"A Passion Revived": chapter 1

The sun was beginning to set over Route 209, turning the landscape into something resembling a burning painting. The tall grasses shone with a flaming orange, their tips brushed with pure gold, while the rivers and streams of the watery route were dyed a passionate red. Majestic trees were reduced to nothing more than silhouettes outlined in brightness.

Despite the beauty, Ash Ketchum sighed as he watched the sun set. To him, all it meant was another night of camping out. 'There's only so much natural beauty a guy can take before he starts missing a real bed again...'

"Pi-kaaa..."

Ash turned his head and placed a comforting hand on Pikachu's head. He knew Pikachu was thinking the exact same thing he was. "I know, Pikachu, but it's just one more night before we get to Solaceon Town."

"But that means one more night out here, Ash!" May replied, also sighing. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but it's going to be winter soon – and might I remind you that Sinnoh is the northernmost region we've been to so far? That means only one thing to me – it's cold."

Ash gave a lopsided smile at his friend, newly come from the contest circuit in Johto. May simply wasn't used to the climate of the Sinnoh region, not after traveling for so long in Kanto and Johto, and certainly not after being born and raised in the Hoenn region, the warmest region Ash knew of (aside from the tropical Orange Islands). Ash had been in the Sinnoh region a bit longer, and had simply had more time to adjust to it.

He had long since earned all eight badges of the Sinnoh region, defeating Volkner for his eighth about eight months ago. However, that had been just after the Sinnoh League had been held – the next one wouldn't be held until the following year. Brock had wanted to spend some time back at the library in Canalave, and wanted Ash to come with him. Iron Island, he'd said, would be a perfect place to train for the League. Dawn had refused, wanting to spend more time in Hearthome City for contest training.

Convinced, Ash boarded a ferry with him out of Sunnyshore, a special one which only ran from Canalave up to Snowpoint City, then back down to Sunnyshore before completing the circuit around the region. He had been shocked to see a large, trans-region ship docking into Canalave at the same time, and was even more surprised to see May disembarking it. The trio had, just like old times, been traveling around ever since, though only to May's contests. Now they were on their way to Solaceon Town, where May wanted to see how if newly-aquired and bad-tempered Glameow might do any better at the Day-Care Center there.

"So where are we spending the night, Brock?" Ash asked, causing Pikachu's ears to perk up expectantly.

Brock, sitting on a rock nearby, unfolded the map again. "Well, the Lost Tower's just up ahead, and that'll at least give us a roof."

May shuddered slightly, and Ash wasn't any fonder of the idea of spending another night in a tower full of ghost pokemon, like he had done so long ago when he had first started out. Even Pikachu seemed to remember that night, as he cringed on Ash's shoulder and shivered. "Any other options, Brock?"

"Besides camping? Not really." Brock replied gently, but bluntly, as he stood. "Come on, let's keep heading that way anyway. We might find something that's not on the map." Grudgingly, the other two also stood and began to follow the elder breeder.

It was about ten minutes later that they reached the tower, and with it, their marker proclaiming the last five miles before Solaceon Town. "Well, here's the tower." Ash remarked. "So, do we push on, or – hey! Pikachu! Come back!"

Pikachu had been half-asleep on Ash's shoulder during the ride, but now, his ears and nose twitched, picking up something new. There was pokemon-scent in the air, and lots of different kinds, too. That could only mean a trainer, but a trainer with this many pokemon couldn't be traveling. There were far more than six pokemon in those woods, he was sure. So Pikachu bounded off Ash's shoulder, dashing straight for the woods beyond the tower.

With cries of surprise and alarm, the trio took off after Pikachu, dodging through the thick undergrowth for about fifty yards before they hit an old, but clearly still usable, trail. Pikachu was sitting on it, waiting for them. As soon as they burst into view, Pikachu flicked his tail and pointed down the path. "Chuuu, Pi-ka!"

Ash bent down, scooping Pikachu up in his arms before looking down the path where Pikachu had been pointing. "What do you think?"

"Well, Pikachu seems to think it's safe." May said slowly. "And from the looks of it, I'd guess someone lived down this way."

"Yeah, but someone who lives this far off the beaten path also probably doesn't want to be disturbed." Brock warned.

"Aw, come on, Brock – let's give it a try." May pleaded. "Worst case scenario, we camp out, and that'll be better than spending the night in that creepy old tower."

Brock looked over at Ash, who shrugged. "Pikachu seems to think we should go, so I'll trust him."

Brock sighed. "All right then...let's get going.

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Night had fully claimed the land by the time the trio broke out of the woods. Where once was orange and gold, now there was rich blues and violets, and a nearby river seemed to have diamonds littering it's bottom. The sky itself appeared pitch-black, with bright pinholes of light poked in it. There was no moon that night to light the large, open space they appeared in.

The first thing they noticed, much to their delight, was a modestly-sized, two storey house, with several of the lower floor's lights on, as well as one of the upper storey's. Behind it was a fenced in area, but it was absolutely huge. The wooden fence extended even across the river and back slightly into the forest. 'Looks like a ranch of some sort.' Ash thought, and even as he thought it, the large, blocky shape of a barn caught his eye.

"Think anyone's around?" May whispered.

A low growl suddenly emerged from the trees to their right, and Pikachu leapt of Ash's shoulder, cheeks crackling with electricity, fur stiffened, and tail raised in a defensive posture.

A figure stepped out of the shadowy gloom, then another. It was a woman, who looked to be around two years older than Ash's own eighteen years, around the same age as Brock. She was fairly short, too, maybe five three or somewhere thereabouts. Her skin was dark, but her hair was long and red-blonde in color. Hard, emerald green eyes were so cold and calculating that Ash got a chill down his spine just looking at them.

The woman put her hand at the base of her Houndoom's neck, silencing it's growl. "What are you kids doing on my property?" she asked, with no trace of emotion.

"L-looking for someplace to spend the night." Ash replied. The woman snuffed.

"Trainers. It figures."

"Ma'am, if you tell us to, we'll be happy to leave right now." Brock presented, strangely not becoming instantly infatuated with this woman as he did so many others. Ash thought it was probably her cold confidence that froze him before he even got warmed up. "Won't we, guys?" the former gym leader continued, giving Ash and May a look.

The woman sighed, and Ash thought he heard her mutter something like "I must be going insane..." before she answered them. "I must be out of my mind for saying yes, but what the hell? You can stay the night."

"Th-thank you!" May stuttered, surprised. The woman waved a hand.

"No trouble, I guess. A helping hand must always be useful for a trainer. Just introduce yourselves to Cerbera, here." She gestured down at the Houndoom standing patiently at her side. "Just hold the back of your hand out to her and let her sniff it – if she doesn't like you, you aren't staying."

Pikachu was the first to approach the larger pokemon, who bent down to make her inspection. With a final whuff, she licked the top of Pikachu's head gently and looked back up at the woman, barking once.

Seeming to understand her pokemon's bark as a sign of passage for the trainers, based on the Pikachu, the woman nodded. "All right then – come on. The house is this way."

Ash smiled, scooping Pikachu back up. "Thanks again, uh..."

"Laura." the woman replied. "Name's Laura Cooper. You three can introduce yourselves inside, where it's warm." May practically squealed at the mention of warmth, and was the first to follow behind Laura and Cerbera into the house.

It was a cozy place, but at the same time seemed to hold a great loneliness. Inside, Laura shed her long black coat, revealing a blue shirt, jeans, and working shoes. "So...what are your names, then?"