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Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:30 PM

Chapter 25: Burdens

Spoiler:
Like the final pieces of the puzzle fitting, the team was finally complete.

The seven from Kanto, the three from Johto, the two from Hoenn, and the three from Sinnoh – and their respective pokémon, all gathered loosely within the secret sanctuary near Pallet Town. Three lamplights acting as their campfires.

Ritchie, the blue-eyed Trainer from Frodomar City – Kanto region, gathered the data of everyone else’s pokémon with his pokédex – excited with every new information.

Tracey, the traveling sketch-artist currently based in Pallet Town – Kanto region, shared drawings and tips with the young woman that eagerly went through his notebook.

Bianca, the fellow sketch-artist from Alto Mare – Johto region, shuffled through her scraps of paper in the hopes of finding one that could impress the veteran artist beside her.

Casey, the baseball enthusiast from New Bark Town – Johto region, continued reading the book that was lent to her – her mind completely entranced by the epic battle occurring within its pages.

Angie, the tomboy from the Solaceon Town Day Care Center – Sinnoh region, read over Casey’s shoulder – waiting for a chance to ask for the girl’s opinion of the book she had grown up with.

Solana, the traveling Pokémon Ranger from the Fiore region – now currently based in the Hoenn region, struck another embarrassing pose with her plusle, much to the delight of her photographer.

Todd, the professional photographer from the Kanto region, snapped several shots of the famous Pokémon Ranger. He happily anticipated the day when he could publish all the photos he had earned in this venture.

May, the now Empathic Coordinator from Petalburg City – Hoenn region, chatted awkwardly with her old friend – trying her best to hide any personal stories she had with their crush.

Misty, the Gym Leader of Cerulean City – Kanto region, conversed with uncomfortable casualness – wondering what her friend was hiding from her.

Slightly away from the rest, Liza, the guardian of the Charicific Valley – Johto region, prepared an empty grave for her fallen charizards. Her remaining charizards helped and mourned with her.

Dawn, the talented Coordinator from Twinleaf Town – Sinnoh region, eavesdropped a private meeting between four members hidden deeper in the woods.

The four that attended the concealed conference were Pokémon Trainer Ash of Pallet Town – Kanto region, Psychic Gym Leader Sabrina of Saffron City Gym – Kanto region, Fighting Gym Leader Maylene of Veilstone City Gym – Sinnoh region, and Salon Maiden Anabel, Frontier Brain of the Kanto region Battle Tower.



“I can’t sense her.” Ash sighed and scratched his chin. “I can sense her, but it’s not… in her. It’s around her.” he tried his best to explain it.

Anabel, her face still expressionless, nodded. “I feel the same way… I can’t feel anything inside me. But I know it’s still there. Just not inside.” She leaned against Ash, hoping the closeness would help her feel again.



Nothing.

Sabrina studied Anabel’s thoughts carefully, trying to solve the mystery that had bothered them since the Empathic Trainer’s rescue.

Her eyes squinted, as lapses of tortured memories flashed from Anabel’s mind.

“They blocked it.” Maylene interrupted the psychic investigation. “And they succeeded.”

The three turned towards her.

“Team Rocket…” the fighter continued. “…This is similar to the training manuals I read. The ones that I learned how to make myself blank with. But this is a different kind.”

She sighed and looked up into the night sky, the faraway lamplights giving the leaves above an orange reflection. This place is beautiful… she thought to herself, ashamed that such dark confessions would ruin the scenery.

“…I saw some prototype manuals on it… some kind of experiment for the researchers. They can block out someone’s own thoughts, emotions, or aura from themselves.”

Sabrina’s slightly weakened state suddenly went alive in reaction to this new information. “Team Rocket can do this?! Why have you not mentioned this before?

“Because it was just an experiment… they didn’t get very far with it.” Maylene shrugged. “Those they blocked out thoughts, supposedly only had temporary forms of amnesia – so that test proved too minimal in effectiveness to be of any use. The ones that blocked out auras, made no immediate effects, but would eventually give random side-effects in the long run – so that test proved to be too random to be anything conclusive. But the one with emotions…”

The fighter paused. She stared at Anabel… watching her emotionless eyes, feeling absolute pity for her.

“…it would normally drive a person insane when their emotions were locked out.” she finished. “But to an Empathic? I can only assume they were able to successfully do it without that side-effect.”

Ash’s hand gripped onto Anabel’s ruined coat. “What… What in the world would they gain from that experiment?!”

“A weapon.” Sabrina answered.

“A weapon?”

The Psychic nodded and explained, “During the battle on the isle, Anabel was able to use her Empathy as a projectile weapon. I’m no expert on Empathy, but I doubt it ever had that capability on its own.”

“We don’t have that capability. We can only read emotions and intentions.” the Empathic Trainer supported. “Other than that, we can send emotion-fueled shouts and commands… but nothing actually physical.”

Ash could feel sadness from her, but not from within her. Inside, she felt empty. Hollow.

Sabrina flexedher mind and produced a small orb of purple and blue energy. “When Psychics and Aura users focus their power, they can produce physical manifestations of their thoughts or energies. But to constantly use them drains us physically. This is because the energy directly comes from within us. It uses our mental or life force to fuel itself…

“In essence, we are extensions of our powers, and not vice versa.”

She stood and faced Ash and Anabel. “I would assume you Empathics have this ability as well… however, due to the nature of emotions, it cannot be concentrated into physical form. Physical energy is solid, similar to rocks or other obviously physical objects. Psychic energy is sharp yet fluid, similar to water. Aura energy is attached yet free, similar to fire. Emotional energy, on the other hand, is more akin to wind – soft yet intangible.

“You can hold rocks, you can push water, you can transfer fire, but you cannot control the wind. You can only block it, redirect it, or suffocate it. It is not yours to control or hold.”

“Lovely poem, but what does that mean?” Maylene leaned back and sighed. Metaphors were not her specialty.

“When wind is prevented or funneled, it becomes erratic.” Sabrina completed the allegory. “If Anabel’s emotions are not allowed to go through her, she cannot be drained from her Empathy like Psychics and Aura users become when they use their powers – and as a side-effect, it will also cause the Empathy to fall out of her control. All things need energy and must release energy, and if that energy is not taken or given, the object without energy will release energy into and sap energy from others to fuel and spend itself.”

“That’s like the anti-thing I learned!” Maylene sat up, finally interested now that she understood. “The technique I learned creates an empty power that eats up other energies!”

“Except yours can never be satisfied.” the Psychic warned. “Anabel’s Empathy can be. It releases itself physically and overloads itself into those who can hold emotions. Energy taken and emotions given, at the cost of the victim’s emotional sanity.”

Maylene whistled, impressed. “That’s deadly.” How in the world does this lady figure out this stuff??

“As we speak, every emotion Anabel is feeling is feeding off Ash’s energy.”

Maylene and Anabel turned towards Ash.

Tears were flowing down his eyes, he didn’t notice them.

Inside, he felt angry, upset, depressed, panicked, and absolutely confused. He had thought they were his own feelings… but Sabrina’s explanation had revealed to him otherwise.

These are Anabel’s emotions…

He faced her. Her worried emotions transferring to him and through him.

How do I stop this? How do I fix me?” the Frontier Brain’s volume escalated, but no emotional tone came from them.

Ash felt her desperation.

In a flicker of light, a large ring of energy shot out from the lilac-haired girl.

Everyone ducked out of the attack’s path. The ring exploded into a sparkle of colors as they collided with the trees.

“I can’t… feel… anything…” the young man whispered. “I can’t… FEEL ANY-”

His scream was cut short by Maylene’s hand.

She held him close as he continued screaming into her.

The fighter glared angrily towards Anabel. “Stop it! You’re driving him insane!

Sabrina was ready to silence the female Empathic’s emotions by attacking her mind… but the bond had made her take a different approach.

Her hand rested on Anabel’s shoulder. “It’s alright. We’ll find a way to fix you…

Ash slowed his breathing and began sobbing. “I wish I could feel something…



Dawn quietly backed away and turned…

“Ow!”

Only to bump heads with another person.

“Watch where you’re going!” May hissed as she rubbed her forehead.

“May??? Misty???” Dawn nearly shouted in surprise. “Wh-What are you two doing here??”

“Misty?” May tilted her head and turned around.

She nearly yelped at the sight of the orange-haired Gym Leader standing behind her.

“Wh-What are you doing here???”

Misty sighed at their shocked reactions. “Seriously? Why else would I be here?”

The three girls looked down… each one feeling the heavy weight of depression, as none of them could do anything to improve the situation that had befallen Anabel. Powerless…

Ahem!

The three girls jumped back, frightened by the sound.

It was Maylene.

She stood with a hand on her hip and annoyance in her eyes. “What the heck are you four doing eavesdropping on a private meeting?”

“Four?” May looked around in confusion.

Angie! Get down here! I know you’re up there!”

Rustle.

Angie’s head popped out from the leaves above. “How the heck did you find me??”

“Because Sabrina’s a Psychic, you idiots!” Maylene tapped her foot inirritation. She turned towards May. “You know, for an Empathic, you sure are terrible at sensing people.”

Dawn, Misty, and Angie glared at May. “EMPATHIC??”

May didn’t feel cornered, she was literally cornered.

She waved her hands apologetically and gave a nervous laugh. “I – I was going to tell you guys l-later…”

“When did you become an Empathic?!” Angie growled from above. “Us normal folks are seriously getting outnumbered!”

“That’s exactly what I said!” Maylene laughed.

Her face turned serious soon after. “No time for stories or jokes. May, we need you.”

The Empathic Coordinator pointed at herself. “M-Me?”

“Seeing that I’m the only other May here, and I don’t think I’d be referring to myself, yes. Yes, I was referring to you May, May.” The fighter grabbed her by the wrist and began walking. “Oh, and we also need Misty and Angie. So come on over.”

“Wh-What about me?!” Dawn was about to cry. She felt Ash getting further and further away again. His life becoming far too involved with others to need her anymore.

No… don’t go without me… I need you Ash…

The four girls were wandering away into the darkness… slowly leaving Dawn by herself.

She had never felt more alone in her life.

“Dawn! Can you bring Espeon’s poké ball? It’s by Ash’s backpack!” May called out from the distance.

“Y-Yeah! I can do that!” Dawn ran back to the sanctuary, happy to be able to join them.



The new Empathic wasn’t used to sensing people’s emotions without being blindfolded, but it was impossible for her to ignore the Coordinator’s distress.

Despite Dawn being a threat to her personal relationship with Ash, May couldn’t stand seeing her friend that hurt and alone.

No one deserves that…

That thought lingered in her mind when she finally realized an extremely important question that everyone else had seemed to ignore…

At the end of all this… who is Ash going to choose?



_________________________________________________________



“What do you think they’re doing in there?”

“Technically we’re in, they’re out. So… it’d be ‘out there’.”

“What’s with the grammar police here?”

“Is that really grammar? Or is that situational definition?”

“Is that even a thing?”

The group chatted amongst each other – their individual activities suddenly halted after Dawn had entered and left in a hurry. Curiosity of the missing teammates took over everyone’s interests.

Latias put her finger to her lips, gesturing for the others to go silent.

She blurred, turning invisible in seconds.

Oooh, sneaky. Tell us all about it, Latias!” Tracey encouraged.

“SHHHHHHH!!!” the rest of the team hushed him.

The sanctuary turned quiet.



“Wait.” Casey broke the silence. “How can she tell us what happened?”

Several within the group hung their heads and sighed.

“Well, I can understand her.” Bianca pointed out. “I can talk for her.”

“Nice!” Ritchie cheered. “That’s pretty cool! Having a friend who can go invisible and mimic you? Sounds like you can get out of some pretty messy situations with a friend like that!”

Bianca laughed in embarrassment. “Actually, she gets me into more trouble because of it.”

The group shared small laughs.

So Bianca…” Todd leaned forward. “We all talked about what happened in our crazy little adventure… but we never heard what happened when Ash came to visit you.”

“Yeah, even Dawn kept avoiding that conversation.” Tracey pointed out.

“And Casey here won’t say a word about it.” Ritchie bumped his shoulder against hers.

Casey grumbled and bumped back.

“So that leaves you to tell us what happened.” The Pokémon Photographer smirked mischievously – extremely curious of what her reaction would be.

Solana and Liza, who had been quietly playing cards in the corner, both quickly crawled over.

“I’ll admit that even I want to hear this.” Liza pulled over a backpack and sat on it.

Solana flopped onto her stomach, and leaned her chin against her forearms. “How is Alto Mare this time of year?”

“I… uh… uhm…” Bianca looked around her. She was completely surrounded.

“Come on! Tell us!”

“Did something ‘special’ happen there?”

“She’s blushing! Something DID happen!”

“You can’t back out now. Tell us! Tell us!”

“Er… the thing is…”

“Oh for crying out loud!” Casey stood and walked over to Bianca. She sat down beside her and stretched her limbs. “We’ll tell it together.”

“Wait! I – I don’t think we should!” Bianca panicked.

“Well good thing I’m not thinking right now.” Casey took off her baseball cap and slipped a stick of bubblegum into her mouth. “Gather around kiddies! Cuz Auntie Casey and BiBi have a tale to tell!”

BiBi?? What kind of name is that?!”

“Hey, I started the story – storytellers get to choose names. You’re BiBi, I’m Auntie Casey, and this is the magnificent tale of Sato! The Man Who Hit the Reset Button!”

The audience applauded eagerly.

Bianca buried her face in her hands in utter embarrassment. “Ash is going to kill us…”



_________________________________________________________



A large wave of emotion crashed out of Anabel, tears fell from her eyes – continuing to soak her already drenched coat.

Her nails dug deep wounds into her two closest extensions…

Espeon yowled in agony. The emotions the Sun Pokémon recognized most from Anabel ran through her… memories flashed within her mind, each one attached to an emotion the Empathic would always remember for her beloved pokémon…

She wanted to falter – to forever be sucked into the Empathy and give it everything it ever wanted. It was Anabel, her master, her partner, her friend. Why shouldn’t she? Why shouldn’t she sacrifice herself for her?

Espeon! Focus!

The psychic call returned the pokémon’s consciousness back into reality.

Sabrina kneeled a short distance away from her, with palms spread open.

Control the emotions. Form them into memories and transfer them to me.

Espeon growled, the gem on its forehead glowing bright in response to its mental struggle.

Sabrina could feel its mind on the brink of insanity. She could no longer keep her own safety as a priority.

The Psychic took a step forward, reaching out towards Espeon.

Sensing the intrusion of an unwanted entity, the fury and rage of Anabel flared out – attempting to consume the Psychic that had wandered too close.

ESPEON!

Sabrina planted her palm against the pokémon’s gem.

TRANSFER THEM!

A glimmer of violet light entered Sabrina’s arm.

Success!

Espeon fainted.

“Move out of the way, Sabrina!!” Maylene called out.

A roar of violent energy dove down, missing the dodging Psychic by inches.

Sabrina rolled and exited the threat zone.

The energy halted in its hunt and returned to patrolling the area around Anabel.

She let out a sigh of relief.

Now it’s up to Misty…

Anabel, it is Ash’s turn.

Anabel looked towards Sabrina, her eyes still red from tears – yet remained emotionless. She nodded.

“Ash…”

Another wave of emotion released.

The female Empathic grunted in pain. Tears rained from her eyes once again.

Her grip renewed, digging deeper into a bare shoulder. Blood ran down Ash’s skin, as Anabel’s nails widened the wounds she had already set on him.

Ash’s breathing quickened. He tried his best to hold back the howls of pain.

“Focus on your center, Ash. Just feel the Aura in your center.” Maylene coached from afar – using the lessons she had learned with Lucario to improve their pain tolerance. “Focus on your breathing. Feel it go to your center, then back out.”

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Ash roared in agony… not from his own pain, but from Anabel’s.

Her emotions of love, loyalty, and care passed through him – bringing memories of the female Empathic’s countless tortures.

She had endured for him. Held out for him. Gave nothing away… all for him. She protected Ash in the only way she could. No one would hurt Ash. Not her Ash. She’d never give him up. She never did. And she was punished for it.

They tried nonstop to break her. If her heart would not break, then perhaps her mind? Perhaps her body?

The fear she felt when she read those emotions – were real to Ash… his body shivered, his mind locked itself away. It would only be the beginning. If only she would just give in, if only she would give them what they want – they’d comfort her, please her, free her from this pain that she kept inflicting on herself. They weren’t bad… they were trying to protect her from herself.

Anabel had shaken and fought those thoughts away. They tried controlling her into obedience. They tried manipulating her into submission.

But she never obeyed. She never submitted. And she was punished for it.

“ANABEL!!!!!!!” Ash cried out. “ANABEL!!! ANAAABELLLLLL!!!!”

Everyone that watched, now turned away – unable to bear the pain they saw in his blank eyes.

Dawn covered her ears and began sobbing. “Stop it, Ash! STOP IT!!” His cries were too much for her.

She wanted to run to him, to comfort him, to stop his pain. But she couldn’t. She wouldn’t be allowed in.

“Misty!” Sabrina yelled.

“Ash…” The Cerulean City Gym Leader held out her hand. “Let it go… let me hold it.”

“NO!!!!”

The voice that had come out of Ash was not his.

“It’s Ash’s! I gave it to him! It’s his!!” Ash and Anabel yelled in unison.

The swirling fireball of fury and rage blocked Misty’s way.

Sabrina turned towards the tomboy.

“Looks like I’m up.” Angie crackedher neck and rolled her shoulders.

Confidently, she stepped into the hazard zone.

“Hey, Anne! Over here!!!”

Anabel, along with her enraged ball of emotions, turned towards her.

“That’s right, right here!” Angie taunted her to strike.

“Anj…” the female Empathic’s voice was cold, influencing the red and orange energy of anger to turn ice cold in colors. “…step out. Right. Now.”

“And what if I don’t?”

“Then I will kill you.”

“Why? Do you really have that much of an inferiority complex?” Angie shrugged as she continued to mock the heartless Empathic. “Afraid I might… win Ash over?

That was it.

Anabel let go of Ash and forced her raging emotions to strike at the insolent young woman.

“Misty! Now!”

“Ash!!!”

Ash exhaled and released all his held emotions into Misty.

Anabel turned. “NO!!!” The cold fury turned hot and burned towards Ash’s extension.

“MAYLENE!”

“On it!” The fighter ran towards the infuriated force and controlled her breathing.

Come on, Maylene. You got this. You got this. Just like before.

A slow breath out.

A slow breath in.

Maylene closed her eyes and let the Emptiness return.

Everything went silent.

Ash, Misty, and Sabrina fainted immediately.

The Empathic and Psychic energies in the immediate area separated themselves from their physical containers – their powers becoming inhaled by the void that rested in the pit of the fighter’s center.

Churning to a single point, the mixed emotional and mental forces glowed in a wonderful display of light and warmth within Maylene’s hands.

Dawn, Pikachu, and Latias leaned closer – dazzled by the sight.

Angie scratched her nose and watched carefully.

Maylene’s eyetwitched.

Finding the fighter’s signal, Angie pushed the blank-faced girl towards the ball of emotion. “Soup’s ready, Anne. Drink up and feel better.”

Maylene instinctively gave the energy to its rightful owner.

The light and warmth touched Anabel’s chest.

“Ah-!”

She let out a gasp as her emotions and memories returned. Her eyes lit up. “I can…!”

“Not done yet!” Angie patted Maylene on the back, gesturing the fighter to stop. “May! Close her up!”

“Just did.” The pink-haired woman blinked at her.

“Not you. The other May!”

The Empathic Coordinator slid in and ran towards the off-balanced Frontier Brain.

“Here goes nothing!” May pulled her bandana over her eyes and rubbed her hands together. She pressed her warmed palms against Anabel’s heart.





“A lot… better.” Anabel sighedand smiled.

She fainted.



Latias beganclapping.

“Thank you! Thank you!” Angie bowed.

“Will you be here all week?” Maylene joked as she bowed too.

“If I have to carry all these bodies back by myself, probably.”

They looked back. Ash, Anabel, Espeon, and Sabrina were dead asleep. Misty simply raised her hand, gesturing for assistance.

May walked over and lifted her up. “You okay?”

“…that was…” the orange-haired Gym Leader mumbled inaudibly.

“Huh?”

“…was mine…” She lost consciousness.

May shrugged her shoulders and turned towards the others. “Can I have some help?”

They nodded.

Pikachu and Latias carried the downed Espeon.

Angie threw Anabel onto her back. “Come on, Anne. Can’t rest out here.”

Maylene picked up the Psychic. “I have no idea where this lady gets her insane ideas for cures, but man is she effective.”

The tomboy raised a brow as she carried the Empathic through the woods. “What I don’t get is why she just didn’t ask you to absorb all those powers when Anabel here built up her emotions. We could’ve skipped out on all that other stuff.”

Maylene laughed in response. “Well she did say that if we didn’t filter out those emotions that it would’ve been bad. Something about handling it all at once could’ve ended me or something.”

“I guess that’s important.” Angie laughed with her.



“Dawn?” May turned towards her fellow Coordinator. “…can you carry Ash?”

The blue-haired girl sat in silence, tears rolling down her eyes.

“I… don’t…”

With the bandana still over her eyes, the Empathic Coordinator sensed for the girl’s emotions carefully.

She had hoped the others would leave Ash so that Dawn would feel useful, as she had been considering herself useless throughout the entire experience.

But now… Dawn felt worse.

“I… I don’t deserve to.”

“Dawn…”

“All of you do so much for each other… I didn’t even know what was happening half the time you were all doing that.” The Sinnoh Coordinator looked away with shame. “I’m so useless…”

Her words broke May’s heart. She knew exactly how Dawn felt, almost far too exact. But unlike Ash, she didn’t know what she could do to change her mind.

“You’re a talented Coordinator, Dawn… in fact, I think you’re even a better Coordinator than me.” she admitted, recalling their match in the Wallace Cup. “You’re not useless. Ash needs you for this mission. More than he probably needs me as a Coordinator. I just had years of a head start over you. Give yourself a few years and you’ll surpass me.”

May gave an encouraging smile, hoping that the young girl wouldn’t mimic the ‘and what are you’ speech she gave to Ash in the Rocket Tunnel. I honestly would have no idea what to say to that…

Dawn crawled over and slowly lifted Ash onto her shoulder.

She walked silently into the thick trees.

I’m glad she’s moving at least…

The blue Coordinator stopped and plainly admitted, “I… don’t really care about being a Coordinator without Ash…”

With a grunt, she continued her march back to the sanctuary.



“…you and me both, kid.”



_________________________________________________________



The private meeting had ended, and its participants returned to the sanctuary.

First to arrive was Angie, with Anabel piggybacked. The tomboy’s hair was a mess, and the others could smell that it was slightly burnt. Oppositely, Anabel’s hair remained perfectly intact, though her clothes were soaking wet.

Then came Latias, with Pikachu and Espeon lying on her illusionary shoulders. Latias, as always, looked perfectly clean – though her eyes suggested recent shock and worry. Pikachu also seemed perfectly fine visually, though showed obvious concern for the other pokémon riding with him. The Sun Pokémon was in horrible shape… her fur stiff and frayed, and with four noticeable wound marks on its back. Despite this, she was sleeping soundly.

Dawn and Maylene appeared together, one carrying Sabrina, and the other carrying Ash.

Maylene, as usual, looked slightly unkempt yet cheerful. Stains of all kinds marked her already dirty clothes. The Psychic on her back looked in similar condition. Though unlike the fighter, she was unconscious and mumbling in a fitful sleep.

The Coordinator seemed in almost perfect condition, except for her tired eyes. Ash, on the other hand, looked… ravaged. Half of his shirt and vest were torn off completely, almost as if burned off. Blood was dripping from his shoulder. His face didn’t seem to show care, as he snored loudly in a blissful sleep.

Lastly, May entered into the sanctuary, with Misty fading in and out of consciousness on her back. The two seemed mostly unharmed. May’s only injury was in her hands, which were a soft off-color pink – as if its old skin had been peeled off.

In whole, the returning group was in shambles, and seemed relieved to be back to an area with light.



“Looks like that private meeting seemed a lot more private than it should have been.” Todd joked as he gestured towards Ash.

The group laughed uneasily.

Maylene gladly helped the joke, “Oh yeah. We all took turns! It was pretty intense. You shoulda’ been there.”

The fighter was instantly tackled and kicked by two of her helping companions.

Angie and May’s faces were completely pink from the fighter’s explicit insinuation.

Even Latias seemed to blush at the idea.

What?! We d-didn’t –!!!” May nearly dropped her passenger. She panicked to rebalanced.

“Y-You’re sick, Maylene!” Angie gave another kick.

Maylene dodged and laughed. “Calm down! Calm down! It’s just a joke!”

Dawn tilted her head. “Huh? Joke?” Completely oblivious.

The fighter grinned. “At least one of us is innocent.” She nudged Dawn. “We’ll tell you when you get older.”

“Older?” The Coordinator pouted, “I’m not some kid!”

“Well you are the youngest of all of us.” Bianca pointed out with an air of superiority.

Er… BiBi?” Casey pointed at her nose. “Nosebleed.”

“Hm?” She looked down. “Ah!

Bianca covered her face with one hand as she desperately tried to wipe away the nosebleed with the other.

The group laughed.

S-So…” The center of attention tried to recover herself. “What were you guys doing in there?”

‘Out’ there.” Ritchie corrected.

“Seriously, call the grammar police.” Casey sighed.

“In there. Out there. Whatever.” Bianca successfully stopped and cleaned her previous embarrassment. “What were you all doing without us?”

“Yeah, it looks like you all had a fight!” Solana leaned back and allowed Plusle to sit on her lap. “It definitely sounded like a fight.”

“Or something else entirely.” Todd coughed.

Angie kicked his head. “Shush, perv.”

“The charizards haven’t seen any activity above or around the forest.” Liza mentioned as she sipped from her can of coffee. “So unless someone attacked underground, I’m assuming you all had a private sparring session with one another?”

“Pff! I wish!” Maylene slowly rested Sabrina against a tree.

Angie did the same for Anabel. “Actually, we were just fixing up Anne over here.”

“Fixing?” Casey stuck her bubblegum to a rock and casually rested her head on her knees. “Something was wrong with her?”

Todd sat up and massaged the bump forming on the side of his head. “Well, she was going berserk back at the isle. I’m guessing that wasn’t natural for her.”

“Definitely not natural.” The tomboy nodded. “She just needed a little tune-up. It was little troublesome, but she’s all fine and dandy now.”

“That’s good to hea–”

Solana was cut off by a loud SNORE.

Angie had fallen asleep next to Anabel instantly.

She was not the only one to fall asleep. Maylene and May had dozed off, their expressions showing complete exhaustion.

Dawn was the last non-pokémon from the private meeting that hadn’t fallen asleep.

She sat uncomfortably against a tree, as Ash’s slumbering body curled up against her.

Latias put her finger up to her lip and smiled to the group. The Eon Pokémon lightly placed Espeon on Anabel’s lap and silently hopped towards Bianca. Finding a comfortable spot to rest, she removed her light illusion and relaxed her body. Long day…

You have to tell me what happened later. Bianca sent her thoughts to the pokémon companion.

Long story…

The pokémon fell asleep.





“We heard the story about your trip with Ash…”

Dawn’s eyes widened.

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:32 PM

Chapter 26: Worth

Spoiler:
“We heard the story about your trip with Ash…” Tracey sat next to Dawn, facing away. “…is it true?”

The blue Coordinator adjusted herself, trying to disguise the fact that she was trying to cover Ash’s ears with her skirt.

Er… What – What do you mean?”

“That he’s Sato.”

“Wh-Who told you that?”

“Casey and Bianca.”

Dawn looked down, not knowing what to say. This conversation wasn’t supposed to happen. That story wasn’t supposed to be told. Everyone was supposed to keep it a secret; Ash had bound them to that promise. ‘It would cause too much problems’ he had said.

And now the problems were starting…



“So it’s true?”

“…yes.”

Tracey sighed. “So what do you think?”

“What do I think about what?”

“That we’re repeating history…”

Dawn’s eyes narrowed. “…repeating history?”

“The same disaster’s going to happen all over again. It’s almost the same exact situation, just with different places and characters.”

“…different characters…”

Tracey looked up to the full moon and covered it with his palm. He turned and tilted his hand, studying its every line and curve being highlighted by moonlight. “Can you imagine that? We all used to be someone else… I wonder who I used to be in that past.”

The Coordinator looked into her own hands. Who I used to be…

“Casey said only Bianca, Latias, and Ash remembered something about that past. Something about how being pivotal to this new fight allows them to remember…”

His hand closed into a fist. “I don’t know what that means for the rest of us, but I do know one thing… that means Ash is going to be in the same position as he was when he was Sato.”

Dawn’s hands began to tremble. …how come I don’t remember anything? Am I not important to this? Am I not important to Ash…?

She held back her tears, afraid of the group seeing her.

…Ash… you’re going to move forward, aren’t you? And I’ll just be me… You’ll go out and save the world and meet so many more people, and I’ll just be me…

…I don’t want to be me without you, Ash. I don’t know why. I don’t know what I’m so scared about. But I want to only be me as long as I matter to you… I want to matter to you…

I want you to always be there with me…

Dawn found herself holding Ash’s sleeping head close to her chest.

She frowned and let his head back onto her lap.

“…so what are you going to do?”

Tracey’s voice broke through her thoughts.

“What do you mean?” She looked towards him.

He still wasn’t facing her – his back being the only thing she could see. From this position it was obvious that he didn’t want others to know that they were talking.

“If Ash tries to reset the universe again…”

She gasped. “Wh-What?”

“No matter how much this world changed, we’re still going to end up in the same situation.” The sketch-artist loosened his shoulders, as if showing exhausted surrender. “And Ash is more than likely going to have to make the same decision.”

“But what if it doesn’t happen the same way?”

“And if it does? What will you do?”





“I… don’t understand what you’re asking.”

“We all talked about it while the rest of you were gone…” Tracey adjusted himself and began sketching. Whether he was actually sketching or merely pretending to be busy, Dawn wasn’t sure. “…Sabrina, while the most logical of us, has gotten too close to Ash. Maylene’s next in line, but she can get irrational at times too. She also tends to avoid topics when she doesn’t like them.

“May is far too loyal to him to try anything. Bill obviously isn’t here with us. And even if he was, I doubt he’d really believe in all this universal-restart business. Liza said she didn’t want to try anything too hasty – so she plans on just watching and waiting. Solana admitted she’s more concerned with stopping Team Rocket and doesn’t really care what Ash does after that. We already know that Angie and Anabel won’t do anything against him. Bianca wouldn’t say anything about the story, so it’s easy to assume she won’t do anything. And if Bianca doesn’t do anything, then Latias obviously won’t do anything either…”

The Coordinator stopped his long explanation with a sigh. “I don’t know what you’re trying to say. You still haven’t explained to me what you were asking.”

“I’m naming off the people who have items that relate to Ash. Or ones who were with him when he escaped the original attack on his home. The ones he picked because of the black marble.”

“…I know that, but why are you naming them off?”

“Because they’ll most likely be the ones directly involved with that final battle. More than likely, they’ll be the ones that help Ash make the final decision.”

Okay… but why are you asking me? He… never looked for me… I just ended up here.” she frowned, holding back any outward signs of her depression.

“You mean, Bianca never told you??”

“Never told me what? All we ever did was bicker.”

Tracey laughed quietly. “I guess she wouldn’t want to tell you then.”

“What? What didn’t she tell me?” Excitement was building up inside her. “Tell me!”

“Shhhh…” Tracey reached back in a panic and covered her mouth.

“…hmm? …what’s going on?”

Dawn turned stiff. She looked down. Ash was looking up at her.

“Oh…h-hi Ash… it’s nothing. G-Go back to slee–

He began snoring before she could finish her sentence.



She let out a sigh of relief.

“Be quiet.” Tracey hissed.

“Then tell me what she told you.”

“Thing is… you and Ash didn’t seem to catch it, but Latias and Bianca did.”

“Catch what? Quit with the dramatics.”

“You were there.”

“There where?”

“In Sato’s past. You were with him.”



_________________________________________________________



“What exactly are we waiting for?” Angie grumbled. She took another bite of her cold sandwich and leaned back onto the pure white stump.

May frantically pressed icons on the screen, trying her best to prevent her virtual character from missing a dance step. “Just. Waiting. For Bill to call.”

“Did he even say he was going to call today?”

“No. No… No! No! No No No No NoNoNONONONO!!!! COME ON!!!!” The Empathic Coordinator slammed her head against the pokétab as her low score displayed in a flashing red font.

“Why don’t we call him?”

“I don’t know his number…” May groaned angrily into the screen.

“Can’t you just call him back through some call-back feature or something?”

May peeled the pokétab off her face and shoved it towards the tomboy. “If you can find that, you do it. I seriously don’t know how to check previous calls on that thing.”

Angie stared at the device and pressed buttons randomly.





“Aha!”

May sat up straight. “Did you find it?!”

Angie grinned with pride. “I found out how to exit the game!”

SLAM.

May planted her face against the white stump. She groaned.

The tomboy began looking through the different programs available.

What’s this? …a diary?

The female Empathic immediately looked up and glared.

Angie locked eyes with her. Oh crap… I forgot she’s an Empathic…

“Eheh… look at the time…” she slowly rose to her feet.

“Angie, don’t you dare…”

“Don’t do wh– See ya’!” The tomboy ran off, with pokétab in hand.

“ANGIE!!!” May roared as she stumbled to her feet. “GET BACK HERE!!!”

“I’ll give it back once I’m done! Promise!” Angie yelled back with a laugh.



_________________________________________________________



Maylene avoided another strike and launched a counter kick.

Her foot bounced off Lucario’s chest harmlessly.

The blue jackal frowned.

With a shrug, she scratched her head embarrassingly. “Sorry, Lucario. Just not feeling it today.”

It tilted its head.

“No offense, but I just really want to fight Ash.”

Lucario folded its arms and grunted.

“N-No, nothing’s wrong with you. You just don’t really fight with your heart like he does.”

BOF. An Aura Sphere exploded against her face.

She rubbed her nose in pain. “I said HEART! Not Aura!”

Lucario turned away.

Oh come on, don’t be like that. I love sparring with you. I just really wanted to fight with Ash today.”

It waved her off.

“Well I can’t. He’s busy right now. Got an army to set up and he ain’t got time for me right now.”

It turned towards her and shrugged.

“I can’t just force him! That’s rude! Besides, I want him to ready this army up. Sooner we get this done, sooner I can ask him out.”

Lucario smirked.

“Well duh I like Ash. I thought that was obvious.”

His smirk became a knowing smile. He raised his brow.

Maylene’s cheeks turned pink. “M-Marry?? Whoah whoah whoah now! One step at a time, Lucario!”

He kept his brow raised as he tilted his head.

I – I don’t know if I can commit like that! Yet, at least! I mean, I’ve got a Gym to run! I’ve still got to train more! And and –!”

Lucario put his hand to his chin and grunted.

“R-Run the Gym with me?? … I uh…” Maylene put her hands to her cheeks and began to sweat. “I d-don’t think…. I mean, um… h-he is talented…”

She shook her head and glared at him. “Quit putting thoughts in my head like that! It’s just a date! Just to get to know each other better.”

He shook his head, scratching his ear.

“What do you mean I won’t get the chance?” Maylene narrowed her eyes. “You don’t think I’m a good catch?”

He looked away and snickered.

“Hey! I know I’m not as pretty as the other girls… or as… ‘developed’… but I’ve got personality! And unlike them, I could save him if he gets in trouble. They’re all just princesses. Even if Ash doesn’t know it yet, he’d be happier with a warrior.”

Lucario shifted his eyes quickly to his right.

Maylene glanced and found a familiar tomboy climbing a tree.

“Who? Angie?” She put her hand to her chin and studied the young woman. “I guess. But I doubt she’d get the courage to ask Ash out first.”

Lucario then made an impression of a person with an extremely serious face. He used his Aura to accentuate his body.

“Sabrina? No way! She’s like… well… actually, I don’t know how old she is. But no way!”



You seriously think so? I mean I know they’re close, but would they actually?”

He shrugged.

“Well if she does…” Maylene cracked her knuckles and punched forward. “We can settle it in a fight. I’ve always wanted to fight a Psychic of her caliber!”

Lucario sighed.

“Is he worth it?”



She gave it some thought.

“Well, I’m not sure if he’s worth it. But he sure is fun. Don’tcha’ think?”

Lucario smiled.

Maylene smiled back.

“At least we agree on that.”

_________________________________________________________

“You sure you don’t want to eat?”

“I’m not really hungry.”



Ash stared at the soup he had prepared for Anabel.

He sighed. I don’t really want to eat this myself…



Anabel?



“Anabel?”

“Y-Yes?”

S-Sorry… I’m just not used to you not talking to me with your Empathy.”

Anabel looked down, her eyes showing revealing sadness – though it didn’t matter much to the one who couldn’t see. “Oh sorry… I guess I’m just not used to talking like that. It’s been a while.”

Is… Is this better?

Ash could feel the hesitation, fear, and anxiety in her emotions.

He held her hand instinctively. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Anabel.”

She blushed and gave a slight frown. “It’s not that I don’t want to… I’m just not used to it. I just kept myself locked up for so long… trying to keep them out. I-It feels weird to know that they won’t… they won’t…

The female Empathic was starting to break. Her emotions beginning to shake and crack.

Ash wrapped his arms around her and pressed her head against his chest. “It’s okay. You’re here now. You’re fine. I’m here, Anny.”

Broken.

ASH!! ASH!!! I HELD, ASH!!! I HELD!!! Th-They didn’t get it from me! They couldn’t! It’s not for them!! I protected you!! I kept you safe!!! The others broke! The others gave in!! But I never did!! I never did, Ash!! OH GOD!!! ASH!!!

She was wailing into his chest. Her hands desperately held onto his head, as she continued to shatter.

I wouldn’t let them in! I couldn’t let them in!! THEY COULDN’T PULL ME OUT!! NO!! THEY COULDN’T!!! I HELD!!! I HELD!!!! I DID!!! I SWEAR!!! I SWEAR!!! But… But… they locked me away! They locked me away, Ash!! I’M SORRY!! I’M SO SORRY!!! I didn’t… I didn’t want them to!! I didn’t want them!!! I WANTED YOU ASH!!! NOT THEM!!!

His heart tore.

Her emotions far too strong and far too hurt for a single person to bear, he carried them with her.

Anabel’s emotions during her capture were in stark contrast with what her body and mind had felt. Instincts had told her then to give in. And logic told her to save herself or there’d be nothing left for Ash to have. But her emotions fought against these – and because of it, her heart was torn.

She had given all of herself to protect Ash, all for the irrational gamble that it would pay off. That he’d return her feelings. Return her love.

Her cries went silent.



No… she felt towards him. Even if you don’t choose me, it’s okay. I would’ve done it either way. Because I love you, Ash.

Her heart calmed. Her breathing slowed.

I… don’t love you more than myself, I am myself, and myself loves you. I don’t love you more than anything – I just know I love you, and nothing can compare to it.

Anabel looked up to him. His face so peaceful, yet his tears continued flowing.

She wiped them away.

I don’t know why I love you so much, Ash. I just do. I know I didn’t love you this much when I first met you… and I know I didn’t love you this much before they took me away from you… but I love you so much now. I can’t explain it. I just do, Ash. And…

“It’s okay if you don’t. I know you love me. I feel it now.”

The female Empathic brushed her head against his neck and took a deep breath in. You smell nice…

“I don’t know why I love you Ash. But you never questioned why you felt this way for me… you just did. So I will too.”

She looked into his eyes. Blank, empty, but with so much emotion behind them.

“I know it sounds silly… but I think I was made for you, Ash…

“Anabel…”

…can you call me Anny again? I really like that name…

“…Ann–”

“HEY PRINCESS!!! GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM!!!”

The tomboy’s voice echoed against the trees.

The sound made Anabel boil up in anger.

Angie… her emotions growled.

A horribly familiar tension filled the air.

Oh no… Ash sighed.

The tomboystompedtowards them. “I know I said Ash needed you and all…”

She violently ripped Ash away from her. “But that didn’t mean you could cling onto him like a heracross to a tree!”

Anabel’s lip formed a smirk. You’ve lost, tomboy. “If anything, Ash was clinging onto me. We were having a heartfelt moment. By his choice.”

“Of course it was. Because he wanted to comfort you. Anyone would if they heard you howling like a wailord!

Her eye twitched. “It was more than just that, trust me. Ash wanted me in his arms. Ask him yourself.”

“And play your game? No thank you.” Angie stepped in close and frowned. I’ll wipe that ugly smug off your face, princess. “I think it’s sad that you always resort to being passive aggressive. Always hiding behind someone else to take care of your problems.”

“Excuse me?!”

“You’re trying to manipulate Ash into making a choice he doesn’t want to make!”

“Who says he doesn’t want to make it?!”

“Apparently the girl Ash always goes to for fair and non-judgmental advice!” It wasn’t a card Angie liked to play, but she would gladly bring it out if it meant it would silence Anabel. She continued, “And not the princess that keeps forcing him to feel and think things on her convenience!!”

“YOU-!!!” Anabel stood and bared her teeth.

“Wanna’ go at it again? Because we can settle that little fight right here! Right now! No Officer Jenny’s to stop us!!”

“Um…” Ash pathetically tried to interrupt.

“STAY OUT OF IT!!!” the two shouted in unison.

But… May’s coming.

SO?!” Anabel fumed.

Angie, however, understood what that meant.

Oh crap! Um… We’ll settle this later, Anne!” the tomboy gave an awkward bow and started running.

“YEAH YOU GET OUT OF HERE!!!”



Anabel exhaled and relaxed. Using her fingers, she combed her hair back into perfection and straightened the wrinkles off her coat.

She gave an apologetic smile towards Ash. “S-Sorry about that… I must’ve seemed a little –”

“Where is she?!”

May came charging in. Exhausted and out of breath, but enough energy and air to shout angrily.

The lilac-haired Empathic smiled in superiority and shook her head. “What did Angie do now?”

She took my diar– I mean, the pokétab!!

Anabel pointed her in the right direction.

The Coordinator sprinted off.



Diary? Anabel considered. If helped May, I could get Angie pummeled... Or I could help Angie and find what’s in that diary.

Ash sighed.

The female Empathic smiled mischievously. Or I could just help myself and get Angie caught while still taking the diary for myself.

The male Empathic walked away and grumbled, “Just leave me out of it…”

Anabel stayed, weighing her options with great interest.

As Ash neared the sanctuary, a bittersweet thought ran through his mind.

Just like old times…



_________________________________________________________



“You better spit it out, Bianca!”

“Or what, Dawn?”

The Coordinator sneered. “Or I’ll! I’ll!”

She felt a finger tap on her back.

Dawn looked over her shoulder, only to find another Bianca smiling and waving at her.

“What??”

The real Bianca pulled herself away from Dawn’s grip and took a step back.

She smirked. “Two of us, one of you.”

Latias agreed with an innocent nod.

“Wrong.”

Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.
Vacuum. Vacuum. Vacuum. Vacuum. Vacuum. Vacuum.


Dawn emptied her purse of its poké balls. “You try anything then it’s suddenly seven of me, and only two of you.”



Bianca frowned. She crossed her arms and looked away. “What’s it matter to you, anyways?”

“It matters to me the same reason why it matters to you.” The Coordinator took a step forward. “If this wasn’t a big deal, you would’ve told me.”

“Would I?”

“It has something to do about Ash, doesn’t it?”



Dawn looked towards the fake Bianca. “It does, doesn’t it, Latias?”

The illusion of Bianca gave a face of guilt and sadness. Refusing eye contact, Latias nodded.

Dawn faced the real one again. “Tracey said you saw me back in Sato’s past. But I was there with you. I didn’t see me at all. None of them looked like me… or even felt like me.”

She looked down to her feet. “I don’t have any connection to the memories we saw that day. And… it hurts me. Because I want to matter. To Ash. And I know you want to matter too, but at least you had that memorythat feelingthat connection with Ash. Isn’t that enough to tell you that you two matter more to him than I do? If I didn’t see me there, I must’ve been too minor a character in the past! Isn’t that enough? Isn’t that enough for you to rub it in my face?”

Her hands shook. Her cry held back. “I… just want to know. Who I was. If I helped at all…



Latias turned, tears forming in her eyes.

“Latias?” Dawn watched as the pokémon ran off.

For a second, she thought she had seen Latias’ human form change…

Bianca walked off, following her pokémon friend.

“Bianca! Just answer me!”



Her rival tilted her head. “Dawn…”

“…yes?”

“…what would you do if you found out… that the reason you couldn’t remember… was because you shouldn’t remember?”

“What… What do you mean?

She continued walking.

“Wait! Bianca!”

Drop it, Dawn!” the normally calm girl shouted as her body began to shake. She was sobbing. “Just… drop it! You win, okay? You always do.

The Coordinator paused. Unsure what to think or say to that response.

“What do you mean, Bianca?” was her only valid reaction.



“That’s not my name…”

Bianca dashed into the woods, chasing after Latias.

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:33 PM

Chapter 27: Consideration

Spoiler:
Water splashed again.

Relief.

“Misty?”

After finding that the sanctuary was near empty, Ash decided to wander through the woods he had become so familiar with – in the hopes of finding the others. While he didn’t know exactly where he was or where he was going, he instinctively knew he was still in the forest, and could find his way back without having to think about it.

However, in his lone wandering, he heard a sound he was never familiar with in the area.

Rushing water.



Misty’s emotions showed surprise and slight panic. Hints of anger and embarrassment were flushed away as she realized who it was.

Oh! Ash… it’s just you.”

…er… yeah. Um… I heard water back here. And I’m pretty sure this place never had a river…”

Ash felt another presence slightly above her. Lying against the branches of the tree above, Starmie and Staryu waited patiently for Misty’s commands.

Oh! You got yourself a shower set up! Smart!”



Wait… shower?

Ash’s face turned red as he covered his eyes.



“S-Sorry! I- uh- didn’t – !”

Ash ran into a tree. “…ow.”

Um, Ash?

“I’ll just be on my w-way!”

Ash.

“Y-Y-Yeah?”

You can’t see, remember?

“W-Well yeah… I guess, but…

He still refused to move his hands away.

“…y-you’re not… er… wearing…”

N-No…

Misty’s entire body turned red in embarrassment. She grabbed a towel and hid behind a tree.

L-Look. You didn’t have to make a big deal about it. I- I don’t even know why I’m h-hiding now.

B-Because you were –…

I know what I was, you jerk! But I wanted to finish my shower!

I – I can just leave. Ash began to feel his way around the trees.

W-Wait, I…

He stopped in his tracks.

I… wanted to talk to you.

He nervously tried to pull his pant leg away from a curled root that it had hooked onto. W-we can talk back at the –…

No, in private. Misty’s emotions were calm, humble, yet serious and urgent.

…later then?

N-No. Now.

B-But…

I – I know I’m naked, okay! But you can’t see. S-So it doesn’t really count… …and you better not be having any thoughts, because I’ll catch them!

Wh-What?!

Just… walk back over here.

Ash gulped. “Wh-Where do I stand?”

“Just a little closer… I can’t read you very well back there…”

The male Empathic stiffly walked over. He stopped every few steps.

“A little closer…”

A few more steps forward.

“Closer.”

One more step.

“Just a little more…” her voice was so close now.

Wh-Why?? Y-You can read me j-just fine from here, right??” Ash was sweating hard.

“I…” she began mumbling.



“What?”

I said… I need you to s-stand there in case anyone comes. I need to use your body as cover.

“Wh-What?!” His head became red hot.

N-Not like that! Just to m-make sure no one sees me immediately!

“B-But you were standing out here even before I got here!”

I didn’t think anyone would find me all the way back here! But seeing that you found me back here – who knows who’s going to follow you back here!

“I – I said I can just go!”

“And I said I wanted to talk!”



She sighed and slowly moved away from the tree.

J-Just let me finish my shower.



-flp-

Her towel dropped.

-fsssssssssssssss-

Staryu began to release its water.

Ash stood perfectly still. Trying to clear his mind of any thought or possible distraction. He didn’t want to think of anything else in case the thought moved onto the very ideas he was refusing to think. His emotions reflected that of a statuea statue that was trying really hard to convince itself that it was a statue.

… Ash?

The statue shattered. Y-Y-Yes??

… who’s Maya?

As if being slapped awake, Ash remembered where he was and who he was…

He was no longer the same Ash before this journey started. Not the same Ash that wondered where he’d end up a few years down the road. Not the same Ash that was trying to overcome his blindness…

He accepted all those things. The journey, his blindness, and even the fact that he might not come out of this journey alive…

He was Ash… the one leading the group to fix everything Sato couldn’t…

“Sato…” Misty whispered.



Only the sound of water dripping could be heard.

She had stopped moving. Her mind fixated on the name that floated in Ash’s thoughts.

“…Misty?”

“Ash. Why do I know these names? Who are they?”

His emotions locked up, preventing her from looking into him.

“Ash?”

“I-It’s nothing. Finish your shower.”

“You’re hiding something.”

“It’s not important.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“Maya, just…”

You just called me her again! Who’s Maya?!



Ash was caught. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. At this point, he had no choice but to talk. While he admitted that he could have avoided this conversation by running and hiding forever, he knew that she would find out some way, some time, somehow down the road in this adventure.

With a sigh, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object.

“…do you know what this is?”

The Empathic studied his emotional extension carefully… he waited for the slightest change or reaction from her due to the sight of the black marble.



Nothing. Just casual confusion.

“No… What is it?”

“It’s an Arceus Drop. Does that mean anything to you?”

Though he himself twitched in reaction at mentioning the marble’s name, he felt nothing from her.

She was understandably perplexed. No more, no less.

“No. Not really.”

Ash sighed. Rolling the black marble against his fingers, he considered everything in his memory.

Then why do only Bianca and Latias know something about this? I don’t think I even remember seeing them in that memory… only Misty.

“What memory? What about Bianca and Latias?”

He closed back up, hating himself for not being able to hold up his emotional walls like the others. The topic was no longer open for discussion with Misty. If she didn’t remember any of the topics he had brought up, her reaction to the entire story may have turned out far more negative in its consequences. The less she knew, the better.

And so he kept her out.

“No, Ash. Tell me now.”



“Something happened in Alto Mare. Something you’re not telling me.”



“Open yourself up, Ash! This isn’t fair!”

I can’t, Misty…

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t. Because I don’t know what to do if anyone else found out.”

“Why don’t you trust me with this? How can you trust Bianca and Latias and not me? I’ve been with you through more than anyone else in this group! You know you can trust me!”

“This… This is different.” Ash began walking away.

A wet hand grabbed onto his elbow.

He ignored it and wrenched himself away.

“If you won’t tell me, I’ll get it out of you!”

Misty grabbed his arm with both hands and pulled him towards her.

His body collided into hers.

Her body. Soft. Smooth. Wet. And…

Ash got a nosebleed.

“T-Tell me!” Misty wrapped her arms around him. Her face redder than it had ever been in her entire life, but still full of determination, and still in complete control.

“I…! Uhm! …”

He was going to faint. This situation felt too unreal; too different from everything else he had ever experienced his entire life. And his hands… were touching her hips

Ash shook his head. No! Ignore it, Ash! You’re not just some little boy! It doesn’t matter if she’s doing this! You’re Sato! You’ve got more important things to worry about! You’ve got to… got to… er…

He realized his emotional wall was down.

Misty smirked. “So you’re Sato.”

“Er… thing is…”

“And I’m Maya, right? You saw something back at Alto Mare – something that Bianca, Latias, Casey, and Dawn know about, something extremely important. And you don’t want anyone else to find out about it or figure it out.”

“I…” He sighed. “…yes.”

“So either you’re going to tell me… or I’m going to get the answer out of Bianca myself. I’m fine with either option.”

“Misty, please…”

“Don’t you mean ‘Maya’, Sato?”

His heart skipped a beat. For a moment, he could see again.

Maya was in his arms. Giving him a loving smile.

She looked so much like Misty… though her hair was long.

Like a river of sunlight, her hair flowed and shimmered. Like a vast sea, her blue eyes sparkled. And like a pure bride, her innocent smile showed more love than a thousand poems could ever express.

“Sato, I think I want to move here after all of this…”

“Here?” He looked at the forest around them. “I thought you said you wanted to live up north. The place with the aquarium, remember?”

“I know… but you seem so happy here.” Her soft hand touched his face. “I want to be where you are.”

Blackness returned, swallowing the light.

The moment had ended, and he was Ash again.

But the warmth still remained against his cheek.

…it was Misty’s hand.

“S-Sato?”

She pulled away, standing up and backing away quickly. Her fingers wrapped against her head. “Wh-What was that?!”

The Empathic’s eyes widened. “Misty… you saw it too?”

“Who’s… Misty? I’m… Maya… no, I’m Misty. I’m Misty. Right?

Confusion. Panic. Fear. The Cerulean City Gym Leader began to shatter under the twisting weight of the two realities. “I…”

Ash noticed his hand increase in temperature.

The marble…

It had been rising in heat while in his possession for quite some time, but he had only noticed it now.

Was it reacting to Misty?

He had no time to ponder the thought… Misty was going to faint.

“Misty!!!” Ash leapt up and grabbed the young woman before she fell.



“I think… I like ‘Maya’ better, Sato.”

She lost consciousness.

Falling into rest with her, the Arceus Drop cooled and faded from memory.



Ash began to shake her. “Maya… Maya!

Her eyes opened. Her emotions completely changed.

He felt something else entirely hot in his hands. Maya’s body was heating up.

She was blushing all over. “A-Ash?”

“Yes, Maya?”

“F-First off, don’t call me that.”

“But you just said –”

“S-Second… please let go of me.”

“Huh?”

Ash suddenly remembered his situation.

His fingers twitched, feeling Misty’s soft, bare skin.

The action earned him a hard slap across the face.

His face met grass after falling off balance.

Misty kicked him while he was down and grabbed her towel. “Pervert.”

“B-But you’re the one that –”

“I know what I did. And I did it get information out of you. Now that I have it, you can go now.” She waved him off.

Wh-What?? You’re just going to pretend like none of that happened?!”

“Like what happened? Nothing happened.” her voice was cold and sharp.

Ash rubbed his cheek and slowly crawled to his feet.

He sighed and began walking off. “Alright, whatever. I guess.”

The Empathic was irritated and more than just confused. What the heck was all that about? Just goes and uses me like that and pretends like it means nothing… Whatever. I’m going to talk to Pikachu.

It didn’t mean nothing, Sato.

He paused.

I just don’t think we should talk about it right now. …we should get this done first, right?

He smiled. Yeah, we should.

“So get out of here already!” Misty growled loudly. “I still need to get changed!”

I still don’t know what any of this means… but that moment was… nice. You can tell me what you saw back in Alto Mare some other time. For now, I just need some time alone… to clear my head.

I’ll talk to you later, Maya.

Yeah… I’ll see you later, S-Sato…



_________________________________________________________



“And that’s the whole story.”





“Aren’t you going to say anything?”

Tracey leaned casually against a splintered tree. His false confidence easily showing cracks as he constantly changed his posture.

His body was trembling. It had been trembling since he had arrived within that desolate part of the woods.

To Tracey, his fears were justified. He was in the presence of Sabrina… alone.

The sketch-artist couldn’t recall if anyone had ever been alone with Sabrina, excluding Ash.

It seemed Ash and Angie were the main pieces of the formula to make the Psychic approachable… without either of them, she seemed far too cold and deadly to be considered anything close to an ally or friend. Just being near her sent involuntary chills throughout his body.

She never looked at him. She never moved an inch. And she never spoke a word since he first began talking to her. Three factors that made the situation unbearable.

But he was here for an answer, for a solid plan, for an idea of what to do next. And for that, Tracey was willing to risk his comfort and possibly his life.



“Sabrina?”

Her strikingly cold eyes met his.

He froze. At any minute he could have sworn she would’ve devoured his soul.

Well, it was nice knowing everyone…

He slapped his palms together above his head and began praying in mantras.

Answer me, Tracey…

“H-Huh??”

He stopped and looked towards her.

I – I mean, y-yes?” he foolishly tried to give a confident tone.

Why did you tell me this story?

“Wh-Why? … um… wh-why not?? Isn’t it important? Pivotal? Dire information that we need to consider before we charge in there head-first??”

That is not what I asked. I asked why you told me this story. Specifically me.

Tracey scratched his neck in nervousness. “W-Well everyone who didn’t go to that private meeting already knows. A-And I also told Dawn.”

Again. That is not what I asked. Why did you tell me this story, Tracey? What is it that you seek?

“I –”

Know this, Tracey Sketchit: I already know what you are going to say long before you dare utter the vowels. Your mind is slow. Your speech is slurred. And you are desperately grasping for answers that even I would not be ready for.

Sabrina softly disabled her levitation and stood menacingly over him.

You think that we are the ones running blindly by not knowing these facts. But do you even know what you ask? Do you even know what you seek from this?

Tracey was no longer confident, not even falsely so. He was on the floor, crawling backwards.

Despite his original conviction, he was now regretting ever coming here. He was regretting having ever known the Psychic. She was a greater nightmare than any of the enemies they had fought or struggled against. What they could have done to any of their group, she would have done ten-fold against them.

He wasn’t even glad she was on their side… because at this moment, she seemed to only be an authority of her own court, judge, and jury.

Sabrina stared down at him, showing neither pity nor mercy in her eyes. If anything, she showed a deadly curiosity.

You wish for me to stop a fate that is not mine to control. You wish for me to break a will greater than that of a god that created the universe I walk on. And not only that…” The Psychic’s eyes softened. She looked abnormally human. “…you wish for me to stop and hurt a friend who has done nothing to earn my wrath.”

‘Friend’ was not a word Tracey imagined to be in the terrifying Psychic’s vocabulary. Yet there it was. Used to describe Ash – the one he had been rallying everyone to go against… to prevent him from making another selfish choice.

Sabrina’s eyes turned cold and sharp again. “Who are you to judge who is selfish and who is not? You have lived your life well, Tracey Sketchit. Many others have lived shorter lives, died in horrific ways, and forced to continue existing in worlds that offer nothing but misery. Yet you do not wish him to make a decision to change the fate of the universe… all because you are selfish of your own. All because you have not lived it well enough to find maturity. All because you have not learned enough to greet death with confidence.

They Psychic slowly levitated off the ground, her hair splitting and turning like snakes, and her eyes showing nothing but devastation. “It was Sato who Arceus had given its power to. The power to change the universe. Things do not happen on coincidence in any realm or dimension, artist. All things have purpose. And it was Sato’s decision to do as he did – and it was willed to be.

And in the same way, fate is working itself to give Ash the same choice, decision, and power. The burden and responsibility of a god with all the weaknesses of a human. Who are we to judge? Who are you to judge if they had not chosen you? You are insignificant in this game the fates play. Just a pawn who believes they are the king.

She bent down towards him. Her eyes far too close for him to avoid.

Run along now, peon. You know not what you truly want. Do not trouble others with wishes that contain consequences you could never grasp.

Fearful tears were running down Tracey’s eyes.

In all his life, he had never felt so small.

He wanted to run. To run away from any existence that Sabrina walked on and never come back.

But his legs wouldn’t move.

“P-PLEASE! S-SPARE ME!!! I-I’M SORRY!! I-I NEVER MEANT ANY OF TH-THOSE THINGS!!! I KNEW NOT WHAT I WANTED!!! I KNEW NOT!!!”



Sabrina gave a completely unfitting smile ofinnocence and patted Tracey on the cheek. “Good.”

She landed softly on the ground and walked back to her meditation spot.

“Now be a good boy and fetch me Latias. I’d like to see this past for myself…

Tracey bowed repeatedly against the dirt. “Y-Yes ma’am! R-Right away ma’am!!”

The sketch-artist stood up and ran off as fast as his legs could take him.



Sabrina giggled to herself, her voice becoming far morecasual and relaxed. “I know it was a little mean. But that’s not important right now. Where’s the device?”

Leaning against a tree, she pulled an item down from its branches and sat back down in excitement.

Let’s see… she was on her way to Charicific Valley… page forty, I think…

Rustle.

“That’s a good page!”

“Angie, get back in the tree. Someone might see you here.”

The tomboy hung upside-down. “Why do I have to keep hiding? We’re out in the middle of nowhere.”

“And Tracey still managed to find us. If May or Anabel find you here, I’m not saving you.” Sabrina scrolled through the icons on the screen.

Angie stared at her curiously – still upside-down. “Now that I think about it… I thought you said that Psychics were bad for gadgets!”

“It’s just a popular myth we like to spread around.” The Psychic flicked her finger against the screen, causing sudden blurts of static to shadow the screen. “We can interfere with the electricity like so, but it’s not as if we have no control over it.”

The tomboy crawled back into the leaves, her voice muffling under cover. “So why spread the myth?”

“One, it’s useful. Makes people fear us more.” Sabrina flipped through another virtual page. “Two, it’s fun to see what kinds of things people will believe about us Psychics. And three, it’s because I knew May would write a diary in here if she got it.”

“Whoah! You knew she’d get the pokétab??”

“Educated guess. She was the best dressed of us in that group. Bill tends to judge by outward appearances. Probably assumed she’d be the one to take care of it the best.”

Angie laughed. “Yeah right! That thing’s practically busted because of her! She fell on it like three times yesterday!”

“Four times.”

“I only counted three.” She shrugged.





“By the way, Sabrina… do you think all that past universe stuff is true? The stuff Tracey was talking about?”

“Anything’s possible. And it didn’t seem he was lying in his mind. Plus, he’d have no reason to lie about those things.”

Angie groaned in frustration. “Man! I should’ve gone with Ash’s group! I wanted to see what I looked like in a past universe!”

Sabrina gave a small laugh. “You don’t seem troubled at all that Ash could be leading us to repeat history.”

“Does it matter? What happens – happens. Besides, all that makes me concerned about is who that Maya chick is…”

“And what would you do if it was any of our companions?”

“Nothing different.” Angie stretched and kicked her legs into the branches. “Be there for Ash. Hang out with him. Wait for him.”

“Whoever this Maya is, I honestly do believe you’re still the best choice for Ash.” Sabrina flipped through another screen page, her eyes showing great interest on the scenes unfolding in May’s diary.

Angie blushed. “Oh quit it. I don’t need those kinds of compliments… even if it is true. She grinned.



“How about you Sabrina?”

“Hm?”

“What do you think of Ash?”

“He’s a good friend.”

“…that’s it?”

“Should there be anything more than that?”

“Well…”

Rustle.

Angie hung back upside-down.

“You two get along so well together. And you spend more time with him than most of us.”

Sabrina flipped the device over her lap and looked up to the hanging tomboy. “Is there something culturally incorrect in my relation with him?”

“Well no… I’m just wondering if you ever… well, considered it.”

“He’s a bit young for me.”

“I didn’t think you’d be the type to care about age.”



The Psychic shrugged. “You’d be correct. And I admit I have thought about it.”

Angie let go of the branches and landed with a roll. “That’s so cute!”

“C-Cute??!” Sabrina blushed.

“So why haven’t you?”

“Wh-Why haven’t I??”

The tomboy crossed her arms and laughed. “You’re the Psychic here. You know what I’m referring to.”



“Ash is a good friend… but he also attracts trouble. He would complicate many things if I ever got involved with him… so I do not. Simple as that.”

Angie sat next to her. “So… not even a thought beyond that? Not even a ‘what if’?”

“I have only thought about it twice. To think anymore than that would be wasteful to my time. Ash is a good friend. If anything, I see him as a younger brother that I cherish.”

“Ah, I see.”





Sabrina turned back towards the tomboy. “Why do you ask, Angie?”

“Can’t you read my mind or something?”

“I have no reason to pry a mind that is honest with their mouth.”

The tomboy leaned back and used the tree’s bark to scratch her back. “I just thought that if anyone deserved him other than me, it’d be you.”

“I would agree to that.”

Angie laughed loudly in response. “You’re not much for modesty, are you?”

“No reason to hide positive facts.”



“So just to be sure… you are NOT interested in Ash?”

“No.”

“Okay.”





“Why? Did he say anything about me?

Angie laughed again. “You’re like a little girl!”

Sabrina’s face turned red. “I – I am not!”

“You so are!”

The Psychic shoved the tomboy back up the tree with a single thought.

Ow! Hey!”

Shush. Tracey’s coming back.” She threw the device upwards, allowing Angie or the branches to catch it for her.

“Ooh! Are you going to see the past using your Psychic stuff?”

I said be quiet. And yes.”

Angie hushed into a whisper. “I’m jealous. I want to see.”

“I’ll make a Psychic link with you after I dismiss Tracey, so you can see it too.”

“Awesome! You’re the best, Sabrina!”

Hush now. And I know.”



“-aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Tracey hung on for his life, as the Eon Pokémon sped into lightning speeds to throw the sketch artist off her back.

Sabrina sighed. “Perhaps I should not have asked him to do this request…”

“At least he’s aiming her in the right direction.” Angie snickered in response.



_________________________________________________________



Two charizards flapped slowly to the ground below. Adjusting their angle to avoid the trees, they landed into awkward standing positions.

Liza met them with a nod.

Using the short-phrased gestures she had taught them, the charizards reported their recent flight.

The Valley Guardian quietly watched in professional interest.

“Are these the patrols?” Solana approached carefully from behind, well aware of how paranoid most of her new teammates were. “I thought there were three in every team.”

“Hm?” Liza turned and regarded the Pokémon Ranger. “No, these are returning charizards. They were the ones that returned the Psychics we saved in the Orange Isles.”

“Returned?”

“To their homes… though they said that the Psychics asked to be dropped off near Goldenrod City. A strange place for a Psychic to call home, if you ask me.”

Liza returned her attention back to the two charizards, giving them silent commands.

They nodded and readied for their next flight destination.

“Your charizards really are something.” Solana admired.

“I wouldn’t exactly consider them mine. I only would call them mine if I referred to them as family.” Liza walked over to a patch of long grass and fell back onto it.

A trio of small pidgeys scattered away from her landing spot.

“They’re wild charizards.” she continued. “At least, they should be. So I wouldn’t say they’re owned by me. I just protect them from those they that can’t communicate with.”

“I understand.” Solana raised her Capture Styler and gave a friendly smile. “We Pokémon Rangers don’t capture pokémon – we only ask for their help.”

Liza nodded. “I feel like that’s the way it should be. Nothing against Pokémon Trainers, I just think that many of them don’t understand how privileged they are to work with such wonderful creatures. You don’t need poké balls, you just need their trust – and they’d be willing to do anything for a partner that’s worth it.”

“Very true. The charizards must trust you very much.”

“I lived with them, so it’s only natural.”

Mm… I’m sorry you had to leave.”

“Hm?”

“The Charicific Valley.”

“Yes, well…” Liza tilted her head back and stared at the leaves above. “…it couldn’t be helped.

The Pokémon Ranger sat next to her and stretched her legs. “Do you… ever feel like you were dragged into this?

“This mission?”

“Yeah…” The teal-haired woman laid back into the grass. “I know I felt like I was suddenly dragged into this crazy mission… but I don’t mind since I do indeed want to stop Team Rocket from getting their hands on Arceus.”

“I feel the same way…”

“But for you, it was different. I wasn’t directly involved, and I could have said no. Even if they took me or threatened anyone else, it still would have been my choice.” Solana paused slightly. She gathered her thoughts as she stared at the passing afternoon clouds. “But for you… it felt like since you had your obligations to your charizards’ safety, that you had no choice but to follow Ash and the rest.

“I know this is all for a worthy cause. But wouldn’t it not have happened at all if Ash… or should I say ‘Sato’, never restarted all this?”

Liza smiled and let off a small snicker. “Been talking to Tracey lately?”

“Well yeah, but…

“Don’t listen to him too much.” She gave quiet signals to a trio of flying charizards above. “The man makes good points, but he isn’t very good for morale.”

She sighed before continuing, “We shouldn’t be fighting each other. We should be helping one another. And besides… I’m still not fully sold on this whole ‘restarted universe’ story.”

“You don’t think it actually happened?”

“I can’t say for sure if it really happened or not, but an idea like that sounds far too crazy to be true.” Liza shrugged. “Then again, the idea that a pokémon created this entire universe is pretty crazy-sounding too.”

Solana nodded with a smile. “Yeah, I guess. But I donno… I think it might be true. Ash and his group get into some pretty unbelievable situations.”

“Heard some of their stories? Or were you actually there for some?” the scarred woman asked with interest and skepticism.

“Well, I certainly was there for some of them. But haven’t you seen the news and newspaper pieces on them? It’s no surprise the boy’s so popular amongst Pokémon Trainers.”

“Oh… um…” Liza laughed in embarrassment. “Call me a bit of a hermit. I don’t actually know much that goes around outside of Charicific Valley. At least, nothing that my friend Clair doesn’t tell me.”

“Well, have you seen that rock that Ash has?”

“That’s a meteorite piece, right?”

“Yeah. That came from a little venture after we found an alien pokémon.” Solana was quite proud of that memory – as very few would ever be able to have an experience like that.

“Alien pokémon? As in, from another planet?”

“Not sure if from another planet. But it got here by a meteor. That little rock Ash carries came from that very meteor.”

Liza rolled over and looked at Solana in interest. “Really?”

The Ranger grinned with pride. “Yep! That’s definitely not a normal occurrence for me. Add in all the other adventures he had with the rest of the group here, and honestly I’m not too surprised Ash would be involved in something this huge.”

“Well if you put it that way, I guess it makes sense.”

They went quiet. Thoughts and plans running through and changing in their minds.





“So…” Solana broke the silence. “…does that change anything for you?”

“I don’t believe so. I still wouldn’t blame him for what happened to the charizards – that should have been a proper concern of mine with or without his involvement. It was my responsibility, I failed, and I learned from it.” Liza rolled onto her back again. “If all this really revolves around Ash, then I’ll help him in any way that I can. I’m not in the right position to complain or argue. What Ash chooses, whether good or bad, weighs on his shoulders – not ours. But we can help him carry his own weight, at the very least.”

“Wise words, truly.”

The Valley Guardian snickered. “I don’t think anyone has ever called me wise!”

“With age comes wisdom.”

Liza’s face turned aggressive. “You better not be calling me old.

N-N-No, of course not!” Solana sweated in nervousness. “J-Just aged. Like fine wine.”

“Why thank you.” She seemed satisfied. “…why don’t we have any wine around here?”

“Because we hang out with kids.”

They laughed together.



“Tell you what. If we get out of this alive, I’m buying us drinks.”

“I’ll keep you to that, Solana.”

“Call me Lana.”

“Very well, Lana.” Liza smiled. “Call me starving… Let’s go get something to eat.”



_________________________________________________________



“Well what do you want me to do about it?” Casey blew a bubble and popped it.

She sat casually on a tree branch, reading her borrowed book as her electabuzz roamed the area nearby. Her entire day was spent reading in this position, and she was quite content with it. And she would have spent it like so if Ash hadn’t arrived. His appearance made her slightly annoyed, as it signaled the fact that she might have to do something important soon.

Her guess was correct, as he was here for another serious talk.

Ash sat at the bottom of the tree, rolling the black marble against his jeans’ wrinkles. “I just thought that since you were the one that explained everything for me back at Alto Mare… that you could help me with this.”

“Look, I’m busy. You got me addicted to this stupid book. Go bother someone else until I’m done.”

Okay okay…” He grabbed the marble and put it back in his pocket.



“Wait.”

Just as Ash had predicted.

The baseball fan may have been far more intelligent than he had expected in the first place, but she was still immature. As such, Ash knew she loved the attention and his dependence on her wisdom.

No longer a separate thought or emotion, Sabrina’s bond was slowly becoming a part of his personality, allowing him to analyze situations and people in a dreadfully intelligent manner.

“Hm?” Ash turned and acted surprised.

“So this is about Misty, right?” Casey closed the book and hopped off the branch, completely forgetting her earlier irritation.

“Yeah. She’s definitely Maya.” Ash sat back down and leaned against the tree.

“And you’re one-hundred-percent sure about this?”

“She saw the same vision that I did, except from her side. And she even recognizes my name as Sato even though she didn’t come with us.”

“Did anyone tell her about the journey we had?”

“I don’t think so… unless one of you broke your promise to me.” Ash emphasized with curiosity.

Casey panicked. “N-No!”

He stood up and stepped towards the lying girl. “You… you told them?!!

“What?! I never said that!!”

I’M. AN. EMPATHIC.” Ash pointed at himself with each word. “I KNOW when someone’s lying!”

“Ah… er… ahh… I…”

Her mind and heart were in complete chaos. It was obvious to Ash that she wasn’t used to getting caught red-handed.

“Y-You see the thing i-is… uh…

“Casey. Why did you tell them?”

B-Balk! Not fair! Y-You’re supposed to be our pitcher! I mean our leader!” She struggled to put words together in both her mind and voice. “Y-You’re trying to f-fake a throw when you know we can make a double play! But you’re just too scared of the batter’s ribbie!”

“W-What??”

“M-Maybe if you just worked with us better, we could show you how much leather we got!!!”

“…what??”

Casey looked frazzled. She wasn’t used to being cornered. With her mind in a daze, her normally thought-kept baseball terms poured itself into her actual speech.

She was about to go on, when Ash put his hands on her shoulders.

“Casey, calm down. I can’t understand what you’re saying.”

C-Calm down?? Y-You’re the one that –”

“Look, whatever you’re going to say, I won’t understand a single thing. So… deep breath in, deep breath out.

She glared at him…

But did as he instructed.

Deep breath in.

Deep breath out.



“Okay, try again.” Ash said with a patient smile.

Casey smacked his hands off her shoulders and took a step back.

“What I was trying to say is… you’re the one leading this group. They kept asking and asking about what happened on our little trip to Alto Mare. So… I told them.”

Why?!

Why shouldn’t I?!” She stepped towards him and pushed her finger against his chest. “What kind of team would be willing to follow someone who won’t tell them the truth?! I know you’re scared that we might not want to follow some idiot that restarted the universe just because he couldn’t handle a loss that everyone had to experience at some point in their lives! But maybe, just maybe! Some of us would understand! And maybe, just maybe! Some of us would figure out a way to make sure that wouldn’t happen again!”

Casey folded her arms and tapped her foot in irritation. “There were six in that team! You – the Aura Guardian, the Empathic, the Fighter, the Pokémon Master, the Researcher, and the Psychic! Counting the lucario and espeon and that would be eight! Now count how many we have here!”

She counted off with her fingers – as if he could see. “Me, you, Ritchie, Misty, May, Maylene, Tracey, Todd, Dawn, Sabrina, Liza, Bianca, Angie, Anabel, and Salon!”

“Solana.”

Whatever! We’ve already got a lucario, and an espeon on this team. And how many more pokémon on our team?? Not just that! NOT JUST THAT! But we have HOW MANY Empathics on this team now?!”

“That’s…”

“That’s right! You, May, and Anabel! Three Empathics. THREE! Three Empathics in a team of FIFTEEN!

Casey let it sink in before continuing, “So maybe only six or seven of us really count at the end of all of this, but all fifteen of us are going to do our best! Why keep the secret between our small little group when we could ALL do something about it?!”

Ash, while feeling far more relieved, didn’t seem fully convinced by her reasoning.

“So… Did any of you figure out anything?” he raised his brow.

“Well no. But we at least know what we’re facing now! We could at least try to change it instead of just finding out when it’s too late!”

The male Empathic sighed.



“What?” Casey was getting annoyed by his solemn attitude.

“Tell me, did telling them even encourage anyone? Did it make any of them more unsure of what we were doing?”

“Well…”

She began mumbling.

“What about Tracey?” Ash didn’t hear, but he could sense her vague emotions.

“T-Tracey’s going around asking people what they should do… about you.”



Ash walked over to the nearest tree and slammed his head into it.

“H-Hey! Quit it!” Casey tried to pull him away from the tree.

He successfully slammed his head twice more before being completely pulled to the ground.

Before she could say anything, Ash got up to his feet and started walking away.

“Wh-Where do you think you’re going?!”

“To talk to someone else.”

“That’s not fair!” She tackled him to the floor. “You’re just going to make me feel guilty and not let me do anything about it?!”

He struggled to get her off. “If you hadn’t done it in the first place, you would have nothing to feel guilty about!”

She sat on his back and pinned down his elbows. “If you had told them yourself, they might have taken the news better! There’s nothing wrong with any news, just how it’s told, you idiot!”

“Are you trying to lecture me over how to lead this group?!”

Maybe I am! What of it?!”

Ash stopped struggling.





Casey poked him. “Hey idiot.”



“What’s wrong, idiot?”

Can I just… talk to Angie already?” he muffled quietly against the grass.

Casey suddenly felt awful. “Hey… I’m sorry.

“Please, just get off…”

She let go of him and stepped out of the way.

Ash stood. Wiping something away from his eyes, he took a step towards the trees.

“I really am sorry, Ash. I… I didn’t mean it that way.

He didn’t turn her way. “Look, I’m just bad at this leader stuff… I don’t know what’s best for the whole group. I don’t really know what I’m doing. All I know is that I’m supposed to stop Team Rocket… I don’t really have anything else planned. Honestly, I don’t know if there’s anything I can do to save Maya… And if losing her again, whoever she is, is what it takes to save this universe… I’ll do it. I don’t want to. But I will. I was given a second chance… I can at least make it count.”

“Don’t get all pity-party on me, Ash. I said I was sorry, and I meant it. Besides… you’re not doing this alone.”

You’re not going to lose anyone at the end of this, Case. Someone who you just remembered you had made the biggest decision in the universe just to keep… only to forget who she was, and lose her the moment you remember…”

Casey didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what she could or should say. Or if she had any right to.

Would sacrificing one man’s happiness, a man who had the power to change everything, be worth saving the billions who would never fully appreciate their own? Who was being selfish? The one who chose the option to make sure no one would be lost, or the many who just want him to give up his choice just so they could keep their current standing in life?

These felt like the novels she used to read… this felt like the novel she was already reading. Commander of Wartortles. The Commander had to give up everything he had just to save his crew. A man whose life had become hollow compared to what it used to be, just so he could see the happiness grow and bloom in the lives of his crew.

…how ungrateful were the crew when the Commander first lost what had meant the most to him? How little did they know what went through the lonely man’s heart and mind? He gave everything, and yet they continued to demand from him as though he still owed them more.

He wasn’t the best leader, and he never would be. But where he was lacking in skill, he had spirit. He did the job no one else wanted to do – he sacrificed what no one else was willing to give up… and in the end…

…she hadn’t finished the book yet.

Would it be worth it? Would all their struggles and all his sacrifices be worth it in the end?

It could never bring back what the Commander lost, but at the very least, the crew could give up everything they had for their leader in return.

Casey wiped a tear from her eye, spit out her gum, and bowed.

I apologize, captain!” she shouted with formal respect. “It wasn’t in my place to make that decision to tell the rest! I-I’ll make sure that morale is kept high in the team! I’ll let them know that you aren’t doing this for yourself!”

Ash turned towards her. “Casey…”

She stood straight and faced him. “Y-You’re just trying to keep everyone happy! I notice it, sir! You’re always going around trying to talk to everyone and seeing how they are! Even at your own expense! And… And while we were all talking about the secret we saw at Alto Mare…

Turning away, a feeling of guilt filled her. “I – I never mentioned it before, but I saw what was happening in the woods in your private meeting! I have good eyes like that… I’m sorry for spying. But I just want to say it was very honorable of you to sacrifice your own health to help Anabel!!”

Ash felt her emotions in curiosity. Her mood had changed completely. An overwhelming aura of loyalty and pride surrounded the area where she stood.

You can do it, sir!” Casey bowed again. “I know you can lead us! And… if it means anything, I think Misty might have been Maya at one point, but since she’s not an Empathic anymore, I don’t think her life will be taken away in this universe. …but… I will do my best to protect May for you, sir! I’ll make sure Maya’s fate doesn’t happen to her either!!

Straightening her back, she saluted him.





Ash wasn’t sure if he was supposed to laugh or cry at her extremely dramatic show of apology and devotion. Whatever reaction he could have given, he was sure of one thing: he appreciated it greatly.

He walked over to Casey and hugged her.

Her body was extremely stiff as she awkwardly hugged him back.

“Thanks, Case.”

“N-No problem, sir.”

“That sounds weird.”

“So does you calling me Case, sir.”

“If I stop calling you ‘Case’, will you stop calling me ‘sir’?”

“Unlikely… sir.”



He pulled away from the hug and saluted. “Then thanks for the talk, Case. I’ll see you later.”

She saluted back. “Anytime, sir! I m-may not be the best when it comes to understanding you – but I can always offer you my perspective. It’s not much, but I know you appreciate it – and that humbles me, sir.”

Ash blushed at the respect he was given.

He gave a slight bow and ran off.





Casey fell to her knees and let out alarge sigh. “What did I just do?”

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:34 PM

Chapter 28: Others

Spoiler:
“A – A little help???”

Ritchie was pulled out of the swarm of pokémon by a helping hand.

The auburn-haired Trainer fell to the ground with a loud THUMP.

Oww… thanks, Todd.”

The photographer Todd Snap gave a thumbs-up to his rescued acquaintance before taking several pictures of the blurring scene of extremely active pokémon.

“So why are all these pokémon here?” Todd asked as he continued his photography.

“Ah, well…” Ritchie climbed to his feet and patted the grass stains off his vest and pants. “Everyone’s been so busy worrying about their own big worries about the upcoming mission… so I thought ‘hey, why not just offer to take care of their pokémon for them? Not only will they get a huge relief, but their pokémon will be happy and I’ll get to hang out with them! Not a bad idea at all!’…”

He laughed in embarrassment. “It didn’t seem like a bad idea until I found myself completely surrounded by them.”

Todd scanned the view for more shots.

I could get a picture of that marill eating the fruit… it could definitely get the front of a women’s or pokémon’s health and diet magazine.

That kricketot and meganium playing would make a great fashion reference photo…

Ooh, or maybe that venonat and scyther hiding in the bushes! The right angle would make it great for a Safari Zone or Poké Ball Hunters ad.

Then again that butterfree with the beautifly would catch the attention of anyone for those Bug Pokémon Enthusiast magazines… if I submit it in the right season, I could get a pretty high price, or even an award.

Or…

No. That one!

Todd hopped over several pokémon to get to the perfect position.

Falling flat onto his stomach, he switched to the wide-angle lens and propped his camera onto a small tripod.

“That’s it…” he whispered to himself as he chose between his viewfinders to get the perfect low angle shot. “…just keep at it, everyone’s eyes are on you two…”

Towering above his spot, two pokémon dueled each other for supremacy.

On one side, a furious tyranitar. On the opposing, a cool-headed charizard.

They slammed palms and heads onto each other, growling and roaring to show their strength.

Todd grinned to himself in pure exhilaration. This’ll be the perfect picture for the upcoming Pokémon Championship seasonal Guides! Come on, just hold that pose---! Aaaand---!

Right as his finger let loose of the shutter release, the draconic battlers turned towards the camera with pulled, squished, and twisted faces.



The energy and color from Todd’s once-enthusiastic face drained.

“Why…” he muttered in hushed agony.

The two pokémon were smacked in the head by a rolled newspaper. “Zippo! Cruise! That was very rude!”

Ritchie scolded his mischief-making pokémon with a stern attitude. “Apologize right now!”

With a sigh, the pokémon bowed in apology and continued their play elsewhere.

Offering his hand with a smile, Ritchie helped Todd to his feet.

“Sorry about that, those two love to ruin photo sessions.”

Still slightly hurt at his lost prize, Todd gave a weak smile back. “It’s okay. It isn’t the first time I lost the perfect shot.” He sighed. “I really thought I could get into the PCG for autumn with that photo though…

“The PCG? Cool! I didn’t know you worked for such a prestigious magazine! I buy at least two copies every year.” The Pokémon Trainer pulled at his empty pockets. “Though at my ‘salary’ I can’t ever afford a full subscription.”

“Oh no, no.” The photographer pulled out a business card and handed it to the Trainer. “I’m a Freelance Photographer. People usually hire me for commissioned Pokémon photos, but I also sell my own pictures to several newspapers, websites, magazines, and even some books!”

“Wow, so you must travel a lot!”

“Sure do. Just me and my camera on the open road!” He posed dramatically. “Through the most dangerous jungles, within the deepest oceans, atop the highest mountains, and even in the worst temperatures and terrains – Todd Snap will go and take the best photographs your money can pay for!!

He stopped posing and smiled. “I don’t always do it for money. Though it’s nice to have it for food and lodging.”

Ritchie tilted his head in curiosity. “Just you and your camera? No pokémon?”

“Nope. Todd Snap works alone.”

“That’s rare these days! Especially for your profession!” The Trainer patted one of the nearby pokémon on the head. “Most people love the security and company a pokémon brings. I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve met someone with no pokémon at all!”

“I’m quite good at my craft. I don’t particularly need a pokémon for safety – as I’m often running and hiding more than fighting.” Todd posed with his camera, pretending to take shots. “With my excellent eyes and ears, I can spot and capture any object, creature, or scenery without ever facing trouble!”

Hm… but don’t you ever get lonely?”

“Lonely?” He scratched his chin as he thought about it. “I suppose sometimes. But a technique I learned during all my journeys really helps me forget that I’m alone until I reach the nearest town. And when I’m in town, I can start a conversation with anyone with my photos. A picture says a thousand words, you know.” He gave a charming grin.

“Technique?” Ritchie sat in the grass, always interested in learning from anyone he meets along the way.

Todd made a wave-like gesture with his hand. “The technique of immersion~…”

“Immersion?”

“No.” He made the wave-like gesture again. “Immersion~…”

Ritchie gave a light laugh at the photographer’s dramatic pronunciation.

Unaffected by the laughter, Todd continued his explanation, “Immersion~ is when a photographer blends in with the environment. But that’s just one step! Once that step is mastered, the second step is where immersion~ really kicks in!”

He hopped onto his belly again and felt the grass and dirt with his fingers. “You must not only blend with the environment… you must also become one with it.”

“One… with it?” Ritchie got on his belly as well and mimicked the photographer’s actions.

“You mustn’t just feel the environment…” Todd took a deep breath. “You must smell it, taste it, feel its air’s texture in your throat.”

The Trainer copied this as well.

“You must listen to the wind, every small sound, every large sound – high pitch, low pitch – long and short…” His eyes opened wide. “Then you must see everything. Every color. EVERY color. Every light, every shade, every black and white, as well as every blur, lining, silhouette, texture, gleam, and haze.”

Ritchie nodded with complete concentration.

“After all this, you clear your mind. The touch, the feel, the taste, the smell, the sound, and the sight become your senses. Your body is no longer your focus – the entire world around you has become your body. When the wind blows – that’s your breath, when the earth shakes – that’s your fingertip, when a creature makes a sound – that’s your voice, and when the light fades and changes – that’s your eye.”

Todd relaxed his body and slowly put the camera in front of him.



A venonat amongst the group of active pokémon hopped from one bush to another.

Before it could reach its hidden destination, Todd flipped onto his back immediately and took three quick photographs with lightning fast shutter speed.

And there. You’re now a part of the environment.”

Whoah…” Ritchie showed complete wonder for the photographer’s skill.

“And that’s not even the final part of immersion~!” Todd grinned with a hint of arrogance.

“What’s the final part?” The Trainer regretted not bringing his backpack from the sanctuary. I could’ve taken notes…

The Professional Photographer peered into his camera and aimed it at a single pokémon – the lens followed its every step and movement. “The final lesson of immersion~ is to find a target and follow it…”

His body turned perfectly still. “Your body is no longer your body – and your environment is no longer your environment. Your target is now your body. Their thoughts are your thoughts now. Their actions are your actions. Their legs, their head, their eyes, are now yours… you are no longer yourself, you are now them…”

“That’s intense…” Ritchie whispered as if it were taboo if someone overheard them.

“With immersion~ you not only can spend WEEKS in a single position… but you also lose all thought and feeling of yourself. How can you be alone if the whole world is your body and soul? How can you be alone if the world doesn’t find itself alone?

Ritchie nodded. “That’s deep.”

Todd peeked away from his camera and grinned at the Trainer. “I’m looking into getting into some poetry too.” He laughed. “Maybe I can get a girlfriend if I can work on my words…”

He focused his camera on a wandering Casey. She looked in conflict with herself as she grumbled and kicked at the grass. Her electabuzz followed nervously behind.

Todd smirked.

“You’d have time for a girlfriend??”

Ritchie’s words snapped Todd out of his immersion~, causing slight irritation.

He sighed. “Well, maybe I don’t right now. But a man’s got to settle down someday, right?”

“I suppose.”

Ritchie smiled as he gazed into a different direction of the deep woods… catching a glance of Solana playing with Plusle.

“How about you, Ritchie? You got a girlfriend? Or time for one?”

“Got one?” He blushed. “N-No way. N-Not yet at least. As for time for one? Well… I guess I wouldn’t mind having one as a travelling partner.”

He continued to watch Solana with distant infatuation.

She caught his glimpse and looked at him in curiosity.

Ritchie panicked and turned away, pretending to have been looking at the beautiful scenery. …very beautiful scenery.

Pfah!” Todd’s mocking exclamation startled some of the pokémon. “Ash must have a harem of travelling partners.”

“Y-Yeah.” The trainer laughed nervously, uncomfortable with negative gossip.

“Seriously, leave some for the other men in the world!” Todd frowned as his camera zoomed in on Casey, who hid behind a tree to spy on Ash and Angie conversing. “Figures…” he quietly growled.

“Did you say something?” Ritchie turned towards him.

“Me? Nah.” He put his camera away as he slowly got up to stand. “So… is this all the pokémon we have? It’s quite an army.”

Ritchie looked around. He explained with an expert focus to detail, “Well, no. Liza takes care of her charizards and won’t let anyone near them until it’s time for us to travel again… Dawn wouldn’t hand me her poké balls, so she still has them. Maylene is training with her pokémon somewhere. I can’t find Misty, so I can’t take care of her pokémon. Anabel left her Metagross and Alakazam with me, but I can’t find her espeon… I think she went off to play with Ash’s pikachu again.”

He stood up and studied each pokémon, trying to remember who each one belonged to. “Angie kept her Luxio, but left her Bibarel and Kricketot with me… There’s no way I can catch Latias, let alone tell between her and Bianca… Let’s see… Casey kept her Electabuzz, but left the rest with us… May let her Glaceon and Venusaur roam the woods, but I’m taking care of her other ones…

“I’m not sure if I want to ask Sabrina for her pokémon…” He laughed nervously. “…and Solana…”

Ritchie found himself gazing off into her direction again.

“She has her Plusle… she takes very good care of him…

“Man, you remembered everyone’s pokémon! That’s impressive!” Todd patted him on the back. “You’re like a Day Care Center!”

“Y-Yeah I guess.” He blushed in shyness.

The photographer leaned in close and whispered into his ear, “You know… that Angie girl’s the daughter of a Day Care couple in Solaceon Town.” He hinted with a nudge, “So, if you’re into that kind of business, you could always woo the daughter…

Eheheh…” Ritchie stepped away awkwardly. “N-No thank you. Kinda’ interested in someone else…”

Oh? Who’s that?” Todd smirked and raised a brow.

“N-No one here! N-No one here at all!” He laughed uneasily.

He felt a pat on his back – though Todd was in front of him.

Awww, and here I thought I’d hear some good gossip!” Solana said from behind.

She looked at each of the pokémon with genuine care and happiness.

“These pokémon are so well looked-after, Ritchie! You’re really good with them!”

Leaning close to him and poking him on the shoulder, she gave a friendly grin. “You know… I heard that Angie worked at a Day Care back at her home. I think you two would make quite a cute couple.

Plusle hopped onto her shoulder and pointed towards the sanctuary in earnest.

“Okay okay.” she regarded her partner with a giggle. “Well guys, I gotta’ go. Plusle here wants us to find Pikachu and Espeon. See ya’!”

“See you later, Solana.” Todd bid her a temporary farewell as he cleaned his camera’s lenses.







Ritchie felt like dying.



_________________________________________________________



“Yeah, Maylene’s lucario has been looking everywhere for you, apparently.”

“Lucario? Why would he be looking for me??”

Angie shrugged. “Mm. No clue… …funny thing is, Maylene was looking for her lucario and asked if he ran into you yet.”

“That’s weird.” Ash felt for the next branch above him and grabbed onto it. He swung back and forth, testing the strength of the tree. “So where have you been all day?”

Mm. Nowhere.”

“With Sabrina.” He felt her out.

“Cheater. I can’t ever keep secrets from you.” She swung slightly forward from her branch and kicked his foot.

“What in the world would you be doing that needs to be kept a secret from me?” Ash stuck his tongue out towards her.

“Oh pff! You have no right to say that. You have secret meetings all the time with Sabrina!”

Ash let go and landed with a nervous stance, still unused to not seeing where he’d land. “Well that’s different. Ow my leg… Her and I need complete concentration and silencewhen we talk and train.”

“Oh, and you just invited Maylene to that little private meeting just because, right?”

Hey hey hey, Sabrina specifically asked for her to help with Anabel since she had experience with Team Rocket’s new studies.”

“Yeah I gue–”

“ANGIE!!!!” a roar came from their left.

“Crap! May’s here! Why didn’t you warn me?!” Angie scrambled up into the branches.

Ash laughed. “Whoops! Guess I wasn’t paying attention!”

“You jerk! You owe me!”

“ANGIE!!!!!”

The bandana’d Coordinator stormed out of the thick bushes and stomped towards the tree.

“I KNOW YOU’RE UP THERE!!! GIVE ME BACK THE POKÉTAB!!!”

“I – I don’t have it!”

“LIAR!!!”

“I – I promise!! I let Sabrina borrow it!!”

May’s face showed confusion. “S-Sabrina??? ARE YOU CRAZY?! SHE’S A PSYCHIC!!! SHE’LL BREAK IT!!!

Worry not. Your device is fine.

The Psychic shifted into their reality, holding out the pokétab to May.

May and Angie were stunned by her sudden appearance. Ash didn’t seem to panic.

Weird… I knew you were coming…

And I had sensed your presence before I arrived. Side-effects of our training. Nothing to concern over. Sabrina responded to Ash’s thought.

The Coordinator grabbed the device from her hand and held it close. “My pokétab! It’s fine! Oh thank goodness it’s fine!” She was about to cry from exhausted happiness.

“Er… Excuse me, May but…”

She pulled the pokétab away from her chest.

Bill’s face was on the screen, with an awkward smile on his face.

“B-BILL?!!” May nearly dropped it out of complete embarrassment. “Oh! I – Er! Ah! Sorry! That was really –!”

“D-Don’t worry about it. I just called to announce something rather important.”

“Important?”

“The news you were all waiting for. We found Team Rocket’s main headquarters.”

Angie jumped from the tree and stumbledinto a quick sprint, crashing over May’s shoulder to look at the screen.

Ash took a step forward, wondering if his ears didn’t mistake the too-good-to-be-true-news.

Sabrina’s eyes narrowed, her thoughts returning to its professional self.

Casey appeared beside May, looking into the screen with complete interest.



C-Casey??! Where’d she come from?! Ash was feeling absolutely blind for not having noticed when the baseball fan arrived.

Focus, Ash. This is important. Sabrina knocked his attention back towards the pokétab.

Bill looked towards the new arrivals. “I’m assuming you’ll want to gather everyone for this news first?”

“Definitely.” Ash nodded. “I’ll gather everyone.”

“Let me do it, sir!” Casey raised her hand stiffly.

Sir?” May looked towards her.

When did Casey get here???” Angie jumped back in surprise.

“Please, sir! I know where at least six of them are!”

“Er… okay?”

Casey began stretching as if readying for a game. “If it’s not too much to ask, sir – could you tell me where Misty, Bianca, Anabel, and Tracey are?”

“What’s with the ‘sir’?” The Coordinator blinked at Ash.

He shrugged.

Um… Misty should be…” He thought hard… eventually pointing in a direction behind him. “Somewhere back there… near where trees get thicker in a diagonal line. And… Anabel was… er…

“She’s west of here.” Todd walked towards them nonchalantly. “Bianca’s trying to find Latias in the southeast. Though I have no idea where Tracey or Latias are.”

Sabrina filled in the blanks. “I know where Latias is, and I know which direction Tracey had travelled towards. I shall get them.

Casey readied herself for her run. “Alright! Leave it up to me, sir! I’ll get the rest into the sanctuary before sundown!”

“It’d be faster if we split this up, I can look for –”

No thanks! I got this!” Casey interrupted Todd’s suggestion and began running.

“W-Wait up!” He chased after.



“Anybody else want to pop up out of nowhere?” Angie asked in irritation. “I wonder how many eavesdroppers we’ve got in this team…”

Sabrina glared at both Angie and May.

The two laughed in nervousness.

Ash pushed Sabrina off balance, an action no one would ever dare to do. “Hey, you’re guilty of eavesdropping too!”

Y-Yes… well…” She rebalanced and coughed. “I must be off to find Latias and Tracey…”

The Psychic turned and vanished into thin air.

Angie was grinning. “Heheh, so cute.”

The two Empathics blinked towards her. “Cute?”

“Nothing.” She turned and started walking. “Anyways, let’s get to the Sanctuary. I wanna’ kick some Rocket butt already.”

“Right.” Ash followed.

May trailed closely behind.



_________________________________________________________



“So Ash…” Angie sat comfortably under a tree, leaning against him. “…what’s this I hear about your little…‘vision’ back at Alto Mare?” She made sure to emphasize the word with quotation gestures.

He stiffened.





His voice turned cold and deep. “Where did you hear this? Casey? Misty?

“Are you serious?? Does everyone get to find out about this before I do??”

“I’m serious, Angie. Where did you hear this?

She didn’t seem intimidated. “Oh I didn’t ‘hear’ anything. Bad choice of words on my part. I ‘saw’ it.”

Ash turned towards her, knocking her off his shoulder. “WHAT?!

Shhhhh!!” The tomboy pushed his head down. “May might hear.

“She might know already.” He sighed.



“HEY MAY!!!”

“What???” she answered from the other side of the sanctuary without turning. The flowers occupying her attention.

“DID YOU EVER FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED AT ALTO MARE?!”

Ash wanted to tackle her to keep her quiet. But her hand kept him pinned to a sitting position.

“No! What did happen?? And stop shouting so loud!”

“Oh! Um… they found Bianca and Latias there!”

May turned… giving the tomboy an estranged look. “Well yeah. I thought that was obvious!”

“Just making sure!”

The Coordinator shrugged and went back to her flower collecting.

Angie turned towards Ash with a confident grin. “There, now we know she doesn’t know.”

The male Empathic gave a heavy sigh.

“What? It solved it.”

“I guess… but… how did you see the vision??”

“Sabrina.”

SABRINA?? She knows?!”

“I said ssshhhhh!” Angie leaned against him hard, squeezing him into the tree. “Be quiet already.”

“How does she know??” Ash hissed.

“Tracey. Tracey came to ask her if she’d do anything about you wanting to reset the universe again.”

“What?? I never said I would!”

“So… you’re not going to? Even if it means Maya’s going to… you know?”

“I never said I wouldn’t… …but wait, how could Sabrina see it from Tracey? He wasn’t there with me! There’s no way he would be able to know what any of it looked like.”

“Oh. Well, she made Tracey fetch Latias for her. So she saw it through her.”



Ash nudged Angie off her, finding a comfortable sitting position to think.

“…so then you asked Sabrina?”

“I was with Sabrina.” Angie gave an uncomfortable laugh. “I kinda’ asked for her help to hide me from May. In exchange, I let her look through May’s diary.”

Ash buried his face into his hands and slowly dragged his fingers against his skin. He groaned. “It’s like a never-ending cycle of who did what…”

“Well anyways, I was able to ‘see’ what happened too. Latias showed me too. Sato.”



Ash was waiting for a reaction from her.

Nothing.

I guess she wasn’t from that past then…

“And what did you think?”

“You were pretty handsome.”

He blushed. “N-Not what I meant. I meant what do you think of this whole restarting-universe business? And what do you think that we might be repeating it?”

“Hm…” Angie rested her chin on Ash’s shoulder. “What do I think? I don’t really know. Should I think of something? I mean, will my idea really change anything?”

“…so you’re not planning on anything?”

“Anything what? You mean like stopping you?”

“W-Well… yeah, there’s that.”

The tomboy punched his arm lightly. “You know I’m sticking by whatever decision you make, you jerk. Just… make it count, okay?

Ash smiled.



“Wait, how would any decision I make with a god pokémon not count?”

“Dude, it’s just a saying. Take it as an encouragement… or something. Whatever.”

He laughed. She laughedwith him shortly after.



“So what was Sabrina’s answer?”

Angie blinked. “Sabrina’s answer?”

“Yeah. For Tracey. Is she planning on anything? You know, about me?”

“You spent HOW long with her and you wouldn’t know what she’d say??”

“Well… I dunno…”

Sigh. “She scared Tracey off. Basically saying that whatever decision you make is your choice and no one else’s. She’s not going to stop you. We’re all behind you, Ash. We know you’ll make the best choice.”





Sniffle. Sniffle.

“Are you seriously crying again?? You are such a wuss!” The tomboy smacked his shoulder.

“You’re crying too, you jerk!” He hit back, his volume returning to normal.

She wiped away her own tear. “Pff, you wish… … …hey Ash?”

“Yeah?”

“Is anyone from that vision with us?” Angie stared at him. Worry. Concern. “Like Maya…?”

“…yeah. Maya’s with us.”

“Really? Who is it??”

“Couldn’t you tell? It’s Misty.”

“…is it? But Misty’s not Empathic.”

“Not in this universe at least. So… someone else is taking her place more than likely.”

Angie went quiet.

Her mind and heart struggled with an unknown and strange fact. Something that had bothered her since she saw it…

“What is it, Anj?”

“…nothing. Nothing yet. I can’t quite figure it out yet.”

“Is it about the vision?”

“Y-Yeah. Thing is…

“THE CREW’S ALL HERE, SIR!!!” Casey’s voice rang out and echoed against the trees.

“Seriously, what’s with the ‘sir’?” a voice in the far back questioned.

Ash nodded.

He patted Angie’s shoulder and smiled. “We’ll finish that talk later. Let’s get this conference done with first.”

“Okay.” She smiled back.





Latias doesn’t think Misty was Maya…

Ash caught his best friend’s thought.

His footsteps stopped. He wanted to turn around and ask her what she meant by that…

But now wasn’t the time. Right now he had to be the leader…

He stepped forward and faced the device on the pure white stump.

“Everyone’s here, Bill.”

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:35 PM

Chapter 29: Goodbye

Spoiler:
Surrounding the pokétab, the fifteen members crowded, squeezed, hopped, and pushed to get the best view of Bill and his assistant Dana. Even Sabrina found herself trying to get a perfect angle…

Ash, however, stood perfectly in the center, as Casey and her pokémon acted as his overenthusiastic guards.

The only member standing closer to him was Misty, who managed to effectively intimidate the girl into letting her through.

Counting pokémon, Pikachu was closest, as he made himself comfortable on Ash’s shoulder.

They all waited impatiently for the meet to officially begin.



“Ash, if you please.” Bill’s voice was barely audible under everyone’s constant chattering, whispering, and shouting – even for Ash.

“HEY! IT’S TIME TO START THE MEETING!!!”

Those closest went quiet. Though those further out continued their conversations and arguments.

“QUIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Everyone covered their ears in pain – and several pidgeys and spearows were seen flying from the treetops.

Casey put away her megaphone and saluted to Ash. “They’re ready for you, sir!”

“Th-Thank you?”

Ash tried clearing his ears, as a constant ringing blocked out most of his hearing.

“Thank you, Casey.” Bill’s voice could finally heard by everyone. “Now if you don’t know about it yet… Dana and I have found the location of the Team Rocket headquarters.”

Any last traces of gossip disappeared.

The Researcher pressed a number of invisible icons on his side of the screen.

An image of a large fortress within a canyon appeared on a small window.

“This…”

Everyone leaned in and studied the massive building made of steel.

“…is not Team Rocket’s main base of operations.”

The group nearly fell over.

Dana moved towards the camera and highlighted the image. “This is, however, their front. A kind of decoy headquarters. If any investigation or search for Team Rocket is to be pursued, all of them will lead to here.”

Bill took over again and shrunk the image’s size. “They not only did this to cover their tracks, but to also have an effective bait for anyone that dares to attack them.”

Several more images popped up, showing the sides of cliffs, buildings, and the surfaces of lakes.

“These are tunnels located around the area. If anyone invaded this decoy base, they could easily create a counter-attack by flanking from all sides.”

“So why are we looking at a fake base and not the real thing?” Liza spoke up.

“Because even though it’s a fake, it’s also their body.” the Researcher explained, “Before we make any attack on their main headquarters, it’s important to cause a diversion, if not a fully successful invasion, on this base to keep them from launching reinforcements.”

“So we’ll have to split again…” Tracey stated with a twinge of fear and regret in his voice.

“If you want to be effective, then yes.” Bill folded his hands on the table in front of him and nodded. “I just sent the location of the fake base to your pokétab. I suggest you print it.”

May popped her head over Casey’s raticate. “The pokétab can print??!”

The Researcherlaughed. “Of course! There’s an icon that appears on the top-right of each image file. Press that, and it should print. And if you haven’t printed yet, then you’re in luck – as I pre-packed ten pages with your device!”

May hopped over the raticate and opened the map file. A small ‘P’ button blinked on the corner of the image. “Is that what the ‘P’ has always stood for??? …I feel so stupid…” I thought it meant ‘Picture’…

Pressing it, the device blinked. In seconds, a small color-copy of the map printed from a tiny slit on the side of the pokétab.

“That’s so cool…”

Hold up! If we split to attack the decoy base…” Angie pushed Casey’s electabuzz out of the way and looked into the screen up-close. “Then won’t whoever goes after the decoy be in serious danger?? What with the multiple tunnels and all?? If we’re getting all of Team Rocket’s main attention, I seriously doubt we can handle that many goons at once!”

“You won’t have to.” A red-haired man entered the screen’s view.

“LANCE!!!” Nearly everyone in the sanctuary recognized the caped man’s identity immediately.

He grinned in greeting. “The Pokémon G-Men have already rigged every possible tunnel in the area with explosives. Team Rocket will only have one way in and one way out once those passages collapse.”

“G-Men? What’s that?” the tomboy asked. “Some kind of superhero group?”

She imagined a team of spandex-wearing heroes summoning large robots in the shape of pokémon. “That would be so cool…”

Lance laughed heartily. “No, no, no. We’re just an organization that takes care of pokémon in need. Right any wrongdoers that harm or abuse them. Nothing too fancy or super about us.”

“So wait…” Maylene squeezed her way in. “If you already have the explosives in there… why not just blow up the entire base right here and now?”

“We’d love to.” He nodded with a frown. “However, we would also endanger the lives of all the Rockets in there with such a devastating explosion. No matter how evil they are as a group… individually, the majority of them are simple people that chose the wrong road. By our books, they are just misguided citizens… and we will not take their lives away simply because of what their leaders ordered them to do.”

“What about just destroying all the entrances then? Just buy us time to invade the main headquarters?”

“We haven’t been able to infiltrate the lowest levels of the facility…” Lance sighed. “We are unsure if they have underground passages that lead directly to their main base. To destroy the entrances now – would simply cause them to panic, and you can bet that even their main headquarters will mysteriously vanish or become abandoned…

“Team Rocket will leave bases and build new ones in a matter of days. Like a legendary ancestors of the hydreigons, cutting off one head will only cause the body to grow more heads to replace them…”

“In simpler terms…” The screen was tilted and Bill was put into focus. “Attacking them right here and now without simultaneously being at the main headquarters is far too risky. We need to attack both fronts at once.”

“Okay, so why aren’t we being shown where the headquarters is yet???” Angie complained impatiently.

“Because we don’t have any pictures of it.”

A nervous silence took over.





“But… we still know where it is, right?” Maylene finally asked.

“Of course.”

The entire group sighed in giant relief.

“But it’s underground.”

“More tunnels??? I’m so sick of them!” Casey adjusted her hat in annoyance.

“No tunnels for this one. Just one entrance and one exit. And it’s right out in the open.”

Bill pressed the corner of the screen.

A photo filled the display.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS??!” Several of the fifteen showed their shock verbally and through groans.

“What? What?? Where is it??” Ash faced towards the glowing emotions around him, hoping for one of them to show what they saw.

“Viridian City Gym.” Sabrina enlightened her bond.

His eyes widened. “They’re that obvious?!”

“That’s not even the most ridiculous news.” Dana appeared on the screen and clicked another unseen icon.

A second photo appeared. “There’s an elevator and stairway that leads directly to the underground command center. No special passwords, keycards, or scanners to go through. Just a straight passage.”

“But why?” Ritchie questioned. “Why make it so easy?”

“Because we would’ve never searched an area so obvious and open.” Lance answered. “If there was an abundance of security devices and machinery delivered there, we would have easily noticed it. Instead, this base is built off the same material and standards as Giovanni’s old Gym. No one would have caught it…”

“Then what’s stopping us from just sending the authorities there? Or even just blowing the place up? I doubt there’s any ‘misguided’ people in there!” Maylene growled.

“Giovanni himself.” Lance showed obvious distaste for the name. “He’s a very powerful politician. Nothing happens in Viridian City without him or any of his thousands of connections from noticing it. He has more allies within the court systems and police forces than enemies. I even fear that some of the G-Men might be directly under his influence.”

Misty stepped closer. “If they are, then won’t that mean this mission is already compromised?”

“As far as the rest of the G-Men know, we are only sabotaging the false headquarters in order to stall illegal pokémon shipments… something that the heads of Team Rocket would only find to be a minor irritation. This mission and the location of the main Rocket base are only known by me.”

“And how can we be sure we can trust you?” Tracey questioned with slight paranoia.

Lance shook his head. “You can’t. All you can do is act on my advice, help, and information. Much in the same way that I cannot trust that there may be spies within your group as well.”

Tracey looked around in suspicion. Spies…

“There are none.” Ash stepped forward. “I trust every one of them.”

“I can only hope your trust is well-founded, Ash.”

I must clarify something, Lance.” Sabrina hovered over the rest and floated softly to the ground in front of the pokétab.

“Ah, Sabrina. Long time no see.”

“You mentioned that nothing happens in Viridian without Giovanni or his connections from noticing…” her voice was calm, cool, and straightforward. “…I would assume that also infers that they know of your meddling in the city?”

Lance smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “Oh they know alright. As we speak, they’re readying for an invasion from a ragtag group of young trainers like yourselves.”

SHOOT!” Angie shoved several people out of the way and grabbed Liza. “That means we can’t waste time!! Liza! Get the charizards!!!

“I never said you. I simply said like yourselves.”

The tomboy let go of Liza in embarrassment. “Wh-What??”

Bill moved towards the screen and smiled. “Sorry to say, guys… But you aren’t the only ones that figured out Team Rocket’s plans with Arceus.”

The fifteen began complaining and conversing amongst themselves.

“WHO?!” Ash slammed his hands onto the white trunk. He felt… betrayed.

News like this shouldn’t have existed.

Others shouldn’t exist. Others would only further complicate their plans. Others would only endanger themselves trying to help a cause they were never meant to be a part of.

Something was wrong. So very wrong. It was in the pit of his stomach. In the pit of his emotions. In the pit of his spirit.

“A small group led by Gary Oak. I’m sure you know him.” Bill smiled.

“I found and fed this information directly to them originally.” Lance admitted. “They were the ones I had worked with in the beginning. But as I knew that this plan wouldn’t work out well on its own, I sought out help. Luckily, I found Bill and this group.”

“Your two groups will have to work in perfect synchronization in order for this mission to succeed smoothly.” Dana added. “As we speak, their Beta team is heading straight for Team Rocket’s decoy base. They should reach it the same time you do if you’re ready by tomorrow noon.”

“We won’t be ready by then…” Ash hissed through his grit teeth. “We’re ready now.”

“Ash?” Bill pulled the camera close. “Get rest now. You won’t need to move out until at least tomorrow afternoon.”

“Thanks for all your help, Bill, Dana, Lance. But we won’t be needing them anymore.”

“ASH?! WAIT!!”

“Pikachu, Thunderbolt.”

“Pika?” His pokémon tilted his head in confusion.

“I said Thunderbolt!!”

“ASH! YOU’RE MAKING A BIG MISTAKE!!” Lance grabbed the screen and shook it. “WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER!!”

“THUNDERBOLT, PIKACHU!!!”

“CHUUUUUUUUUUUUU-!!!!”

In a flash of lightning, the device malfunctioned and BURST into flames.

Sabrina suffocated the flames immediately with a ball of psychic energy.



What was left of the pokétab was now in shattered and blackened pieces.

May’s face was in pure grief. She was about to cry and looked up at Ash.

Not now, May… I need you to be strong.

She nodded and swallowed her tears.

“ASH! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!!” Tracey roared as he grabbed the Empathic by the collar.

“Hands off!” Casey pulled the sketch artist off and threw him to the ground. Her pokémon stood by her side as she stared him down.



The group stood silent at the scene.

“Sabrina.” Ash’s voice was deep and absolutely cold. “I need you.”

She nodded and closed her eyes. Her mind linked with his.

In a matter of seconds she sorted out his thoughts and reinforced his plans.

He let out a soft sigh and moved through the crowd of nervous and shocked individuals.

Reaching an open area, he turned and faced them all.

Casey ran up to him and continued her act as his bodyguard.

“Mist, you’re leading the team to the fake Rocket Base.”

“Ash?” She looked at him in alarm. “I –”

“You’re taking Ritchie, Liza, Bianca, and Dawn to support the Beta team.”

No Ash! I’m coming with you!

Ash’s emotions softened. I can’t risk losing you again, Maya…

Ash…

You need to do this for me, Maya… I know you can lead that team better than the rest.

I… fine. I’ll do as you say, Sato… but don’t you dare…

I won’t. I’ll be back.

His emotions hardened again.

“Once you’ve successfully captured the base, you can lead some of the Beta team towards the main base to support us.”

“WHY DIDN’T YOU LISTEN TO THEM, ASH?!” Tracey was back up, tears flowing down his eyes. “YOU’VE DOOMED US ALL!”

Ash sent a powerful burst of cold Empathy towards Tracey – effectively freezing his will into silence.

“You don’t trust me, Tracey. But I trust you.” his voice was subdued and slightly disheartened. “You can join my group, Misty’s group, or leave. I’ll leave that choice with you.”

He turned towards the rest of the group. “The rest of you are with me. We’re striking the Rocket Base as hard and as fast as we could. Gary’s group won’t be able to stop the… disaster… that will occur there without us. Not only that, but we cannot trust any outsiders with our plans. We cannot allow their group to beat us there. We will not allow that group to beat us there.

Ritchie, Liza, Bianca, Dawn!” Misty regarded her team members. “Ritchie, I need all those pokémon back in their poké balls and given back to their proper trainers! Liza, give Ash’s team a charizard per person, we’ll need the rest for our team! Give the fastest to Bianca! Bianca, make sure you and Latias are ready for your mission – you’ll be scouts so be sure not to stress your focus or eyesight until we leave! Dawn, I need you to make sure all our bags and items are sorted! You all have your jobs. Are you all clear about them?

Each of them gave their awkward acknowledgments.

She turned towards Ash and nodded.

He nodded back.

“May. Anny. You’re my Empathic team.” It was Ash’s turn to form his team’s jobs. “I need your Empathy well rested and tested. If you can, help the pokémon relax before Ritchie puts them away. Todd. Case. You’ll be our scouts, ready yourselves for that. You’ve got two roles, Lene – shock team and Dark Pokémon hunter. Be sure your team is in fighting shape.”

They agreed with firmer convictions.

“Sir, yes sir!” Casey saluted.

“Sabrina.”

She turned towards him and nodded, not needing any instruction.

He thanked her in thought.

“Anj. I need you to handle moving our bags into the open area that I’ll choose. Solana. Make sure your Capture Styler is working perfectly.”

Solana nodded and tightened her Capture Styler.

Angie gave a thumbs-up.

“Are we all clear?”

Each approved.

“I said are we all clear!?”

“SIR! YES SIR!” Casey shouted loudly.

“YES SIR!” The rest followed her example.

“We leave by sunrise!”



_________________________________________________________



Just outside of the evergreen forests that separated Route 1 and Route 17, a large line of Charicific Charizards sat and received their signaled commands.

A soft sunrise made their silhouettes turn to colors and recognizable shapes.

Trainers, passerby, and citizens crowded at the sight.

The powerful pokémon were what caught their attention originally. However, the real showstoppers were the individuals that conversed and readied for their flight.

Todd, the skilled travelling photographer, famous for his work featured in magazines and his images of rare and unknown pokémon from different regions – prepared the tools of his trade for a photo shoot none of the viewers could have imagined.

Ritchie, the charming blue-eyed trainer, recognized as the young man that had lost to Koga in the Elite Four Kanto Trial of the previous year – sorted through his poké balls, readying for a challenge greater than any he had faced before.

Tracey, the youthful assistant of Professor Oak, who was known for his sketches used in the world-famous Professor’s papers and studies – quietly sat a good distance away from the others, struggling with decisions that would have put most others into the same catatonic state.

Casey, the young female trainer who look more fit to be a baseball player, only becoming recently branded as the fan that had brought the spark back to Corey Demario, Team Electabuzz’s star pitcher – ran back and forth, instructing others, and ensuring everything was ready… ready for what, the audience wished to know.

Liza, the Guardian of Charicific Valley, seen by others as the strict hermit that keeps the public away from the legendary charizard reservation – continued her instructions to each of the gigantic figures of fire and strength. Whatever brought her and her charizards out, must have been important. An idea that caused much gossip amongst the onlookers.

Solana, one of the celebrated Pokémon Rangers, known for her recent exploits in the Hoenn and Johto regions, and the focus of several fan clubs within the Kanto region – tested her Capture Styler on the nearby wildlife, much to the delight of the spectators.

Maylene, the pink-haired and eyed Gym Leader from the Sinnoh region, infamous with her Lucario as deadly challengers within the unofficial tournaments throughout Kanto – stretched and exercised with excitement and glee. Her emotions being difficult to avoid, many of the audience became pumped up for whatever fight she faced next.

May, the “Princess of Hoenn”, the master Coordinator recognized for her near-perfect techniques and fashion styles within Pokémon Contests – nervously flattened the wrinkles on her clothes as she noticed the crowd looking her way. Even in her unprepared clothing, she was a stunning creature of beauty.

Dawn, the Coordinator prodigy, fast becoming famous for her extremely creative use of her pokémon’s powers, skills, and talents – seemed absolutely disinterested in what was going on around her and focused all of her attention to a single man on the other side of the field.

Anabel, the Empathic Frontier Brain, the only Empathic publicly known within the higher ranks of the Pokémon League – adjusted her signature espeon onto her shoulder as she approached one of the charizards. Closing her eyes, she seemed to silently communicate with the Flame Pokémon.

Bianca and Angie, two figures unknown to the multitude of watchers – continued their business of packing and moving items into the open area. They had little care that they were given odd looks for being unrecognizable.

Sabrina, the frightening Psychic of Saffron City, seen as a figure of great power that was separate from the rest of the League, sharing the same notoriety as Lance and former Gym Leader Giovanni within the Kanto region – stood quietly at the sidelines. Waiting patiently for the preparations to be complete.

Misty, the “Mermaid of Cerulean City”, a Gym Leader known to keep many would-be Pokémon Masters humbled and unconfident… a powerful contender that had earned her the reputation of being one of the “Gym Leaders you should fight last” – barked orders amongst the other members with fierce authority.

And Ash… The Lightning Tsunami. The already-famous trainer that had become legendary after his reappearance as a blind contender – nodded his head towards the crowd, surprising the many who had thought he couldn’t see them.



What all these masters were gathered together for in the same area boggled and drove the mind into excitable questions and stories. The only factor they shared in common… was Ash Ketchum.

“Rumor has it Ash had his charizard trained in Charicific Valley.”

“I saw the battle he had with Ritchie, it was intense!”

“That pink-haired woman from Sinnoh? Apparently she’s a friend of his.”

“I’ve seen him travelling with Dawn. I’ve heard she even acts as his cheerleader!”

“Wasn’t Ash the one that got Tracey his job with Professor Oak? Or did I mishear something?”

“I think May’s dating him.”

“No way, I heard Misty dated him!”

“I heard that he helped two Pokémon Rangers on their missions.”

“Wasn’t that Frontier Brain known for always comparing Trainers to him?”

“I heard Todd has Ash to thank for his successful photo of an articuno.”

“Casey seems to be giving him a lot of attention… you think they’re…?”

“I heard a story that Ash got Sabrina to laugh a long time ago!”

“Who are those two girls? His sisters?”

“What kind of pokémon is that??”

“This is so cool! Did anyone bring a camera?!”

“Oooh, I want her autograph! Do you think it’s okay if we ask?”

“Look at the size of those charizards!”

“Where do you think they’re going?”

Misty had enough.

“WILL YOU ALL PLEASE BE QUIET?!!”



The crowd dispersed in panic and went their separate ways. Though some stayed and continued to watch in careful silence.



The stillness had not only affected the remaining audience, but the mood of the entire group. The air had become stiff and heavy – with the weight of their upcoming challenges crushing their spirits.

Ash pulled Casey close and whispered into her ear.

“Are you sure, sir?” she asked with a raised brow.

He smiled and nodded.

The baseball fanatic shrugged and pulled out her megaphone. “WHO WANTS AUTOGRAPHS?!”

Excited cheers and screams came from the remaining and returning spectators. They didn’t hesitate to take the given opportunity.

“GET IN A SINGLE-FILE LINE!!”

The incoming swarms made the group take a step back in surprise. They looked at one another in confusion. Some smiled, otherslaughed, and others simply shrugged.

Are you sure about this, Ash? Sabrina poked with her thoughts.

Yes… he responded with calm assurance.

With a sigh, he continued his thought,

I think… I think we’re all really wound up right now because we’re all facing something we don’t want to do… Something we don’t think we’re ready for. Something that even I didn’t think I was ready for.

Ash faced the excitedcrowd. We need this. We have to remember that everything we do… it isn’t just for us… This is for everyone. And if we have to storm a base to save all of the people on this planet, we may as well go in there as their heroes.



_________________________________________________________



Morning had come and gone, and with it, many ravaging fans and overly curious gossipers had moved on.

Autographs, photographs, questions, and quick statements had flooded the fifteen for hours – and many were relieved that the moment had finally passed.

Noon had struck. The sun hung heavily over them.

Time was ticking against them, as they were sadly back on the schedule Bill had wanted them on.

We should be moving soon, Ash.

I know, Sabrina. I just want to let everyone finish their goodbyes first.

The male Empathic smiled. The tension in the air was gone. And all that was left were the fifteen’s realization that this might be their last venture together.

Everyone had their own schedule, their own lives to return to after all this. It was a hard thing to imagine that this would be their final time together as a team.

But now, more than ever, they all knew they’d succeed in this mission.

Something told them they wouldn’t fail… something had been telling them since the beginning, but their own fears, anxieties, doubts, and problems had blinded them from it.

Now with the finality facing them and with all their worries thrown away, their future success was loud and clear.

We can do this, Sabrina…

Of course. I have always known this… The Psychic sighed with a smile. Though I will admit my heart is gladdened that everyone realizes it as well now.

Your heart? He giggled. You never mention that.

He felt a slight psychic jab against his thoughts. Ow!

You know full well I have one. Her vague response hinted towards their bond.

…a bond Ash had cherished in full, and would dearly miss when they would split ways.



Ash walked towards Sabrina and wrapped his arms around her.

Ash?

Her thoughts, stiff, cold, calculating.

Her emotions, surprised, warm, depressed.

She let her blush through and smiled softly.

Her forehead met his.

We’re not done yet. We still have one last battle.

I know… but… I’ll miss you.

Don’t say that. Not yet.

Sabrina patted Ash’s hair lightly as her body slowly disappeared from his hold…

S-Sabrina??

I am… fine. I just need some time alone. Do not worry. I will be ready once we take flight.

Her mind and heart closed seconds after. He could no longer read her.



“I swear you two are cute together.”

“C-Cute???” Ash turned. The tomboy’s emotions faced him. “A-Angie??”

“If you’re interested in her, I’d be fine with it.”

His face turned red. “Wh-What??!”

Nothing, nothing. Anyways…”

Angie’s confident emotions suddenly shrank. She felt vulnerable, unsure, and anxious.

“Is something wrong, Anj?”

His familiar nickname for her bolstered her courage.

She grabbed him by the wrist and began dragging him.

“A-Anj?? Where are we going?!”

“Keep your mouth shut.”

Ash’s panicked emotions caught the attention of Misty and May.

Angie noticed their curious glances. “Crap.”

Grunting, she lifted Ash over her shoulder. “Shoot, you got heavier.”

“A-Anj? Seriously, what’s happening?”

She began to sprint into the woods. “Keep your mouth shut before anyone else notices!”

He was about to struggle. A single shift in his weight would have easily toppled the two over for an easy break-free. But he didn’t have enough time.

His body met the ground as he was tossed against the forest floor. “Ow! Ow. Owow! Ow.” he expressed each injury on every rock and branch his body was struck against as he rolled.

A tree was his final impact. “Ow.

He lay still, wonderingabout his current situation.

Just a few hours ago, he might have found such a predicament to be an annoyance and would have yelled at Angie for dragging him all the way out here before such an important mission.

Yet at this moment, after the jokes and happy exchanges of stories with friends and fans… he felt… comfortable. It had made him reminisce of older times…

Hey Anj… doesn’t this kinda’ remind you of when you first trained with me? The time without pokémon?”

“That’s because it’s the same place.”

Th-thump.

The tomboy was suddenly on top of him.

“An…Angie?”

She felt… hot. Physically too.

“L-Look, Ash…” Angie’s voice began with an absolutely frightened stutter. “I – I know you’ll choose someone else a-after all this. But y-you owe me for saving Anne! S-So…

“An–”

Her lips pressed against his.



Limbs losing strength to hold herself up, Angie collapsed onto him. Lips still embraced, her heart stood still as everything inside her mind went into complete chaos.

WH-WHAT AM I DOING???

She wanted to stop. To pull away. To run.

But Ash didn’t move. He didn’t struggle. That means he wants it too, right?

Her body pushed forward, leaving no room or gap between their breaths.

Time crawled to a standstill, as she felt trapped in this moment. This moment with him…

What am I… What am I doing… Stop…

Her lips broke away, only to latch back on. Different lip, different angle, different… taste.

She wanted more… she hungered for him…

You’re mine…

Heart, mind, body, and soul were in complete conflict with one another. They all yearned for her to stop, yet all secretly willed her to keep going. To keep her lips locked onto his. To keep his body close. To keep them together.

Ash’s arm twitched, causing her hands to instinctively pin him down.

L-Let go of him! Y-You can stop now! She yelled at herself. No… he’s mine…

More… She pretended she never said.

Angie’s lips were virgin. They had always been. She had never wanted, thought about, or cared for this before. Up to this point, she had no idea how to kiss. She still didn’t know. Though her lips had no idea how to move forward, where to go, or how to please – she wanted to continue. She wanted to know now, care now, want it now. She wanted to think about this, remember it, and never forget.

Everything inside her told her this is what she wanted.

Just once… just…





She finally pulled away… gasping for air.

Her quick heartbeat was surprisingly audible, her hair was more of a mess than usual, her body was trembling terribly, and her eyes were in a complete daze.

Using her sleeve, she wiped away the saliva that clung onto her chin. “I – I um…!

The tomboy slowly stood… unsure of what to do.

D-Do I help him up? No, just run. Just run! Wh-Why isn’t he moving?? D-Did he not enjoy it? AAAAAAAHHH!!! OF COURSE HE DIDN’T!!! YOU FORCED IT ON HIM!!! YOU-!!! YOU-!!!

I – I GOTTA’ GO! I – I’LL SEE YOU AT THE CHARIZARDS!!”

Angie ran as fast as she could. Screaming at her own emotions and thoughts as she tried her best to forget the crime she believed she had committed.

She’d never be able to forget, no matter how hard she would try. And in a way, she was glad.





Ash continued to lie on the forest floor.

His arm twitched again.



Pulling the cooling marble from his pocket, he laid his wrist against his forehead…

He would never be able to forget… when it first happened.

When she wasn’t Angie…

Pressing the marble against his head, he slowly began to remember.

“……Amy?”

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:36 PM

Chapter 30: Commitment

Spoiler:
TH-THAT ANGIE!! May growled as she tightened the straps on the charizard she was assigned to. I SWEAR I’M GOING TO –!!!

You seriously have no right to complain…

May twitched. Wh-Who said that???

Really? Who else?

A-Anabel?? She turned and looked around suspiciously.

The original Empathic’s voice was not one May was used to. Having only become an Empathic herself recently, she had never heard Anabel’s emotional voice before… outside of the private ritual they held to free her Empathy, of course.

What reason do you have to distress over this? Anabel’s emotion was obvious: annoyance. You already kissed him…

May tripped over herself and nearly fell flat on her back. She caught herself… by grabbing and pulling against the charizard’s straps. Tightening it to an unbearable level.

The charizard was ready to destroy everything around it in pure agitation – an emotion that had only frightened the Coordinator from taking up any action.

Oh n-no…

A soothing aura of calm and soft care surrounded the immediate area.

The lilac-haired Salon Maiden gently loosened the straps and massaged the charizard into relaxed understanding. It’s okay… it’s okay. I apologize for her. She tends to be a bit of a klutz. I hope you can forgive her.

It grunted and turned away.

Anabel smiled. Thank you.

The peaceful atmosphere disappeared as the experienced Empathic stared down at May. She helped her up begrudgingly.

You really should be careful with the charizards. They’re still not used to co-existing with humans other than Liza.

May didn’t seem to care. H-How do you know that I k-kissed Ash??! Her face was turning pink. H-How many people know about that??!

I saw it myself. She gave her physical attention to the charizard, well aware that she would look silly staring at May in silence. Angie only knows because I told her. Not even Ash knows I saw.

Wh-What were you doing spying on us?!

Hmph.” Anabel walked passed her, shoving her aside with her shoulder – making it look accidental. I was connected to Ash in a way none of you would have fathomed before. It would have been pretty obvious to me if his emotions were burdened with heavy worry.

She gave a slight glare towards the Coordinator. I was there for Ash. Not for you. And definitely not for ‘both of you’.

Her cold choice of emotions gave May a temporary chill.

W-Well, I can still be angry at Angie! she fought back. Sh-She forced it on him! She practically kidnapped him!!

Anabel looked towards the tomboy.

The green-haired girl stood by her charizard… her face buried against the supply bags the Flame Pokémon carried. The memory of the unspeakable action replayed through her head over and over again, making it impossible to ignore or miss for those who could read them. Even her chosen charizard seemed to sense it, as it uncomfortably adjusted its posture.

Angie did it for different reasons. Anabel sighed.

Emotions of accepting loss slowly filled her. To her, Angie had finally won. She had claimed Ash.

…she did it because this would her last chance. She knows Ash is going to choose someone else.

May’s eyes widened. Choose? … Who? … How does she know?

The Frontier Brain shrugged. I don’t know… sometimes… she can read Ash better than all of us.



…so what do we do now?

The Coordinator sat down. Unsure.

In the past, Ash was… ‘free game’. Anyone could fight over him. Anyone could claim him. But none of it mattered, because he never truly returned the same emotions back. He had never committed – and that was fine… we never committed either. But now… with news that he would choose, relationships felt more uncertain now than they had ever felt.

Would she simply just be a friend at the end of all this? Would she be fine with that?

Ash…? Just a friend…?

Despite having been ‘just his friend’ for so long, the idea that she could never win him to be anything beyond that – frightened her. He’d forever be just a friend, no matter how much she wanted it otherwise. Would she be fine with that?

Not even Anabel knew.

Anabel’s relationship with Ash had been almost exclusively romantic. She couldn’t truly see him as anything other than her soul mate.

But would she try to be his friend if it promised being able to stay close to him?



Only Angie was certain of where she’d be.

And despite her known loss, the two Empathics found themselves envying her.



_________________________________________________________



“I… uh… packed these special treats for your plusle.”

“Oh wow! Thank you!”

“It should give him more energy… considering we didn’t have time to sleep, I thought it’d be useful.”

“That’s nifty! Wish they had something like that for humans.” She giggled.

“W-Eell actually! H-Here!” He handed her a small covered bowl. “A stamina soup… should keep you awake.”

“Woww! You think of everything, Ritchie!” Solana smiled as she took a sip. “And it’s delicious! You sure are talented.”

“Th-Thanks…”

“Did everyone get one of these?”

N-No… I only had e-enough to make one…

“Hm?” The Ranger tilted her head. “Then why give it to me?”

“I j-j-just thought that s-since–”

Maylene passed by and quickly elbowed the male Trainer. “Go get ‘er, tiger!” She grinned mischievously.

His face turned red.

Solana’s face turned pink in reaction. “O-Oh! Uhm…”

The two stood awkwardly.

She shyly took another sip. “I – uhm… thought you said you were…”

Cough. She didn’t want to finish the question, busying herself with the soup. This really tastes good…

Ritchie looked away, wiping away a bit of sweat. “I uh… kinda’ lied… just to get Todd off my back. Th-That time I said… s-someone else… I m-meant… y-you.”

“Oh.”

Solana handed back the bowl. It was empty.

She turned and gave one of the treats to Plusle. “Uh… I’m… really flattered.”

He nervously reached into his pocket, keeping his body distracted. “G-Good luck on the mission.”

“Th-Thanks! You too!”

With a quick bow, Ritchie ran to his team’s side. Sparky met him halfway, congratulating his partner for his brave effort. The male Trainer seemed absolutely relieved to having admitted it… even if it was in a vague manner.

“So are you actually interested in him?”

Liza appeared by her side, causing her to flinch. “O-Oh, Liza, it’s you.”

“Isn’t he a little young for you?”

Solana patted Plusle as it continued to devour the treats. “W-Well I’m p-probably not too much older than him.”

Liza smirked. “Never been asked out, have ya’?”

The Pokémon Ranger turned towards her friend in a challenging posture. “Yes I have!

Really?” Her face showed no sign of being convinced. “When was the last time?”

She sighed heavily. “…when I was six.” the Ranger admitted in shame.

Liza laughed as she walked away. “Don’t get too desperate now! He just thinks you’re a pretty face. Youngin’s never know what they’re getting themselves into when it comes to relationships.”

The Valley Guardian disappeared behind one of the charizards.



Solana glimpsed curiously at Ritchie as she put a hand up to her cheek. “He thinks I’m pretty?



_________________________________________________________



Todd grinned as he ran his finger against his chin. “Using the final battle as your excuse for a ‘now or never’? A bit cliché, Ritchie, but I think you’re onto something.”

Confidently, he marched towards a purple-haired girl that impatiently waited at the forest’s edge.

Before reaching her, he plucked a white lily from the ground and took in its scent. “Perfect…”

With a hop, skip, and an elegant landing bow, he presented the flower to Casey.

“A wonderful day, isn’t it?”

The baseball fanatic raised her brow.



Todd laughednervously at the awkward silence. “Er… this flower’s for you.” He recovered his confidence. “I thought it matched your eyes… a silly thought, as nothing could compare to them.”



She blew a bubble and popped it. “That’s the best you got?”

His boldness began to shrink. “Uh…

With acough, he reconfigured his actions and tossed the flower behind him. “Look Casey, I just wanted to thank you. For that time you saved me at the prison. I don’t think I would’ve lasted another torture session… so, thank you for taking the hit for me.”

He gave a charming smile and let his eyes water. “Really. Thank you.

She shrugged in response. “You’re welcome.”

Todd fell over.

Wh-What’s with this girl??!

Slapping his face and changing his tactic, he got back to his feet – taking a meek posture.

“S-So… that… didn’t mean anything special?” A slight blush covered his cheeks. “Because… it really meant a lot to me.”

After another bubble pop, she responded, “Nnnope. Though I’m glad you liked it.”

His emotions sank.

Unless…

“You’re a fan of the Electabuzz team right?”

“Yeah?”

“I have quite a collection of photos from their best season.” He grinned.

Her eyes lit up. “Every season’s their best season… but that’s pretty cool! I didn’t know you were a fan too!”

“Actually I’m not much into baseball…” And here comes the friend line… “…but that’s because I don’t know much about it. I’ve always been interested in learning, though.”

“I could totally teach yo– Heyyy… are you still trying to hit on me?” She frowned in irritation.

“Oh for crying out loud! Yes! What’s it going to take to ask you for a date??”

She spit out her bubblegum. “A pretty odd time to be asking for dates, don’t you think?”

“Well it might be–”

“Our last chance?” Casey shrugged and smirked. “Using our last mission as an excuse for a ‘now or never’ question that could make me desperate enough to consider it? Talk about cliché.”

He sighed. This girl really is something.

Todd wanted her now more than ever. “And I’m willing to risk my pride on that. You want to make a bet? A deal? A contract? Anything? I’ll stake anything on it.”

“Will you take ‘no’ for an answer?”

“Not at all.”

“Then take ‘beat it’, and get out of here.”

I give up… “Look Casey, we’re going to be partners out there. Whether you like it or not, we’re going to be depending on each other. Now’s really not the time to make that job awkward.”

“Says the guy who’s continuing to make it awkward. And besides, you’re a big boy – you can treat that job as just that, a job. Professional acquaintances.”

“What don’t you like about me? You’re not even giving me a chance to show you who I am!”

“And you don’t know a fricken’ thing about me either. We’ll call it even.”

With each counter, he felt like he took another blow to his pride and emotions. He had no more aces up his sleeves – so he tore the cards up instead. “What does Ash got that I don’t???”

Casey finally gave a reaction. Though one he regretted pulling out.

Her face turned pink. “A-Ash?? Wh-What?? I don’t have anything f-for him!”

“Oh come on! It’s so obvious! You’re always following him around and calling him ‘sir’!”

“I-It’s purely out of professionalism! I just treat him as our c-captain!” She threw a new gum into her mouth and began chewing nervously. “Nothing more than that! Nothing at all!”

“We’re all being professional here, Case.” Todd noticed her lip twitch at using the nickname Ash gave for her. Tch… anyone can give you that nickname. “You don’t see any of us following him around and attending to his every thought and whim! The man can barely walk on his own without you being his shadow!”

Casey took that as a compliment. “I’m just giving him the respect he deserves.”

“Deserves??? What… What did he do to deserve it?! Any man in his situation would do the same thing! And the only reason he can keep going without breaking down is because he’s literally being attended to by every girl that he decides to charm!”

He was suddenly lifted off the ground and slammed against a tree. Casey growled at him.

You take that back! Ash is being selfless! He’s just keeping our morale up and sacrificing his time and mind to make sure we’re all okay!” She pulled him higher; making sure his feet couldn’t touch the ground. “He doesn’t have to! He could be just like you – YOU’RE the one trying to charm a girl for your own selfish wants! It’s not his fault they like him! They’re just being thankful! Returning the favor! And not once did he ask for that favor to be returned!”

Casey was shaking. She knew by now everyone around them was staring. She knows that they heard her loud and clear… and that she indirectly admitted her feelings for Ash in a rather audible fashion.

“Exactly.” Todd seemed satisfied. “All those girls surrounding him. What chance do you think you have with him?

He knew it would hurt. He wanted it to hurt.

It didn’t.

“Zero.” Casey simply said. “But I can at least be there for him and give him what he needs. And right now?

She let him down and patted his shoulder.

“Right now, he needs us to work as a team. So like I said… Beat it, Todd. I’m not interested. We can be a team. We can be friends. But I’m not interested in anything deeper than that. Ask later. I don’t have time for you right now.”



He pulled her hand away from his shoulder and dropped it with disgust. “Hmph. You all treat him like a selfless god… let’s see how you feel about him once he uses a god for his own selfish reasons.

Todd walked away, returning to his business of sorting through his camera equipment.

Casey wanted to strike him. Her hands balled into a fist, when a touch on her shoulder surprised her.

“Hey…” It was Angie’s hand. “We should probably be leaving soon. We’re running a little late… Can you get Ash? He’s been in there for a while.”

The tomboy smiled at her, almost in an understanding manner.

To have the captain’s best friend understand her emotions was beyond just a compliment. She felt slightly humbled. “I don’t know where he is in there.”

Angie pointed. “Just keep heading that way. He might be lying on the grass, so watch your step.”

With a nod, Casey saluted and began running.

The golden-eyed tomboy sighed.

An arm went around her shoulder. “This sure is going to get ugly, isn’t it?” Maylene mentioned with a smirk.

“Yeah. Only thing we can do is ready ourselves for it.”

The fighter snickered. “I didn’t mean the mission.”

“I didn’t either.”

Maylene pulled her towards the charizards. “Come on, let’s get this darn last battle done and over with.”



_________________________________________________________



Hovering above the ground with heavy flaps, a group of large charizards waited patiently for their next orders. Fifteen of them carried humans on their backs.

A single pokémon of red and white flew circles around them – too excited to stay still.

Before we leave, I want to make it abundantly clear of what our objectives are!” Ash shouted, his voice being carried by the strong wind. His authority made perfectly powerful through Sabrina’s bond and his focused use of Empathy. “Team One! This includes May, Todd, Maylene, Anabel, Casey, Solana, Sabrina, Angie, and myself!

“And me, too!” Tracey yelled, moving his charizard closer. “I’ve decided to join your group!”

Ash smiled and nodded in his direction.

Team One!” he continued, “Our job is to fly straight into Viridian! We will be landing around Viridian City Gym! Our charizards will then continue scouting the skies above! Solana! Your new job is to protect them until our reinforcements come! As you’ll be outside, you should have more access to wild Pokémon! Use that to your advantage!

The Ranger shouted, “Yes, sir!”

You may join us inside once the reinforcements arrive!” Ash turned. “Angie! Your job is to cover the rear! Keep a safe distance from us to make sure you don’t fall for any ambush meant for us! You’ll be the one saving us in case anything goes wrong!

“You can count on me!”

May! Anabel! We’re next in line! We can backup either Angie or the team ahead of us! But we have to make sure all three of us make it into the final room!

The two Empathics confirmed with their emotions.

Todd! Casey! Both of you are our scouts! You report any incoming enemies, traps, or forks in the paths back to us!

“YES, SIR!” Casey shouted enthusiastically.

Todd simply nodded.

Maylene! Keep close to both of them! I want you to take out any Dark Pokémon as well stun any enemy groups ahead of us, OK?!

“OK!” she shouted as she flexed her arm.

Tracey! Your job is to help Sabrina!

“S-Sabrina??!!” A freezing chill ran down the sketch-artist’s spine. He hesitantly looked towards the Psychic.

Her eyes were closed, as if asleep.

Sabrina will be remaining on the ground floor of the Gym! Once we are sure all Dark Pokémon are down, Sabrina will be taking a shortcut towards us! Tracey, you are to assist her through this shortcut!

“Sh-Shortcut??”

He was tossed a device. A long-distance radio.

Tracey stared at it oddly.

Do NOT use it!” Ash warned. “Even if there are no tracking systems in the gym, we can’t be too careful! We will send a single sound through the radio! This is the signal that all Dark Pokémon are down! Again, do NOT use it!

“O-Okay!” he stuttered in nervous confusion.

Team One! Our job is to stop Team Rocket’s plans once and for all!

“YEAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!”

…Maylene realized she was the only one that shouted. She blushed in embarrassment.

Team Two!” Ash nodded towards Misty.

“Team Two!” Misty confirmed. “That means me, Liza, Ritchie, Dawn, and Bianca!

She pointed each of them out with a glare.

“Bianca! You and Latias are our scouts! Speed ahead of us and tell us of the upcoming environments and situations! If any enemies appear, retreat immediately back to us!”

The Alto Mare native gave a thumbs-up, as her pokémon gave an eccentric spin to acknowledge.

“Liza! You’re our aerial support! Dawn, Ritchie, and I will be hitting groundside! Keep any and all enemies off of us with the charizards! Those that get through, we’ll handle on our own! You may want to stay a safe distance away in case they attempt to group us together! Stay as spread out as you can!”

The three nodded firmly.

“Team Two! Our job is to make sure Team Rocket’s head no longer has a body! We’re overtaking that base! Once we succeed in that, we’re acting as Team One’s reinforcements! Are we clear?!

CLEAR!!” The small group shouted as one.

Misty faced Ash. Whenever you’re ready, I am.

See you then. Good luck. He smiled.

You better be safe. Otherwise I’m going to kill you.

He held back a laugh. So if I die, you’re going to kill me?

I’d find a way.

Ash gave a thumbs-up. “Team Two, we’re counting on you.”

“Team One, you better not let us down.” Misty responded.

Guiding the charizard to face his team, Ash raised his arm. “Let’s go, Team One!!!

Team Two, follow me!!!” Misty spun the charizard and began her flight.

The teams finally broke off and sped towards their destinations.

When we see each other again… I think I’ll be ready to be your Maya, Sato…



_________________________________________________________



Viridian City Gym closed in. It sandy brown walls and white marble accents, elegant water fountain, and gorgeous garden of sentry trees distinguished it from the rest of the modern city.

Seriously, that thing’s more like a mansion and less of a Gym.” Angie remarked as the building closed in.

The Charicific Charizards dove down, flying close to the ground.

Pedestrians and cyclists panicked at the sight – several of them stopping in their tracks or swerving off course.

Maylene slowed down and kept with Sabrina’s speed. “Are all your Gyms here so… large? And beautiful?” She frowned, feeling inadequate. “Mine’s just so… dainty compared to these Kanto Gyms… it’s no wonder Ash thought Gym Leaders were rich.”

Sabrina opened her eyes for the first time in hours. She regarded Maylene with them. “You have to remember that the Kanto region, with special thanks to our Professor Oak, was the first to flourish in the realm of technology and study of Pokémon. It should be no surprise that our Gyms and Tournaments are well-funded and sponsored.”

You’ve got sponsors???”The fighter felt like crying in embarrassment for her inferiority. “Is that why you’re all so well-dressed here??? I need to move down here someday!!”

Sabrina laughed – a reaction thatshocked the fighter.

“Kanto is a nice region. However, from what people tell me, Sinnoh has a certain mystical beauty that is supposedly unmatched.” the Psychic responded.

“Y-Yeah…” Sabrina sure looks different. “I love Sinnoh. I doubt I’d ever leave it. I just kind of envy the comforts down here.”

She stared straight ahead, watching the buildings and streetlamps pass quickly by. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so well-fed my entire life.” She sighed. “I’m going to miss the food down here.”

“Which must mean you’re leaving after this.” Sabrina confirmed.

“I am, actually. …I think I’ve been gone from home for too long as it is.”

“And your plans with Ash?”

“If he’s interested, he can come home with me.” She grinned. “If not, well… I guess I can always visit again. Just to hang out.”

Sabrina smiled. “You certainly are bold.”

Maylene blinked. Ah! She’s smiling! She’s acting so weird! “Bold?”

“The other girls here would never ask him directly. Yet you are already willing to propose to him.”

P-PROPOSE??!” Her face flushed red as she nearly fell off her charizard.

Sabrina laughed again.

“You said yourself that he’s coming home with you if he accepts, correct? Sinnoh’s quite a long way from here. It sounds to me as if you are going to propose to him.”

N-N-No!!!” The fighter struggled to keep her body on the charizard – who was growing irritated at the rider hanging onto its neck. “I j-just want to date him! Just date! I can’t just date him if I’m all the way at Sinnoh! S-So I’d just let him hang out with me at my house!”

The Psychic gave a sly smile. “…and then?”

‘And then’ what???”

“You invite a boy into your home, date him, let him live with you – what are your plans if he continues that life with you for several months? At that point he might as well be your husband.”

“I… uh… er…” Maylene climbed back into the proper riding position and buried her face into the charizard’s neck. “I dunno! I never thought that far ahead!”

Quit teasing Lene, Sabrina. Ash’s thought came through.

I asked a sincere question. She responded back gleefully.

“We’re ready to land, sir!” Casey shouted out.

“Should we park in the back?” Todd asked.

No time. We land in the front.” Ash commanded. “Do we have any opposition?

“That’s a negative! We’ve got zero enemies, sir! Destination in five seconds!”

The blind Empathic held tightly to his assigned charizard’s neck and loosened his body – readying for a landing that only he couldn’t see.

A large gust of wind hit his back as the Flame Pokémon came to a flapping halt.

Stomp. Stomp.

The gravity below him felt solid again.

Thanks, no-name. Ash hopped to the floor unsteadily.

Welcome. the charizard responded back.

The others got off their rides and adjusted to standing on their own feet.

May was the only one unsuccessful at adapting, as she fell over immediately. “Ow…”

Maylene, however, accustomed to the ground perfectly, and was the first to move away from her charizard.

She ran towards Ash and helped him steady himself. “Hey… Sabrina’s acting weird. It’s creeping me out.” she whispered to him urgently.

The male Empathic tilted his head. “Hm? Weird how?”

“She’s acting all… friendly.

Ash and Sabrina laughed together.

Did she hear me???” Maylene covered her face in embarrassment.

Just as instant as they had laughed, they stopped simultaneously.

The mission.

I know.

Solana! Patrol!

“Got it!” The Pokémon Ranger ran to a nearby tree and aimed her Capture Styler. “Capture!!! ON!!!”

A group of pidgeottos that made their home in the tree’s branches – found themselves grounded as a capture disc began circling them. Its accelerating speed created a ring of light around its intended targets.

After its fifth spin, the ring tightened and surrounding the four Bird Pokémon in a bright light.

“Capture successful!” Solana pointed towards the roof of the Viridian Gym. “Help us get to the top of that building, guys!”

The pidgeottos swooped down and lifted the Ranger and her plusle partner to the roof.

Ash patted the unnamed charizard. Alright, you guys get into position too. We need this place secure.

It grunted in understanding.

Using the gestures learned from Liza, no-name gave orders to its fellow Flame Pokémon.

The ten Charicific Charizards took flight and circled the Gym’s skies.

Solana waved down from the roof and gave a thumbs-up. “This area is now secure! Go right in!”

Ash let Pikachu out of his backpack. “Everyone bring out at least one pokémon, preferably small. You can let out the larger ones once we get into battle.

Todd shrugged and sat on a small white staircase. The platform it led up to held the Viridian Gym doors. “Don’t got one.”

The other seven released a pokémon from their poké balls: Maylene’s Tyrogue, Casey’s Raticate, Anabel’s Espeon, Tracey’s Marill, May’s Glaceon, Angie’s Kricketot, and Sabrina’s Hypno.

Ash felt through each of them, identifying what kind of pokémon they were by their familiar emotions.

May, Maylene. Can you get Glaceon to freeze the door and get Tyrogue to smash it down?”

The fighter grinned. “Oh heck yeah!”

“Why don’t we just see if the door’s open?” May asked, bewildered at the order.

“I don’t want it to be one of those situations where the door mysteriously locks us in.” he explained.

Ooh! Smart!” May smiled and hopped up to the platform. Running down the pathway to the door, she halted several feet from it. “Glaceon!”

The Fresh Snow Pokémon sprinted towards the target door.

“Ice Beam!”

With a flip for added flair, the light blue pokémon shot a ray of white light towards the door – encasing the entire entrance in a wall of ice.

“Good job!” the Coordinator complimented.

Now it’s our turn!” Maylene shouted excitedly. “Tyrogue! Brick Break!”

The Scuffle Pokémon launched its glowing fist into the ice, creating an impressive crack in its shining surface.

“And now we finish this!” The fighter thrust a powerful kick into the fracture.

DRRKRKRKKKEKEKEK!!! – DOM!!!

The ground shook as the door crashed into six shattered pieces.

“YEAH!!!”

Maylene and her pokémonroared in adrenaline-fueled victory.

Todd! Case!

“On it, sir! Come on, Raticate!” The baseball fanatic ran towards the door with her Mouse Pokémon.

Todd stumbled to a run. “Wait up!”



“This place is so quiet.” Angie commented as she observed the area around her. Other than the destruction of the door, the only sound to be heard was the trickling of the water fountain that sat near them. “I thought they said Team Rocket was preparing for Gary… Are we even in the right place?”

“I –”

“WAAAAIIIIIIIT!!!! GUYYYYYYS!!!!!”an unknown voice cried out.

The call caused everyone to panic.

“INTRUDER COMING AT TWO O’CLOCK!!! FROM THE SKY!!!” Solana shouted out.

Ash faced upwards, trying to sense if friend or foe.

Above, a lone figure dove towards them on the back of a large bird.

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:37 PM

Chapter 31 Kismet

Spoiler:
The charizards darted towards the unknown intruder. To their surprise and dismay, the flying pokémon the trespasser rode was far faster than any of them.

“It’s coming too fast!!” Tracey yelled.

“And it’s heading straight this way!!” Angie growled as she stood in front of Ash. “Kricketot! Er… no wait, she doesn’t know any-”

Allow me.” Sabrina stepped in front of them and forced out her hand.

An invisible wave of psychic energy blasted the large pokémon and its rider from the sky – though their momentum kept them rocketing towards the group.

The first to crash was the large pokémon, which was revealed to be a pidgeot. Knocking out seconds after its impact, it scraped to a halt just inches away from them.

Its rider bounced off the fainted pokémon’s body and rolled to a stand.

“I –!” The person tripped and stumbled towards them. Passing Sabrina, Angie, and their respective pokémon, the unidentified intruder slammed into Ash. Causing him to fall sideways – splashing into the nearby fountain.

“OH! I’M SO SORRY!!!” The intruder, a blond female, panicked as she ran towards Ash.

She was stopped in her tracks as an aluminum bat pressed against her neck. “Don’t even get near him, missy.”

Casey, appearing from nowhere, protected the downed and wet Ash.

“Where the heck did that bat come from?” Maylene’s voice could be heard in the background.

The baseball fan wasn’t alone in protecting the male Empathic. Sabrina, Angie, Anabel, and Tracey stood in her path. Pikachu hopped onto Angie’s head and sparked lightning from its cheeks.

Her eyes watering, the woman backed away in fear. “Y-You’re not with Gary, are you?”

Ash crawled his way out of the fountain and shoved his friends out of the way. “Gary??! You know where Gary went??!”

The woman, still frightened, answered hesitantly, “Y-Y-Yes. W-We were supposed to meet here, but I g-got separated from them. I th-think they’re already inside.

‘We’?! You’re from his team??”

Ah-ah-uhm!Terrified tears rolled down her eyes.

Reading her was no use, her emotions and thoughts had shrunken to an insignificant size.

May hopped down the steps and ran up to the woman.

You guys are frightening her! Quit it! She glared back at the group.

“Hey, it’s okay.” The Coordinator patted the stranger on the shoulder. “We were just a bit startled by you. My name’s May! Nice to meet you.”

The green-eyed woman wiped away her tears and smiled. “My name’s Bianca! It’s a pleasure!” She bowed.

She looked at the group curiously. “Um…

Ash! Be nice! May covered her eyes to help focus an Empathic jab at his emotions.

O-Oh! Uh. My name’s Ash! Nice to meet you!” He bowed awkwardly, spraying everyone with drops of water from his clothes.

Angie followed suit. “My name’s An–”

“Ash?!” The blond woman’s eyes widened. “You’re Ash?! Oh my!

“…pleasure to meet you…” the tomboy grumbled.

Bianca shoved her hand into her purse and began to rummage through it. “Where did I… where is it??

Sabrina caught Ash’s attention. We don’t have time for this, Ash.

I know, I know. But I need to know where Gary went.

The woman continued digging through her bag. “Oh no no no, where did I put it???”

“That’s why I don’t carry a purse.” Maylene casually said as she leaned against one of the cement railings.

“I thought you didn’t carry a purse because you wouldn’t have any money to put in there!” Angie teased with a mean laugh.

Ow! Low blow!” The fighter tossed a pebble at the tomboy.

“I FOUND IT!!!” Bianca exclaimed as she revealed a watch-like device. It was dusty, but looked years ahead in technology compared to their pokédevs.

Grinning, she pressed a button on the side. “Gary!! You’ll never guess who I found!!”

G-Gary??” Ash reached towards Bianca, trying to find whatever she was using to communicate with him.

May caught his arm by the wrist. “Geez! Just ask!” she hissed.

“Bianca??? Where are you???” the voice on the other end of the device was unmistakably Gary’s.

“At the front of the Gym~!” she sang with an air of prideful success. “But like I said! You’ll never guess who I found~!!”

“Excuse me, Bianca?” May smiled towards their new acquaintance. “May we borrow that? Ash would really like to talk to Gary.”

“Of course~!!!” She shoved the device towards the blind Empathic.

“Ash??! What are you doing here??!”

“I should be asking you that!!” Ash grabbed Bianca’s wrist to hold the device still.

“Get out of here Ash. Team Rocket wants you dead.”

“I know what Team Rocket wants! That’s why I’m here to stop them!”

“We’re almost done here, so don’t worry about it. Leave before any reinforcements arrive.”

The screen began to glow red. Gary’s side of the screen began to shake. “Shoot! They found us! Cut all communication, team! They’re tracking us!”

Facing back towards Ash, Gary frowned. “Get out of here, Ash. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into. I’m ceasing all communication. See ya’ later.”

“GARY! WAIT!!!”

Click.



No more sounds came from the device.

Ash let go of Bianca and turned. “We need to catch up with them.

“Sir! The room is clear!” Casey notified.

“And the entire floor below is empty too.” Todd walked towards them, slightly irritated at being ditched by his supposed scout partner. “Haven’t checked the rest of the floors yet, but it sounds pretty empty for several floors down.”

“Gary musta’ not been kidding when he said they were almost done.” Angie commented, impressed.

“Which means we must move faster than originally planned.” Sabrina noted plainly. “I shall prepare the shortcut.”

The Psychic walked calmly towards the broken Gym doors.

Tracey, help her.” Ash commanded as he held out his elbow. May, can you guide me there?

G-Guide??

I can’t see, remember? …I don’t do too well in new areas.

S-Sure… She blushed; glad to be his eyes once again.

The Coordinatorshylywrapped her hands around his arm and carefully led him up the steps. Pikachu hopped off the tomboy’s head and sat on May’s shoulder, preferring it over Ash’s wet clothes.

Casey put away her baseball bat and followed after the two.

Um… What am I supposed to help Sabrina with?” the sketch-artist asked nervously.

She needs your pokémon, all of them.

“O-Okay.” Tracey ran after Sabrina.

“Ooh! I wanna’ see!” Maylene sprinted.

Picking up Kricketot, Angie followed close behind. “Wait up!”

“I want to come along, too!” Bianca returned the pidgeot into it poké ball and jogged after them. “Really sorry about that. Hope you feel better soon.” she whispered to the poké ball before pocketing it.

Todd shrugged.

“Well this plan is turning out perfectly.” he commented sarcastically. “Hey Anabel, you coming?”

She nodded solemnly and walked up the steps. Espeon sat silently on her shoulder. The two seemed far more distant than usual.

“Weird.” The photographer shrugged again and continued his walking.

“HEY GUYS!! EVERYTHING OKAY DOWN THERE??!” Solana called from above.

“Yeah! Just got a new teammate, apparently! And Gary’s team was already inside!” Todd answered back.

“Thanks for the update!!! Good luck in there!!!”

“Thanks!” He responded, sighing shortly afterwards. “With how everything’s going, all we’re getting is luck…



_________________________________________________________



Meditating in complete silence, the Psychic Gym Leader Sabrina hovered in place.

The rocky earth, that constituted Viridian Gym’s arena floor, began to heat up under the Psychic’s mental pressure.

Tracey sat patiently at the side, with Scyther, Venonat, and Marill by his side.

On the audience lines, sat and stood the rest of the group.

“What’s she doing?” Angie whispered towards Ash.

He replied with a finger to his lips, gesturing for her to be quiet.

“Why don’t we just take the stairs?” Maylene grumbled.

Ash closed her lips with his fingers.

“Is it just me? Or is it getting like a sauna in here?” May fanned herself with her hand as she moved away from the battleground.

Shhhh! Ash felt towards her.

“This is so cool!” Bianca, their new blond-haired acquaintance, squealed.

Ash sighed.

Casey thudded the metal bat against the new girl’s head.

“Ow!!” She rubbed her head.

The baseball enthusiast signaled for her to hush.

“Oh! Oops!” Bianca covered her mouth and waved apologetically.





KRK!

A small crack appeared on the ground directly below Sabrina.

The moisture from the soil was being forced out, causing the arena’s floor to heat and dry at an accelerated rate.

KRRAK!! KRAAKAAKRAAKARAAAAK!!!!

In seconds, the small crack turned into its very own fault line as it split the battleground in half.

“WHOAH!! THIS IS SO AMAZING!!!” Bianca yelled in exhilaration.

Casey was about to silence her again, when Maylene shouted out too, “HOW DID SHE DO THAT?!!”

Excitement had built up in the audience lines as no one cared to be quiet anymore.

Sabrina, irritated, continued her work.

Ash sighed. Sorry…

It is fine. I can still focus.

“YOU CAN DO IT, SABBY!!!” Angie cheered.

May laughed hard. “Sabby??!”

“Don’t make fun! I think it’s a cute nickname for her!” the tomboy pushed the Coordinator.

Casey snorted with a held laugh. “That nickname’s lame! Sounds like a pet cat.”

“You’re one to talk!” Todd joined in. “You named Bianca ‘BiBi’!”

Maylaughed harder.

The new Bianca pointed toward herself and tilted her head. “You named me ‘BiBi’?”

“No, not you. We know another Bianca.” Maylene clarified. “And there’re two of them.”

“Two Biancas? So that makes three?”

No no no.” Angie interjected. “One of them’s just an illusion. Its name is Latias.”

“What??” Bianca was getting more confused.

The group continued to escalate in their chatter, joking, story-telling, and gossip.

Completely distracted.

Just as Anabel wanted.

Ash… she sent towards him.

Hm? The male Empathic was slightly stunned. He hadn’t heard Anabel’s Empathic voice for a while, not even in passing. Her emotions had been blocked off since they had split teams. Now they were wide open, suddenly, unexpectedly. As if she had been waiting until now.

He sensed around him. May was far too distracted and untrained to notice their emotional conversation – and Sabrina was far too focused in her work to notice.

In every way, this was a private conversation – as if they were hidden from the rest of the group.

…yeah, Anny?



Who’s Maya?

Ash froze. He couldn’t believe this question was asked again, in almost the same exact emotional tone.

Who asked this before? She read him clearly.

Ash felt like panicking, trying to find a way to close himself off so she couldn’t look into him. But he knew if he tried, she could still see right through him. Anabel may not have been as creative with her Empathy, but she was vastly his superior.

He wouldn’t be able to hide anything from her.

No, you wouldn’t.

Er… Misty was the one that asked before.

Why? Her emotions were simple, curious, and patient. Hints of sadness and anger hid in the background – just enough so that he’d notice it, just as she wanted.

I accidentally called her that once.

Why? Despite the tone being the same, it felt like a relentless barrage of a million questions.

Because… she is. At least, I think she is.

Who is Maya? she asked again.

Where did you hear the name from?

Ash didn’t know how to keep answering, so he had asked instead.

Misty said it when we left. I heard her.



Anabel’s emotions suddenly felt closer, impossibly close – as if he was locked in a cage made by her very own heart.

She called herself Maya. And called you Sato.

Y-Yeah…

In fact, I’ve heard a lot of people call you Sato. Tracey, Todd, Solana, and Liza have all called you Sato in their head at one point, while they were looking at you – while they were suspicious of you.

The strength of Anabel’s Empathy was never more apparent than now. Throughout his entire time in the sanctuary, he had never heard their emotional thoughts about him. No matter how close he was to them at the time, the most he could hear were their obvious emotions that they were feeling for the moment…

…but for Anabel to catch these specific emotions that he couldn’t even feel at the slightest – they must have been far too subconscious or private for him to see, and it only complimented the Salon Maiden’s true skill. Ash was just creative – she was the true Empathic.

It all came from a story that Casey and Bianca told the group. Anabel pushed. About your visit to Alto Mare and what you saw.

So… you knew?

No. I didn’t. I heard it from their hearts, but I never believed any of it. Originally, I thought it was a desperate story that was blown out of proportion, or simply a misunderstood story that had too many plot holes.

But you know what it is? The story, that is.

Barely. It was too vague for each of them – and each of their perspectives ruined the account in some way…

Ash was surprised how much she had looked into this subject. Though it was obvious she would be concerned by something this important, it was still amazing to find how much she had probably pieced together within such a short amount of time. If he had left her alone, she would have figured out everything by prying into his own heart.

But she didn’t. She waited to ask him in private – for an answer he could give to her. And for that, he owed her an answer.

…So what do you want to know?

I… I don’t know where to begin… Her emotions seemed to search herself for more complaints, more facts, and more memories to turn to questions. …Where did this happen? When did it happen? It sounds like some alternate universe. Or some kind of weird dream. Which is it?

It’s close to an alternate universe. …a universe before this one.

What do you mean?

…you remember when Sabrina explained to you our mission?

Team Rocket wants to control Arceus. Yes. I remember that. And we’re here to stop them.

We did. At one point, we did.

Anabel began to shake. She felt scared. She wasn’t sure why, but she was.

The idea that she was afraid of what the answer would be, was the closest she could attribute the fear to.



What do you mean? she finally dared to ask.

In the past, an entire world and life before this one, I stopped them. Me and a group of friends… we stopped them from controlling Arceus. But they had already destroyed so much. We wanted to reverse the damages… by using Arceus.

Then what happened?

…Maya… she died. The power they used to control Arceus had… killed her. If we reversed everything, everything would be fixed – except for Maya. She was affected by something stronger than Arceus, so it was beyond Arceus’ power to save her…

…so… Anabel’s hand latched onto Ash’s sleeve. Her arm was trembling. Frightened of the answer. …you restarted the universe to save her?

…yes.

…and Misty’s Maya?

…yes.

And the reason why she’s not here… is s-so that you don’t lose her again, right?

Right…



Anabel wanted to cry.

Everything inside her wanted to shatter and never be able to be repaired again.

To lose to Angie was okay for her… she understood and agreed with the tomboy. They weren’t fully in sync with one another, and often times they were far too opposite to ever be true friends – but they had an agreement: Whoever was best for Ash, would win.

Angie won. Fair and square.

Even if she admitted to losing and allowed Ash to choose whoever he wanted – she did what was best for him by letting him go. By losing, she had won completely. Angie sacrificed her own love, so that Ash could give his freely.

No one could ever be good enough for him now… except for Maya.

Someone who Ash restarted the whole universe to keep.

It was like fighting a ghost. She couldn’t see her. She didn’t know her. She had no idea what she was capable of or what she could ever offer. From the way people spoke in regarding her, especially Bianca, Casey, and Dawn – she was like a perfect goddess. Someone no one could ever aspire to be… and she had Ash wrapped around her little finger.

Because only she knew Sato.

No matter how good she became, Anabel could never remember Sato. She could never get to know him. His life had passed, his memories were finished, and now only Ash existed. …except when Maya was around.

When Maya was around, Sato existed again.

Emotions inside Ash she never recognized… she never knew existed… she could never understandappeared when Misty was Maya. And Misty understood Sato, and Anabel never could…



Anabel…

Ash wiped a tear from her eye.

She held his hand and wiped away her own tears.

It’s like Anj and I fought over nothing at all. She gave a weak smile. We lost before we even started.



You love Maya, don’t you?



Don’t you?

…nothing in me says that I don’t.

Then let’s make sure that you can keep loving her… by stopping Team Rocket for good.

Anny, I–

Please don’t. Her hands wrapped tightly against his. Don’t. Not now. Please.

In her heart, she was caressing him. Holding him close and giving him everything she ever wanted to give. Giving him all of her heart, body, mind, and soul. To give him everything he deserved…

An entire lifetime of love played out in her heart as it slowly shattered.

And he felt every second of it.

It was her farewell. The only thing she could give him.

Opening her eyes, she could see him. His fingers wrapped around hers. His blank eyes staring directly into her heart, as tears rolled down his cheeks.

She hated that he felt every little bit of it.

But in a way, she cherished it…

Because it showed, that even for just a second, he loved me back truly…

DAAAGAAAA!!!!

DAAAAAGKAAAGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOG!!!!!

The sounds of reality pulled them back in.

A frightening noise, as if the sky was tearing itself apart, came from the arena.

The ground shook – or rather, it had continued to shake, and they had just begun to notice.

Where there had been the solid earthed arena, was now a storm of light and sound.

Chunks of dirt, sand, and rock flew. Waves of water, mud, and liquefying particles sloshed in a whirlpool-like effect. And flashes of light from metal hitting stone, sparked every few seconds.

Sabrina hovered calmly within the deadly storm of elements – her psychic energy providing the fuel to the chaos. Her conduits, a venonat that shot a high-frequency Signal Beam into the dirt, a scyther that spun with its Sword Dance around the Psychic, and a marill that provided the never-ending stream of Water Gun into the battlefield’s corners, continued their work with tiring efforts.

“Go Go Sabby! Go Go Sabby!” a unified chanting cheer had built up within the audience sidelines. Like an entertained group of fans watching their team succeed in the last quarter, the six excited members and their pokémon applauded the Psychic’s power.

Anabel wiped away the last remnants of her tears and giggled. “It feels like we missed something huge.”

Ash did the same. “Y-Yeah.”

As if she had been waiting for their attention, Sabrina took a deep breath and closed her eyes – seeming like they held their breath with her: every particle of rock and water froze in mid-air.

With a twitch of her eyebrow, the three helping pokémon were forced back into their poké balls – much to the surprise of Tracey.





The items continued to be frozen in time.

The Psychic was waiting for one last thing.

“Show ‘em, Sabrina!” Ash shouted.

Opening her eyes, Sabrina exhaledwith a smile.

Her psychic energy swirled into a maddening cloud of purple and blue. It absorbed the elements of earth and water – creating a solid coat of physical armor.

With a snap of her fingers, the psychic-cloud drove itself down as a spike.

KAAAK-KOMMM!!!!!

Floor after floor, concrete, wood, dirt, and glass were shattered and obliterated by the psychic-drill… leaving nothing but giant gaps and tears.

As each floor was decimated, the next floor was revealed – often with the surprised and panicked occupants failing in their attempt to avoid its collision. Pokémon and human alike that were in its path were immediately shoved away by its immense psychic force – rendering many of them unconscious.

“Ho-Ho-Holyyy crap!!!” Angie applauded with an excited laugh.

“And there…” Sabrina panted. “…is your shortcut.”

She floated softly to the sidelines. Allowing the audience to catch her.

Maylene slapped the Psychic’s back roughly as she laughed. “THAT WAS SO AWESOME! You’re my favorite person ever, Sabby!”

“Don’t… call… me that…” Sabrina muttered as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

Tracey jogged towards them stiffly, his jaw wide open. “DID YOU SEE THAT?!!”

“That was SO SO SO SO AMAZING!!!” the new Bianca squealed as she clapped nonstop. “Oh! This adventure is becoming too great! Group hug everyone!!

The blond-haired woman pulled in everyone for a hug, much to the semi-conscious Psychic’s agony.

Casey successfully pulled herself away from the dreaded embrace. “So wait… if she could’ve done that in the first place. Then why did we plan on taking the stairs???”

Yells and commands could be heard from below.

Slipping out of the hug, Angie peaked down the massive hole, where she noticed several Team Rocket members staring up the broken floors. “I think it was so we didn’t have to deal with that…”

Not able to escape new Bianca’s hold, Maylene curiouslyasked, “Deal with what?”

Golbats, crobats, skarmories, pidgeots, fearows, and staraptors burst out of the hole in a swarm of fury. Each carried a Rocket member with several poké balls in their belts. All ready for battle.

“That.”

“Everyone pull out all their pokémon!!!” Ash shouted.

He nodded in Pikachu’s direction. THUNDERBOLT!!!

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:38 PM

Chapter 32: Collision

Spoiler:
That’s the fourth time she’s looked at me…

“Is something wrong, Dawn?” Misty turned her head against the strong winds and faced the blue-eyed Coordinator with a friendly smile.

Team Two had been flying for hours in the sky, awaiting patiently for their scouts to return as they continued towards their destination. These hours were spent mostly in silence, with this conversation being the first Misty had participated in during the flight.

“Hey Mist?” Dawn asked with a look of concern.

“Yeah?”

“What are your plans after this?”

“After we capture the base?”

“No… I meant after the entire mission.”

Misty felt a twinge of surprise in her heart. It was a question she hadn’t really given thought to – at least, in a logical fashion.

In a way, she thought the adventure would never end. Ash would keep travelling, and she’d follow. Just like the old days…

But the more she thought about it, the more she knew she couldn’t.

Professionally-speaking, she had accomplished more when she ran her Gym than when she had travelled with him. Though she had affected more lives through their adventures together, she had never really grown up until she left him. Her skill and maturity being held back as she acted as Ash’s support.

And for herself, she wanted to continue growing…

“I…”

‘I’m going back to the Gym’ is what she wanted to say. But something inside stopped her. Her sentence trailed off as she felt a pain in her chest.

Misty pressed her hand against her heart. “I…”

Dawn instantly became worried by the Gym Leader’s reaction. “Misty?! Is something wrong?!”

“I want to stay with Sato…”



The words that came from her mouth stunned Dawn, and herself.

At times, she’d forget. At times, she’d remember. It was never on her terms. Yet at this moment, Maya remembered.

“You know… about Sato?” Dawn asked hesitantly.

“You know about my Sato?” Misty blinked towards her. The Cerulean Gym Leader’s face seemed to change entirely. Though her features remained the same, a certain glow came from her.

‘Y-Your Sato’??!” The blue Coordinator shifted her charizard further away in shock. “Wh-What do you mean by ‘your Sato’??!”

Misty’s appearance remained foreign to her friend. “Sato’s my Sato. No two ways about it.” she giggled with an innocent smile.

Despite wanting to demand further answers of how Misty knew, Dawn was far too unnerved by her shifting façade and personality. “M-Misty?? Are you okay??”

“Misty? Who’s Mist–”

Gritting her teeth, Misty wrapped her fingers around her head.

“Misty??!!”

What?!” She glared at Dawn.

The Coordinator shrank back. “Er… are… are you okay?”

Letting out a sigh, Misty reconfigured herself and sat up straight. “Fine. Just fine.”

“H-How do you know about Sato?”

Misty’s brow twitched. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Um…



Dawn was too frightened to continue the topic, but she was unsure how to drop it as well. She didn’t have to.

Sigh. “I don’t know how I know about him. I just do.” Misty answered. “And that I’m this girl named ‘Maya’ apparently.”

The Cerulean Gym Leader shrugged as if it was just an uninteresting thought.

To Dawn, however, the news was catastrophic.

Dawn was about to glide away to give herself some personal time, when Misty continued, “Honestly, I don’t know what I plan on doing. I want to wait and see what happens first… …How about you? What are your plans?”

“I… um…”



Even to a non-Empathic, it was obvious that the blue-haired girl was upset. Just the sight of her made Misty pity the girl – even if she didn’t fully know what there was to pity.

“It’s about what you saw in Alto Mare, isn’t it?” she took a worried guess.

Holding back her tears, Dawn simply nodded. A small whimper came from her throat.

Hey…” Misty guided the charizard to fly slightly lower than Dawn’s; allowing her to look up to the Coordinator’s lowered face. “I don’t know what happened back at Alto Mare. No one’s told me yet.”

She smiled. “And frankly, I don’t really want to know yet. I’m kind of scared to know. But whatever happened there, really shouldn’t affect what’s happening right here, right now, okay? We’ve got one long battle ahead of us… lots of things can happen between now and when we’re finally done. And in the end, whatever happened back at Alto Mare will seem like nothing.”

Dawn smiled back and nodded.

It wasn’t Misty’s encouragement that cheered her up – as she knew full well that the vision the three saw back at the paradise island was what this entire universe revolved around… It was Misty’s obliviousness to the entire situation that made her smile.

As long as she didn’t know, there was still a chance to make a difference. A chance to be better than Maya.

In that vision Maya admitted to only spending two months with Ash… Dawn thought to herself. I mean, Sato. I know I spent more than just a measly two months with him! Even if I only have one last day to make him see that the moments we shared were special… that’s all the time I need.

The Coordinator’s face lit up. “Then what are we waiting for?! Let’s capture that base!!

With a kick, the charizard was spurred into diving, increasing its acceleration.

“Hey wait!” Misty followed.

“Where are you guys going??” Ritchie called out from behind as he sped Zippo to catch up with them.

Liza and her team of charizards silently followed suit.

I didn’t think my words were THAT encouraging. The Gym Leader scratched her chin in confusion.

Dawn’s eyes narrowed. Just you watch, ‘Maya’, by the end of the day, Ash will be mine.



_________________________________________________________



Breaking through the late afternoon clouds, two figures jetted towards the small group at extreme speeds. In the front, the lightning-fast Eon Pokémon Latias. Trailing tiredly behind, Bianca and the exhausted charizard entrusted to her.

“Scouts are back!” Dawn called out.

Latias was the first to arrive, spinning to a halt beside Misty. Whatever it had in mind seemed important. The orange-haired Gym Leader smiled nervously, knowing full well she wouldn’t be able to understand anything she wanted to communicate.

The Eon Pokémon’s eyes shined blue.

In an instant, the world around Misty changed. The clouds and skies were replaced by tall canyons. Ahead of her was a large fortress with a large ‘R’ emblem proudly worn on its front.

“The Team Rocket base!” Misty whispered to herself.

She looked around. The entire valley was empty.

Not a single soul was to be found… and the hidden tunnels were still intact.

“Where in the world is Beta team?? I thought they were supposed to be there already…”

The valley began moving.

Backtracking away from the Rocket Base, the vision focused on a small patch of land just outside of the canyon.

A crack appeared and broke into a large hole. Its maker, a swinub, was the first to crawl out.

After patrolling the immediate area with sniffs, it returned to the edge of the opening and hopped excitedly.

It was returned into its poké ball in a flash of light.

Six bodies riding on the back of dodrios leapt out of the fissure.

“Beta team!”

The vision disappeared and Misty found herself in the high skies again.

She blinked in surprise towards Latias. “Sight Sharing! I completely forgot you had that!”

Latias smiled back, happy to have impressed their team’s leader.

“They’re directly below us!!!” Bianca called out, finally within shouting distance. “Beta team’s just under us! Under the clouds! They got here through a tunnel they made themselves!”

“You heard her, Team Two! Dive!” Misty commanded as she began her descent.

The others followed immediately.

Passing through the cloud floor, they could see the small group far below them. Beta team was putting away their dodrios and cleaning the dirt from their clothes.

At the sight of a swarm of massive charizards bursting from the clouds and closing in on their location, the grounded team panicked and pulled out their poké balls.

BETA TEAM!!! WE ARE NOT ENEMIES!!! I REPEAT!!! WE ARE FRIENDLIES!!!!” Misty shouted as loud as she could.

The group below hesitated, but still planned on a fight.

One of the figures stopped the rest of the team with a wave.

It looked up and waved enthusiastically. “MISTY??!! IS THAT YOU?!!

BROCK?!!



_________________________________________________________



“Brock!!” She hugged her friend tightly before stepping away. “What are you doing here?! I thought you went to Alto Mare with Ms. Ketchum!”

The former Pewter City Gym Leader smiled. “I did. But after finding out Team Rocket was after Ash? No way I could stay there and do nothing! I had to find someone to help him out!”

His lips immediately frowned. “You won’t believe what we found out… this is a lot deeper than we originally thought.”

“We already know.” Dawn stepped forward with a smile. “Hey Brock.”

“Hey Dawn! You’re here too??”

DAWN?!!!” Brock was immediately pushed out of the way. “AAAHHHH!!! I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU IN FOREVER!!!

A woman wearing a large white newsboy cap sprung towards the Coordinator and wrapped her arms excitedly around her neck. Dawn was knocked back several steps.

“L-Lyra??!”

Ohhhh!!! I’ve missed you so much!!!” She hugged tightly. “Where have you been?? What have you been up to?? Got a boyfriend yet?? Is it Ash??”

Misty’s brow twitched. “AHEM!”

“Oh whoops! Introductions!” The excited Pokémon Trainer let go of Dawn, causing the Coordinator to drop.

She shook Misty’s hand. “Lyra! Friend of Dawn’s!”

“Misty. Cerulean City Gym Leader.” She hoped the title would intimidate the girl into being less excitable. “Pleased to meet you.”

“A Gym Leader??? Hey Brock! She’s a Gym Leader too!”

Uh… I know. We’ve met. We’re friends.” He laughed in slight embarrassment for her.

Mm… Brocky? Who are these people?” A black-and-red-haired woman appeared by his side, latching onto his arm.

B-B-Brocky???” Misty held back a laugh.

“Oh! Uh!” Brock blushed heavily. “Lucy… these are my friends. This one’s Misty. A Gym Leader from Cerulean City.”

“A pleasure.” the woman responded with a smile. “My name’s Lucy, a Frontier Brain.”

“Another Frontier Brain? What are the odds of that?” Misty blinked. “Would you happen to know Anabel?”

“Anabel… I have met her a few times, yes.” She frowned. “I am sad to hear of her disappearance, however.”

Misty shook her head. “Oh – Oh no, we already rescued her.”

“You already rescued Anabel? That’s great to hear!” Brock patted her on the arm. “And what about Ash? Any luck?”

Dawn hopped forward with a grin. “Who do you think sent us here?”

“Ash sent you here?! You found him already?!

The Pokémon Breeder ran his fingers through his hair. “Wow… all this news is intense!”

“Let me introduce you to the rest of my team.” The Cerulean Gym Leader stepped aside. “Team Two! Introductions!”

Four stepped forward in a line.

“My name’s Ritchie. Pokémon Trainer.” He offered his hand for a shake.

“Dawn! You already know me.” She smiled with a wink. “Coordinator.”

“Bianca. Uh… sketch-artist, I suppose?” She grinned nervously.

The fourth simply waved silently.

“Ritchie?? Bianca?? You even have Latias in your team!!” Brock greeted each of them. “Where have you guys been?? How have you been??”

A fifth walked towards them casually. “And Liza. Former caretaker and guardian of the Charicific Valley. Nice to see you again, Brock.”

The charizards lined up behind her and bowed.

L-Liza?! And the charizards?! What?? When… What happened to –!”

“Long stories.” Misty dropped the enormous topic. “Now how about you introduce us to your team, Beta team leader?” She giggled at the title.

Oh no, no. This isn’t my team!” He laughed nervously.

Shoving him aside, a figure stepped forward. It seemed to be mostly composed of purple hair.

“I’m Beta team’s leader.” it spoke.

Misty jumped back at the sight of the creature. “Ah! What is that thing?? A pokémon?!”

“Who are you calling a pokémon?!”

Misty looked down… noticing that the large fluff of hair belonged to a girl of deep-tanned skin.

“My name’s Iris. And Gary put me in charge here! Who do you think you are barging in on our operation?!”

Misty blinked at her in disbelief.



“…Gary put this runt in charge?”

“WHO ARE YOU CALLING A RUNT?!” Iris slammed a hard kick against Misty’s leg.

“OW!!! YOU LITTLE –!!”

LITTLE?! You’re just asking for it, CACTUS HEAD!!!”

“Asking for what?! I don’t remember ordering SHRIMP!!”

The two locked eyes and growled.

“They have the same temper…” Brock sighed.

“Indeed.” Lucy giggled to herself. “I wonder how well our teams would work together.”

Teams! Right! We need to continue introductions!” Lyra ran passed Iris and grabbed one of the two remaining figures. Dragging him towards Dawn, she exclaimed, “Look Dawn! It’s Khoury~! He’s my boyfriend now!”

The green-haired Pokémon Breeder blushed shyly and adjusted his glasses. “H-Hello, Dawn.”

“B-Boyfriend??” Dawn was about to squeal. “That’s so cute!”

Lyra snuggled against Khoury’s cheek. “He’s just the cutest guy ever! How could I refuse??”

She stopped and leaned towards Dawn. “Soooo… are you and Ash together?” she whispered mischievously.

“Not. Yet.” Dawn winked.

Lyra’s jaw dropped. “Y-Yet?! That means you’re actually considering him now?! AAAAAAAHHH!!!” she let out an excited shriek. “I’m cheering for ya’ girl!

Khoury pulled away from his girlfriend’s strong grip and approached one of the charizards. “I’ve never seen charizards this large before…” he gasped, inches away from touching them.

“Please do not touch the charizards.” Liza automatically said.

Khoury jumped in surprise.

Liza shook her head and waved apologetically. “Er… s-sorry. You can touch them.”

The glasses-wearing Pokémon Breeder ran his hand against the charizard’s scale-like skin. “By their size and physique… I’d say they’re naturally bred! But to see them so large just boggles the mind! No trained pokémon would naturally exceed their standard sizes easily… especially to have all of them the same size! Fascinating!

That’s because they’re not trained.” A lime-green-haired man walked forward. “At least, not in the conventional way. These strong and savory charizards are of a premium grade… yet don’t seem to share any typical sorting or drying procedures to make the perfect cup with Liza.”

“Oh look at the nerds talk.” Lyra teased with a laugh. “Hey, tea-head! Translation?”

Dramatically pointing towards the charizards with spread fingers, the man presented his conclusion, “These pokémon, despite their strong bond, are, in almost every manner, wild.”

Wild??” Khoury adjusted his glasses. “That’s impressive!” He grinned towards Liza in enthrallment.

She raised her brow in reaction.

The Breeder was immediately yanked away by Lyra. “Get back over here, you two-timer!” she growled.

Liza gave her attention to the lime-green-haired man. “Pretty impressive deduction. My name’s Liza. And you are?”

Bowing with a flair of elegance, the man introduced himself, “Cilan. Pokémon Connoisseur. Class-A.”

“And he’s a Gym Leader.” Brock added.

One of three Gym Leaders.” he corrected. “I run the Striaton Gym with my brothers.”

“More than one Gym Leader? Ohh! Just like Misty.” Dawn acknowledged.

Backing away from her stare-down with Iris, Misty shook her head. “Actually, they run it together. When I’m there, they’re always on vacation. So technically they don’t run it with me.”

Bianca tilted her head in confusion. “Class-A? Pokémon Connoisseur? Striaton Gym? I have no idea what any of that means.”

Ah, my apologies. I doubt most people within this continent would know…” Cilan smiled and bowed in slight embarrassment.

‘This continent’?” Dawn questioned. “Where are you from?”

“We’re from Unova.” Iris answered with irritation. “We came from halfway across the world with Gary just to stop some crazy organization that followed him there!”

“Y-Yes. This Team Rocket seems quite troublesome.” Cilan agreed shyly, unsure if it was in his place to judge a foreign group. “And we are more than willing to loan you our skills in this battle – as your concerns are ours as well.”

“What does some crazy group think they’re doing trying to control Arceus?!” Iris barked loudly as she kicked her heel into the ground. “Who just wakes up one day and goes ‘Today I’m going to capture a god!’??” she mocked. “Crazies…”

“It’s nice to meet and greet and all…” Liza interrupted the conversation. “…but shouldn’t we be attacking the base?”

Lucy nodded. “We are simply waiting for our –”

Several explosions shook the ground, their frightening booms echoing throughout the canyon.

“…signal.”

Liza’s lip twitched as its scar began to have a burning sensation. Team Rocket’s coming…

“The tunnels are closed.” Misty turned towards her team.

“Look Ms. ‘Team Two’…” Iris folded her arms and sighed. “You probably don’t know what we’re doing here. So just follow my lead and everything will be –”

Liza! Sky raid! Bianca and Latias! Scout area for reinforcements! Signal straight to Liza! Ground team! Keep up with me! Ritchie covers right! Dawn covers left! I’ve got center!”

Iris blinked in hushed surprise.

Brock clapped. “Well they certainly are more organized than we are.”

Misty turned and faced Iris’ team. “Beta team! Get on your dodrios! When I signal, rush ahead of us and act as our shock team!”

Five of them nodded.

“WHOA WHOA WHOA!!!” Iris shouted angrily. “Who do you think you are telling my team what to do?! We were sent here first and –!!”

The Cerulean Gym Leader stared her down. “Look here, palm tree!”

“P-Palm tree?!!!”

Misty continued, “As far as you’re concerned, you take orders from Gary! And as far as I’m concerned, I take orders from Ash! And as far as this entire mission’s concerned, Gary’s protecting Ash! That means Gary’s working for Ash! Your boss is working for my boss, so you’re outranked by me, so you listen to me!! Got it?!

Iris balled her hands into fists. She was ready to yell back, but couldn’t find any method of retaliation.

“………f-fine!”

Misty ran ahead, with the rest of Team Two running and flying to their positions.



Beta team was speechless.

“Well you heard the lady! Get out your dodrios!” their team leader shouted.

“R-Right!” they responded as they reached for their poké balls.

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:39 PM

Chapter 33: Accountability

Spoiler:
“This is by far the greatest adventure I’ve ever been in!” The blond-haired Bianca cheered happily as she hopped over another knocked out Rocket member. “Though this would be my first adventure ever, but let’s not ruin the moment with details. Well actually, this might still be the greatest adventure I’ll ever be in! I doubt it can any greater than this! Oooh! Unless we were attacked by ninjas! You don’t think Team Pocket has any ninjas, do you??”

Rocket. Team Rocket.” May corrected with a sigh.

“Oh silly me! Team Rocket! You know, I wonder if they really do have any rockets, or if it’s just a metaphor thing. It sure has a nice ring to it though! Rocket. Rock-et! ROCKET!”

Angie pounded her head against Ash’s back. “Does that girl ever run out of batteries? She just keeps going and going…”

“Am I talking too much?” Bianca giggled in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, I’m just so excited right now. I never thought I’d be on such an amazing journey! When I first joined Gary, I thought it’d just be a brave charge into some building with some cool pokémon battles along the way. But wow was I wrong! Psychics?? Empathics?? And we’re saving a pokémon that made this universe! Now that is just beyond words!”

“Can’t she cover the rear or something?” the tomboy grumbled.

“That was your job.” Anabel pushed her. “You’re supposed to be guarding us from any ambushes.”

“Ambushes? Ambushes from what?? Sabrina friggin’ blew a crater through twelve floors!! I’d be surprised if anyone would even WANT to ambush us after that!”

Ignoring the current topic, Ash asked their new travel companion a question he’d been meaning to ask, “Hey Bianca?”

“Yes~?”

“What kind of pokémon is that?” He pointed in the general direction of where he felt its energy. “It’s not showing up on any of our pokédexes.”

“Oh you mean my pignite?” She patted the orange and dark Fire Pig Pokémon on its head. It smiled pleasingly. “I’m not too surprised. Unless you got a custom upgrade, I doubt you’d get a pokémon from a different continent on your pokédex. I’m not even sure I know ANY of the pokémon I’ve seen today.”

“You’re from a different continent?” Anabel questioned.

“More like from a different planet.” Angie joked quietly.

Oh yes! Practically halfway around the world! I’m from a region called Unova!”

Ash tapped his chin in thought. “Unova… Unova… Oh right! That’s the region Gary said he was going to visit next! Something about new pokémon species being found there.”

“Plenty plenty of new pokémon to find in Unova these days!” Bianca commented. “Supposedly it has something to do with recent events around the world – causing disturbances that’s driving lots of our pokémon out of hiding and whatnot.”

“When a god pokémon’s captured, I’m not too surprised.” Angie shrugged.

“What’s Unova like?” May finally joined in on the conversation.

“Oh it’s very pretty! Lots of trees, and buildings and…”

“I meant what makes it different from Kanto.”

“Oh uh… trees… buildings… um…” Bianca laughed nervously. “I uhm… This is actually my first time travelling. I haven’t even travelled much in my own region.”

“This is your first time? What age restrictions do they have back at Unova?” Anabel found herself curious… as the woman was at least Ash’s age at this point. “Here on our continent, we can leave the home at age ten.”

“W-We don’t have any different age restrictions. M-My dad just never let me leave the home until now. He was just always worried about me.”



Ash didn’t know much about Bianca – and her constantly flowing, nearly endless, sea of emotions had made it difficult to decipher her. But one thing he could tell: she was lying.

The other Empathics caught it easily as well.

On face-value, her words were convincing enough. But there was no way to hide her guilt for being dishonest.

Bianca looked at them with worry. “Uhm…”

Drop the subject. Ash felt towards the other two. It’s not our business.

I was never going to bring it up. Anabel defended.

You’re sounding more like Sabrina every day, Ash. May half-joked.

“Anyways!” Angie shouted at the awkward silence, unknowing of the private conversation held by the Empathics. “How much further do we have to go, Casey?”

“Why do you… ack… why do you keep asking me???” The baseball fan struggled with her side of the load. “I can’t scout ahead because you didn’t want to help with Sabrina!”

She and Tracey helped carry the still-unconscious Psychic.

“I didn’t say I didn’t want to help. You were the one that yelled ‘I’ll do it, sir!’ when Ash asked if someone could help Tracey carry Sabrina.” Angie crossed her arms. “I didn’t even get a chance to help.”

“Well just stop asking me already. Ask Todd once he gets back.”

“RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN!”

“Speaking of Todd…”

“I SAID RUN!!!” Todd ran passed all of them, sprinting in the opposite direction.

“The kid’s faster than I thought.” Maylene complimented with a laugh.

Pulling out her poké balls, the fighter released all her pokémon and got into a stance – creating a wall of brawlers to protect the team behind her. “I’ve been itching for another fight! Bring it!

Loud CLANGs of metal and concrete echoed down the large tunnel as something large charged towards them from the darkness.

“RWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRR!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Its roar caused everyone to flinch.

“Wh-Wh-What is that??!” Bianca and her pignite shook in pure terror.

A massive absol of midnight black fur and piercing red eyes galloped towards them with a frightening aura of hate and spite.

“It’s Dice!!! Get out of the way!!!” Angie cried out.

While the others cowered back, Maylene and her pokémon stood perfectly still. “Long time no see, Dice! Where’s your owner? I’ve been looking for a rematch!”

It pounced to a halt, just inches away from battle distance.

Emotions of rage flowed through its veins at the sight of the pink-haired fighter.

“…something’s wrong.” Ash’s eyes widened. “I can… I can feel Dice.”

“What is that creature?!” Anabel was shaking, never feeling such a hateful beast in her life.

“Maylene!!” the male Empathic shouted. “Be careful!! Something’s different about Dice!! I can actually feel him this time!!”

“What does that mean? I don’t speak Empathic!” she yelled back.

“Dark Pokémon don’t feel like anything at all! But this time, I can feel his anger!!”

A maniacal cackle rang out, silencing everyone who heard it.

“He’s right…” A crazed figure appeared from behind the enormous absol. “My poor Dice is very angry… so very angry…”



Maylene’s eyes narrowed. “…Domino?”

The once athletic and elegant Rocket Agent stood before them… broken. Her previously perfect golden curls were now ratty and ruined. The prideful and assured posture she used to carry, was now crooked and loosened. And her eyes, formerly a perfect shade of soft purple, were faded and unfocused.

To Ash, he only saw her emotions… insane… tormented.

“And me…” she continued. “I’m very sad. So sad.

“What… happened to you, Domino?” Maylene’s guard dropped slightly, showing true concern for her old comrade.

Tears ran down the woman’s eyes. They didn’t like me returning without Ash, Maylene. They didn’t like me returning without Solana, Maylene. They didn’t like me failing, Maylene.” Her voice seemed distant, as if she wasn’t talking directly to them. Talking to voices that had no body.

“She’s blind…” Ash noticed. He sympathized for her. Whatever torture they had put her through had changed her drastically; physically, emotionally, and mentally… breaking her spirit.

The colors… the colors… the colors… the demented woman repeated in her twisted heart. The colors… the colors… I am not blind, Ash Ketchum. I can see your colors perfectly.

Anabel and Ash’s eyes widened in realization.

Aren’t you happy??” A terrifying grin appeared across her face. “To see a fellow Empathic…?”

She frowned and ran her fingers through the absol’s black mane. “…and my poor, poor Dice… he can’t hide in the shadows anymore, the poor thing. With no more shadows, he’s like a fish out of water. And it upsets him so much…”

“Domino…” Maylene pitied her. Seeing her so… corrupted, made her heart wretch.

Memories of when she trained and competed against her in the Sinnoh Team Rocket Academy ran through her head. Comparing the two Dominos – past and present – was like comparing a dream to a nightmare. She hated Domino, despised her perfect looks and arrogance, but this… this was just wrong.

Sadness?” Domino faced Maylene, her movements similar to a puppet with a broken string. “Why feel sad for me, MayMay? Why remember the moments we had together, MayMay? I thought you didn’t like me, MayMay.”

“I don’t. But I definitely liked how you were still you back then.” The fighter got into a combat stance. “And you’re definitely not like yourself…”

“You want to fight, MayMay? You want to hurt me more?”

“I know you’re not here to be friends.”

“…never.” Her Empathy sparked with attempted anger – her flooding emotions of depressions swallowing any other feelings from fully surfacing. “You did this to me. You did this to Dice. I would never be friends with you, MayMay. This is all your fault.

The fighter turned to the team behind her. “Go ahead of me! I’ll hold her off!”

“Maylene!”

“Don’t argue with me, Ash! Gary and his team’s still back there somewhere! Worry about them and stop Team Rocket!”

“We can help!” May pulled out a poké ball.

Don’t you even dare!This is my fight!” Maylene growled, her emotions bursting with contempt. “Just go ahead of us! It’s my job to fight Dark Pokémon anyways!”

Angie was about to protest, when Ash placed his hand on her shoulder.

He shook his head.

This was Maylene’s personal fight… as private as any other conversation.

As the fighter only knew how to communicate with her fists, this was her way of ‘talking things out’. Her way of settling past problems. Her way of answering her own doubts.

“Let her.” is all he said.



Angie nodded and took a step around Maylene.

Domino’s blank eyes glared towards her. “Did I say you could leave?”

“Tyrogue! Low Sweep!”

The Scuffle Pokémon dashed quickly towards Domino and launched a kick towards her feet.

Domino leapt gracefully onto Dice’s back in reaction.

“Now! GO!” Maylene commanded.

The remaining group sped through, except for an absolutely frightened Bianca.

“Th-This is t-too much! I sh-should’ve listened to dad!” She was curled up against the wall, refusing to move.

Ash ran towards her and lifted her off the ground.

“H-Huh??” Her face turned pink.

“We’ve got to move, Bianca!”

Using the wall as a sliding crutch to balance the blond-haired woman’s surprising weight, Ash ran passed Maylene and the massive absol.

Dice was ready to turn and give chase, but his partner prevented him. “Shhh… there, there, Dice. We have more important prey…”

Within seconds, the group disappeared deep into the large tunnel.

Only Maylene and her pokémon remained now.

Facing the fighter, Domino cocked her head unnaturally and smiled. “MayMay’s quite the hero. Sacrificing her little life for her friends. How sweet.

The Fighting Pokémon surrounded her and her absol, stiffening into their stances.

Rolling her shoulders and cracking her knuckles, Maylene prepared herself for the fight. “Not a hero. Just an excuse to get that rematch I’ve been wanting.”

MayMay, so shallow. You want to fight me alone just because you couldn’t stand a chance against me in Saffron?” She hopped off Dice and laughedmiserably. “If you couldn’t beat me then, what makes you think you can beat me now?”

“No.” She frowned. “This isn’t for Saffron City. This is for that fight at the Academy. This has always been about that fight.”

“The Academy? MayMay, you have quite the memory…”

Maylene frowned. “If I had won in that round, I would’ve gotten a higher rank… I would have been able to pay back my father’s debts in a matter of weeks! But you cheated… you cheated me from that… making me spend years working for cheap checks and poor bonuses…”

“This is Team Rocket, Maylene… there’s no such thing as cheating. And no such thing as mercy.” Tears ran down her cheeks as she gave a desperate smile.

She pulled a black tulip from her belt and threw it towards the fighter’s head.

Maylene ducked and countered with a tackle.

The Rocket Agent dodged easily.

“Tell me, MayMay. How do you plan on beating someone so much better than you?” She leapt over a quick kick and side-stepped a punch. “Especially now… when this someone can read your every move before you even make it.” She laugheddarkly.

Maylene held back her next attack and smirked.

You know… you’re not the first blind Empathic I’ve fought.”





“MayMay? Where did you go?!

The fighter had disappeared completely.

No emotional traces. No readable feelings.

Only the colors and temperatures of the surrounding pokémon remained.

“How… UKK!!!”

A bare foot planted against her stomach, followed by three elbow strikes to her face.

AAAGH!! HOW ARE YOU - …” Domino’s blank eyes widened as a shocking realization ran through her mind. Her anger erupted, slowly being evaporated by her cold sadness. “You…”

She begansobbing. “You did this… you’re the one that took the manuals!!”

“Manuals?”

“They said a thief took the manuals…” Domino continued her sobbing as she got into a fighting stance. “…the manuals for their research… such valuable researchyou made it all go away… and they blamed it on me…”

“What do you mean?” She retreated a few steps, wary of the sudden change in Domino’s movements.

“Doomiinoo… Doomiinoo…” she hummed hauntingly. Her eyes locked onto nothing in particular. Her words meant for no one but her dissolving sanity. “Protect the manuals. They’re our future…”

Leaping off the ground, the broken woman spun several kicks towards Maylene.

How’s she seeing me?? The fighter dove underneath and rolled into a different stance.

Doomiinoo… Doomiinoo… Where are the manuals? They were our future…”

Three backhanded strikes flew towards Maylene. She blocked two of them and grabbed the third one’s wrist.

With a wretched smile, Domino added her weight downwards and forward, controlling Maylene’s grab to close the distance. She twisted her forearm and smashed her elbow against the fighter’s cheekbone.

Maylene let go and shuffled several feet back. …she shouldn’t be able to see me… what’s going on?

Doomiinoo… Doomiinoo… Three strikes and you’re up, Doomiinoo… Three strikes and we’ll use you for our experiments, Doomiinoo…” Domino curled into a crouch. “Strike one, Doomiinoo…

Pulling a hidden tulip from her boot, the Rocket Agent used its sharpened tip as a dagger as she swung it frantically in Maylene’s direction.

The fighter avoided the slashes and stabs with quick bobs and weaves.

DOOMIINOO!!! You lost the boy, DOOMIINOO!!! STRIKE TWO!!!”

Maylene leaned in and jabbed Domino’s stomach. The Rocket Agent barely flinched as she swung down and stabbed the tulip into the fighter’s shoulder.

“AAAAAHHH!!!” Maylene screamed as she stumbled backwards.

Electricity spread throughout her body, stiffening her every movement.

She fought to relax her muscles – in an attempt to bend her arm back and pull the black tulip from her shoulder. But the effort was almost useless, as her arm would flex into its original position every few seconds.

DOOMIINOO!!! You lost the girl, DOOMIINOO!!! STRIKE THREE!!!”

She swung her leg up and slammed her heel against Maylene’s head.

The fighter crumpled and crashed against the wall.

Her body was immediately relieved from the electricity as the impact of the wall had dislodged the tulip from her wound.

Maylene tumbled to the floor and struggled to roll away, her body still having spasms from the earlier shock.

Domino began sobbing hard again. “DOOMIINOO!!! DOOMIINOO!!! WE DIDN’T FORGET, DOOMIINOO!!! WE NEVER FORGET, DOOMIINOO!!! YOU’RE NOTHING BUT OUR LAB RAT NOW, DOOMIINOO!!! YOU AND YOUR PRECIOUS DICE, DOOMIINOO!!!

The large absol’s mouth twitched.

Maylene’s eyes caught it. Dice! She’s using Dice to see me!

Breathing hard, she did her best to concentrate her body into unclenching her jaw.

“Doomiinoo… Doomiinoo…” the Rocket Agent’s voice returned to its soft melancholy tone. “You’re no longer part of our future, Doomiinoo… You’ll no longer be a part of anyone’s future, Doomiinoo… No one will ever want you again, Doomiinoo…

The somber woman dropped to her knees and crawled towards Maylene, pulling out another tulip. “And it’s all… your… fault, MayMay…

Maylene’s jaws finally loosened. “You want to cheat, Domino?! Then let’s cheat!! ATTACK DICE!!!

The Fighting Pokémon leapt from their guarded positions and rammed into massive absol.

Maylene vanished from Domino’s sight.

“NOO!!!!” She stabbed down, the sharp end of the tulip snapping against cold cement. “NOO!!!! I HAD YOU!!! YOU CHEATED!!! YOU CHEATED, MAYMAY!!!!

“This is Team Rocket, Domino… there’s no such thing as cheating. And no such thing as mercy.” Maylene slowly stood and cracked her knuckles. “You may have not deserved this, but you never turned away from it either.”

“I HATE YOU, MAYMAY!!! I’VE ALWAYS HATED YOU!!! I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!!!!” she howled in pure hate and agony.

“You took away my childhood by keeping me in there, Domino. You demoted me three times and even stole four of my paychecks.” Maylene’s voice was cold and unforgiving. “I had to do so much horrible things just to earn all that money back…”

“SHUT UP!!! I HATE YOU!!!” Domino struck blindly at her, finding nothing at the end of her fists.

“I did what I had to do – just to be able to live with myself. But this? You did this to yourself, Domino. I had nothing to do with your decisions.”

“NO!! YOU DID IT!!! IT’S YOUR FAULT!!! IT IS!!! I HATE YOU!!!”

“Then hate me. Because I’m nothing like you, Domino. You never cared for my problems. But I care about yours. Always have. And one way or another, I’m going to relieve you from this suffering.” She let her emotions show.

Domino immediately glared in her direction.

“This time, no cheats.” Maylene got into stance.



_________________________________________________________



The Pokémon Ranger sat back and stared into the darkening sky.

Sigh.Nothing to do… Did they even need me here?”

“Pilaaa.”

Solana smiled. “Yeah, I know, Plusle. But I really wish I could do more right now.”

The Cheering Pokémon crawled onto her shoulder and cuddled against her cheek. “Pla.”

She giggled in response. “Thanks, Plusle.”

Staring back up, she watched the rotating patterns of the charizards and pidgeottos.

“I wonder if there’s anything for us to even watch for…”

“EXCUSE ME!!!” a voice called from below.

Panicking at the sound, Solana sat up and looked over the building’s edge.

Why in the world didn’t anyone warn me about the intruder??! … oh.

Below, an Officer Jenny stood and waved up at her.

Just an officer. Solana felt slightly disappointed, secretly wishing for trouble.

“Good evening, officer!!”

She didn’t seem to be happy to see the Ranger.

“I need you to get off that building right now and call back your charizards!” the officer directed angrily. “You are in violation of private property, vandalism, disturbance, and after hours laws!!”

Solana simply raised her Capture Styler. “This is Pokémon Ranger business, ma’am!”

“We were not given notice of any Ranger-related missions in our area!”

She sighed in slight irritation. “Code five-five-four-two-one! You are now legally bound to allow me to continue this private investigation, protection, and use of the premises for a forty-eight hour period! By Ranger laws in the Kanto region, no foreign parties are permitted to interfere until then!”

The code was not one Solana had used often, but one she memorized by heart… as it was the one answer she had failed to get correct on seven of her tests back in the Ranger Academy.

While Pokémon Rangers often worked with authorities, and a situation such as this would have benefited from outside help – Solana knew full well that what they were doing would not have been sanctioned by the Rangers or any other group without proper evidence. She didn’t have the evidence… yet.



The officer didn’t move.

With a glare, the ranger stood. “If you do not leave the premises within five minutes, I will be forced to escort you from the area and call your superiors!”

“How do I know you’re a real Ranger?!” the stubborn official shot back. “I need to see your license!”

“Are you kidding me…” Solana grumbled. “Pidgeottos! Some assistance!”

The four pidgeottos carried her and her partner softly to the platform in front of the ruined door.

Stretching, she exhaledher tiredness and walked towards the green-haired officer.

“License, Ranger.”

She was about to reach into her pocket, when she noticed something off…

Black longneck sleeve.

“…officer, since when was it regulatory to wear a black turtleneck underneath your uniform?”

“This is standard issue here in Viridian City. Show me your license, Ranger!”

Funny… I don’t believe I’ve heard of different towns within the same region having flexible uniform regulations. I believe it was only the Orange Isles that allowed that.”

The officer pulled out a pair of handcuffs. “You are refusing the show proper license, Ranger!”

“It doesn’t matter if I show you, does it?” Solana backed away. “You were planning to arrest me either way. You just wanted to call my license fake publicly so that you couldn’t be held accountable for corruption!”

“Now you’re resisting arrest, Ranger.” She pulled out a pistol and aimed. “Put down the Styler and place your hands on your head!

“Plusle! Thunder Wave!”

Click.

Before the trigger could be pulled, a flash of lightning paralyzed the officer in place.

“Ah! … Ehh! Rrrr!” Officer Jenny struggled to move.

Solana walked towards her and tore open the front of the cop’s uniform.

A strikingly red ‘R’ was revealed on a black long-neck shirt underneath.

“Team Rocket…” the Ranger growled at the sight. “…looks like you’ll be the one going to jail, Jenny.”

Clak! – Clak! – Clak! – Clak!

The streetlamps within the immediate area were shut off, leaving nothing but the moon to dimly light the world around them.

From the shadows, several black figures walked silently towards them.

Clicks and Vacuums were heard from each of their hands…

Solana took a few steps back. “Looks like she wasn’t alone…”

“Plaa…”

Yeah, yeah, I know – I totally asked for it. I just didn’t want these odds.”

CRASH. CRASH.

The Charicific Charizards landed loudly, forming a ring of powerful protection with their bodies – surrounding the Pokémon Ranger. Their growls and roars stunned the incoming opponents.

“And by these odds, I meant Team Rocket’s poor chances.” Solana smiled. “Let’s show ‘em what we got, boys!”



_________________________________________________________



“Wait guys!” May called out. “I think we’re missing someone!”

Skidding to a halt, the group began to look at one another.

“It’s Todd.” Casey answered quickly. “The coward ran and never came back, remember?”

“Should we go back for him?” Angie looked towards Ash for an answer. Her brow twitched inirritation. “You can put her down now, Ash.”

“Huh?” He tilted his head. Feeling the weight in his arms, he wasreminded of his carried passenger. “O-Oh!

A tiny emotion of greeting came from the cradled Bianca.

The male Empathic had forgotten all about her, as their panicked run had made him quite used to the physical tiredness and stressed muscles. Making her even more invisible, the blond-haired woman from Unova had also gone almost completely blank on the Empathic scale… her usual stream of feelings and thoughts had shrunken considerably after he had picked her up.

“S-sorry.” Ash laughed in complete embarrassment as he let her down.

Her face still pink and eyes still in shy shock, she simply smiled and bowed in thankfulness for his rescue.

“Just leave Todd. He’ll find his own way back.” Casey huffed. “We still have to clear the way and find Gary’s group.”

Fluh-THUMP.

A body dropped in front of them.

Casey turned, ready to yell at Tracey for dropping the other end of Sabrina…

…he was still holding her.

Instead, another body lay in front of them.

It was Gary… except for the new variations in his appearance. His brown hair was grayed out, his muscles were thinned, and his pale skin showed he was quite close to death.

“Gary!!!” Ash ran forward. Despite not being able to physically see him, the Empathic could see his familiar emotions as clear as day… something he could only notice in aware individuals. “He’s still conscious!!”

Kneeling down, he began shaking his old rival. “Gary! Gary!! What happened?!!”

He couldn’t see the changes, but he could feel them… Gary was far too light for his usual self, and far too loose.

“…sh…”

“What?”

“…Ash… th-there… th…”

Gary’s voice was weak and broken, his words becoming far more unintelligible with each syllable.

“I can’t understand you, Gary…” Ash admitted in worry. Even in the Pokémon Researcher’s emotions, feelings were slowed and faint.

Softly placing his fingers against the Empathic’s chin, Gary tilted Ash’s head upwards.





Ash couldn’t feel anything in front of or above him.

“I believe he was one of yours?” an unfamiliar voice asked from the nothingness.

“Wh-Who the heck are you?!” Casey growled as she slowly let down her carried end of Sabrina.

Ash’s eyes narrowed, noticing that everyone else could see the one that stood in front of him.

The man, sporting a large black coat and long silver hair, bowed haughtily. “The name’s Copper. A pleasure to meet all of you.”

“A pleasure! My name’s Bianca!” the excitable woman from Unova smiled innocently and bowed back.

Ash… can you sense him? Anabel’s feelings came through.

No. Not at all.

Neither can I… something is wrong with this man…

“Friend or foe?” Ash demanded.

A smirk ran across his face. “Foe…”

They all reached for their poké balls and got into battle stances immediately.

Ah – Ah – Ah!” The man waved his finger at the group. “You see this man I brought you?”

The group looked down. Gary was breathing heavily, trying to stay awake.

“I would bet this man was a far greater trainer than all of you combined.” Copper complimented only to compliment himself. “And even he couldn’t face me. So do you really want to hurt your pokémon just like I hurt his?”

Pikachu! THUNDERBOLT!!! Ash leapt and thrust his fist forward.

A bolt of lightning passed the Empathic, reaching the silver-haired man long before his assault.

Ash tumbled as his punch came into contact with thin air. “Wh-What the –?!”

The man had vanished.

“Such an adorable pikachu…”

Copper had reappeared with an abra, inches away from May, who carried the Electric Mouse on her head.

Before any of them could react, he placed his pinky against Pikachu. In seconds, the yellow pokémon fainted, his fur losing color quickly.

“PIKACHU!!!!” Ash cried out, feeling his pokémon extension’s consciousness fade. Rage filling up inside himself, he ran towards where he presumed the attacker stood. “YOU LEAVE PIKACHU ALONE!!!!”

Something cold touched his face.

Copper’s fingers.

In an instant, Ash felt his life being drained away. His energy, youth, drive, and strength flowing straight through his face and into the assailant’s fingers.

“N-No…” Ash fell to the floor, his last traces of Aura keeping him barely awake.

“ASH!!!” The group roared out, all beginning their charge.

“Hold it!” the man yelled. His fingers were tapping against the downed Empathic’s collar. “You take one more step, and Ash here won’t have enough energy to even breathe…” A sick smile stretched across his face.



They froze, none of them willing to take the risk.

“That’s what I thought…” Copper snickered proudly. “Now you people will answer a few questions for me…”

He eyed each of them cautiously. The unconscious Sabrina caught his attention first. “The Psychic Nightmare, eh?” he whispered to himself. “I wonder how much I would be rewarded for turning her in with the boy…”

He continued his search, darting his eyes at each member.

The lack of someone’s presence caught his attention next. He frowned. “Where is she?”



“WHERE IS SHE?!” he roared.

Angie rolled her eyes. “Oh come on. There’s so many she’s here it’s ridiculous! Be more specific.

The one with the pink hair! Where is she?!”

“Maylene?” The tomboy folded her arms. “Why do you wanna’ know?”

Copper poked Ash. The weakened Empathic let out a small gasp.

Angie’s eye twitched.

“I want to know because I want to know. So tell me, or he gets one more touch.”

“Sh-She’s fighting that bad lady!” Bianca blurted in desperate panic. “Th-That scary lady! The one with the big black furry thing! And the scary eyes!”

Copper looked at her with a raised brow.



“Ah! You must mean Domino.” He laughed at the blond-haired woman’s poor description. “Then she’ll be busy for quite some time… now… next question…”

While the man played with the hidden questions in his head, Angie thought hard to find a way to stop him. If I strike him hard enough, it won’t matter if he drains me… I can still knock him out, right?

But would hitting him that hard kill me? …no wait, he might teleport again… What if I aim for the abra? The tomboy watched the small Psi Pokémon hover lazily around its owner. It turned towards her. …shoot, it can read my thoughts… There’s no way I can attack him. But I can’t just let him get away with this! Darnit Sabrina, wake up! We need you right now…

“Right, next question is… where is the other girl?”

“Are you serious?!” Angie exhaled hoarsely. “WHICH girl?!!”

“The spy!!” the man shouted back in impatience. “You know which one! The one that let you in here!!”

Copper’s face showed similar venom for this targeted female as he did for Maylene. Whoever it was, she made an obvious fool of him… which his conceit would never forgive.

“Spy?” Casey shared confused stares with her teammates. “We had a spy?”

“You can’t fool me! How else did you get in here?! We had a security system placed throughout the entire first floor!! Who shut it off?!”

Tracey’s eyes narrowed. “Security systems? But Dana and Lance said this place had no security…” False information… He grit his teeth. They were going to use us as bait!!

“Our team did not contain any spies.” Anabel answered Copper. “We came as a secondary group. We had ripped our way through the floors to get here.”

“Ripped your way?” The man played with his silver hair, considering the past events. “So you were the ones that caused the earthquake then… very well, then where is the first group that came through here?”

“COME ON!!!” Angie was ready to tackle the man now, just for his idiocy. “YOU KNOCKED OUT THEIR TEAM LEADER!!! GARY!!! RIGHT OVER THERE!!!” She pointed in pure frustration.

“Watch your mouth, little boy.”

“B-Boy?!”

“I know I knocked out their team leader, my question is where is the rest of the group?”

“You mean… you didn’t find Greta yet?” Bianca tilted her head.

Angie slapped her palm to her face. How much of a ditz is this girl??!

The man smiled as he faced the blond-haired woman. “Ah… someone who knows about the first team…”

“Uhm-uh…” Bianca’s eyes watered after realizing what she had done. She began backing away slowly.

“I wouldn’t run away if I were you.” He tapped Ash’s collar again. “Unless you want to be responsible of a man’s death.”

“D-D-Death?!” Her eyes widened.

That’s right. Death.” Copper was enjoying the innocent woman’s fearful reactions. Such a delicate flower… maybe I’ll keep her for myself… So… Tell me, where’s the rest of your team? Or better yet, tell me where the spy is!

I… I don’t know! I don’t know where she is n-now!”

“But you do know where she was. Where she was assigned? What uniform she was wearing? What her objectives were?”

“I…” Tears were running down her eyes. Her knees shook until they buckled.

Pignite stood in front of its owner protectively, wishing to fight, but knowing that any action would be regretful. The least he could do was stand as a symbol of defense for her. Deep down, however, it too was terrified and helpless.

“Say it or the boy dies!!!”

Anabel wanted to read Bianca. To read her secrets and shout them out for her, willing to sell out an unknown comrade for the sake of saving her love. Anything for Ash… But Bianca had retreated her emotions. They had shrunk considerably. And the only way the skilled Empathic would get the answer now is if she was able to touch the frightened girl. But would the man allow me? …would he even believe me?



“HIS WEAKNESS IS WHEREVER HE HAS CLOTHES!!!!” a startling call shot down the tunnel. “IT’S HIS SKIN! HIS SKIN CONTACT MAKES HIM ABSORB AURA!!!”

Copper turned. “THE SPY!!!”

Anabel noticed the abra’s distraction by his master’s reaction. “NOW CASEY!” She commanded the baseball fan to do what she had been waiting to do.

Before the abra could fully react to the mental command it was given, Anabel sent an Empathic Shout towards the Psi Pokémon. It was stunned instantaneously.

Copper noticed his partner’s status seconds too late, as an aluminum bat struck the back of his head.

The bat had bent completely, and the man fell unconscious.

Casey stared at her ruined bat in depression. Sighing as she put it away.

Slowly regaining awareness of what had transpired, the abra shook its head.

By the time it had shaken off its daze, Angie appeared beside it – making a frightening face with her fingers, eyes, and mouth.

The shocked Psi Pokémon panicked and teleported away with his knocked out master.

Having successfully scared a Psychic Pokémon, Angie laughed with pride. May giggled at the victory.



Any remaining emotions disappearedsoon after, as the spy finally approached them.

The group stood anxiously to greet their new member.

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:40 PM

Chapter 34: Lament

Spoiler:
“Gary!!!” the woman ran forward. Dressed in a coat uniform of black, red, and white – the spy made a convincing high-ranked Team Rocket member in appearance.

With how separate the ranks are from one another, it’s no surprise she easily infiltrated the area. Anabel considered. Though, she has to be a rather skilled agent to have gotten this deep into the base…

The spy was on her knees, cradling the Pokémon Researcher’s head on her lap.

Gary’s grayed hair was slowly regaining its color. His eyes opened slightly and regarded the spy. With a smile and a slight nod, he let himself fall into unconsciousness.

“You can rest now, Gary… we got this.”

Looking up, the spy faced each of her new allies.

Her eye made a slight reaction towards Anabel.

She recognized me… Anabel’s eyes narrowed. She does… feel familiar.

Bianca skipped forward and hugged the spy. “Duplica!!! I’m so glad you’re alright!!!”

“D-DUPLICA?!!” The female members of Team One showed the same form of shock.

May got a frightening chill from the name. She took a slight step back.

“…who’s Duplica?” Tracey looked around with an embarrassed smile.

Taking off her uniformed beret and brown wig, the spy stood and winked. “Duplica’s my name. Don’t wear it out.”

Her face and chest glowed bright, as they transformed into two dittos. The two Transform Pokémon landed beside their trainer and posed.

Duplica looked far more familiar now. “With Ditto and Mini-Dit, you can call us the Amazing Team Ditto!”

“They’re a theater performance group.” May whispered towards Tracey.

“Ah. I see.” He nodded.

Angie’s mind was elsewhere… She made her chest size bigger with a ditto… She had mixed feelings for the thought… as she stared at her own flat chest.

“So what are you guys doing all the way down here?” Duplica put her hands to her hips. “Our team already had this place under control.”

“Sure doesn’t look like it.” Casey shrugged.

“That’s because of you guys calling Gary!” she defended. “It set off a tracker alarm! We were fine before then!”

Bianca’s face flushed red with shame. “Actually… I called Gary. And I still w-would’ve probably called even if I hadn’t run into them…”

The copycat slapped her palm to her face. “Bianca… I swear…”

“S-S-Sorry…” Her eyes watered.

“It seriously feels like if we didn’t do anything at all, this would’ve all fixed itself.” Angie sighed.

“Probably. But it doesn’t matter now.” Duplica commented with lax care. “Greta is already setting the bombs on the machine.”

Ash’s unconscious body twitched.

“Bombs?” May asked in curiosity.

“Yeah. Team Rocket made a device to control Arceus once they baited it to coming here. We’re here to blow it up.”

He twitched again.

“So wait wait wait!” Angie growled. “You’re saying Arceus isn’t even HERE?!”

“Not yet. But they were planning on making a signal that would’ve attracted it.” Duplica explained. “Why do you think they built this base so deep underground?”

The group shrugged.

“It’s so that when Arceus shifts into here, they’re too deep underground for anyone to notice its appearance. No satellites, no radars – nothing. If they attracted him on the surface, no matter how large the complex, anyone could’ve easily spotted a god pokémon opening a portal into the area.

“Down here, it’s private. No interference. Though I doubt they planned on someone finding out about this place…”After stretching her limbs, Duplica continued her explanation, “They were planning on baiting Arceus into coming here once their device was ready. It would’ve been ready by tomorrow morning. We’re blowing it up before then. That thing won’t be given a chance to even breathe.”

“N-no…” Ash twitched.

“Ash??” May kneeled down and looked at the male Empathic’s face. His skin was gaining back its color far faster than Gary’s or Pikachu’s.

“NO!!” Ash sat up immediately, his head slammed into May’s – and he fell back down. “OW!!!”

The Coordinator held her head in pain. “Owow… ow… are-are you okay, Ash??” she asked with a wince.

“You… you can’t!!” Ash crawled up to his feet, with one of his hands in his pockets.

Something hot burned in his pocketed fist.

Duplica stared at him oddly. “What do you mean I can’t? And by the way, nice seeing you again too.”

“YOU CAN’T DESTROY THE DEVICE!!!” he shouted as he began forcing his body to move forward.

“Weren’t you listening?! They want to control Arceus with it!!” Duplica stood in front of him.

“Why wouldn’t we want to blow up the device?” May held Ash still. “Isn’t that why we’re here too?”

Ash knew none of them would listen… except for one who would blindly follow.

Casey! Pick me up and take me to the device as fast as you can!”

“YES SIR!” She grabbed Ash and lifted him onto her back.

“Are you crazy?! You want them to control Arceus?!” Duplica was ready to knock the two out.

Ash? Anabel asked with an almost uncaring tone. Wouldn’t this prevent any of that past from happening again if it were solved this way?

Tracey thought back to the story that was told to him. Nothing about this plan seemed wrong to him. “Ash, I don’t think you’re thinking this through…”

Angie herself was confused by her best friend’s actions. From what I saw, everything revolved around this device. We have to destroy it, don’t we? We’re just going to repeat history if we don’t.

Ash frowned, knowing what they’d all think and say before they even uttered them. We already are repeating history. This… this is exactly how it happened. It’s happening all over again! “GO CASEY!!!”

“YOU GOT IT, SIR!!!”

The loyal girl tackled Duplica aside and began running as fast as she could.

“We have to stop her, Case…” he whispered quietly as his body slowly wavered in energy.

“You can count on me, sir. You can always count on me…”



_________________________________________________________



Stab forward, curve to slash.

Catch, grapple, twist. Disarmed.

Two fist strikes. Second only grazed side. Dodged.

Kick connects to rib. Weakened. Kick again.

Back turned, absorb blow. Second hand gripped to clothing. Weight back, up, then down. Throw down.

Slammed to floor. Counter with defensive heel kick.

Leg grab. Pin chest down with foot. Arm around ankle, twist. Submission.

Retrieve weapon, stab down towards feet. Dodged. Hold weakened, downward kick to break free.

Loosen grab, breaking kick given more force than planned. Take unbalance as chance to pull away armament, toss back. Stomp before full recovery.

Roll to stand. Lean against wall. Press hard to add pressure to next attack. Downward punch, if dodged – follow with reverse kick, if blocked – strike side of head with second fist, if connects – grab and break fingers.

None of the above. Use punch momentum to advantage. One palm to forearm, second to elbow, push.

Thrust direction diverted, land on knees to prevent complete knockdown. Turn shoulder, pull back, regain control. Use kneel to launch upward strike.

Sidestep. Grab sides of head. Propel knee towards chest, slam head onto knee.

“AAAAGH!!!” Domino roared as she stumbled backwards, holding her forehead in distress.

Maylene got into stance again, readying for the next attack.

“WHY… I’M BETTER THAN YOU!!! WHY?!!” the Rocket Agent cried out.

“No. Domino was better than me.” The fighter’s eyes narrowed. “You’re worse. You’re not yourself.”

“I’m… I’M STILL ME!!! I AM!!!” Domino screamed as she was about to strike… but held her attack.

Her eyes watered as her frown exaggerated. “I am…” She fell to the floor. Her body finally giving up.

Curling up, she began howling in misery.



Behind Maylene, the giant absol Dice, lay down in defeat. Lucario being the last of the fighter’s pokémon to still stand.

With a sigh, the Aura Pokémon leaned his back against the wall and gave a nod towards his partner.

Maylene nodded back and turned towards Domino.

The woman continued her wailing. A pathetic scene that wrenched Maylene’s heart into action.

She walked towards her.

Crouching down, she placed her hand against her beaten foe’s shoulder. “Hey Dom…”

“Don’t touch me…”

“…Do you remember that guy from class four-E?”





“……how couldn’t I?” she grumbled back, too weak to avoid her, too lost to ignore her. “Sven… hottest guy I ever saw…”

Maylene laughed and sat down next to her. “Remember how we used to fight over his attention?”

“…you always got him to smile, but I always got him to look my way…”

“I… think we went a little too far just to impress him…” she smiled.



Domino struggled to sit up, Maylene helped her.

…I didn’t cheat in that fight for him. I cheated in that fight because I hated you, MayMay…”

Despite her emotions continuously attempting to drag her back down to madness, the Rocket Agent held on. Her warm memories giving her protection from the cold darkness that filled inside her heart.

“…I just… hated you. Everything about you… you were so much better than me…”

Maylene blinked in surprise. “Wh-What?! What are you talking about, Dom?? You were the one who was always better! They used to call you Dominate and me Maybe, remember?? I was just the underdog, you were the queen in that Academy!”

“But you weren’t like us, MayMay… I may have been queen… but queen of what? A bunch of thieves and liars… you were there to help your dad… and not once did you ever cheat or lie.” Domino’s eyes watered, darting unnervingly from side to side. “You were this innocent girl who still could smile in a place full of anger and sadness. And we were all just a bunch of idiots that just gave up on life… and I was the queen of those quitters…

“…why did you join the Academy, Dom?”

“I didn’t join…” She pulled at her hair, trying to straighten the split ends – still conscious of her looks despite being unable to see. “…I was raised there.”

“What do you mean?”

I mean I was raised there since a babe. My parents left me in front of the Academy, hoping that they’d take me… because there wasn’t a hospital, orphanage, temple, or church for miles and miles… nothing but Pokémarts and Pokémon Centers…

Maylene uncomfortably shifted her posture. “I… I didn’t know that. I’m so sorry.”

“I was told that if I passed all my exams and physical trials with perfect scores, they’d let me see my parents.” Domino curled up and hugged her legs tightly. “My parents were like a mythical treasure… I did everything for them, to make them proud, to reunite with them. …but it was a lie. My parents weren’t coming back. My parents would never want me back…

She sighed as she choked back a cry. “When I figured it out… when I got too old for those fairytales… I just became… bitter. And by then, I was finally old enough to officially enroll into the Academy. The same time you showed up.”

The fighter thought back to the day when she first arrived… the first person who she ever greeted was a blond girl named Dominique… days before she had given herself the nickname Domino.

But to her, she was always Dom.

Maylene had come from a poor family with little sophistication… a name like ‘Dominique’ was far too complicated for her simple tongue. ‘Dom’ was the only thing she could really pronounce correctly at that time. And she’d always be Dom… until that day Dom cheated her from her one chance of earned success and ruined her life.

‘Dom’ was her friend’s name… ‘Domino’ was the name of the girl from Team Rocket…

“I knew it would ruin your life…” Domino said, reading her emotions perfectly. “…I wanted it to. You had a family to go back to… a home to go back to. I didn’t have anywhere to go, MayMay. I didn’t have a home or a world outside of Team Rocket. But you did… and I hated it. So I wanted to stall your life until the S-R fully passed.”

“…Seventh Restriction.” the fighter spat the name in spite. “I couldn’t pay off my debts fast enough. By the time it hit, all my work went to nothing…”

Domino nodded quietly. “…after the tell-all interview of those six former Team Rocket members ran on all the networks, the organization planned for the Seventh Restriction to take effect.” she explained, to recall the memory completely. “No member of Team Rocket would ever be allowed to leave the group ever again once the S-R passed. The entire organization would become more private, more restrictive, and impossible to quit. Once a member, always a member…

“That’s why I stole those manuals, Domino… it was my only way to escape Team Rocket after S-R.”

The Agent gave a depressed laugh. “So that was my fault too? Figures. Everything I ever did to you, always came back to bite me. You were just born lucky that way… the precious little jewel that the world could never truly drag down or truly harm.”

But why, Dom? Why not just some other way of getting revenge on me? Why put me through all that?!” Maylene glared, half-furious, half-distressed.

“Because… I’d always be with Team Rocket… and you wouldn’t.” Domino leaned, placing her head on Maylene’s shoulder. “You were my only real friend there, MayMay… my only real heart in this cold and ruthless organization. I couldn’t lose you… …but you still left.

She begansobbing. Her emotions being swallowed up by the poison placed inside her.



Maylene wrapped her arms around the broken woman’s head and rested her chin against her. “You could’ve come with me, Dom…”

“I… I was scared. I didn’t know what was out there… I didn’t know anything but Team Rocket!

“You knew me.” The fighter smiled softly. “Heck, even I don’t know what’s out here most times. I just winged it. Look at me now! I’m a Gym Leader! Funny how that works out, right?

Domino gave a slight smile back. “…did you know that Sven’s a Pokémon Ranger now?”

“He is?! That’s crazy… how do you know that??”

She giggled. “I fought him.”

The fighter gave an awkward laugh. “You serious?? That must have been really weird.”

“Why? I chose that mission myself just so I could see him again.”

“…and?”

“He hasn’t changed much. Still a flirt… still so darn sexy.”

Er… I meant how was the fight? Who won?”

Domino laughed.

“Wh-What??? Did I say something wrong?” Maylene scratched her head nervously.

Sighing with a genuine grin, Domino nudged her. “You haven’t changed at all, MayMay. All you care about is fighting… bruising every boy you liked.”

“Not much of a man if they can’t take it.”

“…well, I let him win. And even let him turn me in. Just so I could feel his arms around me.” She drooled.

“Are you sure you’re messed up, Dom? You don’t seem so screwed up now that you’re talking to me.”

The Rocket Agent gave a sad smile. “I’m just happy… we’re still friends.



Maylene put her hand up to Domino’s chest. “Stay still…”

“May what are you…”

“Stay still.”

Closing her eyes, Maylene took a deep breath in.



_________________________________________________________



“What do you mean the door’s stuck?!”

“I mean it’s stuck! Locked! Busted! We’re locked in here!”

“At least we’re in here as a team. There’s nothing they can pull on us that we won’t be able to stop.”

“Unless they decide to gas the room… or rig it to explode… or have the whole crushing walls or ceilings business…”

“Way to keep our spirits high! That’s exactly what we needed to hear!”

SLAMSLAMSLAMSLAM

“LIZA!!! LIZA!!!!”

SLAMSLAMSLAMSLAM

“CAN YOU HEAR ME LIZA?!!!”

SLAMSLAMSLAMSLAM

Ritchie continued to pound his fist against the metal door. “LIZAAA!!!!”

“I doubt she’ll be able to hear us all the way in here…” Khoury leaned against the wall and adjusted his glasses. “If she’s still guarding the outside, she’d need to be able to hear us through four floors and three steel rooms.”

“Maybe we can break the door down?” Dawn looked towards her mamoswine. “Freezing it then tackling it should work, right?”

“It could if it were any of the other doors we passed through.” Cilan sighed and knocked on the door casually. “This one, however, was at least six inches thick. We’d need to heat it up, not freeze it. And even then, the melting process would take far too long.”

“Well what else are we going to be doing? Might as well do it.” Iris grumbled.

“It doesn’t matter.” Misty turned away from the door. “We still need to move forward. The door can wait.”

Brock shrugged. “That may be true, but this room is nearly pitch black. How in the world are we supposed to find our way forward?”

A bright light flashed out, forcing everyone to cover their eyes.

Across the room, a single door was open, the source of light. From the opening, two silhouettes stepped into the darkness.

“Who are…”

One of the figures rushed forward and silenced Brock with a heavyblow.

“BROCK!”

Lucy wasstruck next.

Iris, Cilan, Lyra, Khoury, Ritchie, Bianca, Dawn and their pokémon fell seconds later.

Though three of Misty’s pokémon were knocked out, her fourth merely held its head in pain.

The Cerulean City Gym Leader had dodged the attack, having caught the fast moving creature’s movements an instant before its attack.

With a click, the lights in the room flickered into life. Revealing a barren laboratory, with the intruding trainers sprawled out against its cold floor.

Beside the lab’s light switch, stood a large man. His unmarked black coat signifying he was an elite member of Team Rocket… and his revealed face being one that Misty remembered perfectly…

She growled at the recognition.

The man, on the other hand, didn’t care to recognize her.

“Pretty quick moves for a trainer…”

His voice was deep and hoarse – a tone that would have been frightening… if Misty hadn’t memorized it.

“You’re the one that kidnapped us that night…”

The man merely raised his brow. “I’ve kidnapped hundreds of people, lady… So don’t take offense if I don’t remember you. I don’t make an effort to remember weaklings.”

He walked towards the center of the room andkicked the unconscious Latias out of his way. “Though… you must not be too much of a weakling if you could dodge something faster than an Eon Pokémon.” With a grin he turned towards her and nodded. “The name’s Brace… and my partner, Hitmonchan.”

Misty glanced to the left. A dark-skinned hitmonchan stood in battle-ready stance. The light boxer tunic the species were known to wear was replaced by a full black uniform with a large red ‘R’ emblazoned on its chest.

“And what would be your name, little lady? I’ll gladly remember yours.”

“…Misty.” She eyed the area around her, trying to find every advantage she could gain by using the environment. “You’ll remember that permanently once I beat it into you.”

Brace laughed mockingly. “Really? You dodge one attack and you think you can win? Little lady, my hitmonchan just knocked out an entire room filled with pokémon and their trainers – and I haven’t even lifted a finger yet. What makes you think that you… and your…” He eyed the last remaining pokémon. “…pathetic-looking psyduck can do anything against us?”

“She’s… not alone.” Lucy slowly got to her feet, biting her lip to bring feeling back to her face.

The man turned and stared at the snake-eyed woman. “You, I recognize. Pike Queen Lucy. A moderate Frontier Brain, but a ferocious fighter according to rumors. You survived a knockout blow from my hitmonchan… looks like the rumors were true.”

“You handle the hitmonchan.” Lucy spat out the blood sucked from her broken lips. “I’ll handle Brace.”

NO. He’s mine!” Misty growled.

She leapt back as a gloved punch scraped the tip of her nose.

“No time for petty grudges!” the black and red haired woman hissed, whipping several strikes towards Brace.

The man dodged each attack and laughed. “Is that supposed to be the Arbok Style? Don’t you know it’s supposed to be used defensively?” He launched a lightning-fast punch towards her shoulder. “Leaving yourself uncoiled leaves your style’s ‘spine’ vulnerable!”

Lucy bent her elbow and coiled her arm around his, locking his attack in place.

“Wh-What?!”

“This isn’t Arbok Style.” Her eyes narrowed. “Seviper Style. My own blend.”

Twisting her body back, she flexed her abdomen, sending a ripple of muscle tension up to her arms. The coiled arm forced itself to straighten, wrenching the man’s arm to her control. She aimed its pressure away and downwards, causing the man’s back tendons to lock and launching him to the ground backwards.

SLAM

“Y-You!!” Brace growled as he struggled to get back to his feet.

Across the room, Misty’s situation was far more difficult.

Dodging another punch, the orange-haired Gym Leader slid over a counter and rolled to a crawling position. “PSYDUCK! PSYCHIC!”

“…duck?” The Duck Pokémon simply tilted its head in response.

“CONFUSION!!!”

“…psy?”

Hopping over another blow, Misty cried in panic, “WATER GUN!!! DISABLE!!! ANYTHING!!!”

Psyduck felt his trainer’s desperation, and did his best to follow her commands. Shutting its eyes tight and forcing its body…

…Psyduck just sighed and tilted its head again. “…duck?”

OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!” Misty dashed towards him and picked him up by the tail.

The dark hitmonchan finally had the girl cornered. It smirked arrogantly. With an inhale, it launched several punches far too fast to dodge; knowing full well she wouldn’t be able to stay conscious if any of them connected.

Misty turned in time and used Psyduck as her shield.

PSY! PSY! DUCKDUCKPSYPSY!!! DUCKPSYDUCKPSYPSYPSYPSY!!!!” it shouted in pain from each strike.

None of the pain was felt physically, however…

All bodily stresses formed a cloud of agony in its head.

Misty grinned back at the Fighting Pokémon. “Sorry, you lose.”

“Mon?” It pulled away its last punch and stared at the young woman in confusion.

Psyduck’s eyes began to glow a bright blue. “Psy… duck… duck… duck…”

The glow began to consume its entire body.

“Psyduck… use Psychic.”

“DUCK!!!!” A powerful wave of psychic energy shot out.



_________________________________________________________



The ground shook, sending Casey and her rider toppling to the floor.

“Are we already too late?” Ash frowned.

“No such thing, sir!” the purple-haired girl squirmed towards the metal door and kicked it open.

As it swung wide, Ash could see again…

Flames.



_________________________________________________________



Fire spread and leapt from surface to surface, covering the large room in a glow of red, orange, and yellow. No more threatening growls of tech activity or power surges came from the room or its devices. The machine that controlled Arceus was finally destroyed…

Standing in the center, Farron and his pokémon celebrated their victory.

Maya and Ramie ran in and began cheering.

Sato walked into the scorching room. Despite the heat, his body felt cool – the heavy burden of responsibility lifting itself from his shoulders.

Leanne appeared beside him. “It’s finally over… isn’t it?” She sighed. A certain mist of sadness filled her eyes.

“You don’t seem happy about it.”

“Well… I’ll miss… all of you.”

“You can always come with us.”

The Pokémon Researcher shook her head. “I… I have quite a lot of work to catch up on… and a lot more papers to write after what we experienced in this insane adventure.”

“I can always visit.” Sato smiled. “We could go visit that one island you like so much.”

Leanne shoved him playfully. “D-Don’t talk like that.” She blushed. “Maya might get angry.”

Hm?” He tilted his head. “Why? It’s just hanging out.”

Adjusting her hair to cover her face, Leanne huffed and walked towards the group. “Y-You shouldn’t toy with a woman’s h-heart like that, Sato. It’ll get you in trouble.

He laughed. “Oh sure, when Farron is surrounded by girls no one cares. I get more than one to follow me around and suddenly it’s a crime.” He followed after her.

“That’s different. He’s different. You’re different.”

“Who’s different?” Maya blinked towards them.

“N-No one.” Leanne shyly went silent.

Ramie eyed Sato with a raised brow.

Sato shrugged nonchalantly.

She responded with a roll of the eyes.

He grinned and stuck his tongue out.

She gave a tilted frown.

Maya was watching the two very intently.

“Quit flirting, you two.” Farron interrupted their silent conversation. “Now if I remember correctly, the bet was whoever destroyed the machine gets a free lunch. And seeing that we all took that bet, each of you owe me a lunch.”

Hey! That’s not how the bet went!” Sato growled.

“Technically we never specified, so…”

“Hey, whose side are you on, Leanne???”

An annoyed groan came from behind the Pokémon Master, “Will you all be quiet already? What’s done is done, so just… just get me out of here. I don’t want to be here.”

Sato glanced over Farron’s shoulder and found a tied-up man with lime green hair. “…is that N?”

Farron winked. “You’re darn right it is.”

“…you beat him???” Sato’s jaw dropped.

“Wasn’t easy, but yeah, yeah I did.” He rubbed his nose proudly. “I didn’t get the title Pokémon Master from losing, y’know.”

Ramie folded her arms and coughed. “…didn’t you lose to him three times?”

He fell over in response. “…w-well, I beat him now, that’s all that matters.”

“You haven’t beaten me…” N’s cold voice cut through the jovial atmosphere. “…I said what’s done is done. I never said it was over.”

“I think someone’s being a sore loser.” Ramie poked his head with her bare toes.

THHHHHHHHHHHHHP



The fires in the room instantly vanished, leaving the room in an eerie darkness.

Warning sirens were heard in the distance. The room began flickering red as emergency lights lit the area. Sato and the rest looked at each other in confusion.

Uh… what –”

GWOHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMM

Bursting into existence, a tiny black ball of energy formed in front of the machine.

“The machine?!” Maya backed away slowly. “I thought you destroyed it!!!”

Farron growled. “I thought I did too!!” He eyed the large engine… his emotions sank as he realized the detonation only left a large crack in its center. “Well now… this can be a problem.”

“Okay, so the machine is definitely not destroyed, but what the heck is that thing?!” Ramie pointed towards the slow-growing whirlpool of darkness coming from the device’s center.

“That… is the darkness.” N smirked. “In order for us to control Arceus, we had to develop something more powerful than it… In this universe, darkness is the abomination meant to curse our existence. An entity created to always find struggle with creation and destruction… it was meant to better us, strengthen us, make us whole. But in our victory against the darkness, we have failed as humans.”

“Great, riddles.” the Fighter shoved a toothpick between her teeth and began chewing it. “Speak normal talk, greenhead.”

“We were never meant to win against the darkness.” he continued. “We were supposed to coexist with it. Without darkness, we became sick. I brought it back to cure all of us of our disease… the darkness can control Arceus, because Arceus was made to bow to its power.”

Farron grabbed N by the hair and threw him to the ground. “Quit talking in symbols! Tell us what it means!”

N smiled maniacally. “It means no-existence. Not life, not death. The darkness is the anti-existence to everything. By breaking the machine, you’ve let it loose. And now it will devour all existence!”

“How do we stop it?!”

“Stop it? No… it doesn’t stop. It stayed in the machine because it wanted to… because it wanted to control the machine… to control Arceus.”

Ramie was ready to knock N unconscious.

Leanne stepped forward and adjusted her glasses, studying the machine and the strange blackness… her mood becoming far more confident and studious.

“If this is a form of infinite anti-matter, then the mechanism must act as a matter feeder in order to keep it at a controlled size… and some form of energy must be used to contain it… electricity perhaps? Trapping its particles…”

“Great definition, nerd, but what does that mean for us?!”

The Researcher ignored the Fighter’s rude comment and explained. “It’s leaking, so we push back what’s leaking.”

“And how we do that?”

“By feeding it matter and energy.”

“Even if that’s the case, how are we going to keep it in the machine?!” Farron scratched his head in frustration. “We don’t exactly have the materials to patch that thing back up!”



“Leanne?!”



Leanne! Tell us! That black hole keeps growing!!!”

The Researcher frowned at what she had to say. “We have to use the device.”

“What do you mean ‘use’???”

“We’re going to have to control Arceus to reverse its effects! Only Arceus has the power to contain something that powerful once it’s let loose!”

“Why don’t we just ask Arceus to destroy it?” Maya asked desperately.

N’s laugh caused them to flinch.

“What’s so funny, greenhead?!”

He smirked at the Fighter. “Ask Arceus? As long as the darkness is here, you cannot ask Arceus anything. The darkness has already used the machine long enough to have gained full control of the god Pokémon. It no longer needs the machine to make it do its bidding.”

“Then you have no choice but to control it.” a woman’s voice echoed from behind them. “You may as well take advantage of it and use it to reverse all the damage Team Rapture had caused within the past few months… if you want, that is.”

Appearing in the doorway, a woman in a black bodysuit walked forward.

“Quinn!!” Sato ran towards her with a smile of relief.

The Psychic shoved her hand out towards him, freezing him in place with a dark purple aura.

“QUINN!!” The others reacted negatively to her presence, each of them readying for battle.

“I am not here to fight you.” she calmly stated.

“That’s funny, I could’ve sworn the last billion times you knocked us around told us otherwise!” Ramie growled angrily.

“We have no reason to trust you, Quinn. You betrayed us twice already.” Maya said with a hurt tone.

Farron and his pokémon approached her threateningly. “And you holding our friend hostage at the moment doesn’t exactly help your case.”



Quinn sighed and loosened her grip.

Sato, now free, dove towards the Psychic and wrapped his arms around her excitedly. “YOU’RE OKAY!!!”

Her face turned pink, while still showing irritation.

The other women grit their teeth in response.

“Please get off me, Aura Guardian…”

Sato broke away, still grinning. “I’m just really glad you’re okay.”

Farron coughed. “So what did you come here for?”

“To help.”

“Why in the world would you?” Ramie showed obvious disbelief.

“I’m here for Sat–” she caught herself. “I mean, the Aura Guardian. I owe him.”

“Help us how?” Leanne adjusted her glasses and eyed the Psychic’s expression, noticing that she had hidden knowledge.

Quinn nodded towards the growing darkness. “I was here to warn you about the darkness. But it seems I was too late…”

“Yeah, great job.” the Fighter scoffed. “What good will that do now?”

“I know how to stop it.”

“Feed it matter to control its size and redirect it with energy.” Leanne shrugged. “Simple.”

Quinn shook her head. “The darkness does not simply feed on physical matter and energy. It feeds off emotions, spirit, and mental energy. Feeding it only physical objects and elements will do nothing. You can use Aura and Empathy to control it… but you’ll also need a Psychic.”

“Then it’s a good thing you came along!” Sato cheered.

“Let’s just get it over with.” Ramie crackedher neck and turned towards the darkness. “I want to go home already.”

VVVVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMM!!!!

A spiraling green vortex shattered into reality.

“Wh-What the heck is that?!”

Heh…” N began shaking. “Heheh… ha… hahahahAHAHAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAA!!!!

Emerging from the portal, a pokémon of sparking energies and elements glared down at the foes before it. Arceus.

“The servant of darkness has come here to protect its lord!!!” N grinned madly.

“SHUT IT, GREENHEAD!!” The Fighter jabbed her foot into his rib, silencing him.

A flash of black lightning whipped out and exploded near Sato’s feet. Where it had struck, nothing was left – not even debris.

“That’s… not good.” Farron backed slowly into the corner, noticing the dark ball of energy turning violent.

“Antimatter shouldn’t be able to do that…” Leanne gasped.

Aura Guardian. Orders.” Quinn nodded towards Sato.

Sato analyzed the area around him. “…we need to subdue Arceus first and foremost!”

“Are you crazy?!” Ramie’s eye twitched. “We’re going to fight a god?!”

“We can’t focus on both things at once.” Maya supported. “We have to take down Arceus first before we can seal the darkness.”

“WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A POWERFUL POKÉMON OR A CRAZY HUMAN!!! WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A GOD!!!” Ramie roared in disbelief at what they were planning to do.

“You with us or not, Amy?” Sato caught her attention by using her seldom-used nickname.



She sighed. “Oh for crying out loudyeah. Always with ya’, partner.”

The god Pokémon roared, sending a ripple of destruction to the world around them.



_________________________________________________________



“Wh…What in the world was that?!!” Casey sat still. Her back still against the male Empathic’s legs… in the same position as they were just moments after she had kicked the door open.

“…you saw, that???” Ash sat up immediately.

“Y-Yeah… b-but how did we see that?! We’re not even in Alto Mare!”

…how did she see it? I thought that only those who had a connection could see it outside of the vision back at Alto Mare…

An EXPLOSION caught their attention.

“No…” Casey pulled herself to her feet, staring at the destruction that lay before them.

Flames.

Fire spread and leapt from surface to surface, covering the large room in a glow of red, orange, and yellow. No more threatening growls of tech activity or power surges came from the room or its devices. The machine that could control Arceus was finally destroyed…

Standing in the center, Greta and her few pokémon celebrated their victory.

Except there were no members to congratulate her on her work… only two stunned and troubled individuals who had seen this just seconds before.

“…run back and get the rest here now, Quinn…”

“On it, Sato…”

Casey ran off, sprinting at full speed down the long tunnel.





It took the both of them a minute to realize what they had just called the other.

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:41 PM

Chapter 35: Loss

Spoiler:
The blond-haired, blue-eyed Arena Tycoon stood proudly in front of the fierce flames. “OSU!!!” She flexed and did a victory pose. “Great job, team!!! We have thwarted Team Rocket’s plans once and for all!!!”

She sent back her pokémon into their poké balls. “You all deserve a break… let’s get some udon when we get home.”

“…Greta.”

Flinching at her name, the passionate Frontier Brain turned and faced a young man. “Ash?! IS THAT YOU?!

She ran towards him and slapped his shoulder in greeting. “Did you come here to congratulate me? Or were you coming here to help? Either way, am I glad to see you again!”

He smiled poorly. “Great meeting you again, too.”

Greta frowned. “Hm… you don’t have as much spirit in you. Something’s definitely wrong.”

“You’ll see in a few minutes.” he mentioned forebodingly, nudging his head towards the flames.

She faced the flames, wondering what there was to see.



…then something stuck out in her mind. “Wait… if I remember correctly… You’re blind now. How can you see the fire? How did you even get here on your own??”

Looking back, she noticed the Pokémon Trainer sitting against the wall… his body still showing obvious weakness.

She approached him and sat down. “Is something wrong, Ash? You don’t look too well. We also shouldn’t stay here… the smoke will build up eventually.”

“No… the fire will disappear soon.”

Greta tilted her head. “How do you know that?” She peered into his blank eyes.



“You know…” she responded to the silence. “I saw your battle at the Tsunami Festival. The way you fought was… just intense, is the best way I can put it. It was hard to believe you were really blind. Yet here you are. Inside a secret Rocket base, blind. Shows that things are even more unbelievable in-person. You’re just intense, Ash.”

He didn’t respond.



Greta was getting nervous. She wondered if he was a spy for Team Rocket and had betrayed them… she toyed with the idea that he was just stalling her for reinforcements to arrive.

Before she could reach for her poké balls, Ash finally spoke up, “I’m not a spy.”

That’s something a spy would say… Her eyes narrowed.

“I can’t really talk well right now, I’m sorry…” Ash exhaled. “…just give me a minute.”

A minute’s enough time to get your reinforcements here… how stupid do you think I am?

“I don’t think you’re stupid at all…”

Her eyes widened. “H-How are you reading my mind?!”

“I’m not.” was all he said.



I heard that Ash is an Empathic now… but I don’t even know what that is. she thought to herself. All I know is that Team Rocket wants him dead for that reason… now that I think about it, wasn’t that Anabel girl an Empathic, too? …and they captured her… if Team Rocket’s after Empathics, why is Ash here?

“We already rescued Anabel…” he breathed out slowly. “I’m here to stop th–AHH!!!”

Ash gripped onto his chest, gritting his teeth. “N-no…”

“Ash?? What’s wrong?!” She pried his hands away from his chest. No wound… then what is he…

THHHHHHHHHHHHHP



The fires in the room instantly vanished, leaving the room in an eerie darkness.

Warning sirens were heard in the distance. The room began flickering red as emergency lights lit the area. Greta looked around in alerted confusion.

“What in the world is goi–”

GWOHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMM

Bursting into existence, a tiny black ball of energy formed in front of the machine.

“The machine?!” Greta crawled back in panic. “I thought I destroyed it!!!”

“…it can’t be destroyed.” Ash hissed in pain. “It shouldn’t have been destroyed…”

“What?! What do you mean by that?!”

He pointed at the slow-growing whirl of darkness with his chin. “…that. I was supposed to stop that…” but the vision wouldn’t let me…

“Why didn’t anyone tell me this?!” Greta panicked, lifting Ash to his feet. “We have to get out of here! That thing looks like a black hole!”

She struggled with his weight, limping towards the doorway.

A blast of black lightning exploded in front of her foot.

Greta looked down, her eyes widening at the sight…

Where the black lightning had touched, nothing was left… not even debris.

“I didn’t know black holes could do that…” she gasped in dread.

SATO

A terrifying feeling of emptiness filled Greta’s entire being. Her body refused to shake, as it only felt a numbing tingle where emotions should have been.

She glanced at the ball of black energy. “…did… did the black hole just talk?”

Ash’s face went pale.

“…the darkness… it made all of this happen again…”

“What do you mean ‘the darkness’? And made what happen all over again??” Greta felt completely out of the loop. She had wished she listened to the discussions and mission briefings Gary had given their group. It didn’t seem that interesting then… but now all the missing information felt like it would determine if she lived or died.

No… it was the one who did all this!!” Ash squirmed his way out of Greta’s hold, standing on his own two feet – staring into the swirling darkness. “You… You brought me here. You brought all of us here!”

SATO

“WHAT DO YOU WANT?!” Tears were running down his eyes as he staggered towards the darkness… the one that controlled his renewed fate.

“Ash! Get away from that thing!!” Greta shouted, unsure of what she should do.

“WHY DID YOU BRING ME BACK HERE?!!”

SATO

The darkness struck out. A bolt of black lightning aiming straight for the Empathic’s head.

It hit.

Ash’s Aura and Empathy prevented it from destroying his flesh… but where it couldn’t destroy, it swallowed.

Several more bolts struck at his body… consuming him entirely. It pulled him in aggressively.

“ASH!!!!!!!!” Greta ran forward, not knowing what to do, but knowing that standing in fear would do nothing at all.

“STAND BACK!!!!”

A woman with long, flowing black hair dashed in and knocked the Frontier Brain aside.

Releasing all her pokémon at once, Sabrina and her Psychic Pokémon sent a massive blast of mental energy into the dark aura that enveloped the young man.

The psychic attack only tore small holes into the black energy… revealing small portions of Ash’s unconscious body inside.

“ASH!!” Sabrina loosened her attack stance and sprinted forward, her body still showing signs of exhaustion. She ignoredthe pain and continued in her desperate dash. Her loyal pokémon followed, each one firing several psionic lances into the void-like entity.

The darkness whipped out several bolts to collide with the psychic assault – preventing any of the lances from reaching the main body that contained the Empathic.

“DON’T GIVE IN, ASH!!!!” Sabrina roared, sending an enormous psychic geyser to engulf the darkness.

Reacting to her power, the darkness exploded in size, clashing with her mental strength.

Sabrina fell to her knees. Blood dripping from her nostrils, lips, and eyes as she forced every ounce of herself into her attack.

A blast of blue energy crashed and burst into the darkness, causing it to flinch.

“HRAAAAAAA!!!!”

Lucario leapt in and landed a combo of Aura Spheres into his formless foe.

Maylene appeared from a balcony, carrying a half-conscious Domino around her shoulder. “KEEP AT IT, LUCARIO!!!!”

The darkness seemed to roar at the intrusion.

Its empty voice was silenced as flares and spikes of electric, ice, fire, water, and psychic powers crashed into it. White flashes of powered slashes and rays of Solar Beam and Hyper Beam erupted alongside them.

Swarming through the doorway, several pokémon joined in the battle, letting loose their attacks one after the other.

May, Angie, Anabel, Tracey, and Casey charged in after their pokémon, shouting orders and commands.

Bianca added her support with Pignite.

A confused Duplica dragged an equally-bewildered Gary towards the scene.

“What’s going on??!” Duplica shouted towards Greta.

“I honestly have no idea!!!” she responded back.

Gary’s eyes widened at the sight of the darkness. His brow twitched… recognizing it.

“…no…”

The darkness stared back.

FARRON

He flinched.

It grew in size at the sight of the familiar beings…

QUINN

Casey grabbed her head in reaction.

RAMIE

Angie’s body suddenly became sore.

The darkness continued to grow, blackening the room with its essence.

Moving in erratic waves and swirls, it seemed to be looking for something… someone…

MAYA

It reached out, attempting to capture Gary, Casey, and Angie.

“GIVE BACK ASH!!!!!!!” Sabrina screamed as she dug her fingers into two female Empathics’ arms.

“OW!!!” May tried pulling away, only to have the Psychic’s power render her immobile.

“What are you –” Anabel met a similar fate.

Sabrina coughed out spittle and blood as she wrapped the three of them in a thick field of psychic energy.

Dragging the limp bodies of her forced partners, the Psychic dove into the void.





Silence. Blankness. It was as if time and reality had come to an utter halt.

And in the center of unreality… the young man who held something very dear to her.

Watching him slowly fade into the quiet storm of nothingness, Sabrina cried out.

No noise came from her mouth.

No sound or light existed in this world. And none would ever exist.

The only illumination that lit the way came from the radiance of their life.

Inhaling, Sabrina captured the Empathy of those she held in her hands…

She focused all of it to her heart. Their every emotion, their every feeling, their every cherished memory…

Exhaling, Sabrina unchained the bond that she had formed with Ash.

She released her Empathy.

Shattering the psychic shield, she exposed her very being to the darkness.

Unreality shook. Each point of contact where the darkness met the Psychic Empathic burst into a fury of colors. The darkness began to ripple into existence, being refused from its very purpose.

Where nothing could exist, an emotion that created all things – in all things – with all things, shined.

And in an instant, all faded into reality…





The darkness was gone.

An odd silence hung in the air…

No signs of the battle remained.

No fire. No mark. No destruction.

Yet, there they all stood… witness to a war that never occurred.

And in the center, lay its only victim.

Sabrina held Ash close, pressing her forehead hard against his as tears fell from her eyes.

Not a sign of harm was on him. Not a spot of blood. Not a speckle of darkness.

But there was nothing inside him…

Blank.

No Aura… No emotion… No thought

His body lived… but in every other way, he lay dead.



Sabrina opened Ash’s hands… wrapping her fingers around the black marble he desperately held onto. The one item that drove him to come to this place… the one item that sealed his fate, and saved others in the process.

She didn’t care.

As far as she was concerned, the others could have faded into the nothingness… as long as Ash was safe.

The others only pushed Ash. Pushed him further and further… and in the end, left him alone when he needed them most.

“I would have never left your side…” She placed the marble into her pocket and rested her cheek against his.

Ash… she thought to herself softly. Her mind far more quiet than it had ever been in her life. I had just gotten to know you… We hadn’t even spent a full two weeks together… yet you became everything that ever mattered to me… everything that I had never known in this world… you became my world… and I’m sorry… I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to save you…

Her world started to fade, and she could no longer recall what existence truly felt like.

“Please… please don’t go, Ash…” she whispered desperately to him. “I was just getting used to our heart… and you left me all alone with it. I don’t want to carry it alone…”

His skin was warm, a feeling that infuriated her. It was a mockery of life. A lie of the only truth she wanted to believe in.







Exiting through a hidden doorway, a man held a marble of white as it froze in his hands…

“Not even those graced by the gods can escape fate.” A smirk formed on his face. “Goodbye Sato… without you, we can finally initiate Phase Two…”

Giovanni laughedto himself as he disappeared into the dark corridors.

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:43 PM

Chapter 36: Everyone

Spoiler:
The reunion with Team One and Alpha team was not the joyous experience that Team Two and Beta team expected…

A heavy air of depression weighed in the cold atmosphere of the early morning.

Greetings were quiet, solemn, broken, or confused.

The newcomers had no clue to what had occurred within the Viridian City Gym until they saw Casey.

Sitting silently with her eyes closed, the baseball fanatic dutifully guarded the resting body of Ash… a red coat blanketing him.

“ASH!!” Dawn ran forward.

A sharpened edge of a broken metal bat pressed against her neck. Casey pointed it towards the Coordinator with a deadly look in her eyes.

Dawn froze. “Wh-What happened to Ash?!” She glared back to show an ounce of bravery.

The purple-haired girl didn’t respond, only baring her teeth to frighten the girl.

Dawn looked around… no one would look towards her. No one would look towards anyone.

Off to one side, the pink-haired fighter Maylene struck against the wall continuously – her knuckles and legs bruising, cutting, and bleeding against the dents she formed against the thick-cement. Domino, whose presence alarmed and shocked many, stood quietly beside the Veilstone City Gym Leader. She seemed ashamed of her own existence at the moment, avoiding as many stares as she could.

Wailing loudly in another corner, May and Pikachu held each other close as they continued to weep out the pain in their hearts. Misty tried to approach them, only to have the two cry louderat her questions.

Todd sat on a lone crate, tossing his roll films into the nearby trees.

Anabel and Angie sat back-to-back. One had sat against the other to comfort them. Who had initiated it and who had benefited from it, remained a mystery as the two were in a catatonic state.

Solana leaned against a wall, wearing an unsure face of failure. She seemed to want to say something, but found herself unworthy of mentioning a word. Ritchie walked towards her, causing her to look up with a sad smile.

The only one willing to talk, Tracey, approached Brock and Lucy… bearing news he didn’t know how to begin or continue.

Alpha Team… Gary, Duplica, and Greta sat in a circle, all trying to comfort the inconsolable Bianca. Lucy and Cilan joined them in their attempt.

And Sabrina…

…curled up. Her head buried into her knees. She rocked herself gently in silence. Without her red coat, her black bodysuit revealed just how thin she was. The thinness and posture she held gave her the appearance a lost, teenage girl.

Dawn had never seen her look so… vulnerable. It reminded her that she was human just like them.

But what happened…? She asked in fearful hesitation. Ash can’t be… can he?

She turned. Casey was back to her sitting position.

Every part of her wanted to move forward again, but she knew that Casey would never allow her.

“Casey… …Is Ash?

“He’s alive.” Khoury appeared beside her, with Lyra attached to his arm. “His skin isn’t pale, and his chest is still moving. He’s still breathing. And from the relaxation of his body, I’d say he’s in stable condition.”

Dawn sighed in complete relief.

“Leave it to my Khoury to use his brain to bring comfort to crazy situations, right?” Lyra giggled.

“Then why in the world is everyone so depressed?” The Coordinator asked boldly.

“Because Ash is gone…”



Dawn didn’t recognize the voice… but it had come from Sabrina.

What do you mean…? He’s right there.”

The Psychic looked up towards her. Her face marked with dried tears and pale markings of blood. “…but he’s gone…” the words that came from her mouth were surprisingly higher-pitched. No serious tones or commanding authorities behind it. “…no thoughts… no emotions… no spirit… just empty. His body works, but nothing else…”

“That’s impossible.” Cilan stood up and walked away from his group. “As long as the body continues to function, then his brain should still react in some manner – and his body should still create chemicals that give him emotions. There can be a few things wrong, perhaps an unbalance or disconnection… created by an injury or a virus… perhaps even a traumatic event?”

Sabrina’s eyes sharpened. In seconds she read his every thought and emotion.

The intrusion gave the Pokémon Connoisseur a frightening chill. “Wh-What was that???”

“Then wake him.” Sabrina challenged.

“Wh-What???”

“If you believe he is fine, then wake him.

“Even if I was correct, I doubt I’d still be able to wake him. For all I know, he could be in a coma.”

“You put too much trust in your science, Cilan.”

H-How did she know my name?!

“Science gives explanations of effects, never causes. All the causes it finds are mere effects of causes that it cannot explain.” The Psychic slowly hovered off the ground as she stretched her posture to its full height. “Tell me, Connoisseur… can science explain my kind?”

Cilan stiffly backed away. “M-Mental brainwaves in-interacting w-with –”

“A physical explanation for something that has existed long before physicality. Pathetic.” Sabrina shot a wave of invisible energy, knocking Cilan into the wall.

“AAHHH!!!”

“CILAN!!!” Iris and the rest of Beta team ran to his side for support.

The dark-tanned girl turned towards the Psychic with a growl.

Sabrina’s eye twitched. “Iris. A weak trainer such as yourself would not stand a chance against me.”

“W-WEAK?!” She reached for her poké balls… only to find nothing. “Where did –!”

Her poké balls hovered around Sabrina’s fingers. “An axew, excadrill, and a dodrio. The powerful dodrio borrowed from Gary Oak, the axew trained poorly in an attempt to make up for past mistakes, and an excadrill that refuses to listen to you because of those past mistakes.”

Sabrina’s eyes shimmered. “Your only real defense against me is a pokémon you borrowed from someone else… and even then you wouldn’t be able to use it correctly. You’re a weak trainer. Your strengths are in being brave and quick, but your stubbornness, carelessness, overestimation of yourself makes you weaker than the rest of your teammates. And you hide this insecurity by behaving rudely and dominantly.”

“Y-Y-You don’t know a darn thing about me!!!”

“You’re afraid of me. You try to hide your thoughts because you know I’m a Psychic… but I can read your heart clearly. And it’s a frail little thing with no true use.”

“Sabrina! Leave her alone!” May cried out, having had enough of negativity… and fearing that she might hear her own weaknesses within her descriptions.

A cold fury swirled around Sabrina as she approached the Empathic Coordinator. You have… You have no right to tell me what to do! YOU DIDN’T SAVE ASH!! You were too busy doubting him!! Too busy worrying about your own sad side of what you call a relationship with him, that you weren’t there to protect him!! I heard it… I heard it all!”

She glared at the members of Team One and Alpha team. All of you… you were all too busy with your own concerns. With your own distrust…”

A burst of dark purple energy flared from her.

“HE TRUSTED YOU!!!” she screamed hoarsely. “HE TRUSTED ALL OF YOU!!! AND YOU LET HIM DIE!!!”

“THAT’S ENOUGH, SABRINA!!” Misty roared.

Before she could say anymore, she found herself floating off the ground, an invisible hand suffocating her neck slowly. She began to choke and cough in protest.

“YOU!!!” Tears flowed down the Psychic’s furious eyes. “THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!! THE DARKNESS WANTED YOU, NOT ASH!!! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!!! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO SAVE HIM!!!”

“SHUT UP!!!”

A loud CLONG rang out.

Sabrina fell to the floor… blood trailing from the side of her head, where a broken aluminum bat had slammed against.

The Psychic glared, meeting Casey’s eyes.

No fear. No doubt. No hypocrisy.

Her eyes were just as furious, just as broken.

“Shut it, Sabrina…” Casey sniffed away the tears she never wanted to cry. “Ash wanted to protect us. All of us. Especially Maya. Fighting over this is just STUPID!!”

She threw the bat aside and dropped to her knees. “We’re supposed to be working together… as a team. That’s what he needed us to do!”

“And where was the rest of our team, Casey?” Sabrina slowly got to her feet. “You were the only one that listened to Ash. Why didn’t the rest follow? If they supposedly had everything invested in him, then why did they hesitate to take his orders?”



“Because we were afraid.” Angie stepped forward. “Because we were afraid what following his orders would mean for the rest of us…”

Sabrina turned away from her. “I trusted you, Angie… you of all people should have never doubted him.

“But I did, Sabrina. And I paid for it.” She grabbed the Psychic by her shoulders and forced her to look into her eyes. “You… you think this hurts just you?! You think you’re the only one dying inside for failing to save Ash?! I CAN’T SAVE ASH! I CAN NEVER SAVE HIM!!!

You… You Psychics! You Empathics! You have everything and I don’t have a single thing in me!” Angie shook her angrily. “I couldn’t save Ash even if I tried!! I couldn’t… I couldn’t…I couldn’t even be his if I wanted to be…

Sabrina pushed her off. “You could at least have been there with him. Stood by him. He needed you, Angie.

“He needed all of us!!!” Maylene roared as she slammed her fist into the wall again. “We kept fighting over him stupidly! Telling him that we needed him! But we never gave any attention to what he needed!!!”

The fighter pressed her head against the wall. “Sabrina’s right. We abandoned him. He shouldn’t have done it alone.

“Sato didn’t do it alone.”

The brown-haired Bianca approached. She was the first to use that name in this entire discussion… and it stunned all those who recognized it.

“Ash needed all of us there. But we were all too concerned with ourselves to be his teammates.” she continued. Her tone seemed strange… distant. “Now we’re still fighting… when there’s still so much to do…”

More?” Gary raised his brow. “…we just destroyed the machine. Now you’re saying there’s more?”

“Your team’s done, Farron. You’re part of our group now.”

“How do you know that name?” his eyes narrowed.

“I know a lot more than you think.” Bianca folded her arms. She turned towards Liza.

The Valley Guardian had stayed neutral and out of the way. Emotional conflicts were not her specialty. But with the Alto Mare native regarding her, she was suddenly involved.

sigh. “Yes?”

“If you can, I’d like it if you could drop off Alpha and Beta teams to their respective homes, except for Gary.”

What?! We JUST GOT HERE!!! Who put you in charge?!” Iris growled as she retrieved her poké balls from the ground. “What if we want to help?!

“Help with what?” Bianca shrugged casually.

…I… whatever it is that you’re planning to do with Gary!!!”

“Team Rocket is finished. The device is destroyed. Gary’s job to protect Ash is over. What more do you need to do here?”

Why do we have to go and your teams get to stay?!

“Because you have nothing to do with what happens next.”

Who says?!

“You don’t even know what I’m talking about.”

JUST TELL US!!!” Iris stomped her foot furiously.

Throughout this entire argument, Sabrina was trying to pry into Bianca’s heart and mind. Both were locked perfectly. She assumed that the young woman had been preparing for this moment longer than any of them were even aware of it. …or perhaps she’s being protected by something…



Bianca sighed. “Something occurred here that’s beyond any of your team’s understanding or knowledge. This was not meant to be an insult, but a fact. Only Gary knows, and he has hidden it from all of you.”

The Researcher’s partners turned towards him, each questioning him with their glances.

“I… didn’t know it was real. I thought they were just strange dreams.” he confessed.

“You didn’t know what was real?” Cilan asked, his eyes showing suspicion.

“You cannot ask any further questions.” Bianca stated. “If you do, it will change the course of things.”

Sabrina’s eyes widened. Change the course… She’s seen the marble?

“All this secretive talk is problematic.” Lucy added her opinion. “But I will trust Gary’s decision.”

Gary frowned. “I…”



Despite all the difficult decisions he had made for his team with a calm and cool mind, this choice was far too complicated and personal for him to choose simply. But now what was on the line?

With the device destroyed and Team Rocket in ruins, what weighed on his verdict? It bothered him that he had more trouble choosing for himself than choosing for others… and though his team would be affected by his choice, the fact was that Bianca was right. It didn’t involve any of his team.

…but why would it involve Ash’s team?

“I agree with the girl. I suggest you all go home.” he concluded.

“But Gary!!”

“Iris, if I need you or anyone else’s help, I’ll call. You know I will.”

The purple-haired trainer huffed and stomped towards Liza. “Fine. But you better call! You drag us all the way out here, get us excited for a grand adventure, and just cut us loose once we’re done! Whatever, I don’t care! Do what you want! But you BETTER CALL!

“I’ll call you especially, Iris.” Gary winked.

Her cheeks glowed red. She turned and faced the Valley Guardian. “Alright, dragon-lady, tell me which one’s my charizard.”

Cilan bowed politely towards Gary and ran to Iris’ side – doing his best not to make any eye contact with the Psychic.

Brock stared miserably in Ash’s direction…



Misty… May… Dawn… Tracey. Take care.”

They nodded in response.

“Tell me what happened after you’re done with everything.” The Pokémon Breeder walked to the charizards, his head hung low. Lucy followed, arms latched onto his in concern.

Duplica, Greta, Khoury, and Lyra silently trailed after.

Dawn caught Lyra’s ‘call me’ gesture, though she wasn’t sure if she ever would.

…Ash is…gone?

The moment and everything that happened within it just hit her completely. She looked towards his body…

Ash looked like he was sleeping. He felt like he was just sleeping.

And at any moment, he’d wake up… and surprise~! Like nothing happened at all.

He’d just wake up… just wake up… just wake up, please…

Dawn felt like breaking down. She wanted to deny everything that was occurring around her, to forever trap herself in a lie… because anything had to be better than this. Better than this.

Wake up, Ash… I was supposed to tell you everything… tell you everything I felt for you. How I enjoyed all our moments together… and we’d share every memory and compare what we thought about each other… and just keep going on our adventures together. Make more memories. Have more thoughts about each other… not this. Not this. Anything but this!

She found herself kneeling next to him, shaking his life-like body. “Wake up… Wake up please…

May turned away from the sight, burying her tears into her hands.

Casey wanted to pull her off… but she found herself staring at someone who didn’t belong there.

The blond-haired Bianca.

“I… I don’t want to go.” she said firmly.

“Bianca…” Gary gave her a stern stare.

NO! I’m not going!”

Cilan moved towards the trembling woman, holding his hand out. “Bianca, please…”

Sheslapped his hand away and shook her head frantically. “NO! I WON’T! This is the worst adventure EVER! Adventures are supposed to have a happy ending!!! This isn’t happy! This isn’t happy at all!!!

“Welcome to reality.” Todd sighed.

“You!” The blond-haired Bianca pointed frustratingly towards the one who shared her name. “You know there’s a happy ending to this! And – And you’re keeping it from us!! Just because we’re not part of the main group!”

“False.” the other Bianca stated. “Brock’s part of this ‘main group’ you’re talking about. And several in our team, including myself, aren’t even a part of this ‘main group’. I’m restricting this team’s size. We were far too large before, and look where it got us…

The Alto Mare native turned away, hiding her irritation. “Sato had spent too much time trying to please everyone, he never had time to develop his own skills or prepare himself. And when a new group got involved, it only got him more stressed…

“You keep mentioning a Sato.” Brock frowned. “Who’s Sato?”

“Sato’s original group only consisted of six members.” Bianca ignored him completely. “We don’t need all these other members. It just confuses us and stresses us. In fact, I’d toss out a lot of our own team if we didn’t need their help…”

“Go.” Sabrina was glaring at Liza and the ones picked to leave. “Now.” Her darkened psychic aura adding to the authority in her voice.

The groups dropped their borrowed poké balls to one corner and headed towards the charizards.

Cilan attempted to pull the blond-haired Bianca. He was shoved away.

With a distressed sigh, Cilan turned and followed the others.



“Bianca. Go.”

“No.”

“GO.” A psychic lash struck towards the rebellious girl.

The attack shatteredin mid-air.

Sabrina’s eyes widened. What was…

A strange feeling came from inside her heart.

The bond…



The Psychic closed her eyes and smiled. Ash…

“Very well, she can come with us.” Sabrina looked away.

“Extra baggage…” the Alto Mare Bianca grumbled.

The other Bianca’s green eyes sparkled. “REALLY?!”

“No hugs.” The Psychic immediately stated before the girl could move an inch. “Ever.”

She frowned in response. “Everyone needs a hug from time to time…” she mumbled.

Sabrina waited until the cast out members were finally out of sight.



Turning, she faced the Alto Mare native. “So tell us, Bianca. Tell us exactly what you know.”

The woman crossed her arms. “One thing I’d like to get out of the way first… There are far too many Biancas here. Call me by my original name… Leanne.”



_________________________________________________________



So… Let me get this straight…” May sat against a crate, scratching her head. “You’re saying… this all happened before but not exactly? Like a past life.”

“Past universe.” Misty corrected. She sat next to the Coordinator, just as confused and as intrigued.

Past universe. And… Ash’s name was Sato.” May began to point to each of the ones that remained standing. “Your name is Leanne. Your name was Farron. Angie there was Ramie. And Casey was Quinn?”

“And Misty’s name was Maya.” Dawn added quietly.

“…and this universe, the one we’re in right now, right at this moment, is the way it is because of a wish that Ash made when he was Sato?”

“I don’t know if you’d call getting a god to do something for you, a ‘wish’…” Ritchie commented.

Whoah whoah whoah whoah!” Maylene called out. “I just realized something!”

The fighter stood and pointed at Angie. “You and I are like sisters!!!”

Angie flinched. “Wh-What???

“You were a Fighter! I’m a fighter! Casey was a Psychic! Sabrina’s one in this universe!” Maylene was getting excited. “And Misty was an Empathic! And that would mean Anabel’s her reincarnation in this universe!”

“Or – Or I am!” May added shyly.

“So we’re replacements of the real thing?” Anabel sighed.

Leanne stepped forward. “Maylene’s observation is actually a very important one.”

Sabrina’s attention focused entirely on the former-Researcher’s next words.

“Sato didn’t give Arceus a single command. He gave two.”



Now she had everyone’s attention.

Latias hovered towards them. Her eyes began to glow a bright light blue.

The Gym around them began to fade.

“Wh-what’s going on??” May looked around in a panic.

“Sight Sharing.” Misty answered. “She can share what she saw… back at Alto Mare.”

Replacing their surroundings of cement, marble, and dirt, a large room of metal took its place.

Flares of black energy swallowed up pieces of machinery and patches of flooring. Wherever the darkness touched, nothing remained. A large portion of the darkness swirled inside a large machine – contained and controlled.

Leaning over an unknown figure, a man with long brown hair balanced on one leg, his other leg striking the figure against its head. Farron.

Her fist dented into the metal wall, a red-haired woman was crying out in rage. Ramie.

Refusing to acknowledge the scene that played out, a golden-haired female covered her sorrows. Leanne.

Staring down from a ladder with a deadly glare, a red-eyed woman sneered at an event no one could foresee but herself. Quinn.

Lying motionless on the floor… Maya.

And in the center, facing a tall pokémon of majestic design who could only be Arceus, stood a man with raven black hair. Sato.

The entire world was frozen in time.

Not a single of the characters moved or spoke. Sounds that were occurring could only echo faintly in the background. And light reflecting off the objects would shift from time to time, adjusting to the stand-still memory.

“This…” the present Leanne’s voice rang out. “…is the moment when Sato gave his commands to Arceus.”

Time crawled forward slowly…

Sato’s lips moved silently.

And in an instant, the scene vanished entirely.



Leanne stood in front of them, her eyes closed, and a frown fitting her face. “I’ve gone through that vision more than a hundred times… constantly trying to lead his lips.”

She opened her eyes and raised a finger. “His first command is obvious. He wanted to restart the world. Instead, the whole universe restarted… my theory is that all things in a single universe are connected somehow, if one were to change, all things would.”

Maylene interrupted, “Wait. How do you know the universe changed and not just this world?”

“Because not even Arceus remembers what happened. Arceus is not of this world, he is of this universe.”

“And how would you know Arceus doesn’t remember??”

Leanne reached into her pocket and pulled out an object… a marble of glowing colors.

Sabrina’s eyes narrowed. “You have one!”

“This… is called an Arceus Drop.” The Alto Mare native held it up for all to see. “Pieces of Arceus’ memory before the incident. It was left behind on this world… one found its way to Sato.”

The Psychic pulled out the black marble from her pocket and revealed it.

“And one found its way to me.” Leanne returned the glowing item back into her pocket. “Sato’s marble only showed him that specific moment in the past universe, as well as giving him the ability to remember more of his past as long he shared a familiar memory with someone… someone directly affiliated with that universe.” Her eyes darted towards Misty.

“And what does your marble do?” Misty shot back the look. Did she see us in the forest?

“Mine allows me to see connections. And I’ve been seeing them throughout this entire journey.” She walked towards a crate and sat on it. “For instance…

“You’re not the real Maya, Misty.”



“What do you mean?”

Leanne raised two fingers. “Sato’s second command. I’ve watched his lips several times… ‘Grant their wishes.’ By ‘their’, he meant us.”

“Us?”

“Don’t look so distraught. I’m not the real Leanne either. Just like how Angie’s not the real Ramie, Gary’s not the real Farron, and Casey’s not the real Quinn.”

Maylene leaned back and sighed. “So by that logic, Ash isn’t the real Sato either.”

“Incorrect.”

The fighter blinked. “Wh-what??”

“Ash is the real Sato. There is only one Sato. There is, however, three of everyone else.”

“Three??!” the group shifted uncomfortably.

“You can thank me for that.” Leanne smirked.

“What the heck does that mean?!” Angie growled.

The young woman from Alto Mare shrugged. “Exactly what you heard. I was the one who wanted the world to have more humans. At least triple the population.”

She looked up to the ceiling, exhaling an unknown stress. “Funny thing is, you can’t just add new souls to this world. All souls were created for this universe before it was even started. No more and no less can exist within and without it. So… I guess we just split up.”

“Why would you even wish for that?” Dawn spoke up with a hurt voice. “And why isn’t Ash affected?”

“I don’t know why he wasn’t… perhaps it was because Arceus would only allow one?” She shrugged. “As for tripling the population?

“…believe it or not, the previous world had a much smaller number of us humans. For every human, there were at least a hundred pokémon. By tripling the population; each and every pokémon could find a home…” Leanne turned and patted Latias on her head. “What I didn’t expect was that even human souls could be reborn as pokémon.”

The light around Latias shifted. As the glow dissipated, she revealed herself in the form of the past Leanne, her golden hair bobbing playfully with her movements. Latias bowed shyly and sat next to her present-self.

“Then…” Solana was afraid to ask. “…does that mean each of us is a piece of someone else in this group?”

“No. You and Ritchie are fine.”

The two gave a big sigh of relief.

“And the rest of us?” Domino stood, speaking out for the first time within the group. “What does that mean for the rest of us?”

“Exactly what you think it means, Quinn.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. She looked towards Sabrina and Casey.

The three stared at each other uncomfortably.

“Th-then what about the other wishes?” The green-eyed Bianca raised her hand nervously. “You got your wish granted, wh-what about our wishes??”

Leanne’s brow twitched at her voice. “We are our wishes.”



_________________________________________________________



Angie led the way through the forest.

The group of fourteen followed loosely behind her.

Within the fourteen, a fifteenth was carried.

Ash ‘slept’ soundly on Sabrina’s back. And though the Psychic refused everyone else from being anywhere near him, she allowed Casey to follow closely beside.

A feeling fear filled everyone’s hearts and minds.

Not a single one of them knew what they faced next… not even Leanne.

Leanne… Gary thought to himself. She hasn’t even told us what’s going on yet… As far as I’m concerned, we already completed everything we ever needed to. What else is there to do?

An opening appeared.

Gary’s eyes widened. “What is this place…?”

Bianca stepped forward, completely entranced. “It’s beautiful…”

Ash’s Sanctuary. A haven found within the forests near Pallet Town.

Twilight had struck, and the last remaining spots of sunlight gave the treetops a magical glow of orange and violet. The view was made even more magnificent as traces of bright stars broke through the sun-faded sky… blanketing the view above with sparkling accents.

Sabrina walked ahead of the rest and laid Ash’s body against one of the trees.

Casey sat beside him dutifully.

Domino found herself leaning against a tree next to her. She wanted to strike a conversation with the young woman who supposedly used to share the same body as her… but how in the world would you even begin that? ‘Hey, where have you been all my life?’ She sighed and looked away.

Ritchie and Solana stood quietly in one corner. The two couldn’t start a discussion with the other, knowing full well that it wasn’t the time or place to speak of that topic.

Maylene and Angie sat near the white stump that decorated the center. They solemnly stared at Ash’s body, reminiscing when it was just the three of them on this adventure.

Misty, May, and Dawn settled themselves within the flowers, each of them preferring each other’s company over the members that reminded them of the mission they had strived for. Right now, they were just friends… for May, friends that would comfort and understand the loss she was experiencing. For Misty, friends that would soon go back to their busy schedules and keep in contact even after all that had happened. And for Dawn, friends that she felt like an equal to… or at least, wanted to be an equal to.

Tracey found his own spot to sit in, where he would continue his sketches. Todd looked over his shoulder, his eyes locked on the art piece being formed. It was a scene that his cameras couldn’t capture no matter how many shots he took… when the Psychic fought the darkness.

Anabel kept her distance… refusing to step into the sanctuary. She wanted to be alone. She didn’t want to feel any of their emotions. Not when I can’t feel Ash’s anymore… At the moment, she wondered why she had even come with the group. Though if I hadn’t… where would I even go? I don’t know if I have the heart to be a Frontier Brain anymore…

Lastly, arrived Leanne, the one who had asked to return to Ash’s Sanctuary.

Everyone’s attention turned to her as she stepped forward. Latias flew over her, holding the same determined face as her human counterpart.

“Now that we’re here, wherever ‘here’ is, would you mind telling us what this mission you have in mind for us is?” Gary crossed his arms and leaned against a tree.

“Latias, show them.” She nodded towards the tire swing.

Angie reached out. “Wait! That tire swing is –!”

“Haunted. I know.”

Latias flew towards the hanging tire and sat comfortably against it.



A bright light absorbed it as its visual form began to change.

“Tell me…” Leanne regarded the sitting and standing groups. “…if humans who cannot pass on often become a ghost pokémon over time, then why hasn’t a spirit that’s been here for years ever turned into one?”

The bright light dispersed, exposing a young man…

Leanne frowned. “Because the soul that resides here is one who wasn’t allowed to get a second chance.”

His long lime green hair revealed his identity…

Gary, Misty, Angie, and Casey instinctively got into battle stances.

“N!!!!”

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:44 PM

Chapter 37: Nothing

Spoiler:
“It’s nice to see the gang together again…” N’s voice was soft and faded, not seeming to come from his lips, but from the forest itself.

“Don’t play friendly, N. We still won’t forgive you for what you’ve done…” Gary growled.

“Done?” He tilted his head to the left. “She’s right there. I’ve done nothing.”

The three looked in the direction of his tilt and blinked. Misty blinked back at them.

Their stances lowered.

For a moment, they had forgotten who they were… or rather, remembered who they used to be.

Casey walked forward, refusing to let go of her almost-forgotten personality. “Why are you here, N?”

“Quinn! It’s been ages…” The ghostly mirage smiled. “I see you’ve finally decided whose team you wanted to be on.” He turned towards Domino. “Or perhaps not? Hm… you always were indecisive.”

“I’ll ask again before I tear your soul apart… Why are you here, N?”

He blinked. “Here? I’ve always been here. This is my home.”

“This is Ash’s Sanctuary. You have no right to be here.”

“I don’t? If I remember correctly, I built this place for him. Specifically for ‘Ash’.” He began to swing back and forth on the tire. “A strange name… I think I preferred ‘Sato’.”

“And why would you help Ash?” ‘Quinn’ frowned.

“To help him. Childhood can be quite harsh for an innocent boy.” N giggled to himself. “Apparently adulthood can be quite worse. So I gave him the Arceus Drop… just to give him an edge.”

“The Arceus Drop got him killed!” Sabrina approached the spirit. “If he hadn’t followed it, he wouldn’t have died!!!”

“Ah… a far more familiar Quinn.” N looked towards the ‘unconscious’ young man. “It was quite unfortunate that the darkness used the Drop in that manner. But I had no control over that.”

“The darkness used the Drop? What do you mean?” The Psychic glared.

“All that are connected to the memory can use the Arceus Drop to their advantage. For ‘Ash’, he could find help, foresee the future, and look into the past. For the darkness, it can corrupt the visions given. ‘Ash’ had mistaken who to trust on his quest… and the darkness won because of it.”

“What do you mean ‘mistaken who to trust’, ghost?” Sabrina was growing frustrated. She couldn’t read his mind… he had no mind. He was an entity. His entire self was his thought.

“An interesting thing to consider, Quinn…” He stopped swinging and looked her in the eye. “You all believed that you needed an Empathic, a Psychic, and an Aura Guardian to stop the darkness. When all it would take was a single person who knew how to properly shut down the machine.”

Angie slammed her palms to her face. “YOU HAVE GOTTA’ BE KIDDING ME!!!!”

N laughed. “I am not kidding at all, Ramie. Your past selves made the same mistake in believing that the machine had to be destroyed. That’s exactly what the darkness wanted. It planned for it that time, and it planned for it this time.”

“So Ash… didn’t need any of us?” May’s eyes watered as she buried her face into her knees.

He looked towards her. “Not need any of you? No… Sato always needs someone. Sato could never do anything by himself. But he certainly didn’t have to get all of you. All it did was distract him from improving.”

“We’re all just distractions…” Misty sat back down. “The darkness just wanted to distract him…”

“If he had just gone straight for the Team Rocket Headquarters, this all would’ve been finished in a matter of two days.”

Maylene’s fist clenched.

“Wait… how would he know where the base is?” Solana asked. “Even we didn’t know until the end!”

“Because after the invasion on Ash’s home… he could’ve simply followed them.” N kicked at the ground, swinging in the tire again.

“I should’ve listened to him…” the fighter growled.

“Don’t blame yourself. Maya is quite at fault here too.”

“What?!” Misty glared. “I was captured that night! How is it my fault?!”

“Security was quite lax on that night. With a little help from Duplica, he would have successfully saved all of you and stopped and destroyed Team Rocket’s Machine safely… but of course, you had to scare Duplica off, didn’t you, Maya?”

“No…” She looked away, trembling. “I didn’t know. How was I supposed to know something like that?!”

“The darkness works in mysterious ways…” N laughed quietly. “…when it can’t cripple Sato directly, it can use others’ weaknesses to cripple him. Duplica would have never gotten in the way of your relationship with him, Maya. But of course, you’re always paranoid of what you mean to him, aren’t you?”

“Why are you doing this, N?” ‘Farron’ faced him. “Why did you help Ash in the first place? Why are you telling us all this now?”

“I helped Sato for my own reasons. And I’m telling you this for the very same.”

“He’s hoping this would atone for his sins.” Leanne spoke.

N frowned. “Leanne. Would you like me to ruin your secrets, too?”

“I have none.”

“Really?” He raised his brow. “If that’s so, then why haven’t you told everyone who they were? Why didn’t you tell everyone all this before the plan to attack the Team Rocket Base? And why in the world would you try to scare Bianca off when you need her in order to become whole?”

Bianca flinched. “Wh-Who, m-me??”

“You’re ashamed of that wish of yours, aren’t you?” N chuckled loudly. “Yet here she is… you can’t escape yourself, Leanne.”

Leanne stared angrily at the spirit. “I have my reasons. You keep yourself quiet or I’ll remove Latias from your use.”

“You want me quiet… yet you gave me Latias’ body so I could talk. Hypocritical as always, Leanne. Hypocritical as always.”

“JUST TELL THEM ALREADY!!”



“Very well.” He tilted his head towards Ash’s body. “That young man can regain his soul, emotions, and psyche.”

“WHAT?!!” Everyone moved from their spot. Even Anabel crawled into the sanctuary after hearing the announcement.

N seemed pleased with their reaction. “Though I believe what you all should be concerned with is the fact that Leanne there knew this beforehand… yet she wanted me to say it.”

Their glares met the Alto Mare native.

She showed no care for their stares.

“Why, Leanne?” Misty walked towards her.

Maylene approached as well. “The better question is ‘how’! How did you know about this?!”

“I warned her about what would happen if Sato continued his plans…” N got their attention again. “This isn’t the first time she’s given me Latias’ body, you know.”

“YOU!!!” Angie’s fist landed across Leanne’s face. “WHY DIDN’T YOU WARN US?!!!”

Leanne fell to the grass. She looked away, refusing to give the tomboy eye contact. “Because N told me that the darkness would get what it wanted if I did warn him…”

They turned back to the spirit.

He simply shrugged. “Leanne just didn’t want to trust the consequences that would come from Sato making the same decision… and she was even more afraid if he DIDN’T make the same decision.”

“Either way!” Leanne ripped apart the grass below her, as she began crying. “Either way he would’ve revolved it around her! It was always about Maya! It always is! What good would giving her to the darkness be if he’d never stop thinking about her?!

Her pain was felt most by Anabel. Tears began flowing down her eyes as well.

“…so how do we do it?” Casey moved towards N. “How do we get him back?”

He smirked. “Are you sure? …you might not get Ash back.”

“But you just said –”

“I said ‘that young man’. I could be referring to Ash or Sato. Even if he still carries his memories from this life, this ritual could easily make him more Sato than Ash.”

“I don’t care…” Angie stepped forward. “Just tell us.”





N shrugged. “Very well. But realize that you all could change in the process.”

Maylene cracked her neck in irritation. “How many warnings and side-effects does this thing have?! Spit it out!! How do we get back Ash?!”

“The darkness is an entity of nothingness – and what you forget becomes nothing.” The spirit was ready to give them their answer. “By remembering, you can bring back anything from the nothingness. To gain something back from the darkness… you need to know what it is in its entirety.”

N regarded each of them with a nod. “As you are now, none of you knew ‘Ash’ for who he really was. As ‘Maya’, ‘Ramie’, ‘Farron’, ‘Leanne’, and ‘Quinn’ – you all knew him perfectly as ‘Sato’… If you want to bring ‘Ash’ back, you need to remember ‘Sato’.

“…If you want to remember ‘Sato’, all of you need to remember who you once were.”



_________________________________________________________



Latias stumbled off the tire swing and fell face-flat in Leanne’s old form.

The new Leanne helped her to her feet. “Careful… Are you okay, Latias?”

She grinned and nodded.

“Now that we know what we’re trying to do…” Gary sat down on the white stump and adjusted his clothes. “Care to tell us what the plan is?”

“And if you don’t mind me asking…” Ritchie scratched the back of his head. “What exactly is our job?”

“I’d like to know that, too.” Tracey lifted his pencil.

Angie began chewing on a piece of bark. “What I’d like to know is why in the world you dragged us all the way out here to talk to a ghost when apparently you could’ve told us yourself?!”

“In reverse order…” Leanne sighed. “One, if you hadn’t heard it from N himself you wouldn’t have trusted me.”

“I still don’t trust you.” the tomboy grumbled.

“Two, I’m splitting teams accordingly. But specifically, Ritchie and Solana? You two are on guard duty.”

“Guard duty?”

“I’ll explain in answer three.”





“Well? What’s answer three?” Misty asked impatiently.

“I need all of you to sit down first.”

While many sat immediately, a few remained standing.

“Quit treating us like children.” Domino sneered. “Just tell us already.”

Leanne stared at her with disinterest. “Do you want to hinder everyone else from finding out who they were?”

Maylene yanked her down immediately. “Go! Go! Tell us!”

“You’re just encouraging her…” the former Rocket Agent muttered.

The last standing sat down uncomfortably.

Leanne looked over the group; treating them similar to members in her fan club back home… she nodded. “Good. Now number three has a lot to do with who you were in the past. And coincidentally, you’ll all be in groups of three.”

She faced the blue-eyed trainer. “Ritchie, Solana… as neither of you were involved in that event, I’ll ask you both to stand by Ash.”

The two moved accordingly.

“You two will be in charge of guarding Ash in the Sinnoh region.”

Casey was about to protest. And Maylene was about to ask a question.

“No interruptions until the end.” the Alto Mare native waved her finger. “But to calm the two of you: All of us are moving to the Sinnoh region. And each group will be far too busy to take care of Ash. That is why I chose Ritchie and Solana to guard him.”

“Where are –”

“I said no interruptions, Solana. And please don’t find me rude. I’m simply trying to make sure everyone can hear my instructions. And interruptions will only confuse those who actually want to listen.”

Only person who wants to listen to you is yourself. The Pokémon Ranger grimaced. She didn’t like the new Bianca-Leanne. Personally-speaking, she knew nothing of the old one, but this one was far too arrogant for her taste.

Plusle calmed her with a soft pat on her head.

“As I was saying, and to answer your question, you will be staying in the Battle Island Resort.”



Curiosity filled many of them, but none dared disrupt. Not out of respect or fear, but to avoid the trouble of dealing with the woman’s stern manners.

Leanne smiled at the silence. “It’s an island in the northeast. They have a lovely resort there that you two will absolutely love.”

“So they’re on vacation??” Casey groaned.

Leanne glared. Though the baseball fan didn’t seem to care.

“It’s also a secure and memorable area in the Sinnoh region.” she continued. “It’s an island filled with battling trainers. If anyone wanted to cause trouble there, there would be plenty of witnesses and allies willing to help. And it’s an easy to spot and find island resort. If any of you know of a better place, feel free to suggest.”

Maylene raised her hand.

“No. Not your gym.” Leanne frowned. “If there are any remnants of Team Rocket, you can bet that our homes are still under their surveillance.”

The fighter lowered her hand.

“Can we just get to the part where you tell us who we are?!” Angie pulled off another piece of tree bark and shoved it into her mouth.

“You already know who you are, Ramie.”

“I know it’s me and probably Maylene.” she responded in irritation. “I want to know who else.”

“Very well…”

With a depressed sigh, Leanne stood beside Latias. “…Bianca, stand next to me.”

“M-Me??

“Yes. You. Stand next to me now.”

The blond-haired woman skipped over quickly. “Right here?”

Yes… there.” She turned towards the group. “As the ones who were part of the original Leanne, the three of us are going to Eterna City. We’ll be visiting the Eterna Museum.”

Maylene raised her hand again. “Why specifically that museum?”

These people have no idea what ‘do not interrupt’ means… Her brows twitched. “Because it’s in the Sinnoh region. Any museum would do, as the original Leanne loved researching pokémon, especially their history. However, as our main destinations are in the Sinnoh region, I simply chose this one.”

Bianca excitedly searched through her bag.

Leanne found it impossible to ignore her movements. “…what are you doing?”

Pulling out a pair of red-framed glasses, Bianca put them on eagerly. She grinned at Leanne.

Casey snorted at her appearance. “Dork.”

“And what in the world is that supposed to be?” The Alto Mare native shook her head.

“Glasses!” the blond girl giggled. “Dad said I always needed them. But I didn’t like how they looked. So I never wore them! But now that I know I used to be a Scientist, it all makes sense now!”

“…Researcher.” Leanne corrected in despair.

“Right. Researcher. Scientists research things too, you know?”

She waved away the comment. “Gary, Tracey, Todd. You all used to be the Pokémon Master Farron. Go stand on that side.”

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” Tracey’s jaw dropped.

Todd pulled him to their side of the area. “I find it weird that a Pokémon Master would ever wish to become someone who doesn’t have a single pokémon. Something might be wrong with this grouping…”

“I’d agree. I find it strange that I’m anything like either of you two.” Gary shrugged.

Leanne continued her directing, “You three are going to the eastern part of Sinnoh. You’re trying to find a place called Sendoff Spring.”

“And what will we be doing there?” the current Pokémon Researcher questioned.

“Honestly? I’m not entirely sure. N just told me that Farron has a connection to that spring.”

Sabrina, Domino, and Casey moved to their own section without need of orders.

Leanne nodded towards them. “You all know you’re Quinn. Head to the north section of Sinnoh. You are to find an area called Lake Acuity.”

“Similar objective description as Farron’s?” Domino asked professionally.

“Same.”

The three nodded.

Maylene and Angie followed suit, sitting in one corner of the sanctuary.







“Well?! Tell us who’s the third one!!” Angie shouted angrily.

Leanne was visibly upset. She had been dreading this announcement since she first found out… for several reasons. Several, several reasons.

“…May. You’re with team Ramie.”

“…what?” May’s eyes widened.

“WHAT?!” Angie and Maylene shared the same bewilderment.

Dawn and Anabel blinked at each other and looked at Misty.

Misty didn’t seem to believe it either.

“A-Are you sure?” May’s voice was shaking.

“…yes. I’m sure.”

“BUT SHE’S MAY!!!” The two tomboys expressed their shock.

“LOOK.” Leanne glared at them. “I know what I’m talking about. May is Ramie. Always has been. Always will be.”

“But… Maya… May…” the Empathic Coordinator stared at her in desperation. “And… Empathy…”

“Coincidence…” Leanne frowned. “You’re Ramie, May. I’m sorry.

H-Hey! What’s with the ‘sorry’?! Nothing’s wrong with being Ramie!” The fighter growled at the assertive woman. She smiled in May’s direction. “Come on, May. Being Ramie rocks.”

“N-No… this can’t be right…” the Coordinator was slowly backing away. “I was supposed to be Maya…”

Leanne knew this would happen. “May. Don’t.”

May turned... running and stumbling into the woods.





Clearing her throat, Leanne spoke to the remaining members. “Team Ramie, you’re heading east with Farron’s group, but you’ll be splitting up soon afterwards… as your destination is Lake Valor.”

“What about…”

“Leave her alone for now.” She turned towards Misty. “And team Maya… you’ll be heading for west Sinnoh. You’ll be looking for Lake Verity.”

Anabel and Misty nodded.

Dawn tilted her head in confusion. “You’re… one-hundred percent sure that May’s not a part of this team? And you’re sure that I’m not part of a different team?”

Leanne looked away, refusing to continue the topic. “After we’re done finding and completing our objectives within each area, we’ll meet again in the Battle Island Resort. We don’t have a specific time to leave, or a specific time to arrive. From now on, treat your fellow teammates as your ONLY team.”

She nodded at no one in particular. “With that said… You can head off whenever you want, but I suggest we all get plenty of rest for the night.”





“That is all.”

Leanne walked away and dragged her backpack. Latias followed dutifully.

Bianca ran back to grab her things before chasing after.



Casey spat out her bubblegum. “No offense, but our new team leader sucks.”

“Amen to that.” Anabel shook her head and sighed.

“Then don’t see her as our leader…” Sabrina mentioned as she moved towards the forest. “As she said herself: we’re our only teams now. Don’t bother with that woman. Look after your own.”

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:45 PM

Chapter 38: Reflections

Spoiler:
“Hey Leanne?”



“Leanne?”



Bianca crawled towards the woman wrapped in an orange blanket.

“…hey Leanne?”

Leanne quickly rolled over and glared at the green-eyed blonde. “What do you want?!”

The young woman tilted her head. “Did I wake you?”

Sigh.no, I’ve been awake… what do you want?”

Adjusting to a sit, Bianca straightened her back and smiled. “What was Leanne like?”

“…what do you mean by that?” Leanne knew what she meant, but she also knew it would be a long story. It was a question she honestly wasn’t in the mood to answer. If she had it her way, she’d roll back and try to sleep again. But she knew Bianca wouldn’t let her… the least she could do was to shorten the answer by specifying the question.

Well… I mean… how were we before? What did we look like?”

“You’ve seen Latias. The blond-haired girl she turns into? That’s what we looked like.”

Bianca turned her head, catching a glance of the sleeping Eon Pokémon. “The one with the really shiny hair? She’s so pretty! And she wore glasses like mine!” She grinned ecstatically.

Leanne rolled her eyes. “Nothing like your glasses. Yours are like a have-to-wear glasses. Old Leanne’s was far more fashionable.”

“They’re both red.”

“And we both have the same name, what of it?”

“It means we’re like sisters!” She spread her arms and fell leaned downward.

Quickly rolling away, Leanne dodged the hug by mere inches. “No. We’re not.”

“Thbuth wehf kfaimph fomf pa thaimph pfahson!”

“…what?”

Bianca pulled her face away from the grass and giggled. “I said ‘but we came from the same person’! I just thought it sounded funny saying it into the ground.”

Leanne sighed again. “Same person. Different wishes.”



Bianca seemed to be in thought.

“Hey Leanne? Why do you think Leanne wished to be like me?”

“I don’t know. Go to sleep.”

“…do you know why she wished to be like you?”

“Yes. Now go to sleep.”

“…do you know why she wished to be like Latias?”

“Yes, yes, yes. I know.”

“AHA!” Bianca pointed at her face and grinned proudly. “I caught you!”

Leanne raised her brow mockingly. “Caught me how?”

“You DO know why she wished for me! But you~ won’t~ say~!”

“And how did you come to that conclusion?”

Bianca raised one finger. “Because you know why she wished for you and for Latias.”

“Maybe it could be for the fact that I know Latias? And the fact we’re connected on a deep level? Considered that?”

She raised a second finger. “Because you keep telling me to go to sleep even though you’re not going to sleep.”

“Perhaps it’s because I find you a little annoying and I want you to stop bothering me?”

She raised her third finger, widening her grin. “Because N said you tried to ditch me even though you needed me! AND he said you kept things secret!”

“Inconclusive data.”

“Except for the fact that I’m as much Leanne as you are!” Bianca leaned in and gave a mischievous smile. “And I KNOW you’re lying.”

“Still inconclusive. Go to sleep.”

“How about the fact that N said you were ashamed of your wish? What wish could he be talking about? Who was the only one you needed that you tried to ditch back there? HMMMM?

Bianca’s face gave a mocking serious look… one that mimicked her usual stern face.



Look, why do you want to know?” Leanne rolled and faced the opposite way.

“Okay, okay… I won’t ask.”





Leanne hated this. She was going to fall right for her trap. Bianca knew it, she knew it. This would be her only chance to confront the alternate life her past self desired greatly. And though she herself didn’t yearn for that life, she felt a dire curiosity for it.

“FINE!” She rolled back and faced the blonde. “The old Leanne liked Sato. I still like Sato. Even Latias still likes Sato. Sato had a thing for… I want to say ‘dumb girls’, but he’d say ‘innocent’. Preferred them. Would do absolutely anything for them. Treated them like some kind of special jewel.” She exhaled with an annoyed look.

Leanne looked away. Her voice muffled as she buried her face into her blanket. “I wasn’t. I was too smart, too independent, too good for him. I just… I just wanted to know what it would be like if he didn’t just judge me for my thoughts all the darn time. I mean, I was pretty, I was funny sometimes, and I liked things he liked. But all he saw me for was my brains…

“…and my brain just really couldn’t compare to what the other girls had…”





“Are you saying I’m dumb?” Bianca pouted. “Because I’m not, you know. I’m just a little slow. And slowkings are one of the wisest creatures around.”

I – I’m not saying you’re dumb. I’m just saying you’re… Wait.” Leanne faced her with narrowed eyes. “How do you know about slowkings? You’re from the Unova region.”

“Know about what now?”

“Slowkings. You just said ‘slowkings are one of the wisest creatures around’…”

“I did?” She tilted her lip and poked her head, thinking hard. “Er… I guess I did. Maybe being around each other is making us more ‘Leanne’-y!” She grinned.

Leanne rolled away again. Pulling out her hand from the blanket, she looked at the back of her fingers in curiosity. “You might be right…”

Leanne… Leanne… she ran the name through her head again and again… Leanne…

Since reuniting with Ash at Alto Mare and being exposed to the vision, Leanne had begun to experience visions of her own. Memories of her past life… her conversations… her actions… her every thought. And with every recollection, she slowly began to become less and less like herself…

I’m Leanne? … I was Bianca…

The more she thought about Ash, the more she would remember Sato… and the more she would remember Sato, the more she became depressed. And the more sunken her emotions became, the more she became susceptible to the original Leanne’s sentiments.

All of Leanne’s thoughts became her own. Her old habits became her new ones. Her life had become a part of her own history.

I am Leanne…

As Bianca of Alto Mare, she was just a distant girl who Ash barely knew. The furthest she could ever be with Ash was as a onetime interest. She was just a fan of his… Ash was a fan of the other girls.

As Bianca of Alto Mare, she couldn’t compare.

But as Leanne of New Glass City, Pokémon Researcher extraordinaire, and the brain that Sato always counted on… she stood more of a chance.

She desperately wanted to become Leanne. And slowly, but surely, she was.

…is it worth it? I can barely sketch now…

Art. It was her passion. Her love. A dream for her past life. Her memories revealed how much the old Leanne admired the works of art of the old world, and how she herself dearly wished that she could create masterpieces of her own.

She had everything her old self wished for… at least, she was working her way towards it.

Yet she was losing it all now. For the sake of becoming her old self again.

Latias shifted in her sleep, her eyes twitching and her head bobbing from a nightmare.

…she’s not as happy as before. Leanne thought to herself, feeling sorrow for what she had placed on her partner. She’s sharing all the same fears and insecurities the old Leanne had… why am I doing this to her? Why am I doing this to myself?

“Was Sato a nice guy?”

Leanne’s eyes widened. Bianca was still awake, and still wanted to talk. She would have been angry… if it weren’t for that question.

“Yes… he was a wonderful man.” She smiled.

“What did we like about him most?”

“…he loved pokémon. He understood them…” Rolling to her back, Leanne looked to the stars above. “They say pokémon were put here in the universe to keep us humans company and teach us lessons. That our own purpose in life was in finding love in all things… and pokémon would help us find out what love meant, as they sacrifice their lives and comforts just for us. We don’t deserve it… we really don’t.”

She wiped a tear from her eye. “But Sato did. He was a friend to all of them. He fought with them, hurt them, and even ended some of their lives… but he never held hatred against them. He never blamed them. He never abused them or used them. He treated them like equals and gave as much love back…

“Sato knew they were just protecting and following their loved ones. He was doing the same… And even when they were the most bitter of enemies in the morning, he was still willing to treat them as family by night.” Leanne felt her heart melt… reminiscing the moments when she’d watch him play and train with the pokémon. Trained or wild. “Sato was their friend… he didn’t need them to teach him love… a lot of times, he taught them what love was. And that just made him magnificent.

Bianca rolled beside her, bringing her own sleeping bag. “Wow… is Ash anything like that?”

“Kind of…” Leanne giggled. “Though, I think we got him too distracted in girls this time around. He was too busy running around trying to cheer us depressed girls up that he never got the time to really spend time with the pokémon.”

“It really is hard to be happy when everyone else is so sad.” the green-eyed woman frowned. “No matter how big of a smile you give, if someone’s sad – human or pokémon – and you can’t cheer them up? Your smile just hurts…”



Sigh. “I guess that’s one thing I’ll miss about Ash.”

“Hm?”

Leanne rolled over. “Sato was so obsessed with pokémon that sometimes he’d ignore a person’s feelings… even if it was right in front of him. Ash was different. I think it’s because he lived his life as a Trainer. He got so used to pokémon that he finally noticed the people. He was always trying to make everyone happy…

“If you think about it, that would make Ash like a pokémon, right?” Bianca rolled over with her. “Trying to show people what love is.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Leanne smiled.

“And we’re just a bunch of Scientists that have to figure him out!” Bianca grinned.

Sigh. “…Researchers.”



_________________________________________________________



Misty slowly fell asleep against the white tree trunk.

For her, it had been an exhausting day. She had experienced a rollercoaster of emotions and a complete energy drain of her body…

Unlike her counterparts, she showed little to no emotion for their loss of Ash. While the other girls cried their tears out and screamed their pains… while the other girls locked themselves up and showed distrust and hatred of everyone around them… Misty stayed ‘strong’.

In reality, she didn’t believe it when she first heard it. She didn’t want to believe it.

After all her fights and struggles? After all the time and heart she had given to thinking of him as Sato and wondering what that meant to her? After considering her position and relationship in his life? He just disappears… just leaves us?

Though she revealed nothing, the event tore her in half.

For Misty, she was angry… enraged… furious at the world and all the games it played on her. She hated it for constantly taking Ash away and bringing him back into her life. She wanted to move on, but she never wanted to take a single step away from him. It was maddening. …and though losing him solved it for her, it wasn’t the way she wanted it.

For Maya, she was confused… lost… and felt absolutely abandoned by fate. She thought she was meant for Sato. She was supposed to be his bride. His only one. His love, his heart, his life. Before he could go, she had to go first. She’d sacrifice anything for him… because he had so much to offer the world… this world would never be the same without him. Instead… she was left… alone… in a world she didn’t want to exist in alone.

She hid the emotions. They were her own and no one else’s. They were for Ash and no one else. They were for Sato and no one else.

If she ended up destroying her life after the mission was over, she wouldn’t have been surprised. The idea reminded her of why she never got involved. By then, it was already too late, she was in too deep.

But now…

…now with the chance of reviving Ash? Meeting Sato again?

She was even more unsure.

Of course she wanted to see them again. Of course she wanted to be with him… both of him. She wanted to take the biggest gamble of her life and just marry the fool. She wanted to be with Ash, Sato, forever.

Yet this was also the perfect chance for everything to go wrong. Whatever trial faced them, she had no idea what the outcome would be.

If all three of us are Maya, then who gets Sato? Do I have to change completely into Maya just to get him back? What will happen to ‘Misty’? What will happen to ‘Ash’? Will I care after this? Will I be happier? What in the world would I tell my sisters after all of this?? And… what about Leanne?

Reacting to the thought, Misty’s self changed.

Leanne… Maya’s eyes softly watered. I thought we were friends… why are you trying to steal Sato from me? You don’t think I see it? You don’t think I know what you’re trying to do?? Sato’s mine! Stop trying to keep him all to yourself! You weren’t supposed to like him! You were supposed to like Farron! Why Leanne… If you try anything, I… I won’t forgive you…

As a single tear fell from her eye, Misty’s body had lost consciousness completely… falling into deep slumber.



Anabel felt her every emotion.

Though she wanted to pity and sympathize with Maya, she was far too conflicted with other thoughts and feelings.

On one hand, she felt a curiosity and jealousy for Misty. The young woman had carried all of the emotions of the woman named Maya, the one Ash loved when he was a man named Sato. And whether or not she appreciated it, Anabel believed Misty should count herself as the luckiest girl here. No one was closer to Ash… no one. Because she was Maya. Not just Maya in her past… but was Maya right here and right now. And Anabel still felt like a phantom in comparison.

On the other, she shared the same emotions as Dawn…

Like Dawn, she couldn’t get to sleep. She couldn’t even think about sleep.

They were too excited, too relieved, and far too happy.

She hadn’t ever talked much to Dawn, but she felt like now was the appropriate time to connect with the girl.

“Hey Dawn?”

“…yeah?”

“…we’re Maya.”

A covered squeal was let out from the young girl. The blue-haired Coordinator kicked and rolled in her sleeping bag in pure bliss. She let out a few more squeals before removing the pillow from her face.

“I KNOW!!!!” she whispered loudly.

Anabel couldn’t help but grin and giggle in jubilation with her. “Truth be told, I thought I was going to end up losing to ‘Maya’ and just going to grow into an old bitter hag!! But to find out I’m ‘Maya’??? AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!” She buried her face into her blanket and just let herself explode in elation.

Sniffle. “I’m! I’m actually crying about this! I’m so pathetic!” Dawn laughed quietly as she wiped away her tears. “Ah! I can’t believe it! I’m going to just bawl all night! I’m just so happy. You have no idea.”

Pulling her face away from her blanket, Anabel pointed at the dried tears on her cheeks. “I completely understand. I COMPLETELY understand!” She lifted her hand in the air.

Dawn wrapped her fingers around the Empathic’s. The two clenched their hands together as they swung it back and forth in triumph.

Right now, in their heart – they were victors. And no one could tell them otherwise. Because ‘Maya’ was an indisputable title… and they knew it.



_________________________________________________________



“MAYY!!!!”

“MAAAAYYYYY!!!!!”

“MAY COME BACK!!!!!”

Maylene dropped her shoulders with a sigh. “This isn’t fair. The girl’s an Empathic. She probably can see us coming from a mile away…”

“She can already hear us from a mile away. We are shouting her name after all.” Angie shrugged. “And besides, can’t you block off Empathy?”

“Yeah, I guess… but I have to control my breathing for that. If I do it, I’d be moving twice as slow just so I can keep it hidden comfortably.” The fighter shrugged back. “I use it in short distances most times.”

Angie leaned against a tree. “Man it’s really dark…”

She pulled out a poké ball. Click. Vacuum. Snap.

Luxio stretched and yawned.

“Hey Lux. Can you light this place up?”

It nodded and whipped its tail against the ground.

The four-pointed star on the tip lit up the woods around them. Making the deeper part of the woods seem far darker in contrast.

The tomboy shivered. “I hate that about using lights in forests… makes everything look so much creepier.

Maylene sat on the grass below. She began to pick at her bare toes, scratching off the dirt in the nails. “At least she can see us now. If she wants to come back, that is.”

“I’m sure she will. From what I’ve seen, she’s kind of a coward. Wouldn’t stand two minutes in these woods alone.” Angie sat down as well, staring at the fighter’s feet. “…do you never wear shoes?”

“Not really. Is that bad?”

“Doesn’t it hurt your feet?”

“No way. Check it.” She pulled her foot up and tappedon its sole. “Hard as a rock.”

Angie flicked at it. “That’s crazy… maybe I should try walking without shoes.”

“I have to warn you though… for the first few weeks, it will crack and cut A LOT. And it hurts. Mostly just an irritating kind of hurt, but sometimes it’s honestly painful.”

Mm… Maybe I’ll hold off then.”





Maylene scratched her shoulder in awkwardness. “So… what’s it like?”

The tomboy blinked. “What’s what like?”

“Being Ramie?”

Angie shrugged.

“…you don’t know?”

“Nope… I don’t feel any different.”

The pink-haired fighter sighed and shook her head. “That just sucks.”

“What? Did I say something wrong? Am I supposed to feel something?”

“Nah… it’s just… well, Ash would go ‘Sato’ sometimes. Misty would get all bipolar with ‘Maya’. And Bianca is definitely acting like ‘Leanne’ now… even calling herself that. Don’t know much about Casey and ‘Quinn’, though.”

Angie tilted her head and frowned. “Wait what? How do you know all that?”

“How do I know all what?”

“Ash turning ‘Sato’ and Misty going ‘Maya’! I never seen or even heard of any of that going on!”

Maylene grinned. “I happened to see some things. Overheard other things.”

“You eavesdropper!”

“Says the girl who eavesdropped in on a private meeting!”

“Hey, that was partially my business. You probably had no business peaking in on whatever you saw.”

“And how was that meeting your business??”

“Ash runs off with a bunch of girls into the woods? You seriously think I wouldn’t want to keep an eye on him?!”

Maylene gave a hinting smile and winked. “Wanted to see something, did ya’?”

“Wh-Wh-What??? N-NO!!!

The fighter laughed. “I’m just joking with ya’!”

“Geez…” Angie wiped the blush off her cheeks. “You perv.”

“I guess you could call me that… considering that I saw something.”





Maylene blinked. “Aren’t you going to ask me what that something was?”

“No way. I don’t want to know. I don’t ever want to know.”

“Has something to do with Ash…”

“Nope.”

“And Misty…”

“Nuh-uh.”

“And one of them being naked.”

Angie’s face turned completely pink. “Wh-What?!”

“See?! You are SO interested now! You’re the perv!”

“I – I am not! Don’t talk about it anymore!!”

You sure?? Even if it has something to do with your precious Sato??”

“I –”

“Tell me! Tell me!” May’s head appeared above them.

“WH-WHAA-?!!!” Maylene and Angie scrambled backwards in complete shock.

The Coordinator fell between them, head-first. “OW!”

“M-MAY?!!!” Angie was gaspingfor air.

Maylene waslaughing hard. “Were you in that tree the whole time???”

May rolled to a sitting position and rubbed her head. “Ow… yes?”

Angie gave her a small punch against the shoulder. “You nearly gave me a heart-attack!!”

“Don’t blame me! You two were the ones that sat underneath my tree! And by the way: I am not a coward!”

The fighter calmed her laughter and gave a mischievous smirk. “Apparently how you get May down from a tree is to talk about Ash being naked.”

“ASH WAS NAKED?!!!”

Angie plugged her nose and tilted her head back.

“Pff! No!” Maylene laughed again. “You two are so easy to excite.”

“Not funny, Maylene.” Angie growled as she prevented the nosebleed from continuing.

May hid her disappointment by facing the other way.

The fighter snickered at their responses. “Whoever this Ramie was, I get the feeling she was a total pervert.”

“J-Just for Ash.” the Coordinator silently admitted. The comment earned her a slap on the back. “OW!”

Maylene gave her a big smile. “See? No problem with being honest!”





Angie had finished draining the blood from her nose and looked at May. “You alright?”

…y-yeah… just needed some time to think things through…”

Punching her slightly on the arm, Maylene did her best to encourage her, “Hey. Nothing wrong with being Ramie… Ramie was a tough girl!”



“I… I know.” May nodded weakly. “I just thought I was Maya… by every description Leanne gave us, I thought it was me… and… well…”

Angie kickeda nearby tree. “Who cares about that Maya, anyways…? Don’t keep comparing yourself to some girl from the past. If you like Ash, then just show him you’re better.”

“…better?”

Maylene nodded at Angie’s words. “Exactly. And besides, wasn’t Ramie Sato’s partner? Fought with him through thick and thin! In my opinion, Sato missed out on the perfect one! Got too distracted by little miss delicate flower.”

“There’s more to a girl than just looks and being sensitive!” the tomboy added proudly. “We can be just as dependable and strong as any guy. We can have character! Charisma! We’re not all princesses that just wait for their prince. Some of us can actually go out there and fight alongside them too!”

May’s face lit up. “S-So that means we’re going to win back Sato?! Shove it in Maya’s face?!

Angie’s eyes widened. Her pink face showed complete uncertainty. “W-W-Well I wouldn’t g-go that far… I mean, just being th-there for h-him is j-j-”

She got shoved out of the way by an ecstatic Maylene.

“YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!!!” A fire burned in her eyes. “We’ll show those flimsy bellossoms that their pretty little Petal Dance won’t get them everywhere in life!! We aren’t just going to give up just because our man got confused!!” She held out her fist.

“YEAH!!!” May punched the fist in excitement.



“OW!” She blew at her knuckles in pain.

Maylene grinned. “Go Team Ramie!”

Angie crawled to her feet. “Er… how does that work anyway?”

“How does what work?”

Three of us. One Sato.”

“…we…take turns?”

Angie’s face turned a bright red. “W-WHAT???!!” She kicked the fighter’s leg. “The things that come out of your mouth, I swear!!!”

May smirked. “If it comes down to it. I say we fight for it.”

The other two blinked. “Fight?”

“Ramie was a Fighter, right?” May folded her arms. “Then if we have to choose who gets Ash, it only makes sense that we settle it in a fight.”

Maylene pounded her fists together. “NOW YOU’RE TALKIN’!!! I LOVE Team Ramie!!!”

Angie gave a nervous laugh. “Well, it’s a better suggestion than Maylene’s at the very least.”

The Empathic Coordinator found herself completely pumped. “WHO NEEDS MAYA?! And why are we waiting around here?! Let’s go remember what it meant to be Ramie right now!!”

“Right now???” The tomboy stiffened.

“OK!!!” Maylene jumped in exhilaration. “Sinnoh region, here we come!!”



_________________________________________________________



Pikachu curled up against Ash’s hollow body. He let out a quiet sigh before falling asleep.

Ritchie frowned at the scene, tilting his cap to cover his eyes. “Poor little guy…”

“Yeah…” Solana nodded. She ran her fingers through Plusle’s short fur, feeling its soft breathing as its back slowly raised and lowered. “…I wonder how Ash’s other pokémon are doing…”

“Supposedly they’re still in his room.”

The Ranger shot a look in the trainer’s direction. “What?!”

He flinched. “Y-Yeah. When Team Rocket attacked his house, he forgot his poké ball belt behind the door. At least, that’s what he told Angie.”

Solana gently placed her partner pokémon beside Pikachu and stood. “We need to go get them…”

“What??” Ritchie blinked in surprise. “Why?? That place might still be monitored!”

“It doesn’t matter. We need to save those pokémon…” She began walking. “Are you coming?”

He got up and followed. “What do you mean ‘save’?”

“Think about it, Ritchie… how long has it been since Ash started this entire adventure?”

“Um… actually, I don’t really know.”

We’ll just say a long time. But fact is, if poké balls aren’t connected to a Poké Ball Vitality Device or inside a Pokémon Storage Machine, the pokémon aren’t put in complete stasis.” Her eyes narrowed as she began to make longer strides. “Meaning those pokémon are being starved to death inside their poké balls…”

“What?!” Ritchie grabbed Solana by the wrist and pulled her as he began sprinting. “I never knew that!!! HURRY!!!



_________________________________________________________



“And where do you two think you’re going…”

Todd followed Ritchie and Solana’s movements with his night camera. “Abandoning your post? Not very responsible. Looks like Leanne hired the wrong people to guard Ash.”

“Honestly, I find it weird to call her by that name.” Tracey continued his sketches by lamplight. “I think she looked more like a ‘Bianca’.”

“Quit spying on the other groups, Todd.” Gary yawned. “We need to get some rest. Long day tomorrow.”

The photographer put down his camera. He blinked to readjust his sight to the dim surroundings. “Why are we even going on this crazy trip, anyway? Nothing to really benefit us.”

Tracey glared at him. “This is for Ash, remember?”

“Ash knew what he was getting himself into. I don’t know why we have to sacrifice our time and lives just to give the guy a THIRD chance in life.”

A pencil nearly poked his eye out. “Whoah! Watch it!”

“He sacrificed his life for all of us! Show some respect!

“I never asked him to.” Todd shrugged his shoulders. “He did it on his own terms.”

“You’re heartless…”

“I’m not heartless. I already gave my respects. I’ll have you know I’m submitting an article and several photos, about and from this entire adventure, to The Monthly Poké Paper… Ash is going to be world famous after this, whether he likes it or not. I just need to do some interviews…”

“A shallow way of showing thanks.” Tracey shook his head and returned to his sketches, pulling out another pencil from his bag.

“What? What do you want me to do?” The photographer stood, challenging the sketch artist with his posture. “Do a song and dance? Praise his name? Fawn over him like the girls??”

You could’ve at least helped!” Tracey growled. “I saw you in that room during the fight! Hiding in the vent with your camera!”

“What did you expect me to do?! Throw my camera at that thing?!”

“You were there before any of us reached that room! You could’ve at least distracted the darkness! Or pulled Ash away before it could grab him! Anything!”

Todd crossed his arms. “I wanted to see if he would make the same choice… If I got involved, he might’ve changed his mind.”

What choice?! He was swallowed up by the darkness!! There was no Arceus there for him to make a choice with!!!”

And you think I knew that was going to happen?? None of us could’ve predicted what would happen then!”

“And yet YOU predicted that he would make the same choice as before! You counted on that fact just so you could be right and you could mark him as a failure!”

Todd laughed at the irony. “Don’t even preach to me, Tracey! You were the one going around the camp trying to get people to stop Ash from making the same choice! You didn’t trust him either!”

“I changed my mind in the end…”

“Did you? Did you really? I’m pretty sure I saw with my own two eyes that CASEY was the one that brought Ash there! While everyone else came late BECAUSE they doubted him. Including you, Tracey!”

“But I at least respect his sacrifice!”

So which is it? Is he sacrificed or are we saving him?”

“…what?”

Todd threw his arms up in frustration. “You want me to respect him as if he’s dead! As far as I can tell, he’s not dead – and we’re making EXTRA SURE he isn’t dead! What dead person am I respecting here?? If anything, Ash owes US his respect!”

Tracey dropped his sketchpad and faced him eye-to-eye. “What is with you?! What in the world are you trying to prove?! Ash is our friend! We’re doing this because he’s our friend! Yet you keep treating him like he’s just some acquaintance that owes you money!”

Before Todd could snap back, Gary interrupted, “He’s just jealous.”

Jealous?! Who ar–”

Gary opened his eyes. His serious stare stopping the photographer from continuing his assault.

“I’m Farron. And so are you.” Hesighed and wrapped his blanket tighter around himself. “Farron was always jealous of Sato. History repeats – looks like you’re the jealous Farron in this story.”

“Hmph…” Todd smirked. “‘Farron’. I’m Todd Snap. Not some person that depended on pokémon to get a name for himself. I work alone, ‘Farron’ didn’t.”

“And yet here you are…” Gary smirked back. “…losing to a guy who doesn’t even have to be awake to get your girl to follow him obediently.”

“Y-YOU!!!”

“You want to beat Ash?” The Pokémon Researcher rolled onto his side and adjusted his head against the tree. “You have to beat him at his own game. Right now, he needs his past self to survive. So you need to be your past self just to compete. If he dies now, you won’t ever know if you ever really beat him.”



Todd turned away and slid into his sleeping bag.



Tracey sighed… returning to his sketches with a solemn attitude.



_________________________________________________________









“Can I just be the first to say that this is really awkward?”

Casey leaned forward and exhaled loudly.

“Tell me about it…” Domino nodded.

Sabrina didn’t respond.

The three women sat around their lamplight uncomfortably.

“I mean… what the heck is she doing here???” Casey pointed at Domino.

“H-Hey!!”

“And what in the world do I have in common with you?!” She moved her finger to Sabrina.

The Psychic laughed in response.

Casey’s eye twitched. “Seriously, Sabby, that laugh is messed up.”

Sabrina blinked. “What’s wrong with my laugh?”

“It’s too… girly for you.” She shivered. “This is too weird. You’ve never talked to me before! And now you’re talking all casual!”

“I just asked a question…”

“And you’re STILL talking! I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing you as a… person… that talks… like you’re some kind of normal person.”

The Psychic laughed again.

“And seriously! What is she doing here?!” Casey pointed at the former Rocket Agent again.

Sigh. “I have a name, you know.”

And I have purple hair! That doesn’t explain why I’m here! Why ARE you here?!”

“I’m part of the Quinn group, aren’t I?”

“W-well yeah. But… why would you even want to?”

“I had a choice?”

“Didn’t you?”



Domino shrugged. “Maybe I wanted to know what my life was like before this one. Honestly I don’t think this life is that great.”

“Great, I’m stuck with two people who have such a happy outlook in life!” Casey groaned sarcastically.

Sabrina tilted her head. “I have a happy outlook.”

Shaking her head, Casey shivered again. “D-don’t talk like that! You’re supposed to be all unhappy and moody! This is just the weirdest team, I swear.”

“If you don’t like it, you can leave it.” Domino pulled out a pocket mirror and began to adjust her hair.

The baseball fan looked back at her. She tapped her lip. “…weren’t you crazy?”

“Hm?” Domino didn’t look away from the mirror.

“Back in the Rocket Base. Didn’t Team Rocket make you crazy or something?”

“Yeah.”



“So… why aren’t you now?”

“Maylene fixed it.”

Oh okay.” Casey slapped her hand on her leg. “That’s absolutely normal. You can just fix crazy.”

“Yep.” the ex-Rocket exhaled as she finished touching up her hair.

She was surprised that no one commented on how she could see again. A minor detail that no one seemed to notice, as sanity seemed to be the more important issue.

Unlike Ash’s blindness caused by physical damage, hers was created through extreme emotional trauma. With the trauma gone, her eyesight slowly returned. …not that anyone cares.





“This is by far, the most talkative group I’ve ever been in.” Sigh.

“I can be talkative.” Domino closed her pocket mirror. “I just don’t know any of you.”

“…didn’t need to know us to run a monologue.”

“Business perk.” She pulled off her shoes and gloves. “But if you really want to talk… what’s Quinn like?”

Casey removed her baseball cap and shook her hair loose. “Honestly? Quinn’s more like her.” She pointed her thumb at Sabrina. “I have no idea how I resemble her.”

“I believe it was her knack of common sense that you most resembled.” the Psychic responded. “Though the two of us tend to share the same loyalty towards Sato.”

Slam.

Casey planted her palms onto the broken log between her and the Psychic. She was leaning forward with a look of shock. “Y-You’ve had visions too?!”

“No. I just saw your visions through your thoughts.”

Looking through my mind?? Rude!” She threw a piece of bubblegum into her mouth. “Didn’t your mom teach you any manners?!”

“She tried. I turned her into a doll.” Sabrina mentioned nonchalantly. “It’s alright. She’s better now.”



“Fixing crazies and turning moms into dolls. At least we can say we’re probably the most interesting group here.” Casey fell back onto the grass and watched the stars in the sky.

Domino continued the previous topic, “So Sabrina… what qualities would you say that Quinn and I share?” She held a straight face, hiding her extreme curiosity on the topic.

“You both were part of an evil organization intent on taking over the universe.”

Casey snorted. “Sabrina! Cold!”

“Honest fact.” the Psychic clarified. She returned her attention to Domino. “I would also say you really hold Quinn’s serious personality quite well.”

SHE takes her serious personality??” The purple-haired girl sat up and raised her brow. “And what does that make you??”

“I’m not serious. I’m professional.”

Casey’s brow rose higher. “Really? You’re not serious? Not even the slightest bit?”

“Not really. I’m quite immature.”

Im-Immature??? How in the world are you immature?!”

Sabrina began counting with her fingers. “I laugh at childish jokes. I get irrational. I spend most of my time daydreaming. I’m shy. And I play pranks on people.”



Casey’s eye twitched. “Wh-Why are you telling us all this?! It’s completely ruining my image of you!!!”

The Psychiclaughed. “We’re all Quinn here. We might as well be honest with one another.”

“If – If you’re so immature – then why in the world do you always act so serious?!”

“I already discussed that: I’m professional. I only keep my serious face on because people need me to.”

Slapping her hands to her face, Casey groaned. “This is so wrong! I feel like I learned a dirty secret! Does no one else know this?!”

“Ash was quite aware of this.” Sabrina grinned with a blush.

“Eh-ah-ek-da-wh-wha?!!” The baseball fan backed away. “Wha-what’s that blush all about?! Did y-you have a thing for Ash?!

She didn’t respond. She just kept smiling.

Casey’s jaw dropped. “HE’S LIKE TEN YEARS YOUNGER THAN YOU!!!”

“I’m not THAT old.” Sabrina pouted. “…close, though.” She looked away as if distracted.

“Y-Y-You’re a pedophile!!!”

“Actually, she’d be more of a persian.” Domino chimed in. “Ash isn’t that young.”

“You two aren’t very kind.” Sabrina stood and walked over to her tent. “…besides…”

She crawled in and zipped the entrance closed. “It would only be wrong if he wasn’t interested…”

WH-WHAT DID YOU SAY?!!OOF!!!

Casey tried to storm the tent, only to find an invisible wall blocking her path.

THOK THOK THOK

She repeatedly slammed her fist against the psychic barrier.

“SABRINA!!! SABRINA!!! OPEN UP!!!”

Domino sighed and opened her emergency blanket packet. “I should probably get some rest, too…”

“SABRINA!!!”

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:46 PM

Chapter 39: Affliction

Spoiler:
The morning sun rose and greeted the forest.

Spots of green, yellow, and orange light decorated the grass below, where seven pokémon and three humans lay.

A flicker of sunlight twinkling against his eyelid, a young man sat up and observed the area around him.

“Hey, Solana…?”

He was about to place his hand on her shoulder to wake her… when she rolled over.

She sighed softly in her sleep. Her teal hair slid away from her face…

It was far more relaxed when she was asleep, he noticed. Or maybe she just wears hairspray…

Her chest rose and lowered gently with her breaths… the red short jacket she normally wore was lying underneath her… leaving only the one-piece uniform… the extremely accentuating one-piece uniform.

Ritchie’s face turned pink. He swallowed hard, trying to lock away any and all thoughts.

But she was right there. Not a dream. Not from a distance. And not hiding a single thing from his sight.

His eyes traced her curves. He did his best to stop himself, but it was already too late.

She’s so… beautiful.

In his best effort to prevent himself from going anywhere lower than that affection, he forced his eyes up to her face.

!

Her eyes met his.



The two stared at one another, wide-eyed, pink-faced. Both unsure what to do… or what to say.

Solana sat up immediately and placed her jacket back on. She curled up, covering her chest behind her legs.

“Ah-… uhm…” Ritchie tried to remember what he wanted to wake her for. “R-Right… I wanted to wake you up for uh… the pokémon. Th-They’re looking a lot better.”

The Pokémon Ranger looked at her surroundings curiously.

On Ash’s lap, Pikachu and Plusle were curled up against one another.

Around them, lay the other five pokémon.

Buizel. Sceptile. Heracross. Infernape. And Donphan.

The five that were left behind in Ash’s poké ball belt.

“You’re right.” Solana smiled. “Looks like we got to them just in time.”

Each one slept soundly and appeared to be in far better condition compared to the night before.

The night before… was not one they would easily forget. After breaking into Ash’s room and sneaking off with his poké ball belt and backpack, the duo spent the rest of their night and following morning feeding the released pokémon in coordinated and timed increments. ‘Eating too fast could be fatal for a starved pokémon.’ Ritchie had reminded.

During their breaks, the two would share information and tips on taking care of pokémon… In this experience, they realized that the other had knowledge more applicable in their field than the facts they memorized for themselves. And when no more advice or instruction could be traded, Solana and Ritchie had exchanged stories, jokes, and trivia.

It was enlightening, and most importantly, comforting.

Neither could remember a time when they’ve ever felt so comfortable around another person. The journey with Ash was often stressful and filled with too much drama for their tastes… every word, thought, and emotion they could have expressed felt like it was always under surveillance. No one could even breathe without it being judged. It was a taxing environment.

Ash’s journey wasn’t their own, but they travelled it for others. And though it still wasn’t their road, they were glad to have each other’s company for the rest of the voyage.

“We should probably tell the others what we did last night.”

Ritchie’s voice snapped the Pokémon Ranger away from her memories.

H-Huh?? Oh… right.” She smiled embarrassingly. “Sorry, mind was elsewhere.”

“No problem.” He smiled back. “We did just wake up after all.”

“Hey, Ritch?”

Y-Yeah?”

…I know it’s a bit forward of me to ask… but… can you cook that stamina soup again?”

Ritchie sighed into a laugh, completely relieved and disappointed at where the question ended.

Solana blushed in embarrassment. “D-Did I say something wrong?? I – I mean, you don’t have to cook if you want. I just have to warn you that I’m nowhere near as good as you.”

Oh n-no. It’s not that!” He waved his hands casually. “I just thought you were going to ask something else…” his voice trailed off.

“What was that? I’m sorry, I didn’t quite hear.” She laughed nervously.

“N-Nothing. Yeah, I can cook you some! I mean us. I can cook us some.”

“I d-don’t mean to be a bother… I was just starving… and I really love your soup. Cooking! I meant cooking.”

Same thing, Solana! Ahh! Why am I getting so nervous around him now?? I was able to talk to him casually last night…

Ritchie grinned. “One stamina soup coming right up! It might take a while, though…”

“Oh, that’s fine! I’m just going to go into town for a while. I’ll be back, okay?”

“Huh? Oh um, sure! Any particular reason?”

“Just to kill some time until the food’s ready.” She waved. “Take care of Plusle for me while I’m gone!”

“Sure thing!” Ritchie waved back.



He buried his face in his palm. I bet she’s going to town to buy clothes after that embarrassing wake-up call… gah, you’re so stupid, Ritchie…



_________________________________________________________



“I’m back!”

“Welcome back, Sola-…” Ritchie’s greeting expression froze in place.

Teal hair down, covering one eye as it swung forward. Perfectly fitted vanilla-colored V-neck that was nearly a belly cut. Open white vest made to bring attention towards the chest. And a slight upper-thigh, dark-gray kick pleat skirt that especially brought out the pear-shape of her body… Solana did indeed go shopping for new clothes.

Ritchie suddenly felt like his clothes were old and ratty…

“Do you like it?” The Pokémon Ranger spun in place.



The experienced trainer closed his mouth and shook off his shocked appearance.

“Y-Yes! It’s very… cute!”

Solana giggled. “I’m glad!” She spun again and posed. “I just thought that since we’re going to a resort that I should dress up for the occasion! Besides, since I’m not on official Ranger duty, I thought ditching the uniform for a while would be the smart thing to do.”

“R-Right!”



“Ritchie?”

“Y-Yeah?”

“Doesn’t that hurt?”

“What?”

“Your hand’s in the soup.”

“Oh. My ha-? AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!” Ritchie pulled his hand away and rolled onto the ground in pain.

Solana looked around in panic. “Ah! Buizel! Water gun!”

“Bui!” The Sea Weasel Pokémon shot a small stream of cold water into the Trainer’s hand.

Ritchie sighed in relief. “Ahhhh… thanks Buizel… and thanks Solana.”

“…call me Lana.”

“L-Lana?”

The Ranger blushed. “Yeah… I think it fits this look better, right?”



She blinked. “Um… is something up, Ritchie?”

“N-No! Nothing!”

“Is something wrong with my outfit? Is my skirt too small?”

Ritchie’s face turned completely pink. “N-No! Th-that’s not to say that it can’t be longer – not that there’s something wrong with short! N-Not in a perverted way, th-that is. I w-wasn’t thinking of it that way, of course. It-It’s just –”

Solana’s laugh interrupted his blabbering. “You’re so cute!”

“C-Cute??” His pink cheeks began to glow red.

She winked. “What do you like most about my outfit?”

“I… uh… mm…” He looked away. “I like the whole thing… You… look younger.”

Tilting her head to one side, Solana frowned. “Younger? Did I look old?

“N-No! N-Not like that… just saying… er… you look… like… uhm…

“Young enough to be your girlfriend?”

Ritchie’s body stiffened.

A small squeal was heard in the nearby bushes.

“Shhhh!”

“Who’s there!?” Solana pulled out her Capture Styler.

“She heard you! I told you to be quiet!”

“Ow! Stop it!”

“Move it move it move it! No, not this way! The other way!”

“You’re pushing me! Move your foot!”

“Get out here! Right now!” The Ranger got into a battle stance.

Two figures tumbled out of the underbrush and flopped onto their stomachs.

“Owww…” a girl with long blue hair groaned.

“I think there’s a twig caught in my shirt…” a young woman with short lilac hair whimpered.

“Dawn? Anabel?” Solana put down her Styler and folded her arms. “What are you doing hiding in our bushes?” she asked with an irritated tone.

“W-Well…” Anabel was about to explain.

Dawn interrupted, “Don’t pretend you weren’t in there, Misty!”

Rustle.

An orange-haired woman approached with her hands up. “Yeah, yeah, I’m here too.”

The Pokémon Ranger put her hand to her hip. “And what are all three of you doing here?”

It’s Misty’s fault! She’s the one who dragged us here!” Dawn pointed… completely unaware of her childishness.

“I just came here because I smelled something good.” Misty defended.

“You said you dragged us here because you saw something adorable…” Anabel sighed.

The Cerulean Gym Leader turned away. “Blame Maya. I don’t remember doing that.”

“Yeah right!” The blue-haired Coordinator grinned. “You keep blaming her just because you don’t want to admit you like it!”

“I never said I didn’t like it. I said I didn’t do it. I came here for the soup.”

“Right! Soup!” Ritchie began preparing some bowls, glad to have something to distract everyone away from the topic. “If you would like to invite the others, we might have enough for everyone.”

Dawn shrugged. “Can’t. Everyone’s gone.”

“Gone already??” Solana sat down after she was handed her serving. “And we thought we were on schedule…”

“So did we! But even Maylene’s group already left!” The Coordinator accepted the soup she was given with a thankful bow. “And those girls NEVER wake up on time!”

“That’s crazy! I guess everyone’s a lot more excited about this mission.” Sssiiip. Mmmm… this is soo good… “So why aren’t you girls in a hurry?”

Dawn gave an arrogant grin.

Misty simply stayed quiet and drank from her bowl.



Solana giggled. “Does it have to do with the fact that you’re Team Maya?”

“Pff! What?? No! Not at all!” The Coordinator took a big gulp of her soup before continuing, “Us being the girl of Sato’s dreams who would no doubt be the only one to truly wake him from his deep sleep so everyone can just hold their ponytas because he’s not waking up without us and they shouldn’t even bother thinking that they’re actually accomplishing something before we do??? No way. Has nothing to do with it at ALL.” She laughed as she took more spoonfuls of the soup.

“Quit being cocky.” Misty nudged Dawn with her elbow.

“Ash…”

The group turned.

Sitting in front of Ash’s slumbering body, Anabel gazed at the young man with a look of confusion and sorrow…

Dawn shuffled herself next to her and stared at the body with curiosity.



“He’s not here right now.” the Coordinator said with a sure nod. She grabbed onto Anabel’s hand and placed it on Ash’s chest. “But we’ll get him back.”

“It just…” the Empathic’s voice shook. “It just feels wrong… I’m supposed to feel him. I can feel his heart beat, but I don’t feel his heart… this is just…”

A third hand pressed onto theirs.

Misty’s.

She showed no sorrow or hurt in her eyes, though Anabel could feel otherwise. Misty’s grief made her feel like her own had been satisfied… as hers was far deeper, far more lost. Because in the woman’s heart, she carried two. The despair of Maya’s was just as real for Misty as her own.

“We will get him back. Count on it.” The Cerulean Gym Leader smiled.

She stood and walked back into the deep woods. “Thanks for the soup, Ritchie. We’ll be heading off now. Keep in contact.”

We’re leaving right now??? Wait up! I left some stuff back at our camp!” Dawn ran towards Ritchie and dropped her bowl. “Thank you again! It was delicious!” She chased after Misty.

Anabel politely bowed towards them before turning back to Ash. “Please take care of him.”

Pikachu hopped onto her shoulder and snuggled her cheek. “Pikaaa…”

The Empathic giggled. “I know, I know. You’ll take great care of him, Pikachu.”

“Pika?”

“No, I’m sorry. Espeon has to go with me. You can play with her later when we meet up again.”

“Chu…”

“We’ll see each other again. Don’t worry. Just watch over Ash until then.”

Pikachu hopped off her shoulder and saluted.

Anabel laughedand saluted back.

She turned and nodded towards Ritchie and Solana. “Good luck on your travels.”

“Good luck to you, too!” The Ranger smiled.

And with one last bow, the Empathic left the area…





Ssssiiiiiip. “Seriously, Ritch… I can have this soup for the rest of my life.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“So are you going to ask me out yet or what?”

“WH-WHAT???”

“Nothing.” Sssssiiiiiiip.



_________________________________________________________



Soaring through the night sky, three pidgeots crossed over the last traces of land… the Fiore Region was now behind them, leaving only a vast sea between them and their final destination.

“I’M SO HUNGRY!!!”

May gnawed on her backpack in distress. “Why didn’t we bring any food?!”

“Ritchie was the only one that packed us food!” Angie groaned. “Don’t you cook? Didn’t ANYONE buy snacks?!”

“I don’t have any money…” Maylene’s eyes watered. “I never have any money!”

“I thought I had some snacks in this bag… but they weren’t snacks, they were potions…” The Coordinator buried her face into the pidgeot’s back. “And they tasted awful…”

“Please tell me you at least have money!” The tomboy checked her pockets one more time. “Because I don’t have anything on me… other than an arcade coin.

May began to sob. “Ash wouldn’t let me carry any money for the whole trip! I’d keep buying clothes whenever I had any money! Now I only have clothes and stupid potions in my bag! I don’t think I even brought a blanket with me!”

Maylene cried out in despair, “WE’RE GOING TO DIE OUT HERE!!!”

The three sighed and fell silent.



Angie’s eyes watched the water below, distracting her hunger with the beautiful moonlit reflections of the water’s surface. How long has it even been since we left that forest? And don’t these pidgeots ever get tired? I wonder if May can sense how they’re feeling…

The Empathic Coordinator could. Though the large bird pokémon had nothing new to contribute to their conversation, as they were starving as well…

I feel bad for these guys. May thought to herself, her bandana covering her eyes for added Empathic focus. Gary will get angry at us for how bad we’re treating them. They’ll probably be skin and bones just like us by the end of this trip… Lucky Maylene… she’s probably used to this.

Sensing for the fighter’s emotions, she found her secret to ignoring hunger pains…

She was asleep.

May sighed. I wish I could go to sleep. I’m too hungry to sleep. I’m too hungry to even be awake. I’ll eat anything at this point… She grabbed her pokédev and bit one of its sides.

Her eyes widened. Wait! The Coordinator pulled up her bandana. “I have an idea!”

Angie sat up straight. “H-HUH? WHAT?”

Maylene woke up with a snort. She wiped the drool off the pidgeot’s feathers. “Whu… Whuz going on?”

“I said I have an idea!!!” May boasted loudly. She shoved out her pokédev for them to see.

The device slipped from her fingers…

plunk!

…and fell to the waters below.





May’s expression lay frozen. Tears flowing from her eyes.

“M-My… Pokédev…”

The other two gave blank stares.

Wow… um… that really sucked. I’m sorry.” Angie scratched her cheek. “But… you can always get a replacement!”

The Coordinator smothered her face with her backpack. “But that had all my photos of Ash!!!”

She fell onto her chest and frowned. “Besides… it usually takes weeks to get a replacement. And they’d have to send it to my address.”

Er… You can use mine!” Maylene held up her pokédev. “What do you want to use it for?”

“Perfect!” May perked up. “You can call someone from Team Farron! Ask them if we can borrow some money! Just enough for a meal. Since we’re headed in the same direction, we can easily meet up somewhere!”

“Great idea!” Angie grinned. “You rock, May!”

“Maylene rocks, too! She still has a pokédev!” The Coordinator laughed in embarrassment.

The fighter gave a thumbs-up. “OK! Calling Tracey!”

Opening the fold-out cover, the pokédev’s screen gave its familiar startup animation. The display blinked… before blacking out completely.

…oh… I guess I forgot to charge it.”





“W-Well, er…” Maylene scratched her head. “I might be able to borrow some money from some people I know back at Veilstone City… at the very least I could work on a side-job for them. If Lake Valor is in the east, then it shouldn’t be too far from my Gym.”

“We wouldn’t want to bother you…” May waved meekly. “You wouldn’t happen to have a pokédev, would you, Anj?”

Sigh. “No… I only borrowed my parents’. I’d just use whatever vidphone was in town.”

“Vidphones!” The fighter’s eyes widened. “We can use a vidphone in the nearest town!”

“…I don’t know any of their numbers off the top of my head.” May blushed. “I only remember Ash’s…”

“Same.” Angie shrugged.

“Darn… um…” Massaging her chin, the fighter did her best to think of an alternative. “…Will it not be as awkward if you ask for money from your parents, Anj?”

“M-My parents?!” Her face stiffened. “They’d kill me if they found out where I’ve been!”

“Looks like odd-jobs for me again!” Maylene stretched and yawned. “I’ll miss the rich life…”

“Well that wouldn’t be fair if you were the only one working.” May frowned. “We’re all part of Team Ramie! So we’ll all work with you! Right, Anj?”

“Definitely!”

Maylene smiled. “Thanks, guys. This is seriously the best team, ever.”

“We may not be perfect, but we never give up.” Angie laughed.

“That should be our slogan!” May cheered. “Team Ramie! We may not be perfect, but we never give up!

Says the girl with the perfect figure. The tomboy sighed in her thoughts.

May flinched. She covered her chest with a slight look of shame.

Oh crap, I forgot she could read emotions… Angie bowed. S-sorry, May! Just being jealous. Don’t mind me…

The Coordinator gave a forgiving smile back, but continued using her backpack to hide her upper body.

You really shouldn’t be ashamed of that, May. Angie continued her awkward apologies. I’m just… well… flat. Barely even have hips. While you’ve got… the full package. And… this sounds terrible, doesn’t it?

May looked in Maylene’s direction before answering…

…she was sound asleep…

“It doesn’t really matter how you look, you know.” The Coordinator surprised Angie with a verbal response. “Ash can’t see. And even if he did, it still wouldn’t matter since he never really… looked at me that way. So… yeah. He really does appreciate your company more than he does anything else. I don’t think he’s ever spent as much time with me privately as he has with you.”

Angie scratched her head… still unused to these touchy-feely complimentary conversations. “I guess. But he sees me more of a friend than anything else. Just kinda’ wish I had something that would make him more interested than that.”

“Really? He treats you different compared to everyone else. I doubt he sees you as just a friend.”

W-Well… it’s hard to explain that, really.” She gave a nervous smile. “…he kinda’ sees me as more than just a friend… but doesn’t really want to go further than that because of… well…

Her voice trailed off.

“If you don’t want to say it out loud, you can just say it in your head. I can kind of read it through your emotions…” May pulled down her bandana and did her best to focus.





…thing is… Angie’s emotions vaguely translated itself to words. Ash doesn’t really… well… he isn’t the type to get with someone just because he likes them.

“…what do you mean?”

…I know I haven’t spent that much time with him… but… I just know him. Connection. Weird kind of feeling. …and… I get the feeling Ash wouldn’t really get with a person who… didn’t need him.

“Didn’t need him?”

Y-Yeah. I think he knows that… well, I’ll always be happy to just be near him… and as long as I can be confident, and strong, and independent… that he’ll never need to be anything more than just a friend. I don’t need him. At all. I can move forward without him and I don’t think I’d be that sad… The tomboy’s emotions gave a depressed tone. …I want to be sad, though. I want to be sad if I was without him. But I don’t need to be… and he trusts that I’ll take care of myself, because he’d be sad if I didn’t…

“…and you love him, so you will take care of yourself, and be strong and confident…”

Yeah… that’s what he l-loves about me… if I was just any broken girl, he’d be on his hands and knees to try to fix me up. But I’m not a broken girl… and I wouldn’t make myself broken… because he loves me most when I’m fine.

“…so you think he just gets with girls he pities?”

Angie shook her head. Pity is the wrong word. It really sounds like he pities them, but really, he just loves seeing them happy. When everyone’s happy, he’s perfectly fine… he loves it when people are at their best. He just… can’t stand it when people are broken.

Broken… May looked down at her hands. Is that why he gave me so much attention? …because I was broken? …He would’ve dated me just because I needed him?

“He should be with someone that makes him happy… he shouldn’t just be with someone that burdens him…”

I agree. But he doesn’t see it that way. He doesn’t see a relationship that way. Angie’s emotions were becoming clearer. He sees getting with someone as a way to give himself to someone who needs him. Ash won’t really think about himself when it comes to that. Ash won’t really think at all, he’ll just act on it. And when someone important to him is in trouble, he just drops everything and gives whatever he can.

“Then what about wants…? What if everyone needs him, but only one really just wants him? Doesn’t that make them special? Doesn’t that make them need him more than them??” May pressed her hands to her heart, feeling a pain grow inside her. “Anyone can need him… and any other guy can fix those girls… but not everyone will want Ash for who he is…”

“The way he sees it…” Angie finally spoke. “…any guy can be there for the broken gals. But they never do and they never are. So he does. He does, hoping every day that they find the right guy. Being that right guy for them until they don’t need him anymore.”

“But that’s wrong!” Tears fell from the Coordinator’s eyes. “He shouldn’t just be a substitute for girls that would just use him!”

She flinched. Her heart pained again. …would I have used him?

“…he… deserves love too…”



“And I’ll wait for him to understand that.” Angie stared off into the distance. “I don’t need Ash to love me… But I do love him. I’ll be by his side no matter how long, no matter what, and no matter if he needs me or not. He doesn’t need to give me a single thing, and I’ll still be there for him. Because I want to be.”

“…I want to, too.”

“Well, get in line. I got here first.” The tomboy laughed.

May gazed at her in admiration. “…you think Ramie was like this, too?”

“Probably. I can’t say for sure, though.”

“…I think she felt the same thing… I think that’s why… why I’m like this…”

Angie looked towards her and tilted her head. “Like what?”

“…I think… Ramie really wanted to be Maya… so Sato would look at her and love her…” She pressed her hand hard against her chest. “…I think she wished to know what it was like… to have Ash all to herself…”



Angie exhaled and gave a soft smirk. “Yeah… that sounds like something I’d do. A bit selfish, but hey… everyone wants to be selfish every now and then.”

“I think you deserve to be selfish.” May nodded towards her. “More than anyone else here. If it comes down to a fight, I’ll help you beat Maylene. And you can have Ash.”

The tomboy laughed in response. “That’s really sweet, but no thanks.”

“Why??”

“Because you’d be doing the same thing I’m doing now. Then I’d be the selfish girl that doesn’t deserve him because you’re the selfless girl that gave up her chance so he could be happy.”

“I can find my own happiness.”

“I said that to myself a lot, too. Fact is though, I didn’t want to be happy with anyone else. And you’re going to feel the same.”

“…then… what are we supposed to do?”

“We find out who Ramie was first… maybe she had an answer, but just never got the chance to try it…”

“…actually, I think we should help Maylene earn some money first.” May snickered. “I think we’ll need food first and foremost.”

“You got that right…” Maylene mumbled into her pidgeot’s back.

Angie jumped. “Y-YOU WERE AWAKE?!!”

“Don’t mind me. Don’t mind me.” Maylene waved at them without lifting her head. “Keep going with your little plans to double-team the best fighter here. I doubt it’ll do you much good. I could fight the both of you with my hands tied behind my back.”





The three laughedtogether.

“We love you, Maylene~!” May giggled.

“Right back at ya’, cowards.”



_________________________________________________________



YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWNN

“Well that was a nice flight!” Tracey stretched his arms and rolled his neck.

“Too bad the movie was awful.” Todd grunted as he lifted his bag onto his shoulder. “Who picks those movies, anyways? They should seriously get fired.”

The sketch-artist raised his finger as if pointing to his knowledge. “I heard they choose non-high-rated movies in order to keep the passengers calm and relaxed during the flight. A mediocre movie is better for putting people to sleep than an exciting one, after all.”

“Either that, or it’s just some sick joke a person put up just to get back at the rude passengers.” Todd grumbled.

“You’re not a very positive person, are you?”

“Ask me again when I’ve had my coffee…”

Finding what he was looking for on the conveyer belt; Gary raised and placed his rolling luggage onto the stone flooring. “Anyone need to use the restroom? Better go now before we head out.”

“I’m good.”

“Same.”

“Okay, let’s see…” The Pokémon Researcher pulled out a map. “We’re in Veilstone City… and looks like route 214 leads straight to Lake Valor… Sendoff Spring is said to be east of route 214… though we could probably travel faster by taking the 214D road. By taxi, that is if you don’t mind missing out on most of the scenic route.”



The photographer and sketch artist gave him an awkward stare.



Gary sighed in defeat. “Fine. We’ll walk. But first we need to find someplace to sleep for the night.”

“I know a really good hotel near here.” Todd suggested.

“What kind of bathtub do the rooms have?”

“Wasn’t able to afford the nicer rooms last time I went there, but they have a nice restaurant.”

“…swimming pool empty or full on business days?”

“Full, but mostly popular with the women.”

“Ratings?”

“I say they’re about eights most times.”

Gary smiled. “Good enough for me. Lead the way. I’ll pay for the good rooms.”

Tracey blinked. “Wait… what just happened? We actually have time for a little vacation like this?”

“Loosen up, Trace.” Todd elbowed him and winked. “We did want a scenic route, didn’t we?”

“…yes? But what’s so scenic about a pool?”

“Let’s just say you’ll get a lot of practice sketching proportions there.”



“Oh… OH!! Okay. Wait.” Tracey blushed. “We have time for that??”

Gary shrugged. “We make time for it.”

“And here I thought you gave up on chasing women.”

“I don’t chase. They chase me. And they just got tired of keeping up.” The Pokémon Researcher laughed. “No, but seriously, having women around is distracting. But everyone needs a distraction from time to time.”

Todd walked towards the automatic doors and waved. “Hurry up. Their food services might close soon. And I’m starving!”

“Just treat this like an exercise on observation and adaptation. It’ll sharpen your skills and self-control, trust me.” Gary headed towards the exit.

“Whatever you say.” Tracey followed. “I just hope the room has a fridge.”

The three men exited the airport in excitement.

“Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if one of the groups tried flying to Sinnoh on their pidgeots?” Tracey joked.



_________________________________________________________



“You have now arrived. Thank you for taking Happiny Airlines! We hope you have a pleasant day!”

“Welcome to Jubilife City. The City of Joy. We hope you have a joyful day!”

Hopping into the airport terminal, Bianca spun and giggled in delight. “That was the best airplane flight I’ve ever been on! It was my second flight ever, but still better than the first!”

An automatic message blurted from a nearby mascot statue, “Have a happiny day! We hope you will consider Happiny Airlines for your future flights!”

“Oh I certainly will!” The blonde hugged the electronic figure tightly.

“…I know I like pink, but I didn’t think I’d be drowned in it.” Leanne groaned as she stumbled out of the boarding bridge, carrying several bags around her arms. “That’s the last time I take this airline…”

“What???” Bianca looked at her in disbelief. “That was the cutest plane ever! Even the stewardess that served us was wearing a cute pink uniform! And she was so happy! You think they’re hiring? You think I can get a job as a stewardess? You think I’d be qualified for Happiny Airlines?? What kind of smile should I use? This one? … or this one???” She continued changing between grins and smiles.

“…I think you’re over-qualified for the job.” Leanne sighed. “Can you help with the bags?”

Oh! Sure!” Bianca snatched the largest bag, nearly falling over. “Wh-why did you bring so many carry-ons???”

Hmph. I come from an island that is known as a tourist’s heaven… I know a thing or two about check-ins and how problematic they can get. Carry-on is the only way to travel.”

Latias, in the original Leanne’s form, leapt out into the terminal, spinning and skipping in delight.

Bianca gasped. “Did you love the plane, too??”

Latias nodded gleefully.

The two hugged in merriment.

Leanne sighed.

“Leanne??? You were on this flight, too?”

Turning back, the Alto Mare native noticed three familiar young women walking down the jetway.

“Misty?”

“Wasn’t that flight too pink??” the Cerulean Gym Leader groaned.

“YES!!” Leanne was thrilled to have someone on her side.

“What are you talking about?? That plane was soo cute!” Dawn giggled as she walked out into the open.

“It wasn’t that bad. I thought the stewardesses were nice.” Anabel added.

“AAAAAH!!! YES!!” Bianca and Latias hugged the two happy passengers. “Let’s all take that flight again!”

Leanne coughed to get their attention. “I believe we have to do a mission first, yes?”

“Well duh! I meant afterward!” The blonde stuck her tongue out.

Misty dropped her bags and stretched her back. “So are you three heading straight for Eterna City?”

“Yes. We’ll have to get there by pidgeot as there’s no other direct road to there from here…” Leanne shrugged. “No time for scenic routes for us. How about your team?”

The three Mayas looked at each other and nodded.

Leanne’s eyes narrowed. …they’re getting in sync faster than anticipated…

“We’re going to go find a hotel here first.” Misty stated. “We’ll be walking to Lake Verity from here since it’s close by… but… I think we can do a little shopping and exploring around the city before then.”

“SHOPPING!!!” Anabel and Dawn high-fived.

“Oooooh! I wanna’ shop!!” Bianca shook in excitement. Latias copied her expressions.

“No time. Eterna is our destination. We can go shopping there if we have time afterwards.”

“But you said Eterna’s an old town! I don’t want to shop where old people shop!” she whined.

Sigh. “We can come back to Jubilife after, okay?”

“YESSS!!!” Bianca squealed.

“We’ll see you three later. Good luck in your mission.” Leanne nodded and walked away.

Latias followed quickly after her.

“Good luck good luck!” Bianca grinned. With a huff she dragged the large bag she was given responsibility over. “Oh… and – ah! Heavy… Tell me about all the good shops you find!!”

“Sure thing! Good luck to you three, too!” Dawn waved.

“Byyeeee!!!” The blonde, her hands occupied, waved her head instead.

The Leannes disappeared in the distance.





“Glad I’m not on their team.” Dawn giggled. “That Leanne is such a stiff.”

“She wasn’t normally like that.” Misty shrugged. “I just think she’s taking her role a little too seriously.”

“And you’re not taking yours seriously enough!” Anabel patted her shoulder. “Admit it, you enjoyed that plane ride.”

“I seriously did not.”

“I bet Maya did.”

Misty’s face lit up. “I sure did! It was so cute!!”

Anabel laughed.

The Gym Leader’s face returned to normal. “I hate you.”

“Lighten up, Mist.” Dawn nudged her with her shoulder. “You’re not on duty out here. It’s just us girls. Think of all the cute outfits you can get!”

“We’ll pick out the perfect outfit! You might even get Ash’s sight back with how ravishing you’ll look!” Anabel teased.

“He’ll wake up speechless!” Dawn joined.

“He’ll see you and be all ‘From what fate have I awoken to? Have I faced death and this is mine angel to carry me to the heavens?’” The Empathic posed dramatically.

“And you’d be all ‘Do not speak such sweet words to me. I may lose my wings and halo!’” The Coordinator took the second role.

‘Then I shall speak no more. I shall silence my tongue for eternity if it means you will find happiness in the stars! I will merely gaze into the night sky and whisper my wishes – though they never be granted.’

‘What wishes of yours could never be?!’

‘To regain my heart which I have left with you!’

‘No! Such words corrupt my very being!’

‘Then shun me, o gloriest of angels. For I am nothing but a man. A foolish man who thought his mortality would be witness to the single miracle of love!’

‘I will not shun you! Instead I shall break my vows of immortality to be with you, my dear!’

‘Blessed be! I am not worthy! I shall devote my life to your every being! Though you will be cursed mortal, I shall give you eternal love! One that cannot fade with time, nor be condemned by the heavens above! For if this love were not justified and good in the world, then may I battle the judges that look down upon me!’

‘Oh Ash~!’

‘Oh Anabel~!’

“A-Anabel???” Dawn broke away from the play. “I’m supposed to be Misty!”

“So I put in a little creative adjustment… it still works.” The Empathic smirked.

Misty’s red face was in her palms.

A small crowd had formed behind her.

The audience gave a light applause for their performance.

Anabel bowed. “Thank you. Thank you.”

Pff. You ruined the act and you still take credit.” Dawn bowed as well.

“Yet the crowd still enjoyed it.”

The spectators dispersed soon after, going back to their traveling schedules.



“…I hate you both.” Misty muffled from behind her hands… ashamed to show her face with them.

The two laughed hard and grabbed Misty by the shoulders.

“Come on! Let’s go get a good hotel!” Dawn grinned.

“I hope we find one with room service.” Anabel dragged the humiliated Gym Leader.

“I want a separate room from you two.”

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:47 PM

Chapter 40: Trials

Spoiler:
Placed onto the wet grass, a lamp flickered on and lit the night atmosphere with its soft glow.

Glimmering against the light, a great body of water was revealed.

“Lake Acuity…”

Sabrina crouched and sat near the lake’s edge. Her fingertips slipping pieces of frost off the blades of grass underneath her. “I wonder what it is we’re supposed to find here…”

The Psychic could already find the answer in one of her companions, though she kept silent to allow them to contribute their thoughts. Be considerate. a voice echoed in her mind.

“Uxie. The legendary Knowledge Pokémon is said to rest within the lake.” Domino stepped forward and observed their surroundings. “Team Galactic managed to capture the pokémon in the past with the help of Hunter J. Though according to the reports, Ash and his team managed to free it from their grasp…”

“Th-Th-Th-Th-That’s’ssss g-great an-an-and-d a-all! B-But h-how a-are you guys k-k-k-keeping so warm?!” Casey hissed with chattering teeth. “I-I-It’s f-reeezzzziiinng out-t h-here!!!”

Sabrina removed her red coat and wrapped it around the shivering girl.

“W-W-Won’t you be cold???” The baseball fan shook the last traces of discomfort from her body.

A breath of white fog released from the Psychic’s lips. “I prefer cold.”

Casey shook her head, not understanding the woman’s inhuman tastes. With a sigh, she brought up a question she had been wondering since their arrival. “Couldn’t we have gone to a hotel before coming here?”

“You’re not curious to see your past?”

“Of course I’m curious! I just… well… you know, would prefer to come here at godly hours.”

“The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can relax.” Sabrina’s eyes turned and focused towards the shimmering waters. “…I don’t think I’ll be able to rest easy until I find out who this Quinn was…”

Domino dipped her fingers into the lake. “Same. But I assume we’ll have to bring out the legendary pokémon from in here… and I would have no idea how to do that.”



Casey tapped her chin. “Well… what kind of pokémon is it?”

“According to what was observed… it’d be safe to assume it’s a Psychic Pokémon.”

Perfect! That means Sabby here ca–”

Sabrina’s sigh interrupted her suggestion. “…I can’t.”

She shrugged. “I sense nothing from the water. No thought or emotion… other than a few Water Pokémon. Nothing else.”

“Great.” Casey threw a rock into the lake. “Dead end… Maybe we should’ve asked N more questions?”

“We should’ve asked the Leanne woman more questions as well.” Domino mentioned. She played with the device attached to her hip.

“Weren’t you the one that asked her if she didn’t have anything else to tell us about this mission?”

“I did. But I assumed it would’ve been far more obvious by the time we reached the lake…”

The baseball fan laughed. “What? Did you think it was just going to light up and we would’ve been told everything?”

Domino looked away in embarrassment. “It could’ve happened. It’s not a dumb idea… compared to what else you’ve faced in this adventure of yours.”

“Yeah, I guess.”





“You wouldn’t happen to have any answers?” Sabrina looked towards Casey in curiosity.

“Er…” She shifted her posture uncomfortably. Why is she looking at me like that?…maybe if we shock the water?”

“No. I did not mean for a suggestion. I meant an answer.” The Psychic’s face turned serious.

“…I don’t really know what that means.”

I believe you do. You know that I don’t know the answer. And you’re making sure I never find out.

Wh-What?? What’s with her??

Casey inched away in slight fear. “I-Is something up, Sabby? You’re acting funn-” She bumped into something.

Looking behind, she flinched at the sight of Domino.

H-How did she get behind me??Er… can I help you?”

“Can you?” The former Rocket Agent raised a brow. “We know you know something.”

“…I s-seriously have no idea what you two are talking about.”

“I know you don’t.” Sabrina leaned quickly towards Casey, placing her hand onto her forehead. “But someone inside you does.”



The young woman’s consciousness and eyes turned blank as the Psychic’s power overwhelmed her.

Thank you for your assistance, Domino.

Call me Dominique. I’m tired of that name… Domino nodded and walked off. I’ll leave you to your work.



Breathing in, Sabrina relaxed her body and thoughts.

Exhaling, she released herself into Casey’s subconscious.



Come out… I know you’re in there.



I felt you reading my mind since we first entered the train station. I know I was not mistaken.



Barricade yourself from me as much as you want. You cannot keep me out.

Sabrina twitched, sending a surge of Empathy through her arms.

Casey’s body convulsed in reaction.

COME OUT.

Like a wave crashing against rocks, Sabrina’s mental and emotional energy shattered against a solid wall of power. What! What is this…

The wall curved in, surrounding the Empathic Psychic’s conscious power.

A MENTAL TRAP!

Sabrina backed her energy away as fast as she could, only to find it trapped against another wall. No…

The barriers closed in quickly, giving her no time to find an alternate exit. NO!

Her heart and mind panicked as they knew the consequences of being captured in the trap.

A voice echoed around her in protection, Breathe slowly, Sabrina…

Shocked by the voice, the walls retreated immediately.

The Psychic smirked. Fear is quite the weakness.

She speared forward with her thoughts and caught the escaping power with a spinning net of focused emotion. The opposing energy struggled to break free.

Now you’re the one trapped. How does it feel?

Portions of itself that weren’t yet bound exploded into a whirlpool of force.

You cannot intimidate me. REVEAL YOURSELF.

She wrapped her Empathy tighter around the power and tore it from its control.

A blast of cold fury roared out.

“AH!” Sabrina was forced out of the mind. She stumbled back a few steps and strained her eyes into a threatening glare.

Casey’s eyes glared back.

“You’re quite powerful…” a voice Sabrina barely recognized hissed from the girl’s lips.

She didn’t allow it any advantages by showing surprise. “…who are you?”

“You already know. Now you must answer me something.”

Sabrina straightened her posture. “If I already know, then you did not answer me. What would you offer for my answer?”

“I shall answer a question for you.”



“Fair enough.” Sabrina nodded. “The answer to your question is no… It was not Sato that protected me.”

Casey’s eyes looked away. “…but the voice…”

“Ash’s. A reincarnation of Sato.”

“Reincarnation…?” The young woman stared into her Sabrina’s eyes in curiosity.





“Let me hear it again.”

“That was not part of the deal.”





“Very well, you may ask your question.”

Sabrina approached her. “Why do you hide? How long have you stayed hidden inside her?”

“Those are two questions.”

“And I shall let you ask one more question.”

Casey’s eyes lit up. “I hide to watch safely. I know not of this world or its alliances. I know not who to trust. And I have no real sense of measurement in this realm… so I do not know how long I have been hidden. I do not even remember becoming conscious.”

The baseball fan frowned. “Now answer me… why is Sato’s voice in you?”

“I created a bond with Ash. Though his body is currently vacant, a portion of his heart and mind finds sanctuary in me. In return he gives his support and protection.”

“…a bond…”

Emotions of nostalgia and pain filled inside Casey’s mind.

“…can you assist us, Quinn?”

“…you need me to call Uxie here… yes?”

Sabrina nodded.

‘Quinn’ frowned. “…if I do, you must heed my words.”



“Very well. What warning do you carry?”

Casey’s unconscious body walked towards the water’s edge.

Her sad eyes gazed into the night sky.

“…becoming me will not fulfill your wishes.”



_________________________________________________________



“I never expected to there to be a building hidden underneath the lake.”

“It is not within the lake. This is Uxie’s world. The lake is simply a gateway to its world.”

“Thank you for letting us into your home.”

The legendary lake guardian nodded towards the Psychic’s bow. “Uxie…”

Surrounded by metallic yellow lattices and marble white pillars, the three guests stood in quiet respect. Glass walls formed by hundreds, if not thousands, of interlacing pyramids sheltered them from a never-ending void of white.

Inspecting their environment, Dominique noticed there was a lack of anything else. No doors. No objects. No comforts. “Rather barren for a world.”

“It’s simply an illusion.” Casey responded, her voice still not her own. “Nothing exists in this world, only thought. And thought takes shape.”

“Thought, you say?” Dominique grinned. “Let’s try something…”



“You won’t succeed.” Sabrina sighed. “This world is Uxie’s, not ours. We have no power here.”

The former Rocket Agent grunted in disappointment. “That’s a shame… So, Casey, how do you know Uxie?”

“…Casey?” The girl shook her head. “That is not my name. She does not know Uxie. I do.”

“She’s Quinn.” Sabrina reminded.

“I know who she is. But as far as I’m concerned, she’s using Casey’s body – so it’s only natural to call her by that name.”

“I am not using this body… I am… trapped, here.”

“Trapped?”

“…it does not feel like my own body. And I am not here of my choice. I do not remember how I got in here.”

“Wait.” Dominique folded her arms and frowned. “Do you even know that you died?”

Casey’s eyes widened. “DIED?!”

In a panic, the girl ran up to Uxie and grabbed it by the head. “UXIE! REVEAL TO ME WHAT HAS OCCURRED!!!”

“Uxie…”

The Knowledge Pokémon nodded. A flash of white energy swallowed Casey’s body.

“QUINN!” Sabrina reached out into thin air. The girl had vanished.



“I suppose she didn’t technically die.” Dominique shrugged. “Poor choice of words. Silly me.

The Psychic was ready to lash out at the young woman… though she felt a strange disconnection.

“Wh…what?”

“Your powers will not work here…” a disembodied whisper hovered in the air around them.

“Who’s there.” Sabrina reached for her poké balls… only to find that those had disappeared as well.

Uxie drifted towards them. “I choose what can and cannot exist in my realm… do not worry for your friends, they are safe.”

“That thing can speak??” Dominique stiffened. “…and friends?”

She felt around her hip. “WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY DICE?!!”

“He is safe. I will return your friends once you are ready to leave my home.” Uxie softly landed to a sit. “I simply cannot risk any of you harming my world. It is a fragile thing.”

“Where did you take Quinn?” Sabrina asked with narrowed eyes.

“I only took her where she wished to be… I myself do not know where that is. The mind often wanders to places others can never follow…”

“And what of us? What are we supposed to do here?”

I will take you where your mind knows, but you do not…

“What does that mea–” Dominique disappeared in a flash of white.

Sabrina took a deep breath in and closed her eyes… prepared to face whatever challenges faced her.

A soft feeling of wistfulness overtook her.







_________________________________________________________



“Quinn.”



“Hey Quinn!”

“Wha-What??”

Sabrina opened her eyes.

Bright sun. Leaves falling slowly to the grass below. A large canyon decorating the landscape.

…and a man with a familiar face.

“…Ash?”

“Huh? Ash?” The man tilted his head. “Are you having those visions again, Quinn?”

“Quinn?” Sabrina looked down. A uniform of black and gold covered her chest and legs. Rotating her wrist, she noticed her nails were painted gold as well. “…I’m Quinn…”

“Yeah, you’re definitely having those visions again.” The man patted her on the shoulder. “Tell Uxie to cool it on the prophecy stuff. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen.”

Tilting her head up, she gazed into the man’s eyes. “Then you must be Sato.”

He flinched. “S-Sato?? I think that’s the first time you actually called me by my name! Usually it’s just ‘Aura Guardian’ or ‘Aura’… you feelin’ okay, Quinny?”

Sabrina blushed at the nickname, though she wasn’t sure why. “Qu-Quinny???” She sent a psychic jab at him. “Don’t you ever call me that!”

Sato laughed playfully as he pushed the mental attack away with a touch of Aura.

“What did you wake me for?” she huffed as she adjusted her hair and clothes back to perfection.

“You told me you had to leave in an hour.” He shrugged. “And I’ve been waking you up every five minutes since that hour has passed… you’re about ten minutes late.”

Quinn looked away, depressed. “I don’t really want to go back…”

“But you said this one’s a big meeting.”

“…I’ll make up an excuse.”

“Not this again…” Sato slapped his hand to his forehead. “This is your third time this month!”

“They’ll believe me if you just…”

“No no no no no. No way. I’m not doing that for you again.”

“Just one! One small one!”

“Quinn, last time you made me hit you with an Aura Sphere – that mark stayed on you for a week!”

“I don’t care. Just do it.”

“You do care! Every day we ran into each other, you had a new color of make-up trying to cover it! You looked like you were growing a rash!”

“…I won’t hide it this time, then.”

He sighed in frustration. “You told me yourself that it was the most uncomfortable week you had. Told me it itched like crazy.”

“…hmph.” Quinn stood and walked to the edge of the cliff.

“Wh-What in the world are you doing?!” Sato attempted to grab her arm, only to be forced back by an invisible wave of power.

“I’m one of the top agents for Team Rapture, Aura. They don’t believe anything can make us late for a mission briefing other than a critical physical injury, or if we end up running into you and your team.”

“So you’re going to kill yourself?!”

She turned and raised her brow. “No. There’s a ledge…”

Sato sighed in relief.

“…halfway down.”

Quinn! You can’t be serious!” He tried to approach her, only to find his body refusing to move. “Quinn. Don’t do this.”

“The organization’s doctors are the best of the best. I can’t fake an injury. It has to be real.”

“Why are you even doing this?!”

“I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK!!!”





Quinn fell to her knees, sobbing into her hands. “I don’t want to go back… don’t make me…”

Freed from her control, Sato crouched down to her level. “Quinn…”

No. I know what you’re going to say.”

“…you can come with us.”

“You always say that.”

His hand moved the hair from her eyes.

He placed his forehead softly against hers. “And I always mean it.”

“…Sato…” She turned away.



Wiping away her tears, Quinn stood. “I have to go now.”

He frowned. “…you really don’t have to go back if you don’t want to.”

She shook her head, knowing he was just forcing her to choose for herself. However, necessities often outweigh the promises of a choice. “If I stay, then I can’t help you. Your team needs me.”

“Can I at least tell them yet that you’ve been helping us?”

“You do and I’ll kill you myself, Aura.”

Sato stood and scratched at his head. “Why? We’ve been doing this for months now! They honestly have a right to know where I’ve been getting all this information from.”

Quinn pointed to her forehead. “I can’t protect all their minds from any Psychic Spies, Sato. It’s only our bond that keeps you immune to them, remember?”

He sighed. “…when will I see you again?”

“We’ll see each other on the battlefield.”

“…I meant as friends…”



Friends… is that all you see me as? “…when I have more information for you.”

Quinn turned and walked towards her motorcycle.

“Be careful… I’ll miss you up here.” Sato pointed to his head.

“You too. I’ll miss you here.” She pointed towards the center of her chest.

The two smiled at their exchange. A gesture of their bond – childishly put, but seriously felt.

Hopping onto her prized vehicle, she let out a long sigh. “Go back to your team, Sato. They might get suspicious.”



No answer. The man had already disappeared.

The world around her had disappeared.

And when she finally remembered her name, Sabrina found herself transported to an entirely new area.

“…Sato.” she whispered. Her emotions sank.

She placed her hand softly against her chest.

“I know you’re still there.”

The Psychic stared ahead, analyzing her surroundings. Walls and corners, paths and dead-ends. A labyrinth made of ancient rock.

Sensing inwards, she felt no traces of Psychic or Empathic energy within herself.

“…still handicapped. I will have to find the exit without them.”

With a nod to her objective, Sabrina began her journey through the maze.



_________________________________________________________



“WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!!!”

“I will not allow you to leave.”

“ARE YOU INSANE?! THE PLACE IS CRASHING DOWN!!”

“And if you go perish in it, then I will have accomplished my mission.”

Sato grit his teeth. “You realize you’d die too, right?!”

“My life belongs to Team Rapture. As long as it lives on, so will I.” Quinn adjusted to a battle stance.

A blast of psychic energy spiraled towards Sato.

He altered its course with a flex of his Aura.

Three spears of dark purple flew towards his head.

“Hraa!” The Aura Guardian shattered the attack with a shield of blue.

A second blast crashed against the barrier, causing Sato to flinch.

“Vulnerable.”

Sato’s eyes widened, noticing the voice had come from behind.

Three kicks. Two for the back of the knees, a third to the back of his head as he crumpled to the floor.

His bodyslammed forward into the ground.

A finger pressed against his head. He could no longer move. “Wh…what??”

“We’ve studied you, Aura Guardian… you’re very effective with your powers.” Quinn sent an illusion of pain to spread throughout his body.

He screamed out. Tears running down his eyes as his body shook in agony.

…however, that’s the only thing you’re effective with.” The Rapture Agent flung her hair to the side. “Without your precious lucario or teammates, you’re quite weak.

Sato smirked. “Vulnerable.”

Quinn’s arm stiffened. “…WH-WHAT?!”

She tried pulling her arm, only to find her entire body covered in a mist of blue and white.

Sato rolled over and grinned at her. “There’s more than one way to use Aura, y’know.”

“How did…” The Psychic’s eyes narrowed. “Tell me how I was not able to read your intention.”

“As far as I can tell…” The Aura Guardian grunted as he lifted her stiff body onto his shoulder. “I don’t think you Psychics can read intentions. I think you can just read thoughts. And me? I don’t really think things through.”

She growled in irritation. “…where are you taking me.”

“Out of here.”

“Put me down! I do not want your assistance!”

Sato began limping towards the exit. “Well I want to give you my assistance! So cry me a river.”

“You fool! I’ll just kill you once I break free from this! It doesn’t matter what you do, I will keep hunting you! You’re a sworn enemy of Team Rapture! Team Rapture wants you dead! I want you dead!”

He laughed weakly in response. “You sure? I don’t think you really know what you want.”

“You dare tell me what I know and do not know?!” Quinn attempted to access her powers, only to find it unresponsive. “Why… Why is it not working?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!”

“Calm dow- whoah!

The ground shook, toppling the two to the floor.

“Ow… geez…” Sato crawled towards the Psychic. “I told you this place was dangerous…”

His hand touched her shoulder.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!!! GET AWAY!!!”

The Aura Guardian flinched. “What is wrong with you?! I’m trying to help!”

“WHY!?” Her eyes narrowed. “Why… You know I’ll kill you. I will!



Shaking his head, he lifted her back onto his shoulder. “Come on, just a little more until the exit… I promise I’ll stop touching you once we get out of here.”

“Stop it… Stop this! I don’t want your help!



“I saw you crying in front of the mirror, Quinn…”

“…what?”

“…you haven’t asked once why I was here… by myself.” Sato’s eyes went dark. “I came here to kill you, Quinn.

Her eyes narrowed. She struggled to find a way to break from his power.

He continued, “You think you’re hunting me? I was hunting you, Quinn. …after what you did to Pikachu… I thought I’d never forgive you.



“…but after seeing you cry… I knew you didn’t mean it. You didn’t want to do it. You were just following orders…”

You don’t know that. I did mean it. Pikachu was a threat to our mission. He had to be disposed of.

“You called him a ‘he’, not an ‘it’.” Sato smiled. “You definitely didn’t just see him as an objective…”





“…I am… sorry.” Quinn fought herself to say those three words. “…no one should ever lose their best friend. Not like that.”

“And no one should follow orders they don’t believe in.”

Kicking the door, their exit swung wide open.

The night air welcomed them, causing Sato to shiver.

Stepping into the moonlight, he placed Quinn on the patch of grass that decorated the front of the facility.

With an exhale, he released her from his control.

Quinn moved uncomfortably, staring at her hands and fingers as she flexed her muscles back into usefulness.

The door they had emerged from collapsed, as concrete and iron tore itself apart from one another.

Sato whistled. “Looks like we got out of there just in time.”

“…th-thank you, Aura Guardian…”

“You can repay me by doing me a favor.”

“…hm?”

“Leave Team Rapture.”

Quinn’s eyes widened. “…wh-what?”

“Leave Team Rapture.” he repeated. “They’re screwed up, Quinn. They’re screwing you up. You don’t seem like a bad girl, but they’re trying to make you into one. Leave before you actually convince yourself that you are.”

“…but… Team Rapture is… it’s my home… my family… who I am…”

Sato scratched his head. “I don’t know if you actually mean that or if they brainwashed you to believe that. But… there are better homes. Better families.”

She looked away, feeling the most unsure she had ever felt in her life.

“…if you want. You can come with us…”

Her eyes looked up at him in confusion.

He gave a nervous smile. “It would take some negotiating, but I’m sure I can convince Farron and Ramie to letting you in.”



Quinn stood and bowed towards him. “I thank you for the offer, Aura Guardian. But I cannot abandon my position. I may be of more harm to your team than help.”

He gave no response, only eyes of concern.

“…but that doesn’t mean I cannot help.” She adjusted her hair and clothes back to perfection. “I can still give you information on anything you need.”

Sato’s face lit up. “R-Really? I have a thousand questions!”

Not now. Not here. And not for any of your questions.” Quinn raised a finger and pointed at herself. “I will give you information I believe you’ll need. I will give it to you when I feel like you need it. And for every detail I give you, you must do me a favor.”

“…and that would be?”

“You must teach me.”

“Teach you?”

Quinn nodded. “You say there’s more than one way to use Aura. You used yours very creatively. Perhaps I can sharpen my Psychic abilities in the same manner.”

Sato blushed. “That’s a real compliment. Well… I accept!”

He held out his hand and grinned.

She eyed him with a frown. “You said you wouldn’t touch me after we reached the outside.

And you said you’d kill me the instant I freed you.

I can still do that.

And I can still touch you. Which would you rather do?



“…very well.” Quinn shook his hand unwillingly. “But don’t you ever pick me up again.”

“I won’t if you won’t try to kill me again.”

“I can’t make any promises.”

“Then neither can I.” He laughed.

With a second bow, Quinn released her grip and walked away.

She reached her motorcycle and pulled a key from her pocket.

Come on, Dice… let’s get out of here.

Twisting her wrist, the machine roared to life.

The roar shattered the world around her…





Dominique found herself standing in a small room.

“A memory of Quinn’s?”

Surveying the room, she found a metal door, a wooden cabinet, a glass clock, and a plastic toolbox.

“…and what is this supposed to be? Her room?”

She approached the door and turned the knob. It jammed.

“…locked.”

A yellow note on the side of the doorknob caught her eye.

Written in black marker, the number “64” and the letters “far” were the only details found on the paper.



“Great. A puzzle room.” Dominique sighed. “I hate these things…”

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:48 PM

Chapter 41: Women

Spoiler:
“This place is beautiful!!!”

Solana excitedly ran off the docks and took a deep breath, letting the calming scent of the sea fill her lungs.

Ritchie followed soon after, pushing the ‘unconscious’ Ash in a wheelchair. “It sure is.”

“I feel like we cheated. This has to be the best ‘mission’ out there.” The Ranger giggled as she spun in place and took in the Island’s scenery.

“We certainly can’t complain.” the male trainer agreed with a smile. “Though we should probably find the Resort Area. Don’t want stay out here for too long.”

“Hm?” Solana tilted her head. “Why’s that?”

Finding a sign that pointed to their wanted destination, Ritchie moved towards a small pathway.

“Remember that this place is called Battle Island. People’s main interest here is Pokémon Battles.” He turned the wheelchair to avoid one of its wheels from catching against an inconveniently-placed trash can. “There are three areas here… the Battle Park, the Survival Area, and the Resort Area. The Resort Area is the only place here where no one looks for a fight.”

The wheelchair got caught on an oddly-placed bench. Ritchie struggled to get it off.

Solana moved the bench aside and helped the male trainer to readjust the chair. “How do you know all these things about the island? I thought you said you’ve never been here.”

“I haven’t. I just read the brochure during the boat ride here.”

The two continued their walk down the narrow passageway.

Ahh… so that’s what you had your face buried in for half the trip!” She giggled. “And here I thought you didn’t want to enjoy my company.”

Ritchie blushed. He didn’t want to admit that he had only given the pamphlets so much attention just so he could avoid her.

Throughout their entire adventure together, the Trainer had always found himself interested in the Pokémon Ranger Solana. From her looks, to her love of pokémon, to her mannerisms, voice, and habits – everything she did and was infatuated him. The idea of a date or even just spending time with her alone would be enough to make him blush and lose concentration completely. It was nothing more than a young man’s dream…

But now she was here… alone with him. On their own little adventure together. With no one to interrupt anything that could happen between them.

And there was no doubt that someone would happen. Solana was interested in him. There was no doubt in that – she wouldn’t let him ignore it. Her extremely obvious hints and forward approaches were impossible to avoid.

But in his mind, Solana was still his senior. An older woman. Someone that he should not have ever had a chance with. Now that she was practically throwing herself on him, he had no idea what to do. He wasn’t even sure if they were together yet – or if he had to say something to make it official. The thought drove him crazy and would only make him more nervous to be around her.

What if I mess up? What if I say something she doesn’t like? What if I’m imagining things and she’s not interested at all?? What if I’m just a stupid, little, perverted boy that’s assuming way too much?!

Her arms wrapped around him from behind.

His face turned completely pink. Wh-What’s she doing???

“This place is gorgeous!!!” she gasped.

Ritchie looked up.

Surrounded by a sea of palm trees and accented by islands of small lakes and large pools, the Resort Area lay in front of them.

Only a few buildings decorated the area, showing off its exclusiveness. Though a single superstructure, painted in pure white, with a massive pink ribbon worn its front, towered above the rest.

“That building must be the Ribbon Syndicate.” Ritchie pointed out. “According to the brochure, this place was reserved for Pokémon Coordinators.”

…er… we’re not Pokémon Coordinators.”

“…well, there uh… has to be a hotel, maybe?”



Looking around, there were no signs of any sort of public accommodation.

“Oh no…” Solana’s shoulders dropped in depression.

Ritchie sighed. “Did Leanne just send us to a private resort that we can’t even spend the night in???”

“Excuse me.”

“Hm?” The two turned to find a young male with green eyes and hair staring at them.

“Can we help you?” Ritchie asked. …even though we’re the ones that we need help right now…

“I wanted to know… is that Ash Ketchum in that wheelchair?”

Solana’s face lit up, though she felt a twinge of guilt for her thoughts. Come on… please Ash, please please please let your popularity land us a free room! “Y-yes it is!”

Her face suddenly turned to dread. No wait! What if he’s part of Team Rocket?! Oh no, what did I do?!

The young man’s eyes narrowed. “What happened to him?”

Ah… er… an accident. Nothing too troublesome.” Ritchie answered nervously. “…and you are?”

With a simple nod, the young man introduced himself, “Drew. A friend of May’s.”



_________________________________________________________



“Thank you again for letting us stay at your villa.” Solana bowed.

“No problem.” Drew turned, noticing the teal-haired woman stand uncomfortably in the middle of the room. “Make yourself at home.”

A-ah, thank you.” The Ranger sat on the couch, still feeling awkward being inside an unknown person’s home.

“So…” Ritchie lifted Ash from the wheelchair and carefully placed him on the other side of the couch. “…you said you’re a friend of May’s?”

Drew nodded. “A former rival of hers.”

“Former?”

“She no longer competes in the same regions as me.”

“Ah, I see.” Ritchie continued to stand by the couch.

Solana patted the cushion next to her.

With a blush, the Trainer stiffly walked over and sat nervously on the spot suggested.

Drew grabbed a few water bottles from his fridge and handed it to his guests. “So what’s your relation?”

“T-Traveling partners!” Ritchie blurted. “Dating.” Solana answered instead.

The Pokémon Ranger gave a shy smile at the now burning-red male Trainer.

“Hm? You’re dating Ash? I didn’t think he had any interest in dating.” The green-eyed Coordinator raised his brow.

H-huh? Oh n-no. I meant Ritchie and I are…” Solana’s voice trailed off.

“Mm. I see.” He took a sip of water. “…my question, though, was referring to your relations with Ash. I’m wondering why you’re carrying him around… especially to an area specifically for Coordinators. Considering that neither of you are Coordinators.”

“Oh. Well, we’re travelling partners.” she clarified. “The three of us, that is.”

Ritchie nodded slightly, gulping the water bottle to cool his earlier shock.



“That only answered half of my question.” Drew sighed. “I’d like to at least know why you three are here before I let you stay here overnight.”

“We’re waiting for someone. A group of people, actually.”

“…Ritchie, is it?”

“Yes?”

“What kind of group are you waiting for?”

Er…

“Is May in the group?”

“Yes, actually.”



Drew stood and grabbed a nearby bag. “I’ll be leaving for the season then.”

“H-Huh??”

Tossing a key in his guests’ direction, the Coordinator began to quickly take various items throughout the large room. “Please take care of the place. Don’t keep the water running. If anyone comes asking for me, tell them to call me on my pokédev. And please no roughhousing, I already had to pay a fortune to fix a hole last time I had someone stay over.”

“Drew? Did we say something wrong?? W-We can leave if you want! We can just camp outside.”

No – no – no. Stay. I insist. Give my regards to May, tell her I’m sorry – and please: Do NOT give her my number.”

The green Coordinator slipped out the door and slammed it behind him.







Solana blinked. “Did we just get a free vacation home?”

“I think we did…” Ritchie scratched his head.



The two sat awkwardly in silence.

“…did you mean what you said?”

“…about us dating?”

Ritchie’s face turned red again. “…y-yeah.”

Solana sighed. “Look, Ritch… I’m not very good at this hide-and-seek game. Do you like me or not?”

She looked away, refusing to let him see her eyes. Worried that he might make a decision he wouldn’t want if he noticed them… as well as to avoid making any irrational comments by seeing his expression. And despite her forwardness, the Ranger also felt a slight guilt for being so plain.

In her eyes, she wasn’t very adventurous. She wasn’t very daring. And she wasn’t very spontaneous.

Her job as a Ranger made her unique and interesting, but she herself wasn’t anything special. With her mind always on the objective, her personality seemed to be far too concerned about professionalism and duty.

This… little crush and interest she had for a younger man seemed foreign to her.

She didn’t know how to interact with it – or how to deal with it. Her cute clothes and constant giggling were her attempts to be charming; though she worried she was trying far too hard.

“I’m such a bore…” she whispered unknowingly.

“I… don’t think you’re a bore.” Ritchie responded, to her surprise. “…I think you’re very interesting. And fun to be with.”

She laughed. “You don’t have to flirt with me you know. You can just tell me you like me.”

“I – I’m not flirting. I mean it.”

Sigh. “Compared to the other girls on this team? They’re going out there to remember a past life that directly affected the universe. And even without that, they each have so much character it’s ridiculous to think none of them are already taken. Only thing I have going for me is my title as a Pokémon Ranger…”

Solana shrugged and leaned back against the couch. “I don’t have any amazing adventures like the other Rangers have every week, and the only ones I can brag about are missions I’ve gotten involved in because of Ash and his friends.”

Counting with her fingers, she began to list even more items of non-interest, “I’m not really athletically talented. I’m not a genius. I’m not hypersensitive to people’s emotions. I don’t know any good trivia. I’m not very witty when it comes to jokes. I can’t even cook that great. And I don’t even know any good hole-in-the-wall restaurants… what else?”

“You know a lot of things about poké balls! And Pokémon Centers, and Training Methods, and Poké Marts that I bet no one else knew!” Ritchie answered with a blush. “You know things that are important. And you care about pokémon a lot… you’re always looking after them even if no one asked. And you’ve saved so many of them in your work! And how you wear your hair’s really… cute. And so are your clothes.”

She shyly adjusted her hair. “I was just trying to be interesting… I’m not normally dressed like this.”

“And the way you keep your back straight when others are looking! But when they don’t, you hunch it over and look really tired until they look at you again!”

“Y-You see that??!” Solana’s face turned pink. “A-Ahh! I look like such a slob!”

“An-And before you get on the back of a flying pokémon, you always press your finger and thumb together tightly!”

“H-How do you know that??!”

“And when you really like something, you always lean on your left side more! And sometimes you try to wear your hair like the other girls you see! And o-one time you tried doing a cartwheel when no one was around and you kept falling flat on your face!”

Solana covered her face in total embarrassment. “H-How do you know all this stuff?? WHY do you know this stuff?? That’s not interesting! That’s weird and pathetic!”

“I… I think it’s very charming.” Ritchie stiffened, trying to gather all his courage to say his next words, “An-And… I r-really like you, Solana! W-Would you go out with me!?





“I may not be good at this romantic stuff, Ritchie… but I don’t think you’re supposed to ask a girl out after you name all her weird habits.” Her face was still covered, and her tone was quieter than usual.

“I th-think you’re very beautiful.”

“Don’t say that. Those traits are really embarrassing.”

“It… shows you have a lot of character. That… maybe you’re hiding someone underneath all that. Like you’re always trying to be professional… but I think that person underneath is really interesting. And I… I want to get to know her more.”

“…you really want to get to know the weird girl underneath all this?”

“Y-Yes.”

“The weird girl that used to collect stamps and rocks?” she groaned.

“I think that’s really cool…”

“No it’s not. It’s really lame.”

“I used to collect stickers.”

“Every kid collected stickers.”

“…I only stopped last year.”



“AHAHAHAAHAHAHAAAAHAAHAHAHAHA!!!” Solana burst out laughing, unable to hold the straight face and somber attitude she really wanted to keep.

Ritchie looked down in shame. His cheeks rosy like a pikachu’s.

Wiping away her humored tears, the Ranger did her best to calm herself. “I – I’m sorry! B-but that’s just really cute!”

The Trainer buried his head into his arms, regretting his confession and wishing to die.

She wrapped her arms around him. “Awww, don’t feel bad. I think it’s really adorable and charming!”

“You’re just saying that…” he whimpered from his hiding spot.

Solana pulled his head away from his arms and kissed his forehead.

Ritchie’s red face switched meanings entirely.

“I’d love to go out with you, Ritch.” She winked. “I think you’re a really great guy.”

“…r-really?”

“Really really. And you know what?”

“…what?”

“I’d love to see your sticker collection sometime.”

“…only if you show me your stamp collection.”

The two smiled at each other shyly.



“…you know, it’d be awkward if Ash was actually conscious for all this.” Ritchie joked.

She snickered. “Why? You planning on doing something with me?”

His face lit bright red.

“I’m just teasing. You can’t have any yet.” Solana gave a mischievous smile.

The ‘yet’ made him nearly faint.

“Calm down, sticker-boy. I’m only joking!”

Sigh. Ritchie frowned with conflicting emotions. She’s going to drive me crazy…



_________________________________________________________



“Did I tell you or did I tell you?”

“You did. You sure did.”

Todd and Gary cheered glasses as they leaned back against the recliners.

“Do we seriously have time for this? It’s almost afternoon!” Tracey placed his hands to his hips.

“Exactly. If afternoon’s coming up, then we have to stay.” Todd tilted his sunglasses and allowed his eyes to follow a woman in a yellow bikini. “…afternoon is when kids get involved. We have to get as much of the good sights in before the tourists ruin the view.”

Gary nodded as if the photographer had given words of wisdom.

The sketch-artist sighed. “There’s not even any room in the pool to swim… and all the other recliners are taken…”

“Isn’t it great? You’ve got your baked goods and your wet goods.”

“Todd, my man, we have to visit each other more often.”

The two cheered glasses again.

“I meant I don’t have anywhere to relax.” Tracey grumbled. “I think I’ll just head back to the room.”

“Suit yourself. You can order whatever room service or movie you want. It’s on me.” Gary carelessly tossed his shoulder bag towards him. “And could you answer whatever calls I get? I’m expecting some.”

“Answer your calls? What if I don’t know them?”

“Nah. They’re just members from Alpha and Beta. They just want a status update.”

“…status update? What do you want me to tell them?”

“The truth? Something made-up? I dunno. I trust ya’ ta’ make the right choice.”



Tracey lifted the bag and shook his head. “Fine… I’ll see you two later then.”

They casually waved in unison.

With a sigh, the sketch-artist left the pool area and disappeared into the elevator lobby.

...

“You don’t think he’s…?”

Gary shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. And I wouldn’t care as long as he’s not barking up my tree.”



The two sat in silence.

Sounds of water splashes, female voices, giggles, and glass drinks filled the void.





“What’s your thoughts on this whole thing?” Todd frowned.

“The mission?”

“Yeah. You practically baited me into going on this trip, and Tracey’s doing it because he’s being all goody two-shoes. But why are you doing this?”

Gary scratched as his head, ensuring to flex slightly as a tan woman glanced his way. “If you had a reoccurring nightmare every night, wouldn’t you want to do something to stop it?”

Nightmare? What kind?”

“Every night I have the same dream… with Sato, Ramie, Maya, and Leanne there. Then I have to go in this tunnel. Dark tunnel. I get lost. Something’s chasing me. Something huge… and it catches me.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“…I don’t remember much after that. Sometimes small glimpses of what happened next – but I never remember it. I just remember the large thing… huge… dark… so many legs…

“You think it’s a pokémon?”

“Not like any pokémon I’ve seen before.”

“…and remembering who you are as Farron will get rid of this dream?”

“Maybe. But I’m not aiming for that. I’m aiming for our destination.”

Todd lowered his sunglasses and winked at a woman staring at him from the pool. “…what do you mean?”

“Sendoff Spring. It feels like that’s where the dream occurred.”

Hmm… then we could be facing something colossal there?”

“Probably. But if it’s from a past universe, I doubt it’s still there.”

“We’ll see then?”

“Definitely.”





“Are you seeing that girl by the hot tub??”

“I have been seeing her, my friend. And she has been seeing me.” Gary lowered his sunglasses.

“No way.”

“I can get ‘er.”

“Bet our next meal you can’t.”

The Pokémon Researcher slipped off his recliner and cracked his neck. “Watch and learn.”



_________________________________________________________



“WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE’S GIRL-WATCHING?!!!”

“Er… uh… I don’t know what to tell you.”

“TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW!!! I’M GOING TO WRING HIS NECK!!!”

“Th-The Lumineon Hotel… ne-near Veilstone City.”

“I’M GOING TO KILL HIM!!!!”



“Sorry about that, Tracey.”

“No problem, Duplica.” The sketch-artist laughed nervously. “Is Iris normally like that?”

The copycat giggled as her figure shook within the pokédev’s screen. “Not really. I don’t think anyone ever told her how much a flirt Gary could get.”

“Do I have anything to worry about?”

“Gary does. You’re fine.”

“So how are you guys holding up over there?”

“Bored. We thought we could find traces of Team Rocket back at the places you guys visited before. But nope…” Duplica shook her head. “…nothing.”

“Looks like Lance wasn’t kidding when he said they disappear completely when they get caught.”

“Oh-ho-ho, speaking of Lance: he is furious at you guys!”

Tracey stiffened. “Y-You talked to Lance??!”

“Of course! He’s one of our main contacts.” She tilted her head. “Why? Are we not supposed to?”

“You didn’t tell him anything important, did you?”

“Define important.”

“…like what we’re doing.”

Duplica shrugged. “How could I tell him that if you haven’t even told me what you guys are doing yet?”



“…then can you keep a secret?”

She leaned in eagerly…

…but so did two extra figures that appeared from the side.

Sigh. “Can all of you keep a secret?”

Duplica, Cilan, and Greta nodded simultaneously.

Tracey smiled, glad that someone finally wanted to hear what he had to say next.

“I’ll start from the beginning…”



_________________________________________________________



I want to be the very best~ Like no one ever was~ ♪

“…what in the world is that?” Solana looked around in confusion.

To catch them is my real test~ To train them is my cause~ ♪

“I think it’s a ringtone.” Ritchie pulled at his pockets. “It definitely isn’t mine.”

“That certainly isn’t my ringtone.” The Ranger raised her brow.

-avel across the land~ Searching far and wide~♪

“…it’s coming from Ash’s pocket??” The Trainer turned and pulled out a red pokédev. “Weird. I didn’t know anyone ever called him.”

“Who is it?”

“Says ‘Unknown’.

“Do we answer it?”

Ritchie shrugged and pressed the Answer-button.

“See! I told you calling his phone would work!” A large brown eye took over most of the screen.

Er… who is this?”

Backing away, the eye revealed to be the theatre copycat’s. “Hey Ritchie! Is Solana there with you, too?”

Tilting her head in, the Ranger peeked into the screen. “Oh! Hi Duplica!”

“Right… that’s her name.” Ritchie admitted quietly.

Duplica gave a dirty smirk. “And what have you two been doing together?”

“…h-huh?”

Solana followed the girl’s eyes, realizing she was looking at their chests.



“O-Oh!” She quickly grabbed the pokédev and aimed it down. “S-See! We’re wearing swimsuits! W-We just went out for a swim!”

It took Ritchie a few seconds to fully realize what Duplica’s side of the view might’ve looked like. The realization made his cheeks turn hot. “Eheh… let me go put on a shirt.” He shuffled away in embarrassment.

Tilting the screen back up, Solana gave a nervous laugh. “Y-Yeah… just swimming.”

“Alright, alright. So anyways…” Duplica looked around suspiciously. “I heard from a certain male artist the whole story of what’s been going on.”

Solana slapped her face into her palm. “Are you serious?! Tracey spilled the beans???”

“Don’t worry – don’t worry, it’s a secret. No one else is going to hear about it outside our little group.”

“Group?!”

Cilan and Greta appeared from the side with a grin and wave.

Sigh… “…so what did you want to call us for?”

“We want to know if all this is the real deal!” Her eyes lit up. “So much drama! Action! Suspense! Magic, mystery, and intrigue! I could make a play out of this!”

“…yes. Yes it’s real. All real.”

Greta pulled the screen towards her face. “THAT’S AMAZING!!! OSU!!! I’M PUMPED!!! TELL US HOW WE CAN HELP!!!”

“Help??”

Duplica wrestled the pokédev back to facing her. “Yeah! You think we’re just going to sit around and do nothing??”

Ritchie popped back in. “Wait… why are you guys all together?”

Solana’s eyes widened. “Yeah! Why ARE you guys all together? Weren’t you all supposed to go back home??”

“And let you guys keep a secret that big without ever telling us?! No way!” The copycat shook her head. “We stayed in Kanto. Trying to find any traces of Team Rocket. Clean-up work.”

“Any luck?”

“No way. They just up and disappeared. No trace whatsoever.”

“Weird…”

“So tell us how we can help your side! Because we’re not getting any bites on our end! Maybe tell us your address and we’ll go help protect Ash!”

Solana leaned away from the screen, mouthing “NO” silently at Ritchie.

…er… n-no, it’s okay. We’re good on our end.” Ritchie scratched his head. “But if you can keep an eye out for Team Rocket, that’d be great. I heard they started increasing their activities in Johto and Hoenn.”

“REALLY?!” Duplica ran her fingers through her hair. “We’ve been looking in the wrong area this entire time! Shoot!”

“Y-Yeah. We could use a bit of help in that.”

“You guys heard that right?” She moved off-screen. “Get your stuff ready and contact Liza.”

“Liza’s with you??” Solana placed her chin on Ritchie’s shoulder.

“Yeah.” Duplica reappeared. “She’s been flying us around. But anyways, we’re leaving right now. So I’ll call you guys later if we find anything! And keep us in contact if anything happens on your end!”

Without a goodbye, the screen flickered black and returned to the menu screen.

Ritchie closed the pokédev and placed it back into Ash’s pocket.



“Did you just completely lie to Duplica?” Solana shoved the male Trainer playfully. “You naughty boy! They’re going to be on a wild goose chase!”

His face turned pink. “Y-You told me to tell her ‘no’! If I just said ‘no’, she would’ve come anyways. I needed to come up with something.”

The Ranger smiled with a soft blush. “I just didn’t want any distractions…”

“Distractions?”

She sat on the couch and pointed at Ash with her eyes. “You saw yourself what having a large group did to Ash.”

“…killed him?”

N-No! W-Well yes… but I meant, you know, he got distracted. Too many people got in the way.”

“…what would we be distracted from? We only have one job.”

Solana winked at him. “Is it bad that I want to keep you to myself?”

His face turned red. “…n-no…”

“Then no distractions it is! …except for TV. Let’s see what’s on TV!” She patted the cushion next to her. “Bring the remote, please~!”

“Yes, dear.” he nodded with a snicker.

“Careful with those words. You might give me ideas.”



_________________________________________________________





“Sorry darling, we’ll have to postpone our dinner for another time.” Gary faced and winked towards the woman wrapped in his arm. “I’ll call ya’.”

Hmph. I won’t wait.” She turned away with a look of disinterest and walked down the hallway.



When she finally disappeared from view, Gary returned his attention to the man in the doorway. “Tell me you didn’t just say what I thought you said.”

“…s-sorry, I just panicked.”

Slam. The Researcher pressed his head against the wall. “Tracey! I swear! Now we have to leave!”

What?? No way!” Todd frowned in irritation. “There’s the boxing match tonight! I thought we were going to watch it at the restaurant!”

“We were.” Gary stressed the last word. “But thanks to Tracey here, we’re going to be killed if we don’t get out of here right now.”

Er… I’m sorry?” Tracey laughed nervously. “But aren’t you overreacting? It’s just Iris.”

Look, Sketchit. I made her the leader of Beta team for a reason. She’s tough, effective, and downright crazy if you get in her way.”

“Why’s she even angry?” the photographer sighed as he leaned against the doorway. “You two in a relationship or something?”

“She thinks we are.” Gary grumbled. “I just went along with it since I needed her as my second-in-command.”

Toddlaughed. “A wise woman once said ‘be careful what you do, ‘cause the lie becomes the truth’.”

“Did you seriously just quote that?”

“Hey, it fits. Anyways, I didn’t think a Trainer of your caliber would be afraid of a little girl.”

“I’m not afraid of her pokémon. I’m afraid of her.” Gary pulled his head away from the wall and shoved Tracey aside. “Seriously. Pack your bags. We’re taking Route 214D. Taxi.”

“But you said we could take the scenic route!”

“I said that before I had a psycho girl chasing me down like a tauros. Now pack your bags or I’m using you as bait.”

“Is she really that scary?” Todd raised his brow in disbelief.

“Yes.” The Researcher answered with no care for explanation. His focus was on gathering items within the hotel room.



Alright alright.” The photographer bumped Tracey out of his way. “And here I thought this trip would be fun.”

“Really sorry about this, guys.” The sketch-artist bowed apologetically.

Gary snapped his fingers rapidly. “Hurry, hurry. Less bowing, more packing.”

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:49 PM

Chapter 42: The Bond

Spoiler:
“…I’ve been here.”

Sabrina sighed as she plucked the strand of hair she had left in a familiar wall crack.

“I’ve tried every path… and they all lead back here or to a dead end.” she whispered to herself.



“Where should I go? Where is there to go?”

The Psychic continued to ask herself questions, though they weren’t for herself.

With every corner and dead end she faced, she planned ahead for what to expect – and for every plan, she sought guidance. Though her powers of Psychic and Empathy were missing within herself, she knew that someone still looked after her. No reality or memory could break the bond she had made with Ash, even if his voice was silenced.

“I’ve already been there…” She frowned.

His answers were instinctual, as if they were her own intuition. Faint, unclear, and nearly impossible to differentiate from her own assumptions – but Sabrina knew they were his. She knew it beyond a doubt.

And though he was just as lost as she was, it was his company that she wanted most.

Without her Psychic powers, she felt vulnerable. Being in an unfamiliar land, she felt alone. Becoming lost in the maze, she felt panicked and anxious. Ash was the only sure thing she had in this world. His usefulness was not what she needed… as long as he was with her, she knew she was safe.

“…Quinn?”

Her bond attempted to help her. Passing thoughts of Quinn filled her mind.

“I’ve already considered the possibility that this maze was based on the memory I was given. But there seems to be no pattern that matches it.”



“…not the memory? But Quinn? I am unsure what that means…”

Familiar emotions filled her. The indifference she felt towards Dominique… The curiosity she felt towards Casey…

“…you believe I can solve this if I act more like the other pieces of Quinn?”

Sabrina stared at her surroundings. “…more like the other pieces of Quinn… I am not fully familiar with them.”

She considered her time spent within the endless maze. Her meticulous plans and constant backtracking were done with obvious knowledge. The maze had to be solved, one should never lose track of where they’ve been, and every passageway could be a trap. To run ahead and simply ignore what obstacles may be faced would have spelled doom for any traveler in this world.

“…but I’ve already searched every pathway. If there is no way out, then what help would thinking as the Agent or the girl d-…” The Psychic’s eyes widened. “…the girl. Casey. Common sense of Quinn.”

Sabrina sat on the floor and surrounded herself in thought.

“If there is no correct path… then where would be the next path to consider?”

She placed her palms to the ground and stretched her back. Her eyes facing upwards mid-stretch, Sabrina noticed the top of the maze’s walls… no ceiling.

“Could it really have been that simple?”

A feeling of excitement sparked inside. “I don’t know if that was you, Ash… but if it was: I’m excited too.” She grinned.

Sabrina leapt to her feet and ran towards the wall.

Hah!Ah!Huhf!! Tah!!



She sighed in disappointment. “I can’t reach the top of the wall… I’m not very athletic without my Psychic abilities.”

A brief thought of Dominique poked at her subconscious.

“…I’m not like Dominique. I haven’t trained like her.”

The same thought haunted her.

“…what do you expect me to do? Just grow muscles and do kick-jump up the wall?”

And again, the thought passed her.

Sabrina straightened her back and rolled her shoulders. “If I break something because of this, you’re at fault.”

Taking several steps back, she studied the height of the wall and pondered the best approach.

Her plans began to fade from her mind. “Wh-what?”



She finally understood.

No thought. Just do it.

Inhale. Exhale.

Sabrina kicked forward into a sprint. One stride away from the wall, she landed hard on the front of her strong foot and tensed her leg muscles as she bent her body and knees downwards. Flexing and uncoiling herself, Sabrina leapt upwards.

Strong hand and arm over wall. Grab. Weak foot to wall. Relax body for millisecond. Re-flex, press off weak foot, shift weight and swing hips sideways. Land ankles, tense lower leg and foot, and lift hip.

Rolling onto her back, Sabrina successfully made it over the wall.

Her eyes wide and an ecstatic smile across her face, she released a heavy breath of surprised jubilation.

“I DID IT!! I DID IT!!!” She laughed in disbelief. “DID YOU SEE THAT, ASH?! I DID IT!!!”

She hugged the wall’s top platform in happiness.

Kreeeeeekekek…

“Hm?” The Psychic raised her head. A door lay in front of her.

“…a door?” She tilted her head, realizing that the door was just a door. It led to nowhere. It stood by itself, with no wall or passageway or staircase to follow it. “…why would they place a door up here?”

Shaking her head, Sabrina smiled. “Intelligence. Confidence. And Common Sense. There is nothing to fear. Only something to face.” Her hand wrapped around the doorknob and turned it… a bright light burst from the doorway and engulfed the world around her.



_________________________________________________________



“I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!” Dominique kicked the door once again. The hollow echo spread throughout the empty room.

She fell to her side and growledin frustration.

“I hate puzzle rooms so much…”

Closing her eyes, the former Rocket Agent considered everything she had solved.

So first there was the key on the cabinet… it was broken into three pieces, but only two were placed obviously on the top. The third was hidden as an odd ornament embedded into the wood… that was used to unlock the toolbox’s hidden compartment… which I only found out after realizing the toolbox had something inside it even though it was empty.

There was a roll of paper sticking off the bottom-corner of the toolbox… pulling it out and unrolling it; I found that there was only gibberish written on it. But what was important was the hole it was pulled out of, which was in the shape of a keyhole.

Unlocking it, I found another piece of paper inside the toolbox… it was a ripped page from an origami book, one for a star. After making a star, I found its tips were sharp yet durable – which was used to unscrew the screw that kept the cabinet’s drawer jammed… and all that was in there were a lighter and a duster spray.

I haven’t figured out what the spray’s for, but I found that the lighter was supposed to be for the doorknob… And I only know that because of the yellow note that said “64 far”… meaning it needed to be sixty-four degrees.

And I only figured that after finding out that the glass clock wasn’t a clock, but a thermometer. But the thermometer’s busted because it’s rising way too slow when I press it against the heated doorknob!

And now all I’ve got left is a duster spray and a piece of paper… and maybe they’re for fixing the thermometer, but I seriously have no idea how to do that!

Sigh. “…I was never good with puzzles.” Dominique groaned as she rolled onto her stomach. Unrolling the piece of paper she had found in the toolbox’s keyhole, she read the unknown symbols aloud, in an attempt to understand it. “X-Nine over a picture of a hand, with thirty-two dots on the right… If it’s asking me to open up the thermometer and telling me how to fix it, I’m going to kill it. I don’t know what an X-Nine is! And what are these dots supposed to be?!”



She kicked at the wall. “SOMEONE LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!”





“X-Nine… over a hand… thirty-two dots…” she mumbled to herself, hoping to figure it out by simply saying it. “X-Nine… hand… thirty-two… maybe it just has to do with the numbers… nine… thirty-two…”

Dominique glanced at her hand. “…five.”



“FIVE!!!” Her eyes widened. “X-Nine over five! Thirty-two!”

Elated, Dominique rolled to her feet and ran in a circle. “YOU’RE A GENIUS, DOMINATE!!!” she howled in victory.

Slapping the paper flat against the cabinet and licking her lips, Dominique exclaimed her answer, “Multiply by nine! Divide by five! And add thirty-two! That’s the equation for converting Celsius to Farenheit!!! The thermometer’s not broken! It’s just reading by Celsius!!!”

Snatching the large thermometer from the floor, she pinned it against the doorknob and stared at the rising dial. “…twenty-four degrees Celsius! Average room temperature. Which makes it around seventy degrees Fahrenheit… that means we need to LOWER the temperature, not make it rise!”

Dominique’s eyes quickly shifted to the duster spray. “AHA!!”

She grabbed it and tilted it upside-down. “These things spray freezing liquids when you turn them this way. Now… let’s see…

Calculating a general answer in her head, the former Rocket Agent smirked in pride. “…we need to get this around eighteen degrees then.”

With a few spits of the duster, the doorknob cooled to its intended temperature.

She immediately grabbed it and twisted.

K-CHNK.

The door unlocked.

“YES!!! I’M FREE!!!” Swinging the exit wide, Dominique found a void of white occupying the other side. “Wh-What the-?!”

In an instant, the room was drowned in white light.



_________________________________________________________



A third explosion sent a massiveshockwavethrough the forest.

Panic and fear spread.

In the sky above, bird pokémon flew from the trees, helicopters fought to regain control, and debris shot away from the shattered buildings.

On the grounds below, uniformed men and women fled on foot, trucks and motorcycles roared to full acceleration, and the foundation split from the tremendous power.

Staring down at the control console, a woman of burning red eyes apathetically readied the next set of overload commands.

“QUINN!!!”



Pulling her hands away from the switches and flashing studs, the Psychic Quinn faced the man she had done all this for. “…Aura.”

“Why are you doing this Quinn?!” The metal walkway he stood on began to bend and tear. The Aura Guardian limped quickly forward and fell onto the platform the woman occupied. “This was our only chance to break away the control from Arceus!!”

“…I’m doing my job.” Her voice was cold, dark, and uncaring. “Team Rapture requires that this facility be destroyed… and I destroyed it.”

Sato stared up at her with confused eyes. Anger, frustration, sorrow, and pain fused and contorted in his expressions. He didn’t know what to feel. He could barely fathom what was happening in front of him. “But… You said you’d come with us!! You said you’d leave Team Rapture!! You promised me!!!

A glimpse of despair filled the Psychic’s eyes. “I did… I promised you!! YOU, SATO!! I promised everything to you. Gave everything to you!! But what future did I have? What future would I have after I left?! YOU BROKE YOUR PROMISE TO ME, SATO!!! YOU SAID I’D HAVE A FUTURE!!!

“I NEVER broke that promise, Quinn!!”

Grabbing onto the broken railing, Sato pulled himself to his feet – his teeth grit. “I never did… You still have a future, Quinn!!! WE –”

WE?! WHO’S WE?!!” the Psychic roared. “There is no ‘we’… You promised me a future, Sato. A future by your side! You said you’d show me the world! You said you’d show me all sorts of food! Luxuries! Sports! Music! Movies! EVERYTHING!!! Things I’ve never seen! Things I’ve never known! Things Team Rapture took away from me!!”

“AND I STILL PROMISE THEM!!!”

Do you?! Are you sure this ‘Maya’ girl isn’t your promise now?!”

“What do you mean?!”

I see how you look at her… how you treat her. I’ve heard the promises you’ve given her! You gave her the promises that you said was for me!! I’ve read her mind! I’ve seen the places you’ve taken her to! The food and music you’ve shown her! The world you’ve shown her!!”

Striking down at the console, Quinn yelled in anger. The machine exploded and shut down – preventing any safety systems from cooling down the other reactors. One by one, meltdown alarms began to ring throughout the large forest superstructure.

“THOSE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FOR ME, SATO!!! THEY WERE MINE!!! AND YOU GAVE THEM TO HER!!!”

“THEY WEREN’T YOURS!!!” He tackled her to the ground. Pressing his hands against her shoulders, he sent his entire Aura to render her body useless.

She fought back, swirling her Psychic power around his mind in an attempt to paralyze him. “YOU PROMISED THEM TO ME!!!”

“THEY WEREN’T YOURS!!!!” Sato screamed out as he successfully locked the Psychic’s body and energy up completely.



They weren’t yours…” he breathed hoarsely. “…I wanted to show you a different world… different food… different music… ones that you would love. Ones that you would appreciate. Not those… those weren’t for you.”

Quinn howled in utter sorrow. Hot tears raced down her cheeks as she continued to cry out like a child. “THEY WERE MINE!!! YOU GAVE IT TO HER!!! YOU GAVE IT TO HER!!!”

“STOP IT QUINN!” He pressed down hard against her. “STOP IT!! YOU STILL HAVE A FUTURE! YOU STILL HAVE A PLACE BY MY SIDE!!!”

She turned her head away, refusing to look into his eyes. Refusing to believe his words. “You’re lying! You are!! You’re just using me!! JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!!!

Sato grabbed the sides of her head and forced her to face him. He pushed his forehead against hers and locked eyes. “LOOK ME IN THE EYES, QUINN!! TELL ME I’M LYING!!! READ MY MIND IF YOU HAVE TO!!!”

His brown eyes shook as tears poured from them. “I’m not lying to you, Quinn… I’ve never lied to you…”

I JUST… I just… I JUST WANTED TO BE WITH YOU, SATO!!!” she shouted at him. “I wanted to be with you! You make me feel safe! Sane! Fine! Like nothing was ever wrong with me!! …but the way you make her smile… no!! I DON’T LIKE IT, SATO!!! I DON’T!!! I WANT YOU TO MAKE ME SMILE THAT WAY!!!

“And I will! I SWEAR BY MY LIFE I WILL!!! I’ll make you smile! Laugh! Giggle! Grin! I swear I will, Quinn! You can be happy with me! You can live your life however you want with me!!”

“I can’t. I can’t, Sato! I can’t live with you when you’re living with her! When you’re around her, I can’t feel it… I can’t feel our bond!! I can’t live knowing that you don’t care about our bond because of how she makes you feel!!”

“That’s a lie! I always care about the bond we share, you hear me?!” He shook her head as his eyes clenched closed. “RRRAAAAAAAA!!! I CAN’T! I CAN’T MAKE ANY OF YOU HAPPY!!”

Sato pulled away from her and slammed his hand into the iron railing.

Roaring out in pure rage and anguish, he launched a massive orb of dark blue energy into the burning buildings below. A whirlpool of bright colors exploded and consumed the impacted structures – suffocating the fires into ash, and leaving a dark tint on the object affected.

The Aura Guardian fell to his knees… his skin turning pale white from exhaustion.

“I can’t… make any of you happy…” he cried weakly as his body slowly slid away from the barrier.

Quinn caught him before he could fall to the destruction below. “Sato… you make all of us happy. But you can’t keep doing this to us… you have to choose. Who do you love, Sato? Just tell me and I’ll move on. Just let me move on… please…

He looked up to her. His eyes straining to stay open. “I… love all of you.”

“You can’t, Sato. You have to choose, you idiot! Who do you love most…”

“…none of you…” he frowned miserably. “…I can’t love any of you more… I really can’t…”

Her eyes wanted to look away. To leave him and just go. Sato was too much trouble. Even with all his promises, he couldn’t have been worth all this… “…why… what do we have to do to make you choose?”

“…I can’t. I don’t want to lose any of you…” Sato shook his head softly. “…there can’t be any other Quinn in my life… just like there can’t be any other Maya… or Ramie… or Leanne… you can’t ever beat the other… you can’t ever be better… You’re nothing like each other… I can’t love any of you better than the other… because you can’t ever compare to anyone else…”

“So you’re just going to keep us fighting over you forever?! You jerk!! YOU STUPID JERK!!! I CAN’T DO THAT! I CAN’T!!! I’LL LEAVE YOU AND FIND SOMEONE ELSE!!!

He responded in a way that she never expected… with a smile.

“…that’s good. I just… want to be there with you until you find them… until you find the perfect one to be with you always…”

And… you can be with Maya. You can make her happy.” She smiled back, completely at a loss of how to feel.

Sato shook his head. “…she’ll leave me, too.”

“What…?”

“I can’t make any of you as happy as I want to… No matter how much I give, it won’t ever be enough… but I can at least be there for each of you until you find someone who can… who can give you everything you deserve…”

“Then… …but… what do you want, Sato? What do you want? Who do you want to be with?”

“…I want to make you smile…” he grinned.

His grin faded, as he slowly fell into unconsciousness.





“…you can’t make me smile, Guardian.” Quinn pulled and lifted his body onto her back. “…not when I can’t make you happy…”



_________________________________________________________



Sabrina opened her eyes.

A still-world of violet surrounded her. And in the center, a woman of pitch-black hair and ruby-red eyes quietly stood.

“…Quinn?”

“She’s not real.”

Sabrina turned, finding Casey and Dominique behind her.

“She’s only a mirage.” Casey shrugged. “Something about us needing to become the real thing for her world to continue.”

The baseball fan’s voice and mannerisms were like her old self… “By the way, Quinn says she didn’t like that little lie of telling her she was dead.”

“Technically she is.” Dominique pointed out. “She’s not exactly living in this world, is she?”

“She’s in my head. And unless you want to call me possessed, I definitely feel like she’s living.”

“How long have you known of her presence in there?” Sabrina approached the purple-haired girl.

“Known? Pff. I didn’t know until I ended up in a giant library!” She rubbed her head in annoyance. “You get into my mind and bring out some old universe person without my permission, then throw me into this crazy place… you guys are jerks.

“So you’ve spoken to her?”

“She won’t shut up. How can I NOT speak to her?”

“…then ask her if she… decided to stay with Sato.

What the heck?? What do you think, Sabby?! Of course she stayed with him! She was there with him in the final fight!”

Sabrina looked away. “…that’s not what I meant.”

Casey’s face changed almost immediately. “I told you to heed my words.”

“…Quinn…”

“We chose not to be with him. Not that way. Not anymore.” ‘Quinn’ frowned.

“…then what did we do?”

“We moved on. We couldn’t provide Sato what he wanted…” She folded her arms. “…so we gave him what he needed.”

“Needed?”

“Our help. Our devotion. Our strength, and our mind.”

“…that’s all?”

‘Quinn’ glared at her. “Stop it, Sabrina. We already chose that Ramie would be best for Sato.”

Ramie?!” Her eyes widened. “Then… all those feelings I had for supporting Angie…”

“My wish. Though you would’ve chosen her even if I hadn’t wished it. She’s the best choice there is for him.”

“…but what about me?”

“I said STOP IT!” ‘Quinn’s eyes narrowed. “…you may be the eldest among this group of women, but you still carry the childishness that I had… you have to grow up, Sabrina. You cannot have him. He’ll never pick you.”

“…that’s why you believed Ramie was the best choice for him… because she’d never give up on him. No matter what.”

We didn’t give up on Sato! Even now you’re still with him. Even now you still feel for him! Even in this universe you formed a bond with him!” Her voice began to change, returning to the young baseball fan’s lighter tone. “Even though everything’s changed, we’re still here fighting for him!”

Tears were in her eyes. She stepped forward in challenge. “Don’t you dare say we gave up on Ash! We never did! And we never will! But we can’t make him happy! We can try! We can try forever, and we’d never be able to make him smile like he does for them!”

“Casey…”

“…but we can be here for him. Be everything he needs.”



Casey sniffedaway her tears and laughed softly, her eyes staring at the purpled ground. “You know, when she wished for me… she wanted to be more like Ramie. A lot more dependable and strong, without being so messed up. But even as I am, I still can’t be his Ramie. He doesn’t look at me the same way… or even think of me the same way…

She stared up at Sabrina. “That jerk fulfilled his promise with you. He made you laugh and smile. You shouldn’t have given him that… we can’t pay him back in full if you keep doing that. We have to move on, eventually, y’know?”

“And what if she doesn’t want to stop?” Dominique’s entry to the conversation surprised everyone. “What if she doesn’t want to stop smiling and being happy?”

“Domino, not you too…”

“I should be saying that to you, Casey! So shut it!” The golden-haired ex-Agent put her hands to her hips. “You’re going around speaking for little Ms. Know-It-All like you already know what’s going to happen and how it’s going to turn out! But guess what? You don’t! And she doesn’t know either!”

Casey’s face changed again. “Who are you to say what I know and do not know?! You know nothing of what I’ve seen or experienced!”

I don’t, do I?! Look here. I may not be the smartest of you girls here, but I know when I’ve been given the rotten end of the stick!” Dominique approached the purple-haired girl and shoved her back. “You probably wished for me to give all my life to that Team Rapture, didn’t you?! Make it ‘all business, no pleasure’, right?! Be professional! Don’t worry about things like relationships or love!

“Well you got what you want! Look at me! I don’t even feel a centimeter of emotion for that Ash kid, or even Sato! Not one little nanometer!” She backhanded Casey. “BUT WHAT IF I WANTED TO?! WHAT IF I WANTED TO FEEL SOMETHING?! ANYTHING?! Why can’t I be happy?! Why can’t I have a guy care for me and love me like I was some kind of human being?! DID YOU EVEN THINK YOUR STUPID WISH THROUGH WHEN YOU MADE ME?!!

“You… you don’t know what it’s like.” ‘Quinn’ growled. “…to put all your hopes and dreams on one person… for them to just tear it in front of your eyes… telling you they’d love you with all their heart, but say they feel the same way towards every other girl he meets…”

“But he didn’t say that, did he? He said he loved each of you for who you were. I don’t know much about love, but that sounds about right to me! You call Sabrina the childish one, yet you’re the one holding a grudge against Sato just because you couldn’t get over the fact that maybe you’re not the best there is – that maybe you’re not the number one of everyone – that maybe you’re just you!”

Dominique pulled at her hair. “Look at these! Look at me! I’m an arrogant little perfectionist who can’t even imagine how horrible I look without my make-up! I dress for success, I keep tabs on what I eat and how I eat, I think I look like a complete mess right now even though I know I look a hundred times better than anyone here, and I’ve even killed someone for calling me ugly!

“And despite that, despite how shallow people think I am, I think Sato was right. We aren’t better than anyone else. We’re Quinn. We’re all trying to be someone different, but we’re still Quinn! Sato’s Quinn!” She stomped on the ground. “And we gave up on him. And that’s why he lost.”

“…lost?”

“Yeah. Lost. Against the darkness. If we were all there for Ash, he wouldn’t be gone… if we were all there for Sato, he wouldn’t have lost Maya… but we weren’t. We all split up and went our own way.”

…because we could all have done better…

Sato’s last words. The universe’s last words. The words that had haunted Quinn to this day. Words she never understood… and words she clung onto as her proof that she had made the right choice.

But now… with the guidance of three mistakes she made… she realized its true meaning.

“I’m so sorry, Sato…”



Casey’s face returned to normal, though tears continued to drip from her eyes.

“…I think I’m ready to try again.”

“Same.” Dominique smiled and held out her arm.

The two clasped their hands together.

Sabrina responded by placing her own hand on theirs.

A fracture of white shattered the violet realm.

With a nod, the three closed their eyes and allowed the bright void to overtake them.

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:50 PM

Chapter 43: The Servant

Spoiler:
As the last traces of sunlight hid away in the mountains beyond, three males climbed their way down from a cliff-side. The first to land was a young man of serious green eyes.

Gary Oak surveyed his surroundings, his eyes locking on landslide of boulders. On a patch of land across a large spring, the pile of massive rocks seemed too specifically placed – not matching the rest of the scenery around it… especially when one considered there were no chunks of dirt or stone to signify where such a landslide could have occurred.

“C-Couldn’t we have just used one of your pokémon to get down here?” Tracey questioned audibly as he dropped clumsily to the ground below. “Ow…

“Quit being so dependent on pokémon, Sketchit.” Todd Snap landed elegantly and stretched his strained limbs. “Use your muscles for once or you might never get yourself a girl.”

“I don’t think I’d want to be in a relationship with someone who only cares for how I look.”

“So you’d rather get her to fall your feelings?” The photographer shrugged. “Dangerous game, my friend. Once you give a girl your heart, they’ll break it and feed it to the murkrows. Better to hold the advantage by keeping the relationship neutral.”

Tracey smirked in honest surprise. “That come from personal experience?”

“Instinct. Us men are built to survive the dangers of life. And women? Most dangerous part of it.”

Gary walked forward, not giving their conversation any attention.

Hm? Where you headed?” The photographer began to follow him. He moved his eyes towards Gary’s target… the pile of boulders. “…that definitely doesn’t look natural.”

“It’s not. There’s a cave hidden there.”

Todd flinched. “…as in… the cave? From your dream?”

Gary nodded. His fingers pointed to different areas of the forest and cliffs around them. “Sato was there… fighting off Team Rapture agents. Ramie was over there with Sato’s lucario… fighting the largest group of enemies. Leanne, on that cliff, trying to keep our signal running. And Maya was right here with her espeon.”

“Wait… so why were we here? What signal? Where were you?”

“I don’t really know all that. We were being chased, that’s all I really know.” The Researcher shook his head and dipped his fingers into the spring. “As for me… I was in front of the cave… I was supposed to check if it could lead us to an exit.”

“You had visions of this place?” Tracey sat by the water’s edge and gave Gary a quizzical look.

“Nightmares.”

“N-Nightmares?”

Sigh. “Whatever’s waiting for us in there… it’ll be the end of us. That’s all I feel.”

“W-What do you mean ‘end’?” The sketch artist smiled nervously. “You mean like… end of the journey? End of the road? You don’t mean end-end, right?”



He didn’t answer.

Click. Vacuum. “Come on out Blastoise!” Snap.

“BLAAAST!!!” the large Shellfish Pokémon roared in excitement. It had been waiting patiently for its services to be called upon again.

Gary nodded to the two young men that stood by his side. “Once we break through that rockslide, the cave ahead is filled with powerful pokémon. I don’t know if I need to remind you, but I’m nowhere near as skilled as Farron was… so we’re going to have to work together if we want to survive.”

The Researcher’s eyes locked with the sketch artist’s. “Tracey, your pokémon will work as our scouts. But I doubt your scyther can handle the battle alone. Take my nidoking. Moves are Brick Break, Fire Blast, Megahorn, and Earth Power. Do NOT use his Earth Power if we’re in a closed area.”

Tracey nodded, taking the poké ball from Gary’s hands.

“Todd.” Gary continued. “You don’t use pokémon, and you still don’t prefer it, yes?”

“I wouldn’t be as effective with them.”

“Then you carry our bags and items. Tracey and I need to be as light as possible. I’m assigning Scizor to guard you once we get in there.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a lamp. “We’re also counting on you to light the way for us. Pitch-black in there.”

“Got it.”

“Alright boys…” Gary sighed as he looked towards the blocked cave entrance. “I don’t really know what we’re searching for in there… all I know is that it’s deep inside. Keep your guard up and keep together.”



_________________________________________________________



“Thank you for running the ramen cart, girls! Are you sure you don’t want permanent positions here?”

“No thank you, Mr. Tanaka! Thank you for the offer, though!”

“Well, the offer’s still open for you three! You really rake in the customers!”

“We’ll see you again, Mr. Tanaka! Hope your business does well!”

Maylene waved one last time and ran up to her two travelling companions.

“Two free meals and enough money to get us a decent room and even some packed foods!” The fighter grinned wide. Her arms wrapped around May and Angie’s shoulders. “Not a bad grind! Not a bad grind at all!”

“Can we finally go to sleep??” Angie massaged her forehead. “That headache I got last night from the construction work is killing me…”

“And that delivery job gave me a major backache…” May whined.

“Yeah yeah.” Maylene patted the two of them. “I know a person at this motel. He can probably give us a discount.”

“Can’t we just stay at your Gym??”

“I wish. But Leanne told us no going back home. Team Rocket surveillance. Danger to the mission. Blah blah blah!” She made a mocking gesture with her hand.

“Does the motel at least have a shower?” May asked with genuine worry.

Maylene stared at her in disbelief. “…of course it has a shower! What kind of motels do you stay at?!

“I’ve never stayed at a motel.” the Coordinator admitted defensively. “I just really need a shower. I smell like ramen.”

“Call it perfume. Guys love the smell of food.” Maylene laughed heartily.

“Well I don’t like it… I need to get out of these clothes…”

“E-Excuse me!”

The three young women turned to find a Nurse Joy running towards them.

“You’re Ms. Maylene, correct?!”

“Huh?” The fighter pointed to herself. “Y-Yeah, I am!”

“Oh thank goodness!” The nurse took one last stride to reach them. She caught her breath with heavy gulps of air. After finally relaxing, she pulled out a device. “You left your pokédev at the Pokémon Center!”

“O-Oh!! Thank you!” She took the item with a bow. “Man, I must’ve left it overnight…

“Normally we just hold the item until the owner picks it up. But considering that you’re our city’s Gym Leader, I thought it would be important if you missed a call! So I brought it to you!”

“A missed call?” Maylene blinked as she opened her pokédev. “Well whattayaknow! It’s all charged up! Thanks, nurse!”

Nurse Joy bowed and smiled. “We’re looking forward to when you open you Gym doors again, Ms. Maylene! The city’s not quite the same without it!”

The nurse ran off, returning to her duties.

Open the Gym doors?” Angie raised her brow. “I thought you said your gym was under construction.”

“It was…” the fighter looked away as if her interests were elsewhere. “…but it only took a week to finish.”

You’ve been off Gym duties for over a month?!

“A little over two months, actually. Maybe three at this point.” Maylene gave a nervous laugh. “It was finished quite a long time ago…”

The tomboy stared at her in disturbed shock. “Is… Is that legal?!

“I haven’t gotten a complaint about it yet.” She shrugged.

May giggled. “I bet that missed call you got was the complaint.”

Maylene stiffened. “Y-You think so?”

She accessed the Missed Calls menu on her device and browsed through it. “Oh. It’s just Leanne.” A sigh of relief escaped her lips.

“Leanne called? What did she say?”

Hmm… she left a text…”





“Maylene?” The Coordinator crouched down and tilted her head, staring up at the fighter with curiosity. “What’s up?”

The awkward silence given by the fighter had turned into something concerning as a frown formed on her face.

“You’re freaking me out here, Maylene.” Angie poked her, afraid to peek at the pokédev’s screen.

Clop. Maylene closed her device immediately and pocketed it. “Pull out your pidgeots, we need to get to Lake Valor and finish this mission tonight.”

T-Tonight?!” Taking a step back, the tomboy waved her hands and shook her head. “No way. We haven’t slept at all since that nap on the flight over here!”

“And I still smell like ramen!” May whined again.

Sabrina’s team already completed their mission. They’re headed to Battle Island as we speak.



The fighter’s announcement had silenced all complaints.

“What the heck are we waiting for?!” Angie pulled out her poké ball. Click. Vacuum. “Let’s go!”

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?!” May growled. Click. Vacuum. “And here I thought we were ahead of schedule…”

Click. Vacuum. Maylene rolled her neck and shoulders. “We’re just behind one team. Let’s make sure we get at least second place, Team Ramie!”

Snap. Snap. Snap.



_________________________________________________________



“How in the world are they ahead of us?! Don’t they sleep?!” Dawn threw her high heels towards her bag and grabbed the sneakers by the door. She struggled to get them on, constantly tripping onto her next foot. “Darnit! I thought we at least had an extra day!”

“Don’t sweat it.” Anabel calmly walked across the room and folded her clothes onto the bed. “If I recall, you were the one constantly saying that we didn’t need to hurry up since we were Maya. Now you’re the most panicked of the three of us.”

“That was before I heard someone actually FINISHED BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED!”

Misty shoved all her items into her bags without a care of order or pattern. “Not only that, but Leanne sounded shocked over the phone… Whatever changes happened to team Quinn, it must have been drastic to make Leanne that worried…”

“Leanne might just be worried since her search isn’t going so well.” The Empathic shrugged as she gathered her bathroom personals. “Afterall, she did call us earlier about how she found nothing in the Eterna Museum. If she doesn’t find anything soon, she’ll be the last team to finish.”

It’s not just that, girls!” Maya’s voice had taken over Misty. Her tone was far more distressed than Dawn’s. “Don’t you feel it?? Something’s off! My intuition’s going haywire right now!”

Shuffling back and forth, the older Empathic muttered the phrase ‘She’s back.’ repeatedly with slight whimpers.

Anabel approached her and held her still. “Calm down. We can still do this.”

Maya’s eyes were watering. “B-But you don’t understand! What if Sato wakes up to her??”

“It’ll be like Sleeping Beauty except backwards and a nightmare for the three of us!” Dawn seemed to mimic the same exact emotion.

At least I know where she got it from. Anabel sighed. “Look you two, Sato restarted the universe for us. Even if he wakes up to her, it won’t mean anything. He’s waiting for Maya, not Quinn.”

“Y-You promise??” Both Maya and Dawn asked simultaneously.

“Promise.” The Empathic smiled. Her lip twitched, as a slight feeling of doubt hit her heart.

S-See! You felt it! I knew you felt it, too! The more experienced Empathic stared at her with troubled eyes. If you feel it too then it must mean this is bad! Real bad!

Maya, keep calm. Anabel did her best to keep herself relaxed. I’m freaking out, too… I know something’s wrong. But going crazy won’t solve anything. We need to keep our heads and heart straight if we’re going to make this count.

What if Sato…

Sato won’t. Sato loves you. You know he does.

But what if he doesn’t?? What if he falls in love with someone else?? He’s spent an entire life as someone else! He might’ve changed his mind!

Hey, we spent an entire life as three different people, and we still feel the same way towards him. Anabel smiled. Have faith in your man.

H-How do I know he’s mine still??

Because we know we’re still his.



Maya’s personality faded, and Misty’s returned.

“Thanks for talking to her.” The Gym leader laughed casually. “I never really know how to calm her down.”

“I was talking to you too, Mist.”

Hm? I’m fine.”

“Don’t forget I’m an Empathic too, Misty.” Anabel gave a caring gaze. “You’re not as strong as you want us to believe… but I appreciate it. You’re doing it for us. And it makes us feel surer of ourselves with you in the head.”

Misty let out a sigh. “Well, we need to stop talking and finish packing…”

FINISHED!!!” Dawn huffed out. Her hair was a mess and sweat dripped from her chin, but behind her, every bag and item in the room was packed and set.

The former and current Empathic blinked at the Coordinator.

“S-Sorry… couldn’t wait for you two to finish your conversation.” Dawn laughed nervously. “So… can we go? Go Go Go?”

Misty nodded. “Alright Mayas, we’re heading for Lake Verity. Forget walking, we’re flying straight there. I don’t know what’s waiting for us there, but I do know Maya knows. Right-”

I – I know what’s there!” Dawn waved her hands eagerly.

“Wasn’t a question. Should’ve told us sooner. You can tell us on our way there. Anyway…” Misty stated simply before returning to her instructions. “Right now our goal is to get there as fast as possible. Make sure you haven’t forgotten anything in here, because we certainly are not coming back for it!”

“And please remember that the pidgeots are not ours, they’re Gary’s.” Anabel reminded. “Please don’t over exhaust them, as we’re not fully aware of how he cares for their health and metabolism.”

Yes, moms~!” The Coordinator giggled. “Let’s go already!”



_________________________________________________________



“So what was that call about?” Solana stretched and rolled onto her back, staring at the young man that sat across from her.

“Leanne.” Ritchie closed his pokédev and sighed. “Sabrina’s team is already done.”

“Already?”

“And they’re already on their way here. According to the call Leanne got, they already boarded the yacht a few hours ago.”

What??!” The Ranger popped into a sitting position and yanked on Ritchie’s sleeve. “I thought we’d get at least three days of privacy here!” She pulled hard and threw him onto his back.

The male trainer stared up at her with a blush.

He had been avoiding lying down on the bed since he first sat on it. He had been avoiding the bedroom since he was first invited. If it were up to him, he would’ve preferred to stay in the large living room with Ash. But now he was here… on the bed with an older woman… with him on his back, vulnerable to whatever she desired. Everything about this felt… too fast.

“Oh don’t get like that!” She flicked his nose. “I just want you to sleep on the bed with me.”

I… I can just sleep on the couch!”

“You’re saying you don’t want to sleep on this huge bed? This huge, comfy bed?? When we’ve been sleeping on rocks and grass for the past few days???”

“…y-you can sleep on it, I’m fine!”

“Ritch, three girls are going to be lodging with us for the next how many days! You’re going to regret not having a chance to sleep on this bed if any of those girls claim it. I know I’d regret it.”

“I don’t need it, it’s okay!”

She gave him an annoyed look.

He didn’t know how to respond.

She wouldn’t let him.

Click.

The lights were off.

Rustle.

Fabric was being moved… and it wasn’t the blanket or anything of his…

Frumf.

Whatever it was, it was on the floor now.

The bed bounced as Solana hopped back into the sheets. Her hands wrapped around his elbow as she pressed her chin against his shoulder.

Ritchie sweated in response. Feeling her bare legs slightly touch his legs. He felt like he was doing something terribly wrong.

“J-Just relax… I just want to know what it’s like to not sleep alone…”

Solana’s voice showed obvious nervousness – the first sign of uncertainty that had come from her since the start of the mission. The growing warmth from her cheeks and her awkward movements surprised Ritchie.

Within the time they had spent alone with one another, Ritchie had always seen Solana as the dominant figure between the two of them. Her age, confidence, and forwardness easily put her in this light.

Yet now… she felt vulnerable.

What am I doing…? Solana wondered to herself as she wrapped her fingers around Ritchie’s sleeve. I think I’m going a little far… We’re just dating! And here I am already wrapped in a blanket with him… I need to calm down. I’m giving him the wrong ideas.

She was about to pull away, when Ritchie’s arm wrapped around her and pulled her close.

Ah…” Solana’s face turned red. This feels… …kind of nice.

A soft smile appeared on her lips as she pressed her head against his chest. It’s really warm here…

The beats of his heart echoed dully against her ear, calming her mind and stresses. …Ritchie…

Throughout her entire career, Solana had seen herself as an independent Ranger. Not as a woman of self-reliance, and not as a competent female authority… but as simply a Ranger.

Gender roles didn’t matter much to her, and she often forgot it mattered to others. The idea of men and women, dating and marrying, relationships and love – were all foreign to her. Her job came first, pokémon came second, and taking care of herself came third. Nothing else mattered – nothing else seemed to be a part of her life. And for a while, she was content with that.

But since Ritchie’s interest in her, she’s felt… wanting.

Emotions and thoughts she never considered before were suddenly front row and center. Memories of feeling alone on her travels, even with her loyal Plusle, came back to haunt her though she never let it bother her in the past. And other future plans appeared… plans that didn’t just focus on gaining higher ranks as a Ranger or expanding the Ranger Academy’s reach throughout other regions, flooded her mind.

The idea of living with him… like this. Crawling into bed every night to be in his arms, or to wrap him in her own. Mornings where he’d cook her a breakfast before she left for her next assignments… Dinner dates and finally having someone to go to the movies with… Going to those little couple-getaways and wondering what she should wear. To have a friend to joke around with and hang out with inside a home or Pokémon Center, on stormy or snowy days. Maybe… get married. …have kids?

Her face had gotten hotter with every thought. Which burned even more as Ritchie would respond by holding her tighter.

She couldn’t escape thinking about him. She felt ridiculous with these thoughts. Felt foolish for even considering them.

I’m a grown woman… Ritchie’s still a youngin’… why am I thinking this?

Ritchie turned towards her, wrapping his other arm around her head.

“Ritch…” she gasped quietly.

This is… really nice. I… really like this.

Slowly, she inched her hand to hold him by the waist.

Solana wanted to be closer. To melt into him. To never be away from him.

Ritchie’s a good man… He’s a little young, but he at least acts more mature than most men…

“You’re beautiful.”

Her heart skipped a beat.

And he’s a total sweetheart…

Solana sighed and rubbed her head gently against his chest, wanting to say thank you with her gesture. Wanting to feel adorable to him, so he could give her more attentionmore compliments… She wasn’t used to it. But she knew she liked it.

I hope that yacht stalls… I wouldn’t mind spending another day having Ritchie all to myself…



_________________________________________________________



Sigh. “It’s no use. None of them are answering. I don’t think any of them have signal.”

“Maybe they’re already going through their trial.”

“Possible.”

Leanne leaned her head against the seat cushion, exhaling her stresses.

“Hey, don’t be so sad. We may not have been able to find anything at the museum, but we had fun!”

“Easy for you to say, Bianca… but you never seem to have a care in the world.”

“I care!” The blond-haired woman adjusted in her chair, turning to face the Alto Mare native. “But there’s nothing to worry about. Dawn gave us a new museum to go to~! And since we’re already headed there, we should cheer up!” She gave a large grin.



Leanne turned her attention away. “Excuse me, cab driver?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“What do you know about the Celestic Town Research Center?”

“Not much, I’m afraid. Museums aren’t my thing.”

“Thank you, driver.”

“No problem, ma’am.” The man nodded and returned to his driving silence.

Leanne gave the blonde a knowing frown.

“…what?” Bianca tilted her head.

“As our gracious driver told us, there’s not much to the Celestic Town museum.”

“But he just said he didn’t know a lot about it.”

“Exactly. Which means it’s nothing special.” She moved her eyes to the window, watching the scenery speed by. “…it’s just going to be another waste of time.”

Bianca frowned. “Leanne? Is something wrong?”

Sigh. “What ISN’T wrong? Quinn is already herself… and she’s already headed to Ash. And we’re not even starting to become anything near Leanne.”

Hm? But you’re Leanne.”

“I meant the original Leanne… Leanne’s not my name, remember?”

“It’s not?”

This girl is impossible… The Alto Mare native ran her fingers through her hair in distress. “Nnooo. My name’s Bianca. I just use the name Leanne because I want to be more like the original.”

Bianca smiled in response. “Oh, I knew that. I just thought… that you were, you know, the Leanne of the team.”

“What does that even mean?” she growled in frustration. In a few more moments, she’d silence all forms of communication with the green-eyed woman. She was only waiting for a comment that would drive her to that point.

“…well, Angie is Ramie. That girl with the purple hair is Quinn. The one with the orange hair is Maya. And Gary is Farron.” Bianca pointed out each comment as if they were obvious facts. “And you’re Leanne, right?”

“We’re all Leanne. And all of them are their respective past-person.” Goodness, the driver must think we’re crazy…

“No, I mean… each of those people is the one that carries that person.”

“Bianca, look, I really have no idea what you’re trying to say. I’m tired. I’m stressed. And I really want something, anything, to go right. So please, say what you’re trying to say clearly.”



The blond-haired woman was deep in thought. Though what thoughts went through them, Leanne doubted were anything deep. But the blonde was her other-self, and that fact alone gave Leanne impossible patience for the woman.

Finally she responded, “Okay, so sometimes Gary would do this thing where he would talk to us like he didn’t recognize any of us. A few seconds later, he’d snap out of it, saying that he was just really tired. I didn’t think he was telling the truth… and now that I think about it, I think that was him turning into Farron from time to time.

“And from what you’ve told me, even that orange-haired girl did that. She’d turn into that Maya girl. So Gary’s Farron and that girl was Maya, yeah?”

“…yes, and?”

“Well… do you ever turn into Leanne? The old Leanne?”

“I have her memories. And I know how she thought and felt. It’s probably not the same thing as the others, but yes.”

“But that’s the thing! It IS the same for everyone else! Why not you?”

The Alto Mare native’s irritation had come back, as Bianca’s questions had begun to return to its vagueness. “…Bianca, I don’t think you even know what you’re asking. Let me rest.”

“But I do know. And it scares me.

Leanne rolled over and stared at the blonde curiously. Scared? “…what do you mean it scares you?”

“…Leanne. I don’t think you’re Leanne.

“Bianca, I don’t think you’re making any sense. We’re all Leanne. How many times do I have to explain this?”

“No. We’re not. We’re all a part of her, but we’re not all Leanne – not yet at least.” Bianca sat up straight and tilted back, allowing Leanne to see the sleeping Latias, the pokémon’s form like their past self. “You have Leanne’s memories, but I think it’s just because of that colorful marble you have. Latias has Leanne’s looks, but that’s just because it likes copying who you are – and you just want to be Leanne. But you’re not!



Leanne folded her arms and raised her brow. “…are you saying you are?”

“…yes. I am.”

Coughing to cover a laugh, Leanne shook her head in pity. “Bianca…”

No! You just keep treating me like I’m stupid. But I’m not stupid, Bianca. I’m slow, but I’m not stupid. You’re not Leanne, you’re Bianca. I’m the one who’s the other way around!”

“…and your evidence?”

“Hand me that marble.”

“Excuse me?”

“Hand me the marble!”

“And why should I?”

See!” Bianca pointed at her accusingly. “You’re scared just like I am! You don’t know what you’d do if any of this was true! But unlike you, I’m willing to find out!”



Leanne reached into her pocket and pulled out a marble of swirling colors. She looked at it with melancholy interest. “…what brought this up, Bianca?”

“…you know what it was.”

A flash of memory ran through Leanne’s mind. Their visit to the Eterna Museum…

Throughout their investigation, she found herself looking through every fact and description of the museum pieces. Notes, sketches, and questions were made for each item on display.

Bianca, however, had an instinctual knowledge for each object. Not once did she read any of the exhibits’ summaries. Not once did she study up on their histories, heritage, or theories. And not once did she question their past… She already knew.

Though the curator treated Bianca like an unknowing child, Leanne knew that the curator was passing up ground-breaking information by choosing to ignore her.

Yet that experience was not enough to say that they were any closer to becoming Leanne.

She considered that Bianca simply could have started remembering those facts by being around her for longer periods of time. And if Bianca became more like Leanne, that didn’t mean much to her – as the blonde would do nothing with it.

In the Alto Mare’s mind, all that mattered was herself.

If she was more like the old Leanne, then they were heading in the right direction. If she thought more, felt more, understood more, and became more of the old Leanne, then she’d use it to save Ash… she’d use it to bring back Sato. And she’d use it to finish what Leanne started…

But Bianca? She wouldn’t know where to begin with such knowledge. So in every way: She didn’t matter. Her changes were insignificant in comparison.

…yet…



‘What are you looking at, Bianca?’

‘That’s where Sato and I first met…’

‘…hm? Oh yes, you’re right! Did I tell you that?’

‘Wh-What? Oh. Nothing.’



The memory haunted Leanne. She found it strange that it haunted her.

Originally, she theorized that Bianca was simply having a mental link with her and was remembering things as she was… but what scared her, was that Bianca recalled it before she did. She knew she never told Bianca about that memory – because she didn’t know it until the blonde mentioned it.

The memory was locked away. Partially out of dismissal of importance… mostly out of denial.

Bianca couldn’t be Leanne. I’m Leanne! I found Ash first… I found… Ash first.

Leanne gasped…

For the darkness, it can corrupt the visions given. ‘Ash’ had mistaken who to trust on his quest…’

N’s words hung over her like a guillotine.

Yet here she is… you can’t escape yourself, Leanne.’

The guillotine’s blade fell, separating everything she had held onto desperately.

She could no longer deny it. She could no longer hide from it.

A ribbon. A spoon. A meteor piece. A photo of Charizard. A newspaper clipping. And a sketching of Ash and Pikachu.

Each a piece to the puzzle that brought the team together. Each a piece of a map that sent Ash and his team to an adventure larger than necessary.

She was one of those pieces… the sketching of Ash and Pikachu.

Ash didn’t need them. Ash didn’t need any of them.

Without them, he would have been able to save his mother and his friends. Without them, he would have destroyed Team Rocket’s plans before they ever became a threat. Without them, he would have been fine…

Sato already found Maya… already found Ramie… Quinn… Farron…

Misty would be Ash’s Maya. Angie and Ash would renew the friendship between Ramie and Sato. Casey would meet Sato on her own terms, absolved of owing him anything as Quinn. And Gary could finally be Sato’s superior through his rivalry with Ash.

And Bianca… the blond-haired Bianca… would she have met Ash eventually?

Ash didn’t need me…

That’s why I wanted to be Leanne… Her hand squeezed the marble tightly as she held back her tears.

B-Bianca…

“Hm?” Her eyes gave a look of innocent curiosity. An expression that made Leanne wonder what the old Leanne was like as a child.

“…if you become Leanne, what would you do?”

“What would I do?”

“…for Sato… for Ash…”

“I…”

She clasped the marble into Bianca’s hands and glared at her in determination. “Because I’d fight for him! Because I’d give everything I had to make sure he was happy! Because I’d thank him for every wonderful feeling he ever gave the old Leanne!”

A feeling of warmth flowed inside their connected hands. The Arceus Drop spun wildly, reacting to Bianca’s touch.

What… what’s going on??” Bianca wanted to pull away, frightened by the strange sensation in her palm.

Leanne’s hands gripped tighter, preventing her from letting go. “Bianca. I want to mean something to Ash! I want the old Leanne to mean something important to Sato! Can you promise us that? Will you promise us that??”

Bianca looked into Leanne’s desperate eyes. Feeling every emotion and thought the Alto Mare native had felt with their past self’s memories…

The brown-haired Bianca… the one who was afraid of what it meant to not be Leanne.

The blond-haired Bianca… the one who was afraid of what it meant to be Leanne.

And the Latias… the one who was content as whomever she was.

Connections. Connections she could see clearly with the Arceus Drop.

Everything made sense to her now.

In an instant, that knowing feeling turned the blond Bianca into who she was afraid to be…

“Bianca…” ‘Leanne’ regarded the Alto Mare native. “…I can’t promise that.”

“Why not?!” Her hands clutched tightly, tears dripping from the corner of her eyes.

“Because I don’t know if Sato will ever care about me.”

“Then make him care!”

“You don’t think I’ve tried?!” ‘Leanne’ frowned. She rubbed her eyes, stopping whatever would have come out. “…I’ve tried a hundred times. I’ve tried a hundred times more. And it was never enough.”

“Then try again! Keep trying!” She grabbed onto ‘Leanne’s shoulders, begging her with her grasp. “…I know what it felt like to be you, Leanne… you don’t want anyone else but Sato, because no one could be better than him… because no one could ever be like him.”



“Do you know what it’s like to be like me? Do you really?” Her green eyes glimmered as a streetlamp reflected quickly against it… showing the tears that refused to fall. “Did you know that I didn’t want to be here again?”

She stared at her trembling hands. “I didn’t want to come back out… I didn’t want to have to face Sato again… I didn’t want to know who he was anymore… but you made me remember…”

“Leanne…”

“…you want us to mean something to him… when we don’t even mean much to ourselves.”

Leanne wrapped her arms around Bianca. Holding her tightly. “…but we do. Latias means the world to me, and I know she sees me the same way.” She pulled away, her hands still placed around the blonde’s waist. “And you’re everything I want to be, Leanne…”

Bianca broke down, pouring tears into her hands. Sobbing loudly. Why?? I’m just some nerd! Just some girl that knew too much about things that never counted in life! All those other girls were so much prettier… so much more exciting… so much more perfect! I’m nothing! Nothing at all!”

“Sato cares for you… that’s why.

“…that’s not true…”

“It is. I saw those memories, Leanne. He cared for you deeply…”

“He pitied me.”

“He didn’t. You know he didn’t. You know he genuinely cared for you.”

“If you really know that, then why did you tell me to make him care?! That’s a contradiction! That’s hypocritical! You pity me too!”

“Because you know what I mean!” Leanne growled back. “I don’t pity you. I envy you. You’re the part of Leanne Sato cares for. But you’re always trying to be someone else… someone he doesn’t care for.”

“That’s not true…”

“Be yourself, Leanne… that’s who Sato cared for most.”



“Says the girl who took my name… with the pokémon who never stays in her own form…”

Leanne laughed.

‘Leanne’ laughed with her.

“…we’re all a little messed up. But that’s okay.” She wiped her tears against her wrists. “That’s what he loved about us…”

A soft feeling of recognition and understanding filled their heart.

“…this is…”

Latias sat up, waking to the same sensation.

She turned and smiled at the two in delight, giving an expression that could have only meant ‘Finally!’

Bianca blinked, ‘Leanne’ fading from her consciousness. “Hey, um…”

Leanne’s eyes widened as the feeling began to spread throughout her body. She gave an eager grin. “I think we did it!”

The blonde tilted her head. “Did what? Oh! OH! Already?!” She looked around in panicked excitement. “Here??! But we’re not at a museum!”

A bright light flashed outwards, engulfing the cab in a blinding void of white.

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:51 PM

Chapter 44: The Protector

Spoiler:
On the docks of the Valor Lakefront, three young women sat and stood impatiently. Each carried mixed emotions and thoughts of the time and settings. They were here for a single mission that required all of them, yet each did it for their own concerns and wants. A fact they all knew would slow their progress.

Shaded moonlight faintly lit the reflecting waters ahead of them, while the lamplights from the resort city exaggerated their shadows from behind. The soft hum of the unchanged bulbs from the nearest lights added a confused fusion of irritation and comfort to the night air. And the smell of wet wood and concrete finished the atmosphere… which punctuated and held the young women’s memories and worries of the future.

Ker-plunk!

Maylene watched as the rock she dropped off the edge sank quickly to the dark depths.

An exhausted sigh escaped her lips. “What are we even supposed to do here? It just looks like an ordinary lake to me.” Her words sounded in disappointment, though it was simply a front she held for the other two. As she considered herself the leader of the team due to her seniority in age and experience, she held herself accountable of her companions’ view and outlook of the situation. In reality, however, she felt relieved.

The fighter didn’t want to be here. She wanted to be by Ash… Though she herself didn’t have as much emotional connection to the young man compared to the other girls, she still held a curious worry for him.

Ash, to her, was right. He wasn’t the best, he wasn’t the strongest, and he wasn’t the most handsome. But he was… right for her. A strange idea to consider as she knows she wouldn’t be as romantically involved as the others – yet perhaps that was the reason why. And it was this distant connection that made her worry for him more. She had nothing to lose if Ash was gone – which frightened her. Like a package she never knew was meant for her, it would be stolen away, and she would never find the true treasures it promised her…

She let out a small laugh, finding it humorous how poetic her last thought was. Poetry wasn’t her thing, yet poetry is exactly how her life felt like when Ash had really come into her life. It felt… right.

And now, at this very moment, the trio that represented the Psychic Quinn was headed the young man’s way. Whether or not their presence and experience would truly make improve his condition – she wanted to know. She didn’t want to be leading a team that would risk her relationship with Ash – she wanted to be by his side and see his changes for herself.

She started this crazy adventure for him… practically jumping off a ledge blind.

She wanted to end this crazy adventure for him… wanting to see where she’ll land.

Right now, she felt blind… blinder than she ever felt.

Maybe it’s just the lake… maybe it’s not just a normal lake, after all.

“You know, even though I’ve lived in Sinnoh all my life… I don’t think I’ve ever been here.”

Angie paced back and forth, watching the clouds slowly drift above her. A cool breeze softly blew against her hair, bringing the scent of water and distant lands. The atmosphere was peaceful and wonderful… hitting her with a tinge of sadness. She wanted to be with Ash. She always preferred Ash’s company. Things never felt the same without him. Things could never be the same without him.

To her, Ash wasn’t just a love interest. He wasn’t just her best friend. Ash was her other half.

He made her feel confident in being herself. Though she was never ashamed of whom she was, she had always felt like an outcast before she met him. In everything she did and everything she was, Angie wasn’t a standard. To the world around her, she was an oddball. A strange tomboy.

Though being a tomboy wasn’t a unique thing in the Sinnoh region, its rough terrain and independent cultures often encouraging a far more masculine behavior in many of its women, she was considered odd due to her non-specialty. Sinnoh’s tomboys weren’t tomboys – they were working girls, strong women, and powerful females. Ones who had titles and promises to hold, goals and destinations to aim for…

Angie was just… a strange girl who didn’t quite fit with the other girls. She wasn’t fully independent, nor did she really want to be. Even when she began her adventure, she doubted her every step – and she never wanted to get used to it.

But with Ash, she wasn’t strange at all. She was just Anj.

Anj was his partner, and she fit that role perfectly. And she wanted to get used to it. She wanted to depend on him, just like how he depended on her. The idea of being married to him didn’t seem so strange. The idea of always being with him only felt natural. And the idea of running her parents’ Day Care Center with him… was one future that she wouldn’t have minded at all.

But Ash wasn’t here. And though she was with young women that supposedly shared a past life with her – she still felt awkward without her partner. Angie couldn’t stay Angie without Ash… because she was simply that strange tomboy that never quite fit, without him.

I’ll be back soon, Ash. I just need to get this done first.

Maylene yawned. “You know what? I don’t think I’ve been here either! These kind of fancy places aren’t really my thing.”



Tilting her head back, the fighter glanced at the female Coordinator that occupied a distant portion of the dock. “Hey May. Wassup? You haven’t talked since we got here.”

“Hm? Oh nothing…” She placed her hands to her cheeks as a blush appeared. “Just reminiscing.

Of the three girls that held the banner of Team Ramie, May was the one that stood out most.

Unlike the other two, she was the standard feminine. She was emotional and expressed it openly, her habits and interests fit well with the pop culture of young women, and her body was definitely the most obviously female within the group.

Her reasons for joining this mission weren’t hidden like the others – it was crystal clear despite her never uttering a word about it in recent events. Because just like her intentions for the mission, her intentions for gaining a relationship with Ash was crystal clear.

To the other girls, May was one of “The Three”. The three that had spent the most time and had the most experience with Ash. Any girl could argue why they were the best – any girl could argue that they had the most intimate moments with him – any girl could argue that they had the most passion for him… but if you weren’t one of The Three, you had to wait in line.

The Three had special privileges. And if you ignored them, they could easily use their history and their knowledge of Ash to regain the advantage. You never crossed The Three.

But with strength, comes weakness.

The Three were also known to have rejected and avoided romantic relations with Ash. Despite having spent the most time with him and having plenty of moments alone – none of them ever deepened their relationship with him in those events. They had every chance, and they never took it. And that put them on the depressing roster of “just friends”.

Except for May. She may have been like other girls in culture and mannerisms, but she shared one thing that made her belong to Team Ramie: She was the exception.

Ash knew full well of her interest in him. And with every private moment they had together, she only made it more obvious to him. May wanted to be Ash’s. There was no denying that – and no need to explain it. It was the only reason why she was here. It was the only reason why she kept going. And the only reason why she accepted her place in Team Ramie.

Ramie fights for Sato… and I’ll always fight for Ash.

“You saying you’ve been here before, May?” Maylene’s question snapped the Coordinator back to reality.

Mm-hm!” May happily pointed in one direction. “That’s where the boat I arrived on docked. When Ash and Dawn were competing for the Wallace Cup, I came over to compete as well.”

So… you wouldn’t happen to know why we’re supposed to be here, would you?”

Mm…” She tapped at her lip, in thought. “…there is the legend of the Lake Guardians.”

“Lake Guardians?”

“Yeah. The Lake Guardians.” May tilted her head, giving a confused expression. “…you haven’t heard of the Lake Guardians?”

Maylene turned towards Angie. The tomboy shrugged in response.

“Nnope.”

“Neither of you have heard it?? Not even from Ash??! Not even from the news??!

…er… did something important happen here?” The fighter laughed in embarrassment.

“Team Galactic! When they tried to steal the three Lake Guardians!? Those ring any bells??”



“N-Not really…”

May slapped her palm to her face. “I’m not even from the Sinnoh region… and not only have I been to this resort, not only do I know a Sinnoh-exclusive legend, but I also watched the news that related to this place! What in the world did you two do during that time??

“Hey, I had a Gym to run.” Maylene folded her arms and shrugged.

“And I had a Day Care to help run.” Angie defended.

“It doesn’t take that long to watch the news, y’know.” The Coordinator sighed. “And you’d think Sinnoh natives would know their own legends!”

“Will you just tell us what the heck a Lake Guardian is?”



May shook her head in surrender and straightened her back. “The Lake Guardians are pokémon that Arceus created. They embody the three things all living things possess: will, emotion, and thought. Each major lake in the Sinnoh region contains one of these Lake Guardians.”

Walking forward and presenting the lake with her hand, May explained, “Lake Valor, for instance, has the pokémon Azelf. The pokémon that represented willpower.”

Ohhh…” Maylene grinned in understanding. “I didn’t know that was actually a real legend. I just thought that was just a story they told to kids!”

“Yeah, even I was told that story when I was little!” Angie nodded.

“Well it wasn’t just a legend…” May continued. “Azelf called on Ash for protection when Team Galactic threatened to capture it. Uxie called on Brock. And Mesprit called on Dawn. Together, they were able to save them from the clutches of Team Galactic.”

Angie’s eyes were wide with surprise. “Why in the world hasn’t anyone told me about this?!

Man!” Maylene punched into the air. “I wish I was there to see that! So why in the world does no one else know about this?? They saved Legendary Pokémon!”

They do know about it.” May grumbled. “It was ALL OVER THE NEWS!

“Was it?” The fighter awkwardly scratched her head. “I guess I must’ve missed it…”

“Same here…” Angie laughed quietly.

So… about this Azelf… what did it look like?”

May raised her brow at Maylene. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen it myself.”

“Well did Ash describe it?”

Yeah… but I don’t exactly remember…”

“…blue head?”

“…I think.”

“Red gem on its forehead?”

“Yeah…”

“Gold eyes?”

“Yeah! Exactly! But how do you know what…” May sighed. “It’s behind me, isn’t it?

“Floating above your head, actually.” Maylene laughed.

The Coordinator looked up… the Willpower Pokémon stared down at her in playful curiosity.

May quickly tried to grab it, only to be smacked in the face by one of its two tails. “Ow!” She immediately stumbled over, nearly falling into the water.

Maylene dashed forward and dove towards it. “I gotcha’!”

Azelf spun downwards, avoiding the fighter and whipping her back with its tails.

She fell into a roll and ended in a crouch. “…owww… that stung!” Maylene rubbed her back.

“Quick, Anj! Catch it!” May shouted out.

“…why?”

“What do you mean why??”

“What would catching it do?”

The Lake Guardian hovered towards the tomboy. Their golden eyes locked and gazed deep into one another. Within this moment, they felt an instant connection… as if the two knew each other somehow, but not exactly in the same way.

Angie’s eyes widened. An expression of understanding slowly growing on her face.

“…been a long time, Zelf.” ‘Ramie’ greeted her old friend.



_________________________________________________________



“So you and Azelf were friends in the previous life?” Maylene asked, though her attention was taken by the swirling wall of blue energy that surrounded them. The platform they stood on seemed to have no texture or color, only made of an invisible floor that windowed an empty void of white below. And no matter how much or how fast they walked, they never got any further or any closer from the blue walls.

“That’s right.” ‘Ramie’ smirked. “Zelf really helped me through a tough time in my life. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without him.”

“Azelf’s a boy?”

The Willpower Pokémon and ‘Ramie’ tilted their head at the same time.

“Boy?” The Fighter scratched her chin. “Not really. I just call Azelf a ‘him’. ‘Her’ doesn’t really fit him. Zelf doesn’t have a gender. None of the Lake Guardians do.”

“Wait…” May decided to add her own conversation. “…I thought everyone forgot what happened in the old universe. Even Arceus forgot! So how does Azelf remember??”

“He doesn’t. Even I don’t remember what exactly happened.” ‘Ramie’ shrugged. “But I do know that I’m only aware about any of this because I’m near Zelf here. Same goes for him… If I left, I’d bet we’d forget instantly. Only one I wouldn’t be surprised to keep remembering is Uxie and Quinn.” She gave a slight laugh.

“But… don’t you need to keep remembering who you were, Ramie? I mean, that is why we’re here.”

“Eheh… honestly, I wouldn’t really know how to do that.” The Fighter looked towards the Lake Guardian for guidance. “Zelf? Would you know?”

“Azelf!!” It nodded excitedly.

“Yes!” ‘Ramie’ gave the Lake Guardian a high-five. “You rock, Zelf!”

Maylene flinched, noticing the swirling blue closing in on them. “Um…”

“Everyone get ready!” The Fighter smirked. “This is going to be interesting…”



_________________________________________________________



“Sato!! Sato wait!!”

“Nyeh nyeh! You can’t catch me!!”

“Satooo!! Give it back!!”

Fuh-DFF.

Owww…

“Huh?! Are you okay, Amy?!”

A small boy of raven black hair sprinted quickly to aid the injured girl.

Having tripped on a small rock, the little Ramie curled up tightly on the rugged dirt trail. Knees scraped and red, she blew at them in the hopes to relieve the burning sensation.

“Oh no… I’m sorry, Amy!” Sato pulled her up-right and began blowing as well.

Ow! Stop it! It hurts with your breath!” She pushed him away clumsily and hid her wounds. “And it’s Ramie! Not Amy!”

He tilted his head in confusion. “I like Amy better… it’s easier to remember.”

“What’s so hard about ‘R’s?? You’re so dumb.”

I’m not dumb! Ramie. Rrrramie! See?? I can say ‘R’s!”

Ramie gave him an odd look. “…it sounds weird when you say it. Call me Amy.”

Ugh! Make up your mind! … oh right!” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a marble of red and blue. Holding it towards her, he smiled. “You can have it back.”



She turned away with a pout. “I don’t want it.”

“What?? Why not?? It’s yours!”

“I didn’t catch you, so I can’t have it back. You’re just being nice cuz I fell.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Hmph.” Ramie stood, giving a slight wince at the pain in her knees. “So I don’t want it anymore. You can have it.” She turned and began walking away.

“I don’t want your stupid marble!”





Ramie began crying, becoming louder with every passing second.

“H-huh?? Did I say something wrong??”

“IT-IT’S NOT ST-STUPID!!!” she wailed loudly. “Y-Y-YOU’RE STUPID!!!”

“Pl-please don’t cry! You’re going to get me in trouble!”

She howled louder.

“I’m sorry! I’m SORRY!” He shoved the marble into his pocket. “See! I’m keeping it! I’m the one that’s stupid! Not the marble!”

Ramie stared at him angrily, still sobbing, but far quieter. “…you’re mean!”

“I’m very mean! Now please stop crying. Please!”

She rubbed her tears against her sleeves and pouted. “Fine. But you better keep that marble! Or I’m going to cry again!”

“I will! I promise!”

“You swear?” She glanced at him with one eye.

He nodded eagerly. “I cross my heart and hope to die! Stick a weedle in my pie!”

“Good.”

“Ramie, dear! It’s time to go!”

“Sato!! Say bye to your friend now~! It’s time for dinner!”



A frown formed on the young girl’s lips. “I have to go now…”

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

…I’ll miss you…

“Huh?”

Ramie leapt forward, wrapping her arms clumsily around Sato.

Eww, what are you doing, Amy?!”

She pulled away and pouted. “You better keep that marble!”

“Yeah yeah. Just don’t hug me anymore! That’s gross.”

With the quick bow that her mother taught her, Ramie turned and ran towards her parents’ car.

Sato waved. “Bye Amy!!! I’ll see you tomorrow!!!”

“IT’S RAMIE, DUMMY!!!”

“Make up your mind!!!”

Clu-lunk.

Gu-donk.

Ramie had entered the car and closed the door behind her. She sat obediently with a proper posture as she buckled the seatbelt instinctually.

Her mother looked over the front seat and smiled. “Did you have fun, dear?”

“Yes, mommy.” she answered bashfully, just like how her mother taught her.

“You did remember to tell Sato that this would be your last day together, yes?”

…mm…

“Because this is your last chance to tell him. We’re heading straight to the airport from here, darling.”

…yes… I told him, mommy.” Her eyes looked away, afraid to lie to her mother, as she had never lied to her before. But this wasn’t anything against her mother. She had to lie for Sato. She had to lie for herself. Because telling the truth meant she had to face it.

And she didn’t want to face a life without Sato… her best friend… her only real friend.

But her father had a new job, and they had a new home. She didn’t know why – she couldn’t really understand why no matter how many times they explained it to her.

So she just pretended she did. She did it for her mother and father. But she lied for herself and Sato.

She wanted to cry. To cry as loud and as long as she could. Until she couldn’t cry anymore.

She was going to lose her best friend. She was going to lose her only friend.

And though her mother had turned back and no one would see her cry… Ramie wouldn’t let herself.

Sato doesn’t like it when I cry… so I won’t cry…



_________________________________________________________



She covered the pillow tightly around her ears, trying to block out the sounds. The screams, the shouts, the yells, the arguments, the breaking of items, the cries for help and empty threats meant to scare the other. She wanted it all to go away… but the pillows were never enough. Burying her face into another pillow and screaming would always be better – but she was so tired of that.

No matter how many times her parents would fight, Ramie would never get used to it. She thought she could. That if she listened to it enough times, she’d get used to the sound and learn to ignore it. But it wasn’t the shouts and screams that she had to get used to… it was their emotions.

So much hate. So much anger. So much misery. They’d never get anywhere – they never want to get anywhere. They’d fight and fight and fight, only just to fight again. It never solved anything because it was never meant to solve anything. And though they’d fight almost every day, they’d mean it every time. She could never get used to the emotions, because the emotions were meant every time.

Ramie hated her family. She hated everything about it.

Throughout all her life, she did as mother and father told her to. She was perfect, respectful, presentable, and worthy of being called their daughter. And though it was fake – and though it was pretend, she did it because she loved her parents. She didn’t know why she did, she just did – and so she would do as they say.

But it didn’t matter…

Mother and father would always fight. In the end, they would always fight.

She thought if she got better, more perfect, more respectful, more presentable, and more worthy of being called their daughter – they’d stop fighting. But they never did. And they never would.

They’d tell her it wasn’t her fault. They’d tell her she had nothing to do with it. But she knew it was her fault. She knew she had everything to do with it. They stayed together only for her, and they hated that they ‘had’ to. They would put on fake smiles and give false compliments when they were in public… then they’d bribe her to keep quiet with their presents. Their shallow presents that had lost all meaning to her…

A part of her would keep telling herself that they did it because they loved her. That they were doing all this just so they could keep her happy. But that part of herself was a liar. If they really did care for me, then why don’t they ever give me the things I really want? If they really did care for me, then why don’t they even know who I really am? If they really did care for me, then why did they forget today was her birthday…? Why would parents who love me fight on my birthday?

They don’t love me… they love themselves and their image… they love their perfect little daughter with the insincere smiles and the fake stories that made their family seem perfect. Always so perfect. When it was rotten to its core.



The sound had stopped. No more yells, no more screams, no more fighting.

Her parents had left.

Stormed out of the house. One went to drink with friends. The other would disappear to another town for a few days. Just like clockwork, as they would do this after every giant argument.

And it was the few times in Ramie’s life that she could relax and be herself…

No pretty dresses, no proper-proper manners, and especially no more uncomfortable fancy shoes and slippers!

She kicked her footwear across the room and peeled off her socks. Her toes wiggled as they felt the heavenly soft carpet beneath her feet. “Ah~ so much better…”

After rushing out her room and sneaking through each hall and area of her house, she had finally determined that the house was indeed empty.

“Hey Zelf! Coast is clear!!”

In a flash of light, a strange pokémon of blue and light blue colors sparkled into view. “Azelf!”

Ramie hopped up and snatched her best friend and only friend from the air, wrapping her arms tightly around it. “I’ve missed you so much, Zelf!”

“Azelf! Azelf!” it agreed with a smile and slight snuggle.

“Do you know if they locked me in?”

The strange pokémon gave her an obvious look.

Sigh. “I know, I know… but I have to ask!” She walked over and twisted the doorknob, only to find it unresponsive. “Ugh… I know they’ll forget again one day.”

Ramie was locked-in, once again, as always. Her parents, who were either overprotective of her or their own image, had a custom-made security for the house. It not only bragged bullet-proof windows and break-in-proof doors, but all forms of entrance were also secure from all forms of exit. No one could get in – and no one could ever get out as long as the father locked down the home. And after every argument, he would.

And only once did he fail to do so. And on that day, the lonely Ramie met her best and only friend Azelf. Since then, the two were inseparable… except when her parents were home. She knew if they ever found out she had come into contact with one of “those disease-ridden pokémon”, they’d never allow her to see him again… and though the pokémon had the useful ability to shift through walls, she knew her parents would find a way to stop him.

…they always found a way…

She cradled Azelf and petted its gem with curious infatuation.

Azelf was a strange creature. From everything she ever snuck on the information of pokémon, he didn’t seem to fit any category or breed – though she wondered if that was just because she never got that much information in the first place. Even if it wasn’t that, it was the fact that he could shift through walls and even take items from the outside into the inside and vice versa: but he couldn’t do for her.

He’d always tell her that it had something to do with the ‘will of your parents’… he was always blocked by ‘will’, though she had no idea what that meant.

Ramie wasn’t even sure how she understood the pokémon sometimes. On some days she could, on some days she couldn’t – and she wouldn’t really notice when it was one or the other. She just assumed that all pokémon trainers had that kind of connection with their pokémon.

But Azelf wasn’t her pokémon… Azelf was her friend.

And even if she could be a trainer, Azelf wouldn’t be able to be her pokémon. The strange pokémon had a job. Always busy. Always working. He could never travel the world with her even if she could. …yet Azelf always had time for her on the days her parents were gone.

“How is work, by the way, Zelf?”

It tilted its head and sighed.

“Rough, huh?” She tickled its stomach. “…do you work in that lake out there or do you actually travel?”

Azelf shrugged and tilted its mouth.

Both? …I’m thinking you said both. Or maybe.”



The strange pokémon’s eyes widened. It gave a smile and pointed at one of the walls excitedly.

“Huh? What is it, Zelf?”

Shifting quickly through the wall, Azelf vanished in a swirl of colors.

Before she could worry if he’d ever return, the pokémon reappeared, dragging a large bag. Considering that even he was having a hard time with the bag, it was obviously heavy.

“Whoah! What is that thing?!”

BOMF. The bag crashed to the floor, its zipper breaking open from the impact.

Inside were hundreds of slips of white. Some with strange colors on some corners, and some with poor drawings and writing all over.

“Zelf? What is this thing? Where did you get it??”

‘Hidden. Not meant to find. Today, meant to find.’

“Hm? What’s that mean?” She pulled one of the slips of paper out, realizing what it was. “A letter?”

To Ramie’s surprise, the bag was full of letters…

To Ramie’s shock, they were all addressed to her…

To Ramie’s alarm, they had all come from a single person… Sato.

The name made her heart skip a beat. “Sa…to… … I haven’t heard that name in so long…



“…Zelf? Where did you find this? Tell me…”

‘Your mother. Always got. Conflicted to give to you. Or. To throw away.’ The pokémon’s eyes were glowing bright, doing its best to convey its message… which it often said was difficult in a house so full of will. ‘To make self feel better… mother hides. Gives her power and knowledge.’

Ramie wanted to yell. Wanted to scream. Wanted to tear the house in response to what she was hearing from her best friend, her only friend. But…

…now I have all these letters… from Sato…

She picked up the newest looking letter and opened it.

‘Hey Amy,’ Her heart skipped another beat. Sato…

‘I know you still don’t want to talk to me. But I just wanted to let you know that today’s my last day of being able to write to you. You know that guy I told you about a few letters back? Well, he says it’s time for me to start my Aura Guardian training… …I’m a little nervous, but I’m definitely excited too. My mom’s worried sick, but she trusts me as always. I won’t be going alone, though! Pikachu’s coming with me! And the guy said that after I earn it, I’ll also get a riolu. I don’t know what that is, but I heard it’s a pokémon that uses Aura. Kinda like me! Isn’t that crazy? And here I thought only me and that guy could use it. Ah, I’m running out of space on this paper! I just wanted to say goodbye. I don’t know where he’ll be taking me or how far away it is. But I just want you to know that you’ll always be my friend, Amy! And who knows, maybe you’ll finally let me visit sometime. I’ll look forward to it. Have an awesome life! Take care of yourself! I’ll miss you.’

‘Sincerely,’
‘Sato’






“Sato…”

Ramie pressed the letter against her chest. Wishing dearly that she could tell him everything that has happened in her life. Begging the letter to let her see him one more time before he disappeared forever. But it was just a fantasy…

The letter, even if new, was already months old. Wherever Sato was, he was long gone…

And though she couldn’t tell him all her stories and disprove all the lies her parents fed him and his mother… Sato gave her all his stories. And though were hundreds of them… they’d never be enough.

I promise I’ll read all of them, Sato…

Ramie grabbed the closest letter and opened it.

The paper inside was a stationary with different Water Pokémon on its borders. Something she considered to be far too childish and cute for a boy, though she wondered if he had chosen it so that she would like it. The thought made her giggle.

His sloppy writing and poor attempt at art was laughable, but she found it endearing.

With a smile, she began reading the letter.

‘Hey Amy!’

‘You know, I still have that marble of yours…’



_________________________________________________________



The roars of the crowd. The heart-pounding music. The spotlights. And the sparks of excitement in the atmosphere.

She was about ready to break down the doors with all the energy that filled her every muscle and vein.

No, wait for it girl… wait for the intro…

“And now!! The moment you’ve all been waiting for!!!”

Cries and shouts exploded from the audience.

“Our Champion of Champions! The Queen of Kicks! The Persona of Punches! The Gaia of Grapple! The one and only Undefeated of Valor Arena –

“MEEEEETEEEEEEOOOOORRR RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAMMIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

With the boom of applause, Ramie tackled through the doors. She greeted the flooding cheers with her signature howl and flex.

She was pumped. Absolutely pumped. Electricity ran through her every fiber as her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. It had been a long time since she’s been challenged – and she was going to savor every single second of this event. Like all her other victories, she’d remember it from start to finish.

“Will our challenger be able to face The Champ?! I seriously hope he doesn’t believe so! This crowd hates the ignorant!”

“Now I wouldn’t be so quick to rule him out, Tom! This masked challenger has single-handedly defeated every opponent he’s faced without ever once being knocked out.”

“Are you doubting The Champ, Bob??? You best watch your words or the audience might just boo you out of the booth!”

“There is no way I’m doubting Meteor Ramie, Tom! But I am saying that we might just get the fight of the century here!”

“Well that is what the fans paid for. So let’s hope so!”

Ramie leapt into the ring, showing off her acrobatics and skill by launching several kicks before landing.

The crowd went wild in response.

She smirked and waved to the audience, sending a kiss and wink towards some cameras.

“Quite the entertainer, aren’t you?”

Ramie’s brow twitched. She turned and faced her opponent. “You’re one to talk, ‘masked challenger’. A bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

“I don’t need the popularity. I came here for you.”

She grinned. “Ahh, so a fellow Fighter who just wants to test their skills? Sorry to disappoint you, but you’ll find that I’m more than just a test.”

“Actually, I should be the one apologizing. I’m not a Fighter.”

“Then I must be deaf, because I’m pretty sure I heard your nice little perfect score. And the only ones who can get that are Fighters or cheats…” She cracked her knuckles. “And if you’re a cheat, I’ll make sure every limb of yours would be incapable of cheating by the end of this Round.”

“I am no Fighter and I am no cheat. My name is Rau, I am sure you have gotten my letters?”

Ramie rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck. “Really? You again? You just don’t know when to give up, do you? For the last time, NO. I am not interested in helping you in your little expedition. As you can see, I already have a job.”

“That is why I’m here… care to make a wager?”

“No gambling in my Arena, freak.”

“It’s a simple one that you might enjoy…” He raised one finger into the sky and shouted out to the crowd, “ONE PUNCH! JUST ONE PUNCH IS ALL I NEED TO TAKE HER OUT!!!”

Boos, hisses, and jeers detonated from the furious audience.

“DID YOU HEAR THAT?! THE MASKED CHALLENGER JUST BRAGGED THAT HE COULD TAKE OUT THE CHAMP IN JUST ONE PUNCH!!!”

“I HEARD IT TOM! BUT I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE MY EARS!!”

“THIS MAN IS JUST ASKING FOR A DEATH SENTENCE!!!”

Ramie laughed loudly. “You seriously believe that?!”

“If I am able to do it, you will come with me.” Rau bowed.

“And if you won’t be able to?”

“Then the crowd still gets to see the fight they paid for. And you might just be able to hurt me.”

“Quite arrogant, aren’t you, Mr. Rau?”

“Do you accept?”

A referee climbed into the arena and raised his hands. “Fighters! To the center!”

“THE MATCH IS ABOUT TO BEGIN, FOLKS!!!”

Rau walked towards the center with a calm and cool attitude.

Quite the opposite, Ramie charged to meet her opponent with a fiery temper.

“No blows below the belt! Rounds start and end by the bell! No corner hugging! And a ten mark count for knock outs!” the referee instructed quickly, as he too wanted to see the result of this match. “Fighters, fists!”

The two stage rivals raised their fists and pressed knuckles.

“I accept, Rau.” Ramie hissed. “Get ready to have more than just your pride broken.”

“Distance!” With slight pushes, the two Fighters were separated a safe distance from one another.

The masked fighter nodded. “I apologize for any shame you might gain from this match… but it was the only way to get you to accept my request.”

“Keep yappin’. You won’t have that lip once I rip it off ya’.”

“Round One! Begin!” The referee retreated from the arena.

DING-DING

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” Ramie sprinted forward and launched a heavy kick towards the masked fighter’s head.

He ducked… just as she wanted.

“GOTCHA’!” Using her momentum, she raised her other foot from the ground and shifted her weight, whipping out her next kick while landing on her returning foot.

It didn’t connect.

Shoot, he’s fast. But not fast enough!

Landing facing downwards, she used her vulnerable position to her advantage. Pressing her knuckles into the ground, she tensed her arm muscles to her thigh muscles and swung her next kick. As soon as it would flex out completely, she’d loosen it and whip it back, using the swing-effect to spin and launch her next kick.

One kick after another, striking out at lightning fast speed and retreating far too fast and loose to be grabbed effectively.

“Now here’s a sight for soar eyes!! It’s Meteor Ramie’s infamous Tornado Barrage!! We haven’t seen her use this technique since the fight with Groat!!”

“But are you seeing what I’m seeing, Tom?! The masked challenger is dodging every kick!!!”

“Don’t get too excited, Bob!! The poor man is getting backed into a corner! It won’t be long before he has no room left to dodge!!”

Ramie laughed with excitement. “You may be fast, Rau! But what happens when your legs have nowhere to go?!”

“You should ask yourself that!” The masked fighter charged towards the next kick and took the blow.

“AND ONE OF THE KICKS CONNECTED!!”

“I don’t know about you, Tom, but I think he just ran into that one on purpose!!”

The red-haired fighter smirked. “You really think taking one of my kicks will stop my Tornado?! You’ve just made a rookie mistake!!”

Adjusting her knuckle and hand position, Ramie shifted her weight, reversing the angle and order of the kicks – leaving plenty of room to continue the barrage.

“I don’t think so.” Rau coughed weakly, showing obvious pain from the one blow that connected.

Stepping forward and locking into a wide stance, the masked fighter used his body as a wedge to prevent his opponent’s knees from fully bending. The awkward position caused Ramie to roll backwards to regain any fighting ground.

The back-roll was what Rau was looking for. “Sorry for this!” He struck downwards, his fist connected with her stomach.

Barely enough force was put to make the punch harm the Champion Fighter, and even if it did – her specialized roll was made to alter the momentum of any strike to weaken it drastically.

…but it wasn’t the force or the momentum that the masked fighter needed to harm her…

“HRAAAAAA!!!” A burst of focused Aura ran through his arm and exploded inside the woman’s stomach.

“GGUUH!!!” Ramie’s eyes widened. An impossible amount of pain spiraled inside her body. She hacked out blood as her body convulsed from the attack.

The retreating-roll continued, but without control she tumbled and twisted in an exaggerated manner.

Her head smashed against the one of the arena’s posts, knocking her out immediately.









“-my…”



“…Amy…?”



“Amy!”

Ramie opened her eyes, blinded immediately by a bright white.

As her sight adjusted, she noticed a silhouette next to her. …the masked fighter…

Without his mask.

His face seemed familiar, but unfamiliar at the same time. One feature she seemed to especially recognize was the look of concern in his eyes…

“Feelin’ better, Amy?” the man chuckled.

“…Sa…to?”

“Looks like I won the deal. I guess you’ll have to go with me then.” He grinned.

Ramie sat up in panic. “S-Sato?! SATO?! S-S-SATO?!!

She grabbed at her head, pinching her cheeks and making sure she hadn’t gone crazy. “Wh-wh-what’s going on?! Why are you here?! Where’s Rau?!

Sato stuck his tongue out. “That would be me…” He raised the familiar mask of her opponent.

Y-You’re Rau?? But… why?! What is… what?!

His hand softly held her shoulder. She flinched in reaction.

“Calm down, Amy. Don’t have a panic attack.”

D-Don’t have a panic attack?! H-How do I even know you’re real?! How do I know I’m not dreaming?? How did you find me?! Where were you?! Why were you Rau?! Why were you looking for me?!

Sato held back a laugh, knowing that it might’ve sent her over the edge. “As far as I know, there’s only one Ramie in Valor City. I was a bit surprised she was a Fighter though. Suits you nice.”

The Fighter pressed her head against the bed post… realizing only now that she was in a hospital.

What happened to her was a blur, but was unimportant. What was important was Sato… the boy that had grown in life through the letters she had read and the pictures he had sent with them… but now he wasn’t a boy anymore… now he was a man. …a… handsome man…

“And I called myself Rau because I knew you wouldn’t want to talk to me…” he said with a sad smile.

Ramie’s attention returned to the conversation. “N-No! I wanted to tell you! I’ve been wanting to tell you! I’ve been wanting to tell you so much that it wasn’t me! I never wrote any of those letters you got from me! I don’t hate you, Sato! I’ve wanted to talk to you for years!!!”

He gave a sigh of relief. “I got the feeling it wasn’t you… that handwriting looked way too good for a little girl. But I never saw your writing before, so… well, you could see why I’d be worried.”

Sato… SATO!

Ramie wrapped her arms around Sato in desperation. “I read all of your letters! I read each and every one of them! Thank you! Thank you so much!! I’ve missed you so much!!” She struggled hard to hold back her tears.

Sato laughed happily and returned the hug. “I missed you too!”

Why… why were you looking for me, Sato?” She didn’t want to ask, she just wanted to stay in this moment in silence. But she needed to ask. “…what’s this expedition you wanted me for?

“Honestly, the expedition isn’t that big of a deal… thing is, after I heard what happened between you and your parents… I just wanted to get you out of there. Away from the city for a while. Just get away from it all and… maybe catch up? Hang out? Whatever’s fine.”

“…so you got my letter…?”

“It found its way to me. Yeah.” He smiled gently.

I didn’t think you’d ever get it…



“…so do you want to go with me?”

Ramie pulled away and smiled weakly. “Y-Yes. Of course. We need to catch up. And you’re right… I need a break from this city. It’s driving me crazy.”

“I’m glad.” He patted her on the shoulder.

The Fighter tilted her head. “So what’s this expedition about…?”

Sato’s eyes blinked. “O-Oh! Right! The expedition… I’m helping a group of archaeologists explore a temple. They’re trying to find information on a Legendary Pokémon. One that supposedly created this entire universe…”



_________________________________________________________



Music. Screams. Howls. Cheers. Camera flashes. And pure electricity in the air.

Surrounded by an endless sea of roaring crowds and flooded by spotlights, three young women found themselves facing one another within an arena.

“What in the…” The tomboy Angie looked around in confusion.

“Oh no…” The Coordinator May slowly began to realize what was happening.

“About time!” The Gym Leader Maylene cracked her knuckles and began her stretches.

A fourth figure appeared inside their triangle.

Hair of fiery red, eyes of summer gold, muscles of whipped perfection, and a slim figure that complimented her strength and stature… the Champion Fighter Ramie stood within the center of the young women’s views.

“Now now girls… you won’t be fighting each other.” Ramie smirked. “You’ll be fighting me.”

“Wh-what?!” May flinched.

“I guess that’s a bit fairer…” Angie shrugged.

“An honor.” Maylene grinned.

“From what I’ve gathered from each of your memories…” The Fighter acknowledged each of them with a nod. “You’re here to save a boy named Ash. Though in the process, you’ll also be bringing out Sato… and you’ll need to be me in order to do that.”

“Pretty much.” the pink-haired fighter hopped in place, excited for the match.

Ramie shook her head. “Problem with that is… I don’t think any of you are worthy of Sato. Which means none of you are worthy of being me. Being Ramie means to be Sato’s partner. I don’t think any of you could handle that responsibility.”

“When do we fight?!” Maylene yelled in impatience.

The Fighter laughed. She pointed at her cheek. “Go ahead, strike me whenever you want.”

“You asked for it!” Dashing forward, Maylene launched a hard blow against Ramie’s cheek.



She didn’t flinch.

“Wh-what?!” Maylene pulled away and got into a defensive stance.

Ramie shook her head. “You’ll find that things work differently here in Zelf’s world. This world is powered by will. Your physical attacks won’t do much without some willpower.”

“Willpower this!!!” A kick launched towards the Fighter.

It landed.

And like before, she didn’t flinch.

“What the heck’s heck?!!”

Ramie did a simple punch towards Maylene. On impact, its victim flew across the arena at a surprising speed.

“AAAAAAAAAG-HUH!!!” The fighter bounced off a post and landed horribly onto the arena floor.

“This willpower isn’t from fighting.” Ramie informed coolly, quite pleased with Maylene’s eagerness of being an example for each of her explanations. “This willpower comes from how much Sato means to you. How far would you go for Sato? What would you be willing to sacrifice to protect him and make him happy? That’s where it counts when it comes to being me. Being strong means nothing if there’s no purpose behind your fists.”

“Then try this instead!” Angie leapt forward and tackled the Fighter. She simply crashed against her, as if red-haired woman was made of steel.

“Oh I’m sorry… did I say how much ‘Ash’ means to you? Or ‘Sato’? Because I’m pretty sure I said Sato.”

“Th-that’s not fair!” May protested. “We’re doing this for Ash! Not Sato!”

“And what happens if you save Ash and he’s more Sato than Ash? Would you still find your argument valid?” Ramie yawned. “Look girls – I shared three memories of mine, reasons why I first started fighting for him. It’s your choice if you want to use them to your advantage or not.”

“But that happened to you, not us!”

“Then pretend that was you! If you want to be me, you have to understand how I fee– KAH!!

Angie’s punch knocked the Fighter off balance. “You mean something like that?”

Ramie grinned. “And that’s exactly why I was inside you and not the other girls.” She cracked her neck. “You know more than anyone else what it means to be a partner.”

SMACK

OWW!!

“I did it? I DID IT!” May celebrated. “I MADE IT HURT! I – PFUH!!

The Coordinator was launched into the air with a swift uppercut. “Nice slap, girl. But you forget this punching bag can fight back!”

HYAAAAAAAAAA!! HAA!! HAH! HRAA!!” Maylene landed a combo of kicks against the veteran Fighter.

And once again, she didn’t flinch.

“You’ve got nice moves, Maylene. But you’re still not getting the point of this.” Ramie caught Angie’s next punch and twisted it against its wrist.

“Ah! AH! OW! OwowowowOW!OW!!” The tomboy fell to her knees, going into submission from the twist of her arm.

OOF!!! O-how-OW!” May landed from her launch, only to be crushed under the weight of the Fighter’s foot.

“It’s a bit sad that the only one of you that really knows how to fight is too weak to help you.” Ramie sighed. “Well, seeing that I’m going to win – you might as well say goodbye to your precious Ash, because he won’t be returning without my help.”

“WHY YOU!!” A burst of energy filled Angie. She turned her arm and wrapped her fingers around Ramie’s wrist, reversing the twist that had her in submission.

AAAGH! That’s it! Just like that!” The Fighter found herself forced onto her knees, submitting to Angie’s grip. Her head leaned back as May jerked it back by the hair. “Ow!

“GIVE UP! WE WON!” the Coordinator barked as she pulled harder.

“You girls are really adorable.” She laughed endearingly. “Let me show you what real fighting looks like.”

The Fighter attempted to twist her wrist to test Angie’s strength – which only encouraged the tomboy to increase the pressure. She eyed the distance between her and her opponents. They’re too far to make an effective sweep… Guess I have no other choice.

POH-CRK

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

The scream hadn’t come from pain… but from a screech of complete disgust. May let go of her grip, nearly fainting. Angie’s face showed obvious shock.

Ramie had forced her elbow to one side, popping out and snapping her bone completely. The arm that Angie had been holding onto no longer had any tension to force or control… her captive was free.

With a quick snap, Ramie whipped out three kicks towards the tomboy and one powerful elbow strike to the Coordinator behind her.

The two victims’ expressions suddenly turned blank… the surprise blows knocking them out immediately. Their bodies fell to the floor, no longer able to battle.

The Fighter’s face winced in pain. Blood poured from an open wound where a fracture of bone ripped through. Her shoulder slunk and tensed, unable to find a comfortable amount of pressure to relieve the affliction. Yet despite all this, a smile formed on her lips.

“You have to be willing to sacrifice yourself and everything you have to protect the one you love.” she breathed out coldly. “…you three are pathetic. Sato doesn’t deserve to wake up in a world with you occupying it.”

Maylene stood silent… her eyes wide and completely enamored by the Fighter’s spirit.

“Ramie.”

“What?”

“…is he really worth all this?”

The Fighter smirked. “More than you could imagine.”

“And… you don’t want him to wake up without you?”

“…Sato deserves the best. Even if I’m not, I’m the only one who makes sure he gets the best.” A frown formed as her eyes shifted. “He’ll be happy with Maya, but if I’m not there… she could hurt him. She could change him. And I won’t ever allow that.”

“So you fight for him?”

“Always.”



Maylene straightened her back. With her right arm, she raised her hand to the sky – a single finger pointed upwards.

“ONE PUNCH! JUST ONE PUNCH IS ALL I NEED TO TAKE HER OUT!!!”

The crowd exploded with cheers and screams, flooding the arena with an unimaginable amount of energy and excitement.

Ramie was smiling. “And your bet?”

“If I can knock you out in one punch, then all three of us win.”

“And if you won’t be able to?”

“Then the crowd still gets to see the fight they paid for. And you might just be able to hurt me.” Maylene laughed.

The Fighter laughed with her. “Sounds good to me!” She charged forward at lightning fast speed.

Maylene stood. Not moving an inch.

A kick struck out, aiming straight for her head.

She ducked… just as she wante–…

“GUHHH!!”

A fist was planted against her stomach.

The pink-haired fighter had moved in faster than she could anticipate.

Sending a ripple of willpower through her arm, Maylene gave all her desire – duty – love – trust – and honor into a single strike. The energy exploded and swirled inside the Fighter’s stomach, overpowering her infinite will.

“Looks like I won the deal. I guess you’ll have to go with us then.” She grinned.

The world around them shattered… swallowed up by a void of pure white.

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:52 PM

Chapter 45: The Bride

Spoiler:
Anabel laughed uncomfortably, finding herself in an awkward position.

Do I stop them? I mean, I don’t even really know if it wants them to stop…

The blue-haired Coordinator Dawn and the orange-haired Gym Leader Misty were fighting for the Legendary Pokémon Mesprit’s attention.

“Mesprit! Remember that time when we!” ‘Maya’ called out while waving her arms. She was shoved aside by Dawn.

“Hey Mesprit! Remember me?? Back when Team Gal– OOF!

“Mesprit’s MY friend!” ‘Maya’ growled as she pushed back. She gave an innocent smile to the Emotion Pokémon. “Right, Mesprit? We’ve been through so much together!”

“Mesprit chose ME to guard her!” Dawn tackled the woman aside. “You may have been her friend from a past life, but she’s my friend in this one! Right, Mesprit?”

“Does it honestly matter whose friend she is?” Anabel asked meekly. “Why can’t we all be friends?”

The Coordinator growled at her. “You’re just trying to get her to give you Maya’s memories by acting all neutral!”

“They’re MY memories, I should have them!” the orange-haired Empathic whined. “Sato needs me!”

You had your chance with him! It’s my turn! You can wait for him in your next lifetime!”

“You don’t even have any memories of him! Why does he matter to you?!”

“Because he just does!”

The two girls wrestled each other to the ground, kicking, pulling, biting, and scratching.

All the while, Mesprit laughed and clapped in entertainment.

Anabel sighed and moved towards one of the couches.

Since their arrival in the Lake Guardian’s world, which decorated itself with the natural comforts of a home – filled with soft and warm colors – and accented by a mix of melancholy and romantic music, the three members of Team Maya did their best to gain the Emotion Pokémon’s favor.

Though it had started as a group effort, it soon broke down to this petty squabble between Dawn and ‘Maya’.

They assumed that if they could gain Mesprit’s favor, that she would grant them the memory of Maya…

This was, however, just an assumption. The Legendary Pokémon didn’t seem to wish to tell if she really could grant that gift… enjoying the fun of holding secrets more than helping their dire situation.

Though in its defense, the group didn’t seem to take the situation as seriously as they should have. At least, not Dawn or ‘Maya’.

Anabel did, which made her the neutral party.

She looked around at her settings in disinterest. Mesprit’s world was beautiful… elegant… wonderful… and expressed so much love, hate, sorrow, laughter, and jealousy with every accent and detail. It truly was a world created by emotion. A world that would have easily made the female Empathic gaze at it in pure admiration. But she didn’t. All she could think of was…

Ash…

Her lonely emotions beckoned the Lake Guardian’s attention.

Shifting to cushion beside her, Mesprit patted Anabel’s arm in comfort.

“Thank you…” She smiled in gratitude. “But could you please answer our question, Mesprit?”

The Emotion Pokémon felt the Empathic’s sorrow and desperation, moving her to tears. “Mespirit…”

I apologize for being insensitive.

Feelings of yearning and helping flowed from the golden-eyed pokémon… Creating a strong emotional connection between her and the lilac-haired human.

I was simply excited to see my two friends again… it is rare enough that I ever get company.

I understand. Anabel nodded. But we’re here to help someone… someone very dear to our heart.

The man named Sato… and the boy named Ash.

Yes. Ash was…

I already know. Mesprit frowned, its eyes shifting in sadness. I am connected to all things that carry emotion. Empathics, in particular, I am far more sensitive to. If they are hurt, I am hurt. If they are well, then I am well.

The Emotion Pokémon hovered towards Anabel’s shoulders and gently wrapped her tails around the young woman’s neck. Like you, for instance, Anabel… I had felt it when Team Rocket had taken away the gift of feeling your emotions…

Warm flows of love and care filled Anabel’s heart… relaxing her thoughts and worries.

And I had felt it when your friends came to save you from that pain. It was beyond touching.

…then you know what happened to Ash?

I do… something had taken his emotions away. Locked them away… far away. Where I’d never be able to follow or find. Never to be felt again. It is a horrid fate.

Then you must help us! Anabel turned and looked into the pokémon’s golden eyes in complete misery. We have to gain Maya’s memories! Please, you must help! We need to bring Ash back! I can’t…

Curling into a ball, Anabel began sobbing quietly to herself. I can’t go on like this… I need to feel Ash. I love how he feels. I love it when I’m close to him. I love his heart and soul. I love him so much… I don’t want to live in a world without that love…

Hush now… Mesprit comforted her with a gentle nuzzle. I will help.

Anabel uncurled and immediately sat up straight. YOU WILL?!

She nodded. Of course I will.

Her eyes shined bright, covering the world in a mist of white. Keep your hearts open…



_________________________________________________________



The cool morning breeze blew softly against her skin, sending a chill down her back.

Shivering, she leaned closer to him. He was warm. And he’d always get warmer whenever she would lean against him.

M-Maya. His heart skipped a beat.

She would always feel it, and it would send a warm blush across her cheeks. Sato…

Sato, the leader of their ragtag team of six. The only team that foolishly defied the Rapture Empire… and the only group of people that remembered that they weren’t always an empire… and it was only because of him that they remembered. All those who fought with Sato would slowly recall the changes that Arceus had made to the world.

It was his role as Aura Guardian to be the will of the world. And though many had forgotten, the world still refused to bow to the armies of Team Rapture. The world still refused to forget what it used to be.

And so Sato would never forget. And neither would the few that would follow him.

And Maya… was one of those few. An idea that she cherished.

Not because of their goals as a team – because that was simply a responsibility she’d gladly take.

Not because of their memories that no one else had – because it depressed her to know that others could no longer remember.

Not because of their closeness as friends and companions – because she cherished all friendships, whether in this group or outside of it.

…Sato… She wrapped her hands around his arm, clinging tightly as she took in his scent.

He smells the best. Maya thought to herself with a smile. Better than fresh blankets.

It was Sato. Sato was what she cherished for being one of the few.

Because as long as she was one of the few – she’d always be able to travel with him, always be by his side, and always be able to do… this.

She caressed his arm with her cheek, marking him as hers. He was hers, and always would be. He’ll see…

Sato had a kind and caring heart, full of overflowing love and dedication. His life was always meant to be for others, and he never resented that fate – he was happy about it. And it was his genuine happiness that made Maya fall for him. Fall for him completely.

As an Empathic, she was often feared and despised all her life. People were natural liars and deceivers, and only Empathics could truly see through them. It made people uneasy to be around her, and would often drive many of them to chase her away from towns.

And with every town she was alienated from, she’d move to another… continuing her personal mission to make people understand the love of Pokémon. Her message was always accepted, but she herself was always rejected. As a human being with Empathy, she was a threat to her own species… exposing cheating husbands and wives, false heroes, lying politicians, and empty friendships.

She could have kept quiet; she could always have kept quiet on those manners. But her sensitive heart couldn’t stand living in a world where people intentionally hurt one another. So she would never keep quiet… and she’d move to the next town, with a broken heart and a heavy weight on her shoulders.

Yet it was one of those shattered travels where she had met Sato…

The man who only meant the best for others. He was still human like all of them – still with his own wants, preferences, and needs. But it was his genuine desire to help others and delight in being successful in it that made him… perfect.

Maya loved him. So much so.

But it had only been a few weeks… and he still didn’t know much about her. And they still had a world to save. And they still had to have a hundred more conversations before she could ever tell him that!

The thought would often drive her into silent madness. Because she wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him how they were made for each other. How they could travel the world together and spread happiness to anyone and everyone. And how it would only make sense that an Aura Guardian be with an Empathic, because he was the world’s will and she could be its desires. And that our children would look so handsome and beautiful. And that I already know what his favorite food and drink are! And that I’d always have dreams of him before we even met! And –

Her thoughts were immediately silenced as Sato pulled out a marble. His fingertips feeling its surface…

…Ramie… Her heart sunk.

Ramie the Fighter. Sato’s childhood friend and partner. Before anyone began their travels with him, she was there. Before Team Rapture even became a threat, she had fought by his side. And before the world had forgotten what Aura Guardians were, she had always remembered who Sato was.

At times Maya could deny the Fighter as a threat… she wasn’t a very beautiful woman. She was rough around the edges. She had an unattractive temper and a shameful sense of perverted humor. She’d never wear shoes; stamping dirt, mud, and dust wherever she walked. And her abilities as a Fighter and a thief made her closer to a mindless thug than a worthy partner.

But there were many other times that Maya couldn’t deny Ramie’s closeness with Sato… when seeking guidance and comfort, he’d always turn to her first. He often laughed at her tasteless jokes. She was always able to get close to him without him shying away or avoiding eye contact. The two were inseparable most times, as they’d be seen doing everything together. And Sato had always held onto that marble… that strange, simple marble…

Maya never knew what the marble was or where it had come from. But whenever Sato held it in his hands, his emotions would drift to a sense of familiarity… with a vague feeling of ‘Ramie’ associated with its very touch.



She pulled a strand of hair in front of her eyes. Does he like short hair?

The sight of her fairly sizeable chest also caught her attention. …does he like flat chests?

Her thoughts trailed off to more physical concerns… only to be broken by a shout.

“HEY PRINCESS! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ‘IM!”

Ramie climbed up the side of the cliff and glared at the Empathic. “I go off for only two seconds and you outright kidnap Sato!”

Kidnap? Sato brought me here.” Maya huffed as she wrapped her arms tightly around his elbow. “Right, Sato?”

Eheh… y-yeah. Kind of.” Sato’s face was pink from the Empathic’s affectionate grasp. “She asked me if I could show her my favorite spot in this camp.”

“Bet you had to carry that dainty girl up here too.” Ramie rolled her eyes. “Anyways! Get down to the campfire already. We’ve got breakfast.”

“Why don’t you just bring it up here for us? We’re already so comfortable up here.” Maya smirked, hoping to bring out the Fighter’s ugly temper.

Or how about I toss ya’ down there myself?!

Sato quickly slipped away from the Empathic’s grip and began his descent. “Let’s go! I’m starving!”

Maya sighed in disappointment. Ramie stuck her tongue out teasingly.

Hmph. Childish.”

“Need me to carry you down there or you gonna’ float down with that inflated ego of yours?”

Swinging her hair aside, Maya slowly climbed her way down. “No thank you. With how you handle your baggage, I’d be safer falling off the cliff.”

Ramie easily hopped from one ledge to another. “Well hurry it up! At your rate, you won’t be down ‘til dinner!”

“I’ll go at my pace, thank you very much.”

The Fighter didn’t respond, as she already found herself at the bottom.

Maya looked down, her body tensing at the sight of the long drop. “…R-Ramie?? Actually, can you help me down??? ”



_________________________________________________________



She coughed out a large amount of saliva, specks of blood tracing its edges.

Her eyes unable to focus; twitched and closed in an attempt to see.

Muscles tensed and loosened erratically, as her body fought to keep the energy from breaking her.

“Ramie! Ramie you have to hold on!!” Maya held the Fighter tightly, trying to stop her convulsions from harming herself. “Come on Ramie!! You can’t go out like this!!” she cried out, forcing all of her Empathy into the Fighter, in an effort to contain and shatter the dangerous power that had entered her.

She was shoved off.

Ramie forced her eyes to lock on the Empathic. “M-Maya! Y-You have to stop him!”

The Fighter slammed her fist into the ground, using the pain to keep her body focused and fighting. “J-Just leave me here! I’ll be fine!!”

“I CAN’T!! YOU COULD –”

“WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT?! ME OR HIM?!!”

“I –”

“LOOK AT HIM, MAYA!!!”



Maya turned, urging herself to witness the destruction that took place behind them.

An explosion of dark blue energy shook the ground as several pokémon were launched skyward. The Pokémon Master Farron and his team continued their fight against their impossibly strong foe. In support, the Pokémon Researcher Leanne analyzed and called out battle tactics – doing her best to find and exploit every weakness.

In the center of the warzone… the corrupted Aura Guardian Sato…

Their team leader, including his powerful pokémon Pikachu and Lucario, had been brainwashed… the main culprit being the Psychic Agent Quinn – known for her persistence in hunting and tracking them down at every twist and turn.

“Only you can get him to wake up…”

Ramie’s voice had pressed her back to the reality she was afraid to face.

Maya’s heart trembled, unsure of what use she was in a battle like this.

“GO!! WAKE HIM UP, PRINCESS!!”

The Empathic forced herself to a sprint – still uncertain and confused.

But Ramie would never lie about this… if she trusts that I can fix Sato… then…

Passing Leanne, she could hear the Researcher’s demands for her to keep away.

The ground in front of her dented as Blastoise crashed against it, knocked away from a swirl of electricity and Aura. She leapt over the pokémon, feeling its determination and anger through her touch.

A shockwave spread out from her right, toppling her sideways. Girafarig’s Barrier had blasted out, unable to hold back the extreme force of an Aura Sphere. The half-Psychic Pokémon’s cry sent emotions of pain and apology, making Maya’s heart shiver in sadness.

Sato… She pulled herself to her feet and continued her run.

Farron attempted to stop her, only to roll back in order to avoid a Thunder attack.

Debris and smoke spread, causing her sight and breathing to be hindered. Metagross had been thrown into a nearby building. Its metallic shriek conveyed a feeling of agony.

“SATO!! STOP IT!!!” Maya cried out as she stumbled and struggled to get closer. “THEY’RE YOUR FRIENDS!!! YOU’RE HURTING THEM!!!”

The corrupted Guardian turned and faced her… his eyes shining in a deep blue.

“SATO!!! WAKE UP!!!”

He lifted his hand, a blackened Aura Sphere formed at its tip.

She ran forward, locking eyes with the man she loved.

You’re not yourself right now, Sato… but I know you’re still in there! I’ll get you back!!

The Aura Sphere launched, increasing in size with every second. It roared as it shattered and burned everything that neared it.

Maya pulled out a poké ball and kissed it. Help me, Espeon…

Flashing into reality from a beam of red, the Sun Pokémon readied itself for battle.

Accelerating in speed, the giant ball of Aura neared.

“Just like Sato taught us, Espeon!” she commanded, running directly to the center of the attack.

The feline pokémon leapt up onto her shoulder. With a growl, it created a concentrated psychic-shield around its partner and itself.

Psychic and Aura collided as Maya dove into the massive Aura Sphere.

Energies sparked and shredded. The violence-fueled blue force threatened to crush the violet waves that protected the Empathic. Like a furious tornado, the Aura tore and pulled at Maya.

Finally, a wound was made. A break in the psychic waves spelled the end for the frail woman.

A flare of magenta shot from the shield’s crack, sealing the breakage from the storm.

Where the Dark Aura was powered by violence and pain, the fire-like magenta energy came straight from the heart. Emotions of love, care, understanding, and passion screamed out, damaging and shrinking the Aura Sphere with every flicker and flash created within their contact.

The Empathic burst out from the dark blue fury, unscathed.

She landed in front of Sato, who seemed unsurprised by her entrance.

His hand pointed towards her, readying his next attack.

Maya reached forward and connected her hand with his, preventing him.

With a deep breath, she dove into his heart. SATO!!!





Inside, within the swirling conflictions of emotion and will… Maya saw Sato for the first time.

His Dark Aura… was genuine. Though he himself was brainwashed to depend on this corrupted form of Aura, it was fueled from true emotions and willpower. No lies, no walls, and no misunderstandings. Sato wanted this…

No more world. No more existence. No more emotion. No more thought. No more will.

These were his secret desires.

For too long had he helped others and made others happy. He had done it out of kindness of heart and love of all things living and passed. He had done it for others… always for others… He loved their smiles, their laughs, their revived passions, and their brightened futures. They always made everything worth it.

But deep down… in the deepest parts of Sato…

There were the memories of those who couldn’t be happy. Those who didn’t wish to be happy. Those who would always make others unhappy. And those who were too selfish to allow others happiness.

They weren’t just the corrupt and powerful… but also the weak and innocent.

No man, pokémon, or creature was clean of these guilts. And it drove him mad.

He wanted them happy… for them to love and care for one another. But they didn’t want that… they wanted the shortcuts and trivial items… they wanted the misery to continue for their own wants… they wanted the misery to continue for their own desires. Sacrifice others for one’s own happiness.

Sato… was the opposite.

Whether he was born for those traits or he had simply grown in a way that made him a candidate, he was an Aura Guardian with no desire to please one’s self. The success and gains of others would always please him more than any of his own. The smiles and laughs of others would always make his heart feel warm. And he would always sacrifice his own happiness for others.

Inside, Sato was a broken man.

He had given up so much of himself for others, that there was nearly nothing left. His kindness always came at a cost. His love and care always came with a sacrifice. And without ever gaining anything in return, he no longer had the strength to hide his dark emotions and will.

Sato wanted the world to end. If all was gone, then there would be no more sadness, no more pain.

It was his ultimatum. The last resort after the whole world had gone beyond help.

…the final path for a broken man to take.

SATO!!! Maya cried out, planting her emotions into his heart. TAKE MINE!! TAKE MY LOVE, SATO!!!

The Aura inside him pulsed out, sending a single shade of brighter light throughout his inner-self.

I can’t make everyone happy, Sato… And I’m just as guilty as everyone else in being selfish… But I have plenty of strength left in me!! Take it, Sato!! Don’t give up!! Don’t give in!!

A second pulse. A third. His Aura began to glow bright… beating like a heart.

Take my love… take my care… take everything I have, Sato… You deserve it. You deserve to be happy like everyone else!! PLEASE ACCEPT MY LOVE!!!

Sato’s Aura burned into a dazzling shade of infinite colors.

SATO!!!

MAYA

The Aura Guardian opened his eyes, his will shattering the mental control that had afflicted his mind.

In reaction, the brainwashed effect vanished from both Pikachu and Lucario as well.

“Ma…ya?” Sato stared at her drowsily. “What… happened…?”

He stumbled into her arms, losing consciousness almost instantly.



“…nothing, Sato. You can rest.” She smiled softly. “Everything’s fine now…



_________________________________________________________



Memories were vanishing, emotions were dulling, but he remained… whatever his name was… she couldn’t remember… but he was still there…

No please… please don’t go…

She touched his face one last time. “If we had only met sooner… we could have…”

Silence.

The world had faded.

She floated within an empty void of white…

Her name, she couldn’t remember. Her life, she believed she never had one. Her soul, she wasn’t aware of having one.

It was just the void. And nothing.

Nothing was devouring her. Nothing was making her disappear completely. Nothing made her forget. Nothing made her nothing.

A soul to never be given its purpose of life. A soul to never be given the assignment of death. To never experience the joys, the sorrows, the pains, or the thrills of existence.

She could no longer be…

But… that man. He was still there.

He could see her. He remembered her.

And she could feel it. What he felt, she could. Nothing was pulling her away, but he struggled. Held on. He didn’t believe she was nothing. She had a name. She had a life. She had a soul. She didn’t know, but he did. And he would do anything to protect it.

Whoever he was…



_________________________________________________________



In the endless void of white, three appeared.

A young woman of orange hair and green eyes…

A young woman of lilac hair and lilac eyes…

And a woman of orange hair and deep blue eyes…

Misty, Anabel, and Maya became conscious of their surroundings.



“Dawn?!” Anabel looked upwards, noticing the young Coordinator hovering in the endless skies above.

“Hey Dawn!! What are you doing up there?!!” Misty called out.

“…she can’t hear you…”

The two turned towards the woman of deep blue eyes.

“…Dawn is the one that can’t remember…”

“Huh?” The Gym Leader tilted her head. “What does that mean?”

Maya gave a look of sadness. “…when the darkness took me… it was the end of my existence. I didn’t die. I slowly ceased to exist…” She faced upwards, watching the blue-haired Coordinator hover silently above them. “…even though Sato restarted the universe, it couldn’t reverse the damage the darkness had already caused…”

Anabel gasped. “Then that means…”

“Yes…” She nodded, allowing her attention to move back to the two. “…Dawn is the piece of me the darkness had claimed. She won’t remember who Sato is… she can only see him as a new acquaintance. New memories may be formed with him, but she’ll never remember any past ones she spent with him.”

Misty approached the older Empathic. Her eyes full of pity, but still showing determination. “But… don’t we all need to remember who Sato was in order to bring him back?”

“…yes.” Maya sighed with regret. “…I wonder if the darkness planned for this… planned to get rid of Sato once and for all, while ensuring that I could never become whole.

Her hands balling into fists, the Frontier Brain shouted into the sky, “DAAAWWWWNNN!!!”

Tears ran down Maya’s cheeks. She turned away and began to sob. “It’s no use. Bringing her here was a horrid idea… now she’ll be trapped forever in this memory.”

“WHAT?!”

Misty stomped towards her lookalike and grabbed her by the collar. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’S TRAPPED HERE?!”

Maya glared at her angrily. The Gym Leader’s hot temper was far too like Ramie’s for her tastes. “Exactly what I said. She’s trapped here. All emotions have a beginning and an end. But sometimes we trap ourselves in our own sorrows and angers that we never find solace. Here in Mesprit’s world, it becomes a literal interpretation.”

“Can’t we pull her out?!”

She shook her head. “Dawn can only leave if she can complete the memory she’s currently in…” Spreading her arms wide, Maya presented the eternal void. “…but as you can see, she’s in a memory that never ends. With no emotion, she can never break free.”

Misty growled, lifting the woman off the ground. “You’re an Empathic! MAKE HER FEEL EMOTIONS!

Maya broke away from the grip and adjusted her clothes back to perfection. “If you’re not aware of it already; this memory is of when the darkness took me. I lost my memories… my thoughts… my will… and my emotions…” A feeling of despair filled her. “…the darkness swallows all things. If I were to even send a single, tiny emotion – I would be swallowed up completely and end up just like Dawn.”

“Then what are we supposed to do?!”

“…leave. And just hope that the memories you two have gained would be enough to bring Sato back…”



The Cerulean Gym Leader scratched her hair in frustration. “We’re not doing that. Anabel, do you have any ideas?”



Anabel?” Misty looked towards the younger Empathic – noticing that she was staring intensely at Maya. “Is something wrong, Anabel?”

“…the Maya in here doesn’t feel like the Maya from out there.” she studied.

“That is because Dawn’s emotions are no longer connected with mine.” Maya explained. “As she was the far more innocent and excitable side of myself, I’ve lost that side of me once she became trapped.”

Anabel tapped her lip and narrowed her eyes. “But that still wouldn’t explain something else…

“Which is?”

“…the Maya from the memories don’t fully reflect the Maya we spent time with in Jubilife City.”

“Same explanation. What you saw were memories that mostly matched your specific pieces of me. All other memories have more than likely disappeared.”

“Except for the fact that I still remember who you were.”

“…what do you mean?”

Anabel folded her arms, hoping that her answer would be correct. “I remember who you were back at the hotel. I remember who you were in the airplane. I remember who you were when we were shopping. And I remember who you were when we first got to Lake Verity.”

“As I explained –”

“Misty still remembers too.” She interrupted. “And I could make an educated guess that even Ash would remember you if he could think right now.”

Maya raised her brow. “I don’t know what you’re trying to get at.”

“Dawn may have forgotten, you may have forgotten…” Anabel flicked her hair to the side. “But we haven’t. Now I know what we’re supposed to do when we meet up with Ash again. Because this is the same exact situation.

“What?? What do you mean?!” Misty asked eagerly.

“Ash’s emotions, thoughts, and spirit were taken away by the darkness. In the same way, so was Maya’s. Dawn is the representation of that. We get Dawn back the same way we get Ash back!”

A large grin formed on Misty’s face. She patted the young Empathic hard on the back. “ANABEL! YOU GENIUS!! So how do we do this?!

“By joining her.”

The Gym Leader’s face gave a blank expression. “…what did you just say?

“Dawn doesn’t remember who she is. That’s what’s keeping her in here. We don’t know Dawn, but we know who Maya is! The only way she’s going to remember herself is if she’s whole!

“Are you crazy?! If we each try to do it we’re all going to be trapped here!!”

“That’s why we’re not each doing it. We’re ALL doing it!” Anabel smiled and faced the older Empathic. “Maya. Hold my hand.”

She hesitated. “…but if we fail…”

“And if we don’t do anything at all, Ash will face the same fate as Dawn. And since there’s only one Sato, that makes him the same as Ash.” Holding out her hand, Anabel nodded. “Do you want Sato to stop existing?”

“N-NO!!” Maya quickly latched onto her hand.

Thank you.” The younger Empathic gave a smile of relief. “Misty, you too.”

I still think this is crazy…” Misty sighed. “But…”

She held Anabel’s other hand. “…I’m willing. For Ash.

The three clenched their hands tightly, all facing skyward towards the young Coordinator.

“…there’s more to memories than just thought.” Anabel stated. “We don’t need to recall the exact moment or event to remember what it felt like…”

“So all we need to do is remember what it felt like to be Maya?” Misty relaxed her shoulders, readying herself.

“…shouldn’t be too hard.” Maya joked.

Anabel slowed her breathing. “On the count of three, send all your emotions and thoughts towards me.”

“…one.”

“…two.”

“…THREE!”

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:53 PM

Chapter 46: The Shadow

Spoiler:
Twist after twist after turn after turn.

He was heading nowhere fast. But he had to keep moving. He couldn’t stay still.

The mist blocked his view, making him unsure of every step and decision made.

But he had to make a decision anyways. Because if he didn’t…

Tch! Another dead end!”

He turned, only to find more mist and more shadows.

An eerie darkness slowly hovered through the large passages… it seemed to be coming closer yet further at the same time.

A soft wind blew, clearing the fog from one tunnel.

There was no time to think, he sprinted straight in.

Not a single pokémon had been seen for the past few hours. And though he found them annoying in the beginning, he was deeply wishing there was at least one. To at least tell him he wasn’t alone.

But he was alone…

The photographer was taken first… dragged screaming into the eternal shadows.

They tried to turn back and rescue him… only to find themselves ambushed.

One by one, his pokémon vanished into the mist. Their roars and growls of defiance being the last sounds he had ever heard from them.

Their disappearance was eerie and frustrating… but their voices and sounds being suddenly silenced was far more discomforting…

The sketch-artist and his pokémon were next… taking a corner they believed was the way out… swallowed by the mist… “RUN!” was the last word his grandfather’s assistant offered.

And lastly… Umbreon.

It found the creature and charged at it bravely.

With the mist, the creature had vanished – taking his loyal pokémon with it.

Now he was the last one left…

Running blindly through the tunnels…

Cursing fate. Despising the ones who thought this was some kind of hilarious joke to play on his life.

It was just like his nightmare.

Farron felt the same confusion… the same panic… the same fear.

The Goldenboy of the West Farron. The One Man Army Farron. The Protector of Brushsky Forest Farron. The Champion of One Hundred Tournaments Farron. The King of the Century Battle Farron. The Pokémon Master of the Ota region Farron.

That Farron… was afraid.

What chance did Gary Oak stand against a monster like this? The one monster Farron couldn’t face. The one monster that was Farron’s end…

The endless cave walls echoed the last regrets Farron had in this moment of his life…

Why didn’t I just become an artist?

If I had never gotten involved with pokémon, this would have never happened…

No… if I had never gotten involved with Sato, this would have never happened.

“Sato…” he growled.

The Aura Guardian of the past life. The one who made a fool of him in the Rapture attack of Siphon City by saving his life. The one he decided to follow just to regain his honor… and the one who beat him at every twist and turn.

The woman he saw like a little sister, Ramie… she rejected him to stay loyal to Sato… who would never love her.

The woman that was his angel in a life of sin, Maya… she ran from him to cling onto Sato… who didn’t need her like he did.

The woman who rescued him from the clutches of Team Rapture, Quinn… she cared little for him, admitting she was working on Sato’s orders… humiliating him even further…

And the woman that became his partner on and off the battlefield, Leanne… she ignored him… her admiration and infatuation belonging to Sato… because Sato was better… Sato was always better…

Farron could have any woman he pleased… but the only ones who ever mattered to him, Sato stole away from him.

And to meet his fate in the infinite cave… in a place where no one would ever find him… never buried and forever forgotten… all because he was trying to save the Aura Guardian?

It was like a sick joke.

And now here he was again… in a different form, as a completely different person… given three chances in life to make the right decision and find his own happiness! And he just went and threw them all in the same coffin that Sato made for him!

Sato may have been admired by the others… but to Farron, he was a fool. The fates chose wrong by picking him as the Aura Guardian. He restarted the universe for his own selfish wants… and doomed every reincarnation of Farron to the same fate. Just to save him…

A light…

Gary’s eyes widened. “THE EXIT!” Maybe I still have a chance to change everything…



The light vanished.

“What?! NO!”

A familiar mist seeped in and swirled around him…

The mist formed and slowly began to solidify…

“No…”

Gary turned, only to find more mist becoming physical.

He was surrounded. Just like the end of his nightmare…

The gray fog swirled and materialized into flesh.

A massive creature of gray and black loomed over him… its gold and red accents gave it a far more majestic yet terrifying presence… an immense wind blew as it spread out its sovereign wings.

The Legendary Renegade… Giratina.



So the last of my servants has come back…

“What was…”

Gary had felt his body shifting in and out of place as the creature spoke.

“Matter and anti-matter…” he hissed in realization.

Recalling the legends of creation… Arceus, the god Pokémon, hatched from an egg in this universe. In its birth, the god had simultaneously created Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. Each a god in their own right – as Dialga controlled time, Palkia controlled space, and Giratina controlled matter and antimatter.

Showing a far more violent and aggressive nature than the others, Giratina was banished into its own realm… the Reverse World. There it stayed, content with its own domain. The Reverse World and Giratina’s existences only becoming known after an event that Ash was directly involved in…

But what in the world is it doing on this side of the universe…?

You shall address me as your master, mortal…

…it can read my mind…” Gary’s eyes narrowed. “What do you want from me?!”

For you to serve me as you once did…

“I’ve never served you!!”



In a flash of mist, Todd and Tracey appeared by Gary’s feet… both unconscious.

Before he could reach down to wake them, the three of them were engulfed by a dark fire.

Broken screams, choked yells, and desperate roars rang out as the incinerated humans cried in agonizing torment. Their bodies kicked, rolled, and stumbled in a futile attempt to extinguish the unnatural flames.

Giratina twitched its eyes, commanding the inferno to converge.

Three merged into one… leaving only a lone body to smolder in black fire.

Completing its job, the fire vanished into the air.



Ach… what is…?” The single man struggled to his feet.

Eyes widened from a terrifying revelation, the man named Farron was whole once again.

Mortal… you have failed twice in your duty…

“My… duty?”

In exchange for sparing your life… your soul was made contract to me…

“…contract?”

Your task to the darkness…

Farron grasped his head, traces of memories flashing quickly through his mind.

I destroyed Rapture’s machine…

Alpha team was sent in to destroy Team Rocket’s machine…

…they were both done to release the darkness…

“Why… why do you want to release the darkness?!” he growled defiantly to the Legendary. “It can destroy you as well! Matter, antimatter, it ceases all existence!!”

I am aware… And all my creation shall vanish to nothingness because of it…

“Then why?!”

Because like you… I am a slave to my own existence. The god that created me had banished me before… The god that created me had banished me in this universe as well… If the universe continues, I shall always be banished… I was created to be banished… to be shunned… to be enslaved… The god that created me is no different… It too was created for its eternal purpose… I intend to break these chains…

Wait… how do you remember what happened in the previous universe?! It’s said that even Arceus couldn’t remember!”

Only those involved can remember… I was the one that revealed the darkness to the mortal N… just as I was the one that revealed the darkness to the mortal Giovanni…

“You’re the one behind all this?!!”

The creations cannot harm the creator… yet they may task others to release powers beyond the power of their creator… Mortals are far too insignificant and plenty for Arceus to watch over… so I have tasked mortals to seek the darkness… so I have tasked mortals to retrieve the darkness… and you, mortal, I have tasked to release the darkness… and your contract is not complete until the god that had created me vanishes from this universe…

“And if I refuse?!”

Giratina roared out, creating a massive tremor that shattered stone and mineral.

Farron refused to flinch. Though his soul could not hide his fear.

Glaring down at the defiant human, Giratina growled… the sound seemed unnatural. It had not come from its mouth, or its body… but it seemed to come from its very existence.

Then I will destroy you and find another… But realize this… all that will come after you will seek to release the darkness and accept their death… Yet only you have witnessed the destruction of the darkness…

“…Maya… Sabrina…”

I task you with only allowing the darkness to vanquish the god that had created me… No harm shall be done to this universe by its death… for we other gods shall watch over it…

Giratina lowered its colossal head. Its petrifying red eyes looking deep into Farron’s soul.

Allow Arceus to be destroyed by the darkness… and your soul shall be free… You may destroy the darkness afterwards if you so wish… I care not… Failure for the darkness to destroy Arceus… will only lengthen your contract… You shall be summoned here with every lifetime… enslaved to me just as I am enslaved to existence… And with every failure I shall contract another… and more lives will be sacrificed because of your incompetence…

Farron no longer hid his fear. On his knees, his body quaked in terror and his eyes widened in horror. The presence of the Legendary was enough to strike fright in his essence. His bound soul was enough to drive him to tears. And the knowledge of forever serving as its slave or else face binding others to this fate… was enough to make him lose all hope.





“…where do you need me next, master?



_________________________________________________________



Knock Knock Knock

“Oh! Oh! Let’s do it together! Maybe it’ll surprise them!”

“If the Quinns are already here, I doubt they’ll be surprised.”

“Please! Let’s just try it!”

The door opened to a flash of light.

Guess whoo-oh.”

Standing in a half-pose at the doorstep, a woman of medium height and golden hair stared awkwardly at the receiver of the door.

Staring back with little surprise, a taller woman with striking red eyes nodded in greeting. “Leanne.”

Leanne coughed while adjusting her half-rimmed glasses to seem nonchalant. “Q-Quinn.”

The Psychic stepped aside and allowed the arrival to enter.

Dragging in several bags meant for two, Leanne grunted and growled… regretting her earlier decision.

Quinn helped her set the bags to one side of the couch.

“So where is e-everyone?” Leanne sat back against the cushions and removed her white newsboy cap, doing her best to appear calm despite her prior quirkiness.

“Ritchie and Solana are spending time exploring the island.” Quinn answered. A part of her felt extremely uncomfortable speaking to the former-Researcher… as the two were never on good terms in the previous life. “Pikachu is around here somewhere… I have not seen him in a while, so please watch your step. As for Ash, he’s lying down in the bedroom.”

PDFFOF!!

Two young women stumbled off the couch as Latias flew hastily towards Ash’s location.

Bianca groaned in pain, as her hip had smashed against a corner of the coffee table. “Oww… warn us next time you’re going to do that, Latias!”

The brown-haired Bianca shakily pushed herself to her feet. “I think I’ll go check on Ash as well.”

“He’s a little underdressed.” Quinn warned.

“Wh-What?!”

“I needed to give him a bath. He’s still drying out.”

“L-Latias!! Don’t stay in rooms with naked boys!” She chased after.



click.

The bedroom door closed… without Latias or Bianca returning.

Sigh. “How are you, Bianca?” Quinn regarded the blond-haired Unova native.

“G-Good!” the blonde responded nervously… unsure of how to talk to the rather serious Psychic.

Which was perfectly fine with Quinn, as she had asked the young woman not out of friendliness… but to simply find the patience to deal with more guests in the borrowed villa.

For the past two days, Sabrina, Dominique, and Casey rarely spent time as individuals. Separately, they weren’t comfortable with each other’s company, yet they felt natural together as the single Quinn. The combined residence suited them perfectly, as they found a lot more to do as one than as three.

Dominique had planned to spend her waking hours simply training and taking baths…

Sabrina had planned on meditation and daydreaming to occupy most of her time…

And Casey had planned wasting her hours by flipping through countless channels…

Together, they had a far more balanced and interesting schedule. Physical and mental exercises, daydreaming in the bathtub, and having a wider range of entertainment preferences – it was an ideal setup.

It spread to their other hobbies and likes as well: Casey had finished her lent book in a matter of hours with Sabrina’s quick reading skills, Dominique was able to learn grooming shortcuts for Dice due to Casey’s creative solutions, and Sabrina childishly enjoyed her newfound acrobatics gained from Dominique.

The more they thought about it, the more they wondered if they had enough in common now to be able to strike up a casual conversation between each other. Though the fear of an awkward rejection ruining their comfort in residing as one Quinn… prevented them from acting on it.

Casey’s side of Quinn snickered at the thought of how they treated each other like spouses just to stay stable. You never want to tell the wife you hate an actor, in case they’re a fan of theirs… or else you’ll end up with silent breakfasts. she joked.

Silent breakfast? More like ‘No breakfast.’ The man can cook for himself. Dominique joined.

Quinn giggled out loud.

“Hm? What’s funny?” Bianca tilted her head curiously.

Oh. Nothing.” The Psychic coughed awkwardly.



Sabrina’s mind wandered, as it usually did. She questioned how long it had been since they had last separated. It was a considerable amount of time, she considered, as they had not only eaten breakfast that morning as Quinn, but had also slept the previous night as Quinn.

The latest memory of them being separate was during their private talks with Ash. He was still unconscious, and their presence as Quinn did nothing to improve his condition – but the conversations were more for personal resolutions. Similar to a diary entry or confessions.

Wait… what did you talk to Ash about, Dommy? Casey asked with genuine curiosity.

Mm… why?

Because I know why Sabby and I would talk to Ash, but what would you talk to him about??

Ah… well… Dominique felt slightly cornered, but decided to answer out of mutual respect. Ash knows the two of you very well… and he didn’t know much about me. So… I told him about myself. Just to catch him up to whom he’ll get to know as Quinn.

Cute.



So Casey? Who’s your favorite character in that book?

Oh gosh! Do you like it too?!

Outside of Quinn’s thoughts, Bianca did her best to avoid eye contact – feeling extremely uncomfortable being alone with a Psychic that constantly made faces and whispered comments to herself.

I… uh… I guess I’ll check on Latias and the other Bianca!” She stood up awkwardly and shuffled towards the bedroom.

knockknockknock

“Don’t come in here!”

“Guys! What are you doing in there! I wanna’ see!”

“I-It’s nothing! Go wait out in the living room!”

The blonde heard a small cough from behind.

Turning, she found a rather irritated Quinn carrying a large wooden bat.

“Excuse me, Bianca… I have some business with your other selves…”

Y-Yes ma’am!” She ran out of the way in a hurry.

“LEANNES! IF YOU DO NOT REMOVE YOURSELVES FROM THE ROOM IN FIVE SECONDS, I WILL REMOVE THE TWO OF YOU FROM THIS EXISTENCE!!”

“Latias! You got us in trouble! Hide that thing… quick!”

“FIVE! … FOUR! … ONE!!!



_________________________________________________________



Crowded conversations and busied shuffles filled the air with the sound of civilization… breaking the peaceful quiet that the two had treasured for the past few hours.

A small yacht had docked nearby, loosing its excited passengers into the world-famous island.

Soon there would be ten to twenty battles occurring within the immediate area…

It didn’t bother them… they still had the sunset that marked the horizon with a deep orange…

Soon there would be several trainers running towards them to challenge them…

It wouldn’t bother them… they still had each other…

Together, they had already defeated six eager battlers in double matches. Each victory had earned them compliments for being a great couple – and each victory had put the two of them into a deeper sync. The battles didn’t bother them… it had made their time together far more romantic and meaningful.

With a sigh of contentment, she pressed her head against his lap… staring up at him with curious adoration.

He stared back with a softened smile… wondering how life would change for the both of them now that they had each other.

The cool breeze of incoming night whispered in their hair and against their skin… another day ending, one more complete memory to add to their lives… another night coming, one more chance to fall asleep in one another’s arms…

Come what may, the two would face it gladly…

“SOLAAAANAAA!!! RIIIIIITCHIIIIEEEE!!! HEEEEEEEYYYYYYYY!!!”

An unfamiliar voice called out to them, causing them both to flinch.

Searching for the source, they found a man they had never seen before running towards them.

Wearing a bandana and vest of dark gray that brought made his hair noticeably red, a pair of bell-bottomed jeans that flared out and brought attention to his bare feet, and golden bandanas wrapped around each wrist that matched his metal-yellow eyes… the man didn’t seem to match any descriptions of anyone the couple knew, immediate or distant.

As the man arrived a few feet from them, Solana sat up to greet him. “Er… hello, sir. Do we know you?”

“S-SIR?!!” the stranger growled. “I’M A GIRL!!”

Solana’s face turned red from complete embarrassment. She stood and bowed repeatedly. “I-I’m s-sorry! Sorry!”

Ritchie pushed himself to his feet and gave a small wave. “Nice to meet you. Would you mind me asking how you know us?”

Heheheh!” The woman smirked. Scratching the back of her head, she winked. “Can’t tell?? It’s me!!

One became three, as three young women stumbled away from one another.

Posing dramatically, the fighter with pink hair introduced herself, “Maylene!

Standing with an air of relaxed coolness, the tomboy with green hair nodded, “Angie.”

Tripping over her feet and falling flat onto her stomach, the Coordinator laughed, “Ow… May!

“And together, we’re Team Ramie!!” they exclaimed in unison… though the Coordinator was slightly off in timing.

Hopping back together in a flash of light, the woman of red hair reappeared in a fighting stance.





Solana and Ritchie clapped with nervous giggles.

“How long did it take the three of you to come up with that?” the Ranger asked with a held laugh.

Ramie blushed awkwardly. “Eheh… we practiced it on the boat ride here…”

“But I can’t ever get my timing right.” a voice similar to May’s came from her lips, admitting in shame. “I’ve been off my game for the past few weeks… I seriously hope it doesn’t get in the way of my Contests…” Sigh.

“We still thought it was pretty entertaining, right Lana?” Ritchie smiled.

“Definitely. It made our date far more… interesting.”

Ramie blinked. “…’Lana’?? …’We’?? …‘DATE’???” A gasped escaped her lips. “ARE YOU TWO TOGETHER NOW?!!

“Yep!” the two nodded as one.

May pulled out of the formation in excited glee, causing the other two to fall backwards. “THAT’S SO CUTE!! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?! DETAILS! DETAILS!!

Hey uh…” Angie interrupted as she crawled to her feet. “…before you go on with that story, would you mind telling us where Ash is?”

Ritchie pointed down a small pathway in the trees. “Go down this way until you find a large resort area. It’ll be the small villa in the furthest corner on the right. C333 is its address, you can’t miss it.”

“Thanks! We’ll see you three later!” Maylene waved and began to jog.

Wait! I’m coming too!” The Coordinator turned and ran down the directed path. She turned and gave a slight bow to the couple. “Tell me about it later, okay??”

Angie sprinted after her team, shouting back, “Congratulations, by the way! Be sure to invite us to the wedding!”

Ritchie laughed with a heavy blush. “O-Okay! See you three later!”



Solana snuck a small kiss against his cheek.

His face turned a deeper shade of red.

“You haven’t kissed me yet, you know…” the Ranger mentioned shyly.

“K-kissed??”

“…it doesn’t have to be on the lips…” She looked away innocently. “…even just the hand would be fine…”

Ritchie’s hands gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him.

What’s he…?

The Trainer stared nervously at her face… at her lips… as he inched closer.

Is he actually going to –

Ritchie closed his eyes and forced himself forward.



_________________________________________________________



“QUINN!!! LONG TIME NO SEE!!!” Ramie shouted as she flew in with a kick.

Quinn blocked and rolled against the attack. With a quick twist, she pressed a cold blade of psychic energy against the Fighter’s neck.

The two glared at one another… cold red eyes analyzing the prey in its grip… burning golden eyes finding only a heated rivalry in its attacker…





Shoving at one another, the two broke away and laughed.

Despite the animosity held from their past, Quinn and Ramie found themselves as friends in this new life. The relations of Sabrina and Angie, as well as Maylene and Dominique, meaning much more to them than any ancient grudges.

“Did anyone else get here other than you?” The Fighter folded her arms and looked around the large living room in curiosity. “I almost thought I’d be the last one here.”

“Only Leanne and you have arrived after me.”

“Leanne’s here??? Already?! Where is she??”

“Out.”

“…out?”

“Out.” the Psychic repeated, keeping an impossible poker face. “However…”

Quinn’s arm wrapped around the Fighter’s shoulder, leading her down a short hallway. “You came here to see Ash, correct?”

“Of course! How is he?”

Quinn reached out and opened a nearby door, presenting a large bedroom to the Fighter.

Lying in the center of a massive bed, Ash continued his unconscious slumber.

…Ash…” Ramie made quick steps to the bed and sat. Her hand finding its way to his.

I’m back, Ash… Angie smiled in relief.

Hold on, kid… we’ve got ya’… Maylene nodded in determination.

Come back to us, please… May gazed in desperation.

“He has stayed in this condition.” Quinn walked over and pressed away the wrinkles in the young man’s clothes. “…and yes, I have already tried to wake him on my own… it was not successful. It is as if there’s nothing in him whatsoever to bring back out…”

“Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out once we’re all together.” Ramie stood. “I know we will.”



“…are you still determined to have Sato be with Maya?”



Ramie turned away, wanting to avoid the Psychic’s question.

Quinn pushed the topic, “I do not believe you should. I believe you should keep trying.”

“Why are we talking about this? We shouldn’t be focused on that stuff right now…” the Fighter pressed her hand against the wall, leaning on it as her emotions wandered. “…right now we need to save Ash…

“I am aware of what we need and do not need, Ramie…” her cold voice slowly began to warm. “I know Ash needs us… but you know more than I do that Maya doesn’t love him as much as you do. She isn’t willing to sacrifice herself for him like you do…”

Ramie shook her head. “She is and she does. Maya might not express her love in the same way, but it’s not any weaker than mine. She’s a good choice for him. Maya gives Sato heart to go on…”

“And you give him strength to be himself. Without you, he’d close himself off from Maya.”

And I’ll always be there for him!” The Fighter glared, desperate for Quinn to drop the subject. “I don’t need to be his wife to stand by his side! As much as I want to be, I’m just… I’m just not meant for that, okay?

“I never told you to be his wife…” The Psychic wrapped her fingers around Ash’s. “I asked you to stop trying to push Maya on him.”

“…what do you mean?”

“Stop treating Maya as your superior… stop treating her like the one who won… you didn’t lose to her.”

Ramie looked away… a depressed smile on her lips. “Sato loves her dearly…

“And he loves you!”





Quinn’s fingers softly traced Ash’s cheek. “He never stopped talking about you when he was with me… every time he spoke of you there was so much life in his eyes. So much passion. So much determination.”

She looked towards Ramie. “He loves you… just as you said; Maya loves him just as much, she simply doesn’t express it the same way. And in the same fashion, he loves you with all his heart. Just not the same way.

…I know… but…

“No buts. Love him, Ramie. Don’t just stand solemnly by his side. Don’t just follow him like a slave who had lost her freedom. Don’t just sacrifice yourself as if you don’t matter to him. Love him. With everything you have and everything you are.”

Quinn slipped off the bed and approached her. “Don’t give up just because he loves Maya. You’re not in love with the man that fell in love with Maya. You’re in love with the Sato that was with you. The Sato that had spent all his time and fun with you. The Sato who wrote you those countless letters…”

Ramie’s eyes widened. “…how do you know about the letters?”

“He told me. The man had a crush on you when he was a child…”

Why are you telling me this, Quinn?!” The Fighter’s face was red. Out of frustration. Out of embarrassment. And out of happiness. She felt the conflicting emotions crash and break against one another. “What good is telling me all this?! You always have something up your sleeve… You always had something up your sleeve! So what are you hiding?!



Sato won’t wake up even if we’re all together…”

“What…?”

“Sato needs genuine emotions… genuine thoughts… genuine will to revive him.” The Psychic sighed. “If we were to all focus our energies into him, we would fail… just like we failed Ash when he faced against the darkness.”



Quinn continued, “We doubted him when we faced the darkness. Because of our doubt, we lost him. If we were to attempt reviving Sato as a group, the one person who would have doubts… is you, Ramie.”

“Me?” Her brows furrowed. “I don’t doubt my love for Sato!

But you doubt his love for you…”

The cold words sliced through; ripping her heart, soul, and mind in realization. Ramie took a step back… she couldn’t deny the statement. And it shamed her…

Yet a lone wall of denial still stood. “But Leanne! She’s –”

“Leanne is unconfident in herself. But when it comes to life or death situations, she knows everyone depends on her. All doubts drop when she faces danger. She would not have a single uncertainty in herself if it involved saving Sato.”

“Farron –”

“Farron knows how he feels towards Sato. He never hides it. It is not his love that keeps him attached, but his hatred. He sees the other side of Sato that we can never see. And it is necessary for him to feel this way in order for Sato to be brought back.”

“But… I… I know Sato loves me…



Quinn watched the Fighter slowly begin to break in her thoughts. If there were no doubts before, there certainly were hundreds now.

“…are you aware that Sato is a morning person?”

Ramie blinked. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

“And are you aware that you’re a night person?”

“Obviously.”

“Are you aware that Maya, Farron, and Leanne are also morning people?

“Get to the point.”

“Consider the fact that Sato and I would hold our concealed meetings in the early mornings and afternoons… If he were to spend time handling all his business during the daylight – when does he go to sleep?”

“At night, obviously.”

“Except he never did, did he?”

“…what?”

“He spent every night with you. And he wouldn’t sleep until you went to sleep.”

“I… never thought about that…

“It may not be much, but it should show his desire to be with you.” Quinn explained with a smile of admiration. “Sato may busy himself with others, he may dedicate all his passions to others – but for you, he will always make time for.”



Ramie found herself silent… unsure of what to say or do. She wanted to be thankful, but she knew that she still had doubts. She yearned for nothing more than for the doubts to go away… but she had been living far too long under the shadows of the other women. She could sacrifice all she had, give everything she could ever give and more… and he’d still end up choosing to give the others his infatuation and care…

In her mind, in her heart, and in her soul, Ramie believed she was only second rate. Years of conditioning herself to understand and accept that as her place in the world – had made it impossible to rid of those doubts. As much as she wanted to believe Quinn’s words, the fact was she was still just Sato’s bodyguard… just his partner. It was just business. Just duty. Just friendship.

“There is one more thing…”

Quinn’s voice returned Ramie’s attention to the world around her.

The Psychic reached into her pocket and produced the infamous black marble that belonged to Ash… the Arceus Drop.

“This item was given to Ash by N. It carries the memories of Sato and any who share a moment with him.” She held the marble at eye-level. “It can also show images of the future. The Arceus Drop, an item that holds the memories and guidance of the god Pokémon… as well as the corruption of the darkness.

“I have studied this item in many of my meditations… seeking the powers it held, while also wondering its true purpose…” The marble began to burn hot, as if aware of its existence being mentioned in conversation. Quinn didn’t flinch, allowing the Drop’s heat to peel away at her skin. “The main mystery I faced: Why would it contain the memories of others if it had come from Arceus? Arceus may be a god, but even it follows the laws created in this universe. By all explanations, this object should not have contained Sato’s memories…”

Its searing temperature had finally become too much, forcing the Psychic to set it down on the bed… where it cooled instantly.

“As there was no logical connection between Arceus and the memories… I conjectured that either, A; it is not from this universe – granted by powers even greater than Arceus. Or B; we are missing something from its explanation… That’s when the investigation of B had led me to find… this.”

Quinn grabbed hold of the marble again. Forcing her thoughts to search through images of the past, the marble began to burn hotter and hotter. Within seconds, it had reached the searing temperature that had caused her to drop it before. But this time, she didn’t let go.

Smoke spread from her hand, and the smell of cooking flesh overtook the room. The Psychic held back her cries of pain, forcing her body to endure, while forcing her mind to recall more memories.

“QUINN!” Ramie ran forward, about to pull the marble from her grip.

“STOP!” Quinn commanded, sending a barrier of psychic energy to stop the Fighter in her tracks. “JUST A LITTLE MORE!”

“What are you doing?! That thing’s barbequing your hand!!”

The Psychic’s face showed complete anguish. Sweat dripped from her head, veins pulsed across her neck and hands, and her teeth grit hard. When it seemed she was only going to heighten in her tortures, her body suddenly relaxed…

…there… it’s done.”

Quinn sighed in relief as she held out her hand. The skin and flesh on her palm was burnt black, with traces of deep reds and strange yellows where the burning pain continued.

Concern would have been the first expression given by Ramie… if it weren’t for the Arceus Drop.

…it was no longer black…

Ramie backed away. “…no…”

“During my last meditation with this object, I found that there was something hidden inside it.” Quinn continued her explanation. “A base. A solidarity. Where Ash and Sabrina had found that this marble carried only constantly-changing secrets and mysteries… I found that there was a single truth buried within it. Something that could not be changed. Something that could not be altered.

“It was in that truth that would explain why Ash could recall past memories… You see, though N believed that he himself gave the Arceus Drop to Ash for his own reasons, his reasons alone would not have been enough to explain why he had felt the need to give it to Ash in the first place… The real truth revealed that N was only a tool of fate… forced to return what had always belonged to Sato.

“I apologize for forcing you to witness the gruesome scene, but I assumed you would not believe me unless you saw it yourself.” Quinn stepped forward, gesturing Ramie to take the object from her hand. “The one truth of this marble… is that it is yours, Ramie. The one you gave to Sato.”

Ramie continued backing away, frightened. Her eyes locked onto the marble of red and blue… “…n-no!!

“Ramie? What’s wrong?”

He’s… not supposed to have it anymore!” The Fighter shook her head in complete disbelief. “He was supposed to lose it! I never saw him holding it anymore!! I THOUGHT HE LOST IT!!! HE WAS SUPPOSED TO FORGET THAT PROMISE!!!

Ramie shattered. Falling to her knees and pulling at her hair… tears pouring down her cheeks as she sobbed loudly. “SATO!!! YOU DUMMY!!! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO FORGET ABOUT THAT PROMISE!!!”



I think we’re done here. Dominique concluded.

Quinn nodded to herself.

Silently striding across the room, the Psychic dropped the marble beside the bawling woman and exited the bedroom door.

click.

She closed the door behind her.

Sigh.

Poor Ramie… Casey’s portion of Quinn felt pity.

Dominique’s side, however, felt relief. Why pity her? She found out that Sato truly does love her.

Yeah, but… she really wanted to believe he didn’t. Wanted to see herself as a person who wasn’t worthy of anything, y’know? That’s a horrible way to live, no matter how many good times you have in your life.

Either way, it’s up to her now. Sabrina’s section felt satisfied. If she can love him back completely, we’ll be able to get Sato back… we’ll be able to get Ash back.

That was ridiculously stressful! Casey groaned. If we made one mistake in that conversation, we woulda’ screwed over the entire thing! …man, if we didn’t have Sabby’s smarts, we would’ve failed at the first two sentences.

Don’t be so humble. Without your strange baseball references, we would have probably never been able to continue changing our strategy. Baiting her to defend Maya was quite ingenius.

Are we doing some kind of compliment party here? Dominique half-joked.

And Dommy here… Casey decided to host the compliment party. …figuring out all of Ramie’s secrets! She couldn’t even try to hide anything from us because of you!

What can I say? I’m very good at reading people. the ex-Agent gloated.

Someone’s at the door… Sabrina sensed immediately.

Knock Knock Knock

“Man is it awesome being Psychic.” Quinn spoke Casey’s thought out loud.

“Hello? Anyone home??” a voice from the outside called.

Farron’s here.



_________________________________________________________



Cl-lak.

She turned off the audio surveillance, no longer willing to listen to the Fighter’s heart-wrenching cries.

Kicking away from the bench, she stretched and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small item.

“So if the Arceus Drops don’t end up in just anyone’s hands… then this marble must have been meant for me…”

Leanne gazed into the colored marble held up by her fingers. The dizzying swirls of bright colors hypnotized and calmed her. It was through this item she was able to see all connections… The connections that allowed her to organize and plan everything perfectly to this point. And the very connections that gave her any sense of authority within the groups.

But now that she was Leanne, the complete Leanne – and now that they were all so close to completing their final task, she wondered if she had any further use for the item. All that was left for it was its last secret… its final mystery…

Why it had chosen her.

I could cheat by finding it through its deep connections… she considered. Or I could cheat by simply looking into my own memories now that I remember…

Leanne smirked. But that would be too easy. With my mind now, I should be able to figure it out.

She pocketed the marble and pondered Quinn’s words.

“That marble was Ramie’s… but it found its way to Ash… Ramie had given it to Sato… so…”

Sato. Given it.

Leanne’s eyes widened. Without the effort, a memory flashed.

‘Sato… I have something to confess to you…’

‘What is it, Leanne?’

‘H-Here…’

‘What i– THE MARBLE!!!’

‘Sato, I…’

‘LEANNE! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!! WHERE DID YOU FIND IT?!’

‘…I… stole it.’

‘…what? Why?’

‘…I was… jealous. I’m… I’m sorry.’

‘Leanne…’

‘You’d always stare at it… look at it… I… hated it. So I stole it. I’m sorry, I just…’



‘I’m sorry, Sato. It was very immature of me…’

‘…then why did you return it?’

‘H-Huh?’

‘If it hurt you so much… why did you give it back?’

‘…a-aren’t you glad you have it back?’

‘More than anything. But why did you return it?’

‘I… I saw how sad you were. Watching you check your pockets every day… looking through everyone’s bags every week… never being able to look Ramie in the eyes… it was wrong of me. I was stupid. I’m so sorry.’





‘Thank you, Leanne.’

‘No thanks are necessary, Sato. I was a criminal. If anything, I should be punished.’

‘No… you did me a favor.’

‘Favor?’

‘If I had never lost it, I would have never had all those deep discussions with everyone… and even though it was done for sad reasons, we’re all closer because of it, right?’

‘R-Right… It was also our conversation a few nights ago that made me decide to give it back…’

‘It was a pretty fun conversation.’

‘Y-Yeah…’





‘Tell you what… I won’t tell Ramie I got it back, and–‘

‘Wh-What?? Why not??’

‘Because you said it makes you sad.’

‘I-I s-said that you looking at it made me sad! N-Nothing about Ramie!’

‘…Leanne, I know why you’re really jealous of it…’

‘…I… yes… it’s because of Ramie… but you don’t have to hide it from her!’

‘If I’ll never be able to reconcile with Ramie without the marble, then I wouldn’t deserve her as a friend.’

‘…I suppose…’

‘In addition to that, I’ll get you your own marble.’

‘WH-WHAT?? WH-WHYY???’

‘So you won’t be so jealous.’

‘I! Ah! Uhm!’

‘What colors do you like?’

‘Y-You don’t have to get me one! Wh-What would I do with a marble?? … … a-any color… I don’t really have a favorite…’

‘I’ll get you one with lots of colors then, okay?’

‘N-No, that’s okay.’

‘Too late. See you later, Leanne.’

‘Where are you going?’

‘Ah… just a walk…’

‘…going to visit that Rapture Agent again, aren’t you?’

‘D-Don’t tell anybody!’

‘I never do…’

‘Thanks, Leanne! I’ll be back in a few hours! Cover for me.’

‘Be careful out there! Don’t let her pull any tricks on you!’



‘…Sato…’

Leanne’s consciousness returned to the present. “Well fine, I guess cheating’s fine too.” Sigh.

Her eyes refocused on the marble in her hand. Studying its spinning saturations and hues.

“…one with lots of colors, huh?” A heartening smile crept on her face.

Leanne pressed it to her forehead. Her heart singing in newfound cherishment for the gift.

“A color for every element… like a drop of Arceus itself.”

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:56 PM

Chapter 47: Where We Left Off

Spoiler:
“Have you tried calling her?”

“What did it look like I just finished doing?”

“You could have been checking your voice mail…”

“Well then I’d be checking for her voice mail, either way I’m doing something about it!”

Okay okay, calm down big guy.” Ramie sighed, leaning back against the couch.

H-Here… let me see if I can call… her… shoot, where is it??” Leanne rummaged through her green belt pack, trying to find Johto Bianca’s pokédev or Unova Bianca’s C-Gear. She quietly cursed the fact that she had regained her ability to lose anything and everything while in the unified Leanne’s form.

“For a girl who was always punctual during our old meets, you’d think she’d be one of the first here.” Farron scratched his head in irritated impatience. He shifted his standing posture constantly, wishing dearly to rest his sore back – but far too nerve-wracked to sit still.

Quinn nodded in appreciation as she accepted a glass of iced tea from Solana. After a sip, she turned her attention to the group. “It is important to note that she is in the southwest section of the Sinnoh region, and we’re in the northeast. If anyone would have an excuse to be late, it would definitely be Maya.”

Taurosflakes she has an excuse!” Ramie growled. “She’s the most important one in this little group! No offense. There’s no way Sato will wake without her!”

T-Technically Sato wouldn’t wake if any of us w-weren’t here.” Leanne clarified.

“Whatever. It’s just SO like that princess to push her boundaries. We depend on her to get a job done, and what does she do?? Flaunt her role as Maya! What a b– oh, thanks Solana!

“Did everyone get a drink?” the Ranger asked as she walked back to the kitchen.

“Not Maya. OH WAIT!” The Fighter rolled her eyes and chugged her drink.

Ritchie shuffled into the living room, setting down a large tray of freshly baked goods. “Food’s here! Be careful though, it’s a bit hot.”

Sooo Ritchie!” Ramie hopped towards him and roughly patted his back. “May’s still wondering how you asked Solana out!!”

Howls and small cheers came from the guests.

Oh um…” The Trainer’s face turned a bright red. “Ah… you see…

“Nah, I’m just teasin’ ya’, kid!” Ramie laughed heartily. “You can tell May later. We just wanted to get you blushin’. You adorable lil’ thing.” She pinched his cheek, causing him to blush harder.

Solana stepped in, grabbing one of the muffins on the platter. “What’s wrong with just asking me? I can tell the story too.”

“Yeah, but you’re just not as adorable as Ritchie. His blushes are half the story-telling experience.” the Fighter teased as she grinded her knuckles into Ritchie’s hair.

“I’d agree with that.” The Ranger pulled her boyfriend away from Ramie’s grasped and gave a quick kiss on his lips.

“AWWWWWWW!!!”

“Get a room.”

“Shut it, Farron. No one asked you.” Ramie playfully struck at the Pokémon Master.

He caught her attack by the wrist and tickled her armpit.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!! STOP IT!! STOP IT YOU JERK!! AHAHAHA!!”

“OOF!!” His counter-assault earned him a real punch across the face.

Farron dropped sideways, grabbing onto a nearby curtain to stop his fall.

KRRIIRIIRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITCH

The curtain tore in half.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

“That’s what you get for tickling me.” Ramie cracked her knuckles and walked towards a corner of the room.

Ritchie inspected the curtain with worry. “Oh man… Drew is not going to like this…

The Fighter stopped in her tracks.

“What did you just say?”

“Huh? About the curtain?”

“No. Did you just say ‘Drew’?”

“Yeah. This is Drew’s villa.”

May stomped out of Ramie’s form, leaving the other two stunned from the separation.

“THIS IS DREW’S PLACE?!!” the Coordinator roared, a fire burning in her eyes.

Holy crap… You shouldn’t have said that!” Angie panicked. She immediately wrapped her arms around May’s shoulders. “C-Calm down, May!

“LET GO OF ME!!!” she screamed as she kicked and punched into the air, struggling like a wild animal in the tomboy’s grip. “RAAAAAAA!!! I’M GOING TO TEAR THIS PLACE APART!!!”

“A little help would be great, Maylene!!”

The pink-haired fighter grabbed May’s pinky and pulled it the wrong way.

OW!” A weakening pain spread throughout the Coordinator’s body, causing her to submit almost instantly. “Ow! Ow. Owow. Okay! Okayokayokay, I’m done. Done. Let go please.” she pleaded.

Angie let go of her grip and exhaled in relief. “Phew… thanks, Lene.”

“No prob.” She released her hold, allowing May to drop to her knees to recover herself.

“Wh-What was that all about???” Ritchie’s eye twitched, his look of fear and shock slowly fading as the moment passed.

“Ex.” the tomboy simply said.

Everyone in the room nodded in unified understanding.

“Oh… that reminds me. Drew says ‘he’s sorry’.”

Angie slapped her palm to her face. Ritchie! WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?!



May didn’t react. She looked up with a calm smile. “Oh… okay.”

The others sighed in pure relief, slightly surprised by the Coordinator’s tranquil reply.

Click-click-click-click-click-click-click. VACUUM. SNAP!!!

“I WANT THIS PLACE OBLITERATED!!!” May commanded with reckless abandon.



_________________________________________________________



She took a deep breath in. The scents of the sea invigorating her… the taste of groomed civilization exciting her… and the air of one’s final destination satisfying her lungs.

Maya stepped into the docks, letting the small crowds pass her by.

On normal days, the exiting passengers would be far too eager to challenge one another not only during the yacht ride, but also immediately after reaching land… but it wasn’t a normal day. It was early morning. Far too early for most to consider even giving suggestions, let alone battle orders to their pokémon. They needed their coffee, they needed their rest, and they needed to get their land legs fast if they were ever going to retrieve one of the other two options.

However, the Empathic’s legs had already adjusted due to her natural affinity for water and sailing.

And unlike the exhausted swarm, she was one a rare species known as a ‘morning person’. An endangered species in a time of technology’s conveniences.

With a skip in her step, she headed down a small pathway within the forest of palm trees.

Maya felt perfectly fine. Not with just her situation, but with herself.

Never in her entire life had she felt so sure of herself.

Individually, she had always felt slightly off. Misty’s near dual personality of tomboyish charms and deep desire to be ‘one of the girls’, was always in conflict with itself. Anabel’s sensitivity and title as an Empathic had always made her awkward within the presence of those who couldn’t understand emotions. And Dawn’s youth and inexperience often making her feel like a mouse amongst a land of giants, always having to prove herself to others and herself.

But now, as Maya… she felt confident, whole, and knowledgeable. She wasn’t the smartest girl in the group, but she had wisdom from experience and an outstanding sense of intuition to help her balance that out. She wasn’t the strongest woman in the team, but her title as ‘Maya’ itself had enough power to allow her to do what she wished. And she wasn’t the most balanced person in the gang, but she excelled in manners of the heart – and it was often the heart where it mattered most.

Being of one body, mind, heart, and soul felt perfect. She wondered why she ever even considered running off as Misty to be more ‘successful’ in life… when she would have never found true happiness at the end of that road. She pondered why she ever worried about losing to that tomboy Angie… when Angie was closer to being ‘one of the boys’ and wouldn’t have complimented Ash effectively. And she questioned why she was so afraid of being alone and left behind as Dawn… when now she understood that Ash would have loved her company no matter what.

As Maya, things were right.

As Maya, things were perfect.

And as Maya, everyone was waiting for her.

She giggled to herself. I shouldn’t make them wait too long.

Her impossibly happy mood suddenly went blank when her eye caught a familiar figure.

To her right, a small creature was lying quietly underneath a large palm tree.

Originally, she was going to ignore it and continue on her way… but its familiar color caused her to make a second glance.

Yellow.

It was Pikachu. Ash’s pikachu.

It sat curled-up in the grass… emotions of sadness, distress, and complete loneliness filled its heart. From its fading and weakened sentiments, it was obvious that it had not eaten in days… and though many would encourage to feed it immediately, she knew quite well that as long as its spirits were low – it would never digest food properly.

Pikachu was depressed. He chose not to eat. He chose not to move. And he chose not to try. Though his heavy mental and emotional burdens were the main deciding factors of his mood – Maya knew that any creature simply having the will to cheer up, wanting to cheer up, desiring to cheer up… was a greater cure than what any medicine or meal could offer.

Click. Vacuum.

Pikachu’s ears twitched at the sound. Feelings of defensive irritation surrounding his essence. The yellow Mouse Pokémon believed it was a wandering Trainer seeking to battle and capture it. Pikachu was in no mood… and was only waiting for the perfect moment to retaliate.

Snap.

With a growl, Pikachu turned and readied to send the released pokémon into the sky with a Volt Tackle.



Instead, it stood still in confusion.

A feline creature of lavender fur and deep purple eyes stared at him in curious recognition.

“PIKAAA!!!” The Mouse Pokémon dashed forward and tackled the Sun Pokémon.

The two tumbled and rolled with excited yelps and happy grunts. Landing to a halt, they hopped, pounced, and pressed down and over one another. Their cheerful laughs and yap echoed slightly against the barrier of trees.

Maya’s eyes watered at the heartening scene. Sniffle. “Hi Pikachu! Long time no see!”

Ash’s partner halted in its play and stared up at the woman. “Pika?” It didn’t recognize her whatsoever.

“It’s us! Anabel, Dawn, and Misty!”

“…pi?”

She held out her hand, allowing him to sniff it carefully from his hesitant distance. “See? You still know us, right?”

Pikachu tilted its head. Emotions of complete bewilderment filled him.

In every way it knew this woman was them… but it had no idea why they were one person.

Before it could confuse itself any further, Maya reached into her bag. “I’ve got something just for you! Snuck it out of the yacht. So sshhhhh, don’t tell anyone.” she giggled to herself childishly.

The woman he couldn’t recognize held out a treat that could bribe him into no longer caring.

…ketchup packs…

Pikachu tore through them, sucking out their sweet and savory sauces that they held within.

In just a manner of minutes, the yellow Mouse Pokémon showed almost no signs of its earlier weaknesses or vulnerabilities… He was eating, moving, and most importantly… happy.

“Come on, Pikachu. We’re going to go wake up Ash now!”

“…pi…ka?”

“Yup! It’s finally time!”

No longer caring for the ‘food’, Pikachu dropped the ketchup packs and leapt onto Maya’s shoulder. “PIKAAA!!!” He patted her head repeatedly, gesturing for her to start running. Espeon hopped on her other shoulder and mimicked the Electric Pokémon’s gestures.

Okay, okay, okay!” Maya laughed as she placed the packets back into her bag. With a slight grunt, she stretched and straightened her back. “Ahhh~! Alright! Let’s go!

The three of them cheered loudly as they sped down the narrow forest path… all looking forward to what their final destination would hold in store for them.



_________________________________________________________



“…is this really the right place?”

Smoke slowly drifted from the villa’s roof. A large hole with blackened edges scarred one of its corners. Ice decorated the edges of the doorway. And several of the windows were shattered beyond repair.



Oh no… WHAT IF TEAM ROCKET ATTACKED?!

“CHUU!!!”

Smashing through the frozen door, Pikachu prepared for the worst. Espeon leapt by his side, forming a Barrier around them in proactive defense. The Empathic stormed in, pulling several of her poké balls from their belt loops.



Walls stained with splattered green, burning black, and shimmering light blue… A hole in the ceiling…

Several knocked out pokémon spread throughout the settings. One person on the floor, massaging their head in pain. Several others, leaning against walls or objects in exhaustion and stress, glancing in the intruders’ direction. And a single young woman, held above the ground by a dark purple aura, posed in a furious stance.

Uh…”

“IT’S MAYA!!!”

As if the battle that mysteriously occurred in her absence had never mattered, everyone in the room stumbled and hopped into ecstatic postures. Even May, who seemed to be the center of everyone’s struggle, cheered up at the sight of the Empathic’s arrival.

The Coordinator ran towards Angie and Maylene, pulling them excitedly towards herself. In a flash of light, the three had become one – revealing the red-haired and golden-eyed Fighter that she recognized almost instantly.

“R-Ramie?!”

“PRINCESS!!” Ramie dashed forward, breaking through Espeon’s Barrier with a swift kick and placing the Empathic in a rough headlock. “You little orange-head! You had us worried sick!!”

Maya laughed nervously as the Fighter continued to scratch at her hair.

Facing up, her eyes widened at the sight of so many familiar faces. “Farron! Leanne! Quinn!

The three ran towards her in cheerful greetings.

Laughs, comments, stories, and playful insults bounced between the five of them.

To the side, Solana pulled Ritchie to his feet and patted debris off his clothes.

The male trainer surveyed the room in despair. “Drew is not going to like this at all…

“Oh cheer up, Ritch.” The Ranger laughed, slapping him across the back. “Come on, let’s go get Ash ready for them… The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can get all this drama out of our hairs.”



_________________________________________________________



“Ash…”

Of the five that stood uncomfortably at the sight of the young man’s body, none was sure which of them whispered his name. It could have been any of them, it could have been all of them, or they could have simply imagined it. The only thing they knew is that the sight of him, with all of them gathered under the same roof, made them nervous.

This is it… many of them thought. After this, our adventure’s finally done…

But where do we go from here?

Quinn worried for her Gym at Saffron… wondering if she should return as the Psychic Sabrina or as the Psychic Quinn. She wondered if the others would follow her. The ex-Agent Dominique didn’t seem to have any specific plans for her life after all this. Becoming an assistant in the Psychic’s Gym was an interesting prospect for her, though she knew that she’d be treated as an outcast because of her Dice. Casey had no real opinion for or against it… her life had always been up in the air, finding happiness and adventure wherever she went. As long as she could continue attending and watching team Electabuzz’s games, she could go anywhere – live anywhere.

The Psychic’s largest worry, however, was where would Ash be in her life after this… does she simply move on? Is it alright to move on? …and if he followed, where would life lead them?

Leanne missed her faraway homes… Alto Mare, the paradise island of Johto, was her perfect world. In her past life, she had always dreamed of living in that island… and now she finally could, in the form of Bianca and Latias. She could finally appreciate her home for the haven that it was. The other Bianca, however, wished to return to her region of Unova. Kanto and Sinnoh were a beautiful lands with so many adventures and friends waiting to greet her, but she missed her home. To her, she felt like she had never given her home region a real chance… she barely even knew of the cities and towns there, yet she knew so many here already. It was unfair to her home, and she wanted to make it fair.

The Researcher’s conflict came to a head when they wondered how they would separate… how could they separate? Leanne woudn’t be Leanne without all three of them… Do they simply forget this life and continue on their own? Would it be right? …and what about Ash? What about Sato? Do they simply lose him again and just end up settling for someone else?

For Ramie, the roles of Gym Leader, Contest Title Defender, and heiress of a Day Care Center loomed over her head and heart. The thoughts would cause her shoulders feel heavy with burden… because in truth, she didn’t truly care for those things. She wanted to be with Ash, with Sato. To have fought so hard for him, to have sacrificed so much for him, to have discovered so much for him, only to lose him because of duties that seemed trivial in comparison… drove her mad.

The Fighter’s desire to be with Ash fell in opposition with the fact that she wasn’t one person, but three. Even if they were comfortable with it, they couldn’t see a way to share him. They lived three separate worlds – how could he be with all of them? …or do they drop everything and follow him regardless?

Maya only concerned herself with Ash’s safety and her life with him. She would gladly remove her title as Gym Leader to continue travelling with him. She would gladly remove her title as Frontier Brain to be with him indefinitely. And she would gladly forget her goals of being a top Pokémon Coordinator if it meant she could make him happy. Or if he wished, he could live in her life… ideas of fighting as a Gym Leader with Double Battle rules, defending the Battle Frontier as a Frontier Brain duo, or competing as a Coordinator couple ran through her head.

Yet the Empathic’s crossroad was… would it be with Ash or Sato? She was unsure what their actions would honestly do to the sleeping young man. If it revived him as Ash, then anything goes – because he never seemed to care about boundaries. But if it was Sato… then would he continue his role as an Aura Guardian? The very job that had caused so much heartache and pain in him… she wondered if she could convince him to retire… because she believed he had already given his all, and no longer owed anything to the world that demanded his services…

And Farron… he knew where he would be at the end of all this. He didn’t want anything more to do with this. Farron wasn’t a Pokémon Master in this world. He was a skilled trainer, with several undisciplined pokémon under his command. With that in mind, he didn’t care to continue his role as the man named Farron. The jobs and lives of Gary, Tracey, and Todd seemed far more appealing now. After this was all over, he was going to move on – just like he always has – just like he always will.

Except… he was still here. Ended up back here just for Sato. Always for Sato. He despised him… he would never allow him to move on, never allow him to break away. As much as Farron always wanted to stop caring, Sato would always drag him back – preaching to him about responsibilities and duties to others… He despised those lectures… because he knew Sato was right.

And now he had the chance to forget about him, to let him rot away as an un-living body, to just let him fade away with time and move forward… but he… didn’t want to.

He was the first to step forward.

Pressing his hand against Ash’s heart, Farron sneered. “Sato, you idiot, you owe me for this.”

With a flex of his thoughts and emotions, he remembered every moment he ever had with the Aura Guardian. Moments of hatred, jealousy, envy, and even admiration. His body shook… tears flowing from his eyes.

In reaction, Leanne’s face became serious as she ran towards Ash’s body. Her hands pressed hard against his chest. “We’re always here for you, Sato!”

She flinched, allowing all her memories and feelings to flow into him. Sato… you were always so kind to pokémon… and always so kind to people… but what meant most to me, was your kindness to me. You always made me feel special, even though I never thought I was worth anything… so please… come back… I want to show my gratitude…

Quinn slowly walked ahead, resting her hand against the young man’s forehead. “Consider my debt paid in full, Aura…”

With a smile, the Psychic opened her heart and mind. Her experiences with Sato, judgments of his character, and deep affection for him, released into his body. Sabrina moved to the fore, reconnecting the bond that she held with Ash… reminding Quinn of the bond she had shared with Sato.

Ash’s body twitched. A small moan escaping his lips.

“IT’S WORKING!!” Leanne shouted excitedly. “Oh gosh… it’s working…

“Hurry up girls! We need both of you!” Farron yelled without turning away from his actions.



Maya hesitated.

Seeing Ash react to Quinn made her… frightened.

A hand patted her on the shoulder.

Ramie smiled at her. “Come on, princess. Your prince awaits.”

Shoved forward, Maya stumbled.

Her hands landing on Ash’s… A familiar warmth came from them.

“Ash…”

Maya shook her head, throwing the fears away. I’m doing this for you, Ash. It doesn’t matter what you think about Sabrina or anyone else here… what matters is that I love you. I love you, Ash! And I don’t want to live without you!

Her hands gripped onto his, squeezing them as hard as she could. Using her Empathy, she shot all of her emotions into him. Misty’s… Anabel’s… Dawn’s… Maya’s… their love, their infatuation, their dreams, hopes, desires, and so much more. All for Ash. All for Sato.

Maya always belongs to Sato… Sato always belongs to Maya… We were meant for each other, Sato!!! COME BACK TO ME!!!

Ash’s body took a deep breath in, his lips moving as if he attempted to talk.

Ramie stepped forward, cracking her knuckles and rolling her shoulders. “Alright Sato… Let’s see if I can wake you up with something you remember!”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a marble of red and blue. Her fingers wrapped around them tightly, balling the hand into a fist, with the marble as its heart.

Sato… I don’t think we’ll ever get married. But you know what? Marriage is for insecure little women anyways. I don’t need to be married to you to show my love! And you sure as hell don’t need to send me flowers to say you love me! We have each other. We’ve always had each other. And as much as I can’t live without you… I know you can’t live without me.

“SO WAKE UP, YOU JERK!!!”

She swung her fist downwards, jabbing Ash hard against the stomach.

“GAHH!!!” Ash spat out, his eyes opening wide, and his body sitting up immediately.

The five backed away in shock.

Ash breathed desperately, holding his stomach in pain. “OWWW… What the heck was that for, Amy?!!

Ramie’s eyes widened. Ash… wasn’t exactly Ash.

He called her by the nickname Sato gave her… with the voice of Sato…

…staring straight at her.

“…Sato?”

He blinked. “Y-Yeah?”

Leanne was the first to charge in. She leapt up and wrapped her arms excitedly around him. “ASH! SATO! I MISSED YOU TWO SO MUCH!!”

L-Leanne???!” His face blushed, unused to the normally shy girl’s physical affection.

“So wait a minute.” Farron crossed his arms and raised his brow. A look of irritated confusion was in his eyes. “Which is it? You Ash or Sato in there?”

Ash scratched his head. “…er… both?” He shrugged.

Sato! SATO!! I CAN FEEL OUR BOND AGAIN, SATO!!! Quinn’s erratic thoughts flowed around his mind.

Nice to see you again, Quinn!

Oh Sato… SATO!!!

The Psychic stood awkwardly to the side, a blush on her face as her mind was elsewhere.

Maya shuffled forward nervously. Her face was pink, both from shyness and from the tears she had been crying. “S-Sat-to??

“Long time no see, Maya… Misty… Dawn… Anabel.” He smiled. “Literally.”

Ash had sensed her curiosities and hesitation… her eyes locked with his, wondering why his eyes weren’t blanked or faded like they normally were. They followed her every movement, only making it more obvious what the answer could be.

She looked away, hiding her face. “Ah! If you told me you’d get your sight back from this, I would’ve cleaned myself up! I’m a complete mess!

“If you look like a mess, then I must look like a muk.” Ramie mentioned as she did her best to adjust the hair underneath her bandana.

“Hey Amy…”

Ramie’s face turned pink. “Wh-What?” She refused to make eye contact.

He wasn’t supposed to give her any attention right now. All his attention was supposed to be on Maya, not her. It made her extremely uncomfortable… even if it was a nice change.

“Sorry I didn’t tell you about the marble…”

The Fighter pocketed the small object of red and blue. “Whatever. Don’t stress over it. Just glad to have you back, you jerk.”

“You’re keeping it?”

“Keeping what?”

“The marble.”

Ramie shrugged. “Yeah. So what? It’s my marble anyways.” …you don’t need this marble to keep thinking of me, Sato… I’ll be right there with ya’ all the way. If you ever miss me, you come see me yourself. No mementos.

She knew he’d hear her emotions. It was one of the few times she wasn’t trying to hide them. She counted on him hearing it… as she left the room.

“Well, see you jerks later! I’m gonna’ go grab a bite from Ritchie.”

Amy… Ash nodded.

OH! Sato! Sato!” Leanne pulled out her own marble and waved it in his face excitedly. “See?? I kept the marble you gave to me! I still have it, see??

He laughed nervously, still unused to her overly animated behavior. “That’s great!”

His attention was caught by a hand holding onto his. Looking up to its owner, he found Maya staring at him lovingly.

“I’m really glad you’re back… I missed you…” Her hand shook as tears slowly began to run down her eyes again. “I missed you so much! I don’t know… I don’t know what I would have done if…

Sato pulled her close, pressing her head against his heart. “I missed you, too… Maya.”

“SATO!!!” She sobbed loudly into his chest. Grabbing and pulling at his shirt… yearning to absorb him and keep him locked away in her heart, never to lose him again. “I WAS SO SCARED IN THERE!! WHEN THE DARKNESS TOOK ME!! I STILL KNEW YOU WERE THERE!! YOU WERE STILL FIGHTING FOR ME!! YOU KEPT ME FROM DISAPPEARING, SATO!! YOU KEPT ME FROM DISAPPEARING!!!”

Shh… it’s okay, Maya… you’re safe now.” He pressed his hand against her cheek, leading her eyes to look into his. “And I’m safe now. Because of you.”

“Sato…”

“Because of all of you.” Ash tilted his head up and regarded those still in the room.

Maya’s face gave a blank smile, feeling slightly heartbroken at the altered compliment. She shook her head, denying the feeling. No… he’s right. He wouldn’t be back if it weren’t for all of us.

I-I did all of this for you, Sato…” Leanne blushed, her shy personality returning.

I did as well. Quinn nodded, caressing the renewed bond. Never wanting to let it go.

“Thank you.” Ash sighed softly. “All of you.”

“PIKAAA!!!”

A flash of quick yellow smeared Ash’s vision. Pikachu had latched onto his face, howling and screaming for desperate attention.

Unlike his reactions to the others, Ash wept in response to Pikachu’s appearance. He held him close and sobbed into the Mouse Pokémon’s fur. “PIKACHU!!”

“PIKAAA!!!”

The two rolled around the bed in euphoria, crying and laughing in their reunion.

Maya smiled at the sight… glad to have both Sato and the old Ash back.

Well this is nice and all…” Farron grumbled. “But are we done here? I need to get going soon.”

“You’re leaving?” Sato blinked his tears away and stared up at him. “Already?”

“You know me, Ash. I always have somewhere to go.” he responded with Gary’s voice.

“If that’s the case, then –”

Ash’s comment was cut short as Ramie stormed back into the room.

With a bread still in her mouth, she stumbled quickly towards the bedroom’s television and turned it on.

“Ramie? What’s up?”

The Fighter held a finger towards them, gesturing for silence. She chewed up the bread as quickly as she could while her hands fumbled with the remote… trying to find the right channel.

Finally, the channel rested on a news network.

“If you’re just tuning in with us, a terrorist group calling themselves Operation Beta has just captured a military facility near Hearthome City. Acquiring several launch codes to warheads that the facility supposedly contains, they are threatening to destroy every major city within the Sinnoh region by sunrise if their demands are not meant.”

Leanne’s eyes narrowed. “…I never knew there were even any military facilities left in any region of the world.”

Farron’s eye twitched. “There shouldn’t be any…

“The group’s leader, known simply as ‘Dragon’ had left this video message through a pirate network…”

A young woman with large purple hair appeared on the screen.

“THAT’S–!!” Farron tensed.

Despite the scar across her eye and her threatening uniform… Gary recognized her instantly as Iris, leader of Beta team.

“‘People of Sinnoh!’” she roared proudly into a microphone. “‘For far too long the Empire has deceived you! Lied to you! Controlled you! They have stolen your lands, your resources, and your histories! They replaced it with their own filth and greed! Brainwashing all of you to believe they are here to protect and guide you! But I have seen through their propaganda! And I know many of you have too! But you are frightened…”

She pounded the podium with her fist, her face becoming far more serious. “‘And I am frightened too. Frightened to become like you! As we speak, your supposed protectorate is storming my homeland! They burn our lands, steal our crops, and destroy our culture! They wage war on people who do not fight back, care not to fight back! For years we have tolerated them, and we have even allied with them! But if this is how they treat their allies, then I pity how they treat its own people!’

“‘I am here not as a terrorist or a revolutionary… but as a child who had her father taken away by the wretched Empire! He was only trying to protect his family from starving! And they killed him in front of us for his defiance… Your family and friends are the same as mine! Are the same as myself! The Empire deceives you, promises you comforts, gives you what you desire – but takes away the very thing you need! The very thing that makes you whole!’

“‘You are sedated, unfeeling, and jaded to them! But I am here to wake you up! As a child who does not wish to see your fathers taken away from you, as a friend who does not wish to see you continue to be hurt by their deceptions… I implore you: fight back! Rise to arms with us! Help us help you! So that tomorrow we can see a brighter day, where all that we have earned is taken only by those whom we give them to!! So that tomorrow we can see a greater sky, where all that we had heard were truths from an honest government, an honest face – not one that hides behind masks and shadows.’

“‘We are currently in control of the Drifblim Military Facility. We have access to twenty nuclear warheads… all primed and ready for launch. Nuclear warheads that the Empire lied about owning… nuclear warheads that the Empire had planned to use against my homeland. But now, we are in control, and we will use it on them first! UNLESS! Unless you stand up and fight with us, people of Sinnoh! If you join our fight, we will deactivate these missiles permanently. That is a true promise. A real promise.’

“‘But if you do not… we will target and destroy every major city within the Sinnoh region. Because if you are not with us… you are part of the Empire. You have until sunrise to make your decision.’”

The screen blanked… quickly returning to the reporter in front of the facility. Explosions and gunfire flashed behind her. “The Empire has just infiltrated the building!! We were told that they had entered through a tunnel from beneath the facility itself! Fighting has just broke out between the terrorists and the operatives! With the terrorists already losing ground! As much as we’d love to show you more, we were commanded to vacate the premises in case – KSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” Static fizzed on the television screen.



“What in the world was that all about?!” Maya’s jaw was left ajar. Like everyone else, she had been watching the news report intensely, without moving an inch.

Now that the static continued, they exchanged looks of confusion and worry.

“We seem to be having some technical issues with reporter Powell…” The screen flickered back to color, revealing two news casters holding their ear pieces to gather more information. “Our apologies. We will return to her as soon as we can.”

The other newscaster nodded, facing the camera. “In light of the recent takeover, the Emperor has clarified that the war they are holding within the Unova region was kept classified to prevent any news leaks from endangering the troops stationed there. He has stated that the war is not a take-over attempt by the Empire, but a terrorist-suppression effort. According to the neighboring regions, Unova has been known for their illegal drug, weapon, and pokémon laundering activities to fund and weaponize their own extremist military groups. Their recent increase in these activities has prompted the Empire to interfere, defending Unova’s neighbors, not attacking Unova itself.”

“…Unova…” Leanne’s brown eyes shifted green, as Bianca’s troubled mind showed through.

“Something is wrong out there… I can sense it…” Quinn frowned.

“To keep the public informed on this situation, we will repeat this broadcast again in a few seconds.” The caster straightened his papers. “For now, we can only give our thoughts and prayers to the dedicated soldiers within the facility. May the Rocket Empire protect us all.”

The screen blinked, repeating earlier scenes that they had missed.

Ramie turned off the television.



“Rocket Empire?” Leanne looked around in worry.

“That was Iris, right?” Maya looked towards Farron.

Nuclear warheads… military facilities…” he growled to himself. “…doesn’t make sense.”

Sato pushed himself off the bed, walking towards his backpack that was left in the corner of the room.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

A blue haze formed around Ash. “It’s Team Rocket…”

“What about them?”

He turned, facing Farron as he adjusted the bag against his back. “They’ve caught Arceus.”

“WHAT?!” The four women stared at him in disbelief.

Ash walked towards the door. “Everyone get their stuff ready… we’re not done yet.”





Farron’s eye twitched… his third chance had revealed itself.


____________________________________________________________

ARCEUS DROPS REMEMBERING - END



I hope you look forward to Part 2!

Nine-Sixteenth February 12th, 2012 12:59 PM

And that's the end of mah fanfic~
Hope y'all enjoyed it!





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