faster."

"Good point," Ash said, obviously having never thought of it. "What'll we do about the tournament, though?"

"You can leave that to us!" Serena assured him before drawing in and giving him a kiss, as if to reassure him that they would be fine. "Clemont and I can work something out. We've got the others with us after all."

"Yes…" Clemont looked lost in thought, and for the first time that evening, it didn't seem to be about his sister. Actually, Serena felt she could actually hear the gears turning his brain as he thought up something. Not knowing what it was, she prepared to ask, only for Ash to bring them both into a hug, one which Pikachu avoided.

"You guys are the best," he said. "I mean, so is everyone else, but…thanks."

"Just make sure you're safe out there, okay? I can't be there to protect your back while you're out there, so you need to watch out for yourself," Serena reminded him. She felt him nod against her skin, sending an actual tingle through her body before she continued on. "Get to know your dad, stop the bad guys and come back safe. That's it, okay? No crazy stunts."

"I'll try not to," Ash laughed out, finally drawing back from their group hug. "You make sure to win the tournament, though! And you rescue Bonnie, Clemont."

"Will do." To this, all three of them threw their hands in and then raised them towards the sky with clasped fists. Seeing the fire in her boyfriend's eyes, Serena knew that she had called for the right decision. Fighting a tournament was one thing, but she wasn't going to let Ash have this opportunity slip by. Taking Ash's hand, the trio started to head back into the court towards the table that was now animatedly talking. Pikachu leapt off of Ash's shoulder and dashed towards the table where Piplup was stuffing some of his face in. Jack looked up.

"You've made your decision."

"Yep, I'm going with you dad!" Ash said with a fist thrown forward.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu cheered from near Piplup, indicating that he would, naturally, go along. Jack's face actually lit up, as though he hadn't expected such a positive answer, but was happy to have it nonetheless.

"Good…great…then the four of us will leave in the morning! It's a long journey to the Allearth Forest, even with my vehicle and-"

"Four of us?"

"Oh, right, your friends Sawyer and Miette offered to come along and help." Serena's eyes widened and she looked over to her fellow Performer. Miette had a rather obvious smirk scrawled over her face as she winked at her. Inside, it was like a volcano going off, but Serena felt she did a passable job of keeping her face straight. This was not going to end well. Not that she thought Miette would flirt with Ash or anything, but there was never any telling what was on the girl's mind.

"All right, then!" Ash said enthusiastically, no doubt excited to be working with Sawyer again. Alain, however, seemed to cut that happiness (or whatever the mood was) down.

"And how do we deal with Ash missing from the tournament? Or for us to go rescue the others?" he asked disgruntledly. A sudden laugh, eerily akin to Conway's sounded out from Clemont (it was even enough to make Conway look at him with a creeped out expression).

"Well then, I actually have an idea! And it doesn't even involve the future that is now! No science necessary!" Clemont boasted, seeming quite proud of himself. Ash looked at him with a quirked eyebrow. "I just need to use my status and powerful connections given the state of the League!

"Uh…what are you talking about Clemont?" Ash asked, and even Serena felt she was genuinely confused.

"Heh heh heh," Clemont said and Serena backed off a little while both Dawn and Conway scooted away. The inventor even adjusted his glasses to complete the effect. "I am a Gym Leader after all, so all I need to use is my connections to get this sorted out.

"Mairin, what do you say to battling?"


Author's Note: What is this? A shorter chapter? Blasphemy! Yet it is so. After the action packed and long chapters of the last few installments, this one is quite a bit shorter, but more jampacked with stuff than any of the last ones were! Obviously, a lot of this stuff I was building up to quite a bit, even as far back as last story. Travis is back! I know you're all soooo excited (sarcasm) but surely you saw this coming. Diantha is making a tricky play, but I'm sure you're noticing what her contingency plan is (or I'd hope you do).

As for the following segment: yep, the group is splitting up! Couldn't have them staying together forever, and it's still different from the last time because their goals are entirely separate. Obviously, I haven't yet done much bonding with Ash's father, but now that we're outside of a major group setting, it's coming up soon. I hope I did a good job in portraying Ash wanting to go with him and that decision that was made along the way (and the plot details that I've informed you of). At least, I'd like to think I did. It's amazing how a simpler story can be harder to write.

With the plot now shifting into high gear as things start changing up, I hope you'll continue to stick around with me, Review, and Dare to Be Silly.
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Today was so meh…Like, why? Couldn't they have done a better job? Maybe subs will change my mind, but I feel like the writers didn't even care to write it…oh well, at least Greninja will come back when his gardening work is done. But who cares! Time for Chapter 8!

Chapter 8

A Divergence​

Waking up the next morning felt akin to a dream for Serena. In fact, when she first yawned and stretched her legs, she was almost certain that it had been. At least until she remembered the events from the day before: the president kidnapped, Bonnie taken hostage, them getting attacked, and Ash's father. It made her head whirl for a moment before acting as a bucket of cold water that snapped her awake.

"What a day…" Serena breathed out as she sat up. Raking her eyes over the room, she could tell Clemont was asleep (no surprise considering how late they had stayed up) but Ash looked to be on the balcony, doing some morning stretches with Pikachu. Affixing a soft smile to her face, she watched him do so (with a little blush as she realized she was admiring him a little too much) until he turned around, finished, noticing that she was awake.

"Hey," he said with his own grin, stepping back inside to grab his jacket. Serena threw her covers off her and nodded back. Feeling slightly rejuvenated, she went to the bathroom and changed. When she got out, Clemont was waking up as well, though he was acting rather lethargic. Regardless, he was able to dress soon enough and all of them grabbed their bags to make their way down to breakfast. Not surprising at all was that they met the entire quartet staying next door in the hallway. The four of them were just as silent on their way downstairs and to their nifty little café. The waitress, like always, appeared a little disgruntled, though even more so than usual. Even the cooks appeared frazzled, as though this was their last day to make as much money as possible.

The least surprising thing was the presence of Jack at the table, sipping on a coffee, looking well-rested and relaxed. It was such a surprise considering how intense his arrival had been.

"Morning, everyone! Sleep well?" he asked cheerily, taking another sip.

"Well enough…" Clemont yawned out, teetering back and forth until Serena made sure to right him. Pikachu hopped onto the table where a pile of croissants were gathered, though a couple looked strangely nibbled into.

"Pika!" Pikachu proclaimed, turning to Jack with a happy face. He seemed to be quite fine interacting with Ash's father, something that lightened Serena's heat considerably. She and Ash took a seat next to each other.

"Well, make sure you're rested and awake for today. You know what needs to be done," he said sternly. Serena nodded a little, grabbing her own croissant. Now he was entering the intense mode he had been in last night. He didn't look it, Serena observed, casually leaning over to scratch Pikachu behind the ears while checking his watch. Pikachu looked to enjoy it, putting a smile on Ash's face. Serena just decided to enjoy her croissant, though she was only halfway through it when she felt the signature hot breath on her neck of Miette.

"You're really calm. Surprising," she whispered. Serena whipped around as Miette stepped back, adjusting the bag on her shoulders while Sawyer stood next to her.

"Excellent, looks like our party is here," Jack observed, getting to his feet. His words created a slight scramble around the table, mainly for Ash, Pikachu, and Sawyer who quickly nabbed whatever breakfast they could from the table before the former stood up. Serena finished off her own croissant before wiping her mouth and standing.

"All right, we're ready," Ash said, pumping his fist alongside Pikachu.

"I've contacted my people and they'll meet us at the destination. It'll take us a while to get there, even by car, so I hope you won't mind the trip," Jack stated. "Now, Clemont, your plan?"

"It's good to go. I contacted the League about the change and they agreed to go through with it…I think," Clemont answered. Dawn appeared to wake up a little more at that and turned her head to him.

"I had no idea you could do that," she said, rubbing her eyes a little.

"You'd be surprised what a Gym Leader status can do! Well, that and intentionally hiding information…I feel a little bad, but…"

"Don't worry. You're not harming anyone regardless," Jack assured him kindly. "I want you all to know, before we depart that I'm grateful. Not just as the leader of ARC but as Ash's father. I know that I've been absent most of his life, but seeing all of you and what you've imparted to him makes me happy that he's surrounded by such kind and loving people."

"The same could be said for us," Clemont told him. "Ash has inspired a lot of us, too."

"Well, either way, thank you!" With his words, Jack bowed his head gratefully. "Ash, Sawyer, Miss Miette, I'll meet you outside the main entrance in a few."

"Okay," Ash said cheerfully. To Serena's eyes, it seemed he had accepted his father quite easily by this point, though likely still had question; curiosity must have overridden any other emotion. Jack nodded once more and left the area. With him gone, Serena turned towards Miette, who smiled.

"Don't worry, Serena," she said quietly. "I'm not trying to do anything, okay?"

"I know," Serena answered confidently. Miette didn't look surprised at this notion, only reaching forward to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks. I just want to help," Miette admitted. "You're seeing this tournament through to the end, right? I'll root for you while I'm with them, and I can make sure Ash doesn't, you know, jump off a cliff. I have the distinct feeling Sawyer would let him."

"In other words, you'll be there for him when I can't?" Serena confirmed, putting her own hand on Miette's shoulder. The bluenette nodded. "Then you be safe, too. And don't you dare say anything…inappropriate."

"Please, Serena, it's me we're talking about," Miette assured her with a cocksure smirk, though Serena wasn't sure to which she was referring. That was enough for both girls to drop their hands. There was a certain number of things not spoken aloud between the two of them, but it was enough for Serena. Miette was her friend and had become someone who cared for Ash just as much as any of his friends. Trusting her was easy. Having said what was essentially her farewell to the girl, Serena turned to Ash, who finished his own quick goodbye to Clemont, the inventor shoving something in the boy's pocket, before turning to her. She stepped forward.

"Be safe." They were really the only two words that mattered. Two words that Ash took to heart with a nod and a smile. Then he said the only words that really mattered.

"I will, after all, can't have you worrying, right? But you gotta win in the meantime," he responded, offering his fist. Serena responded in kind by bumping his with hers.

"I will. We'll meet up when the tournament is over, okay?" she said. Ash seemed to like that idea, because he dropped his fist and quickly brought her into a hug. She had to admit her surprise at how proactive he was, but was more than pleased, hugging him back. "I love you, Ash."

"I love you, too. I'll see you soon." Serena drew back and placed a quick kiss to his lips, like a lingering memory of her before they separated. It was a little embarrassing with all their friends there, but no one commented on it. "All right! Sawyer, Miette, let's go!"

"Right, Ash!" Sawyer said energetically, gripping his pack as Ash, with Pikachu on his shoulder, led the way towards the exit that Jack had left from. He looked positively excited to be going on a journey with someone he admired so much and even Miette seemed to be at ease. Before they disappeared, Ash gave a quick smile and wave back. Serena had no time to return it.

"We should get to the stadium," Alain insisted, shoving his hands in his pockets as he began walking towards their destination. He didn't look happy, but there were too many reasons for that to be the case, so Serena felt it was best to not think about it and simply follow.

If she were entirely honest with herself, the thought of seeing Ash walk away was both strange and utterly frightening. Maybe she was worrying too much, but yesterday's situation had shaken her. She knew that she certainly would have been outright freaking if her own father showed up before her unexpectedly and asked for her help. Then again, she also realized she wasn't Ash. At the same time, she also realized how much Ash had rubbed off on her, being able to trust Jack Ketchum and taking his and Clemont's plans without batting an eye in the end. Worry was still there, but hope intermingled with it. Hope that Ash would truly reconnect with his father, hope that he'd return to her like he promised. That was enough for her to let him go and move forward.

Hope turned to determination. She was going to win this. She was going to end in one of those three slots not only to return to Ash with positive news, but because she could. It would be difficult against such strong battlers like Astrid, Dawn, and that Reeree, but there was no doubt she'd make it. That burning determination blazed like an inferno as she sat on her seat in the large stadium. All of the others were there with her and Astrid took the seat that was usually reserved for Ash. He wasn't here, which would feel odd, but Astrid's look of encouragement and her own determination encouraged her.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome back to the semifinal round of the Peace Tournament!" Kalas' voice rang out. Serena's heart clenched, hoping desperately that Clemont's plan had gone through. Even her inventor friend was gripping his seat's armrest. "Before we talk about today's competition and what it will entail, there are a few major changes we're making today!"

A confused murmur spread throughout the stadium at Kalas' proclamation but Clemont appeared to relax a little, obviously feeling pretty elated that changes were being announced. Serena patted him on the back, trying to reassure him; it must have been odd for him to actually wield his power in any which way.

"First, let's welcome today's guest commentator: the graceful and gracious Elite Four member, fiery reporter Malva!" The murmurs were replaced with general cheers now, making Serena breathe out a little through her teeth. "I'm sorry to inform our loyal spectators that President Goodshow and Vice President Michael are away on other League business in preparation for this year's next Conference in the Hoenn region. But rest assured, we have some great guest power for these final two days."

"I'm very happy to be able to report on such a prestigious tournament," Malva spoke to the crowd. It was odd, hearing her again, so close by, after everything that went down with Team Flare. Not that Serena was privy to any details regarding Malva's status in the Elite Four or whatever happened in Team Flare. She felt that was for the best.

"As are we, Malva!" Kalas announced proudly. "However, that's not all we have to announce, though some of you may find this announcement disconcerting. We regret to inform you all of a change in the roster!"

"Looks like it worked," Clemont said, gripping at his chest. "I've never done something like that before, contacting the League directly and lying!"

"You did fine, Clemont," Serena told him, though even she felt a little bad about it. "But it's not like the lie was unbelievable, and it's for the best. To protect him."

"I know, I know," Clemont said, looking a little better as Kalas' unexpected (to the people) announcement rang out.

"Ash Ketchum, much to our displeasure, is unable to take part in today's semifinal round and has withdrawn from the tournament on account of a bad case of food poisoning!" That set the whole stadium in a cascade of muttering and even Serena had to flick her eyes around. It wasn't like the result was impossible…Ash ate enough food that food poisoning would be considered logical. If anything, the only thing they did was to have Clemont tell the League about the change up and agree to a stand-in to avoid any suspicion on Ash withdrawing. "So, instead, our Kalos Hero has chosen a stand-in to battle for him.

"Her name is…MAIRIN!" The crowd didn't cheer as loud as they would have for Ash and behind Serena in the seats, Mairin sunk down a little. "Don't worry folks, even with Ash's absence, I'm sure we're set to see some great battles today!"

"I'm looking forward to all of them. I'm sure some very strong competitors that I fought alongside in the Kalos Crisis will be out there," Malva commented to the stadium.

"Right you are, so without further ado, I present today's format!" Serena looked up to the screen as eighteen pictures, including hers, appeared on the screen. Ash's picture was still there from the last minute change, though it was grayed out before they began to swirl around. "Today's format is…Triple Battles!" The pictures stopped and arranged themselves into three groups of six trainers. The first row held no one of interest, though the second line held some familiar names consisting of Trevor against Conway and the girl, Reeree. More importantly was the final line. It was exactly what could have been expected.

ALAIN, CLEMONT, MAIRIN vs. SERENA, ASTRID, DAWN​

"Well, that's an interesting matchup for the crowd to see, huh?" Dawn commented, folding her legs on her chair. Kalas and the crowd certainly appeared to think so from the latter's roar and the former's observation.

"Well, it looks like our final matchups is going to send some very heavy fireworks!" he laughed out and the crowd, despite Ash's name no longer being on the ticket, got even louder. "As for the rules. Our participants are about to engage in triple battles where each trainer will use one Pokémon each and the battle is over when all of one side's Pokémon are down. However, Mega Evolution is not allowed in these battles. You will be tested solely on your teamwork in a larger group and how you can coordinate. There is no time limit. Let our first competitors come down to the stage!"

"Looks like we really will have to do this…" Clemont remarked, folding his shaking hands amongst each other. Serena reached over and clasped his in hers with a smile.

"It'll be all right," she said. "Bonnie will be fine. This battle will be fine, even if we're fighting each other." Clemont, mouth remaining shut, nodded to indicate that she was right. Sucking in a breath to steady her own feelings of trepidation, Serena sat back and watched as the first six trainers took to the beach field down below.

A part of her had to question if their choice in this instance was right. Was it right for Clemont to wield his power in such a way? For Ash to go with his father? For them to even think of doing this? Deep down inside, she knew that after what had happened yesterday it was the only course left to them, but still, every little thing worried her. Not that Ash wouldn't come back necessarily, since he always came back safe no matter how much she worried, but that something could go terribly wrong. Mostly, she was worried for Bonnie and what that strong and brave little girl could be going through. It couldn't have been easy. Yet, above all, Serena knew that she had made her choice and was sticking to it; she'd keep all eyes on the tournament and finish it to buy all of her friends some time.

These thoughts plagued her mind until the Xatu on the field finished sweeping through with a Psybeam that ended the battle and proceeded three of the random trainers onto the next round. She was so distracted she took something that Clemont handed her without question, shoving it in her pocket to identify later, when the announcements were finished. Still, even when the field switched out, Serena was barely watching. Sure, she should have studied her opponents, but somehow that didn't seem to matter…or didn't until Reeree and Conway were the only ones on their side left against Trevor's Charizard.

"Pangoro, Swords Dance!" Reeree commanded, throwing her hand out similarly to Ash. Conway just adjusted his glasses, making Serena frown. She hated it when he did that.

"Charizard, get in there with Dragon Tail!" Trevor ordered, though it was obvious with his partners gone that he was close to panicking against two very skilled opponents. Serena sat forward a little as the blue swords whirled around Pangoro. Reeree had shown herself a very capable battler throughout the tournament; someone able to take advantage of almost any situation and work with others to create a near peerless strategy. In some way, Serena found herself fascinated by the girl. Her movements were planned like a performer's, but executed like a battler. It was as if she and Ash had fused together in a way.

"Dusknoir, Trick Room," Conway ordered confidently. Dusknoir's ghostly hands extended and everyone in the stadium could see the grassy field surrounded by a translucent box. Charizard suddenly began to slow down, his glowing green tail practically halting on its way towards Dusknoir. "I believe you can wrap this up."

"I will," Reeree said darkly. "Pangoro, Stone Edge."

"Goro!" Pangoro exclaimed, flipping forward with surprising deftness for something that size, though Trick Room had likely helped it along quite handily. Either way, Trevor's speedy Charizard stood absolutely no chance in the scheme of things and before that glowing Dragon Tail could even get close, Pangoro's fist slammed onto the ground. The stones, large and mountainous, raced out, each larger than the last until one slammed straight through the slow Dragon Tail and into Charizard's stomach. Having already taken damage from a Dark Pulse and a couple Thunder Punches, Charizard cried out in pain and went reeling off before spiraling into the ground.

"Yep, that's Trevs' weakness…" Tierno commented in disappointment. "He's a great trainer, but sometimes he can't close that gap in strength, especially when he's all on his own."

"Charizard is unable to battle," the referee called as Charizard was shown passed out. Trevor quickly recalled him. "Reeree, Conway and Marco are the winners!"

"And there's the second round! We have six of our nine trainers already passing onto the final round, so let's take a brief moment to switch battlefields while our final participants make their way to the field."

Serena stood along with everyone else, some of them grabbing their bags. Mairin looked a little nervous, but a kindly nudge from Alain helped her to keep moving forward. Not that he looked much better in any case. In fact, he looked like he had just swallowed a very large fruit, or that it was still in his mouth. Serena averted her eyes and joined Astrid and Dawn as they made their way to their side of the field. Clemont joined Alain and Mairin on the other side.

"Any strategies you guys have?" Astrid asked, fingering her keystone on her ear absentmindedly. "I know you're great at underneath attacks with Fire Spin, Serena, but I'm not entirely sure of your skillset…Dawn, right?"

"Yep, and no need to worry. We'll be fine. This'll be an easy win, after all," Dawn responded with a thumbs up.

"It's Alain…I highly doubt he'll make it easy," Serena commented. Astrid appeared to agree with this notion, despite it making Dawn look somewhat putout about the whole notion. "But we'll give our all. We have to."

"Right," Astrid agreed, turning around before they headed out to the battlefield and extending her hand out. Serena looked over to her friend and Dawn grinned. Both got the message and put their hands in. "Let's do our best for our friends out there by giving them one heck of a show!"

"Yeah!" all three girls agreed in tandem and they threw their fists into the air before the roar of the crowd reached them again. It was time for the battle to begin. All three turned to the battlefield and began making their way out, catching sight of the swirling sands of the desert field.

"It's our final battle of the day, folks, and we've got quite the matchup! In the red corner it's Lumiose Gym Leader, Clemont, Kalos League winner, Alain, and the enigmatic Mairin standing in for Ash Ketchum!" Kalas said, much to the crowd's approval. "And in the blue corner are these very lovely ladies, Serena, Astrid and Dawn! All heroines in their own rights! Which Pokémon will these six trainers choose for a blistering battle on the scorched desert sands?"

"I think we're about to find out," Malva answered coolly. Serena just breathed in, standing next to her partners and staring across the field to their friends turned opponents. Clemont nodded at her and the referee lowered his flag. Serena reached for her pokeball and tossed it simultaneously with all of the others. Kalas began to give a running commentary.

"Serena chooses Braixen, Astrid, Absol, and Dawn calls out Pachirisu!" he screamed. "In the red corner, Alain calls out his powerful Metagross, while Clemont and Mairin call out their Chespin!"

"I'll start this one off," Serena said, throwing her hand out. Time to give her all. "Braixen, use Hidden Power!"

"Brai!" she cried out, flipping her wand out of her tail and creating the silver orbs around it before sending them forth, each aiming at a different opponent on the field.

"Metagross, Agility!" Metagross gave a cry and before Serena even knew what was happening, the Iron Leg Pokémon was speeding forth with unbelievable speed that was hardly even visible to the naked eye. Whatever it was, Serena had to frown when Metagross' quick speed had essentially made her Hidden Power null and void. Astrid just smirked in her direction as both Chespin made a move.

"Pin Missile!" Clemont and Mairin called at the same time. Mairin's voice sounded hesitant, as though this were planned well in advance for the rather novice battler. That was somehow no surprise to Serena; the girl had been thrown into the battle rather unexpectedly. Both Chespin's horns lit up brightly before firing the green projectiles like streaking rockets that aimed for the stationary team's Pokémon.

"Pachirisu, spin and use Discharge!" Dawn ordered.

"Pachi chipa!" Pachirisu chittered out, the squirrel leaping forward into the sand and dust to spin while emitting blue bolts of electricity. It was nowhere near Pikachu's level of voltage, but Serena hoped it would be enough to stop the incoming barrage. Absol started forward, even though Astrid hadn't said anything aloud. The Pin Missiles sailed overhead and Absol ducked right under them. Meanwhile, the electricity expanded outward to block some of the attack, though some also slipped through and nailed both Pachirisu and Braixen. They seemed fine.

"Absol, Shadow Claw on Metagross!" Astrid ordered fiercely. Absol's claw became wreathed in shadow as it leapt at Metagross.

"Counter with Metal Claw!" Alain ordered, his fist rising with his command. One of Metagross' legs glowed with a steely sheen as it shot forward to meet the Shadow Claw in midair. The steel and the shadow collided, sending off powerful strikes and locking them both in place, neither budging an inch. Serena took her chance with exactly what Astrid had told her she was good at.

"Fire Spin underneath Metagross!" she ordered. Of course, given what Pikachu had to do to take it down, she knew it wouldn't end the battle. But as Braixen plunged her wand into the sand and a column of fire erupted from underneath Metagross, she knew it would at least do something. Sure enough, Metagross staggered and Absol won the battle, slashing across Metagross with a Shadow Claw.

"Now, Mairin! She's vulnerable!" he cried out. Mairin clenched her fists to her chest.

"Chespie, use Toxic!" Chespie bound forward and shot forward two dark purple streams from its spikes right at Absol. Clearly Alain had recognized Absol as the threat before the battle had even started. The two jets reached Absol before suddenly dispersing into a thick purple cloud that covered it. The Disaster Pokémon cried out and Serena could see its body convulsing even through the cloud.

"We can't deal with Toxic. Pachirisu, use Sweet Kiss!" Dawn called out. Pachirisu struggled to gain traction on the desert sands but nonetheless gave a wink and sent a bright pink heart floating out towards Chespie. With Metagross still reeling, the heart struck Chespie, sending it into a daze.

"Meteor Mash!" Alain cried, almost sounding angry at the fact that Chespie was confused. Metagross' limbs came together and its body glowed blue before it shot off like a powerful rocket. Absol was in the way of the attack, unable to move thanks to the poison and it was slammed into, carrying it backwards into all of them. Absol hadn't been the target; Pachirisu was. The Steel type hit its mark, crashing into the EleSquirrel Pokémon and carrying it off.

"Now's our chance Pachirisu!" Dawn yelled, still sounding confident despite the situation. "Use Super Fang!"

"Pachi!" Pachirisu cried out as its two front teeth grew abnormally large before it bit into Metagross. The blue haze vanished and Metagross stumbled, allowing Pachirisu to roll off and across the sands to where Absol was. Serena quickly realized she had to deal with her own problems as Chespin's vines snapped out and ensnared Braixen.

"Sorry, Serena, but I have to put up a fight," Clemont insisted, his mouth set into a grim line. "Alain…"

"Rock Slide!" Alain ordered. Metagross' limbs raised up and Serena could only watch helplessly as the white glowing rocks appeared overhead and then sent themselves into a mighty barrage upon all three of their Pokémon, burying them under the rubble.

"Alain's doing all the hard work…" Astrid noted. "I'm not surprised."

"Clemont's probably worried too much about Bonnie to think straight," Serena pointed out.

"Then we take out the two Chespin so we can focus only on Metagross," Dawn said enthusiastically. "He may be stronger than Ash, but nothing beats rock-solid teamwork!"

"Right! Braixen, use Fire Blast on the sand!" Serena ordered confidently, making sure to put a smile on her face. The sound was muffled, but Serena could hear her top Pokémon call out to her before the rocks suddenly heated up red. Across the field, Alain looked to be tensing, waiting for the rocks to burst outward, but they never did. Serena had never planned for them to.

"Quick thinking, Serena!" Astrid praised her, raising her hand for a quick high five. It looked like Dawn would have done so too, but she was too far away. In all honestly, Serena realized it was the kind of move that Ash would pull: melting the sand to get underneath the surface. Judging by the vanishing red glow, they had succeeded in getting under the ground. "Now, take it out with Megahorn!"

Alain and Metagross furiously scanned the sands, wondering where Absol was going to pop out. He didn't notice the shifting movement underneath Chespie until it was too late. With a great cry, Absol's horn emerged from the ground, glowing bright white as it practically impaled Chespie and flung it off. Mairin cried for her Pokémon. Serena could tell that was one down, though the roaring crowd seemed excited.

"Chespie is down!" Kalas proclaimed. "The girls have taken the lead in this battle!"

"Not for long. Meteor Mash!"

"Meta!" Metagross' limbs locked again and it shot off, glittering with blue as it sailed powerfully for Absol.

"Dodge it!" Astrid commanded, but Absol was in no state to move, the poison from earlier wracking its body and making it hard to move. Metagross impacted with it, carrying it off, the Disaster Pokémon crying out in pain. "Just a little longer! Use Dark Pulse!"

"Ab…sol!" it cried, opening its maw wide enough to fire the inky black spirals right at the opponent carrying it. That attack exploded in a dark cloud, obscuring the result from vision until the smoke had cleared and Absol was collapsed upon the sands.

"Absol is unable to battle!" the referee called. Serena looked over to Dawn and both raised their fists in the air; it was down to them.

"Braixen, let's move, but be careful!" Braixen didn't make a sound but her stick popped up from the ground. "Now, fire!"

"Take it away with Vine Whip, Chespin!" Clemont ordered. Serena's eyes narrowed, but her grin didn't go away. Chespin padded forward on the sand and then his vines snapped over to the wand in the sand, gripping it tightly and pulling it out. Only, Braixen wasn't attached to it.

"Now, use Flamethrower!" Serena ordered. Braixen suddenly emerged from the sand right underneath Chespin. The Spiny Nut Pokémon's eyes widened as he began to panic before Braixen opened her mouth and let forth a gushing flame that consumed Chespin.

"Chespin is unable to battle!"

"Fall back, Braixen. Dawn, any ideas?" Dawn looked to observe the battlefield as Braixen backed up to join its Electric partner. While she scanned the area, Serena looked over to the other side of the battlefield. Both Clemont and Mairin had recalled their Chespin and only Alain was left. He still looked like he was sucking on lemons, but he was able to nod at Serena. The result of the battle was acknowledged.

"Metagross, use Agility and Metal Claw!" he said, his volume rising, though his emotions clearly remaining calm. Metagross' limbs once more glowed with that steely color as it flashed across the sandy battlefield, zipping to and fro as it approached the girls' Pokémon. Pachirisu and Braixen drew closer together, almost back to back.

"We can't let Metagross get too close," Dawn insisted as Astrid stood back to let them collaborate together. "Pachirisu, use Discharge!"

"Combine it with Fire Spin!" Serena ordered. Braixen waved her wand and twirled it a couple times as large spurts of flame erupted in a tight circle around the pair and Pachirisu's electricity mixed with it, preventing the larger Pokémon from getting close. Metagross appeared rather vexed by that and stopped moving long enough for Alain to give a different command.

"Rock Slide." This time, Serena was ready for the attack that had crushed them all underneath before.

"Use Hidden Power!" she yelled. Braixen pointed her wand upward as the multiple swirls of silver orbs surrounded it before firing upward with a powerful cry. The orbs all sailed out and slammed into the rocks, breaking them into smaller pieces. Some of them still hit Braixen to damage her, but Pachirisu was on the move.

"Use Spark!" Pachirisu had a giddy smile on its face as its body crackled with blue electricity and it dashed quickly through the falling stones until charging forward and slamming right into Metagross' face. Metagross staggered, its body sparking with paralysis. "Perfect, roll up with your momentum and use Discharge!"

"And finish it with Fire Blast!" Alain gave no order to Metagross and everyone could only watch as Pachirisu landed atop Metagross and sent out volts of electricity that consumed the Iron Leg Pokémon. Meanwhile, thanks to the paralysis, Braixen was able to get close and stick her wand right in its face before letting off a five-pronged Fire Blast at close range. The attacks exploded in a shower of red and blue sparkles that came down like falling snow. Underneath Pachirisu's tiny body, Metagross was passed out.

"Metagross is unable to battle! The winners are Serena, Dawn and Astrid!" the referee called. Serena smiled, even as she watched Alain call back Metagross with some reluctance. The crowd seemed stunned by the result, and it was no surprise. Alain had lost, seemingly fair and square. Dawn was the first to start cheering, Piplup joining her proudly on her head while Pachirisu skittered over to her.

"Yeah! Way to go, Pachirisu!" Dawn yelled and that got the whole crowd screaming again. The roar was almost deafening, but Serena wasn't focused on them, other than a smile and wave in all of their directions. When she finished, Braixen was back with her and she hugged her starter. Serena looked up to see their opposing trio head off the field, Clemont hitching his backpack on his shoulders. He stopped at the edge and looked back with an assuring nod, patting at his jumpsuit pocket, before vanishing into the corridors beyond. Serena and Dawn both returned their Pokémon and the three girls walked back into their own hallway.

"That was so nerve-wracking…" Serena admitted with a breath of relief. "I never thought winning a throwaway match and making it look real was so hard…and I'm a Performer!"

"Well, we did our part," Dawn pointed out. Astrid nodded at these statements.

"Yes, now Clemont and Alain just have to do theirs since they're out of the tournament," she concluded. Serena didn't say anything aloud, but her thoughts were focused in the same place as all the others. With the cheering crowd above subsiding from the day's events and the sun in the sky moving past noon, Serena sighed internally, gripping at the Longer-Range Walkie Talkie in her vest pocket that Clemont had given her earlier.

Be safe, Ash, Clemont…make sure you find Bonnie. I'll be waiting.Chapter continued in next post...
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Chapter continued from last post.
"Oh, it feels good to get some fresh air!"

Diantha's eyes narrowed as she stepped out of the prison behind the form of Travis. The redheaded boy stretched his arms wide and towards the sky, the shackles on them now gone. In the bright light, it did bring his scarred face into sharp relief. Any semblance of the boy he must have been when Ash and his friends had first met him was now gone, replaced with a rather ugly visage. The only thing that could have made the burned and cut face any more hideous would have been a snarl. Instead, he was smiling.

"Don't understand why you let these losers out, though…" he complained as Diantha and those behind him stepped out onto the rocky surface that the prison was built upon.

The Kalos Champion looked to her tablet for a brief moment, almost scowling at the release orders having officially gone through. There was also the strange matter of Clemont's request that had been made to the League the night before, asking to allow Ash to withdraw and the girl Mairin to take his place in the tournament, while ensuring that he and Alain be placed on any team that would happen. She had approved it once she'd learned of it, but it had still been odd. Getting to the Peace Tournament would be the next item on her list of priorities.

"They'll be keeping an eye on you. At least, I'd hope so," Diantha answered, turning to those that had followed her out, dressed in their old jumpsuits. The leader, a purple-haired man, bowed with his hand on his chest.

"Our ambitions were broken. You know that," Tau said, raising himself to a straight position. "If we can change the world as Dalton wanted, we'll do what we can."

"Man, you sound sappy!" Travis snapped back, fingering the pokeballs on his belt. He wasn't wearing a jumpsuit like Tau, Theta and Chi behind her, but rather a simple black t-shirt. At this point a smirk was stretching across his face, distorting his features. "What happened to all your wanting to change things and blow things apart to do it?"

"Even Dalton wasn't so careless…" Theta said, her turquoise hair flowing out behind her in the wind. Diantha glanced back at them to see her and Chi holding onto each other, like they didn't want to let go at all costs. It would have been heartwarming if not for the fact they'd just come from prison. Diantha's mouth was etched into a frown and she turned back to Travis, who appeared to be stretching.

Now that she was outside and not heading straight for a helicopter or the prison gates, she could fully see the rock on which the prison was located, some distance away from the Lumiose Badlands. It was really more of an outcropping stuck in a canyon to prevent any kind of escape or breakout. With the sun moving ever over the horizon, the various plateaus that littered the area could be seen before the wind rustled through the dried up bushes outside the prison.

"That just makes you sound weak," Travis insisted, turning around to face them all. He was shorter than the majority of them, but his attitude made him seem quite a bit taller. "This world screwed you over! Isn't it time to screw it right back? !"

"We stopped thinking that way a long time ago…" Tau noted. He sounded a little broken, humbled. Prison had changed the members of Alpha Squad. Perhaps that was why Diantha felt she could trust them now. They were beyond the point of wanting to harm things. Their feelings of rage and vengeance had subsided, replaced only by their will to change to world one step at a time. "That you haven't defies reason."

"Because I'm not a complete pansy!" Travis spat, a snarl now forming on his lips. "I was a member of Team Neo! We were the underground! Dalton's disciples! You're just gonna walk away from all that?"

"Dalton is dead," Chi commented, and Diantha noticed he and his wife separating.

"Because he was a fool! But we can rebuild Team Neo, right?" Travis asked, his eyes flashing. None of the Alpha squad members made a move, each choosing to observe Travis closely in the moment. "Seriously? ! You're all just going to roll over and be the League's pets!"

"Dalton formed Team Neo for a singular reason," Theta proclaimed. "We may have joined it for our own, but his reason was always sound: to change the League and this world. Champion Diantha seems to be working towards that. There is no more need for another Team Neo."

"And what about my reason, huh?" Travis spat, looking enraged. "Does mine not matter? Are you telling me that I have to-"

"Enough of this," Diantha shouted. She no longer had time to listen to this petulant child drone on and on about how sad his life was, especially when it was of his own making. She stepped forward, putting her hand on Gardevoir's pokeball. "I held up my end of the bargain, Travis. I set you free."

"Yeah, with a couple of babysitters," he scoffed out in response. Tau seemed to bristle at the notion and his foot shifted on the stone where they were standing. "That wasn't part of the agreement."

"All you wanted was to be released and your Pokémon returned. How that occurred was my decision," Diantha said fiercely. "Now stop stalling. My patience is wearing quite thin."

"All right, already!" the redhead proclaimed, tossing his hands into the air.

"You said this group is after a weapon. What are they called? Why do they plan to do it? And why does the rest of Team Neo seem to know nothing about it?"

"Because I'm not blind and stupid like them," Travis insisted. "I never trusted Dalton, no matter what he did for me. He wanted me to be a puppet for him, and I wasn't doing that."

"Ironic, then, that you ended up being one all the same, just not in the way you expected," Theta taunted. Travis growled angrily and stepped forward, like he was going to pounce. No one flinched. He stopped his advance, realizing how pointless it was.

"Dalton was always looking for new ways to achieve his goal, ones that he never told his subordinates about," Travis said. "But when you're in the underworld, you have contacts. Dalton had one as well…called himself the 'Father of the Dark'. One day the guy came to visit, and I followed him out, catching him before he could leave, though I never saw the guy and he distorted his voice. When I asked, he told me that he had told Dalton about a weapon he was searching for."

"The same one you've told me about twice now," Diantha stated. "Now it's time to tell me everything. Why did Dalton search for this weapon? You told me someone told him not to reveal its location, but who was this? That man? And how did you not know of its location?"

"Dalton was sneaky when he wanted to be."

"He did hide that particular intention from us," Chi admitted, rubbing his bald head. Diantha was unsure of what to make of all this. That's when Tau chose to speak up.

"If Dalton was searching for a weapon, then he was searching for one particular reason," the leader of Alpha Squad spoke. "Everything we did was to change the flow of time, wanting to open up that time portal. If Dalton looked for the weapon, he must have thought that it could open up dimensions…only hearing this now do I realize that. Although, knowing our departed leader, he must have deemed it too dangerous to actually use, so we opted for our other plan."

"I'm surprised you figured it out," Travis said, folding his arms in a surly fashion. "Apparently the rumor of this weapon has been passed down everywhere in the underworld, but few, if any, have ever found it. Rumor had it that the man who created it passed it down a long line of people entrusted to keep it safe, but whatever. Yeah, the rumor was that with the right materials, those meteorites for example, dimensional rifts could open up."

"At the expense of thousands or millions of lives, no doubt," Diantha confirmed. Travis gave no indication if she was right or not. His smirk did grow a little wider though.

"Oh, Champion, you don't even know the true terror of the rumor that flooded the underworld," he cackled out, almost looking to enjoy this. The Champion didn't let her face budge an inch, however, not letting this child get the better of her. "The real speculation was that the weapon was connected through the entire world, allowing those rifts to open almost anywhere. Worse though, was that given the right power…say, an immortal being or a god of death in a lonely wood, it could cause untold disaster anywhere in the world. Last I heard, the thing had a targeting system that could allow it to fire anywhere chose to if the right keys were found, and the right commands given."

"And do you know where these keys are?"

"Not a clue," he answered, turning his back to the group of four and waving the issue away with a hand. "The only thing I'm pretty certain of is that with Dalton and that idiotic Team Flare gone…I have a feeling the balance of power has shifted in the underworld. So, sorry, but I'm not standing around and waiting. Weapon or no, whoever's in charge now is my ticket to revenge! Salamence, Flamethrower!"

Diantha stepped back as Travis tossed his pokeball out, her lips turning downward. I should have expected this…she thought to herself. The bright light shined out and Travis' large dragon appeared, great flames appearing in its maw. Other bursts of light surrounded Diantha as she grabbed her own pokeball.

"Doublade, Protect!"

"Blaaaade…" Chi's faithful Pokémon cried out as it zipped through the air in front of the group of four. Salamence roared and sent its powerful flames out towards them. They were no match for the large shield that was erected by Doublade. Diantha also noticed Theta's Mothim glowing red as it used Quiver Dance. Then there was the smell exuded from Tau's Skuntank. Diantha quickly covered her nose and tossed Gardevoir's pokeball into the air.

"Let us show no mercy, Gardevoir," she cried out. Gardevoir gave a subtle nod of the head to receive the orders. Travis had been a useful well of information, but if he was going to turn on them the first chance he got, he was better off out of the way rather than joining whatever new enemy had come their way.

"Beat them into the ground with Shadow Claw!" Travis ordered, the scars on his face rippling with anger. The boy had clearly learned nothing in prison, and Diantha knew she'd have to teach him a very quick lesson.

"Gardevoir, charge up a Moonblast!"

"Let's hold this little brat with Electro Web!" Theta cried. The smell from Skuntank had reached a high intensity now and Salamence staggered as it flew through the air with its shadowy claw. That delay was all Mothim needed to fire its electrically charged web to slam into Salamence and send it into the ground. Unable to move from the sticky, charged web, Salamence was driven backwards, right into Travis' knees. The boy buckled.

"Get up, you loser!" Travis spat. "I didn't get you and me out of prison to lose to some useless Champion!"

"Give up, Travis," Theta said coldly. "You're no match for Alpha Squad."

"No…you've got that backwards!" Travis said, a twisted smirk scrawled over his face. Gardevoir turned her head, light finishing its coalescence into her as Doublade's shield finally dropped. "I'm planning on doing whatever it takes to rule this underworld and everything else. I'm not losing again. Not to her, not to Ash or Seamus…and certainly not to scrubs like you!"

"Then, forgive me, but you can join your master and fellow compatriots," Diantha spoke with gravitas. She nodded back at Gardevoir as the large pink sphere formed in her hands. Travis' eyes widened in clear surprise and then Gardevoir fired. The sphere, almost as large as Salamence's body impacted and exploded in a bright pink haze. Diantha turned away, as did Tau, while Chi held onto Theta from the great blast. It was hard to make out in the light, but she was certain that Travis and his Salamence had been flung away. In either case, he wouldn't be going anywhere very quickly; not with his Salamence likely heavily wounded.

"He will have survived that fall," Tau pointed out as the blowback receded. Diantha had to agree as both she and he walked to the edge to look down into the small canyon below. It was hard to tell in the increasing darkness, but she knew that Travis was down there. "Travis, unlike most of us, has never had a problem sacrificing his own Pokémon for himself."

"I'm well aware, Theodore," Diantha said as she recalled Gardevoir. "At the very least, he'll be out of the way for a while. It still surprises me that someone as callous as him was in any way affiliated with you."

"Dalton viewed Travis as a son…in some way." Diantha afforded a nod and turned back towards the looming prison a little bit behind them. Theta and Chi were staring at her curiously.

"You knew he'd betray you. Turn on all of us?" Theta asked.

"I had a hunch, given his past actions…though he's hardly of concern to me now; not with everything else," she responded to them, beginning to walk forward, past both of them. Each member of the Alpha Squad watched her go. "Those release forms were legitimate. You're free to do what you will."

"A generous offer," Tau called out to her. "What would you have us do in return?"

"Unlike Travis, I don't require anything in return," she called back, though she halted in her steps. "However, if I could ask a favor…I'd like you to stop that fool from doing something he'll regret."

"Track him?" Chi asked, grabbing his glasses by their cross-bridge and adjusting them. "Not a problem. Consider him found."

"We do have our penance to pay. How can we get in contact with you if we learn anything about where he may go or what to do with him?" Tau asked, walking forward and stopping right behind her. Diantha breathed in and turned around.

"Just call the League and identify yourselves. I'll make sure they know to patch you through," she told them easily. "Right now, we're in a state of emergency so what I say has to go."

"Consider it done then, Madam Champion," Tau said, bowing low and offering a hand. Despite some hesitation, Diantha accepted the gesture and shook on it. To her great surprise, she found no hostility and only sincerity. It appeared that Tau and the rest of Alpha Squad wanted to keep their word from the end of the Nova Incident. Feeling more confident about their assistance, Diantha reached into her purse and pulled out a small phone, thrusting it into his hands.

"I'm counting on you." And though she didn't say it, all of the intention was there: if any one of us fails…and Travis isn't lying…the world is doomed.

"We'll rest here for the night," called Jack's voice from a clearing inside a forest. On the dirt road that traveled alongside it was a parked car from which Sawyer and Miette were exiting, both yawning loudly. Ash, however, still felt tons of energy flowing through him, as did Pikachu, who bounded into the field. It might have been the thrill of energy or even just going on what could be deemed a road trip with his father. Either way, as Jack strode to the car and grabbed some loose firewood, Ash was excited.

"Anything I can do to help?" he asked his father. Jack looked up at him and smiled.

"Mind fetching some water from the river?" Ash grinned and nodded. "Sawyer, why don't you go with him while this lovely lady helps me set up the tents."

"Okay…" Sawyer said, nabbing some buckets and joining Ash as they headed over to the trickling river in the opposite direction of the car. In the now burgeoning firelight that his father had created, Ash could see Miette looking a little embarrassed with blushing cheeks. Shrugging it off, Ash turned with Sawyer to get to the river as quick as possible. Pikachu joined them along the way. "Your dad's pretty cool."

"Is he?" Ash asked with a laugh. Both reached the bank of the river and bent down.

"Well, yeah. He's kinda like you, really, but still different," Sawyer told him as he brought the pail into the water. Ash emulated the boy. "That's why I wanted to go along. The tournament was done for me, and your father…well, I know you didn't know him but you were still so similar."

"I guess so," Ash expressed. As he did so, Pikachu dipped his paws in the water, cooing at the coolness. "It's weird for me, though, but Serena thought it'd be a good idea, and I was glad she understood."

"You really love her, huh?" Sawyer asked, hitching the pail up in his arms.

"Well, yeah," Ash said. It was really quite simple. Simple enough that there wasn't anything to say. They'd been through so much, come to understand each other and love each other so much that at this point, even with her not there, Ash still felt she was right by his side. It was a comforting thought as he moved into the unknown. "It's hard not to!"

"I know her sweets are delicious!" Sawyer laughed out, the two boys beginning to return to the fire-lit clearing.

"Miette's a baker, too," Ash blurted out. He wasn't sure what made him say it, but from the way Sawyer's face lit up at the mention of that, he felt he'd said the right thing. However, a second later, Sawyer's bright smile fell.

"But…do you get the feeling your dad isn't telling us everything? About ARC and DARC and all that stuff? Like what they're after or how much they know?" Sawyer said, expressing his concerns. Ash blinked a little and both he and Pikachu tilted their heads, trying to comprehend that fact before realizing that it didn't even matter.

"Maybe, but I'm sure if he isn't, it's for a reason," Ash expressed. "I trust him, so if he doesn't want to tell us, it's probably 'cause it's not important right now."

"I guess you're right," Sawyer agreed, and the smile jumped back onto his face. Finally, the two broke into the clearing and up to the firelight where Jack and Miette had set out some food for them. Both of the boys placed their buckets down, but while Sawyer headed over to Miette, Ash went and sat next to his father, who was staring up at the stars, with Pikachu settling into his lap.

"You know, I always loved stars," the man said as a pop from the fire sounded out. "Made me dream of the wide world out there, full of discovery."

"I like adventuring," Ash admitted, rubbing his nose a little bit. Jack didn't look down at him, but certainly smiled. Ash watched him a moment, wondering if Sawyer was right about him hiding stuff, but decided it really didn't matter. Just from the way his dad talked and the things he spoke about, he knew that the man would never deliberately withhold information that could keep him safe. All that mattered was stopping DARC at their next destination.

"So I've seen," Jack spoke out. "You've impressed me beyond my wildest dreams. I'm sure Delia is proud of you, too."

"I hope she is!" Ash laughed out. Even Jack offered a chuckle at it. "How did you and mom meet, anyway?"

"Why don't I show you?" Jack said, finally looking down with a wink. From around his neck, he grabbed his necklace with a small object that appeared to be flute on it, along with a locket. The locket was what he took off, twisting the lock to open it. Ash and Pikachu peered inside and were surprised at the two pictures placed there. One of them was of Jack, clearly young (though older than Ash, himself, was) on what appeared to be a carnival ride.

"You guys met at a carnival?"

"Yeah. A circus was passing by Pallet Town at the time and I was a traveling trainer hoping to meet the great Professor Samuel Oak. Plus, I wanted to meet up with a good friend I'd met on my journeys. You'd know his son quite well: Gary Oak."

"You were friends with Gary's dad?" Ash asked, both surprised, but happy.

"Don't interrupt, Ash," Jack responded playfully, nudging his son a little. Ash nudged him right back. He liked this, even if just for a moment. "Anyway, while I was in town, the carnival was going on and that's when I met your mother…my goodness could that woman bake and cook…mmm…"

"Yeah, mom's food is pretty fantastic!" Ash said, patting his stomach. "So, were you into all that artifact stuff back then, too?"

"Sort of. I was more interested in history and ruins than the artifacts themselves at the time…until I met your mother that is. I asked if she wanted a ride on the merry-go-round and she accepted. Believe it or not, myself and Gary's father almost got into a fight over that one, ha ha!" Jack seemed so jubilant telling that story that Ash felt the mood was infectious. To test his theory, he looked over at Sawyer and Miette, the former of whom appeared to be describing his battle with Ash while Miette listened. "That was really it. We met, we clicked, and I stayed in Pallet. I helped out at the Oak Lab for a little, going out of town very rarely, we married…and then, we had you."

Now, Ash was able to see the other picture in the locket. His mother and father both there, holding onto a much younger Ash, maybe two or three years old, in their hands as they walked along. It was a nice picture, and Ash felt a certain warmth radiating from it, like a small thought called from the recesses of his memory.

"So…why exactly did you leave?" he finally asked quietly, a slight trace of bitterness there, after some time had passed. Jack didn't answer; not at first, anyway. He took the locket away and stared at it awhile longer.

"Because I came to a conclusion…" He seemed to want to tell Ash something, but stopped himself. "You know what? Can I tell you another time? I know you want to know, and I have so much to tell you…about everything…but I think…now's not the right time. Is that all right?"

"S-sure," Ash responded, nodding his head. There was something sad in his father's expression; something painful. Most of all, though, Ash knew that even when this little trip was over, Jack wouldn't be returning home permanently to stay with his mother. So, he tried to bargain for the next best thing. "But only if you stop by for dinner once in a while!"

"You've got a deal, Ash!" Jack responded, reaching up to ruffle his hair. Ash waved him away. "Now eat and rest up. We'll want to be ready for the battle tomorrow."

Then he got up and retreated into the tent. Ash watched him go before deciding to eat the sausages he had cooked. Thinking on the memories that his father had shared, Ash stared into the firelight unblinkingly, hardly noticing that Miette had fallen asleep on Sawyer's lap, the boy himself having drifted off to dreamland. Before long, however, sleep had claimed him and Pikachu as well, and they didn't awake until morning.

Author's Note: Well, this was a chapter! Lots of little things! First, let me talk about the opening segment and the battle. If you felt that the battle was a little off, great! It was obviously meant to be as the battle was essentially a ruse. Clemont and Alain had planned to lose so they could go do their thing. I wanted it to try and be this element of surprise that it wasn't a real battle. It may seem confusing right now, but I hope it'll all clear up by the end.

Travis is out and betraying people, surprise, surprise while Alpha Squad is on the trail. I can't say much more about them since that would ruin the story! What I will say is that Alpha, Squad's willingness to help Diantha stems from them already looking for a sort of penance at the end of the last story. However, this last part was very much meant to further Ash's relationship with his father and to prove to all of you that Jack is exactly who he says he is. Kind of a nice moment. You can also see my own pairing in there if you look…which most of you have noticed anyway.

I'm so glad you guys have gone along with me on this wonderful journey and will continue to do so until the end. I hope to see you guys Review until the next chapter, and Dare to Be Silly.
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Hmmm…hrmm…I have literally no idea what to say. Nothing new so…enjoy? Yeah, enjoy Chapter 9!

Chapter 9

A Face​

Bright lights shimmered on the edge of her vision, popping and crackling with the dull roaring in her ears. It felt so loud for a moment until it was practically silent, nothing but the sound of the ocean wafting back and forth, caressing her. Of course, that could have been the ringing in her ears causing that…Still, it felt very nice to just let it all go and ride away with that sound, even if the harsh lighting was hurting her.

"Ne!" something cried out, but Bonnie didn't want to hear it. She was in a happy place. She was by the ocean! "Ne ne! Denenene!"

"Ow!" Bonnie suddenly cried out. A sharp electrical shock zapped into her body, jolting her (literally) awake. She flung forward and banged her head on a metal bar. "Ooooh…"

"Nene?" Bonnie turned her head, rubbing at the bruise that was forming on her soft forehead. Sitting on the ground next to her was Dedenne, blinking his eyes furiously as if awakening from sleep.

"Dedenne, where are we?" she asked, crawling onto her knees as her little. The Antenna Pokémon jumped up into her hands, staring up at her. It was clear that he didn't know, but the look of relief on his tiny face showed how glad he was that Bonnie had woken up. Not wanting to upset him any longer, Bonnie brought him close into a hug. "Well, thanks Dedenne. I'm glad you're here with me."

"Ne!" With Dedenne's agreement, Bonnie turned and decided to examine where she was.

The first thing she was able to observe was that the place she was in was big with bright light streaming in from a round and circular window that was far too high for her to reach at her height. The little claw marks on the wall underneath it indicated that Dedenne had tried to get up there, but had obviously not succeeded. Frowning a little, she turned to the other side and saw exactly what she had hit her head on: metal bars.

They were very clearly in some kind of prison cell. Sighing to herself, Bonnie wondered how she had been captured as easily as Ash or the rest of the Pokémon could get captured. The next thing she noticed was that the gap in the bars was small enough for little Dedenne to fit through. It made it possible that he could find her a way out of here! Pleased with her deduction, Bonnie walked over to the set of bars with a door and reached out for it.

"I wouldn't, little miss," mumbled an older voice. That made Bonnie jump as her hand was about to touch one of the bars. Even Dedenne, who had decided to skitter alongside her on the floor had to roll to stop before the bars. Bonnie turned and saw the form of a familiar older man leaning against one of a different set of bars that made up a wall, similar to what she had hit her head on. Beyond them, she could see other similar cells. "Those bars shouldn't be touched."

"Why not?" Bonnie asked, watching as Dedenne stepped a little forward and touched one of his whiskers to the cell bar. He let off a sudden squeak and was nearly thrown backwards, sparking with a jolt. "Dedenne! Are you okay? !"

"Ne…dene…" he groaned out but quickly rolled back onto his feet.

"It's electrically charged," the old man said, sitting up and straightening his back. "Too much for your little partner to handle; not that I think they expected him to be with you."

"Where is here, mister?" Bonnie asked, trying to remember where she'd seen the old man, but failing at doing so.

"I'm not sure," he chuckled out. "Last I remember was getting attacked by something with some kind of attack that knocked me out. Some snippets here and there of an airship maybe, and this cell. I feel like I've been out for days. What about you, young miss?"

"Nothing," Bonnie insisted, shaking her head. "I remember getting ice cream with my friend…Mairin! Where's Mairin?"

"Mairin? There was no one else with you," the man stated, stroking his beard in contemplation. "It's just been us. I woke up only a little bit ago, but there was no one else here."

That made Bonnie's head sink lower, crestfallen with worry about what may have happened to the girl she'd made friends with. She hoped she was okay. After all, with her memory cutting out at getting ice cream, she figured that she and Mairin had fallen to the same sleepiness that the old man before her had. The only thing that confused her (or rather, she wondered about) was how long she'd been out. She was hungry, so it had to have been quite some time. "So…uh, who are you, mister?"

"You don't recognize me?" the man asked, his eyes twinkling a little. Bonnie shook her head, feeling like maybe she should have, but coming up short. "I'm Charles…Charles Goodshow."

"Wait…you're the president of the Pokémon League!" Bonnie suddenly exclaimed, pointing at him. Dedenne emulated her. "Sorry, but I never-"

"It's all right. I don't think my title or name should mean anything in my position, anyway," Goodshow said, scratching at his beard. Thinking of their current situation, Bonnie looked around the room. How was she going to get out of this one?

"Dedenne, what do you think we should do?" she asked quietly. Dedenne shook his head, proving himself useless. She really should have expected that, but instead of getting down on herself, Bonnie sat on the ground and began to think. What would her friends and brother do in this situation? Serena would probably…well, she had no idea what Serena would do. Ash was easier: he'd probably beat on the cell until it got him out, or at least fight until the very end. Clemont would probably build an invention to get them out. She figured both Ash and Clemont's ideas could work, but she had little time to think before a loud clanging noise was heard. Bonnie jumped to her feet.

"…heh heh," a voice laughed out from down the hallway, wherever the door had clanged. Bonnie moved closer to Goodshow, both to make herself less visible and see if she could see whoever was approaching. "Things are finally moving apace, don't you agree, Clime?"

"I hate your laughing," called a nasally voice, as though it were muffled or distorted. "You never stop. One day I'll have to experiment and see if I can keep your mouth shut."

"Now, now, this is no time for that," the first man said. A loud crinkling was heard echoing.

"Indeed," the second responded. "I've been tasked with gathering information from this one. I've been looking forward to seeing if my latest creation could do its job."

Both of the voices finally stopped in front of the cell causing Bonnie and Goodshow both to look up to the figures outside it. The larger of the two, a man with a bag of chips, stared in on them with beady eyes while his shorter companion, a boy concealed by a large suit and carrying what looked like a translucent helmet, placed a device to the cell bars. Bonnie watched as the electric current seemed to all funnel from just their door into that single point and dispersed. The door then swung open.

"Keh heh, are you sure it will work?" the larger man asked. Clime looked at him, though Bonnie couldn't tell in what manner it was.

"It always works if I'm left to my own devices," Clime spat back, touching to his facial mask like he was adjusting something. The older man appeared to get the message.

"All right, all right," he said, pulling back. "I just wanted to watch the fun, but it appears I'm unwanted. I'll have Paul and the others check in with me about their progression towards Allearth. Carl is most interested in their tracking. Well, that and my surveillance of the enemy's movements…keh heh! Keh heh heh heh!"

His voice slinked away in the eeriest of fashions. Bonnie watched him disappear down the hallway and saw the faint shadow of a door closing. She saw it as a way out, even if there wasn't one at the current moment. That was particularly emphasized by Clime stepping into the cell, blocking all exit. "I can't stand Cedric's laugh, but the man's a genius when it comes to his surveillance network. Combined with my inventions, well…"

"Let me guess, that's how you were able to slip through the League's security net?" Goodshow asked, throwing an arm out to protect Bonnie. Clime didn't answer the question but reached forward with a gloved hand to roughly grab Goodshow's arm. "So, that's it then? A statement against the League? Killing me won't net you anything."

"We don't want to kill you," Clime answered with slight exasperation. It took a grunt and digging his heels into the ground, but the boy was able to start dragging the president away. Bonnie quickly latched onto the sleeve, being dragged with him. That didn't last long, because as soon as Clime had dragged Goodshow out of the cell door, he appeared to press a button and the cell door slammed shut, keeping Bonnie inside. "Not that it matters. This world's future isn't long for it."

"Is this…" Goodshow coughed out, spittle flying onto his beard. "Is this why you entered the tournament? To kidnap me? For what?"

"We had our reasons for entering the tournament. Some of it was to gauge the enemy's strength. Some of it was to keep your eyes blind to everyone else," Clime instructed the older man. Bonnie ran towards the bars, wanting to yell at the boy but she stopped short when he turned towards her. She couldn't see his expression, but it seemed like her enemy was warning not to come closer. She swallowed at that, her nose inches away, and she could hear the humming of electricity. "And besides, not all of us entered the tournament. Some didn't need to."

"So, you planned everything around this?" Goodshow asked as Clime pushed him down on a chair that Bonnie hadn't seen there. Once he was seated, the boy strapped the president in.

"I wasn't a fan of the plan, personally. But I needed the information." With those words, Bonnie could only watch with ever-widening eyes as Clime took the translucent helmet and placed it squarely atop Goodshow's head. Even Goodshow seemed to squirm under its hold.

"No! Don't hurt him!" she screeched, Dedenne next to her.

"That's up to him. So, President, tell me where the Ultimate Weapon is," Clime said. Bonnie squinted through the bars. What was he talking about? Ultimate Weapon? Goodshow didn't say anything. "Guess we do this the hard way. Activate."

Bonnie wasn't sure what Clime telling the helmet to activate and pressing a button would do, and at first it appeared to not do anything. Then she watched as Goodshow gripped at the chair's arms and he began to shake. It looked painful and Bonnie didn't want to watch, so she gripped Dedenne and turned away, tears pricking at her eyes. She didn't want this. She didn't want to see someone in pain. Hadn't Team Flare done enough of that for people and Pokémon?

"Tell me, Mr. President, or do you want this little girl to continue to watch you suffer?" Clime insisted, his muffled voice sounding all the more ominous and frightening. "Where is the Ultimate Weapon?"

"I…I know nothing…" Goodshow grunted out, though he sounded in pain. Bonnie didn't want to watch. "I don't."

"Don't lie! Don't suffer! Just tell me, or do you want those visions to keep on in your head? ! Do you want Bonnie to suffer? !" Clime roared, sounding desperate in the moment. A smell tickled at Bonnie's nose, like acrid smoke. "The legacy of the Ultimate Weapon of this world, built millennia ago is information privileged to very few like the League President. So, tell me where it is or I have to keep going!"

"I don't know!" Goodshow finally screamed and there was a loud pof! The acrid smell intensified. Bonnie turned around and noticed that Goodshow had stopped shaking, the helmet trembling before clattering to the ground as it smoked. Clime bent down and grabbed it.

"Interesting…those powers weren't as resilient in this form," he stated. "Looks like it needs some work…and you need some rest. Maybe some time to think can clear your head enough to choose the right answer."

With his words, Clime unsnapped the rather limp president from his chair and dragged him back over to the cell. Repeating the steps to remove the current, Clime opened the door and tossed the weakened president in, where Bonnie caught him. Then he slammed the door and watched as the current surged through their front cell bars. Casting another unknown look at Bonnie, the boy left the two alone. Bonnie, despite feeling like she was smothered, hitched Goodshow up.

"Are you okay, Mr. President?" she asked in a soft voice. "What happened?"

"They…they showed me things…terrible things…" he whispered out, almost as though he'd seen a ghost. "Miss Bonnie, we cannot stay here. The longer we do, the more perfect their technology will become, and I don't know if I can hold out."

"Okay," Bonnie insisted, coming to stand proudly before the president. "No need to worry! I'm Bonnie, sister of the Lumiose Gym Leader and Trainer Extraordinaire! I don't know what's going on, but without my brother, Ash or Serena here, I'll have to get us both out. I think I have an idea on how to get out, too. I just need your help Dedenne."

"Dene!" Dedenne chattered back affirmatively.

"Great. They'll wish they never messed with me! How about you, Mr. President?" Bonnie said, putting her hands proudly on her hips. She had no idea what Goodshow was thinking about all of that, but him taking her hand was enough of an answer.

"Let's get out of here, Little Miss Bonnie."

Ash awoke to the smell of dew and damp cinders from the fire the night before. Blinking a little, he sat up, carrying Pikachu with him as his best buddy woke up with a loud "chaaaa!". Turning in the fresh sunlight of the day that shone in the clearing, Ash realized that he had never even made it to the tent. Miette and Sawyer had clearly been a different story as the latter was making his way out of the tent they were supposed to share with his eyes drooping lower than usual.

"Sleep well, buddy?" Ash asked, suppressing a yawn himself. Pikachu nodded, hopping off his lap to stretch a little. Scratching his head, Ash watched a moment before standing and doing the same. Feeling a little groggy, and realizing that the water pails were empty, Ash chose to head for the river to wash his face. Pikachu immediately followed through the slightly sun-dappled path until they reached the stream. Ash bent down at the stream and brought the fresh and cool water to his face, briskly waking him up. "Ah, that's better!"

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, now hopping onto his shoulder cheerily. Feeling better about the day ahead, both turned back to their campsite. "Pika?"

"What's wrong, buddy?" Ash asked quickly. Pikachu's head swiveled back and forth and his trainer tried to follow his eyes but couldn't see anything. Eventually, Pikachu shrugged and relaxed. Ash took one last look back, unable to see anything through the dense brush of the forest other than some bright reflections off of what he could tell was watery dew on the leaves. Shaking off whatever the odd sensation Pikachu had had was, the two partners turned back to the campsite where Sawyer was busy packing up the tents. Miette, meanwhile, had briefly restarted the fire to make a little food.

"Where were you?" she snapped over to him, lightly cooking something before placing it on a plate and handing it over to him.

"Washing up," Ash pointed out with a grin. "I didn't go far. There was no need to worry."

"Yeah, I think I know you well enough to not always believe you, Ash. Were you going to contact Serena to 'talk' a little?" Miette said sternly, but with a teasing smirk. For a moment, it was like listening to another Serena, though not nearly as kind in his mind. "Look, I promised Serena I wouldn't let you do anything stupid."

"I promised Serena I'd come back, and that's what's really important, right?" Ash said, still grinning to ensure that he meant to keep his promise. A moment later, Miette's second statement registered, but he kept smiling to try and ignore whatever she meant by it. Miette just sighed and chose to douse the fire while Ash and Pikachu quickly ate what was on the plate before packing up the rest of the camp and returning to the car. While Sawyer and Miette put the finishing touches on the camp, Ash noticed his father on the other side of the car, chatting into something.

"We'll be there soon. A couple of hours, maximum," Jack assured whoever he was talking to. "Did Aidan find the other target? No…it's all right. One thing at a time. Tell him to meet at the base when he does. I'm sure we'll be there as soon as this is taken care of. Be safe."

"Who was that?" Ash asked, placing the tent in the back of the car that was transporting them to the Allearth Forest. Jack jumped a little, but smiled.

"An associate of mine, Lionel. You'll be meeting him sooner than later," Jack told him. "Good friend, and an even better right-hand man. He's the reason I've been able to hold ARC together over so many regions. He's waiting for us in the Allearth Forest. I sent him the coordinates we've been using."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ash asked, walking around to get into the passenger seat of the car. Miette and Sawyer had both approached from the clearing with their own bags and after tossing what was needed in the back, took their seats behind the Ketchums. Jack quickly made certain that they were ready and then started the car to drive off to the Allearth Forest.

Ash didn't pay too much attention to the quick journey there, though more than once he felt the hairs on the back of his neck pricking up uncomfortably. Wanting to distract himself from that, Ash tried to make conversation with Sawyer and Miette about how the tournament was going, but that could only last so long with so little information. Mostly, he just hoped that Serena was okay and winning the tournament. Miette saw fit to tease him about that with a sly expression, but unsure of how to respond, Ash would just laugh it off. At a brief pit stop, he remembered the walkie-talkie that Clemont had given him.

"Serena? Do you hear me?" he called into it, but got no response.

"She's probably busy with the tournament," Sawyer pointed out.

"I know…" he admitted sheepishly. "Wonder if Clemont's doing any better…?" For a moment, he considered contacting his blond friend, but soon chose to not do so. Clemont was more than capable of taking care of himself, especially with Alain by his side. In any case, there was no point in contacting to set a rendezvous site until after they were done in Allearth. Feeling a little better about the status of his friends, Ash got back in the car for the final leg to Allearth. He had to admit to being surprised to be able to approach Orsay City by car when he saw it.

"You probably approached from the Geosenge Town side of things, right?" Jack pointed out as the familiar terrain came upon them. Ash nodded. "Well, the wonderful thing about getting there from the direction we've been taking is shortcuts and not going along a set route. Completely bypasses the sea."

"That's amazing," Ash said with a giddy expression. Jack laughed and soon after pulled the car to a stop outside the winding forest that Ash recognized.

"Jack, took you long enough!" called a voice. The voice called attention from Ash, Pikachu, Sawyer and Miette. Striding from a side of the woods was a darker-skinned man with black hair, waving over to Ash's father. "I was almost ready to go in without you, but I didn't want to get lost without any guidance."

"Don't worry so much, Lionel," Jack said soothingly, closing the door as he stepped out of the car. "It just took some time to find the right route from the outskirts of Lumiose City while avoiding having to take an even longer boat ride. Any presence?"

"If by presence you mean DARC, not that I can tell, but who knows? As for a 'presence', then plenty of it. The Pokémon have been restless ever since we started waiting," Lionel told him, finishing his approach. Jack nodded, looking to be contemplating the situation. However, he dropped that when Lionel reached him and the two men embraced as though they were brothers. "So…this is Ash?"

"Uh…yeah. You're Lionel?" Ash asked, holding his hand out to the man. Lionel observed him for a moment before taking it and shaking it roughly.

"I am. It's nice to finally meet you, and not through a TV screen," Lionel laughed. "Jack's talked as much about you as a father can. I don't think he shut up after you made runner-up in the Lumiose Conference. Though I'm pretty sure I see a semi-finalist back there."

"Oh, I'm Sawyer, sir," the green-haired boy introduced himself.

"And I'm Miette. We're friends of Ash," Miette followed, offering a bow to the older man. Ash was surprised she hadn't made a comment about the absent Serena. Lionel looked bemused by all the respect he'd gotten, but accepted it all the same. When both Miette and Sawyer had straightened up, Lionel turned back to Jack.

"So…Xerneas is in the forest" Lionel asked. Jack nodded. "Can't believe it's come to this…"

"Fight's not lost yet, Lionel," Jack reminded him. "We've managed to stop them so far, and we can stop them again." Ash looked between the two older men with slight confusion. Was it some kind of code? Or had he just not understood anything?

"Don't get too cocky, Red," Lionel said jokingly. "DARC is taking action themselves now. Must be getting desperate if we suspect they might come directly for Xerneas. Speaking of, where exactly is Xerneas in the forest?"

"And that is part of the reason Ash wanted to come along, right?"

"Yeah," Ash answered with a nod. "I don't remember exactly where, but Pikachu could probably find Xerneas. He was saved by her."

"Pi…" Pikachu acknowledged. Ash wasn't sure if the look Lionel gave him was one of respect or skepticism. To try and ignore it, Ash reached up and scratched Pikachu behind his ears. Eventually, Lionel stepped aside and pointed towards the forest.

"Lead on," he said with a smile. Feeling slight apprehension at being told to lead them into the forest, Ash looked to his father who nodded. Sucking in a breath, Ash took the first step forward into the gnarled and rocky terrain that was the Allearth Forest. Walking into the place felt like a wave of nostalgia. Of traveling with Diancie, and the battle with those trainers that had been trying to kidnap her (in hindsight, he wished he could find the Greninja guy to talk to him about his own). Most of all, though, he remembered Yveltal and what had happened to Pikachu. That made a shiver pass through him as he glanced through the trees and saw the familiar and foreboding path that led to the lake where Yveltal's cocoon rested…or had. He had no idea if it was still there.

"You feel it too, Ash?" his father asked, leaning close to him. "The suffocating closeness. The stench of death?"

"Death?" Ash asked, making sure to not trip over a root. Behind him, Miette was having a little bit of trouble, though nothing Sawyer couldn't solve by helping her over a root. It reminded him of his first visit and how he'd helped Serena. That brought a bit of lightness into his heart that pushed away the oppressive feelings.

"You've been here before, so I'm sure you know the rumors. You didn't think Xerneas would visit this forest or settle in it so carelessly, did you?" Jack said, thumping him on the back. "You learn a few things questing for artifacts. Legends, mostly. Xerneas is to life as Yveltal is to death. If they're in the same place, the boundary over life and death remains in balance…that or Zygarde has to step in."

"Zygarde…huh?" Ash noted. He didn't want to say that Zygarde wouldn't be keeping the balance any time soon, but he also figured that his father knew that. As he thought about this, Pikachu perked up and even Ash could hear the rustling of leaves on the sides of them. "What's that?"

"No worries, just some members of ARC keeping our flanks protected," Lionel assured him, offering a hand to both Sawyer and Miette to keep them going.

"Is the enemy really that large to need so many people?" Sawyer asked, adjusting his pack before taking Miette's hand (though she did so reluctantly) and leading her through the twisted area. The air was growing lighter, though, before Lionel could answer.

"The enemy, DARC itself, only consists of a few officers that our intel knows as The Seven," he explained, his voice low, as if telling some kind of scary story. "However, they have control over a vast horde of Pokémon, willing to do their bidding. Whether it is a matter of control like that man Colress' machine in Unova or something else entirely, I've no idea, but it makes what they used in the Kalos Team Tournament and the Horde Battles at the Peace Tournament look like a single trainer's team by comparison. So, we keep our forces in the wings should that force strike!"

"Don't scare the kids, Lionel," Jack scolded him with a roll of his eyes. "It's true that DARC has numerous Pokémon under their control; highly untrusting of people, they are. But they're not as scary as all that."

"But how could they control so many Pokémon?" Ash asked angrily. He hated the idea of it; things never turned out well when others tried to control Pokémon…for them or anyone else.

"I have a guess, but it would take scientific explaining that I'm not that smart on. Aidan and Lionel are the scientists of the group, so they'd be better to answer when we meet up with Aidan. He's useless on his own," Jack laughed out. Lionel sent him a slightly playful glare. Ash would have responded but a sudden bright light filled the area and his pace quickened. Pikachu's face split with a grin and even Ash felt himself glad as he practically galloped forward towards the bright light. He was the first of the group to break in.

"So…it really is Xerneas…" Lionel said with a sense of great awe. "This tree is magnificent…"

"Xerneas became it after using her power to save the whole forest," Ash explained. From the corner of his vision, he could see Sawyer and Miette splitting their expressions of awe between him and the tree. Meanwhile, Jack walked forward and placed a hand on the tree.

"It's…alive," he said. "I can't believe it. Xerneas in inanimate form. No wonder DARC would want that kind of unending power…Yet…"

"What's wrong, dad?" Ash asked, though Jack didn't answer, continuing to look concerned at the tree. He didn't look all that mesmerized either. Lionel had gone off to the side, and Ash noticed him talking with someone who looked familiar, like he had seen him compete somewhere before.

"Xerneas is meant to be the source of life…unending power…but DARC…" Jack muttered. "Why the power of life…?"

"Because you're about to lose yours. Pin Missile, let's go!" Ash only had a split second to react.

"Pikachu, Counter Shield!" he called out. Pikachu bolted off of his shoulder and onto the ground as he spun, emitting a powerful Thunderbolt. The white streaking Pin Missile slammed into the electricity but got nowhere near them. As Pikachu deflected the attack, Ash stepped forward while Miette and Sawyer called out their Slurpuff and Sceptile. Finally, the attack ceased. "Paul, if that's you, why don't you come out where I can see you?"

"He's more perceptive than you remember from your little encounter," said a coquettish female voice. A very familiar voice. Ash peered into the forest and watched as three people approached, their Pokémon acting as a vanguard. Behind them looked to be a swarm of Pokémon, biding their time and waiting for the chance to strike. To Ash, though, he was more focused on the people in front: Paul, Mimi, and an unknown hooded individual.

"He's pathetic," Paul spat. Gone was the beanie cap he'd worn earlier, though he wasn't wearing the same kind of clothes that Paul usually wore, save for the jacket with its zipper tucked in.

"You're the pathetic one, loser. How the hell does he know your name? You were supposed to keep it secret, idiot." the hooded one asked, his voice rather masculine.

"Don't ask me!"

"Why only three…and these three?" Jack muttered out. Ash wasn't entirely sure which to pay attention to, but he quickly made a decision by stepping forward.

"I don't know why you're doing this Paul, but I won't let you take Xerneas!" he proclaimed. There was a sudden laugh from Mimi's end.

"You're adorable," she said, lips twisting into a smirk. "I like you. You're kinda cute…"

As she said this, she began to remove the mask adorning her face. Her Meowstic didn't move, though Paul and his Drapion along with the hooded boy and his Scizor looked at her like she was mad. The hooded boy spoke first, his wild movements causing his hood to begin flipping backward. "What do you think you're doing?"

"He knows Paul's identity. It's only a matter of time before he learns of ours…and I'd like him to see my beautiful face before he dies." Ash readied his body for a fight as Mimi removed her mask, and the boy lowered his hood…and that was when everything changed.

*Chapter continued in next post...
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Chapter continued from last post.

"You're doing okay, then?"

"I'm-kssh-fine. Tired, but I think we-kssh -something. Sending an invention out. It's the finals today, right, Serena?" Serena sat back against the headboard of her bed. Outside, the sun was rising strong, illuminating the all too empty room. Dawn and Astrid had offered for her to stay with them, and while the idea was appealing at first, she felt it would be wiser to stay in her own room to not draw undue suspicion from whoever was watching.

"Mmhmm," Serena answered into the walkie-talkie. "Have you heard from Ash?"

"No, but you know him. Even during the KTT he forgot our signal," Clemont answered over the walkie.

"True enough…" Serena couldn't help but giggle. "Be safe out there, Clemont. And bring Bonnie back."

"Don't worry. She is my sister," Clemont said, his voice overcoming the static on the radio. "Alain's Charizard can cover good ground at fast speeds, so I'm sure my Airship Emission Tracker covered decent ground and my newest invention is-kssh-close. You just need to win the finals. Once we're on our way, we'll set up a rendezvous with Ash."

"Hopefully he doesn't forget," Serena said. She loved Ash, but sometimes his propensity to forget the most important things came to bite him in the butt more than once. "Talk to you soon…after I win."

Clemont acknowledged that and the conversation across the region, as static filled as it had been, came to a close. Serena let the walkie fall onto the bed. If she were honest, she'd gotten no sleep the night before. Between the final day of the tournament and both Clemont and Ash elsewhere, the night had never felt so lonely. Only her Pokémon had kept her company through the dark hours. It didn't help that she had no idea what the future would hold, though she was glad Clemont had had the foresight of upgrading his walkies to go across much longer distances, even though the conversation would cut out from time to time. She did wonder where he was now, though.

A sudden knock came at the door, and Serena swung herself out of her bed. Rubbing her eyes a little, Serena walked to the door and opened it a fraction to see the smiling face of Dawn right behind it.

"You ready, Serena?" she asked. "I feel like I can already hear the people from the stadium."

"Yeah, I'm good to go," she said, finally opening the door wider to see that Astrid was with her, running a hand through her hair. Seeing that, Serena quickly backtracked for her bag and grabbed it, not wanting to leave it alone in the room, before she exited the room to go down for breakfast with the girls. She wasn't surprised to see Shauna, Trevor and Tierno still sitting there. They may have been knocked out of the tournament, but seeing those three told Serena that not everything had spiraled out of control.

"Lup…" Piplup said sadly when the girls had taken their seats with the trio. Serena could swear that she saw Conway lurking (as expected) though the food in front of them seemed different than normal.

"I know you miss Pikachu, Piplup, but I'm sure Ash will be back sooner than later, right?" Dawn said, picking up a piece of egg. Piplup just nodded dolefully. Serena, wondering why the food was different, looked around their café to notice how unstaffed it was, the food order coming from a different booth than normal. As she looked, she also caught sight of a rather familiar woman striding along the booths and greeting the sellers.

"Oh! Diantha!" the honey blonde called out. Her declaration turned a lot of heads, mostly those at her table, and that of the Champion herself. Upon seeing Serena, Astrid and the trio, the older woman smiled and began to walk right over to their table. "I knew you were coming here, but I didn't expect to see you so soon."

"Serena, it's good to see you. And you four as well," the Champion said graciously. Astrid stood to offer a seat to the Champion, but Diantha held her hand up to indicate that it was unnecessary. "I don't see Ash or Clemont. Are they around?"

"Er…" Serena wasn't sure how to answer, casting her gaze down to the floor. How was she supposed to answer the Champion? Despite her not being so sure, there was a sense of trust for the Champion after Nova, and the Kalos Crisis. Not to mention, if DARC is against the League, then I can trust Diantha, she concluded to herself. "They're gone. Ash left with…with his father."

"Ash's father?" Diantha asked in surprise, though she didn't take a seat. "Now that'd be a man I wouldn't mind meeting, taking a look at his son. Where did they go?"

"Allearth Forest…uh, wherever that is," Dawn answered with an embarrassed laugh. Serena looked to her friend and realized she'd simply become comfortable due to how Serena had been talking with her. "Oh, I'm Dawn! Ash's friend from Sinnoh."

"Pleasure, then," Diantha said, nodding her head. "Allearth, huh? Where did Clemont go, then? I know he lost yesterday, from what Malva tells me."

"He left to go and find Bonnie," Serena said. "She was kidnapped at the same time President Goodshow was."

"So Clemont's…" Diantha observed. "I have some people on it, but as we weren't at the site like you all were, I was afraid our chances of finding the president were low. We still haven't found Michael's body."

"Is he really…?" Dawn began to ask, but couldn't finish the sentence and left it hanging. Diantha still got the message.

"Unclear. He could have survived the fall, as unlikely as it is, if he'd had any other Pokemon, which I doubt" she answered sternly. "The problem is the fast moving river that feeds into the waterfall in that ravine. If he survived, he fell in the river and washed to who knows where. And even if he didn't…There are a lot of directions and ground to cover."

"Sounds like it," Astrid commented. "So, you're here to commentate for the final day?"

"I am. The Peace Tournament came as a result of my wish for League Reform," she told them, grabbing a tablet from her bag and examining it with a concerned look. However, she made sure to turn back to them. "I plan to see it through at the end here. Excuse me."

"Of course," Serena said as the Champion began to walk off. She wasn't even out of earshot before she answered whatever was going on with her tablet.

"He's gone?" the Champion said. Serena stood, hoping to hear just a little more. She wasn't alone in that action. "Do you have any idea where he was heading…? Allearth…of course…Well, thanks, Theodore. Do you think you could look into his rumors about that…?" At this point her quiet voice vanished from hearing range.

"Who's heading to Allearth?" Dawn asked, looking a little disturbed. Serena felt a momentary pang of worry in her own heart. Whatever was about to go down in Ash's location was big, but she knew he'd be able to handle it. At least, that was what she told herself as she and her friends finished eating breakfast and walked to the stadium, which seemed even more packed that usual.

Yet Serena didn't feel special. Unlike the final day of the Kalos Team Tournament, or Ash's day in the finals, or her own in the Master Class, this didn't have a sense of finality. She could only guess that it was because she didn't have her best friends and boyfriend to celebrate it. Not that it mattered. She promised Ash and Clemont that she'd win this, so feeling of finality or not, she was going to win.

"It's that time, ladies and gentlemen! The final day of the Peace Tournament…IS HERE!" Kalas' voice screamed out. The stadium shook with cheers, but Serena remained unaffected by it, clasping her hands in her lap as she stared out over the pit in the middle of the stadium. "Today we also have a very special guest with us. Get on your feet and scream for Kalos Region Champion Diantha!"

"Yeeeeeah!" cried the entire crowd, excited over the prospects of the final day of the tournament and the fact that the Champion would be there to watch them.

"I'm honored to be able to see the conclusion to the Peace Tournament's final round in place of President Goodshow," Diantha said, her loud voice booming out over the crowd. Serena finally looked up a little to see the first battlefield already moving into position for whatever the final day's event would be. This one looked different for the others, sparkling with a sheet of ice and glaciers sticking up everywhere. A more extravagant field for the final round. "This tournament began as an initiative for peace; for the League to heal the wounds that it had created over its years of neglect and mistakes. It is my fervent wish, that the conclusion of this tournament will usher in a hope for a new tomorrow. Our final competitors, please give it your all!"

"Wise words, Champion. No finer spoken," Kalas said, carrying a solemnity to his voice that was seldom heard from the exuberant man. "And with her blessing, let's begin the final day of the Peace Tournament: Battle Royale!"

"What's that mean?" Shauna asked from her seat next to Serena. It was odd without Clemont sitting next to her, just as it had been odd without Ash the day before. The crowd didn't seem to share her skepticism or confusion, too excited by the prospect of even more battles coming their way.

"Three competitors head into the ring, but unlike our vaunted Horde Battles, only one will emerge victorious. How so? Simply put, they will engage in a major three-way battle to determine the winner! When two trainers are down, the last one standing wins the match and will finish in that top three spot! There is no time limit and Mega Evolution is allowed, though hardly fair under the circumstances!"

It almost sounded like he was wagging a finger at those who were considering the option just to win. Even Astrid was raising her eyebrows while letting herself look embarrassed. Serena guessed that she had been planning on using Absol once again. Dawn offered the blonde a humorous smile before Kalas continued with his introduction to the final day's round.

"Now, some of you may be wondering as to why we've made this suggestion," he told everyone. "Simply put, during this round, the Pokémon aren't the only targets. To test the mettle of a trainer in a stressful situation that could impair their own judgment, we've relaxed the rules a little. Trainers are allowed to be attacked, though only within limits. After all, missions are just as dangerous for a trainer as they are for a Pokémon. Hence the reason we do not recommend Mega Evolution. Now, if you'll direct your attention to the matchups for our final round. Which three will come out on top? !"

Serena finally looked up to the nine pictures that were swirling around the screen before arranging themselves within three rows. Her picture wasn't in the first two rows, though Conway and Dawn were in the first and second respectively. Instead, she focused on her own battle matchup.

REEREE vs. SERENA vs. ASTRID​

Serena's eyes flicked over to Astrid. This was going to be a tougher battle than she could have ever imagined. There had always been the chance that Astrid would be an opponent in the final round, but she really hoped she wouldn't have to be facing her. Then there was Reeree; the mysteriously hooded girl had proven herself one of the more capable battlers here with her Delphox and Pangoro, and there was no way to know if she had anything else up her sleeve.

Serena's heartbeat rose into her head for some odd reason as she thought. Without Ash to encourage her and tell her that she'd win no matter what, Serena began to doubt that defeating two capable battlers was possible, especially if they'd all be taking shots at each other. Sucking in a breath, Kalas seemed to be giving his fancy introductions (most of them short) for those taking their steps onto the icy field. Serena stared down at it, watching the battle, but hardly seeing it. At the very least, she knew that she'd battle with Braixen. That was easy...but also potentially predictable, and she needed to be ready for anything.

Conway took the early lead in the battle, to Serena's expectation. His Heracross was a force to be reckoned with, something she'd seen firsthand in the Kalos Team Tournament. Most particularly, it excelled when his opponents' Swanna and Cherrim used Protect. Feint cut through them easily. Cherrim had countered with a Sunny Day that melted patches of the icy field after that, but with Swanna significantly hampered, a dual attack took the water type out of the battle. After that, it came down to Conway spectacularly drawing his opponent into using Protect again to smash through with Feint and finish with a Megahorn.

"Conway is the winner! One of our finalists has been chosen! Give a loud cheer!" Kalas announced and the crowd cheered loudly. Dawn stood at that.

"Not surprised…he always has great strategies…" she sighed out, holding onto Piplup. "Wish me luck!"

"Yeah!" Serena said with a smile. Even if her own head was occupied with her forthcoming match, she was going to cheer for her friend and give her all the best wishes in the world. Not that Dawn needed the luck; it was obvious from the moment that she stepped on the field that she was well above her opponents, even with little Piplup being the one to lead the charge forward. Serena expected as much; Dawn had been a capable battler in the KTT, with only a battle against an old friend and a Guillotine being the end of her. It was also possible, Serena realized, from the format of the tournament, that her two opponents had been coasting by on others' laurels past the first round.

Ironically, instead of this realization making her worry about her own prospects once more, Serena was able to firm up her resolve. She most certainly hadn't been coasting by this tournament or at all up to this point. Between Ancien, Nova, the incident with Team Flare…everything had led her to this moment for her to show her skill, no matter how much it didn't feel like an actual ending to the tournament. Thinking on this, she even felt like she'd heard Ash's voice, and it reminded her of all the hopes he'd had that she would win. She wouldn't let him, or herself, down.

"Piplup, use Whirlpool!" Finally pulling away from her thoughts, Serena could fully focus on the sight of Dawn dominating her opponents.

"Piiiiiiipluuuuuuup!" Piplup cried, summoning up the largest vortex of whirling water that Serena had ever seen coming from a Pokémon. The bog in which they were all fighting kept the opponents from moving as quickly as they could and Piplup tossed the Whirlpool. It wasn't just the Pokémon caught in the large attack as it swept through the area and scooped up both them and their trainers, who gurgled loudly.

"Sorry, but I don't want this battle to go on too long!" Dawn said with a wink to her opponents. "Now, let's use Ice Beam!"

"Lup!" Piplup said proudly, planting his flippers on the most solid piece of ground they could find in the bog. He reared his head back and then fired the chilly beam of blue ice right at the continually revolving whirlpool.

"Gah! No!" cried out one of the trainers stuck in the water. That was about all he had time to say before the whirlpool started freezing over from the Ice Beam until it stopped spinning. It was literally frozen in place, teetering back and forth bit by bit like a giant spin top.

"Now, Bubblebeam!" Dawn cried like it was a triumphant finish. It certainly turned out to be as Piplup jumped and spun in midair before letting loose a torrent of beautifully shimmering bubbles. She really was a Coordinator in every way, putting a flourish that was simple yet elegant in every one of her attacks. The Bubblebeam struck the frozen whirlpool, spinning it around quite a bit before it broke in an amazing shimmery haze. Both trainers and Pokémon were deposited face first into the bog. "No need to worry!"

"Second round over!" Kalas screamed and the crowd gave an even louder cheer than they had over Conway's victory. Serena smiled. She had made it look so effortless, and now it was her time. She and Astrid stood.

"Good luck, Serena," Shauna said, trying to speak over Kalas' booming voice. Serena nodded at her and the boys, who looked positively thrilled that she was in the final round.

"I won't be holding back, Serena," Astrid said kindly. Serena turned her head back as they walked along.

"I don't want you to," she said. "But we're not the only ones on that battlefield."

Astrid gave an acknowledging nod to that as they reached the hallway and split in opposite directions. The roar of the crowd grew quieter for a moment until Serena saw her face pointing towards her entrance to the field. That's when the cheers got to their loudest zenith.

"We've arrived at the final round, and all our contestants must be ready for an amazing battle in front of them," Kalas said dramatically. Serena's feet hit on the last piece of the hallway before the battlefield. From what she could see emerging, there was a large river and stone walkways with a bridge over the body of water. It was quite the different kind of field, but that didn't matter. She hoped to win. "So, let's introduce our first in the final round, the enigmatic but powerful Reeree!"

There was quite the cheer that raised at her name, no doubt due to her position in the finals, and the fact that she'd won her way all the way up there despite being so unknown. Her cheers compared to those of Astrid, who was introduced as "quarterfinalist and Nova Nine, the beautiful and striking Astrid!" That was Serena's cue to get ready to move forward.

"And last, but certainly not least, one of our expected combatants, member of the KTT's winning team, Master Class runner-up, Nova Nine member, Ancien Warrior and someone involved in the recent crisis, everyone give a cheer to our final round participant…SERENA!"

She walked forward, keeping her eyes on the field, but with a smile on her face. The crowd erupted around her, giving well-wishes and cheers at her approach onto a stone walkway that circled around the water in the middle of the field. From a brief glance, she could tell the water wasn't that deep. Looking up, Astrid and Reeree had taken their positions, both of their bodies suggesting that they were more than ready for a fight.

So was she, evidenced by grabbing her pokeball.

The crowd quieted.

The referee's flag fell.

"Braixen, I choose you!"

"Let's go, Pyroar!"

"Umbreon, it's your turn!"

"What a line-up! Get ready, folks, the final battle begins now," Kalas cried. His statement was ill-timed…mostly because Reeree had already taken the first move.

"Umbreon, Double Team!" Umbreon ran forward from its position, twitching its head every which way, like it was afraid of being seen despite being out in the open. Once she reached the center of the bridge, she gave a cry and multiple copies spanned across the area.

"Braixen, clear it away with Flamethrower, full power!" Serena ordered, looking right at Reeree, who also appeared to stare at her curiously. Braixen swiped her stick in front of herself and let loose a torrent of flame that began to consume the area and make the river steam.

"Use the steam cover and get in there with Fire Fang!" Astrid called out. The steam from Braixen's attack was thickening, making it almost impossible to see Pyroar leaping through the area, golden red fangs forming at his maw.

"Don't worry about anything but my voice, Umbreon! Protect!" Umbreon gave a shrill cry and Serena would have wanted to see the result, but given the format of battle, knew that she couldn't just wait around.

"Use Fire Spin right underneath the bridge!" Serena ordered, hoping her plan would get off right. Braixen pointed her wand in its direction. Right before she struck, Pyroar went flying backwards, having obviously hit the Protect. Then Braixen jabbed forward. The column of flame roared from underneath the bridge, circumventing Umbreon's Protect and blasting through the stone there to fling Umbreon in the air. The steam thickened even more.

"Thanks, Serena! Use Flamethrower at both Umbreon and her trainer!" Astrid ordered. Pyroar reared back and fired off a powerful Flamethrower. Instead of moving on a horizontal axis as Braixen had, Pyroar acted vertically. First it consumed Umbreon as she flew in the air and then headed right for Reeree. The girl rolled to the side and got herself ankle-deep into the water there.

"Double Team and Swift!" Reeree ordered, not distracted by the attack on her person in the slightest. Somehow, Serena wasn't surprised. Umbreon's body glowed for a brief moment and then multiple copies of her appeared again before the yellow stripes on her body glowed and flung the golden shooting stars at both Pyroar and Braixen, along with her and Astrid. It was hard to tell through the steam, but Serena knew there was only one attack she could use.

"Use Hidden Power to counter it!"

"Brai!" Braixen acknowledged, holding her wand upwards. As though filled with her determination, proven with a nod, Braixen's Hidden Power became more powerful than ever. The five swirling orbs shot off only to split in midair and become multiple streaks of silver that impacted with the golden stars and created glitter in the air. Some of the stars hit Braixen and the stone next to Serena, but the performer hardly flinched at it, holding it in. From the roars elsewhere, Pyroar had been struck. In the midst of this, a dark shape seemed to land on the ground, hind legs first.

"Snarl!"

"Breon!" Umbreon shrieked as her forelegs slammed into the water. Serena couldn't see the attack, but she'd had enough experiences with Snarl to know the speed with which it was heading right for her. There was no time to waste in acting.

"Braixen, Fire Blast!" Serena ordered while throwing her hand out. Braixen gripped her wand with both hands and sent out the five-pronged Fire Blast. It made it only a short distance away before impacting powerfully with the Snarl. Despite being unable to see the clash, Serena knew from Braixen's grunts that it was a rough battle.

"Pyroar, they need help! Use Flamethrower!" Pyroar gave a ferocious growl and all Serena could see was the red-hot flames streaking from a perpendicular direction to impact with the Snarl as well. The steam was clearing just a little and Umbreon looked to be backing up as the flames mixed and mingled together. Fire Blast began to transform into a Flamethrower, combining with Pyroar's own attack before blasting right through the Snarl, across Umbreon and even all the way over to Reeree, who couldn't be seen through the steam. She had given a cry, though, and both Serena and Astrid waited for the steam to clear to see the result and what their next action would be.

"Sen…" Braixen said nervously as Serena's heart hammered in her chest. Second by second, the steam cleared away. The first thing Serena saw was Umbreon, bruised and staggering on her legs but otherwise battle-ready. Then there was the smell: something had burned. Once more steam had cleared, it became obvious what it was as black fabric fluttered through the air with the remnants of flames on it. A small sploosh was heard and soon Serena could see the lump of clothing in the middle of the water, heavily sinking to the bottom. And finally, after almost a minute of murmurs and waiting, the rest of the steam cleared away and Braixen readied herself for battle. Serena directed her gaze to where she guessed Reeree was and saw that the cloak had been discarded, revealing her slightly longer than shoulder length honey blonde hair. Then she turned to face both her and Astrid.

Astrid gasped.

Serena's stomach fell.

The audience went silent.

Out of all the things, Serena had never expected this. Standing before her where Reeree had been, where Reeree was, and looking at her with a snarl on her face…was Serena, herself.

Author's Note: How many saw it coming? I mean, the clues were all there, and I felt I made it too obvious…but yes, Reeree was Serena. Now the real question is what this means for the other unrevealed members of DARC. Personally I enjoyed the buildup within this chapter, for reasons I'll not reveal as of yet but it was meant to give you this feeling that something was very, very off until that final moment of Reeree's unmasking. How will this go? You'll have to wait and find out.

Obviously there was a little bit more to this chapter such as Goodshow and Bonnie (which I enjoyed) and whatever is going on there. Ash's group coming into conflict with DARC and whatever Jack seems to have discovered. How will everything go now that the plot has irrevocably changed? I know, but I hope you'll stick around to find out.

I hope you guys continue to be loyal to this story. So, I hope you take the time to Review and Dare to Be Silly.
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
It feels nice to know that I could surprise all of you so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter just the same. Now, read Chapter 10!

Chapter 10

A Conflict​

"What…the heck…is this…?" Miette's voice screeched, echoing around the forest loudly. Ash wanted to share her sentiments but he was truly dumbfounded and speechless. He couldn't know what to say, and it seemed that neither did Sawyer. Around them, the various ARC agents seemed to look ready to fight while his father was contemplating something. "Who are you? And why do you look like me? !"

Mimi's facemask clattered to the ground and left Ash staring at her. Just as Miette had observed, Mimi's face was an exact likeness to her own. The hair might have been a little differently styled, and the clothes certainly weren't the same, but the similarity was downright uncanny…though it had nothing on the boy next to Paul who had lowered his hood. That allowed Ash to find his voice.

"Gary…I don't understand…" he said. His fellow Pallet Town native was smirking at him, as though he was looking down on him. Ash tried to regulate his breathing from such a gut punch. Three familiar faces, one being downright impossible, though he had to ask. "Do you have a twin sister, Miette?"

"No, I don't," she answered, and she looked ready to faint. "I'm an only child…"

"Okay, then who are you? !" Ash demanded of the girl. "And you…you're not Gary, are you?"

"I am Gary Oak, though," he responded. Ash wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to refer to the boy that looked so like his friend. He chose to just call him "Fakey" for the time being. "But I'm certainly not the Gary Oak you remember."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're pathetic," Paul snapped. Ash now shifted his eyes over to the purple-haired trainer, watching his rather cold expression. There had always been something off about the boy, and not just him forgetting Ash entirely. No, Ash felt his entire demeanor had been off since he'd met him back at the stadium…he was too cold. Even with every mannerism that Paul had had, he'd still been warming up a little before they'd last parted ways. Yet this Paul…

"Ash, don't be fooled," Lionel spoke up, striding forward with a pokeball in hand. "They wear the masks of people we know, but they're monsters."

"We're monsters?" Mimi asked and Ash felt it more than unsettling that she was saying it with Miette's face. Taking a glance over to said girl, he could see her being supported from behind by Sawyer as Sceptile readied himself for a battle. "How dare you say that with such self-righteousness? ! It's your faults that all our-"

"Gah! Shut up, Mimi!" Fakey snapped. "We've kept ourselves anonymous as much as possible for a reason. Don't go running your mouth just because a cute boy is here."

"You know me so well…" Mimi sighed out. "Fine. Sorry, Ashy, but I'm afraid you're going to have to settle for less than the answers you wanted.

"How about a beating instead?"

"Drapion, Cross Poison, let's go!" Paul suddenly yelled. Drapion crossed its arms and immediately began to fling the sickly purple cross shape at their party.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash knew there could be no time for doubting. No time for confusion. Mimi had Miette's face, but clearly wasn't her. Paul seemed to have lost his memories of him, but was acting almost worse than he had before they'd met. And Gary…well, he seemed roughly the same except for the jerk attitude he'd had when they set out on their journey; the Gary nowadays would never act like that. It helped to make things a little easier in fighting them. Even if he didn't understand, and wondered if his father did, none of it mattered. He had to fight. That was how he'd have to get answers too.

"Pika!" Pikachu's glowing white tail slammed into the Cross Poison from above, knocking it into the ground.

"So, which is it?" Ash asked, taking a step forward. Miette looked to have recovered from the shock and Sawyer was coming to stand by Ash's side. "Is it that you don't remember me…or…"

"Wouldn't you like to know Ashy-boy?" Fakey taunted. Ash snapped a glare to him. It sounded wrong coming out of his mouth. Not playful or endearing in any sense, but like an actual taunt. Like he thought he was better.

"Stop bantering. Drapion, Pin Missile!"

"Sceptile, counter with Frenzy Plant!" As Drapion's arms fired off the streaking white lights, Sceptile slammed his hands onto the ground and gnarled roots shot out to slam into the Pin Missile. Ash looked down to Pikachu and nodded, the both of them setting off through the maze of roots to head right at Paul. This wasn't a Pokémon battle, but a real fight, and if he needed to beat some sense into them for some answers, he was ready.

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" he commanded.

"Pika pika pika chu pi!" Pikachu cried as he flung the crackling ball of electricity at Drapion's face. The Ogre Scorpion Pokémon recoiled and the Frenzy Plant from Sceptile broke through to make a fierce uppercut on it. Pikachu was already on the move with a Quick Attack, dashing along the roots to slam into Drapion and send it crashing to the ground.

"This is pathetic," Paul spat, bringing out his pokeball and recalling Drapion. Fakey seemed to laugh loudly.

"Yeah, you are. Can't even handle him! The loser!" the brunet laughed loudly, as though it was the funniest thing in the world. Paul ignored him, gripping another pokeball and tossing it out.

"Aggron, standby for battle!" From the burst of light emerged the steel-plated Pokémon roaring loudly. Ash wasn't surprised. Between Drapion and Torterra, he had a feeling that Paul still had all the old Pokémon he had fought against back in the day. Pikachu hopped back, his cheeks sparking angrily to show that he was ready for this fight. Ash was, too.

"All right, I guess I'll have to figure out what you're really up to by beating you in battle," he proclaimed confidently. Fakey smirked before reaching upward and snapping his fingers as his other hand touched his side. The other two emulated the latter action. The sound echoed around the area, sending a shudder through Ash's bones. A loud screeching and skittering noise was heard and Pikachu looked upward.

"Pi…ka…" he gasped in surprise and Ash directed his own gaze skyward. His eyes widened at the sight of the Pokémon streaming in. From Fearow to Magnezone to Klink and Klang and all manner of Pokémon. It was like a battalion of an army.

"Good luck with that, Ashy-boy," Fakey said with an infuriating smirk. The sound of numerous Pokémon being released from their pokeballs sounded out from behind him, but Ash ignored it. He was hating that nickname right now. It seemed so disingenuous, so wrong from this fake Gary's mouth.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered, his lips twisting angrily.

"Aggron, Metal Sound!" Paul ordered and Aggron hunkered down. Pikachu's body sparked but didn't release his electricity as, from Aggron's horns, soundwaves fired out, making everyone in the area cringe.

"Sl-Slurpuff, use Cotton Spore," Miette, the real one, called with fear. Slurpuff summoned all manner of fluffy cotton around her body before blasting it out like a wall of fluff. The fluff invaded the area and blocked out the sounds emanating from Aggron's horns. It allowed Pikachu and the other Pokémon to relax. Ash turned his head a little and noticed that the members of ARC had engaged against the horde of Pokémon descending upon them with Lionel leading the charge thanks to a Banette. Meanwhile, his father was staring at the white tree with an odd look.

"How are they commanding all of those Pokémon?" Ash asked, but he didn't get an answer from any of them.

"No idea," Sawyer said. "Maybe a machine or something…"

"If that's the case, then we need to beat them quick!"

"I'm not sure that charging in is the best of ideas," Sawyer admitted, looking over at Ash. He gritted his teeth in response, not liking the option of being able to do nothing. "But it looks like that's what we'll have to do. Sceptile, Leaf Storm!"

"Tile!" Sceptile called out, whipping around so his tail faced the cotton wall. A swirl of green leaves surrounded the tail before blasting outward, carrying the Cotton Spore with it over to their set of opponents. Ash grinned and pointed forward.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack on Aggron! Real Paul or not, we'll make him remember us!" Ash ordered. Pikachu grinned and then shot forward in a white blaze through the clearing puffs, now revealing Aggron, shaking its head. Pikachu was on a straight collision course for it. "Now, Electro Ball!"

"Pika pika pika pika pika pika…" Pikachu said, the pulsing orb of electricity forming at the end of his tail as he ran. Aggron recovered. "…CHU PI!" The Electro Ball flew forward and slammed right into Aggron's chest, causing the Iron Armor Pokémon to stagger.

"Hit it with Metal Claw!"

"Counter with Iron Tail!" Ash ordered fiercely. Pikachu righted himself on the ground, tail glowing white before he leapt up to meet the silvery glowing claw that was Aggron's. Sparks flew from the collision of both Steel type attacks and Ash's fist tightened. That old feeling of fighting Paul was returning; the frustration and the intensity…but there was more than Paul to deal with.

"Scizor, Steel Wing!" Scizor flitted up into the air, its wings glowing brightly as it zipped towards the two locked in a stalemate. All too quickly, it got in range.

"Leaf Blade!" Sawyer ordered passionately from next to him. Sceptile, his Leaf Storm having fully ceased, sprang forward with the speed he usually used to keep pace with Greninja. The bright green blades burst with color on his arms as he leapt in between to block the Steel Wing and prevent Pikachu from being slammed into the ground. Pikachu rolled away and Ash ran forward.

"You okay, buddy?"

"Kachu!" Pikachu responded fiercely. Ash nodded, catching sight of Lionel's Banette blasting away a Magneton with a Phantom Force. Feeling that his dad's people had a good handle on that situation, Ash turned to see Sceptile and Aggron dueling it out. Sceptile ducked and slashed upward with Leaf Blade only for it to be blocked by a Metal Claw. In response, Sceptile whipped around and slashed with his other Leaf Blade. That attack hit Aggron in the chest.

"Now!" Paul spat cruelly. The uppercut that Aggron gave with Metal Claw was remarkably fast, swiping upward to drive Sceptile away, the Forest Pokémon almost seeming impaled, before crushing down with yet another Metal Claw.

"Sceptile, no!" Sawyer cried out. Sceptile grunted from clear pain as yet another Metal Claw was descending on him.

"Slurpuff, stop it with Psychic!" Miette ordered. Back some ways, from her supporting position, Slurpuff's eyes glowed blue and Aggron's body appeared to slow considerably.

"Like I'd let you get in the way of that…Disarming Voice!" Mimi ordered with a little wink in her direction. Meowstic opened his mouth wide and let off the same attack that had been used against Pancham on the first day of the Peace Tournament. The effect of that combined with Miette's twisted face on the girl was unsettling. Small roots were kicked up by the loud voice and Ash grimaced. Only Sawyer and Sceptile were in a state to act

"Frenzy Plant!"

"Sceptile!" Sceptile roared, slamming both of his free hands on the ground. Before Aggron's attack could land, the same powerful roots shot out colliding with both it and Meowstic, tossing them back.

"Now, Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. Pikachu took only a couple steps forward, summoning the electricity in his cheeks before sending it outward towards the clustered Meowstic and Aggron.

Chuuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu cried as the Thunderbolt ripped. It slammed into the opposing team, and Ash wanted to run forward right away, but chose to hang back to see the result of the attack. He was glad he had, as it wasn't favorable.

"Scizor, Quick Attack!"

"Sceptile, Dragon Claw!" Scizor dashed through faster than even Pikachu had while Sceptile flipped up onto his feet and rushed at Scizor with glowing green claws. He punched forward, the Dragon Claw impacting right before the Quick Attack did and holding them in place.

"Double Edge!" Ash whipped his vision to see Aggron coming out of nowhere to slam into Sceptile powerfully. The Grass type was flung away and slammed into a tree, sliding down its surface.

"That was cheap!" Ash spat. "I see you're nastier than you've ever been."

"I've only ever been me," Paul said definitively. "Besides, this is war…and there are no dirty tactics in war!"

"Ash! Sawyer! We can't beat them on our own! Combine attacks," Miette said. Ash flitted his vision between her and their opponents. Mimi's Meowstic and Fakey's Scizor looked to be having trouble staying steady, though Aggron was holding strong.

"Right!" Ash agreed. "Sawyer!"

"Leaf Storm, now!" Sawyer said, swiping his arm across his body. From where Sceptile had fell, he struggled to his feet enough to fire off the swirling leafy vortex that was a Leaf Storm. Miette was on the move, too, ordering an Energy Ball into the swirl.

"Pikachu, combine your Electro Ball with that Energy Ball!" Ash ordered. Pikachu quickly sped forward and dived into the vortex, already calling forth his ball of electricity before slamming it into the Energy Ball, the two attacks combining. He quickly fell out of the Leaf Storm as the attack slammed into the three opponents with an explosion.

"Did that do it?" Miette asked, her voice going up a pitch. Ash didn't need the smoke to clear for the answer: he knew they hadn't. It was Paul and Gary they were going up against, even if they weren't real…whatever they were. The psychological effect and the strategies were still there. Not wanting to wait for the result, Ash looked back to his father, whose hand was dropping from the tree.

"No!" he gasped. "Lionel, what's the status of our position?"

"Surrounded…I think," Lionel answered. "Our little doppelgangers are guarding the road we took."

"I thought so," Jack breathed. "This is bad!"

"What's going on, dad?" Ash asked loudly, but Jack looked to not be listening. He was coming towards their battle though, a fierce look on his face that told Ash he was someone that shouldn't be messed with. In fact, he walked past Ash without a single word as coughs resounded from the sight of the explosion.

"Guess they're not half bad," Mimi choked out, her body sagging as something rolled out of her pocket and into the trees. "Better than I thought."

"You're holding us back," Paul spat. "I'd have finished this battle if your Meowstic was actually any good."

"Stop bickering you two, we have the leader to deal with," Fakey snapped angrily. "Scizor, we can't have him getting wherever he's going! Run him through with Metal Claw!"

Jack was running now, obviously having a destination in mind. Scizor was looking to stop him, its claws glowing silver as it aimed right for the man's body. Ash and Pikachu immediately ran forward to give help. Jack had other ideas. "Out of my way, child!"

It had been said so coldly that Ash gave pause to it as Jack tossed his pokeball. Raichu emerged from it and with a single unspoken command of Iron Tail, she slammed into Scizor and created a massive crater in the ground. Jack didn't look to see if Scizor had truly been taken down by the attack, running on. Ash felt the same way and he ran forward, hoping to run right after his father. Paul clearly didn't want that to happen.

"You get him with Double Edge, right now!"

"Stop him! Leaf Blade!" Sawyer's voice yelled out with some slight desperation. Despite the exhaustion that Sceptile was no doubt feeling, he still had enough speed to dart in and slash down at Aggron's head, though the Double Edge flung him off. Nevertheless, it provided a window for Ash to break through right after his father.

"Thanks, Sawyer!" he called back, though he got no response from the green-haired boy. All he got in return was a disgruntled comment from their enemies as they fell out of earshot.

"This is bad. We can't wait for the flare. Carl needs to know he's coming!"

That was it until Ash was finally able to catch up to his father, jumping over tree roots until he was even, Pikachu alongside him. "Dad! What's going on? And those guys…?"

"Ash, right now, we don't have time to talk about them!" Jack assured him. "I was wrong. It was only feeling the energy that I…they didn't want Xerneas. Its power may be unending, but I could feel it by the tree: it's life energy. They don't want to give life, but cause death. They wanted Yveltal."

"The cocoon? !" Ash expressed in shock. "But why? Why do they want the cocoon? Seriously, who were they?"

"They're us…" Jack said coldly. "But they're not…"

"I don't get it…" Ash expressed, his brain feeling fit to burst. Why did they look like people they knew? Why didn't Paul know him? Why did Gary act like his old self? He realized he was just repeating the same questions over and over, but he felt lost; mired in his own musings. Jack opened his mouth and then shut it, like he was thinking about the best way to answer or apologize for not telling him. He was about to open his mouth to answer for sure when another loud crash resounded followed by the sounds of cracking trees. Ash turned, his hand on Talonflame's pokeball as someone rolled onto the path with them, the form of a Salamence tumbling with them.

"Stupid…lizard…" grunted a voice. A familiar voice; one that Ash hadn't expected or wanted to hear. Ash stepped forward to be by his father's side as he looked at the emerging boy. Pikachu and Raichu sprang in front of them, sensing the obvious danger of the new arrival. Ash kept his eyes on the spot, watching the boy pushing Salamence's red wing off of himself angrily. The Dragon Pokémon looked exhausted, and Ash knew why when the boy turned around.

"Travis…" Ash breathed angrily. That small word got the boy's attention and his twisted visage turned to look at him, breaking out into a grin. "You're supposed to be in jail!"

"Got released on good behavior. Arceus must like me," Travis laughed out. "After all, you got dropped in my lap."

"Why are you here?" Ash demanded, throwing his fist up to indicate that he was ready for a fight. Travis didn't answer, opting for laughing wildly. When he finally stopped, he glared at Ash, the scars on his face looking horrific in the shadows. "How are you here…?"

"For revenge, and because I know things…" Travis said with a grin, tapping at his head. "Like the rumor in the underworld about someone new making a play in the Allearth Forest. Tell me, how is the president doing these days?"

"Talonflame, I-"

"Ash, we don't have time!" Jack remonstrated him angrily. Ash halted in tossing his pokeball, but Travis was running forward with a look of glee on his face as he grabbed a pokeball from his own belt. Ash had no time to think about it. He'd have to deal with whatever Travis' reasons were or how he came here and whatever else was there after he beat him.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked, causing Ash to look down at his best friend. Clearly his best partner could sense his trepidation in the situation, and his confusion. Ash tried to smile, but found it hard to do so.

"We'll be okay…"

"No, you won't!" Travis roared, throwing a long-ranged punch at his face. Jack quickly caught him and kneed him in the stomach, pushing him back up against his Salamence.

"You're Travis…" Jack said, his tone even icier than it had been when Raichu had slammed Scizor before. "I am very tired of you causing problems for my son. In fact, I'm tired of you causing problems in general. I have no idea why you're here, but I've spent enough time in the underworld to know that your contacts led you into a very dangerous situation. And yes, I know full well that those contacts were buzzing with news of what was about to go down.

"However, enough is enough. I think it's high time you learn an important lesson: there will always be someone above you. Now's a good time to beat that into you."

"You're his father?" Travis asked, but he made no movement. All he did was the same as Ash, looking at Jack as he grabbed a small wooden flute from his necklace and blew into it. The sound was silent in the air, though Ash felt the rush of a sweet melody float through him. The unheard notes soon vanished and Travis' snarl returned. "Then I'll hurt him if I hurt you…just like the pain I feel every day!"

"Dad!" Ash yelled, reaching out for his arm to pull his father away, though Jack didn't budge. Travis' manic face was getting closer and then he froze when a loud screech sounded through the forest. Ash stopped pulling and could only watch as a great blur zipped through the air between them and Travis, pushing the boy back into his Salamence again. He swallowed and looked up to see a Latias accelerating downward, a blue swirling orb of mist forming at her mouth until she finally became level with the ground and fired.

"No w-" The Mist Ball fired off like a powerful blast. It might have seemed so small and tiny but the impact it had absolutely stunned Ash. The first thing it made contact with was Travis, rippling at the boy's skin before blasting him back through the domain of trees and mighty old roots. As it carried him forward, more trees and roots were upended, making a clear path to the spot where Travis was deposited. When the attack finished, all Ash could see was a straight dirt path leading to a destination that Travis and his Salamence were deposited at. Just beyond him seemed to be a chasm where a cable was descending into it. That was something Ash knew.

"Thank you, Latias," Jack said as Latias turned to him. He reached a hand up and patted her on the head. "I'm glad you decided to keep around today instead of watching over Aidan. I needed more help than I expected."

Latias cooed proudly, a smile forming on her face before she turned to Ash and nodded at him. For a brief moment, Ash wondered if it was the same Latias he had met all those years ago in Johto, but from the way she turned away, he knew that wasn't the case. With another coo, Latias quickly took to the air like a jet plane, ruffling all of their hairs in the process. Ash looked to his father who gave a quick sigh before looking ahead with a glare at the pit that was their goal.

"Dad, about that…?"

"Latias is a good friend of mine. We've been through many adventures together, but she's a very free spirit. I don't like keeping her battling for too long when she prefers the free roam of the skies and to protect me from there," Jack answered. "Now, let's finish this, shall we?"
"Oh…right…yeah," Ash said, rubbing the back of his neck. He was still certain that he had more questions than answers, but for the moment he chose to trust. Trust that his father was right. Trust that their goal was in reach. Trust they'd get answers later. Confirming this sentiment with a nod to Pikachu, the four of them there began to run forward to where Travis was still laying on the ground, groaning.

As they approached there was a loud whirring sound that got louder and louder, while also getting lower in pitch. Ash couldn't figure out where it was coming from until they were very close to the pit and the stirring Travis. That's when he realized that the sound was above them and he looked up. Though it was hard to tell in the streaking sun of the day, there looked to be an odd shape floating in the air from which the cable was descending. Ash's eyes followed the path of that cable into the chasm down below and his body shivered. He remembered that cavern all too well. Clenching a quick fist, however, he made to climb down into it.

"Wait, Ash," his father warned, holding him back from the edge. "We've no idea what's down there, other than a cocoon that could hatch and bring destruction to everyone."

"Well, Yveltal was pretty weak after everything, I thought," Ash commented. Jack still shook his head, indicating that he didn't even want to try and take the chance of anything. Instead, he patted Raichu lightly on the head and it padded forward to stick its tail into the abyss. Ash watched as his tail lit up brightly with a Flash, illuminating the sights below. Somehow, he wasn't surprised that there appeared to be someone standing in the lake below. More than that, though, was the fact that a giant shape had emerged from the water. Directing his gaze to the cable, he saw that the cable was actually moving.

"Looks like we're in luck," Jack said with a light smirk. Ash looked at him and saw the dazed Travis still getting his bearings. "Raichu, Thunder in the hole."

"Pikachu, you help out with Electro Ball." Pikachu and Raichu simultaneously nodded and stepped back. Raichu's tail wound back upwards as she began to let her whole body brim with electricity. Pikachu also turned around and directed his tail downward with the crackling orb. The two Mouse Pokémon gave each other confident looks before nodding and sending both of their attacks down below. At this, Ash ran to the edge but didn't think of going over.

The electricity was on a straight trajectory for the man in the pond and Ash was certain it would hit until a dark shape flitted through the cavern and intercepted the attacks with a mighty Steel Wing, protecting the man below. That instantly told Ash exactly who was below. Not that he had to wait long to confirm his theory. The cocoon was rising ever closer on the cable and the man from below was rising up on the very same avian that had so smartly deflected their attacks.

"Carl…" Jack spat, his lips twisted into a rather nasty expression. Of course, Ash could care less about the man's name and more about what Travis said.

"Dad," he groaned out. Ash blinked. Then he blinked again. Then he looked between Travis and the man Carl and his mouth fell.

"Oh, Travis…I heard you were in jail," the redhead riding his Pidgeot said with little concern. "Not that I'm surprised. You were always a problem child."

"Not like you could really know…" Travis said. He was finally bringing himself to his feet, calling his Salamence back into its pokeball. Ash once more tensed, readying himself for a fight with the scarred redhead, but for once, the boy wasn't focused on him, but on the other redhead nearby. Jack was also focused on the one named Carl. "How long ago did you leave? I don't remember? Before or after we moved back…Oh, wait, that's right, old man, you were gone before on some crazy quest. Greedy son of a-"

"Why are you here, Travis? I don't have time for you," Carl lamented with a sigh, throwing his gaze backwards at the rising cocoon.

"That's obvious, but whatever. Why do you think I'm here?"

"What's going on here? He's your dad? !" Ash saying it aloud certainly helped it to make sense. Carl was Travis' father and he was a member of DARC…or a leader…Ash was so unsure about everything. How these things were or what they meant flew over his head, but it could certainly explain some of Travis' more…violent tendencies. At his question, Travis looked to him with another twisted smirk.

"Yeah, would you look at that? We both get to be reunited with our dear daddies," Travis mocked him. Pikachu leapt to the side, cheeks sparking. "That was my intent from the very beginning, dad!"

"I wasn't aware you even knew where I was," Carl said, still moving slowly upwards. Jack had yet to make a move. "I'll admit…I'm impressed."

"It's not hard to figure out," Travis spat. "How many Carls are there with natural red hair in the criminal underworld? And someone called the 'Father of the Dark' whispered a little something in my ear. You wouldn't happen to know something about that, would you, dad?"

"Shut up, Travis," Carl said with exasperation. Ash was still flicking his eyes between all three of them. The annoyed Carl, his own father, who appeared to not be making a move, and Travis, who had all his attention focused on his father. The situation had surpassed weird; weirder even than when he'd met Dalton in front of Seamus. "Though I must admit your arrival is fortuitous. What are your intentions, Travis?"

"What the hell do you think, dad?" Travis spat upward, and Ash saw his hand slide surreptitiously to a pokeball on his belt. Pikachu sparked a little more, indicating that he'd seen it too. "You're trying to destroy the world that's done nothing but screw us all over, right? Count me in!"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. He wasn't waiting for his dad to make a move. Their relationships were clearly different, but there was no way he'd stand by and let Travis do what he did best: stab people in the back. Pikachu summoned the bolt and fired. The raging volt surged outward and a snap was heard in the air. Time froze (or it did in Ash's vision, if not in reality) and the Thunderbolt moved slower than ever as a piercing cry similar to Latias' filled the air. Ash tried to take a step forward, but before his foot touched the ground, a blur like a jet plane flashed through and he fell back. His father's hand flew back to hold on to him but Ash noticed that Pikachu's Thunderbolt had been intercepted and Travis was gone. At the same time, Ash winced as his walkie-talkie was jostled out and smashed upon the ground with a light puff of smoke.

"Quite the ruse, Carl," Jack said loudly. Ash looked up at the redhead and noticed a blue shape depositing Travis on top of the Pidgeot. "Disseminating information to make me think you were after Xerneas, when it was really Yveltal. The underworld has become so untrustworthy since you started making your move. To be honest, though, I'm surprised it's you taking part in the operation."

"Wouldn't have mattered either way, Red," Carl said, inclining his head towards the man.

"Of course not. You had us followed to reveal the exact location of Xerneas and Yveltal," Jack commented. Ash's brow furrowed and he looked to Pikachu. Had that been what was unsettling him that morning? Were they being tracked the entire time?

"And it worked. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"Raichu, now!" Raichu summoned electricity to his body and shot it straight upwards. Everything that followed happened so fast, Ash was surprised his eyes were able to keep up with the movement. Raichu's electricity ceased and as soon as the last of the sparks faded another seeming jet plane shot overhead. Ash could tell it was obviously Latias, aiming right for the cocoon. She reached it in almost a second, but before she could break it free, the blur from earlier shot forward and tackled her, both tumbling off to the side. In that action, Ash could see that the other blur was Latios; no doubt the one that Clemont had mentioned two days prior. Both tumbled through the air, away from the cocoon like a writhing mass.

Ash snapped his gaze along their course, trying to follow them, but they were moving insanely fast as they grappled with one another. Why was he becoming so useless in this moment? ! Gritting his teeth, Ash finally looked to see a rising Travis leering down at him with a grin. The usual grin he wore when he was succeeding in his nastiness.

"I've got this, dad. Talonflame, I choose you!" Ash cried, finally taking the chance to toss Talonflame's pokeball. His faithful flier appeared and shot right up toward Pidgeot.

"One thing after another…" Carl lamented with a sigh. Travis stood up on Pidgeot as it carried them up to the invisible object in the air and grabbed a pokeball.

"Don't worry about it, dad. You want some help, I've got it. Fearow, do what it takes to bring them down!" Travis roared, tossing his pokeball out and the wide-winged bird appearing in the air. Ash wasn't going to let him have that chance.

"Flame Charge!" Talonflame gave a loud screech, his body wreathed in flames as he shot straight for Pidgeot, only for Fearow to shoot right in front and take the hit. "Spinning Steel Wing!"

"Flame!" Talonflame screeched, backing up a little bit before his wings glowed white and he began spinning forward. Fearow also began to spin with a Drill Peck as the two birds crashed into each other midair. Higher up, the cocoon was being sucked inside of a hole in the air and Pidgeot had landed atop something. Travis gave a final smirk down at Ash. His blood began to boil angrily.

"Use Brave Bird!" Ash commanded. The spinning between the two birds grinded to a halt and Ash could see the little nod that Talonflame gave before his body glowed blue and yellow. Then he pushed forward and struck Fearow powerfully across the chest. The Beak Pokémon fell, its chest smoking as it spiraled downward into the chasm with a loud splash. "After them!"

Talonflame corrected his course and shot off for the airship, however just as he was about reach it a flurry of shooting stars suddenly flew out from the top of it and pelted Talonflame's body powerfully. Ash and Pikachu cried out as the attack ended and Talonflame began to fall. Without thinking, Ash quickly called his faithful Pokémon back. Once that was done he looked up to see the sight of Fakey, Paul and Mimi above the airship, each looking rather windswept, but with smirks on their faces. Mimi in particular winked at him.

"Hope we meet again, cutie. I can see why Reeree loved you!" she called out. Ash glared at her in confusion as the sounds of the shape above them, which he now realized was an airship, grew louder and gusts of powerful wind flooded the air. Ash and Jack leaned close to the ground, hugging their Pokémon closely as the airship overhead began to take off. Another loud sound was heard, along with falling trees in the distance, though Ash couldn't see what was going on.

After a moment, the sounds faded away and he looked up to see that the airship was gone, the blur that was undoubtedly Latios shooting off after it with all the speed it had held before. With it gone, Jack finally stood, picking Ash up with him as he and Raichu looked around (though Ash also quickly made sure to pick up the broken walkie with a grimace). Ash quickly guessed that he was looking for Latias, which was proven by the red Eon Pokémon gliding slowly over the trees and looking at him with a downcast expression.

"Don't worry," Jack said, patting her kindly. "You did what you could. I didn't expect Latios to be with them, but it's fine. Just proves how important that mission was to them." Latias cooed sadly but nuzzled the man all the same before gliding backwards and shooting off into the sky. A crashing through the bushes told Ash of someone else's arrival, though it was obvious that it was just Sawyer and Miette along with Lionel.

"They got away?" Lionel asked, running over to the chasm and peering into it. "Is Latias going after them?"

"No point," Jack spat. Ash looked over to his father after making sure Sawyer and Miette were okay (which they were, if a little bruised). His words indicated he was less pleased with the result that what he had said to Latias indicated. "That airship is cloaked and Latios is defending it. I could already tell Latias put up a difficult fight against him. That was my fault, but the fight moved too fast for me to adapt to it."

"What happened to Xerneas?" Ash asked, turning back towards his friends.

"Nothing," Sawyer answered. "After you took off, those three made a distraction with Meowstic using Psychic to get themselves out of there. Most of the Pokémon stopped attacking right after that."

"Except for the Electric types, but we took care of those," Miette answered with a thumbs up. She still looked more than disturbed, and Ash felt he was right there with her. His father had quite the bit of explanation to give, and he wanted it fast.

"I left some agents on the tree in case DARC wants to take another run at it, but it's obvious we were played," Lionel said with a sigh. Jack nodded.

"They may have wanted both, but they fooled us well enough. Though you should sweep the forest, just in case any part of their surveillance remains," he admitted with displeasure. "In any case, I guess it'll all fall to Aidan's task then. Hopefully he'll have something for us."

"Dad, what's going on?" Ash finally asked, slight anger leaking out of his voice. The entire conversation was too confusing. The situation was too confusing, and now he wanted answers. Jack turned to look at him with an apologetic smile. "Who was that guy? What are they really trying to do? Why do they want Yveltal instead of Xerneas? And you're friends with a Latias!"

"I know…this must seem like a lot, and you want answers," Jack said. Ash and Pikachu both nodded fervently, causing Jack to sigh. Once he finished, he looked to all three of Ash, Sawyer and Miette. "I want to show you all something. Once you've seen it, I'll ask you to make a decision. Depending on your decision, I'll tell you what needs to be said. So…will you follow me for just a little longer? Or leave now? That's the first choice you'll have to make."

"Clemont, you're like the best cook ever!" praised the voice of Mairin as she shoveled in her bowl of stew. Next to her, Chespie was vigorously munching on it as well. Chespin, himself, seemed to agree with Mairin's statement.

"Ches!" he cried happily, holding out his own bowl for another bowl of Pokémon food.

"You've already had two servings, Chespin," Clemont scolded his gluttonous friend. Chespin looked positively downcast until Chespie used his vines to hand over his bowl to share. Chespin looked positively enamored. "But thank you Mairin. I appreciate the compliment!"

"No problem! It's been a long time since I feel like I've eaten some really great meals on the road. Alain isn't the best of cooks." Her look indicated displeasure with the raven haired trainer, who was staring off, slightly away from their group. Clemont placed his ladle down and grabbed another bowl to take over to the brooding trainer.

"You should eat something," the blond inventor insisted, placing the bowl in his lap. Alain looked up, somewhat surprised; it was almost like he hadn't realized he was even there.

"Oh, right," he said, thanking Clemont for the bowl and taking a tentative bite. Deciding the boy should have some company, Clemont chose to sit next to him and eat a roll. It had been one of the few remaining, and while he thought Chespin had eaten them all, his Pokémon's lack of fatigue from overconsumption made him think twice. Still, it wasn't enough of an issue to worry him. "Are we sure we're on the right path?"

"Well, sure my inventions can have some missteps from time to time, I'll admit," Clemont told him, biting into the roll. Alain didn't respond, taking careful bites of his stew while Clemont swallowed. "But I'm pretty sure we're on track. I need to find Bonnie; I won't let anything get in my way."

"That's…not quite what I meant…" Alain admitted. He seemed so awkward in his interactions that Clemont actually scooted a little away. He had to admit that he felt awkward as well. If it weren't for Mairin breaking the ice between them, Clemont felt they would have had some very silent Charizard rides.

After all, Alain was the kind of individual that tended to focus solely on the task at hand. There was no room for fun or conversation. Just the task. It may have made him a cool individual and a strong trainer, but even Clemont could tell that it had made him less well-rounded than a person like Ash, who took the time to experience everything if he could. That was probably why he had seemed so irritable on the first leg of their journey. After having forced himself to lose (even if not with his prized Charizard) and then hitting the road with someone he was hardly used to, Alain had wanted to stay on course. So when the course of following the direction of the airship had become lost (his Airship Emission Tracker had led them to an abandoned cave in the Lumiose Badlands), Clemont had chosen to stop and rethink things. It turned out an innocuous question from Mairin sparked it.

"Can't you just put a different kind of tracker on it?" she'd asked. Alain had instantly replied that it was impossible because the airship wasn't there, but it had given an idea. When Team Neo had attacked, he had done such a thing and traced the signal it sent out. There was no reason he couldn't do that…with Mega Evolution energy. After all, he'd seen the effects of Mega Pidgeot himself and surely that kind of energy radiation would spill over, given what Alain had done…in the past...

Thus, Clemont created the Flying Mega Energy Seeker. The work took time, and some of Alain's rather reluctant knowledge, before they sent it off and decided to follow it. And it worked! Or at least, it had worked until a certain point where the machine would start flying off in multiple directions. After checking the map, Clemont realized it wanted to fly towards Shalour City (something he realized with a blush). Thus they took a break as of right now for Clemont to recalibrate it. With it scouting out the potential path to follow up on, Clemont chose to make lunch while they waited.

"I don't understand what you mean, then," Clemont admitted. Alain stopped eating and placed his bowl down on the rock he was sitting upon.

"Ever since the incident in Lumiose I…" Alain began to say but he shut his mouth and shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Clemont insisted, this time a little more forcefully. Still, Alain didn't want to answer. "Look, we need to trust each other to rescue my sister and the president. So, you need to tell me what's on your mind."

"That's the problem: you don't trust me," Alain concluded. "I know Ash told me to face forward and stop wallowing in the past but it's so easy for him to say. He didn't do the things I did…help the people who hurt…You can't honestly say you trust me after all that?"

"I want to," Clemont said, offering a hand to the brooding boy. "You still fought back and did everything you could to rescue Chespie, just like now. No one ever achieves anything by wallowing in the past."

"Maybe…" Alain commented, and Clemont could tell that whatever he was thinking about weighed heavily on his mind.

"You know, I knew someone like you," Clemont began to say. Behind the two of them, Mairin had started to play with Chespin and Chespie. "He started off worse, but when things happened he wanted to do things on his own a lot without telling anyone anything…in the end, he needed our help. Once he got that, I think he was able to forgive himself."

"Hmmm," Alain mused, but ultimately said nothing. Clemont wasn't sure if he had gotten the message, so the inventor chose a slightly different tactic.

"And Ash…I'm pretty sure he's seen his own share of horrors. After all, we-" A sudden beeping sounded out from a control next to the pot he'd used to make lunch. Deciding to cut the conversation short, Clemont stood and bustled over to the small device that was a topographical map linked up with his FMES. As he grabbed it, he thought he saw something white grab another roll, but ignored it all the same.

A picture was displayed on the screen, no doubt what his invention was seeing before it was turning around to meet up with them. Swiping across for the map function, Clemont could see the trail it was following and that it ended on the coast between Shalour and Coumarine City.

"Ooh, where does it go?" Mairin asked. She seemed absolutely excited about seeing new locales. Makes sense, Clemont mused to himself, she's been inside of the same building and city for a long time.

"Looks like the trail ends at the Azure Bay," Clemont told all of them. "I didn't program my invention to go near or over water due to its delicate composition, so that's where we'll have to go for any more clues. It's on a return trip."

"Then we pack up and get going," Alain said, clasping his bowl and bringing it over. Clemont took it and immediately followed his suggestion. No more sitting around when they were getting close.

"Time to rescue Bonnie," Clemont said, hitching his pack on his back when they were all cleaned up. "After that, we'll rendezvous with Ash and Serena, and take back whatever needs taking back." Alain and Mairin appeared to agree with that, and with their target of making sure Bonnie and the president would be safe, the three set off once again on the trail.


Author's Note: Just when you thought Travis couldn't get any worse, here you are…Now, there were a lot of things happening this chapter but the biggest thing you may be wondering is "Epicocity, you dropped a bombshell last chapter! Why didn't you address it this chapter?! Did you run out of space?" No, I did not! I purposely planned to leave what is going on with Reeree and Serena and that whole Peace Tournament business for the next chapter because I revealed a little more this time in the realm of Mimi's identity and Gary…or Fakey, rather (I'm still sorta unsure how to refer to him). And also because I'm building suspense, damn it! Who are these characters? How do they connect? The answers will come soon…

Now, a few other things. Yes, Carl is indeed Travis' father! Who saw that coming?! Everyone…okay…But we got a glimpse of Latias! I've done little hints about Latias being around throughout the story, so it was nice to have the reveal. On top of that, I hope that the battles were brutally intense throughout this chapter, because I wanted them to be. I also wanted that moment to show even with things resolved in Flare, Alain still has problems. Or rather, I feel he has problems with his character that I wanted to fix. But that's about it.

Seriously, you're all fantastic in this writing and reading process, and I love you all. Have any questions or want to chat, feel free to ask. Until the next chapter, though, make sure to Review, and Dare to Be Silly.
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Amourshipping is canon (to me)! Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way, please enjoy something that's had Amourshipping as canon for a while now. Chapter 11! (Oh, and Amourshipping is canon.)

Chapter 11

A Double​

Serena tried to even her breathing, staring at the sight in front of her. When that clearly wasn't working, she shook her head, as though it was going to clear it from her vision. Though when she looked ahead, Reeree still looked the same. Still the same piercing blue eyes, still the same honey-blonde hair. Had the two of them been placed side by side before Serena had cut her hair, they would have easily been twins.

"Tch…" Reeree scoffed upon the sight of her face. She was scowling, giving the most unattractive look upon her face. Serena swallowed thickly. Seeing that upon her own face was unsettling, and she wanted to ask how it was possible. Astrid was the first to find her voice.

"Who are you? !" she snarled angrily. Reeree, if that was indeed her name, turned her head to look at the blonde for just a moment.

"I'm her," she said, pointing directly at Serena. The honey-blonde performer backed up, clutching at her chest. Braixen gave a look of worry back, but all Serena could manage was a shake of her head. "In a sense."

"And what does that mean?" Astrid demanded angrily. Pyroar leapt back to join her, snarling loudly at the girl with Serena's face. "Your name is Reeree but you look just like Serena. If that was a secret, it's out now, so don't speak in riddles!"

"Umm…uhh…I'm not sure what's going on!" Kalas voice cried out loudly over the crowd. It pierced through whatever confusion Serena was feeling in that moment and she dropped her hands to step forward. "Champion Diantha, what's your opinion on what's going-Champion?"

"Umbreon, Snarl!" Reeree suddenly ordered. The attack was unexpected, but Astrid reacted quicker than Serena had the time to do so. Pyroar ran forward, jumping atop the bridge before leaping above the Snarl and sending a cascade of flames at it to break it apart.

"Don't dodge the question, understand?" Astrid demanded. "Who are you?"

"That's not for you to know. I'm only in this for one reason alone!" Reeree yelled, gripping at her now exposed set of pokeballs. She tossed them high into the air. Serena watched, shifting her foot into more of a battle-ready stance as the balls exploded with light, revealing a Pangoro and Delphox on the stones. Things were starting to make a little more sense for Serena. Well…maybe. "I'm here to keep the attention away from them…and because of her."

"Me?" Serena asked, her gaze narrowing. "Why would you care about me? Because you have my face?"

"That's arrogant," Reeree snapped angrily. "I care…because you're the Serena that has everything. Pangoro, Dark Pulse. Delphox, Flamethrower!"

"Serena!" Astrid yelled. Even though Reeree was in clear violation of the rules of battle, it looked like the other Serena could care less. Judging from the way that the referee threw himself to the side and began scrambling towards one of the open halls, he didn't seem to care, either. The rest of the crowd was a different story; they were more like a mix between confused and slightly panicking.

"Braixen, Flamethrower, full power!" she yelled, not wasting any more time on thought. Braixen snapped back to focusing and brandished her wand forward to send a powerful gushing flame to impact with the incoming strikes. It proved stronger than either of them thought, but Braixen held on despite the power pushing her back bit by bit. "You can do this! We won't let her hurt anyone."

"I'm not in this to hurt anyone but you!" Reeree yelled, and Serena could see her clench her fist angrily. Even from that distance, Serena could sense the genuine rage flowing through the girl, though she'd no idea what she'd done to make her hate her so much. "Umbreon, add a Swift!"

"Breon!" Umbreon barked, prancing forward. Serena's eyes widened as she looked between the three Pokémon that her opponent had pulled out. A Delphox, strong and majestic. A Pangoro, who had proven itself more than nimble in previous battles. And an Umbreon, prancing around like a beautiful wondrous dancer. They were hers…just different. That single thought locked her up as Umbreon leapt high and sent the golden stars cascading right at her.

"Serena, move!" Astrid screamed, but she was deaf to it. Reeree really did look like her. No…she was her, in almost every way. The only true noticeable difference was in nature. One of the Swift stars hit her in the chest and Serena fell to the ground with a loud "oof!" Bile rose in her throat at the thought. How was this possible? More than that, why did this girl hate her so much? What had happened to her for her to considering attacking her so violently?

"It's unclear what's going on," Kalas' voice continued commenting on, more professional than he had been at the end of the Kalos Team Tournament, "but Reeree has broken the rules by calling two more Pokémon to the field. I am unsure as to what her objective is, but-"

Kalas' voice cut out suddenly, along with the footage on the screen that showed them battling below. Umbreon had landed on the bridge, glaring at Serena with a harsh look. It was odd to her; even knowing that it wasn't her dear Sylveon, seeing Umbreon glare was like a twist to the gut. A different sound replaced that of Kalas.

"Spectators, please vacate the stadium," Diantha said coolly, her picture on the screen depicting poise and grace. "The League will officially sort this out. However, given Reeree's breaking of the rules, we'd prefer for civilians to not be caught in any crossfire despite our protective measures. Those participants that are still here from earlier in the tournament, if you could join me in the hallways."

"You heard the lady!" Kalas boomed out almost immediately afterward. The thought was a comforting one, that they'd be able to avoid civilian issues compared to the last two events that were interrupted. But it didn't stop Serena from remaining frozen at what was going on. Reeree was now sloshing through the water, her long hair blowing behind her, unrestrained by any form of hat. She looked positively furious.

"You…" she seethed, almost like she was unable to keep her anger. "Why? I've watched you through this tournament…acting like it means nothing…Must be nice to pretend it's all just a game."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Serena protested loudly, though her mirror self appeared to be deaf to that. For a single wild moment, Serena wondered if this really was her Mirror World self, but judging from the intense hatred the girl was pouring out, she knew that wasn't possible. "I don't get any of this!"

"I don't care! You people do nothing but take! And take! Why is it that you got to keep everything? !" Reeree yelled, looking apoplectic. Yet as she splashed through the water, droplets flying all around, Serena could swear she saw tears in her eyes. That alone prevented Serena from being able to move. What pain did that girl hold? "Pangoro! Stone Edge!"

"Goro!" Pangoro said in a clipped voice as he slammed his hand on the stone. Every piece of rock that jutted out from the ground did so with a splash as it raced along, aiming right for her. Braixen brandished her wand like a sword and stepped in front to try and block it, but the stones instantly began to curve around to sail right for Serena.

"Go, Togekiss!" Serena's breath caught and she looked to the side, just in time to see the Jubilee Pokémon come racing and spiraling through the air. Right as the stones were about to impact with her prone body, Togekiss grabbed ahold of her by her dress and carried her up into the air. "Piplup, use Ice Beam on the water!"

"Luuuuup!" came the shrill cry of Piplup and Serena watched as the chilly blue beam traveled across the water's surface. It froze so quickly that Reeree was in midstep when it froze around her ankles. Looking down, Serena saw Dawn quickly slide down the walls of the stadium and onto the battlefield, looking rather fierce. Togekiss twirled around in midair and aimed right back for her, depositing Serena lightly.

"You all right?" Dawn asked, keeping her gaze between both of the Serenas.

"Y-yeah…I'm just…" Serena gasped out. She really didn't know what to think right at that moment. Looking over, she noticed Reeree struggling inside of the ice, groaning in frustration, yet somehow remaining calm at the same time. Her very existence baffled her. Yet Serena knew. She knew she couldn't let it bother her, because whoever she was, whatever she was, there was no doubt she was with DARC. That part was easy to figure out, and Serena wasn't going to let her hurt anybody.

"Pull it together, Serena," Astrid said, coming to stand next to both Serena and Dawn as she cracked her knuckles. "That girl isn't you. Whoever she is, it isn't you."

"I know that," Serena said, but realized she wasn't getting through to herself. So she slapped herself on the cheeks as Braixen, Pyroar and Piplup closed ranks and Dawn recalled Togekiss. "I know that! Let's go!"

"That's the spirit! Good thing that barrier doesn't work on the other side, because now we can team up again!" Dawn said with conviction. All three girls stepped forward. Serena could see their battle still being portrayed on the screen as the audience calmly made their way out of the stadium. Reeree seemed to notice this because she stopped struggling and turned to her own trio of Pokémon.

"Braixen, Flamethrower!"

"You, too, Pyroar!" Astrid ordered, both girls throwing their arms out with their commands. Braixen simply pointed and spewed her flame while Pyroar reared back before letting his own powerful flames mix with hers. They shot forward on a straight collision for the clustered Pangoro and Delphox.

"Block it with Fire Blast," Reeree said, throwing her hand out as well. Serena nearly gulped; the movement really was identical. Delphox spun her wand around, and now that Serena knew just who the Delphox was, she could also see the near identical wand movements as she pointed forward and the five-pronged wheel of fire blasted out. The flames collided in the air before exploding in little sparks.

"Piplup, use Drill Peck!" Dawn ordered, pumping her fist. Piplup waddled along until he hit the ice and then slid along it, his beak elongating. He quickly skated under the bridge and made a beeline right for Pangoro. Once he got close, he jumped.

"Arm Thrust!" Reeree said coldly. Pangoro looked to smirk before both of his arms glowed a bright white and he practically punched forward. The open palm struck Piplup and Serena could see the poor penguin's body ripple before he was sent flying back with a cry. Umbreon leapt away from the bridge and onto the slippery surface right before Piplup crashed through it from the attack. The bridge broke into tiny pieces of rubble.

"Catch him, Braixen," Serena ordered. She kept her eye on Reeree, who looked to have stopped trying to get out of the ice. Braixen reached forward with her wand and managed to quickly catch Piplup on it. He held on tight as Braixen was forced to rear back. Serena now looked to Dawn, who nodded. "Toss him!"

"Spin and use Drill Peck!" Dawn ordered. Braixen shifted the direction of her body and flung her wand forward. While she was able to hold on to the stick, Piplup let go and went flying forward at a quick speed. He spun through the air creating white ribbons of light as he did so before nailing Pangoro in the chest before he could react. The Daunting Pokémon wore eyes of surprise before getting flung backwards and slamming into the wall. "Yes!"

"You all right, Pangoro?" Reeree asked, using the same kind of concern that Serena all too often did. From the brief cloud of dust, Pangoro emerged.

"Pan!" he grunted and then grinned at Piplup, who quickly decided to skitter back across the ice.

"Great. Umbreon, use Snarl! Break the ice!" Umbreon, having gained her footing upon the ice, charged forward, sending the black wave right from her position towards Braixen. It wasn't the most powerful, considering the distance it had to travel, but numerous chunks of the ice broke off, revealing that the still somewhat shallow water wasn't entirely frozen.

"Piplup. Into the water!"

"Lup!" Piplup acknowledged, diving right into the drink. Reeree clearly wasn't letting that deter her assault on Serena, even with Braixen gracefully twirling to the side. Once she'd spun away from the Snarl, Serena decided to be more proactive. Astrid had the perfect strategy already in mind.

"We take out Pangoro first. He arguably has the most brute strength out of the three," the blonde pointed out wisely. Serena liked that idea, at least to the extent that it would limit their enemy's offensive power. Though it was weird to call herself "the enemy".

"Braixen, Fire Spin, right at Pangoro!"

"Sen!" Braixen agreed, jabbing forward and letting out the spiral of flame towards Pangoro. Reeree, who appeared to be in the path of it, ducked low as the circle of flame grew wider. Pyroar was on the move, leaping into the circles of fire. Even if the attack tended to lick at his fur, they looked to barely even tickle the lion, whose maw was brimming with heat. Pangoro punched forward, but Pyroar was too nimble and sunk his flaming fangs into their opponent. Pangoro cried out at his body was consumed in flames.

"Good, he's burned," Astrid noted. "Now's our chance to strike back!"

"Pangoro, Delphox, do what you do best!" Reeree ordered. Certain commands hadn't been given, but Serena was more than certain as to which moves the two of them would be using in tandem with one another. Sure enough, Delphox instantly directed a Flamethrower from her wand while Pangoro called forth his dark nexus of energy and sent it out in a swirling beam. Only they weren't heading for Braixen, but for her.

"Braixen, Fire Blast, quick!" Serena called, prepared to somersault underneath the attacks if she needed to. Braixen moved quickly, forgoing the use of her wand to open her mouth and send the powerful pentagram of fire out toward the incoming strikes. They collided and exploded in midair, causing Serena and Dawn both to hold onto their skirts while Astrid held her ground. Funnily enough, Dawn was the one to make the next move.

"Now, Piplup! Bubblebeam on Pangoro!" she cried before the blowback from the explosion ceased. Reeree whipped her head around, like she was trying to see where Piplup would emerge from. It turned out to be in the most obvious place as the penguin blasted out from the ice right in front of Pangoro.

"Pipluluplup!" Piplup cried as he sent the barrage of bubbles that impacted with Pangoro and left him vulnerable, pushing back inch by inch. Dawn quickly called another command, unheard over the impacting bubbles. Pangoro attempted to move, but the burn inflicted from earlier consumed his body. That gave Piplup ample time to strike with the long beak indicative of Drill Peck.

Pangoro flew back and slammed upon the ground with a loud thud, no longer getting up. Piplup was back in the water before Reeree had called her Pokémon back, narrowing the field. She quickly glared at Serena before looking down at her own legs and smirking. Yet it wasn't an ominous smirk necessarily; it looked more like one that Ash would wear when he came up with a great idea in battle.

"Delphox, melt the ice!"

"Delphoooooooox!" the Fox Pokémon screeched, plunging her wand down into the ice, enough that it cracked. Then she summoned up a flame that turned the floor red hot. More and more cracks appeared along the surface, and the thin veneer of ice began to melt away. Reeree had quickly begun to regain her mobility.

"We have to end this fast," Astrid concluded. "Giga Impact!" Pyroar gave a suitably loud roar as he blasted forward on what remained of the ice for Umbreon. His body glowed a bright yellow and purple as he picked up speed. Umbreon watched him approach timidly and Serena's heart clenched. It really was her Eevee.

"Umbreon, dodge and use Swift on her, now!" Serena frowned, knowing full well that the "her" to which Reeree was referring was herself. Pyroar was nearly upon Umbreon when the Moonlight Pokémon slid to the side using the ice. Pyroar missed, nearly slamming into the wall as Umbreon's yellow spots began to glow brighter and then flinging out the golden stars right for Serena. Serena's frown got deeper. It didn't matter that she was the same Eevee.

"Hidden Power!" Braixen pointed her wand up this time and sent a cascade of silver orbs out to impact with the stars. They broke apart and sent softly falling glitter upon them once they'd collided with each other. Dawn wasn't giving Reeree a chance to breathe.

"Whirlpool!"

"You're kid-" Reeree said. It was clear she was a little frustrated that now she was free, it was only to be offered up to a raging whirlpool that Piplup was forming in the middle of the field, starting to suck them all into the massive vortex. Serena heard tromping footsteps and she turned to see Diantha, Conway, and Shauna's group all running towards them through a hallway. "Well, good thing Clime gave me this just in case I needed to escape. Even if I'm not using it for that!"

"Hey!" Serena yelled. "Just what are you-"

Reeree held up a small device that looked like it was cobbled together from various wires, plastics and metals. Without any more delay, she pressed a small red button on it. Loud popping noises were heard around the entire stadium, causing Serena to look up. All around the area lights were blowing out as things short-circuited and even the screens exploded in a sudden shower of glass onto the emptying seats. Even the one-way shield around the arena dropped. That wasn't the worst of it, though, as a loud groaning reached all of their ears.

Then the platform began to fall quickly.

Serena reached out for Dawn and managed to hold onto her as the platform fell with them on it. Her blood rushed into her ears from all of it and she saw the rubble and the water beginning to rise in the air briefly from the difference in density and gravity. More than that, Piplup was also dragged out of the water. Up above, Serena saw Diantha and the others peering over the edge into the abyss they were now traveling down to.

"Snarl! Take out Piplup!" Reeree commanded. The girls were too busy recovering from the fall they were still in the middle of (each screaming internally at the prospect of falling to their deaths) that Dawn was unable to give a command. Umbreon moved freely enough, dancing across the rocks and rubble before sending out the black wave that hit Piplup and sent him tumbling off to the side.

"Br-Braixen, flip over the rubble and use Hidden Power on Delphox!" Serena choked out, unable to keep her breath in as they continued to fall. It was all moving so quickly. Braixen struggled to her feet, but managed to pad along through the water quickly and using her wand like a pole vault she flipped upward and twirled through the air. Reeree watched her with fascination for a moment before recovering as Braixen began to summon her silver orbs.

"Hidden Power, yourself, Delphox!" Reeree yelled. Delphox was fast; certainly faster than Braixen as she summoned the large silver orb to the tip of her wand. However, Pyroar had other plans as he leapt forward just as the orb was fired off. Before it could impact with Braixen, it slammed into Pyroar's chest and sent him sprawling backwards, leaving Serena at a severe disadvantage.

Then she noticed the water floating upward with their descent. Reeree had finally turned her attentions back towards her, but Serena's mind was working quicker than her opponent could. Obscuring the field before had worked to her advantage. Serena looked around and saw Dawn and Astrid coming to stand resolutely on the falling platform, giving her all the information she needed. "Braixen, Fire Blast on any water you can touch!"

"Braixen!" Braixen concurred and she twirled in her spot, bringing her wand with her while it let out numerous wheels of fire. The powerful attack hit every inch of water it could find, momentarily blinding the field in steam. Delphox and Umbreon could no longer see her in the cloud.

"Now, let's go!" Dawn yelled. Neither she nor Astrid needed to give orders as Piplup came sailing out of nowhere to impale Umbreon with a Drill Peck and Pyroar slammed into Delphox with Giga Impact. The two enemy Pokémon flew through the air and impacted with the wall. Just as that happened, the platform stopped descending with a sudden screech. Serena's knees buckled and she dropped from the sudden stop. Then she looked down and noticed the platform glowing blue as it began to rise. She looked up and saw the sight of Gardevoir and Slowking helping to drag the platform up.

"Good…" she breathed out, glad that they were rescued from a rather catastrophic death. Knowing that she didn't have to worry, Serena looked to see the unconscious forms of Delphox and Umbreon while Braixen, Piplup and Pyroar all leaned on each from the exhaustion of so many moves. At least they're all oka-

She didn't know what was happening. All Serena suddenly knew was that she had actually been tackled to the ground. When she looked up, it was to the sight of Reeree above her, tears streaming from her eyes as he long hair flowed around her. It made her look wild and feral.

"Why?" she bawled out angrily, raising a hand like she was going to slap her. "Why did your side have to have everything?"

"What are you talking about?" Serena gasped out, realizing that Reeree's knee was pressing against her chest and lungs. The girl had officially lost it, even if she had the same face as her.

"You get to be with him! You get to…Why does your world have to have everything so peaceful while I live with pain? !" Serena didn't know what to make of the statement, but she tried to struggle under the girl's hold as Reeree's hand went on a collision course for her face.

It never made it as a rock suddenly slammed against Reeree's head. The girl jerked a little and then collapsed back into the water, unconscious like her Pokémon. Behind her was Astrid, a loose piece of the rubble in her hand for a moment before she tossed it aside. That action done, the blonde offered a hand to Serena. Coughing and spluttering, she gratefully took the hand and was helped back up. "You all right?"

"Fine…Thanks…" Serena expressed. The field was growing lighter now as they were nearly back up to the top by Diantha. Beyond them, the stands were pretty much empty, the exodus having gone well. Knowing that, Serena directed her gaze to the knocked out Reeree. "What did she mean 'your side' and 'your world'?"

"Who knows?" Dawn sighed out, almost collapsing on her butt from the exhaustion. "The girl was clearly crazy…though I wonder why she looks so much like you."

"I wonder that myself," Diantha's voice called. The field finally drew level with the platforms to enter on. As it did, the Champion turned and nodded at Conway, whose Slowking shifted targets to suddenly carry Reeree and her knocked out Pokémon over to the platform. Shauna quickly bent down to retrieve the girls pokeballs and recall Umbreon and Delphox while the rest of those on the platform exited it. Once they were all clear, Gardevoir dropped her Psychic and the platform fell. It only took a bit of time before it fell to the bottom with a mighty crash. Once it had, Diantha looked at all of them with an appraising look. "Shauna, could you restrain the girl with your Ivysaur? We'll want to question her once she's woken up."

"Sure, Champion," was Shauna's quick response. Diantha sighed a little and called back her Gardevoir. Serena stepped forward as the Champion began to speak.

"I've no idea what her plan was, but from the way she was talking, it seemed like it had something to do with whatever happened to the president," she mused loudly. "At least this way we have a hostage, and hopefully a source of information."

"She said that she was keeping all eyes on the tournament," Astrid said, her fingers tapping away at her chin. "So, what? She wanted a blind eye to what her cohorts were doing?"

"Ash…" Serena breathed. If she wanted all eyes away from the rest of DARC's plan, then it could potentially mean Ash was in danger. Gripping at her chest, Serena desperately hoped he was okay, along with Clemont and Bonnie. The very thought of all of them being in danger and the reasons why was enough to make her woozy, but she stayed on her feet.

"Either way, I have a feeling the situation has become quite grave," Diantha commented. "Between what you told me of Ash and Clemont this morning, followed by this and my information, we've no idea what is about to happen."

"Then we'll have to round everyone up, right?" Serena asked. This drew attention from everyone there. "I have a way to contact Ash and Clemont, though I'm not sure how reliable it is. Since Ash is with his father, can't we all form a plan from there?"

"It's a good idea…in theory. But don't Clemont's inventions…not have the best track record for success," Diantha said, her lips turned into an amused smile. Serena had to stop herself from letting off a sheepish laugh at the truth being spoken.

"Then let me take a look at it, heh heh heh," Conway said, creepily adjusting his glasses once again. "I may not be an inventor, but I think I could make them work perfectly."

"Okay." Knowing that she could trust Conway despite his creepy demeanor, Serena reached into her vest pocket and pulled out the walkie talkie before handing it over to Conway. He instantly began to examine it. Diantha, however, turned to look down at the unconscious Reeree.

"While he figures that out, I think we should secure this girl…this other Serena, and get some answers. After that, we'll rendezvous and do whatever we can to take the enemy down." Serena nodded alongside all the others, but she couldn't stop the growing pit of worry in her stomach. Fighting against herself had been one of the hardest things she'd had to do. And if she wasn't the only one, Serena feared the worst for how the others would fare in the meantime.

"All right, Secret Agent Bonnie time!"

"Nene!" Dedenne whispered out as Bonnie brought her fingers together like a gun. From his corner of the cell, President Goodshow appeared to chuckle, though there were a few untimely wheezes thrown in. That made Bonnie drop her playacting and look at him worriedly.

"Don't worry about me, Miss Bonnie," he assured her with a smile. With a slight groan, Goodshow stood tall. "Tell me about this plan of yours."

"Oh, right!" Bonnie said. After giving a quick look to either side, ensuring that it was just the three of them in the area, she scuttled closer to the president and leaned in. "So, my brother's a real great inventor, and I've seen him make lots and lots of inventions."

"So I've heard," the older man said teasingly. "The rumors of one of his inventions running the Lumiose Gym for months were quite the topic for gossip at the League for a while." Bonnie's shoulders raised with the sheepish look she wore.

"Anyway, since I've watched him and I've dealt with tons of Team Rocket's inventions," Bonnie continued proudly. "I know what to look out for these days! So, when that big meanie was doing those things to you, I noticed that all the electricity is centered on the door to the cell!"

"You mean…these walls are perfectly fine," Goodshow commented. He appeared to test her theory by grabbing onto one of the metal bars to the side of them. Other than what looked like a slight tingling bristling along his beard, the effect of the electricity on the door to the cell was negligible. The president also looked to examine the gaps of the bars. "And it would seem Dedenne could slip through these…"

"Exactly!" Bonnie said positively. "Dedenne can get through them to get outside and then take the electricity away from the bars! I've seen him take communication electricity from Pikachu all the time, so I know he can do it!"

"Dene!" Dedenne said proudly in agreement with her, thumping at his chest. Goodshow looked around the area and seemed to nod positively at the idea.

"Sounds like a plan!" he finally concurred. Bonnie beamed at him with a rather toothy smile. Having the president's approval, Bonnie leaned down to the ground as Dedenne leapt onto the solid surface.

"Okay, Dedenne! But be careful, all right?" she whispered to him. Dedenne nodded and then turned around and aimed for the gap in the bars. For a brief second, Bonnie was worried that he'd actually get stuck in the bars thanks to his stomach. Those fears were allayed seconds later when he finally popped out on the other side, rolling along the floor of the adjacent cell. Giving a happy chatter, Dedenne continued along over to the next cell.

It was hard to tell from her position, but Bonnie was almost certain that there were three cells stretching out from the one they were in. With each bar Dedenne passed through, Bonnie gave a little cheer until, at last, Dedenne reached the last hurdle and squeezed out through the door bars of the final cell. It took him a moment to recover, shaking his head a little from the exertion he put out. However, when he looked back at her, Bonnie could tell he was filled with energy. They were partners, working together to get free.

"All right, use your whiskers and tail to get the electricity away from the door!" she told him eagerly. Dedenne nodded and skittered to the end of the cells before tentatively touching his black whiskers to the gray bars. Bonnie looked over to the door out of their own cell and saw it shimmering with suddenly visible blue electricity. It looked far too dangerous to touch, but before long that blue haze began to suddenly shift, funneling into a large bar at the top of the door. Once it reached there, it then shot off in the direction of Dedenne. Bonnie watched its progress until all of the electricity seemed to have, more or less, been removed. "Dedenne, get away!"

"Ne!" Dedenne cried out, though he didn't move quite fast enough to avoid all the electricity streaming towards his tiny body. Once it reached that spot in the bars it sparked outward, sending Dedenne tumbling. Crying out, Bonnie quickly ran over to the door, not caring if they were wholly successful, and pulled on it. She wasn't shocked by it, but the door still wouldn't budge.

"Open! Open door! Dedenne!" she cried, looking over at her passed out little friend. He looked so helpless and tired, yet the door still wouldn't budge. After another pull, Bonnie's hands let go of the door and she fell back. There had to be a way to get out! As little tears began to prick her eyes, she looked up and saw Goodshow's surprisingly strong hands pulling on the bars with gusto.

"Grrrrrrrah!" he screamed and with a loud, wrenching noise the door suddenly flung open and deposited him on the floor next to Bonnie. The blonde girl was up in a flash and running out of the open door, feet pounding the floor until she reached her tiny little friend.

"Dedenne! Dedenne! Talk to me!" she cried out, picking him up and cradling him. He didn't respond for a moment until he gave a soft little cough. "Oh, you're okay!"

"Ne…" Dedenne said, clearly tired and woozy from the activity he'd just done.

"You were great. Take a rest in my bag," she said kindly, putting Dedenne into her bag. He must have readily fallen asleep, because she heard nothing more from him. With that settled, she quickly ran back to the open cell to see that Goodshow had gotten up and was slowly making his way out of the cell.

"Someone will probably have heard that, so we need to be quick, but careful," he told her. Bonnie nodded emphatically and took the president's hand as she began to drag him off towards the door that Cedric and Clime had come through a few hours ago. It was a simple red door, but with a push of the handle, it swung open easily. At least this part will be easier than getting out of the cell…

Their hands still joined, Bonnie and Goodshow continued down the corridor behind the door. That particular corridor held no windows, but instead was lined with lights down it, bathing the hall in red. Some doors dotted the corridor, but neither tried opening them for fear of what would be inside. Instead, they just walked silently down until Bonnie noticed a metal stairway leading up. She gave a quick point to it and Goodshow nodded. Remaining silent, the two turned and placed a rather wary step on the stairs.

Positive that their footsteps wouldn't make all that much noise on the stairs, they continued upward until they reached another red door. Goodshow held Bonnie back and pressed on it tentatively. It swung open to a brighter lit corridor, that was just as empty as the one before. Bonnie now peeked her head around the corridor and could see it all leading to a blue door at the end. Shaking her head at the strange color coordination, she nevertheless walked on with Goodshow into the eerily empty hallway. The closer they got to the door, the louder it became. Bonnie wasn't sure exactly what kind of sound she was hearing, but the fact that it was getting louder meant that they were getting somewhere. Soon enough, they reached the blue door and opened it very slowly, peeking out.

The first thing Bonnie saw were a bunch of multi-colored crates covering up the door, though not blocking their exit. It did, however, obscure them from view of anyone outside and allowed them to finally walk outside. As Goodshow shut the door quietly, sunlight suddenly hit Bonnie's eyes and she cringed a little. That loud sound finally reached its zenith and Bonnie was finally able to recognize it for what it was: ocean waves.

Turning around, Bonnie saw that they were officially outside, the blue sky resting above her head. More than that, she was looking over the edge of something and out onto the sea. That led her to a very unsettling conclusion, which she whispered. "We're on a boat…"

"On the ocean, it would seem…" Goodshow grumbled out. Bonnie's eyes widened as the reality of their situation fully hit her: they were on a boat in the ocean with no place to run. If that wasn't bad enough, a new sound split the air in the form of a droning machine. Casting her gaze skyward once more, Bonnie saw a jet-black airship come sailing in towards the ship. For a moment, she watched its progress, even looking over the top of the boxes to see it descend onto a large open space there, where Cedric and Clime were waiting, their backs turned to her. Making sure she was still mostly hidden, Bonnie continued to watch. A ramp seemed to open up from the airship and Bonnie watched a man with stark red hair descend to greet the other two.

"Keh heh, everything go well, Carl?" Cedric said. Even with his back turned, Bonnie could tell his belly was jiggling.

"Well enough," Carl answered. "Thanks for the monitoring. We were able to secure the cocoon. Could you prepare a chamber and containment device? I'd rather not have Yveltal awaken and try to kill us before the goal is reached."

"Of course, I've already got design specs ready," Clime answered, adjusting what seemed to be glasses on his face. Bonnie peered a little closer and noticed the boy was no longer wearing his suit from before, exposing his bright blond hair. "I'm sorry that we were unable to find the location of the weapon. It wasn't strong enough without his ability and the president resisted it."

"Did he?" From a distance, Bonnie thought Carl's face looked rather dismissive, especially once he seemed to wave the subject matter. Clime gave a quick bow and began to turn around, forcing Bonnie to duck so she wasn't seen. After a few seconds, she peeked back over while Goodshow took a rest next to her. Her eyes widened and she held her breath at what she saw: Travis descending down the ramp.

"You have a ship as your base? Lame, dad," he spat. Carl looked at him with an exasperated expression. "When I worked for Team Neo we had a fancy airship. You guys must be cheap."

"We're smart, loser," snapped another voiced coming down the ramp. At this one, Bonnie actually forced her hands to clap over her mouth. Of the three descending, she easily recognized two of the three as Miette and Gary Oak, though she had no idea why they'd be working with the enemy. Swallowing thickly, she chose to continue watching until they walked away. After that…well, I could always learn how to fly that thing…

"We stole it after it was abandoned by the Devon Corporation," spat the purple-haired boy amidst the group. "And why did you decide to take him along, Carl?"

"He's my son," Carl dismissed.

"Son or no? He's not one of us," Gary said angrily. "I mean, neither are you, but at least you've been useful to the overall goal. Does he even share our views?"

"Who cares about that?" Miette asked, leaning on Gary's shoulder as she adjusted a shoe on her foot. "I care more about Reeree. Cedric, is she back yet? Did she win the tournament?"

"I'm afraid I'm not aware," Cedric answered. "My Trevenant Network was busy focusing on other things. Speaking of, I managed to get a lock on the final piece to the puzzle. Once it settles down, I think we'll be able to move in."

"Finally, some actual good news!" the unknown boy spat. "Now, what do we do about him?"

"Oh, please, if you think you guys are scary then you missed a few tactics at Intimidating School," Travis laughed out. Bonnie swallowed again; she certainly felt they were intimidating enough in that moment. "Is this really all you can put together, dad? Loser trainers like this?"

"I didn't put them together," Carl said tiredly. "And besides, they're not here for their strength, but their purpose."

"Purpose?" Travis asked. "Who cares about that? Purpose is nothing compared to strength."

"Oh, please tell me I can run this loser through," Gary said, gripping a pokeball. Cedric began to laugh his creepy laugh with another crinkling of his usual chip bag. "You have genuinely no idea what we're trying to do, so shut your mouth!"

"You're right, I don't," Travis mocked him tauntingly. "And I don't care either. All I know is what I've heard: you want to destroy this world. That's good enough for me."

"You're-" Miette began to snarl out when Carl held a hand up and approached the boy that was obviously his son. Once he reached him, he placed a hand on his shoulder. The others stood around and watched, remaining silent in the midst of the clear father and son reunion.

"You want to watch the world burn, right?" Carl asked. Travis didn't answer right away, but Bonnie could see him nod with a smirk on his face. "Yes…I had a feeling you might. After Ancien and Nova, I knew that if you ever got free, you'd come for me. Revenge always was of the highest order with you, even on the playground."

"You know me so well, dad. It's touching," Travis said with a simpering tone. "So, I don't care what your reasons are. Let's take revenge on this world and burn it together!"

"Travis, it's good to see you again," Carl said and Bonnie watched as the two redheads embraced in a hug. It nearly made her blanch. The whole thing was like some sick villainous heartwarming moment between two people that were clearly nuttier than fruitcakes. "Goodbye."

"Wha-?"

Everything went silent and Bonnie's stomach fell. A bright light shone outward as a Kabutops emerged from its pokeball next to Carl and the man withdrew. Before Travis (or Bonnie) could even blink, Kabutops plunged forward with glowing purple sickles and stuck Travis in the chest. He coughed loudly and Bonnie could see blood squirt from his chest. The sight was so frightening that she couldn't help but squeak. Kabutops held Travis in the air for a moment before tossing him back onto the ship's deck where he began to wheeze, the blood pouring out, matching the color of his hair.

"Taken care of, Gary," Carl said with a nod. Cedric really began to laugh loudly now as the purple-haired boy and Gary watched with almost amused smiles. Bonnie shook her head in disbelief. How…? How could they so casually do that to someone with a smile?

"D-dad…wh-why?" Travis spluttered out, sounding more like a wheeze than any intelligible words. Carl walked over and kneeled down at his son's level.

"You're my greatest sin, Travis," he said soothingly, reaching over and running his hands through his son's hair. "Goodness knows I tried, but I knew you'd never change from the moment you met that Dalton. So I joined DARC. Once we burn the world, raze it to the ground, then it will truly be free of what you've wrought upon it. And it'll erase my sins at the same time."

"Y-you…" Travis said. He tried to reach upwards and touch his father before his hand fell. Bonnie's breaths were short and her fingers slipped from the container as she heard one last statement of Carl's.

"Both our stains…everyone's stains will be washed away. Let us prepare, shall we?"

Bonnie fell back, gasping for air, though sounding more like a squeaky door hinge as she hit the ground. They couldn't be human. And that couldn't have been Gary and Miette, because neither of them would condone such actions. Bonnie tried to get her breathing under control; tried to find some peace. That quickly became impossible at the sound of slow footsteps all too near to her head. She had clearly been heard. Her body was shaking, though, and she couldn't move, feeling as though she were paralyzed. All she could do instead was turn and look at just who had found her.

"You people really do nothing but cause problems, don't you, Bonnie?"

Tears of pure unadulterated fear filled Bonnie's eyes as she looked at the person who had found them. The glasses were the same, though covered up by goggles. The hair was the same. The voice was the same, and she wondered how she hadn't noticed it before. It wasn't him though, and she knew that, because her brain and every muscle in her body was telling her to run. Yet even though she knew it, her mouth still breathed his name in fear.

"Clemont."


Author's Note: I hope I delivered a particularly intense chapter to all of you. I'd like to think I did, especially since a lot happened while the mystery only deepened. Yes, Reeree is confirmed to be Serena even further, though obviously very different. She also blames Serena for something. How and why that is will be revealed sooner than later. More importantly is Bonnie's section this chapter. Clime is indeed revealed to be Clemont, which was kind of obvious given the other characters (though a huge shock to Bonnie, of course). As for Travis…well, how many saw that coming? For the record, it was meant to purposely evoke a similarity to Travis' scene with Seamus in the previous story. How will this go from here with Bonnie captured? You'll find out…

Thanks for all of your support as we continue on with the finale of this universe I've built. Until the next chapter where we'll meet again, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Not gonna lie: the opening part of this chapter is rough and was uncomfortable for me to write, so please keep that in mind for how dark it is. Also, Travis isn't dead…and it's time for Chapter 12!
Chapter 12

A Vision​

"Let me go! Let me go!" Bonnie's screams echoed over the water, though they fell mostly on deaf ears. Clemont, or Clime, had grabbed her by her shirt. Bonnie had to admit surprise at such strength being exhibited from someone with Clemont's face and all. Not that it stopped her from struggling. He may have worn her brother's face, but she knew full well that he wasn't. Clemont would never do this to her, no matter how stubborn she was being. "I'll bite you!"

"Let her go!" Goodshow growled out, shakily rising to his feet. Clime looked back and even Goodshow's eyes widened. Clime was silent and he returned back to dragging Bonnie along. His small lapse in attention was enough. Bonnie reached down and violently bit into his arm. He quickly yelped and let go of her. Once her feet hit the ground, she was running off, taking Goodshow's hand and darting into the maze of containers on the deck. She hoped that this Clemont was just as terrible a runner as her brother. "Was that your brother?"

"No, it wasn't!" Bonnie screeched. Stealth was the least of her worries at the moment as she ran, turning to the left instead of the right. The boxes were getting ever larger, concealing them all the more. "My brother would never do those kinds of mean things!"

"I didn't think so, but he looked an awful lot like him." Bonnie couldn't deny that, but she shook her head and tried to ignore it. Casting her gaze backward, she didn't see Clime following them, so she slowed just a little.

"I don't know who he is…or any of them."

"Yes…I thought I saw Gary Oak in that group," Goodshow admitted. "And a trainer that Ash faced in the Sinnoh League, but they never struck me as bad people. Just normal trainers trying to do their best."

"I knew it!" Bonnie proclaimed triumphantly as she now turned them right down another row. She knew that it couldn't possibly be Gary or Miette. Not that she knew where they were at that particular moment, but having gotten to know both of them, the conclusion was simple. Feeling slightly better about that, Bonnie took a look inside her bag to see that Dedenne was pretty much still out cold. "But I wonder who they are…"

"I've no idea, myself. For now, let's just work on-"

"Pidgaw!" The great cry pierced Bonnie's ears and she skidded to a stop as a great shadow traveled overhead. Fear filled her little body and made her tremble as she looked up to the sight of a great big Pokémon overhead. Her steps tried to back up, but she found herself unable to as her legs locked up. The Bird Pokémon overhead descended and suddenly Bonnie felt herself being clasped by large talons. Tears filled her eyes as the same happened to the president and they were both lifted into the air.

After everything she had gone through, this had to be hands-down the most frightening out of all of them. Completely at the enemy's mercy, with no one coming to save them. In her mind, she cried out for her brother, or Ash, or Serena…someone…No one came, though, and soon she found herself being deposited right near Travis' slightly twitching body on the deck as all six of the individuals that were part of this group of evil people surrounded her, including Clime.

"Looks like our intruders came to us," Carl commented. Bonnie, now flat on her butt, backed up as rapidly as she could, only to end up against Gary's feet. She sprung up with fists raised. Gary smirked at her, like he was amused. "Oh…this one is your sister, right Clime?"

"No, she's not," the blond spat. "You know she's not."

"Right, she's the other one's sister," Carl commented, nodding his head. "It's always so easy to forget how much you left behind for this."

"We all were forced to leave something behind," Miette commented, her voice sounding sad. "Well…unless you count Paul and Cedric. I don't think they left anything behind."

"I left plenty," Paul spat, turning away. "Anyway, I'm not wasting my time with this little girl. We have to prepare a chamber for Yveltal's cocoon, right? I'll take care of it, since Clime seems a little too predisposed at the moment. I'd also like to prepare for the next battle."

"I'll join you," Miette said flippantly, almost like she was flirting. Bonnie was ready to gag at that but held it in. Gary seemed to watch the two of them go with a bored expression while the crinkling of the perennial chip bag in Cedric's arms was heard. Bonnie turned and watched him for just a second until he swallowed the chips.

"Such children, keh," he said. For the first time since she'd met the fat man, he actually had a downcast expression. "They have no idea of loss…Even our enemies understand that."

"They know enough," Gary told him, like it was a reminder. "We all do. It's what makes us strong. Unlike this spineless world."

"I don't understand…What do you people want?" Goodshow finally asked sternly. Hearing his defiance emboldened Bonnie and she whipped around to look at Carl and Clime with the meanest expression she could muster. "What are you trying to accomplish?"

Carl blinked, observing the pair of them for a brief moment. Once he seemed to have finished, he turned to Clime and seemingly ignored them. "So, if she's not your sister, then you don't care about what happens to her, right?"

"N-no, I don't…" Clime said, looking away and over to the bright blue sky. Bonnie felt her stomach twist at those words. Even if it wasn't her real brother, hearing someone say they didn't care about what happened to her in her own brother's voice was a blow to the gut. It also made something snap inside her and she stepped forward.

"You're just a bunch of meanies! You even hurt your own son!" Bonnie screamed at them. This caused Carl to raise an interested eyebrow before she continued on with her tirade. "I mean, sure, Travis was a jerk and a meanie too, but…but…"

"Oh, so you know him?" Carl asked. "Interesting. But it seems like you also consider him to be little more than a scourge on this world. Hardly worth keeping around. Such a failure…I just want to wash him and his sins away."

"He's your son!" Bonnie said in horror. Carl looked at her with cold, expressionless eyes.

"So? Lots of people lose their children." With those cold and callous words, Carl placed his boot onto Travis' stomach, and with a heave kicked him over to the edge of the boat opposite from the one Bonnie had first looked over. It wasn't a far distance, so it didn't take the older man long to cross it and unceremoniously dump his bleeding, twitching son over the edge. "Now, where were we?"

"You…you…" Bonnie couldn't find the words, but she knew for a fact that fear was settling back in again, and her body was trembling so much she wasn't sure for how much longer she'd be able to hold herself up.

"Clime questioned the president, keh heh," Cedric said, once more shoving those disgusting chips into his mouth, "but he wouldn't crack. Maybe the little girl will. Maybe the President told her something worth telling."

"Sounds like a good idea. Could you restrain her, Cedric?" Carl asked calmly. Bonnie looked fearfully over at the large man who grinned before grabbing a pokeball from his belt. A Swampert emerged and with one large hand, managed to pin Bonnie to the ground. She began to squirm, screaming loudly, her vision blurring up. Only Goodshow seemed to hear her screams and worry about them. He began to run straight for her when he was suddenly held back by a Scizor that was gripping at his shirt. It didn't take long for the president to get reeled back and clamped by the Pincer Pokémon.

"No!" Bonnie screeched. "Let go! Let go! Dedenne!" But Dedenne must have still been fast asleep, because he didn't emerge from his resting spot. Bonnie looked over at Carl and tried her best to glare at him, though he wasn't paying any attention. Instead, he was gripping at a small wooden flute around his necklace and blowing into it. Seeing that, Bonnie's little arms tried to struggle, gripping at the slippery skin of Swampert's. The Water type barely paid any attention.

"I would stop struggling, Bonnie." Her breath caught and she shook her head. It wasn't her brother. It wasn't! "You'll only make this worse for yourself, and I've no desire to see you hurt."

"Yeah right! I don't believe y…ou…" Bonnie's voice died in her throat as she saw the form of Latios descend down to the ship. Carl appeared to bow at the majestic Pokémon, but Bonnie was genuinely unsure of what to say. Once he finished bowing, Carl stood ramrod straight.

"We need your help to attain some important information. Clime's simulation of it wasn't enough," Carl said. Latios nodded with a light cooing and he floated across the ground until he was staring right at Bonnie with almost sad eyes. It still didn't stop her from struggling and attempting to get out. "Now, girl, where is the weapon?"

"What weapon?" Bonnie asked. "I don't know anything."

"Liar," Carl said calmly and he nodded towards Latios. The Eon Pokémon lowered his head, touching it to Bonnie's and she gasped loudly.

Flames suddenly licked around her figure and Bonnie whirled around in an open space. Houses were on fire as the bricks they were built of began to crumble away. Fallen bodies of humans and Pokémon were strewn across the barren wasteland. It was a frightening sight in which she was all alone. She tried to cry out, but found her voice wouldn't work. A loud pop! of flames next to her caused her to jump to the side. She tripped and fell into a group of fallen Spinda, each laying dead. She tried to scream. Again nothing. Then the flames ended and she was back on the ship, breathing heavily.

"I'll ask you again: where is the weapon?" Carl insisted. Bonnie shook her head, her lips sealed shut. She didn't know anything! Why were they asking her this? ! "Where is Jack Ketchum?"

"I…Who…?"

"Again."

Bonnie opened her mouth to scream as Latios once more touched his head to hers. It wasn't flames this time, but instead a cliff. At the top was a sobbing girl in a straw hat, one who looked oddly familiar. Bonnie walked slowly over to the girl and looked over the edge of the cliff with a gasp. There was a body at the foot of it, being picked up by a honey-blond man as it started to rain. Perhaps what was more frightening, however, was that it was an all too familiar body: it was Ash's. With a trembling body, Bonnie turned to see the girl in the straw hat crying. There was no doubt that it was Serena and Bonnie reached out to touch her, only for the cliff to break under her own feet and send her tumbling into the abyss.

It ended again.

"That…please, stop…" Bonnie squeaked out. Tears were running down her face. Tears that she couldn't control.

"It will stop as soon as you answer the question," Carl said coldly. "Latios has the ability to share the vision of what it's seen with anyone it so chooses. He can show you those horrible visions again and again until you tell me what I want to know."

"But I don't know anything!" Bonnie cried out, the emotional stress in her body beginning to take its toll. Clime was at her side, looking almost sympathetic to her plight. She shook her head but the boy just continued to watch. Soon enough, Carl raised his hand and lowered it.

"Again."

The sky grew dark, almost too dark and all Bonnie saw stretched out before her was a broken world. Bodies lay strewn out across what looked to be a bloody battlefield. It was such a horrific sight that Bonnie had no idea how anyone couldn't have seen it happening. Yet there it was, with all too familiar faces littering the corpses from Ash's friend Brock, to a girl with orange hair, to Dawn to various friends of theirs. Bonnie couldn't take it at the sight. She fell to her knees. She wasn't the only one on that field, as she saw others kneeling, cradling the fallen in their hands. One in particular, who looked much like a thinner Cedric, seemed to be sobbing and gripping the body of a fallen woman. It had to have been a horrible battle, and Bonnie wasn't sure if it was past or present, but she knew…

She couldn't…

She couldn't…

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" she screamed loudly as the vision broke. Her face was a mess from the tears and her screams ripped callously at her throat. No one made a move there except for Goodshow who struggled in vain against his hold.

"Miss Bonnie!" he cried repeatedly, only able to be heard when her scream had turned to whimpers. Carl sighed profusely.

"You're more stubborn than I give you credit for, brat."

"I don't…I don't…I don't know anything…" she cried out, shaking her head back and forth in a pool of her own sweat and tears.

"Then I guess we'll have to do it again until you do know something," was the callous reply. Clime had turned away now, completely unable to look at what was going on.

"No! Please!" Bonnie begged, but the redhead acted just as his son did: without empathy.

"Please, stop!" Goodshow roared. "I'll tell you! I'll tell you! Just stop causing Miss Bonnie such pain." Latios halted his movement and Bonnie heard the tromping of footsteps while the enemy's apparent leader walked around to face the president.

"Will you now?" he asked maliciously. Bonnie couldn't see his face (and didn't want to) but she could tell there was a savage grin upon it.

"Yes…" Goodshow almost sobbed out. Bonnie tried to shake her head, but her voice was all but lost to herself. "The weapon you seek…it's in Geosenge. Or around there. I was never told exact coordinates for fear that I would use it. Something about a rock formation is the best I can say…"

"A location is good enough to me."

"Now let her go!" Goodshow demanded. Bonnie saw Carl shrug and Swampert finally retracted its hand while Scizor let go. The president was quickly on his way over to her, holding her up as she took heaving breaths, the sweat and tears from what had happened staining her clothes. The four of them that were there already seemed to care little for the two of them now that they had what they wanted.

"We'll set a course for Geosenge, then?" Gary asked, walking away with his hands stuffed in his pockets. "I'd imagine we can take the airship to our other location if need be, yes?"

"Keh heh heh, I'd imagine so. Though if I may, Swampert and I would like to take a little detour to the shore," Cedric expressed with a creepy expression. Carl didn't say anything, as though it weren't his place, and Cedric tromped off with Swampert in his wake. Bonnie had finally calmed down, and a small bit of her voice seemed to have returned. Watching Carl nod at Latios, who took to the skies again, Bonnie was reminded of those horrible visions she saw, real or not. It was enough to light a defiant fire in her as she crawled onto her knees and looked up at both Carl and Clime.

"My big brother…" she croaked out. "My big brother, and Ash, and Serena! They're not gonna let you win! They'll bring everyone together like they always do! They'll rescue me, and then everyone will defeat you!"

To this, Carl turned around, a nasty snarl on his face. He slowly walked back over and leaned down so that his eyes were at her level. Then he reached a hand out and tipped her head slightly upward with a calloused finger. "We're counting on it. Nothing brings people together like children do. Now, take them to the brig, and this time make sure that the brat can't escape. We can still use them as hostages or distractions."

This was not how Serena had expected her day to go…or her week. Well, if she were honest, she had no real idea how she had expected the week to go, just that this wasn't it. Most of all, she certainly didn't expect to be part of a troupe of trainers led by Champion Diantha into the very heart of the Kalos League Headquarters. The very thought was likely ludicrous to most people. Yet here she was, Astrid and Dawn flanking her as she walked right behind Diantha. Behind them, Conway's Slowking was supporting the unconscious Reeree as its trainer walked alongside it. Shauna, Tierno and Trevor had taken up a rather silent rear.

"I feel so underdressed…" Dawn admitted in a whisper as they proceeded down the hallway. Serena didn't share the sentiment, but she could see why Dawn had them. The upper echelons of the castle that served as headquarters were breathtakingly beautiful, and likely a sight that no one but gym leaders, Elite Four members, the Champion and maybe some other high up League officials ever got to see.

Decked out in crystal chandeliers with marble floors and beautiful wooden doors, Serena felt it put that tiny castle over in Ancien to complete shame. This was all accented by giant pane stained glass windows with many little designs. Of course, they were walking so fast past them that Serena didn't really have the chance to see just what was on each of them, though she was pretty certain that one of them had the green serpentine form of Zygarde. Not that she was completely sure, since Diantha said nothing as she headed for a large set of double doors at the end of the hallway.

"Champion, if I can ask," Astrid called out, causing Diantha to give just a momentary look back to the blonde, "how exactly are you going to handle the situation with the tournament? I mean, another tournament interrupted…"

"We'll say that it wasn't interrupted," Diantha said professionally. "By all rights, the Peace Tournament finished. We just ended up with four winners instead of three, and we'll announce it as such. No one got hurt and there was no major catastrophe to be had. Besides, all the people saw was that she used more than one Pokémon and disqualified herself."

"That sounds…kinda deceitful…" Dawn admitted. Diantha came to a stop outside the double doors and turned around to face them all.

"Miss Dawn, it may seem that way, but given the disturbances in Kalos as of late, the League can't afford another scandal. Not after everything that's happened, you understand?" Diantha stated sternly. Dawn backed up a little and waved her hands in front of her face. "Hopefully she will be able to give us some answers."

Serena cast a look back to Reeree and frowned. It was still far too unsettling to see her own face on someone that tried to hurt her, maybe even kill her, just moments ago.

"Sorry I asked," Dawn managed to mumble out. Serena chuckled nervously as Diantha pushed the doors open to lead them into the large room. Dawn continued speaking as they followed her in. "Somehow, I always get pulled into situations with Ash…makes me wish I had stayed in Johto almost. Wonder how Brock and May are doing…"

Serena had no real response to that, walking into the large room. The first thing she noticed was the collection of stained glass on the far wall that looked like it was still somewhat in the midst of being repaired. What she could see from it, though, seemed to be a stylistic depiction of Xerneas and Yveltal locked in battle. Tearing her eyes away from the window and the waterfall past it, Serena looked to the large round table in the middle of the room with many chairs drawn out.

"Place her down on one of the chairs, and make sure to tie her tight," Diantha instructed. Conway, Shauna and Tierno all helped in making Diantha's request a reality while the rest of them all took seats. Serena practically collapsed in her chair, feeling quite the exhaustion from the day. As she leaned back and closed her eyes, a shrill ringing pierced the void of silence in the room. Opening them once again, Serena's eyes found Diantha as she pulled out her tablet.

"What do you have for me?" she said, her voice echoing. To Serena's surprise, she could actually hear a voice answer back; she really thought that Diantha would keep those kinds of things secret.

"We found a shirt…it was pretty rough," said the voice. Serena scooted her chair around, the seating apparatus making a horrible scraping noise as she did so. "Lots of blood. At this point, I'm not sure if it means he's dead or naked, but there didn't seem to be a sign of blood spatter anywhere else along the ravine trail."

"That's serious then…" Diantha noted, not looking happy in the slightest. "All right. Pull your people out of there. The sun will likely set soon and if there's no trail beyond a bloody shirt I have a feeling there won't be much left to find of him to begin with."

"Yes, ma'am!" The communication very quickly shut off. Once it had, Diantha sighed loudly as she, too, sat in a chair and rubbed at her temples.

"Uh, Champion?" Trevor asked timidly (and to almost everyone's surprise). "Is there something wrong?"

"No, not particularly," Diantha responded tiredly. "Just that we can't find Michael's body and are unsure if he's naked or not, apparently…as gruesome as it sounds. Likely washed away by the river. I have to pull them out or I'll risk drawing too much attention to it. Thankfully I have some other people working on finding some information, though Miss Reeree here should be able to elucidate for us, I would hope."

"It looks like she's coming to," Conway commented. Sure enough, there was a groan from Reeree's position. As she seemed to stir, Conway slunk away, no doubt to work on extending the range for Clemont's invention. It didn't take long for Reeree to awaken completely, and when she saw her surroundings, she jumped.

"Where am I?" she said, still in the same voice that Serena heard every time she spoke. Funnily enough, that was exactly where her eyes landed with a glare. Growling viciously, Reeree attempted to lunge at her, only for the chair to tip over. Tierno quickly righted it with an embarrassed look on his face.

"You're at the Kalos League Headquarters," Diantha answered, as though it were common knowledge. "You're our prisoner."

"Your what?" Reeree spat. Diantha stood again, as did they all, not letting exhaustion get the better of them. The Champion seemed to lead the charge and came to stand before Reeree with a very challenging expression. "What do you want?"

"I want to know everything," the Champion told her simply. Reeree scoffed at the notion.

"Right, like I'd tell you," she said. She gave a simple "humph" and then looked away defiantly. Diantha crouched down so she could look the girl straight in the eyes while lacing her fingers.

"You will talk to us. I don't have time for games, not with the situation we're all in." Reeree still refused to look at her, acting as though she couldn't care less. "Who do you work for? What is your goal aside from trying to destroy the world? Who are your subordinates? Why do you look like Serena?"

"It's…none of your business."

Diantha emitted a sigh, clearly tired of getting nowhere with the all too stubborn girl. Serena observed the girl that was clearly her counterpart for a moment. Despite the fact that the girl wasn't looking at her, Serena could still see into her own azure eyes. There she felt she could see everything: the same determination and fire, the same kindness (even if it was muted). But intermingled with that was pure pain, though Serena wasn't sure if it was from whatever she'd done or whatever had happened to her. Either way, it hardly mattered, since Serena knew the only way she could hope to get information from the girl.

"Diantha…I think I should talk to her alone," she spoke up. Every person in the room, save for Reeree who was still stubbornly looking elsewhere, looked at Serena in a mixture between fear and surprise. Astrid was the first one to step forward.

"Bad idea!" she protested loudly. "You realize she tried to kill you in the arena?"

"I know that!" Serena shot back, puffing her cheeks out. "I know, but I don't think she'll talk to any of you."

"But you think she'll talk to you?" Astrid responded incredulously. "Serena, I just don't think this is a good idea. You don't even know if you can get her to talk and I don't want to see a friend hurt just for that."

"I'm sure I'll be fine, but we don't have much other option." Diantha inclined her head towards Serena, as though she were surveying her. The honey blonde continued on. "Look, we look the same…are the same. She might hate me for some reason, but I still think we can just talk as people, right? And you guys can be right outside the door."

"I don't like it either," Tierno admitted, folding his arms. He was the only one of the group to say so, though. Diantha sighed once more.

"Very well. I've learned long ago to trust your judgment on this," she admitted with a graceful smile. "We'll wait outside, and if we hear the slightest sign of danger, we will jump into action. Understand?"

"That's fine with me," Serena concurred with a simple nod of her head. Diantha seemed to have more that she wanted to say, her face looking far too taut, but she eventually turned right around for the double doors they had come through. Astrid cast Serena a disparaged look and followed. One by one, the rest of them all left the room, with Dawn telling her a rather disbelieving "good luck" before the doors slammed shut, leaving the two Serenas alone.

With everyone gone, it was completely silent but for the sound of the crushing waterfall outside. Taking a deep breath in a cadence with that sound, Serena dragged a chair over and sat on it, facing Reeree directly. The girl still refused to look at her, pointing her nose up in the air. Serena wasn't sure exactly what to say. What could you say to yourself? In the silence, Serena brought her hands together in an idle clap, using it to keep some sound in the room until she came up with a question.

"Why do you hate me?"

"I…I don't hate you," Reeree said coldly. Serena relaxed a little bit. She had made the right choice by talking to her alone.

"Then why did you try to kill me?" Serena asked, scooting her chair a little forward. The girl still didn't answer her. The conversation already dying thanks to Reeree's reticence, Serena cast her mind around. Maybe it would work better if I found something else in common… "Do you like macarons?"

"What?" The question was one of surprise, like she couldn't believe that Serena was asking something outside of an interrogation.

"Do you like macarons?" Serena repeated with a smile, placing her hands onto her knees. "I love them. They're a great sweet, and Ash loves them, too. So, if we're the same, maybe you like macarons as well!"

"We're not the same!" Reeree snapped angrily. "You and I…we might have the same face, and the same parents, or whatever, but we are not the same."

"Is that why you don't like me? Is that why you're so angry?" Serena asked. Her voice now had an edge to it, one that caught the other girl off guard, judging from her expression. "Look, we might be enemies but…we must have something in common."

Reeree didn't say anything, looking everywhere except for at Serena. Eventually, she sighed. "I like macarons…and Pokepuffs…"

"Oh! You do! Are you a Performer?" Serena asked. A bright smile was lighting up her face, grateful that she'd gotten something out of the girl, despite her reluctance.

"No," was the curt reply. "I don't have that luxury."

"Oh…that's a shame. The way Umbreon moved…it reminded me of my Sylveon," Serena commented. Her lips were turned into a frown, but she couldn't help but keep the pleased expression that she'd managed to get the girl talking about something.

"So I noticed…which isn't that surprising," Reeree said, finally facing forward. "They are the same Eevee. Things might be different between us, but some things are immutable."

"Okay…Don't understand that, but…" Serena admitted, scratching the back of her head in nervousness. It reminded her of Ash, and Serena chose to poke the bear, remembering what Reeree had mentioned before trying to hit her. "You said we're different…but how do you mean?"

"Not that hard to figure out," Reeree sighed out. "We have different pasts. Different life choices."

"Sorry, I still don't quite get it," she said back. The girl in front of her shrugged, her honey-blonde hair draping in front of her face. "Does that mean…I mean if we made choices, did you never travel with Ash?"

"Don't say his name!" she snapped, the sound echoing around the room. Serena blinked at the forcefulness of her statement. Reeree also seemed to realize just what she had said and her shoulders fell, her body slumping a little. "Just don't."

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to say anything wrong," Serena apologized. Reeree looked up at her with a quizzical expression. "A-anyway, Ash aside, I'm glad to know that we both seem to like baking. It's always a comfort to find someone with the same hobby."

"I guess…" Reeree said. "Why are you doing this? Being nice to me? I tried to kill you earlier."

"Why?" Serena asked. It seemed like such a silly question, as though it were being asked by someone who hadn't seen kindness in far too long. "Because you're me, I guess. And there's no point in being mean to you. That just hurts everyone."

"That kind of kindness will get you killed. It always does."

"Maybe," Serena noted, "but my dream is to one day be Kalos Queen. I can't afford to be cruel to people just because they spit in my face. To do that would invalidate every one of my dreams. I'm sure you have dreams, don't you? Something you've wanted to do with your life?"

"Dreams…" Reeree's eyes had widened, as though she never even considered the possibility of a concept like personal dreams existing. "No, I haven't. Not since he…I'm a soldier. A soldier fighting for my world against the demons of yours. Dreams don't exist for the soldier. She only does what she's told, like it or not, because her only objective is to wage and win a war. And that's it."

Serena breathed in shortly before expelling that same breath. Perhaps it had just been a simple slip of the tongue, but Reeree had distinctly said "my world" as though it were separate from theirs. Had Serena never gone on a journey, seen Reflection Cave or fought against Zinnia, she would have discounted the possibility, citing it as fantasy. Now, however, she felt there was a very distinct possibility that this "Serena" was indeed from another world. More disturbing was that she referred to herself as a "soldier", which was not good in any regards. All of it led to single conclusion: something was coming, and it wouldn't be good. Serena stood.

"Thank you," she said with a slight bow. "It's nice getting to know you. I'm sure we'll talk again soon, and you can tell me why you dislike me so much then."

With those words, Serena turned around and began to walk towards the double doors. She placed her hand on the door handles when Reeree's voice stopped her momentarily.

"I don't," she said, sounding almost strangled. "I don't dislike you, Serena. And this was…nice…"

"You're welcome, then!" Serena said with a brilliant smile before she opened the door and left the room, almost running straight into all of her companions waiting outside. Tierno and Dawn had had their ears pressed against the door. The honey-blonde ignored them in favor of Diantha, who was looking at her expectantly. "I think we have a problem."

"Do we?" she asked in slight amusement, as though it should have been apparent before.

"Reeree referred to herself as a soldier, and I think she's going to wage a war. I don't know how, but…I'm not sure any one of us could handle that. I mean, most of us know what happened in Ancien when the Draconids tried to wage a war against the city."

"Ancien, huh?" Diantha noted. She looked to be lost in some manner of thought, broken by Conway giving a sudden "aha!". The Champion paced back and forth a few steps before stopping. "In Ancien, all of the trainers came together to battle a larger foe. Then again with the Kalos Crisis…I had anticipated this, just in case, but I never thought I would use it so soon."

"Use what?" Tierno asked, folding his arms as he tilted his head to the side. Diantha turned back to all of them.

"With the League Reform, begun by the Peace Tournament, we also began to move forward on a project known as the Inter-Regional Communications System. It's still a work in progress at the Kalos Power Plant, but if it were to be completed…well, we could probably gird ourselves against whatever war is to come."

"Clemont could do it," Serena said confidently. "He designed a lot of the power plant, so I'm sure that he would be able to help get the system up and running."

"As would I, it seems," Conway chuckled out. The bespectacled boy slunk back over, handing the walkie-talkie back over to Serena. "I've managed to upgrade the system, not that it needed much. In any case, heh heh heh, I'm quite certain that with my help and Clemont's we could get the system up and running in a day or two maximum. If Kenneth is still in the crowd somewhere, I'm sure his skills would be most useful."

"Wow, Conway! You can actually do all that? !" Dawn said, clapping her hands together. Conway looked just a little pleased and smug with himself at her compliment. Diantha, however, looked at him before smiling with resolve.

"Very well, then. Everyone, prepare for departure. We leave for the Kalos Power Plant."



Brock's feet padded through the sloshing rain near the Olivine coast, wet sand pouring into his shoes. Thunder boomed and clashed overhead as he did so and he pulled his cloak tighter around his figure. Normally, he would have headed straight for Ecruteak City from the MooMoo Farm, where a sick Miltank was. He had treated it, only to receive a phone call from Gary of all people. Well, it was less a phone call and more a garbled message. The bottom line over the weak connection was for Brock to head to the Pokémon Center in Olivine.

He hadn't expected it to start pouring before he got there.

Thankfully, the trip through the wet and sandy city streets wasn't that long and he reached the Pokémon Center in no time, along with a surge of some other Pokémon trainers. Once inside, he whipped his rain coat off and flapped it a few times before sticking it in his bag. It was certainly nice to be out of the rain. Running a hand through his slightly damp hair, Brock approached the nurse's station.

"Hi, Nurse Joy," he said suavely, though making sure to not actually hit on the nurse. He wasn't about to lose any sort of medical license. "I was wondering if a call came through for me: Brock."

"Oh, yes, I got a call from the Nurse Joy in Ecruteak City," she answered cheerily. Brock couldn't help the small frown on his face. Gary had called him here but didn't have the decency to actually call here. "They were expecting you there tomorrow."

"I know. I'm afraid I had an urgent change in plans. But since I'm here, I could always lend a helping hand," Brock offered. Nurse Joy smiled at him and shook her head.

"That's all right. Why don't you just relax? I could have Chansey bring you a hot meal if you'd like." Brock quickly declined the offer. He didn't want to put one of his co-workers out as much as he possibly could. Tromping away from the desk, Brock found a nice seat to sit at in view of the television. He'd heard tell of the Peace Tournament taking place in Kalos, and he'd even received an invitation, but his work had been too busy to even think about watching, much less going there. It was a shame, too; he'd wanted to see Ash battle, especially after accidentally missing the Kalos League (which he hoped Ash never found out, considering his best friend had gotten so close to his dream).

"Hey all you battle lovers!" called a familiar voice to Brock's ears and he looked at the screen. Kalas' face was on the screen looking gleeful. "What a tournament we had today, huh? Unfortunately, as a result of the strange…well, results, the ceremony awarding to our winners Conway, Dawn, Serena and Astrid will be taking place at a later date. We hope you'll be able to join us then for the celebration!"

"So Dawn won, huh…" Brock breathed out. He was surprised to hear that Ash hadn't won, especially when his girlfriend had. Either way, it was nice to hear that Serena was doing well. He wasn't as up to date about how she'd done at the Master Class.

Nearby, the doors to the center slid open and someone else came in from the rain, whipping her jacket back the second she stepped in. Brock smiled at the sight of May shaking her head fiercely to remove the water droplets. At one point, she'd turned to the side and saw him, raising a hand in greeting. Brock stood at that and she walked over. There was no doubt they would have hugged, but both of their watery conditions precluded that.

"It's really raining out there…and I'm so hungry…" May complained.

"Good to see you, too, May," Brock said with a light chuckle. She waved him off and went over to a tray of bread rolls, picking up a few and beginning to shovel them into her mouth. "Were you called here by Gary as well?"

"Yesh…" May said through her mouth full of food. "I wash in anosher town over and," here, she swallowed, "I got a message from him telling me to get to the Olivine Pokémon Center. Wonder why here, though…"

"Probably has something to do with the port, I'd imagine," Brock observed. "He is still in Sinnoh after all." May nodded as Brock saw Nurse Joy wave a little to catch his eye. He looked over at her and she pointed to the video phones that were currently not in use. With an extra nod, Brock grabbed May's arm lightly and helped her over to the video phone. The second they were standing in front of it, the screen lit up.

"Oh, good, you're both there," said Gary's voice. However, right after he said it, his eyes narrowed as he stared at them quizzically. "You guys are soaking wet."

"That's what happens when it's raining outside, Gary," May pointed out. "Now, is there a reason you made us trudge all the way through the rain to get here. I was busy preparing for my next Contest."

"Yeah, sorry, but I thought it was best to have you all in one place, just in case," Gary expressed. Brock's forehead was furrowed as he looked at Gary.

"What's going on?"

"I'm not sure," was the honest answer. In the background, Brock thought he could see Professor Rowan. May seemed about to lose her temper at that and go off on a tirade, but Gary continued. "I do know that something is happening, though."

"You wanna get to the point?" May said. Brock looked at her with remonstration, and she had the decency to look ashamed.

"Okay, well, I obviously spend a lot of time studying evolution with Professor Rowan, and ever since the incident with Team Galactic a while back, I started looking into the space time legends. I never really discovered much," he informed them. "Then, obviously, we took part in the Kalos Team Tournament and it opened my eyes to a few things, especially after meeting with Professor Sycamore about Mega Evolution."

"What did you find out?" Brock asked. He was far more patient than May, but he still wanted to understand the point that Gary was getting at.

"Zinnia was from an alternate universe that was linked to ours, remember?" Gary said. It wasn't particularly hard to forget after what she put them through. "Well, it got me thinking…what if hers wasn't the only one? What if there are multiple universes? Universes where, perhaps, Mega Evolution never happened, or where it was even more commonplace than it is here?"

"No way," May dismissed easily. "One universe is enough…more than one, wouldn't that break the space-time continuum or something?"

"If it was before the Galactic plot, I would have said yes," Gary answered. "But that whole incident proved that it is possible to create universes…so who's to say that other universes don't already exist?"

"But Cyrus' universe collapsed in on itself," Brock reminded him.

"It did, but returning from Kalos, I started looking into things. Trends, verifying data, and I started realizing some horrible conclusions," Gary told them all, his face now looking stern. "Ancien, Galactic…these weren't isolated incidents. In fact, I don't think any of it is. I think it's all connected."

"How?" May asked. She seemed genuinely interested now, rather than agitated.

"Zinnia appeared in our world three years ago, right. I'm sure you two would know more than anyone what took place three years ago, right?"

"Are you talking about Team Magma and Team Aqua?" Brock asked. On the screen, Gary nodded as thunder flashed outside.

"Exactly. What if…and it's just a theory…what if the things that happened with them are what caused the rift to ultimately open and let Zinnia and the Draconids through. What if the world broke just enough to cause a tear in the fabric of reality?"

"This sounds more like one of those lame science fiction novels that Max reads than reality, Gary. How exactly does this connect to Ancien?" May said with slight exasperation.

"What if Zinnia's actions didn't close a rift? I mean, we stopped one from opening but…somewhere down the line, after Team Galactic, and Team Rocket and Team Plasma…what if Zinnia's actions caused enough damage to cause things to go wrong. I'm sure you heard the news about the Nova Incident and Kalos Crisis, right?"

"Of course, but those things…" Brock trailed off. A breaking of the world…it seemed ever so ludicrous, yet now that he was thinking about it, Gary's theory made sense. Even though they might not have seen all the aftereffects, it was possible that every major event in the last three years or so could have broken the world bit by bit, region by region. Sure, they had saved it every time, but maybe cracks had begun to form? "There have been an awful lot of problems in Kalos lately…"

"There have. I think the flow of life and death were disturbed," Gary said, any humor he might have had on his face gone. "After the incident with Zygarde in Kalos, I put my own research to it and I realized that it keeps the balance between nature, which is why it took action. But what if that balance was damaged beyond even its capability? What if it's been damaged a long time?"

"What if someone wants to damage it further by attacking Kalos again when they're trying to recover?" May whispered out. It was a weighty question, and not one that Brock particularly wanted to entertain. Was it truly possible that their efforts in saving Ancien City had been nothing but a buffer in the long run?

"Look, it's just a theory, but I didn't want to be caught unawares," Gary told them, "because whatever may happen, I have a genuine fear it'll happen in Kalos…and we all know who's there right now."

"Ash…" Brock breathed. Somehow he was always at the center of everything. Of course, Dawn was obviously there as well, but each of the problems that Gary had presented were all ones that Ash had been a part of (and himself, he realized). Nevertheless, he had to wonder what was going on, how Ash was involved, and why Gary was telling them this. "Why are you telling us this instead of Ash?"

"Because if my theory's right, we're gonna need more than Ashy-boy to fight and win; we're gonna need all of us," Gary said with a smirk. "After all, who knows what Ashy-boy has really gotten himself into this time."


Author's Note: Well, this was quite a dark chapter, no? I did warn you. To be honest, I was a little uncomfortable writing Bonnie getting tortured the way she was, but I wanted to establish how wicked all of the members of DARC are, and what they're willing to do in order to get their way, especially Carl. It also hinted at some things, given what Latios had seen. Plus I wanted a moment where Bonnie was defiant as hell. The Reeree scene, I feel, turned out better than I originally thought, and it hints at something that Gary practically spelled out for you in the final scene.

Now, about that final scene: right now it's probably one of the most important scenes in the story. Why? Because with this one segment, I have welded together much of the entire Ancienverse. To put it simply, Gary's theory is: the clash between Groudon and Kyogre split dimensions by causing the world to break and allowed Zinnia and Rayquaza to slip through. Then every action by Cyrus, Giovanni and Ghetsis caused things to break even more until rifts began to grow unstable, which Zinnia took advantage of. By stopping Zinnia they healed some rifts, but not entirely as the dimensions are unstable…and there may be more than Zinnia's. This will be elaborated on in the future, but I want to make sure everyone understands. As for why Brock and the group? To show that this situation is going global in a way.

I feel like we're about halfway, so I hope you'll continue with the second half. Until next we meet, Review, and Dare to Be Silly.
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
This chapter contains perhaps the best line I've ever written, and one of the best conversations, perhaps. If you can figure out what that line is, kudos to you! But seriously, time for Chapter 13!

Chapter 13

A Choice​

Clemont's eyes were narrowed on the small screen in the palm of his hand, though it was difficult with his arms partially wrapped around Mairin's slim figure. She, in turn, was gripping tightly onto Alain as he maneuvered Charizard through the air. If Clemont were honest with himself, he would admit to being surprised that the three of them could all fit comfortably on Charizard (well, maybe it wasn't comfortable for Charizard), yet here they were. There was a sudden and very loud beeping noise that came from his monitor.

"We're here! My invention stopped here!" Clemont called out over the rushing wind. He wasn't sure if Alain had heard him, mostly because he didn't want to look anywhere but right at his screen. However, he got the answer quickly enough.

"Charizard, let's head down!"

"Rawwr!" Charizard roared out. Clemont took a quick moment to slide his monitor back into his jumpsuit pocket before tightly securing himself around Mairin. The girl looked up at him with squished cheeks.

"You're squishing me, Clemont…" she expressed. Clemont chuckled nervously in response and drew back just a little to give them some space. Mairin appeared to breathe at that as Charizard began to fly in circles, getting slightly lower to the ground with every pass through. Then the Flame Pokémon angled himself downward and shot off. Clemont couldn't help the screen that erupted from his mouth. It was just a kneejerk reaction that he truly couldn't help in the moment. Mairin was far more collected, to his surprise.

The ground quickly approached the trio on the Charizard and Clemont was tempted to cover his mouth to prevent any momentary hurling. The action was unnecessary as Charizard's wings suddenly flapped out and the buffet of air significantly slowed their descent until they touched down on the sandy shores. Clemont instantly rolled off, heaving in breaths.

"Aw, it's okay, Clemont. Still not used to it, huh?" Mairin said, rubbing the older inventor on the back. Clemont shook his head. He may have ridden Charizard earlier in the day, but he certainly hated the feeling of it. Noivern was a much more capable flier, though he wasn't about to tell the broody Alain that, yet. Mairin continued to give him a moment of comfort until his urge to vomit passed. Alain, for his part, turned towards them as Charizard chose to lounge on the sands.

"You said this is the spot, right?" he asked brusquely. Clemont nodded, once more taking out his tablet to look over the details. Holding it up he could see that this picture matched the spot that his invention had marked perfectly. Now he just had to find the device, even if he had no idea where along the shoreline he was supposed to look. Stepping forward into the sands (and feeling some of it filter into his shoes) Clemont adjusted his glasses and peered over the ocean's horizon.

Stretching out far ahead of them was blue sea with nary a speck in sight other than a few jutting rocks and the waves lapping up against them. Sighing with slight frustration, Clemont adjusted his gaze to go down the shoreline. It was amazing how beautiful and pristine it looked, considering that Clemont rarely had the chance to go to the beach. Well, it was more that he didn't like the beach all that much; wearing a swimsuit was a hassle. Clemont's gaze narrowed in on a sight in the sandy shoreline and he began to pad towards it, walking close to where the water had made the sand rather dense. He avoided it and stooped low to the sight.

"Tracks…" he breathed. Alain was the only one close enough to hear him, as it seemed that Mairin was busy trying to spy what she could in the distance.

"What tracks?" the older boy asked. Clemont shifted around a little to look at him and pointed to the sand. Alain came to crouch down next to him before placing his hand to the beach's surface. "They're large."

"I wonder if something was anchored here…" Clemont noted. "I mean, I'm no seafarer, but…the only dock closest to here would be Coumarine, so why they wouldn't go there…"

"Could you analyze the sands?" Alain asked suddenly. Clemont looked at him in surprise and even he looked a little embarrassed to say it, scratching at the side of his head. "I mean, you made that machine to measure Ash and Greninja's pulses so I figured…"

"No, it's a great idea," Clemont said with a nod. "But I just don't think I have the parts…Usually I anticipate these kinds of situations!"

"Clemont, I know what happened to your robot!" Mairin's voice suddenly yelled out over to them. Both Clemont and Alain whipped around to see Mairin standing on a small outcropping at the edge of the coast. She seemed to be pointing downward and Clemont followed her finger to see the smoldering pile of parts on the ground. He wanted to cry.

"Nooooo," he cried out. "That was such a good invention! What happened? !"

"Well, look on the bright side!" Mairin said cheerily, hopping down from the outcropping. "At least now you have the parts to build that thing Alain suggested. Good job, Alain!"

"It was nothing," Alain passed off. Clemont blinked, passing his eyes between the two of them as Alain looked away from Mairin's beaming smile. He sighed a little; they were more stubborn than Ash and Serena. Pulling himself up and dusting off the sand, Clemont walked over to where Mairin had been standing just moments ago. Sure enough, much to his lamentations, the Flying Mega Evolution Seeker was down for the count, having broken to little pieces.

Frowning a bit, Clemont decided to pick out the parts he would need to build something that could examine the sands in the area. Sighing a bit at the sight of little granules of salt in the gears, he sorted out the good from the bad. I knew I should have ocean-proofed it. If I had we'd be closer to Bonnie instead of having to build this device to get another lead…Still, Clemont knew that it wasn't the worst of situations and he was quickly able to sort through the good and defective parts. Soon after, he took his monitor that had synched up with the FMES and began to reconfigure it. After less than half an hour of tinkering, Clemont was quite certain that he had created a rather rudimentary device that he chose to call the "Ocean Sand Sampler". It was hard to tell in the setting sun, though, and the bags under his eyes weren't helping.

"All right, let's see you work!" Clemont said, standing to his full height on the outcropping. Please work, he pleaded in his head upon looking over the sea. If they didn't get a lead now, then finding Bonnie would be put off by a whole other day. Breathing in the crisp ocean air, Clemont's eyes happened to look down into a small nook where the seawater had flowed into, beating against a set of rocks. For a moment, he thought his eyes were deceiving him, but upon rubbing them, he was certain he hadn't imagined it. "Ah! Chespin, use Vine Whip and pull that person out of the water!"

Clemont's sudden noise seemed to have garnered the attention of both Alain and Mairin once more and they were running right for him as Chespin emerged from his pokeball. He only took a quick look into the nook before rearing back and sending his vines into the water below. Mairin was at his side before Alain, Chespie out of his pokeball and helping with his own vines to drag the person out of the water. The person they were dragging out was covered in kelp, and banged against the rocks a few times, but Clemont was quickly able to drag him and lay him flat on the outcropping with Alain's help. Once they'd been laid out, both males began to hurriedly remove the kelp, revealing a boy.

Only it wasn't just any boy, and Clemont stumbled back, falling onto his butt. His Ocean Sand Sampler suddenly exploded as it clattered to the ground. Mairin looked back at him.

"Clemont, what's wrong?"

"It's…" Clemont said, his chest constricting with anger. He couldn't believe the rage in his veins, but seeing the sight of that red haired and scarred face, it made him instantly angry. "That's Travis."

"Who is Travis?" Alain asked, looking away from the redhead.

"It's a long story," Clemont answered, adjusting his glasses with a glare to the passed-out boy. "Needless to say, he was someone who couldn't handle losing or not being the strongest and decided to take it out on the world…and trying to kill everyone, too. We have a history with him."

"Sounds like it…" Mairin mumbled, shifting on her knees to lean over the boy. Against his own better judgment, Clemont leaned forward to examine Travis' body as well. For being a boy who caused them so many problems in the past, he looked almost broken now. With the scars on his face highlighted in the setting sun, Clemont could also see the large gash on his chest. It seemed that it had been gushing blood earlier, but was now all but spent in that regard. Leaning a little closer, however, Clemont could feel the boy's shallow breath tickle his ear and murmur one word over and over again.

"Seamus…" he muttered out. Clemont couldn't tell if it was in contempt or pleading, but the fact that Travis was alive was enough. Mairin quickly grabbed one of her pokeballs and called a new Pokémon out.

"Bebe, can you use Aromatherapy?" she asked. The Single Bloom Pokémon nodded cheerily and floated around Travis' body, a wafting of soft pink wind settling down on him. Even Clemont could feel it tickling his nose and relieving his body of all tension. It took a moment of Bebe floating around but eventually, Travis began to cough, spluttering out water from his lungs. He didn't move much after that, but whatever pain he seemed to have had ebbed, judging from the expression on his face. "I think he needs a real doctor, but Bebe should have helped."

"You have a real knack for this, Mairin," Clemont said. Mairin smiled sheepishly at the compliment. Clemont stood, catching sight of his device broken beyond all repair, and he sighed. There was no way they'd be able to find Bonnie today. Looking down at Travis, another sigh followed in succession. "I guess we should get him some help…as much as he doesn't deserve it…"

"RAWWR!" came Charizard's loud roar and Clemont's back went rigid. He whipped around to see Charizard on the sandy beach, looking ready for a fight as he stared over the sea. Alain was already running over to his partner. Deciding there was nothing for it, Clemont leaned down and quickly heaved Travis upward, slinging an arm of his across his shoulders. The boy was heavier than he anticipated, though both Chespin and Chespie helped to support him easily as they moved to join up with Alain.

"What's going on?" Mairin asked as they reached their older companion. Alain didn't answer them, staring in the same direction as Charizard. Clemont chose to follow his gaze rather than wait for an answer. The setting sun made it more difficult to see anything that was on the horizon, but if he squinted enough, Clemont could certainly swear to see a large wave parting the sea as it barreled towards the coast.

"Charizard, Flamethrower at a straight angle, dead ahead!" Alain ordered, not wasting time answering. Charizard's head reared back and then fired off a powerful red-hot flame towards whatever was approaching. As the flame sailed out, Clemont reached for a pokeball at his side and tossed it, Bunnelby emerging. Clemont then watched the progress of the flame, hoping it would impact with the incoming target.

It missed, however, as whoever was approaching quickly shifted to the side and barreled right for the shore. Neither Clemont nor Alain had the time to react before the individual surfed onto the coast and slid down his Pokémon to land firmly in the sand, his belly jiggling a little. Clemont could tell who it was the second that he touched down, thanks to his beady eyes, small nose, and overall figure: Cedric from DARC.

"Well, well," the man said, his signature chip bag lazily resting in the crook of his arm, "the inventor boy. I'm not surprised, keh heh."

"You're from DARC, then?" Alain demanded. Cedric ignored him, stepping forward, allowing Clemont his first good look at the Swampert behind the large man. Clemont shifted on his feet a little and glared at the man.

"Where's my sister?" he demanded angrily. Cedric's grin widened as he looked at Clemont holding onto Travis. "If you've hurt her-"

"Keh heh, worry not inventor boy," Cedric told him. "Your sister's limbs are all intact…as for her mind…I can't say the same. Similar for the president."

"Considering you came from the sea, your base must be a ship, right?" Alain demanded. To this question, Cedric finally paid a little attention to the raven-haired boy, a look of cold indifference on his face.

"Not that you'll be getting anywhere near it. We prefer having bargaining chips," Cedric admitted, his tone so frigid that Clemont almost found it impossible to be the same man who was speaking a few seconds ago. "That's not why I'm here, though."

"I don't think I care why you're here," Clemont said through gritted teeth. "Where's my sister? If you don't lead me to her-"

"But your sister's already with you," Cedric told him. Clemont's face drew itself into one of utter perplexity; a sight which Cedric seemed to enjoy. "Keh heh heh heh, have your friends not told you? Oh, that's a pity…Of course, you could always ask that abominable piece of trash you have on your shoulder."

"What does Travis have to do with anything?" Clemont asked, hitching the redhead up further. Cedric's grin returned, stretching his pudgy face wide before he dug into his chip bag to eat some of them.

"He's a complete fool. Never realized there's a wall you can't overcome with power alone. Never realized that DARC was on the other side of that wall. Struggle all you want, but this is a war we've been fighting for a decade! What hope does a boy who does nothing but focus on strength have?" Cedric cackled out. "So, how about a proposition? You give me that fool, and I give you the president. Your sister is clearly far too precious to let go of so easily."

"What are you going to do to him?" Mairin demanded, squeezing herself between Clemont and Alain. Cedric's eyebrows flew upward and then he began to laugh.

"Keh heh…keh heh heh heh heh heh!" he guffawed, making Clemont swallow with anticipation. Suddenly, the man smashed some of the chips in his hand. "I'm going to finish what his father started and end his miserable life!"

Clemont's frown turned into a scowling glare. "I won't let you do that."

"Oh? The boy's life is worthless. He's done nothing but hurt and hurt. Won't you let me end his miserable life? That's why I came here…I'm nothing if not a negotiator. Carl may put on airs as to how ruthless we are, but I'd much rather remove such a sickening piece from the board in exchange for someone useless to us. Won't you take that offer?"

"Travis may be a horrible excuse for a human being," Clemont yelled, "but he's still a human being. Don't you have any value for human life?"

"Not the ones in this world," was the callous response. This caused Clemont to take a step back. Cedric's entire demeanor had completely changed in that moment; gone was the cackling man that snacked on chips, the bag falling to the sand, replaced with a cold and commanding presence. Clemont swallowed again, realizing that the man wasn't lying about coming there to negotiate. How he had known they'd all be there was a separate issue, but Clemont had a feeling they'd poked a particularly violent Ursaring of a man. "Now, I won't ask again: the boy, or you die. I'd rather not prefer the second option; it'd be like watching one of my own comrades die."

"Then maybe we'll just have to return you to them with a third option: beating you! Dragon Claw!" Alain commanded, clasping his fist together. Charizard roared loudly, his claws growing large with a bright green hue as he sailed straight for Cedric. Clemont's eyes widened, feeling the shift in the air. He knew what was going to happen, and it wouldn't be good for Alain. Cedric stepped aside and Swampert moved forward. Swampert's arms glowed blue and one shot up to impact with the Dragon Claw, sounding like shattering ice. Charizard was utterly stopped, his claw freezing up slightly.

"Oh, dear…you didn't expect that, did you?" Cedric said, clucking his tongue with a minor grin. Clemont wanted to move, but witnessing the sheer display of power from Swampert, he found himself unable to. "Did you think your Charizard was stronger? It's like you didn't even-"

"Then we'll turn the tide," Alain said, raising his hand and pressing his fingers to his keystone. "Keystone, respond to my heart. Beyond evolution, Mega Evolve!"

"Rawwr!" Charizard roared, bright light consuming his body before he emerged with the same black skin and blue flames. Mairin moved back, clinging tightly to Clemont. Cedric continued to observe the scene with cold indifference and mild annoyance.

"You don't learn lessons very well, do you?" he asked.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Charizard reared back and shot out a powerful Flamethrower, one so hot that even Clemont could feel it from where he was standing.

"Brine," Cedric ordered in a bored tone. Swampert opened its mouth and from it, a great torrent of water gushed forth, impacting with the Flamethrower. Momentary steam covered the area, but when it faded, Swampert looked like the flames hadn't touched it at all. Alain stepped back from the shock with a scowl. "Oh, did you think that because your Charizard Mega Evolved that it could easily obliterate my Swampert? My Swampert? The one that has been with me through war and hell?"

"Charizard and I have faced many trials together. We have the strength to protect everyone!"

"Protect everyone? Oh, you're…keh heh…" Cedric said, throwing his head back with laughter. His belly was jiggling even more now. "You have no idea what true strength is, boy. You're no different from that piece of filth. Do you know what he did? He focused on strength; if a Pokémon or a person wasn't good enough, they were gone. You lose, you're gone. He seemed to believe that if you won and kept winning you could do anything in this world, even if it meant throwing away your own humanity!"

"I haven't thrown away my humanity! Charizard, Blast Burn!" Alain roared. Clemont stepped back as Bunnelby looked at him. With a slight nod, Bunnelby burrowed under the ground while Charizard slammed his claws into that same ground. "Charizard and I made a promise that we wouldn't lose to anyone! That we could protect anyone!"

"Yet strip that away and you're a soulless individual with nothing but a winning or losing label. Trust me boy, the only way you can ever truly understand strength is by experiencing loss and learning from it. I'm going to enjoy beating that lesson into you!" Clemont's brow furrowed as he watched Cedric place a hand to his chest. For a moment, it sounded like he was choking or vomiting until a keystone suddenly popped out of his mouth and into his hand. "Keheheheheheheheheh. Swallow him whole, Swampert. Mega Evolve."

Swampert's body now glowed brightly and Clemont could see the small anklet with the Mega Stone on its hindleg, at last. Even as it transformed it was on the move, its hindlegs shrinking down while its upper half suddenly gained considerable bulk, like it was a fighter of the highest order. Before the transformation into Mega Swampert had concluded, it had slammed its hands down on the ground causing giant cracks to form in Charizard's Blast Burn. It almost seemed as though the attack wasn't even there as the Earth Power attack broke it up instantly, shimmering yellow underneath Charizard's feet before blasting upward. Charizard howled in pain, but Swampert wasn't giving the Flame Pokémon a moment to breathe, running forward on its smaller legs before slugging Charizard in the face with an Ice Punch. The Fire type fell onto the sand where Swampert appeared to finish him off with another powerful Brine.

"Charizard!" Alain cried out, though his reaction seemed more than a little delayed. It was no surprise. In just a few short seconds, Charizard had all but met his end in battle, reverting to his original form. The same Charizard that Ash, of all people, had been unable to beat had been taken apart like a child's toy.

"Oh, what a pity. You think you're strong because you can win some battles? !" Cedric said, cackling. "Because you protect people? Your over-reliance on self isn't strength! It's weakness! It's worthlessness! It's nothing!"

"No…Charizard…we…" Alain seemed frozen, as if still in disbelief over the state of his Charizard. Even Clemont was a little freaked out, consoled only by the sight of Bunnelby clearly underneath the ground.

"I'm done asking now. Hand over the boy," Cedric said, turning sharply to Clemont. He defiantly shook his head. "All right, Brine, Swampert."

"I don't think so! Gourgeist, use Seed Bomb!"

"Wha-?" Clemont voiced, turning his eyes to the sky just in time to see a glowing green barrage of seeds impact on Swampert. It hardly damaged the Mud Fish Pokémon, but it provided all the distraction that Clemont needed. "Now, Bunnelby!"

"Bunnel!" Bunnelby cried out, popping out from the ground in front of Cedric. He turned around with a brief smile and a wave before the ground beneath both Cedric and Swampert gave in, landing them in a pit.

"Oh my! Prepare for trouble, they used our pit trap!"

"Make it double, we already copyrighted that!"

"To protect the world from-"

"Can you guys do your motto later?" Clemont called up. Even in the setting sun, it was all too easy to tell just who had arrived to save the day: the Meowth balloon was nigh on unmistakable.

"Don't interrupt us when we're talking, smart twerp!" Jessie yelled from above in the balloon.

"Well, maybe they have a point for now, Jess," James said. "That other guy doesn't look all too happy."

"Yeah," Meowth concurred. "Smart twoip, have your Chespin bring ya up here!"

"What?" Clemont questioned, but Mairin was on the move before he could stop her, Chespie's vines lifting the both of them up to Team Rocket's balloon before sailing down to pick the both of them up. He had no time to protest as Chespie's vines then snaked around him and pulled him straight up and into the basket, Clemont barely having the time to recall Bunnelby. Alain came in shortly after, Charizard having returned.

"All right, full speed away!"

"Wha-hey!" James said.

"Wobba!" Wobbuffet agreed and Clemont felt the sudden shuddering of the balloon as it shot off like a rocket. A shot of Brine seemed to fire after them, but they quickly got too far out of range. Once the balloon had stabilized, Clemont deposited Travis down onto the floor of the basket and stood just as Team Rocket turned to face them. A tense silence filled the air between them until Clemont asked the most important question.

"What are you guys doing here?" he demanded.

"Hmph, the twerp demanding answers from us!" Jessie said indignantly.

"Truth be told, we overheard you talking about finding where your sister went to, and we figured there would be plenty of strong Pokémon to poach there," James informed him simply, nodding his head sagely as he did so.

"Much better dan workin' at dat restaurant, ya dig?" Meowth finished off. "We've been followin' youse guys for a while and decided to pitch in."

"After all, no one takes down the twerps but Team Rocket!" Jessie said defiantly. Clemont couldn't help it, his face lighting up with a smile at their declaration of strange affection. He was about to say something when a different and unexpected voice crackled through the air, clear as day.

"Clemont. Clemont!" Clemont rustled around, looking for the source of the noise before finding his walkie-talkie. Before he could press the talk button, however, Serena's voice went on. "If you hear me, head for the Kalos Power Plant. We're striking back against DARC, starting tonight!" No one said anything following that statement (not that Alain or Travis seemed in much of a state to say anything), but Meowth leaped onto the rim of the balloon basket.

"Well, looks like we're heading to da Kalos Power Plant! Full speed ahead!"

"So, we ended up having to bargain with Buck because it turned out that amidst all that earthenware was actually a Heat Rock," Jack explained to Ash as their car pulled to a stop outside a patch of woods. Ash was listening intently to his father's recounting of an old story with someone he knew. "He only agreed to it if we went on a treasure quest with him, which was fine, but the Sinnoh League was starting up and I really wanted to get there."

"You did?" Ash asked as he exited the car. It had been a long, almost all afternoon, drive to get to the Mélancolie Path where they had now parked and were covering up the car. Miette and Sawyer helped quickly with that. The only thing that Ash found odd was how Lionel had stayed behind to supposedly secure Xerneas' tree after their loss of Yveltal. Apparently, Lionel had found one of the devices used to control the army in the forest, which had given his father some sort of thought. Not that Ash had heard much of their conversation filled with stern expressions and cold logic. He was still thinking about their failure at Allearth. It had felt bad, losing that way, but once Jack had asked for Ash to see something, the raven-haired trainer knew he had no other choice.

"Of course! You were competing, and against Paul!" Jack pointed out with a smile. "I'd heard about your battle on Lake Acuity. It must have been quite the blistering loss. Goodness knows I've had my fair share of those during my entanglements with DARC."

"Wait…so you mean…you've been following everything I do?" Ash asked. Jack stopped in his movement before a path into the woods. Only the light of the moon and the stars from that evening seemed to reveal it.

"Of course. You're my son," Jack explained. "I know I wasn't there when you started on your journey and all, but I have made sure to keep myself apprised. You've really made something of yourself! And your battles in the Kalos Team Tournament against, well, against Sawyer there. You're both fine young trainers."

"Th-thank you!" Sawyer said, bowing a little. Next to him, Miette appeared to smirk a little in his direction. Ash just fell into step alongside his father as Jack proceeded to walk down the pathway.

"I can't believe you've actually watched me all this time…"

"Pika…" Pikachu agreed in utter awe.

"If I couldn't be there, I wanted to still sort of be there. It was rough, and there were moments I wanted to drop everything, but I knew you'd only grow as a trainer without me. Even after you suffered your defeat in the Indigo League, seeing you win the Orange League told me that you could pick yourself up from anything. You can't imagine how proud I was to see your Sceptile defeat that Darkrai, and Pikachu…you were fantastic against Tobias' Latios."

"Pikachu pika…" Pikachu admitted, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Wow, Ash, you didn't tell me you had a Sceptile, too!" Sawyer remarked as the quartet continued down the forest path. The sound of waterfalls suddenly reached Ash's ears and he tried to locate them by looking from side to side, but couldn't. Nevertheless, they grew louder the closer to the light they drew.

"Didn't think it was all that important," Ash said until Jack took a step into the light and Ash followed. He was amazed by the sight of the towering waterfalls crashing down in the surrounding rock faces. Bringing his gaze downward, he noticed a group of people all milling around, including some faces from the Peace Tournament.

"Welcome to ARC's hidden base! Nice, isn't it?" Jack asked with a grin. Ash could only nod. As he did so, one of the competitors from earlier in the Peace Tournament approached, though Ash could hardly remember his name. "Ah, Derek, is Aidan back yet?"

"Not yet, sir," Derek said with a salute. "Should I inform you when he arrives?"

"Of course. We'll be in the back."

"Very well. Lionel has informed us that the mission in Allearth was a failure."

"Yeah, it was," Jack admitted with a laugh, though his stern expression afterwards betrayed his true feelings to Ash. "But you can't have success without failure, right?" Giving a wave to the boy, Jack jerked his head to indicate that the three of them should follow. Ash gave a quick look to Sawyer and Miette and then began to follow him. Once they had caught up to his long strides, Ash chose to ask a question.

"What's in the back?"

"The thing you need to see." That was the only answer they got as they approached a small space between cliff walls that Jack had them walk between. Ash was surprised that it wasn't as narrow as he'd thought it was upon first sight, and they all fit through in a single file fashion until they came out on the other side. Ash stopped almost immediately upon seeing what was there. "Yes, I know…"

"Are these…" Ash asked, his breath catching a little as he walked forward, "…graves?"

"Yes."

"Whose?" Miette asked, her voice meek, and nearly silent, so unlike the girl she usually was. Jack didn't answer for a moment, but he walked past Ash, putting a hand on his shoulder before approaching one of the graves; one of many in the rows that stretched out before them.

"This belonged to Terry from Unova. He was a kind soul, loved the outdoors and nature," Jack explained, placing his hand on the first grave he saw. "He was killed by Paul."

"Paul? !" Ash said in horror. Jack moved on.

"Kristen from Hoenn. She was a Coordinator with a passion for ancient techniques. I remember recruiting her. She fell in battle not one year ago thanks to that other Gary," he said. Ash could only shake his head, staring at the row upon row of graves in abject horror. How could so many people have died? How could they never have known about it? "Little Tony, Sinnoh. He was such a scholar, helping us look into things. One day, he wanted to go on an expedition to find the Clear Bell in Johto…only Cedric got the better of him. I still remember holding him as the life faded from his eyes.

"Then there was Mary and John, a couple from Kanto whose passion was archaeology. They outright sacrificed themselves so that we could obtain an artifact that we thought would help put a dent in DARC's armor, only it turned out to have lost its power a long time ago. I still remember their screams and how hoarse my voice went from crying out to them. All those little things…I remember all three hundred brave soldiers within ARC who died facing the enemy. I still consider it pure luck to this day that I've lived as long as I have."

"That's horrible…" Sawyer said. Miette turned away, burying her face subconsciously into the green-haired boy's chest. Ash wasn't sure what to say to any of it. Out of all the things he expected his father to show him, this was nowhere near the top of the list. Jack stopped and turned to his son with overwhelming sadness in his eyes.

"I killed all these people," Jack told them. "Maybe not directly, but by my orders as the leader of ARC. That kind of blood…it never washes away. But I'm not showing you this to make you feel the sins I've committed. I want to show you the level of commitment, of what it takes to defeat DARC. To combat that other world."

"Other world…?" Ash asked, his voice slowly finding itself. Even Pikachu looked beyond shell-shocked at what they had been shown. "You mean…Paul, and Gary, and the other Miette?"

"Yes," Jack said. "I don't claim to know all the details, but I know enough."

"So, they're not clones or evil twins or anything?" Miette asked, straightening up and walking forward. Sawyer was right alongside her and they came to stand on either side of Ash as all three looked across at Jack, bathed in the moonlight.

"No. They're soldiers, warriors, from another world…or rather, another universe, in its own way." Jack stepped away from the grave he was near to approach them now. "I believe you've encountered situations with things like that before, right? Zinnia in Ancien?"

"Yeah, but her world was vastly different, and they weren't…well, they weren't us," Ash pointed out, scratching at his head. As he said it, though, he thought about the Mirror World, and his own alternate self there.

"You're right…but they could have been," Jack said. He cast his gaze upward, sucking in a deep breath before continuing on. "There are as many universes out there as there are stars probably. In some, they may be simply the other side of a star, but one could imagine that there are those which are parallel. Those worlds which have the same people and the same set of history except for a few changes. Normally, they wouldn't intermingle…Except for when they do.

"The enemy you face, The Seven, is not the people you know. Paul and Gary are killers; Miette, you're practically a seductress." Miette's face wrinkled in displeasure at that. "I've no idea about Cedric and Carl, though Reeree…well, perhaps it's better you don't know her identity. The point is, that their lives irrevocably changed the moment they came into this world as warriors bent on destruction."

"But why?" Ash demanded. "Why do they want to destroy everything? This might not be their world but-"

"Can you really say that, Ash?" Jack asked sternly, cutting off his son's tirade. "If you came into a foreign world where someone wore your face but acted totally different, would you really believe in them as anything other than a monster? I can understand their views, even if I can't condone it. To them, we're monsters; and we see it much the same. I'm sure you got a taste of that with Zinnia. Didn't she loathe this world? Want to raze it to the ground?"

"But…" Ash's head was spinning. Their enemy was them from another world. Gary and Paul were killers. Did that mean that other people he knew were villains? Were they also out to destroy the world and the people and Pokémon he loved so much? It brought a rather sobering and unfortunate thought to his head. "Then…what about me? What about my other self?"

"I really don't know," Jack admitted with a sigh. "I don't have all the answers that I wish I did, even after battling for years. Maybe something happened to you on the other side, but I know I never faced you in battle. Heck, I don't even know why DARC wants to destroy the world other than out of some misguided hatred. I don't know why Carl is part of them. There's too much I don't know, but I do know their ruthlessness, and I know I want to protect this world that I love so much. If possible, I'd like to put a stop to them before things became truly complicated. I share these details because I don't want you to be fooled by the faces you know. If I could, I'd like to ask you to help me protect it, but it wouldn't have been right to ask if I hadn't shown you the stakes and consequences. And there are still things I wouldn't want to burden you with…Even now, I feel wrong for asking my only son to-"

"I'll do it," Ash said. Jack looked up at him and Ash smiled, raising a fist into the air. On his shoulder, Pikachu did the same thing.

"Ash, this is not a decision to be made lightly," Jack reprimanded him. Ash didn't drop the fist, continuing to smile at his father. "You could die out there, and it's not like my hands are clean in this."

"So what?" Ash asked, now lowering his fist to fold his arms. "If I ran away now, I'd be a coward. If you really have been following my journeys then you know I never back down from a fight, no matter what kind it is, and this is no different."

"Pikapika!" Pikachu agreed, his little cheeks sparking, the electricity jumping into Ash's hair. Jack was staring at him with wide eyes and Ash stepped forward to reach up and put his hands on his father's shoulders.

"You don't have to fight alone," he said seriously. "And this is my choice. Sometimes, you question the choices you make as a trainer. We walk a really hard, long road. What if I'd used this? What if I'd commanded that? What if I took this road instead of the detour? But none of that matters, because you have to live with your choices. My choice, though, has always been to protect the Pokémon and the people I love. Right, buddy?"

"Pika!" Pikachu concurred.

"So, yeah, I'm fighting. Whether it was Team Magma, Aqua, Galactic, Plasma, Zinnia, Flare, Dalton, none of that mattered. I always had a choice to fight, or turn tail and run. But I chose to fight then, and I'm choosing to fight with you now!"

"Ash…" Jack said, a small smile playing on his lips. In seconds he'd closed the small distance and embraced Ash. The raven-haired boy blinked, surprised by his father's actions, but pleased all the same. It felt nice…it felt like home. So, for that one moment, he chose to enjoy the time with his father and hugged him back before their greatest battle was about to begin.

Chapter continued in next post...
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Chapter continued from last post.
The sounds of the rotors overhead filled Serena's ears as the helicopter she was on sailed over Lumiose City, heading straight off for the Kalos Power Plant in the Lumiose Badlands. Looking out of the window under the night sky, she could see the brightly shining lights of the metropolis and wondered if Professor Sycamore and Meyer were resting well, considering she knew that she wasn't. With a sigh, Serena turned back inward and looked at her companions in the helicopter, considering they had taken two. Next to her, Dawn appeared to be grooming Buneary's fur while Piplup dozed on her lap. Further down was Astrid, looking rather cross and stern. Diantha wore a similar expression across from the blonde.

More important was the bound and sleeping Reeree, whose head was resting against the side of the helicopter, drool trailing out of it. Watching her alternate self, it was easy to see how much they resembled each other when she wasn't shooting glares at every one. It was nice that she could find some time to rest and relax despite her current state. Glancing back out the window, Serena noticed that they had cleared Lumiose City, the second helicopter trailing behind them with Shauna's group on board.

"Champion, we've almost arrived at our destination!" the League pilot said clearly enough. Reeree seemed to jerk awake at his statement, looking like she wished she could rub her eyes but settling for a rather disgruntled look. "I've been told that the workers know of your arrival and are diligently working on the IRCS."

"Thank you," Diantha spoke, glancing down at the tablet in her hand and swiping across. It seemed like she was in some sort of silent communication with someone. Serena would have asked, but had a feeling that Diantha wouldn't tell her the answer; Champions in charge of an entire region had to keep some things secret after all. In any case, the helicopter was beginning to descend towards the lights that rimmed the power plant, making any attempt at conversation pointless. Holding on tightly, Serena waited for the helicopter to get low by gripping onto its sides until she felt the last shudders (something which woke Reeree) and the rotors went quiet.

"Your orders, Madam Champion?" the pilot asked as Diantha slid the doors open.

"You're to remain here. The rest of the League helicopters are on standby, but I'd like for you to provide transportation for us," Diantha informed the pilot, who nodded. Following their exchange, Diantha was the first out of the helicopter and onto the dusty land outside the Kalos Power Plant. Astrid and Dawn quickly followed (the latter returning Buneary to her pokeball). Serena hung back a moment, looking over to Reeree, who seemed to struggle to get up with her arms bound. Feeling slightly bad about it, Serena reached over and pulled the vines off.

"There. Now you can move better," Serena answered with a smile towards her alternate self. Reeree stared at her a little, blinking in surprise. "It's not like you can really do anything. Diantha took your Pokémon and stored them at the League."

"I could still use you as a hostage and run off," Reeree said, flexing her hands after their disuse. Serena shrugged her shoulders at that.

"Then you do, but I don't think you will," Serena said conclusively. "We are the same person…in a way. We might have different pasts, but I think deep down we have the same likes. We just made different choices."

"Choices, huh?" Reeree breathed as Serena decided to follow her companions off of the helicopter. The second her feet hit the dusty field, her counterpart's voice called her back. "Serena…Tell me about your Ash."

"Huh?" Serena asked as a gust of wind blew past her, ruffling her hair in the wind. Reeree walked forward, drawing herself into the light of the power plant as another helicopter landed. Reeree approached and Serena couldn't help but notice that her eyes were glistening a little. Seeing that, the honey-blonde nodded. "Of course."

"Serena, hurry up!" Astrid's voice called out, drawing both of the Serena's attentions away. Casting her head downward, Reeree walked forward, her body slightly slumped but not fighting back. Whether she had given up or was simply more accepting of things, Serena couldn't be sure, but she brought up the rear as Conway and Kenneth (who they'd gotten from the stadium) raced ahead and Shauna sidled up to her side.

"Must be weird, talking to yourself," the brunette pointed out. Serena could only shake her head. To some, it might have been the epitome of strangeness, but to Serena, at this point, it could have almost been considered normal. Though she might have just felt that way because she had once seen her mirror self.

"Not all that weird," she finally commented to Shauna. "Just different. I think that underneath whatever sadness and anger she has, she's still just…Serena."

"A scary Serena…" Tierno commented. Serena ignored that particular comment. She might have been scary in the ring, but seeing her without her Pokémon, she just seemed so normal. A girl tossed into something she had no point being a part of. Not that she was one to talk; three times now Serena, herself, had been tossed into a situation that she thought she should have had no part in.

Up ahead, the doors to the Power Plant were sliding open wide and Serena took the chance to catch up with Reeree and Diantha. Astrid was keeping a close eye on the other Serena as some power plant workers stepped forward. The lead one waved his hand and removed his hard hat. "My apologies, Champion. We hadn't exactly expected you to drop by for an inspection today."

"Not an inspection," Diantha said confidently. "Conway, Kenneth, can you boys get to work?"

"Of course, heh heh," Conway insisted, adjusting his glasses and sweeping into the plant.

"I'd rather offer my apologies," Diantha insisted. "But certain times can call for some quick measures, and right now we have need of the system. Conway and Kenneth are experienced in the realm of science and…Serena, have you heard from Clemont?"

"No, not yet," Serena admitted, holding her walkie up. "He hasn't contacted me for whatever reason, though I'm pretty sure my message got through." Diantha nodded, looking pleased enough with the response as she turned back to the workers. As she did, someone was running up to them, looking positively frantic skidding to a stop with his hands on his knees and with panting breaths.

"Sir…on the new security system…something's incoming…" the man panted out. The foreman turned to his employee with folded arms.

"Calm down, man. What did you see on the security system?" he asked sternly.

"A balloon. It looks like a Meowth!"

"Team Rocket? !" Serena said in complete shock. Next to her, Reeree's brow creased in confusion.

"Who's Team Rocket?" she asked. Serena would have taken the time to gape at her that she didn't know who their sworn…well, she figured they were more frenemies than anything. Either way, she was surprised Reeree didn't know who they were. Not that it mattered as alarms blared within the Power Plant at their arrival, giving Serena reason to look up into the sky. Seconds later, the familiar-shaped balloon came rocketing over the top of the Power Plant before coming to an abrupt stop and descending swiftly.

"Looks like they're using the same tricks as ever…" Dawn commented wryly. "I can't believe they're still using the Meowth balloon. How obvious can you be?"

"Cut your smack talk third twerpette!" Jessie's voice suddenly rang out. Serena turned, clenching slightly as she reached for Pancham's pokeball. She wasn't the only one as every other person in the vicinity (even the clearly grudge-holding Power Plant workers) went for theirs, as well. From the basket of the balloon, Jessie suddenly leapt. "We never use the same plan twice!"

"Where have you been, Jess?" Meowth said, the next to follow after Jessie. "We're always reusin' plans."

"Meowth has a point, you know," James said, seemingly dragging something out of the basket. Squinting her eyes, Serena looked the basket over a little more and noticed that whatever James was moving, someone else was helping him with it. Someone with all too familiar blond hair. Throwing her caution to the wind, Serena ran forward, right past Jessie, who appeared to be posing for some odd reason.

"Clemont!" she cried as the inventor and James stumbled out of the basket. Not paying attention to much else, Serena closed the gap between her and Clemont and gave him a hug. He dropped what he had been holding on to in order to hug her back. "Did you find Bonnie?"

"No…" Clemont said dejectedly. "There were complications."

"You can say that again," Mairin said, almost as if she were huffing. Serena turned her head and noticed that the girl was tugging on Alain who seemed like he was completely lost in his own little world. "Alain's been unresponsive ever since Team Rocket rescued us from that fat guy."

"You ran into Cedric? But wait…what was Team Rocket doing there?" Serena asked. She had so many questions, which just multiplied as she noticed the boy being propped up by James. "And Travis? !"

"Enough talk, twerpette!" Jessie snapped, like she hated being ignored. Diantha was all too quickly emerging from behind her, as though she had business with their group. "Yeah, that brutish kid is half-dead, the brooding twerp won't stop brooding and we only helped out because no one's allowed to hurt you twerps but us."

"What Jess said!" Meowth concurred with a nod. "Plus, da smart twoip got your message and we hightailed it right over here. If dese Dark Guys are plannin' to destroy da world…dere's no way Team Rocket will allow dat!"

"After all, this world is for the glory of Team Rocket!" James said proudly. "Well, that and we can help pilfer that communication technology for the b-I mean, help create your communications system! We're good at technical stuff!"

"Then you can do this, Clemont?" Diantha asked. Clemont and Serena both turned to the Champion, who was looking at them with focused eyes. "You helped create the system for the Power Plant correct? Can you create a communications system that can be used across all the major regions by morning?"

"By morning?" Clemont asked, and it looked like he was sweating just a little bit. Serena reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Remember, Clemont, don't give up. I've seen you build invention after invention. I know you can do this!" she encouraged him with a smile. Clemont sucked in a breath and then nodded proudly.

"You're right! I can do this! Team Rocket, you help out! Time to collaborate on another project!" Clemont said, thumping at his chest before walking forward. Seeing him go, Serena was struck by how confident he had become. It had only taken him a second to accept such a difficult undertaking. He really had learned from Ash. Thinking of Ash, Serena began to think of contacting him, but considering that he hadn't answered all day, she figured it was likely a futile effort. It also reminded her of Reeree's question.

At Clemont's commands, Team Rocket surprisingly snapped to attention and followed him; almost like he was a secondary leader to them. In fact, James seemed so enthusiastic that he dropped Travis down to the dusty ground like a sack of potatoes. Diantha looked down at the unconscious boy and shook her head.

"Well, at least that's one problem solved," she muttered. "Alain, could you help me bring Travis into the building to secure him?" Alain said nothing, staring down at his keystone like he couldn't understand something. Serena had to wonder just what had happened to the boy during his time with Clemont. "Alain!"

"Oh…of course," he said dully. Shaking his head a little, he reached underneath and grabbed Travis, hoisting him up and dragging him towards the doors into the Kalos Power Plant. Serena watched him go with worry. It was so unlike Alain to just shut down the way he had, not even responding to Diantha's words. Seeing him drag Travis off, Serena followed, Mairin at her side.

"Are you doing all right, Mairin?" she asked. Mairin nodded with a smile as Chespie trotted alongside her.

"Yeah…though I hope Alain is okay. He seems really confused ever since his Charizard got beaten by this really powerful Swampert!" Mairin exclaimed. Serena's eyes widened. Alain had been defeated? For someone that even Ash couldn't overcome, it was simply seen as impossible.

The two girls passed under the arch of the door and into the thrumming power plant. It was certainly more bustling than the last time they had visited, though Serena viewed that as a good thing while she and Mairin followed their troupe to the inner sanctum of the Power Plant where everyone was working on the communications system. Serena and Mairin both cast their eyes upward and looked at the tower and the system that was built into it. Clemont had already taken command, and judging from snippets of his conversation, he was giving specific orders to each person there.

"I'm gonna hand out some food, Serena," Mairin said in a chipper voice. "Clemont had some stew left over from earlier today, and I'm sure everyone's hungry."

"Good idea, Mairin," Serena said kindly. "I have some macarons left, so I'll pass those around." Clasping Mairin's hands in hers, the two girls smiled at each other and split away. She hadn't thought of it, so focused on everything else, but now that Mairin had said it aloud, she realized how hungry everyone must have been. The honey-blonde Performer quickly dug into her bag and took out her basket of macarons; they might have been older, but she was sure they were still tasty.

Affixing a smile to her face, Serena began to pass the macarons around, making sure to avoid Chespin as he helped Clemont work on the machine. Most of them were grateful for the snack, except for Alain, who appeared to have just stopped responding to most things, despite the bowl of stew in his hands. He was seated next to Travis, who still seemed unresponsive, as if he were sleeping and bandaged up around his chest.

"You don't want that to go to waste," Serena told Alain sternly. "And you don't want to make Mairin sad, do you?"

"I'm just thinking…" Alain admitted. Serena frowned a little before getting into a crouch and putting a couple of macarons on his lap.

"What about?" she asked.

"Strength…" he said. "I thought Charizard and I were strong…but he finished him off in seconds. Like I was nothing." Serena watched him a moment, unsure of what to say until an idea came to her head.

"Alain, let me tell you something," she said sweetly, drawing his attention for the first time. "When Ash lost at the Snowbelle Gym, he got really down on himself…he questioned himself and his own strength, but he bounced back. You know how? From what he told me, he returned to his roots. Ash discovered what started him on Pokémon training. That gave him a well of strength unlike any I'd ever seen. Strength to push through his limits. Strength to keep a smile on his face no matter what. Strength to not let his loss affect him."

"My roots?" Alain asked, and that seemed to make him even more confused than it had before. It was like he no longer knew his own roots, so mired in the struggle to get stronger and stronger. Patting his knee kindly, Serena stood; she believed he'd work it out sooner or later. Realizing she was only down to a few more macarons, Serena looked around and her eyes fell on Reeree, who was sitting against a wall as Astrid appeared to be watching her. Serena approached them with a smile and quickly sat herself against the wall next to her counterpart. Once she had, she placed the macarons in her lap.

"You must be hungry," she told her. "It's not much, but Ash thinks they're good."

"Ash…huh…?" Reeree said under her breath, holding up a macaron with two fingers. She then put one in her mouth and chewed lightly before swallowing. "They're good."

"Thanks! You said you like macarons, too. Any special recipes you use?"

"It's this one…" Reeree said. "I always liked this recipe because he loved them, too." Serena watched her as she chose to eat a second macaron, clearly enjoying the taste despite not voicing it. After a moment, Serena leaned back and smiled.

"Considering your question earlier, you must mean your Ash, right?" she asked. Reeree stopped chewing, her head hanging down. "Ash is always a glutton for any kind of food. He once said his motto was pretty much: eat, sleep, train. Not that he's all about eating, or whatever. Ash is a lot of things. Kind, courageous, hard-working, a brilliant trainer…hungry." She said that last one with a little giggle.

"Sounds about right," Reeree said, the last of the macarons in her hand being accidentally crushed into a fine powder.

"But above all…he never gives up," Serena said. "No matter what this world throws at him, Ash always finds a way to get up again. I really love that about him the most…but even if he didn't, I think I'd still love him all the same."

"Never…gives up…?" Reeree said quietly, like all the fight had left her voice. Suddenly, she began to shake and tears fell down her face. It reminded Serena of that dawn on the Coumarine docks, only she seemed far more broken; like a wound that had never healed. "That's…that's what he always used to say…to me…too…"

"Then I guess both our Ash are the same."

"No," she said, followed by a sniffle. Serena shifted her body and could see the tears on her eyes, flowing down with abandon. It was utterly heartbreaking to Serena. "Yours is still alive."

"What?" Serena felt her heart plummeting. Surely she didn't mean…? Shifting around on the floor, Serena reached over and took Reeree's hands in hers kindly. "Tell me what happened."

"You…why would you want to know my pain?" the girl asked, perhaps colder than she'd meant it, but no less laced with tears. "You still have your Ash. You still have everything you ever wanted. You still have your smiles, your performances, your Pokémon, your friends. You still have your future! But I don't even have a me! I don't even have…'Serena'. I lost her the day he died.

"So, how could you possibly understand me? !"

Serena didn't know what to say to that. Reeree had all but bawled out her words, wearing those raw emotions on her sleeve. She was in unimaginable pain, pain that Serena hoped she would never have to relate to. She had lost the person she clearly loved most in the entire world. Whether she had known any other kind of love since, Serena was unsure. So, for that single span of time, it didn't matter that they had ever been enemies. It didn't matter what their differences were. All that mattered was healing the pain. So, she leaned forward and hugged Reeree, feeling the girl's tears on her neck. "Maybe I can't…but we can never know unless you tell me."

"Huh?" Reeree said, as if surprised she still wanted to know.

"We have a connection, Reeree," Serena said, drawing back a little. "No, Serena. Maybe our pasts are different, and maybe we're on opposite sides, but we share a connection: we're Serena. So please, tell me! Let me share your pain…and then you can share my smile"

Reeree seemed positively stunned, as though she'd never been shown such kindness in the world. Yet as Serena pulled back even further, she nodded and a small smile graced her face, making Serena smile in turn. "I…where do I begin?"

"From the beginning?" Serena suggested. Reeree shook her head.

"No, because…I get the feeling our stories are the same until we met Ash. We may be from different worlds, but they still run mostly parallel. Or so I've noticed." Serena's eyebrow raised at Reeree flippantly admitting she was from some parallel universe. It was really not a surprise since she'd guessed at it already, though Astrid had whipped around in shock at the mention. "I met Ash at a summer camp in Kanto, scared out of my mind."

"So did I!" Serena said, continuing to smile. "I remember being so scared until Ash found me. I honestly didn't want to go home after the camp ended, but I decided to anyway."

"I didn't," Reeree admitted. That threw Serena for a loop. "I refused to go home. Ash had shown me such a simple kindness that it stuck with me. Before, I'd been so lonely…but you know that. After a while, my mom decided to move to Kanto because I chose to stay, essentially running away from home. Thanks to that, I spent every day with Ash and we left on our journey together. Professor Sycamore sent me Fennekin from Kalos and Ash still woke up late to get Pikachu. We had the best of times…"

"What about Ash's other friends? Brock, Misty, Dawn, May? Or his rivals?"

"Honestly, I never met any of them. Well, none of them but Gary and Brock, but I kept Ash out of trouble, and Brock was a Gym Leader through and through." Reeree admitted. "Early into our journey, we were traveling over a cliff when a rockslide started. Ash pushed me into safety, but he…he…" Serena swallowed, knowing full well just what Reeree was implying. She didn't need to say it aloud. "I never even got to say goodbye…"

"I'm sorry," Serena said kindly, unable to think of anything else to say.

"My father, or so he said, I guess he was a traveling trainer at the time, he was passing by and recovered Ash's body, brought me home. I was in shock and it hurt. I know we were only children, but I had loved Ash so much that it hurt to lose him. It was like my heart was ripped out of me. I think that if it weren't for my father…I would have never recovered."

"So…your dad was in Kanto at the time Ash began his journey?" Serena asked. Reeree just shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess. I never really asked because I didn't remember him or know him, and it was only after that I learned he was my father. My mother knew him, at least, though she seemed to think he was dead, but she let him in my life. I think that saved me…a little. Once I had remembered him, he asked me to join him," Reeree said with a sigh. "I hardly remember much after that; it was such a blur in all my grief. We traveled a lot, and after a little time in Kalos we sort of saw less and less of each other. Beyond that, I'm not always sure…I mean, I met Mimi and we became really great friends. Gary was still a jerk and all, but the events of coming here, of my father leaving periodically through our journey, are like a haze. Most of the things I remember were after I joined DARC."

"Why did you join them?" Serena questioned. She knew she was probably probing too far, but she wanted to understand just how Reeree had come to be this way. "You had to have a reason."
"I wanted to understand…why did my Ash have to die? I joined in the battle against this world to find out…but I never got my answer. I did things I never thought I'd do all to find that answer, and when I never got it…I never saw my father much after that either…No matter how much he had saved me from grief, I couldn't share what little grief or shame I had with him or anyone…Though that was no surprise given the circumstances upon coming to this world…"

"I'm sorry," Serena said and she shifted in order to put an arm around Reeree. "I had no idea. But…this world isn't ugly. And I don't think it's the reason Ash was taken from you…"

"I know that!" she snapped angrily but soon deflated from her anger. "I'm sorry…but I don't think I can talk about this anymore. I'm tired."

"Oh…all right…" Serena watched as Reeree turned away and seemed to sleep. Serena watched her a moment, occasionally flitting her eyes over to the watching Astrid. It was amazing how one choice could affect one's life. Reeree had made the choice to stay in Kanto, and while it was baffling that her ever-stubborn mother actually condoned it, that one choice seemed to have altered history for the girl. Of course, judging by her Pokémon, some things were wholly immutable it seemed, but it was no wonder that Reeree held so much pain. Her choice to join DARC was questionable, at best, and there were still many unanswered questions Serena had, but she could admit to feeling for the girl.

Now that she understood her pain, it made it easier to understand what had driven her to such envy. Seeing Ash alive had to have been a punch to the gut. To be so close, but not be the same Ash. Thinking on it, and the enemies before them, Serena turned her own head for some sleep. Ash really did have a great effect on so many people around him. Closing her eyes, Serena fell into a deep sleep full of Ash and rockslides, Reeree and a familiar honey-blond head of hair.

Unfortunately, she was woken only a few hours later by the sound of banging. Next to her, Reeree was still sleeping soundlessly. The Power Plant was brighter than it had been before she'd gone to sleep, and around her, everyone seemed to be waking up and becoming very alert. With a yawn, Serena stood and stretched, catching the attention of Reeree, who awoke. Shuffling forward with another yawn, Serena approached the communication tower that Clemont and Conway were in front of, busy inputting some commands. Diantha stood a little behind them, observing, and Serena quickly came to be side by side with her.

"How is it going?" she asked the Champion. Diantha didn't answer. Serena didn't wait for one a long time, instead turning and watching Clemont inputting his commands in while spouting some techno babble. The bags under his eyes said that he'd gone the whole night.

"A-okay smart twerp! We're ready to go!" James called down, and Serena realized that he was hanging from the communication tower.

"Let's just hope it doesn't blow!" Meowth signaled. Clemont looked up towards them and nodded before turning back. Serena blinked while Diantha raised her eyebrows in hope. Flashing the pair of them a tired smile, Clemont stood before them.

"I think it's ready," he said proudly. "I won't go into the details, but thanks to our combined efforts of engineering I do believe we've created a system that will be able to reach every Pokémon Center, television and tablet within the six major regions of Kanto, Johto, Kalos, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova. Conway has even designed it so that others can communicate with us! Shall we do a test run, Champion?"

"No time, I'm afraid," Diantha said, walking confidently up to the console. Serena took a step forward, noticing the large display screen that showed blinking red lights around a near global map of their world. There also looked to be little screens that were displaying static. "Lumiose Gym Leader Clemont, would you like to do the honors of activating the system?"

Clemont looked surprised, and Serena smiled at him when her looked towards her. Puffing his chest out a bit, Clemont nodded, walking up to the console and raising his arm. He appeared to take a deep breath, like he was steadying himself. Then his hand plunged down and grabbed a lever which he pulled down with force. That action drew the attention of everyone in the area, but Serena's eyes were glued to the screen. One by one, each and every red light became green. For a moment, Serena looked away to see Reeree staring at them with a sense of awe; like she was surprised at how well they were working together. When she turned back, big green letters had flooded the screen.

INTER-REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

ON!​

Author's Note: A very long chapter, I know! Yet there was quite the bit of content. First and foremost, the meaning of the graves that Jack was in front of many chapters ago is revealed. Though more importantly, the truth about DARC is mostly revealed: they're indeed from an alternate universe! (Of course, most of you figured that out anyway…) Which, due to the events that changed through Reeree's choice, a lot happened. Now, how they came to this world obviously isn't said yet, so you'll just have to wait for all the answers…

Two moments I want to particularly speak about are Alain's defeat and Serena and Reeree's conversation. Alain's defeat, ironically, wasn't in the original draft of the story but I decided that it needed to be there to give him the character development he desperately needed. Cedric was the perfect tool to do it. As for Reeree, it may seem like she's switching sides, but she's not really. Simply put, she's not quite evil and Serena is the nicest girl on the planet. Easy to give in.

I've really enjoyed this chapter, and I hope that all of you share your own thoughts and (hopefully) joy with me. So, until the next chapter, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.
 

Epicocity

Well-Known Member
Here we are with another chapter! Time for Chapter 14!
Chapter 14

A Key​

"A key." Ash looked quizzically at his father as the man held up his necklace. On it, Ash could see the flute which he had used to call Latias to his side, along with the locket from earlier. Next to it was a small fragment, like a shard of something, rusted and old. "Well, to be more accurate, they're pieces of a key."

"Why are they in pieces?" Sawyer asked. He appeared to have taken out his usual notebook and was moving closer to observe the shard on Jack's necklace.

"Because the key was to a weapon far too powerful to use," Jack answered. "In my spare time, since the war with DARC began, we've been looking for these fragments."

"Why not just look for the weapon?" Miette asked, seating herself down on the grass. Up above the cliffs and the waterfalls, the sky was beginning to lighten, signaling the coming of the sun. Ash was surprised they had managed to go all night…well, with a few naps and a break for a snack that Miette had tucked away.

"We have," Jack told her with a nod of his head. "But so has DARC. Honestly, I don't want the weapon found. That kind of knowledge and information is far too deadly and dangerous to have. The ways it could be used is terrifying…That's why I had to convince Dalton not to use it."

"You knew Dalton?" Ash asked. That almost shocked him as much as anything else. Even Pikachu was blinking furiously at the revelation.

"Not really, but spend enough time in the 'underworld' as Travis called it, and you learn a few things. How else do you think we'd be able to secure ancient artifacts or collect those keys over the years?" Jack said with a smirk as he joined Miette on the grass, crossing his legs. "Dalton must have been told about the weapon through DARC…they've been trying to find it for as long as we've been at war with them. It was never a surprise they disseminated information throughout the underworld to see who could find it. I'm sure that even Lysandre looked for it, at some point, considering his end goal."

"Lysandre, huh?" Ash asked. Frowning a little, he looked up at the sun rising. If DARC was the same as Lysandre, it merely reaffirmed what he felt needed to be done.

"In any case, Dalton found it. At the time, we located the second of the key fragments we have on hand and that's when I met him. I didn't learn the weapon's location; I didn't want to. But I told him to not use it because I knew how dangerous it was," Jack expressed with a sigh. "I'm glad he was a man of honor."

"So…these keys then?" Sawyer asked breathily. He looked slightly confused over the topic of Dalton, but Ash figured that didn't matter. Jack nodded.

"Yes, there was once a man, or so the legends depict, who in his rage and anguish built a mighty weapon, appropriately named the Ultimate Weapon." Ash chose to sit, Sawyer joining him as his father began to relay the short tale to them. "The details are sketchy, but needless to say that he used it to try and destroy the world. Of course, the world was far more resilient than that, but it still broke a little; opening the rifts to the world DARC comes from. The man must have hated himself for what he did because he sealed the weapon away and broke the key that made it work into seven pieces."

"Why seven? That seems pretty random?" Miette expressed. She sounded a little bored, but still as if she was paying attention.

"I don't know. Does it matter?" Jack asked in amusement. Miette gave a slightly sheepish expression and shrugged her shoulders. "In any case, after breaking it into seven pieces, he scattered all of those parts but one, which he was to keep on himself at all times. Makes sense when you think about it…"

"Yeah, but he can't carry it forever. I mean, how long ago was the weapon built?" Ash laughed out. He really didn't find it likely that the key was still in the man's possession. Jack inclined his head, staring seriously at Ash.

"Three thousand years ago…and the man is still alive to this day," he said. Ash stared at his father, blinking a little. A few seconds passed, and then the very thing that Jack had said finally hit Ash's brain like a freight train.

"WHAT? !" he screamed at the same time as Pikachu and his friends next to him. Jack made no other movement, continuing to stare at the three before him. "That's…that's…that's imposs…ible…"

"Are you really saying that, Ash? I thought you knew more than to doubt a simple thing like immortality," Jack commented. Now that Ash thought about it, his father was right. After all the adventures he'd had with legendary Pokémon that had survived well past any humans around them, he supposed it wasn't impossible for a human, at some point, to have been practically immortal. "In any case, as we've digressed, ARC has been looking for the key fragments. Our hope was to destroy all of them, but it seems we can't do that without all seven parts., and only a Legendary Pokémon, I feel, would be enough to do it. If not destroy it, then use it to shut the weapon down once and for all."

"Okay, so where are all these parts? It could take forever to find them."

"Not forever…Just as long as it takes to find the man named AZ," Jack instructed them. "You didn't think we haven't found any of them, did you?"

"Well…I didn't really think about it!" Ash admitted with a small laugh, rubbing the back of his head apologetically. His father smiled at him and emitted a small chuckle.

"No, we've found three of the fragments…and DARC found the other three. They're such a pain…" he said, leaning back a little and almost falling over. "They weren't easy to find, and we had hoped to tip the balance by finding the last of the other six before DARC did…It didn't work. Gary, er, Fakey beat us to the punch at a lab. Like always, a battle between our two organizations erupted and, well, the end result was DARC making off with the last fragment.

"Evenly scored…" he concluded bitterly. Ash looked over to Pikachu, who stared back at him in just as much near confusion. "In any case, the three that we've obtained have been divvied up among various members of the group, just in case. Anonymously, so that no one person is targeted. I don't want them to get any more, and that's where we're at in this moment."

"We need the final key," Sawyer stated, finishing his scribbles in his notebook and clasping it shut. "If we get the last key then we take away their chance to use the weapon, right?"

"As far as I know," Jack responded. "I mean, the thing's ancient, so who has any idea how it works. At this moment, even with my knowledge of legends, I can only suppose that Yveltal will power it to deadly ends. Who knows what Xerneas would have done…"

"All right," Ash said, standing up suddenly with a clenched fist. Pikachu hung on tight but righted himself before Ash continued with his declaration. "Then we just have to find this AZ guy, right? Where do we start first?"

"I really doubt it's that easy, Ash," Sawyer commented, coming to stand as well.

"Yeah, this isn't a situation that we should just rush into," Miette said with exasperation. "If we just run right ahead we might encounter…them, again. And we don't want Serena to start crying, now, do we?"

"We'll probably meet them again anyway!" Ash proclaimed, ignoring Miette's other statement and smirk. "So, we should get moving! The more we move, the faster we'll find!"

"Pikapika!" Pikachu concurred.

"Now, hold on," Jack said with a wave of his hand, not moving from the spot that he was seated upon. "No reason to rush into things. Scouring the land looking for the guy would be a bad move because the enemy is likely looking for the same thing and our clashes could potentially be too devastating. I'd rather not lose any more people if I don't have to."

"But…then what do we do?" Ash said, looking slightly downcast. Sawyer and Miette looked at him with bemused expressions as he wondered about just what he was supposed to do next. He wanted to help defeat DARC! That was his choice! He didn't want to sit around waiting for something to happen. Folding his arms with a huff, Ash walked over to one of the stone cliffs surrounding the area and leaned against it.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked worriedly. Ash just shook his head.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I'm fine…but I just…"

"Pipika!" Pikachu chirped out happily. Ash blinked a moment and then smiled at his trusted partner.

"You're right! Maybe I should check on Serena to see how she's doing. Though…the walkie broke…But I wonder if she won the Peace Tournamen…" Ash's voice died in his throat. Someone new had entered the clearing, and in the rising sun, Ash could distinguish his face clearly. He was an older man, looking only a little younger than his father, with blond hair in a short ponytail and glasses resting on his face. Looking over and approaching the man, Ash could see focused eyes that looked familiar to him, but he couldn't think of where he'd seen them.

"Aidan! You have news?" Jack called out to the blond. Ash stood up straighter and started to approach his friends and father as the man came to a stop before all of them. His eyes briefly lingered over each of them, pausing a fraction of a second longer on Ash with a smile.

"We found him," Aidan said crisply.

"Good."

"But if we found him, I've no doubt that DARC will be there sooner or later," Aidan told him matter-of-factly.

"Of course they will. They're either one step ahead or behind," Jack explained. He walked forward a little and comfortably put his arm around Aidan, who rolled his eyes. "Whether it's through tracking us or some other surveillance network, there's always a battle near a fragment of the key, and this one may be even bigger. It's the last piece, so we can expect DARC to send their full force. The Seven and their horde of unending Pokémon under their control."

"Will Lionel be joining us?" Aidan asked. To that, Jack shook his head, clasping his friend's shoulder.

"I have him stationed elsewhere for the time being, by his own volition, of course. Though it wasn't like he gave in without an argument. Unless you'd like to join him," Jack said with a cheeky little smirk in the man's direction. Aidan moved his hand upward, deftly removing Jack's hand and adjusting his glasses slightly all in the same movement.

"I'd rather not," he said with a sigh. "If this is to be our biggest battle for the key fragment that we've all been searching for, then we need most of our forces available as well. It won't be easy. Besides, we've no idea how AZ himself will react, as secluded as he's been. I still feel it was mere chance that our own surveillance network located him…and I have a feeling that we weren't the only ones to do so, even discounting DARC."

"Interesting…" Jack said with a stroking of his chin. A second later, he seemed to recognize something and he turned to Ash, Sawyer, and Miette. "Right, sorry for not introducing: this is Aidan! He's one of my top guys. Brilliant archaeologist from Unova, moved here to study the Four Gates in Nova Town and a great guy when it comes to covert operations and science stuff."

"Nova Town…" Ash breathed, looking to Pikachu. He seemed to have the same idea in his head, scampering off Ash's shoulders and over to Aidan to sniff him.

"Pika!" he cried, as though recognizing some sort of smell. "Pikapi! Pika chu chu pi!"

"So…are you…Seamus' dad?" Sawyer and Miette looked at him with widened eyes, clearly recognizing the name from their time in the Kalos Team Tournament. Aidan once again adjusted his glasses, their frames glinting in the rising sun.

"I'm not surprised you figured it out…" Aidan replied. "What gave it away?"

"Seamus mentioned that his father was a researcher like his mother. That you left him because you didn't want to study the Four Gates anymore. It just made sense," Ash said, his eyes narrowing at the man whose departure had driven Seamus into the arms of Dalton.

"Yes…well…I have some regrets in my life," Aidan said, turning away. He appeared to heave a sigh. "Thank you, though. My son…he appears happier now."

"No problem," Ash confirmed, folding his arms. "So…is Lionel someone's long lost father, too?"

"No, no!" Jack said with a waving hand. "Lionel is just devoted to the cause. Though, truth be told…he lost his wife and daughter some years back. They were part of the organization. DARC's leader killed them. The amount of time I spent dissuading him from revenge…"

Ash hung his head. He hadn't known. He hadn't known any of this. About this dark and ugly side of the world. Part of him wished that he'd never known, yet at the same time, the gift of meeting his father had made it all seem worth it. The sun had now fully risen, and Ash felt the weight of the battle to come settle upon him. Looking over to Miette and Sawyer, he nodded at them. They nodded back. The sound of footsteps suddenly padded into the clearing.

"Mr. Ketchum, sir!" Derek's voice called out, rolling to a stop and bowing. "You need to see this!" All eyes near the graves turned their heads to the tablet that Derek was holding and saw a picture on the screen: a picture of Diantha, and Clemont…and Serena. "They're contacting everyone in the regions. They're preparing to fight."

"So…the time has already come," Jack muttered. "Aidan, you said someone other than DARC may have discovered AZ. Could they have been working for the Champion?"

"It's possible. They looked like members from that Alpha Squad of Team Neo, and my sources tell me they were released from prison. Though I doubt they were explicitly looking for AZ…more stumbled upon him and us."

"Unimportant," Jack said and he whipped around, proceeding towards the first clearing they had come into. Ash quickly followed after him, Aidan walking at his side with his hands behind his back. They quickly reached the larger clearing where the numerous agents of ARC had all turned to face their leader. "Well, gentlemen and ladies, this is it. We've located the last key. The world is on the move.

"If you wish to leave, I understand. But if you wish to fight, then fight with every breath you have! For your families and for our world. This is everything ARC's mission has been leading up to. Now it is time to move forward and gird ourselves in defense of this world. Stand strong. Fight with me. Move as one with me from this moment until our battle is over." Jack sucked in a breath and Ash could tell his father was carefully deliberating his next words before he could give the order to move out. Then he spoke and asked the only question that mattered. And clutching at his broken walkie-talkie, as if willing for Serena to hear the words in his head alongside it, he knew his answer.

"What say you?"

Serena's eyes were glued to the screen as those little green lights each signaled the connection of the Power Plant, and the communication device that Clemont had spent all night on, to almost every location in the world. It was a complete marvel. More than that was the screen that depicted the camera pointing straight at all of them. Diantha was centered in the screen, but Serena could also see herself. For a moment, she considered standing back, but then quickly shook her head. This was a major fight they were about to embark upon. There was no way she was backing down.

"Are we all set, Clemont?" Diantha asked, never once breaking her composure in front of the camera, truly befitting the state of the Kalos Champion and an actress of her caliber.

"Ready to go," Clemont informed her calmly. Diantha nodded and looked squarely into the camera.

"Citizens of our world," she began speaking powerfully, causing Serena's back to straighten proudly as she did so, "I hope this message reaches you all. As you may know, I am Diantha, the Champion of Kalos, and I stand before you today in an hour of utmost need.

"Our world stands on the brink of destruction, tearing at the seams. In just the last few months alone, the Kalos Region has been beset by crisis after crisis: Ancien, Nova, Team Flare. However, it now faces an enemy ruthless in nature, with a disregard for this world. Soldiers, who will stop at nothing to see this world wiped clean, reduced to rubble. I could go on, but I believe it would only strike fear, rather than courage…and what I need now is your courage. Courage to defend this world with everything you have! Now, I only ask you to give what you can, but for those willing to go far beyond your call of duty, I ask that you come to Kalos. Come and defend this world against our enemies! I humbly ask this of all trainers. Please, answer this call."

All around them, the Power Plant had gone silent, riveted by the Champion's words and pleading as she placed a hand on her chest and bowed. It had been a powerful statement, yet Serena felt that something was missing. Something which was rising in her chest and needed to be said. Without even thinking, the honey-blonde stepped forward, moving more into the focus of the camera. Clemont looked at her in shock and reached forward, but appeared to stop at the fierce look on her face.

"To my friends, the Ancien Warriors," she said, hardly believing that she was so willing to spread her words. She could hardly believe she was here, contacting every single region imaginable with her face plastered on those screens. Yet the feeling of courage and determination welled up inside her, drawing from that reservoir Ash had helped to dig inside of her. This was a call to arms, one that she wanted answered. "A few months back, we fought together against Zinnia and the Draconids, an experience shared by only us. Yet only moments before, we had been at each other's throats. The bonds we forged that day are bonds forever in my heart and mind. So, like Champion Diantha, I ask you from the bottom of my heart: stand and fight with me one last time. Stand tall! Let's defend our world the way we defended Ancien: together!"

It was a resounding declaration, one that made Serena's chest heave with the weight of it all. She stepped back, hoping that her message was heard as she paid attention to the screens. Next to her, Clemont reached up and put a hand on her shoulder to squeeze it. She nodded, hoping beyond hope that her message would be heard. She had waited with bated breath alongside her friends and the Champion for almost a minute.

Then Aria's face appeared on the screen, a soft smile gracing it.

"Serena, I've heard your message loud and clear," the pink-haired Kalos Queen said with confidence. "As Kalos Queen, and Ancien Warrior, and as your friend…I will fight by your side!"

"Aria!" Serena said, a radiant smile blossoming on her face. Next to her face, another screen suddenly lit up displaying Gary's face and his cocksure smile.

"Tell us where to go and we'll be there in a flash!" he said, saluting her lazily. Another screen soon lit up, and one by one they were all covered in a bunch of familiar faces, all with something to say. Clemont's work had paid off.

"Greetings from Johto! Brock and I are on stage and on call!"

"May!" Dawn yelled out, coming to stand in the picture. Brock was in the background waving as some trainers at the Pokémon Center stared at them.

"Clemont, you've certainly gotten yourself into more trouble than usual! What is this? The third situation?" Meyer spoke, wiping a dish down as he did so in front of his computer.

"Fourth, dad," Clemont said sheepishly. "Will you fight, dad?"

"Like you need to ask! I'll even drag the professor if I need to!"

"Me, too, Clemont! Count me in to be there!" Korrina said cheerily. She wasn't the only Gym Leader from the region who appeared on the screen…though she was the only one to make Clemont blush.

"Quite the turn-out Diantha," said a cool voice that Serena didn't recognize. It belonged to a woman with long blonde hair and a cool expression. "Champion Cynthia, reporting for duty. Make sure to give us your orders."

"Well, I'm not sure we'll need you here," Diantha admitted. "This is a world crisis, after all."

"World crisis or not, we're ready to rumble! Right, Chris?" Serena's face lit up even more at the sight of the familiar turquoise haired girl waving at them on the screen. Next to Bethany, Christopher nodded. Rocky quickly shoved himself in the picture with a grin.

"Sorry that Seamus isn't here, but how've you guys been? Astrid?" he asked. The other blonde in the room stood forward with her own wave.

"What's up, Rocky?" she asked with a smirk, causing the boy to flush a little. One by one, Serena scanned the pictures of all those who had managed to contact them. Ancien Warriors, Nova Nine, friends, family, trainers, Champions. It didn't matter who they were, or from what cloth they were cut; all that mattered was that they were all standing in defense of the world they all loved so much. It made Serena's heart swell with pride. Diantha once more took the reins.

"Very well! Thank you for answering the call!" she said, her own smile upon her face. "From this moment forward, we stand as one force, no matter if our objectives may differ. For now, standby for instructions, but hold onto faith. We're trainers, and for all the love towards this world and the people and Pokémon that reside in it, we will fight. We stand together as trainers!"

"YEAH!" cried all the voices simultaneously on the screen and in the room. At the same time, Serena raised her fist, clasped tightly, into the air. Across the room and on the screens, almost every other trainer did the same. It was more than a sign of their intended victory, but proof of the bond they all shared, and all the trials they faced. With that, everyone quickly went into standby mode, only for Serena to hear a sudden scoff.

"Look at you guys, all playing nice again…" Serena grimaced at the unmistakable sound of Travis' voice, turning to see the redhead sitting up, having finally recovered. It seemed that someone had patched him up further in the nighttime, wrapping fresh bandages around his wound. Not that it made him any more pleasant, which was obvious when even Alain was glaring down at him. Diantha turned.

"Travis, it's about time you're awake," she said coldly, taking steps towards him. He scoffed again.

"Can't believe I'm back with the Useless Champion again…" he said bitterly. "It wasn't supposed to turn out this way but that idiot father of mine…tch!"

"Father?" Serena asked, watching as Travis winced from the obvious pain in his chest. Travis looked up at her with a snarl on his face. She glared right back at him, refusing to back down. In her periphery, Serena could see Gary glaring at the redhead and shaking his head.

"Yeah, Carl…he's my worthless dad. Can you believe he gutted me like some animal?" Travis spat angrily. "All I wanted to do was join him and take revenge but he wouldn't even afford me that…"

Diantha suddenly stopped before Travis and leaned down to be at eye level with the sadistic boy. He looked back at her, appearing uncomfortable before Diantha spoke one word. "Talk."

"Why should I? I've got nothing to say to y-"

She slapped him, leaving him dazed. "Talk. Now. I don't have patience for you anymore."

Travis' lip twisted into the nastiest expression that he could find as he glared at her and her stern expression. Eventually, though, the look softened, hardening his eyes. He clutched at his chest. "Fine, but on one condition. Whatever you do with him, the second I'm healed, you leave that bastard of a father of mine to me. He wants to gut me, I'll run him through."

"As sadistic as ever, I see…" Diantha sighed out, but Serena could see the utmost resignation on her face. It wasn't like they had much of a choice. "Very well. I suppose I can grant you that one request."

"Good," he said, a smirk gracing his lips. "Well, I don't know much, since I was half-dead at the time they talked about it, but it seemed that they found this 'weapon' they were looking for, somewhere near Geosenge, I think. More than that, though, dear daddy mentioned a key to the weapon and the man who had it. The fat slob, Cedric, located it with some surveillance network and they were heading there next."

"With Bonnie, no doubt," Clemont said. On the screen, Meyer suddenly looked furious. "If that's where they're going, we need to know its location fast so I can rescue her."

"Agreed," Diantha spoke. She quickly reached for her tablet, the one she had been so focused on and swiped across the screen, as if trying to reach someone. Serena leaned over to catch a glimpse and was surprised when three familiar faces appeared on the screen: Alpha Squad's. "Please tell me you have something, Tau."

"We do, Madam Champion. En route to the Power Plant as we speak," the voice of Tau boomed out. Serena was taken aback by the fact that the leader of Alpha Squad was taking orders from the Champion, but when the man managed to catch sight of her, it began to make sense; his subtle nod at her proved that. He was a man devoted to change, albeit in a more peaceful fashion than he had prior. "We contacted some of our own underworld friends to follow the trail on this 'weapon'. We couldn't learn much since it seems that this 'Father of the Dark' has gone to ground, but we did learn of another organization: calls themselves ARC. They were relatively easier to track. We followed them and found them locating a 'key' on the Menhir Trail. I have a feeling that's where this DARC will be heading."

"ARC, huh?" Serena said. Dawn, Astrid, and the rest of their friends all looked at her, seeming to understand the meaning behind the words that Tau had spoken. "That means Ash will be heading there."

"Ash?" Diantha spoke. "Am I to take it that it means the battle will begin there?"

Serena nodded, and stepped away from the group, heading right for her bag, placed against the wall where she had been sleeping that morning. As she went for it, she walked past Reeree.

"You're fools, you know," she said softly, prompting Serena to suddenly stop. Turning to look at her alternate self, she noticed Reeree's downcast expression. "You're up against DARC. You're up against yourselves! They don't take prisoners unless they have a use for them. Pretty language won't save you from The Seven, or what's left of them, and they'll all be barreling down towards that spot. Paul is vicious; Gary doesn't hesitate; Mimi is vindictive and manipulative; Clime is a brilliant tactician who won't hesitate to use his alternate sister as a shield; Cedric and Carl, they're just strong. Strong enough that even your friend Alain looks to have been on the end of their beatings. Even I've done my share of dirty deeds without hesitating…I almost killed you…"

"That doesn't matter," Serena said, clenching her fists at her sides. "We have something to fight for."

"So do we," Reeree responded. "What do you think we've been fighting for?"

Serena pursed her lips, trying to think of what she could say to the girl. It no longer felt odd staring into her own face without the same memories, but she could see the burning desire mirrored. They both wanted to protect their worlds, however that was supposed to happen, but Serena wanted to make her own feelings known. "I know, and that's why we won't give in."

"That's…" Reeree appeared to choke, unable to find the words to say. Eventually, she appeared to resign herself to whatever Serena's decision had been. "I just hope you know what you're doing…and don't expect me to fight with you. I don't want to betray my friends, even if I don't want to see your world die."

"Then, come with us," Serena expressed, reaching forward and taking her counterpart's hands. To her surprise, Reeree didn't draw back. "Talk with them. Maybe we can work something out. Maybe we can convince them…"

"Doubtful," Reeree said. Serena knew deep down that was likely the case, but she wanted to try. She had broken through to Reeree, so it would surely have been possible for the others to understand as well. "But I will go with you. They're my friends, after all."

"As long as you allow us to keep an eye on you," Diantha's voice called out. Both Serena and Reeree turned to face the older woman. "It's fine for you to not betray your friends, but I would rather not have you on the battlefield against us."

"How could I fight anyway? You have my Pokémon," Reeree pointed out.

"Don't worry, Diantha. I'll watch over her," Serena assured her. "Maybe we can figure something out. You're close to Mimi, right? Would she listen to you?"

"I'm not sure…"

"Regardless, you shouldn't do this alone," Astrid said. "I'll watch over her with you. Let's all see this battle through to the end. Maybe then we can sit down and talk, no? Not as enemies, but as people?" Reeree blinked, as though surprised that Astrid was showing even a modicum of faith in her. Serena had to admit her surprise as well. Maybe it was from hearing Reeree's past, but Astrid giving that small recognition to the girl seemed to have changed everything.

"Yes…I'll do what I can. I…I don't want to fight…especially if your Ash is on the battlefield," she answered. "It would be like ripping my heart out all over again."

"Excellent," Diantha stated, sweeping back over to the IRCS. "Now that that's settled, trainers, it's time for us to move. Our location: the Menhir Trail. Champions, I ask that you rally your regions. I will stay behind at the Power Plant and coordinate efforts while the majority of our forces go to the site of the conflict. However, those of you staying at your locations, gird your regions! If this weapon should fire, do anything and everything you can to protect your people. For those coming to Kalos, my League helicopters are standing by and ready for action. Be strong; hold fast, fellow trainers!

"Everyone, prepare for battle!"

*Chapter continued in next post...
 
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