In some way, we have you where we want you...and yet we don't. This chapter is a fun one. Please enjoy Chapter 10!
Chapter 10
A Move of Secrecy
The group of four, containing Ash, Bonnie, Clemont and Viggo, continued their way across the ship until Ash brought them to a stop, realizing that their current motive was useless. "Guys, I think it would be best to head straight for one spot instead of us all running around aimlessly. We're just wasting time right now. There has to be one location on this ship where any information should be guaranteed."
Ash watched on, his three companions nodding in understanding before an all too familiar look crossed over Clemont's face. Ash waited for the inventor to speak, knowing full well that Clemont must have had some sort of idea. "Well, remember how Mr. Cecil said he hired this cruise line specifically for the job to transfer the item? Well, if that's the case, then there must be some information on it in the captain's quarters. Captain Ryker might not have much, but even the slightest amount might be useful to us at this point in time. And it isn't like trying there will hurt us," Clemont explained while adjusting his backpack from their latest run.
"T-The captain's quarters? !" Viggo cried out in concern; Ash could have sworn the boy was shaking from the thought. Watching him, Ash couldn't help but wonder why he would possibly be worried about it, especially considering how he was fine exploring the rest of the ship. His question was soon answered by Viggo, himself, the boy speaking once again. "I-If Captain Ryker catches us...who...who knows what he'll do! I can't get in trouble! I promised I wouldn't!"
"Come on, Viggo, don't be so afraid of looking!" Bonnie playfully scolded him before grabbing his hand. Ash watched on as the action appeared to have a calming effect on the boy, his shaking now beginning to stop. "Captain Ryker won't do anything to us. After all, he told me, himself, that I can go up there whenever I want to. We'll be just fine. Now, come on!" she screamed out happily before dragging the boy behind her. Ash seemed confused by it all as Clemont seemed to huff something inaudible out before chasing after his sister and Viggo. Taking up the rear, Ash and Pikachu shrugged it off before they passed Clemont and the others, reaching the front of the group.
Walking past a few of their fellow passengers (stragglers who were no doubt on their way to get ready for tonight's activity), the group snuck down a hallway, allowing them to pass through the ship with little notice from others. Coming out the other side of it, they were soon met with a set of stairs that were no match for Ash, who remembered about all the times he had climbed larger sets. Looking behind himself, Ash was surprised to see Bonnie keeping an average pace right behind him, considering the girl was practically dragging Viggo up behind herself. Meanwhile, Clemont lagged behind, having to hold onto the railing for support or risk possibly falling. Once at the top of the steps, Ash looked down from above to watch the passengers continue on their way as the others soon met up with him.
"See, Clemont, I told you that enrolling in a few fitness classes back in Lumiose would be helpful for you," Bonnie told her older brother. Ash briefly worried for Clemont due to his heavy wheezing. Between the running and now climbing, the gym leader looked ready to pass out from exhaustion, sweat lining his underarms and neck portion of his jumpsuit. "No one is going to willingly stay with you if you're always covered in sweat. It isn't a good look for you."
"Bo...Bonnie...Bonnie, now...now isn't the time," Clemont wheezed out while Ash helped him back up into a standing position. Thanking his friend, Clemont took in a deep breath before facing across to the captain's quarters. "Now, according to the schematics of the ship, the captain's quarters should be right through this area. However, it seems like the actual door is locked and, based on the design, we don't have the key required to open it."
"Does that mean we should just go search another section of the ship?" Viggo asked excitedly. Ash felt bad for dragging the young boy into all of this. He never had plans to go searching the entire ship, but they had to right now. "Because I doubt they would just hand over the keys to enter there, even if Bonnie asked."
"Clemont," the Pallet Town native asked, knowing full well that his one word alone was enough for the inventor to get at what he had in mind.
Nodding, Clemont flashed a slight smile as he looked at the door opposite them, patting his palm lightly against it. "Don't worry, I'll be able to open this easily. Though, I'll have to stay out here to keep it open, otherwise we risk being trapped inside there. You'll have to go with Bonnie and Viggo to search around, though I wouldn't take forever since who knows when Captain Ryker will come back around. We don't want to be caught snooping around his quarters."
"Great thinking, Clemont! You're always coming up with a solution to anything," Ash responded as the inventor walked over to the key panel and began to take it apart with one of his many tools. Once inside, Ash watched Clemont pull at and play with a few wires before punching in his own code of sorts. The entire sequence was like one of those spy movies he once watched with his mom years ago, though the thought was short lived as they all heard a light beeping noise before the door slid open.
"You did it, Clemont!" Bonnie yelled out happily as they all watched his Aipom Arm hold the door open and prevent it from closing behind them. Clearly her earlier words weren't affecting her admiration of her brother in the present.
"It wasn't that much, work," Clemont responded, rubbing the back of his head due to slight embarrassment. "All I really had to do was rewire the door to the point where I managed to hack past the security protocol and force an automatic open."
"See, Viggo, isn't my brother just the best!? He managed to come through for us right now," Bonnie finished saying (obviously ignoring her own earlier statements), ready to enter through the now opened door.
"Yeah, just the greatest," Viggo replied, though even Ash could pick up on his less than thrilled mood. It was obvious to the trainer that Viggo had no desire of being here at all as they walked through the open door and into a small living quarters.
Peeking his head back outside the door, Ash turned to Clemont who seemed to be interested in something with the coding for the door. "Clemont, we'll only be a few short minutes, but if you see Ryker coming back, shut the door and get out of here. If the door shuts, we'll know to hide." Then, without even waiting for a response, Ash zipped right back into the room, the Pallet Town native taking in his surroundings.
Looking around, they appeared to be in a small dining like area, a table for two (obviously the second chair for Watchog, or so Ash assumed) was stationed next to the only window in the room as two more doors were on the opposite side of the room. Noticing Bonnie over there, Ash decided to join the girl while she opened one of them, Viggo looking ready to hide from whatever would appear from the other side.
"Viggo, stop being so afraid. Nothing will hurt you as long as Ash and I are here," Bonnie tried to calm him, though Ash noticed it was to no avail. Whatever was making Viggo worried was too big for any of them to help him with and it made Ash wonder as to why this was suddenly happening to the boy. For a brief moment, he considered that Viggo was controlled, but since he hadn't been acting anything like Dawn, he discounted it.
As the door opened, however, Ash managed to see Viggo's eyes widen largely, scared by whatever was behind the door before quickly pulling Bonnie behind a bookshelf. He covered her mouth with his hand and pressed her up against himself as he shook with fear. Worried for the two of them, Ash and Pikachu moved slowly across the room as they passed by some cabinets with pictures on them (no doubt of Ryker's family) and one had a book out which Ash noticed was about a science-fiction story of time travel.
"Pika?" Pikachu muttered, breaking Ash's attention from the cabinet and brought it towards the room. Peeking inside, the duo noticed the sleeping Watchog, something they thought was peculiar. Especially since Watchog was just awake not too long ago, though the duo thought that perhaps he had decided to take a quick nap before the night's festivities. Regardless, he was fast asleep.
"Viggo, it's alright," Ash stated while motioning for the boy to come back out from his hiding spot. Watching the two kids reappear, Ash let a silent laugh out as Bonnie cast a glance at Viggo that screamed "I can take care of myself" before she smiled at the boy for worrying about her.
"It's just Watchog sleeping," Ash explained to the two of them as they all watched the Normal type sleeping with a little cap on his head. He appeared to be in a small room with two beds and a tableside cabinet in between them. Though, the sight of Watchog left questions in his mind, despite his attempt to explain it away. "But, how can he sleep knowing everything that's going on right now?"
"Huh, what do you mean by that, Ash?" Bonnie asked while peering over the side of Watchog's bed, only to be pulled back by a frantic Viggo. "Why is it so odd if Watchog is sleeping now?"
"Because, Bonnie," Ash began to say, shifting around the small bedroom as he looked at Ryker's neatly made bed. "We have a missing passenger plus the ship's engine seems to be acting up along with us being anchored. You'd think he would be helping Captain Ryker."
"M-Maybe he just grew tired. Perhaps he needs to rest a little before being of any help," Viggo offered as he now watched the sleeping Pokémon, as well.
Ash rubbed the back of his head in thought, Pikachu jumping from his shoulder and onto the cabinet that separated the two beds, a small envelope being picked up in his paws. "Pikapi!" he softly cried out before Ash grabbed the envelope from his friend's paws.
"Pikachu, do you think this could be some information on the artifact?" Ash asked. Pikachu nodded his head in agreement. None of them truly knew if it would be helpful, but by this point, perhaps anything would be. Opening the envelope up (which Ash noticed had already been torn open prior), the young trainer began to read aloud.
"Dear father, you would never believe the battles at this year's Kalos League. The trainers here all are quite strong and two of them seem destined to meet in the finals, or at least in my mind, they do. One of them, a boy who traveled all the way from Pallet Town named Ash Ketchum, has this super cool and awesome Greninja. You would be so amazed by it just as I am! I've never seen one that transformed just like it before! It even has this large shuriken like object on his back. Anyways, I've been missing you since you last left for your latest cruise and hope to see you soon. Sometimes, I even think about becoming a stowaway! But until I see you again, I've sent some dolls (though I prefer the term action figures) that a merchant made of some of the competitors I'm rooting for. The boy with the red hat is the Ash Ketchum I was talking about. Though, I've also included a surprise one that I made myself. Don't lose it! Love you always, your son."
Placing the letter back into the envelope, Ash gently placed it back onto the piece of furniture, the aforementioned dolls catching his attention. There appeared to be a small shelf filled with them and, just as the letter stated, his own doll (which if not for their current situation he would have thought was cool) was sitting up on it along with one of Alain, a trainer he had seen only briefly using a Hydreigon, and that girl he beat, the Mega Absol trainer, to move onto the semi-finals. Though, he had to admit, there appeared to be one missing. "I thought the letter mentioned one that he made himself. These four were all made by the same vendor. One's missing," he stated as Bonnie looked at the shelf in question, Viggo appearing to tense up from the statement.
"T-That is interesting. Though, t-the letter seems to indicate the c-captain loses things quite o-often," he muttered out only to notice another small envelope on the ground beneath the captain's bed. "But, perhaps this is more interesting for what we're looking for." Lifting the envelope up and towards Ash's face, the trainer noticed that it read "urgent" in big red letters, "Devon Corporation" being stamped on it along with a few sea charts laying on the ground next to where the envelope had been.
"That has to be something," Ash whispered out as he grabbed ahold of it, along with the sea charts that were laying next to it. Peeking inside of it, he noticed that there was a letter of sorts addressed to Captain Ryker along with some notes from the archaeologists who dug up this artifact. "Let's get going before Captain Ryker shows back up," Ash told them all, the small group making their way out of the bedroom and across the small dining room before encountering Clemont.
"Did you find anything?" he asked as Ash noticed a mix of worry and hope in his voice. "Because I just saw the captain on his way up here. We have about five minutes until he reaches the staircase, so I think we should really get going."
"Yeah, we found this envelope marked from Devon. Something must be in it, but we don't have time to look at it. In the meantime, to keep anyone from suspecting anything, and because they're forcing us to, I think we should head to that...dance," Ash replied as he gulped at the last few words of his sentence. He had nearly forgotten about the activity scheduled for tonight and now was kind of worried for it. "We'll look at this after, when we're alone with Serena."
"Sounds good to me," Clemont replied while Ash and the two children ran out of the doorway, allowing Clemont to shut it. Nodding to Ash, the Pallet Town native understood that they were all set before the group ran down the stairs and hid down another hallway, just barely avoiding Captain Ryker along the way.
"So, you two go get ready for the big dance tonight, alright?" Bonnie playfully teased the two older boys before grabbing ahold of Viggo's own hand. "I know someone will be hoping to have a fun time with you tonight, Ash, so you should be dressed to impress her."
"What does that mean, Bonnie?" Ash asked, the girl's only response being a wink at him before skipping off down the hall, a worried Viggo being dragged behind her. As he began to think of it, the thoughts of his last dance replayed in his mind as he remembered dancing with every girl there but one. "Serena..." Ash muttered out with slight nervousness, a tone that didn't go unnoticed by Pikachu.
"Pikapi? Pipikachu?" The Electric type asked in concern, staring at Ash's slightly nervous expression (one that Pikachu hadn't seen in quite some time).
"I'm... I'm fine, Pikachu. I really am," Ash reassured his best friend by rubbing behind his ears, causing Pikachu to cry in joy softly. "I think Serena just might be looking forward to tonight...and...well, I just don't want to disappoint her since I might be looking forward to it a little as well. If it wasn't for the situation we're in right now, it would seem like a lot of fun."
"Chu. Pikachu," Pikachu replied while nodding in agreement. Ash had a feeling that Pikachu knew something he didn't but decided to not push the issue, especially since Clemont appeared to be finished with watching his sister run down the hallway and was now looking at himself and Pikachu.
"Ready, Clemont?" Ash asked while he slung an arm around his friend's shoulder, getting a light "umph" from him.
"As ready as I'll ever be," the blond replied back jokingly as the duo made their way down the hallway to go and get ready for the night. However, as Ash tucked the documents he had taken into his jacket, he couldn't help but feel slightly nervous as to what could happen there.
"So, you finally told Ash how you feel about him. I'm impressed Serena, I didn't think you had it in you," Miette stated, the girl sitting down across from her rival and smirking at her. Serena didn't really know how to respond to her, considering how the girl had just returned with some clothes for Dawn and yet was saying something like this.
"W-well, of course I was going to tell him eventually," Serena responded back, her face heating up slightly. Looking down at the floor, she could only imagine how large the smirk on Miette's face was right now. "And since I didn't know when I would see him again, I did it in a way he would never forget."
"So you decided to wait right until the moment before boarding your flight and then you decided to kiss him. Not exactly the best timing, Serena. He must have been pretty confused after all of that, especially with how you left him no time to react to it," Miette continued on as she looked at her nails before turning her gaze back onto Serena. How she felt like a bug under a microscope right now from Miette's gaze. And Serena knew it wouldn't let up anytime soon.
"I told you already, I wanted him to remember me from it," Serena replied in a huff, crossing her arms across her chest while pouting slightly. She felt it was rather unnecessary to sit here and put up with Miette's questions. It was bad enough that Bonnie had engaged her services to help get herself and Ash together, but now Miette was even questioning her kiss. "Besides, I don't have to defend my reasons for it. I did what I had to do; you and I both know Ash isn't the best when it comes to romance or anything like that."
"I guess you're right there, Serena," Miette replied as a smirk crossed her lips and a light blush appeared. "S-so, how...how was it. You know, kissing...Ash..." she asked, pausing for a second. Serena felt her own face heating up even more. "Was he good or not?"
"W-What? !" Serena replied, her face now completely beet red. She couldn't believe Miette was asking something like this. Then again, Serena knew that Miette had had a crush on Ash, though she wasn't quite as sure if it had died down yet or if she was still interested. Sighing, she began to open her mouth, only to be cut off by a new sound.
"Arghh... A-Ash...don't leave me...have to...have to tell..." Dawn's voice echoed through the room as both Serena and Miette turned to look at the tossing girl. Standing right by her, holding one of her hands with his flippers was none other than Piplup as Serena scooted closer to grab Dawn's remaining free hand.
"She seems to be trying to say something," Miette said while leaning over Serena's shoulder. However, the sudden noise from her friend caused Serena to miss whatever Dawn was trying to tell them and she quickly shushed Miette up. Apologizing, the young girl sat back down and decided to give Serena some room.
"Dawn, is everything alright?" Serena asked, feeling to see if the young girl was running any sort of temperature. Serena was relieved when she felt that Dawn's forehead was just fine and was glad they had decided to change her out of those torn up clothes and into one of the infirmary's gowns as it allowed her more free motion while she tossed in the bed. "It's me, Serena. I'm right here, you're safe now."
"S-Serena?" Dawn's voice cracked out as she stopped thrashing around in her bed. Serena sighed in joy as she did so. Moaning a little, Dawn managed to open her eyes only to quickly try and shield them from the incoming light. Once adjusted, Dawn looked around the room, Serena only imagining what the Coordinator was going through right now. "W-where are we?"
"We're in an infirmary, Dawn. You were pretty bad off so we brought you here," Serena explained, Miette waving lightly in the background. Dawn smiled at the two girls being there. "But, whatever happened then is over. You're perfectly fine now and we won't let anything happen to you."
"I can't believe I did that. I attacked you and Ash. I remember trying to attack you two for some...reason," Dawn's reply had been so swift that even Serena was surprised by it. Watching as Dawn grabbed at the linen of her gown, Serena bit her lip. It was clear that Dawn was remembering things quite well, and it was upsetting her. Realizing this, she reached forward and grabbed Dawn's hands within her own.
"It isn't your fault though, Dawn. You weren't in control of yourself; someone else was," Serena stated as she tried to help Dawn relax slightly. Smiling at each other, the two girls sat there in silence as the mood shifted to one of calmness. "Everyone knows you didn't mean to do any of it and they're out there looking for why someone would want to use you in the first place."
"Still," Dawn replied as she bit her bottom lip now. "I still did all those things. I attacked you and Ash. I stalked you two in the ruins. I even..." Dawn trailed off at the end, her face turning bright red and positively horrified at the thought of what had happened. She couldn't even seem bring herself to say those words as the images from the night prior flashed through her mind. Serena instantly had a feeling as to what her thoughts were likely about. "Oh, Arceus! I did that! Oh! That was so embarrassing, I can only imagine how Ash feels about it all," Dawn stated in an upset manner while slapping her own cheeks with a slight force.
"I think I know what you're talking about," Serena replied nervously while stopping Dawn from slapping herself anymore than she already had. "And Ash understands you weren't in full control of your...um...actions that night. I don't think he would hold anything against you, Dawn."
Dawn just sat there, however, and Serena had to wonder why. She felt that Dawn shouldn't have been holding anything against herself since she had no control over her actions anyways, yet the girl still seemed ready to blame herself for all of this. Watching Dawn sigh, Serena wondered as to what the girl had to say now. "No, you don't get it, Serena. I could feel myself being controlled, but a part of me still felt fully in control. I mean, sure, it was a part of me from long ago; a time that I felt a way I haven't in awhile, but..."
"Hold up, so you're telling us you had some control over yourself?" Miette asked in a confused manner as Dawn just nodded slowly.
"You could say that. Kind of...In a sense anyways," Dawn replied as she looked over at the two girls. "You see, when I first traveled with Ash, I kind of had a slight crush on him. It wasn't anything serious; just the way Ash was and how he acted all the time...well, it was very charming, even if he was the densest boy I ever met. As we traveled through Sinnoh, I never really threw many hints at him. Mainly from my own unawareness of my crush at the time and a little bit of being shy about it. I mean, how exactly do you tell the guy you've been traveling with that you like him?" she explained to the two girls before rubbing the back of her head while laughing. Serena and Miette just exchanged glances; Serena knew exactly what the girl meant by it.
"Though, over time I kind of realized that we weren't much of a boyfriend and girlfriend type of relationship. The way we helped each other and the way we always acted around each other told me there was someone else out there for me. And that, to me, Ash was always a brother-like role model for me...no, more like a best friend. Someone I strived to gain acceptance from and always looked to for help. Someone that I knew would always have my back and I could always rely on," Dawn explained, a smile crossing back onto her face. Serena assumed she was thinking of her travels through Sinnoh based on the reaction. "Though, now I'm worried that I messed it all up, all because that one tiny voice in my head took control. It was almost like it was telling me otherwise despite the fact that I knew how I felt. It made me long for Ash and it was just strange. Oh, I hope he wasn't too freaked out."
"You could say he was, at first," Serena explained kindly before smiling at Dawn. Serena knew this was going to be harder than she expected, but a part of her felt that she needed to be here for Dawn. "But like we said before, Ash understands. He was only freaked out since he told me himself that he viewed you guys as best friends. He was worried that your relationship was going to be ruined and he didn't want anything to come between you two. You and I both know that Ash isn't the kind of guy to turn on his friends. He was right here with you as Brock and Jasper took a look at you. You should have seen him; he was truly upset that someone tried to use you in their plans, whatever they are."
"Thanks, Serena," Dawn said to the honey blonde haired girl, the two both exchanging smiles. Serena then watched Dawn sit up slowly (as Serena assumed the girl was still weak from earlier) and looked at Miette. "Um, Miette, do...do you mind giving us a moment alone?"
"Not at all," Miette said back, standing up from her spot and grabbing ahold of her bag. Serena noticed that Miette was taking her time as she slung her bag over her shoulders and passed by Dawn's bed before pausing. "So, was he a good kisser?"
"W-What? ! W-What...what do you mean by that? ! Of...of course. I mean, no, yes? I kind of don't want to remember," Dawn replied, all flustered from such a sudden question. Serena assumed that the kiss they had seen between Dawn and Ash (or at least, to the two girls, it looked like Ash had turned away from her at the time) must have been Dawn's first kiss. Not to mention her previous crush on Ash, and Serena could only feel bad for the way Miette was teasing her.
Sighing, Miette turned back to Dawn with a smile on her face as she rubbed the top of Dawn's hand. "I'm just playing around with you. And...if you ever need someone to talk to, feel free to call me. I'm all ears."
"Thanks," Dawn told her before the performer left the room to just Serena and Dawn. Now looking at Serena, the young girl felt that Dawn had something important to say to her. Eventually, she did, bowing her head low. "I'm so sorry, Serena!"
Those words had caught Serena by surprise, having not expected Dawn to say that out of all things. "E-Excuse me? Why are you sorry?"
"I'm really sorry, Serena! I mean it! I would never try to do anything to ruin your chances with Ash," Dawn explained, clasping her two hands together and placing them on her lap. Serena was slightly surprised by Dawn's remark, though by this point she really should have figured that everyone knew about her feelings by now. "I've seen the way you two have interacted so far, even while being controlled. You're both too adorable around each other and I think you're just the girl to keep Ash out of danger. He really needs someone like you to look out for him. You're just so caring and nice and Miette had told me a few stories about your baking skills. Plus, just look at you! You're beautiful, Serena. Ash would have to be an idiot to miss out on you."
Serena just blushed from the words, though she could have sworn she heard Miette stifling a laughter from outside the door. Choosing to ignore it, Serena tried to form a sentence of sorts to respond to Dawn. "Thank...you... Thank you, Dawn. That's nice and all, but I wouldn't go that far about me. I'm just an average girl like you and Miette. I just care a lot about Ash."
"And that's why you're perfect for him. I've never seen or heard about someone who cares so much about him. And the same goes for Ash, my first night on this cruise, he told me all about you and I had never seen him talk about a past companion so much before. He definitely sees you in a different light than how he's viewed myself and his other friends. Not in a bad way, but in a special way, Serena. You truly are special to him, even if he doesn't realize it yet," Dawn explained, the both of them now silent. Serena had no clue what to say and she assumed that Dawn was feeling slightly embarrassed from everything that happened. Luckily for the both of them, the silence was broken up by the sound of Captain Ryker's voice over the loudspeaker.
"Attention all passengers! Tonight's dance party will begin shortly. All are required to attend both for safety and because you won't want to miss it. For those of you who lack any sort of formal clothes, our partner, Mr. Cecil, has anything you need! So please, don't be shy!"
"A...A dance? !" Dawn asked in shock, Serena slowly nodding her head in agreement. Basing her assumption from Dawn's reaction, it seemed like the Coordinator didn't think it was the best time to have one, either; for herself or just in general. "I can't go looking like this. Just look at my hair, plus I'm wearing a nightgown! I look awful."
Serena just laughed at Dawn's comment before pulling out the spare pile of clothes that Miette had brought. "Like I've been told you say, 'no need to worry', Dawn. Miette brought you a pair of clean clothes. Though, come with me and I'll help fix your hair before we go see Mr. Cecil for something more in line with the formal theme tonight."
"You two are lifesavers," Dawn replied as she slid off the side of her bed, Serena positioning herself so that Dawn could lean against her. Wrapping Dawn's arm around her own shoulder, Serena helped the tired girl to the bathroom where the duo began to get to work on her hair and clean up.
Helping her start up a nice relaxing bath, Serena tested the water until it felt to be at the perfect temperature for Dawn and slowly placed her down into the tub. With a light splash, the Coordinator was soaking up the bath water while Serena got to work on her hair. Scrubbing away at the dirt and mud plastered to Dawn's head, Serena did her best in the time they had. Looking up at the clock, Serena realized the dance would be starting soon and began to work even harder than before.
Once the duo felt that Dawn had been cleaned up enough, Serena handed over a towel to the soaked girl before leaving to allow her new friend some privacy. Within moments, Dawn emerged from the bathroom dressed in a fresh pair of her normal clothes as Piplup ran over to his trainer. Serena watched on, smiling at the interaction between trainer and Pokémon as Dawn assured Piplup that everything would be alright now, briefly apologizing to him. The interaction brought a light smile to her face, extremely glad to have Dawn back to her normal self.
"Are you two finished in there?" Miette's voice called out from outside the infirmary. By the sound of it, Serena began to think that Miette was growing impatient from waiting. However, the sound of footsteps outside made her realize something else was going on. "That dance is about to start soon and you two still need to get changed!"
"But, we don't have anything to wear," Serena responded as she walked outside of the infirmary only to be surprised to see Miette in a blue dress similar to the one from Monsieur Pierre's dance party. Noticing the two other dresses, one a shade of red and the other purple, Serena looked at her rival as if to ask if they were for herself and Dawn.
With a simple nod of her head, Miette handed the two dresses (which were nearly identical to her own) over to Serena to get changed. Thanking her friend quickly, Serena ran back inside before herself and Dawn changed in what Serena felt were a matter of seconds, the bluenette having clearly recovered her strength from the bath. Now ready for the night's big event, Serena finally realized what was upon them and a gulp settled in her throat while walking outside.
"Now that you're both ready, we can finally catch up with the others," Miette stated with a sly smirk, one that Serena knew all too well. "And please, try not to get too jealous when I dance with Ash tonight. That goes to both of you," she teased slightly, Serena meeting her gaze only for Dawn to flush slightly from embarrassment. Serena still couldn't help but feel bad for everything that had happened to this girl, especially around Ash of all people.
"Don't worry, she's only teasing," Serena whispered before wrapping her arm through Dawn's, leading her back to the banquet hall. Nodding as if understanding, Dawn stayed at an even pace with Serena, walking through a few hallways before they found themselves standing outside of the hall.
"Clemont, do you really think these outfits were necessary?" Ash's voice could be heard from inside the hall, causing the two girls to look at each other. Knowing that she needed to help Dawn through this, Serena disengaged her arm and took the first steps inside as the Coordinator followed behind her.
"You remember how we had to dress up for that other party, Ash. This shouldn't be much of a surprise for you," Clemont could be heard, Serena seeing the duo standing near the entrance, a small envelope being slightly noticeable in Ash's hand. "Besides, it's only for a few hours. Though, I still haven't seen Bonnie. You don't think her and Viggo got into any trouble, do you?"
"Ash, Clemont!" Serena called out to the two boys, her voice interrupting their little conversation. Looking over at her friends, she noticed that they were both ironically dressed in nearly the same exact clothes they had been in for their previous party. Finally reaching them, Serena noticed that Dawn had stayed back near the door for the time being, and for obvious reasons, though that didn't allow her to get distracted. "Did you two find anything important?"
"Yeah," Ash quickly replied, flashing the envelope that was in his hand. "We're waiting for Sawyer to arrive so that we can show him as well. But, there's a lot more going on than we ever expected."
Serena just stared at the boy in confusion. She wondered just how much more could have happened and why. But luckily, Clemont continued the conversation once he noticed her confusion. "It might be strange, but we're pretty sure everything that's happened has been done with one purpose in mind: to have us in this general vicinity of the sea. Once Sawyer arrives I'll explain better."
"Right. I'm just glad you two are all right," Serena replied, her hands playing with the frills on her dress. With everything that had happened since they first left on this cruise, Serena couldn't help but worry that something may have happened to them in their brief absence.
"Don't worry, Serena, we'll always be fine," Ash reassured her before flashing his trademark smile, causing her to give her own. "And besides, we had to be here tonight. Not just because they said so, but because we never had a turn at the last party. It wouldn't be fair to let everyone else have a turn except you," he stated while rubbing the back of his neck. If Serena didn't know any better, she could have sworn Ash was slightly blushing. Though, the thought was lost as she heard him speak again.
"And, Serena...you... You look really beautiful tonight."
Serena was caught off guard by his words, her face beginning to heat up slightly from the compliment as she could have sworn Ash looked confused from even his own word choice. Still, he had called her beautiful and Serena couldn't have felt happier from it.
"T-Thank you, Ash. You look very handsome yourself," she replied despite being so flustered. Luckily for her, Sawyer managed to show up just then and joined the group of three at their spot.
"Sorry, I'm late. Mr. Cecil was giving me a hard time with Gary being missing. He said that I need to be even more careful than before, even if he has 'measures' in place. Though, he seemed a little off just now, constantly staring at the box and pacing back and forth while mumbling about 'the dance has to happen' or something like that. It was really strange."
Ash just nodded his head, having a slight understanding and agreement that Mr. Cecil was acting strange, before pulling the envelope up so that the group could see it. "Sawyer, did Steven tell you anything about this artifact before asking you to help transport it?"
"No, nothing besides it being very old and valuable. Why, are they hiding something important?" Sawyer quickly responded, staring at the big red "urgent" marked on the envelope.
"Well, Clemont and I did some sneaking around earlier and found this envelope from the Devon Corporation in Captain Ryker's room. We didn't have a chance to look over everything, but from what we did get to see...it looked pretty shocking," Ash replied while pulling out a few folded sea charts from his jacket, as well. "Plus, our location only makes it seem like this was planned from the start."
"You see," Clemont joined in while fixing his glasses. "The artifact is actually thought to have the ability to distort time and space so that the user can bend them to their will. Or, in a simpler way, traverse time or rearrange space. Though to do so, it was believed that the user had to be at an area that was known to have strong ties to whichever aspect you wanted to affect, such as Mt. Coronet. However, the only places outside of Sinnoh that had that much energy in them were a shrine in honor of Celebi in the Ilex Forest in Johto, the Temple Baca, which we explored earlier today, and the Temple Arvum. Which, as it just so happens, is where we appear to be sitting atop the remains of. Or, at least according to these charts."
"So, someone wanted the ship to get stuck here!" Serena called out only to quickly hush herself up. She knew there was no need to attract any attention to them. "But, who?"
"I don't know. It could have been anyone on the cruise. Especially since Dawn had been controlled earlier," Sawyer pointed out, Serena assumed he was thinking about any and all possible suspects, possibly even his closest friends. "Though, we need to get to the artifact and make sure it's safe. But there's no way we can leave now, not without drawing any attention to us and causing problems. I think it's best that we lay low during the dance and once a few people leave when it starts to wind down, I'll sneak out with you three and check on the artifact."
"Sounds good, Sawyer," Ash told the Hoenn native, his rival nodding at the praise before slinking off into the crowd so as to not draw attention to their group. At that, both Ash and Serena noticed that people were now dancing freely about the hall as even the two janitors were getting into it (though, to them, it looked like the magenta haired one was just throwing her coworker around).
Realizing that the situation was becoming uncomfortable, Clemont decided it was best for him to take his leave as he saw Bonnie and Viggo playing around over near the food table. "I'm going to check up on Bonnie. You two have some fun tonight since I don't see myself having any, not with Bonnie trying to find me a 'keeper' anyways," he stated before creeping his way across the dance floor.
Now alone, neither Ash nor Serena knew what to say exactly, both glancing away at each other. Ash didn't know why he was so nervous of being around Serena right now, especially since he had been calm around so many times before. Yet, never before had he called her beautiful, even though the word fit her perfectly, in his opinion. He knew that he wasn't the most romantic person or that he could even possibly know anything about stuff like that, but he did know one thing, and that was the fact that Serena was the most beautiful person he ever saw. Though, Ash was still slightly confused over the word choice, yet decided to let it be for now.
"So... Serena, want...want to dance?" He asked nervously while scratching his cheek. Pikachu, getting the hint, jumped from Ash's shoulder and scurried across the dance floor as he found Mimey and Ash's mother having some fun together out on the dance floor. "I mean, if you want to that is."
"S-Sure, Ash!" Serena practically screamed out in nervousness, only to be pulled away at the last second. Confused by what happened, Ash wondered where Serena had just been pulled off to, looking around the floor and seeing Brock dancing with Lisia, the doctor unable to look any happier than he currently was.
"Miette! What was that for? !" Serena yelled out, her face beet red. Just when she was about to have a dance with Ash, her rival pulled her away...again. "If this was you trying to be funny, it didn't work."
"Relax; it isn't for me," Miette replied while sighing. Casting her eyes over towards the food table, Miette indicated to Serena just what it was for. Following Miette's gaze, Serena noticed that Dawn was standing there all alone and nervous, everyone else around her seeming to be having a good time. "Dawn seems to be uncomfortable being here. I need your help to get her and Ash to talk and air this whole thing out right here and now."
Sighing, Serena looked back across the hall to a waiting Ash. She really wanted to dance with him, yet deep down, she knew that helping Dawn out first was more important. "Alright, I'll get Dawn to the middle of the dance floor. You just...you just do whatever you can to get Ash there as well."
"Oh, don't worry. I'll do whatever it takes," Miette replied in her teasing voice, a tone Serena was far too familiar with for her liking. Shaking her head from the annoyance, Serena ignored the last remark before walking over to Dawn.
Making her way to the food table, Serena slowly approached Dawn, the Coordinator seemingly ready to shrink away from the sight of anyone nearby. "Dawn, why don't you come have some fun with the rest of us?" Serena asked as the Sinnoh native jumped, Serena, feeling bad for startling her like that, put a relaxing hand on her shoulder. "You shouldn't stay by yourself. Come and enjoy the party."
"I don't think I really should. Not with everything I've caused," Dawn replied, only to be suddenly pulled forwards by Serena. There was no way she was going to let Dawn wallow in self-pity due to something she had no control over. "S-Serena, what are you doing!?"
"I'm going to make you have fun, whether you want to or not," the Kalos native shot back as she finished dragging her out onto the dance floor. Dawn seemed a little apprehensive to start, but once she saw Serena out there, decided to try and have fun to please her. Seeing this, Serena cast a glance over towards Miette and watched, her rival dragging Ash over towards them.
"Dawn, I think there's more room over here," Serena called out before grabbing ahold of Dawn's arm and dragging her in the direction of Miette and Ash. All right, we have one shot at this, Serena thought to herself, pretending to slip on something. Tossing Dawn forward, Serena then watched as Miette got out of the way right as Dawn collided right into Ash.
"A-A-Ash, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened," Serena could hear Dawn saying while she could see Miette smirking at Dawn's bright red face. Serena felt bad for tricking her friend, but it was the only way to get her over this little problem.
"Dawn? Where'd you come from?" Ash asked, Serena being unable to help but wonder just how Ash felt about all of this. However, any worry soon left her as she listened in on their conversation before slowly slinking off to give them some privacy. "I'm glad to see you're all right now. I was worried you would miss out on tonight."
"W-wait, so you're not upset from earlier?" Dawn asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy. "I mean, I did a lot of stuff to you. Some...rather embarrassing things...things I'd rather forget had happened."
"I know, but it wasn't like you had full control over your actions," Ash replied, pulling Dawn into a dancing position. He figured it would be easiest to talk like this since everyone else was getting in their way (or maybe the two of them were in the others' way, Ash wasn't completely sure). "But, you're all better now, so that's what matters. You're my best friend, Dawn, and I would never want to see you hurt."
"But, you don't really understand, Ash," Dawn began to explain, the girl hesitantly grabbing a hold of Ash's hands and beginning to dance with him. "A part of me was in control. I mean, it was a part of me I hadn't felt in a long time; so long that I hadn't felt it since we were traveling in Sinnoh. But that's why I need to tell you everything," she said before pausing a second. Ash looked on with a confused expression. He really didn't know where she was going with all of this.
"You see, Ash, when we started traveling together I may have developed a crush on you because of how you were so admirable at times. The way you acted just always excited me, Ash. And I harbored that crush for the majority of our journey through Sinnoh together."
With that, Ash stopped dancing for a moment, trying to contemplate what he was just told. He didn't know how to respond, and so he just said the first thing that came to his mind. "Really? I never realized it."
"Yes, really," she playfully teased while slapping his arm lightly, causing the two of them to laugh. "I thought I sent some rather obvious hints towards the end, though you never picked up on them. But over time, I came to realize that my crush was just that. The more I came to know you, Ash, the more I realized I could never be in a relationship with you. You're just too much work to handle."
"Hey, you're no piece of cake either. How many times did we have to wait for you to fix your bed head," Ash joked around, the two friends sharing a good laugh. "And, even if you did still have your crush, I don't think I would be able to treat you differently. Because, well, I see you as my best friend. We've been through so much and grown because of it that I couldn't picture you in a romantic way or any other way to be honest."
"It's the same with me! The closer we became as friends, the weirder it became to picture you and I in a relationship," she said before pausing. "But, whatever was controlling me fed off of those deeper memories and tried to manipulate them for some reason. It must have been really awkward for you."
"As awkward as someone sitting in my lap while trying to feed me would be," Ash replied with a light smile, showing to Dawn that there were no hard feelings between them. "Though, Dawn, you really do need to learn how to feed someone better. The angle that you were putting the spoon in was slightly off and caused me to miss some of the soup at times."
"I'll take that into consideration for when I find my someone special," Dawn played along before the two separated. "Though, there was one other thing I remembered from my time being controlled."
"Huh, what is it?" Ash quickly asked, looking at his best friend with concern.
"There was this bright light. Like, really bright and then I began to feel light headed and nauseous, almost like motion sickness. I kept going to see Jasper, asking him for help with the motion sickness, and he tried...but now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't motion sickness at all, which would explain why his lime drinks didn't work."
Ash took the information and stored it in the back of his mind, knowing that he needed to go and tell Clemont about it immediately. "Dawn, I'm just glad you're all right now. You don't know how worried I was about you. But, right now, I need to find Clemont."
"Ash, I'm glad to be back, too" Dawn playfully replied before moving close to him. Getting close to his ear, she leaned in and whispered to him, "Just promise me you won't lose Serena. She's something special and I'd hate to see you miss out on her, so try to have some fun with her while she's still here."
"W-What do you mean by that, Dawn?" Ash asked, slightly nervous. He didn't understand why he was nervous, but the fact that Dawn was telling him to do something with Serena caught him off guard.
"Please, I may have been controlled, but even I could see there was something special between you two. Promise me you'll try to understand everything before the end of this cruise," Dawn told him with a playful smirk that reminded him way too much of Miette's own smirk. Placing her hands onto Ash's shoulders, Dawn turned the boy around so that he faced the direction that Clemont was in (which just so happened to also be where Serena was) and gave him a light push on the back. "Go get her, Ash."
Making his confused way towards Clemont, Ash replayed everything in his head regarding Serena. The blushes on her face, the way she treated him so well and he treated her differently than anyone else he ever traveled with. That lingering feeling that had been inside of him until he met her again. And most of all that kiss. However, his train of thought was cut off by Clemont's voice sounding out in a panic.
"Ash! I think I've figured out everything that's been going on and I don't like it at all! With everything that's been happening today, it seems like we were all gathered here on purpose!" he huffed out while pointing things out on his fingers. Ash listened with only partial interest as he thought about his own solution to his problem yet felt bad for not giving his full attention to Clemont. "Ash, I'm thinking here, and if we start considering all the possible available options, no matter how out there they are, who do we already know that would want to disrupt the world as we know it and can control people? The only answer is the Mal-" Clemont never had a chance to finish his sentence as screams and confused murmurs soon filled the hall closest to the stage while others continued to dance on. However, the group turned towards the source of the screams, noticing Mr. Cecil standing in the center of the stage, the man exuding an ominous aura.
"Ash, are you seeing this?" Serena asked while scurrying over towards the two boys, Bonnie huddling behind Clemont after she ran over to him. Viggo looked to be slower, torn between joining her and huddling in a corner.
"Welcome, all you foolish humans," Mr. Cecil spoke out, only his voice sounded off from his usual self. It sounded robotic and void of all emotion. "Your race is truly pathetic and doesn't deserve this world," he continued to speak, scaring the entirety of the crowd. In a quick movement, the doors leading out of the room were slammed shut as if by magic, trapping the now panicked passengers inside. "I'm just going to make you all nice and cozy before everything is completed. I wouldn't want our guests being uncomfortable for the grand finale of this wonderful voyage."
"Ash, what's happening?" His mother cried out, running over to him along with Mimey and Pikachu. "Something seems off about this dance," she stated, but not before taking a quick picture of her son in his outfit.
"Mom, stay behind us," Ash growled out, his mother nodding in agreement before standing behind everyone. Mimey joining her as he guarded the rear from whatever was about to go down. "Well, I never would have expected them to show up here."
"We did tell you we'd be back, though," Mr. Cecil spoke, his body being lifted high above the dance floor to approach them before touching back down, much closer than he was before. A few psychic waves rippled across the air in front of them before three very familiar Malamar emerged, hovering behind Mr. Cecil. "And now we're taking what we came for."
Author's Note: You know, I'm surprised that no one even guessed the Malamar were behind the plot. I mean, for a moment there, I was worried everyone would figure it out, but I guess not. Of course, there was far more going on here than just that reveal, such as Dawn remembering everything. Naturally, we tied that up in a little bow and closed it off, but don't think Dawn's done yet! She needs revenge on those Malamar, after all!
potat lasaro: Well, that happened. And it turned out that the Malamar of all things were involved in this master plot to steal the artifact. Though, the entire mystery isn't solved just yet. Why? How? When? None of these have been answered at all. What motives would the Malamar have for wanting this artifact? And how exactly did they learn of it? Well, you'll just have to keep reading on to learn out.
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