Hey all! Here I am with another chapter! I know I'm a little late with this, but Happy New Year, and I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season full of gifts, family, love, and splendor. If not, then don't worry, things don't stay horrible forever, so stay strong and keep on pushing forward. Sorry for putting random life advice up here, but I'm going through the literal worst months of my entire life right now, bar none, and am kinda surviving off of positivity and optimism. It definitely helps a bit. But anyway...
Q&A!
hy6r1d60y
Will Serena kiss Ash in the next chapter?
Answer: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Is it just me or is Pikachu acting like a jerkass, especially when it is about Ash's relationship with May?
Answer: Pikachu's just got a lot of passion about his one true pairing. He will accept no other shipping, to the point of bashing others for no reason besides liking his own. *glares at people who do that in real life*
0rbital
Liking the approach you're taking with introducing all of the Fellowship then fleshing them out. Not sure if there is any way to vote for which ship we'd want or it's your decision but I'd want advanceshipping all the way.
Answer: There is! There's a poll on my profile, go ahead and vote yo!
Rajiv A. Rajaram
So I'm assuming this story is not going to be Ash and Serena then based on this chapter?
Answer: I wouldn't jump to conclusions just yet, there's still a ways to go!
Alright everyone, here we go! Let's get in to Chapter 10! Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: Error 404, bullshit disclaimer not found.
X
A pair of cyan eyes opened, the warm hues of a Kanto sunrise invading their sight. Serena let out a lengthy yawn as she sat up, slowly shaking her head as she did so. Immediately, she could feel that something was off. Her memory of the previous night was foggy and unclear, a phenomenon she was a complete stranger to. The last thing she truly remembered was going downstairs to get dinner with Ash, Brock, and Max. From then on, it was all a blur.
"I feel like there was something I wanted to do..." she thought, taking the blankets off her legs. "But I really can't remember it for the life of m-"
Serena's pause was due to the sight of a basketball-sized lump forming when she moved the blankets. Curious, she lifted the covers to reveal Pikachu and Sylveon, the sleeping pokemon cuddling so tightly that there was barely any space between them. Serena looked around, noticing for the first time since waking up that Braixen and Pangoro were also in the room, fast asleep.
However, Pikachu and Sylveon were her main concern. Just looking at them - one pokemon her own, and the other one Ash's - had jogged her memory enough to remember at least one thing she'd wanted to do.
"I have to make my move this morning." she thought, getting out of the bed. "Hm, deja vu."
Indeed, this was not the first time Serena had found herself in such a situation. The first time was five years prior, in Ash's house. Fortunately, she mused, things weren't going to end up the same way as last time. She was going to make sure of that.
Wasting no time, she made her way to the bathroom and proceeded to brush her teeth. After spending years chewing mint leaves as an alternative, she was slightly thrown off by the feeling of a toothbrush in her hand. But ever the adaptive survivor, she acclimated and pushed onward, removing her clothes once her mouth was minty fresh. She eyed the shower, instantly feeling out of her comfort zone again. The controls to other people's showers were already a puzzle to most, but after spending years bathing in fresh water lakes, rivers, and ponds? "Apocalyptic Conundrum" was a more fitting term.
"C'mon, Serena..." she muttered to herself, reaching for the handle. "It's just a shower, you can do thi-"
"Max, hurry up and get out here! You're keeping Brock waiting! And you're keeping me waiting! In short, you suck!"
Hearing this new voice loud and clear, Serena halted her psychological duel with the shower and peeked out the window. She saw May and Brock standing by what she assumed to be Brock's car, due to him having the keys in his hand... and it being his driveway.
"You keep me waiting too." answered Max, stepping out of the house.
"For what?" answered May, opening the car door and sitting in the passenger seat.
"I wait everyday for your face to stop being so unapologetically fugly." answered Max, closing May's door before she could lunge out and assault him. "Really does a number on the eyes after a while."
Serena stopped paying attention after that, the sound of Brock's car starting becoming nothing but a distant roar in the background of her mind. She took what she needed from that scene: they were leaving for a while. With this in mind, she returned to her investigation of how to operate Brock's shower, and eventually, she figured it out. As she stepped in, she sighed in content. It felt nice bathing in warm water; it was a sensation she had definitely missed.
But the shower was a quick one, followed by a quick trip back to the room she had slept in. Upon her return, she had noticed all the pokemon were no longer in the room. Thinking nothing of it, she rushed to put her clothes back on. As she finished dressing, she could hear footsteps approaching the door. These footsteps were immediately followed by a knock.
"Serena?"
It was Ash. Serena's eyes widened; though she was clean and ready for action, she didn't expect him to come to her. However, It certainly got the whole "approaching" aspect of her plan out of the way, so there was no need to be thrown off. Instead, she smiled and took a deep breath.
"Just a sec!" she called, taking one last look at herself in the mirror.
Looking as good as she could look with wet hair, she crept towards the door, planning on suddenly opening it to surprise him. But when she was only a step or two away from the door, she heard Ash clear his throat on the other side.
"I mean, I don't really have to come in," stammered Ash, his tone an awkward one. "I just wanted to let you know that Brock took May and Max to the Pokemon Center in Celadon City to get refunds on their tournament tickets. So there's no rush-"
Serena swung the door open and pressed her lips against Ash's, silencing our raven-haired hero before he could finish his sentence. Her hands, resting on his shoulders, squeezed lightly, her arms gently pulling him closer. She could feel her own heart beating, her whole body lighting up in splendor as she realized this was the moment she'd dreamed of for years. But there was no time to revel it in just yet, she had to keep things rolling. Reluctantly, she separated her lips from his, blue eyes meeting brown.
"By all means... stay a while..." whispered Serena, the statement sounding far more sultry than she'd intended. "You said there's no rush, right?~"
She waited for Ash to respond, but he didn't. Instead, she heard the room door close behind him, which she gladly took as her cue to capture his lips in hers once more.
Braixen removed her hands from the door she had just closed, nodding in satisfaction to Pangoro, who had been standing on the other side of the doorway. They had acted natural when Ash had come to knock on the door, but as soon as Serena had opened the door for him and did... that thing humans do to show affection, they were quick to close the door in hopes of helping their Trainer. Now, they stood guard, aiming to eliminate all chances of the two inside being disturbed.
And so, both their ears perked when they heard noise coming from the direction of the stairs.
But before they could assume their battle stances, their noses recognized the scents of the two beings approaching. Pangoro and Braixen relaxed themselves as Pikachu and Sylveon came into view, having just finished their morning stroll around Brock's house. It was clear Pikachu was the outsider of the bunch, as all three of Serena's pokemon smiled at each other upon meeting up, while Pikachu received mere nods from Braixen and Pangoro.
Noticing the two bigger pokemon were standing guard in front of Serena's door, Pikachu blinked.
"Uh, what's good with the security?" he asked, using the universal pokemon-exclusive tongue.
"Yeah, that's like, a totally good question." chimed Sylveon, tilting her head. "Like, what're y'all nigg-"
"WOAHHHHHHHH! Babe, I told ya; don't try to talk like me! It'll just poison your hot, irresistible vocab." interjected Pikachu, slightly panicked. He then turned his attention back to Pangoro and Braixen. "So really, what's happening here?"
"Master in room. She do snusnu with tan man." answered Pangoro. "We protecc."
"...Yeah. So, in more understandable terms, our Trainer is making her move on yours and we're just making sure nothing interrupts her." explained Braixen, folding her arms and eyeing Pikachu. "Emphasis on 'nothing'."
"Ohmigoshhh, that's like, TOTES adorbs! That's so romantic, I just, like, can't!" squealed Sylveon, unable to contain her valley-girl excitement. "Isn't this, like, amazing, Pika-boo? What if they, like, start going out after this?"
"..."
"Wonderful." echoed Lucario's voice in Pikachu's mind, his tone bearing sarcasm. "Cue the obnoxious pandemonium in 5, 4, 3, 2..."
"ASH KETCHUM STOP, STOP IT RIGHT NOW. THIS AIN'T WHAT WE STAND FOR, DAWG! THIS AIN'T WHAT WE ARE! REMEMBER YOUR ROOTS, MAN! REMEMBER YOUR GODDAMN ROOTS! YOU WEREN'T RAISED ON THAT TEAM SERENA FLOW, YOU GREW UP IN THE ADVANCED GENERATION OF MAY MAPLE! ADVANCED BATTLES N' ALL THAT SHIT! TEAM MAY ALL THE WAY, FOR ARCEUS' SAKE YOU JUST KISSED HER LAST NIGHT AND NOW YOU WANNA GO 2 FOR 2 AND SMOOCH SERENA TOO?! BRUH; MORALS?! I'MMA BEAT YOUR ASS WITH A CROWBAR!"
Unfortunately, Pikachu's telepathic cries went unreceived, for Ash's mind had once again blocked out everything. Luckily he'd brushed his teeth just moments before knocking on Serena's door, or his current situation surely would have been an awkward one. But alas, both their mouths were minty fresh, providing the only cool sensation in what could only be described as a smoldering smooch-fest. Serena's arms were wrapped around Ash's neck and shoulders at this point, while Ash's hands had somehow found their way to her waist. Everything seemed to be moving at a pace our hero couldn't quite understand, but he was in no state to question things.
Lips dancing and heartbeats quickening, the pair slowly made their way to the bed, an impressive feat considering their eyes were closed the entire time. Hungry for more, Ash leaned forward, prompting Serena to fall onto the bed with Ash on top. But before anything could even continue, he found himself doing a barrel roll, courtesy of Serena. The honey blonde had somehow turned Ash over, re-positioning herself on top instead. Needless to say, Ash felt a sudden rush in his chest after that. There was a deep passion that was being conveyed in this extremely sudden kiss, almost as if the build up towards it had been amassing for years. It reached deep within Ash's own heart, pulling out a carnal desire of near equal strength. From any viewpoint, it was clear that this was more than just a kiss... it was harmony.
But even harmony had to come up for air eventually.
Serena's lips separated from Ash's, causing our hero to finally begin thinking again. He simply looked upwards, unable to take his eyes off the blue-eyed beauty who was staring right back at him.
"Ash." she gasped, catching her breath. "I love you."
Ash opened his mouth, but found his voice box locked, with the key thrown into a black hole. He wasn't even sure of what he was going to say in response, but he knew he wouldn't be able to. It took less than a second for him to realize why he'd frozen up: for the first time since he'd entered the room, he'd remembered that he and May had kissed less than 12 hours earlier. Maybe it was because the kissing stopped? Or perhaps it was the sight of beautiful blue eyes looking into his? Whatever the reason, his mind had begun to turn against him more and more by the second.
"Ah, I believe this is the part where you realize the duality of the situation you have landed yourself in." commented Lucario, Ash's mental block on his pokemon wearing off. "You are quite the ladies' man, Master."
"Ya dun fucked up, Ash." added Pikachu. "Ya dun fucked up."
Noticing Ash's sudden change in demeanor, as well as his hesitance in answering, Serena frowned. At first she feared she had come on too strong, but ended up dismissing that notion as soon as it came; even if she had come on strong, if Ash had been overwhelmed, he wouldn't have continued things for as long as he did. And he didn't just continue things to continue them, it was all genuine, she felt it. So what could've been the issue? Why was he just staring at her, his expression blank?
Serena's thoughts took a different route when she felt a stiff... object pressing against her mid-section. Perhaps Ash was overwhelmed, but in a way she could work with. She lowered her head down to Ash's neck, her mouth quickly latching onto it. As she did this, she began to rhythmically shift her body on his, aiming to as sensual as possible with it. She had never done any of this to anyone before, but she knew it had to feel some type of good for Ash.
"Oh." uttered Lucario.
"Y'know," sighed Pikachu. "I respect the hustle."
Though he could hear his pokemon's comments, Ash did not respond. As soon as he'd thought of May, all drive to continue had died, despite his body saying otherwise. His mind had gone elsewhere, to a compartment built on the idea that he was an absolute piece-of-trash womanizer for kissing both May and Serena. Even though both girls had initiated both kisses, he did nothing to stop them both times. May had been the one to pull away the previous night. And now, he found himself under Serena, a situation he had let happen. Both times, he'd just given in to what he wanted, with not an ounce of self-control in his psyche. But perhaps... perhaps there was still time?
Ash opened his mouth, finally ready to speak up.
"Ser-"
"Hey, are you guys making a baby?"
Serena immediately removed her mouth from Ash's neck, while Ash let out an odd yelping noise, obviously just as confused as she was. The voice that had just spoken belonged to neither of them. Both of them turned their heads to the end of the bed, where it had come from. It was Billy, Brock's youngest brother. The 7 year-old quietly stood at near eye-level with Ash and Serena, patiently waiting for an answer to his question.
"B-Billy?" stammered Ash. "H-how did you get in here?"
"I play hide and seek with myself every morning! I always win! This morning I hid under this bed! Are you guys making a baby? Brock told me babies come from Panera Bread, but I don't believe him!"
"Billy, we were just... we were just playing vampire." replied Serena, removing herself from Ash. "See? *points to hickey on Ash's neck* I bit him!"
"Yeah, and um, babies come from Applebee's anyway. And if you want twins, it's the 2 for $20 deal." answered Ash, nervously chuckling in between sentences. "Everyone knows that, right Serena?"
"Right, 2 for $20! Hahaha..." agreed Serena, emotion leaving her tone with each word.
"Ohhhh..." said Billy, slowly nodding his head. "Okay! I'm gonna tell all my friends at school today!"
"Oh, you've got school today?" asked Ash, getting out of the bed. "Why don't I whip you up some breakfast so you don't start the day hungry? You like eggs?"
"Nope!"
"Great!" replied Ash, awkwardly following Billy out of the room.
As our hero approached the door, he glanced over his shoulder, just in time to see Serena silently sigh and shove her face into a pillow. The amount of... turmoil he sensed surging through the honey blonde's Aura was enough to make him turn his head back towards the door in a mix of sympathy and shame. Once Billy opened the door, the raven-haired Guardian was met with the sight of Pikachu pinned to a wall by Serena's Pangoro, with Braixen and Sylveon standing nearby. Before any pokemon could send him any looks displaying their thoughts on what had happened, Ash closed the door behind him, grabbed Pikachu from Pangoro, and silently walked down the stairs.
[Diglett Cave...]
"Diglett dig, diglett dig, diglett dig, diglett dig, diglett di-"
"ENOUGH!"
"...Diglett dig, diglett dig, diglett dig, diglett dig *continues forever*"
The owner of the non-Diglett voice brought his right hand to his face, his sanity slowly slipping from hours of hearing the repeated calls of the various Digletts occupying Diglett Cave. Unfortunately, his right hand was a metal prosthetic, making the movement much more painful than he intended it to be. Now both annoyed and in pain from essentially smashing himself in the face with a metal fist, the man let out an enraged roar, his voice echoing throughout the cave.
"Max goddamn Maple..." seethed the man between gritted teeth. "When I finally get my hands on that kid for destroying my hand..."
"Wade, sir," spoke another voice, from behind Wade. "it is best we keep quiet and on the move here. We do not want to attract a Dugtrio."
Wade glared at the owner of this second voice, which was a woman with long, blonde hair, split into two distinct locks as it fell down her back. Next to her was a man of similar height, with short, green hair. They wore the standard black, trench coat-like garb of Dark Order members, with both their eyes shining with the malicious red glint of Dark Aura. The man with green hair took a step forward, hands at his sides.
"I agree with Cassidy, Wade sir. Dugtrios are known to defend this cave ferociously." concurred the man. "Earthquake is not a move to be taken lightly when in caves."
"As if I'd be afraid of a couple Dugtrios, Bono." spat Wade, glaring at the pair.
"It's Butch, sir." corrected Butch quietly.
"Whatever. Until we're out of this cave, you two aren't to speak unless spoken to. I already have these Digletts giving me a headache, I don't need your nonsense too."
"Yes, my lord." replied Butch and Cassidy, following Wade through the last few sections of the cave.
The trio had just recently been formed, when Wade, a basic unit of the Dark Order, had suddenly been promoted by The Commander. The next day, he was sent out into the field, with Butch and Cassidy as his subordinates. The Dark Order had taken control of most crime teams in the past five years, Team Rocket being one of the first to pledge allegiance to the cult-like organization. Not many of the Rockets had received the dark anointment of Master Brecht following the breaking of his seal, with Butch and Cassidy being one of the select few. That didn't stop Wade - who'd received some special skills of his own recently - from treating them like trash, however.
As the light at the end of the tunnel became closer and closer, Wade reached into his trench coat, pulling out a small, laptop-like device. Once the trio was officially out of the cave, he knelt down on the ground, opening it. At first, static occupied the screen, but after a few seconds, a masked face came into form, a figure Wade, Butch, and Cassidy knew all too well. The three of them knelt in front of the small laptop, bowing to their Commander.
"Heh... You're all kneeling for a face on a laptop." commented Commander _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , amused. Of course he expected them to show respect, but he found the action funny nonetheless. "Ah, that's not important. Greetings, Wade. I see your travels have brought you to Kanto, as planned. Good. Were Boruto and Cassidy any trouble along the way?"
"Butch..."
"Shut it!" hissed Wade, glaring at Butch. He then returned his attention to the Commander. "Uh, besides some problems in the chit chat department, no sir. Everything has gone smoothly since our deployment. Given there be no unexpected hindrances, we'll be arriving at our destination a few hours into the afternoon."
"And you think you'll have enough firepower to complete the mission?" asked the Commander, turning away from Wade.
Wade opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the Commander shifting his attention someone off-screen, thanking them, and quietly humming in excitement. The crinkling noise of a paper bag being opened could be heard, followed by some chewing, the slurping of a soft-drink, and more crinkling. The Commander then faced the screen once more.
"I only ask because, according to Dr. Feinberg and his lab," he continued, chewing. "there's a chance you'll run into some tough opposition at Pallet Town. Never one to intentionally screw my subordinates over, I'm sending over one more companion to aid you for the rest of the mission. Just in case you-know-what hits the fan."
As the Commander spoke, Wade, Butch, and Cassidy noticed a mass of darkness forming in their peripheral vision. All three of them turned their heads to the left, watching as a shiny black boot emerged from the dark portal, followed by a hand dressed in a black glove. Seeming to already sense who it was, Butch and Cassidy immediately turned towards the portal, kneeling once more.
"The power he gained from Master Brecht's return surpasses that of which I gave you the other day, so if I were you, I'd treat him with a bit more respect than you do Broly and Cassidy there." added the Commander. "Anyway, that'll be all for now. Adios, Wade. You know what's expected of you."
The Commander then cut the connection on his end, returning the laptop screen to static. With that out of the way, Wade finally directed his full attention to the man who had stepped out of the portal. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the man. Though he did not kneel like Butch and Cassidy, he understood why the pair did. The man standing before them was none other than the stoic, intimidating leader of the Rockets himself, infused with the power of Dark Aura. And from what Wade could feel in the air... he'd been endowed with far more than Butch and Cassidy.
"It's an honor to have you join us, Giovanni, sir."
After such an unexpected start to the morning, Ash had found his mind trapped in a constant cycle. All he kept thinking about was how he'd manage to save the world with both May and Serena in his fellowship, both girls having made out with him within his first 72 hours back in the material world. And unfortunately, neither of the kisses were bad. He'd thoroughly enjoyed both the girls' kisses, yet another sign that choosing between the two would possibly prove to be the one true challenge of his lifetime, surpassing that of his actual quest.
Once he'd finished making Billy breakfast, Ash remained in the living room, hoping Serena would come downstairs eventually. But she didn't. It was at this point that Pikachu had simply had enough of Ash thinking about Serena so much, so the yellow mouse went back upstairs to be with Sylveon. Hoping to pass some more time, Ash made his return to the kitchen, planning on making breakfast for both her and himself. He'd have made some for May, Max, and Brock too, but they'd already eaten before driving to Celadon.
"Speaking of which... they should be back soon." he thought, grabbing some waffle mix out of Brock's cabinet. "We shouldn't stick around here much longer once they're back."
"I agree. We should be able to reach Pallet Town by the evening, correct?" inquired Lucario.
"If we walk, yeah. But Brock will drive us. We should get there by noon." answered Ash, mixing the ingredients for the waffle batter.
"I see..."
"Lucario, can I ask you something?"
"Yes?"
"If you were in my situation... romance-wise, what would you do?" asked Ash, pouring some batter into Brock's waffle iron. "It's really hard for me to even think about this kind of stuff properly. I've never been good with or had much experience with girls at all, and now the only two I've ever felt more than a crush for have both shown interest in me, and are both coming with me on this journey. It's not something I can ignore, either. They both make me feel so... so genuinely, beautifully whole, they always have. But I can't have them both, and if I somehow do the impossible and choose one, the other is still going to be around me... I feel so trapped."
"This isn't my area of expertise..."
"Anything helps." replied Ash, removing his waffle from the iron. He then poured the batter in for Serena's. "What can I do?"
"The answer will come with time. For now, I suggest you avoid committing to either of them, and use our quest as a way of taking your mind off it. Besides, defeating Master Brecht should be held paramount anyway. But, I will say this: there comes a risk if you were to choose the Maple girl."
"A risk?"
"There is always a danger in mixing the blood of two different Aura clans. The combining of bloodlines always results in the birth of a powerful individual, such was the case with your own birth... as well as Master Brecht's. If you and her were to bear offspring, the child would inherit the power of not two, but three clans. It would be the first time in history such a combination would be conceived, and there is always danger when dealing with the unknown."
"I didn't even think of that..." thought Ash, removing Serena's waffle from the iron. "That's also really far down the road. But I appreciate your input."
Lucario replied with a small hum, ending the conversation. Ash let out a sigh as he walked to Brock's fridge and pulled out some toppings to put on the waffles, leaving everything on the kitchen table before exiting. He made his way towards the stairs, but before he could walk up them, he was surprised to see Serena standing at the top, already dressed in her blue Fellowship cloak and ready to go. The two made eye contact, both of them feeling far too awkward to be the first to speak. But Ash knew the waffles would get cold if they stood there forever, so he took action.
"I, um... I made us breakfast." he said, as calmly as he could. "Waffles."
Serena's eyes widened a bit, seeming to be surprised. This caused Ash to panic.
"If you don't like waffles, uh, I could easily make something el-"
"I like waffles." interrupted Serena, blushing. "Thank you... Ash."
Serena made her way down the stairs, while Ash backed up a bit. Once she had finished, the honey blonde immediately headed for the kitchen, with Ash following. The two sat on opposite ends of the table, facing each other. Ash, a simple man, then topped his waffle with nothing but a slice of butter and some syrup, where Serena was far more involved with the topping of hers. Banana slices, brown sugar, whipped cream, chocolate chips... all these and more were included in her breakfast masterpiece.
"That's... that's quite the waffle there." commented Ash, chuckling a little.
Serena looked up, needing a second to herself to make sense of what Ash had said. Once she realized that her waffle was far more decked out than his, she managed to form a small smile of her own.
"Yeah." she answered, looking down at Ash's waffle. "Yours is very... classic."
"Yeah..." replied Ash.
The two sat in silence, eating their breakfast. Neither really knew what else to say next, but luckily eating the waffles served as an excuse not to talk. But the waffles only lasted so long. Before they knew it, they were both approaching their final bites. Ash finished first, immediately carrying his plate to the sink after. There were some dishes already in the sink, so he decided to wash them all. It was the least he could do for eating Brock's food without asking, not that Brock would have minded.
As he washed the dishes, he could hear Serena finishing her own food, picking up her plate, and approaching the sink. Planning on washing Serena's plate as well, Ash turned around to take it from her. This, of course, startled Serena, but only for a second. She then let go of the dish, giving it to Ash. But instead of walking away or... doing anything that involved leaving the dishes to Ash, she stood next to the sink, grabbing a dry cloth nearby. One by one, she started drying the dishes Ash washed, neatly organizing them on the counter after.
This continued for a couple minutes, until finally...
"Ash..." murmured Serena, drying a bowl. "I'm sorry. About earlier."
Ash paused his dish washing, turning to Serena.
"I... I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have just walked out like that. I was just-"
"You don't have to apologize." sighed Serena, deciding to focus her eyes on the bowl she was holding. "I know you were overwhelmed. That was my fault, I just didn't know what I was doing... at all. I was thinking too much about myself... and not you, at least not in the right way. I know that you have a big heart, you always have. It's one that's big enough to care for me like I care for you... and then some. But looking back, it was always kind of obvious that you and May had a connection. The signs were everywhere. You never told me about her when we traveled together, yet you told me everything else. When we visited your house and she opened the door... you immediately changed. When she and Max came last night... you immediately changed. Correct me if I'm wrong... I know you're no womanizer, or anything like that. You just want to follow your heart; I can imagine that's hard to do when it's leading you in two different directions."
Ash was near speechless. Was this really happening? Was it really that obvious the entire time? The idea of jumping off a cliff sounded more and more appealing by the second.
"Serena, I-"
"I just want you to know that I'm just following mine too. Following my heart is the reason I was able to find you. It was the reason I even set out to find you. No matter what happens or whatever you do, in the end, you'll still mean the world to me. As long as you're happy, I'll be happy. But... you'll have to choose eventually. Who or what really makes you happy, I mean. You'll only ruin yourself if you stay stuck, and I don't want that for you."
Serena put the bowl down and turned to Ash, kissing him. Just then, the sound of Brock's car pulling into the driveway sounded, prompting the honey blonde to remove her lips from Ash's. Before Ash could do or say anything, she left the kitchen. As calmly as she had said it all, her words were not easy to say. It wasn't easy coming to terms with the reality of the situation, a reality she'd been in full denial of since the day she'd met May. But it all had to be said, in the exact way she'd said it. Part of her wanted to beg, but she had her dignity. Part of her wanted to highlight all her reasons why she saw herself as the better choice, but she had her maturity. Part of her just wanted to go back home to Kalos and forget it all happened... but she had her strength. And besides, hope for things to turn out in her favor wasn't lost by any definition of the word. May Maple wasn't the only girl Ash had feelings for.
As Serena walked by the front door, she saw the knob shaking, an unlocking noise being heard. The door then swung open, revealing none other than Brock, with May and Max behind him.
"Ah, Serena!" noted Brock, nodding at the ex-Pokemon Performer as he entered his home. "Good morning! I see you're all geared up and ready to go."
"Yup!" beamed Serena.
"Hi Serena." greeted Max, heading towards a couch in the living room. "Slept well?"
"Yes." she answered, smiling. "Like a rock, really."
"Yeah..." muttered Max under his breath, sitting on the arm of the couch. "*sigh* I'll bet you did..."
Serena then turned to the last person to enter the house. May stepped in, a pokedex in hand. She seemed to be paying a lot of attention to what was on the screen, so much that she kept on walking until she bumped into Serena. It was then that she looked up from the screen, startled.
"Hi May." greeted Serena, her tone a friendly one. "Long time, no see!"
Serena waited for May's response, but instead was met with a blank stare from May, a stare that slowly made its way all over Serena; from top, to bottom, back to top. May's lips then slowly curved into a sweet smile, the brunette wrapping her arms around the blonde in a very unexpected embrace. Not only was the embrace unexpected, it was rather snug, and lasted longer than it really should have.
"Hey! It's nice to see you again!" replied May, her head resting on Serena's shoulder. "...You look good with long hair."
"...Thanks."
It was then that Ash silently peeked out of the kitchen, having heard May and Serena interacting. He looked just in time to see, from his angle, Serena's slightly bothered expression regarding the hug, while Max, from the living room, had the perfect view of May's expression: a rather pleased smile. Max raised an eyebrow at his sister, genuinely confused as to what was going on. In turn, May ignored his look and ended the hug.
"Well, Ash," said May, turning around. "now that our tickets are returned, Max and I are ready to go."
Ash's eyes widened, realizing May, who hadn't seen him since she'd come in, had spoken to him. Realizing she must have subconsciously sensed his presence with her Aura, Ash quietly stepped out of the kitchen, his Aura Guardian attire materializing around him. Once he reached the center of the foyer, Serena, May, and Max approached him, the four of them forming a circle. Despite the emotional roller-coaster that was his morning, Ash couldn't help but crack a smile; with all four of them sporting royal blue Guardian cloaks, the Fellowship of the Aura was finally starting to look legitimate. Aware it was time to head out, Pikachu and Serena's pokemon made their way down the stairs, the latter bunch being returned to pokeballs by Serena, while Pikachu climbed up to Ash's shoulder.
"Alright..." sighed Ash, cracking his knuckles. "Let's roll out."
[3 hours later...]
The sun shone brightly overhead, the hour approaching 1pm. Brock had driven everyone as far as Viridian City before his car, in desperate need of an oil change, suddenly broke down on the side of the road. Needing to keep on the move when in public, Ash had been forced to make the executive decision to part ways with Brock at Viridian, the Fellowship finishing the journey on foot. The walk from Viridian to Pallet would extend their journey from a noon arrival time to a time more toward 1:30 or 2pm, which definitely put a slight damper on everyone's moods.
The walk was rather quiet considering there were four people present. In Brock's car, the radio had been there to fill in for silence, but on Route 1, there were no such tunes. Though there was definitely a hint of awkwardness in the air, it was not the reason for the silence. The quietness was born from the fact that each member of the Fellowship was deep in thought, all of their legs simply auto-piloting down the dirt road.
"One hand on the wheel, one hand on the steel, ya boi Pika's got a gun and Toad's got banana peels." rapped Pikachu. "I play Double Dash, vroom, swerve, now you crash, before the whole race I'll hit your tires with the slash. Truth is I'm just a thug that got blessed from above, item boxes bless up, man the game shows me love. Ridin' in the back is my sidekick Ash, he about to spit it fast, end the race with pizzazz."
"Here's a verse for you." started Ash, eyes narrow. "I spoke it 20 times, I don't wanna spit no rhymes. You don't get what I've said? A chunk of lead's in your head. It's become a real chore, but I'mma stress it once more: Shut your fucking trap, I've had enough of all that. I wanna be mature, but I'm really unsure, I can't think clearly, my God, it's all a blur. Love is hard, it's a mess, I cannot worry less, shootin' right at my chest, 'need a bullet-proof vest. But for now, takin' shots, one by one, pop-pop, my emotions got the glock, trigger finger won't stop..."
"...That was fire, bro."
"Yeah... I know." admitted Ash, sighing. "But seriously... let's focus less on our non-existent hip-hop careers and more on world-saving and maintaining my sanity, okay?"
"I'll think about it." replied Pikachu, looking around. His eyes then fixed on Max, who seemed to be looking at Ash out of the corner of his eye. "What'cha think Yung Four-Eyes over there is thinking about? I just peeped him staring."
"I dunno..." answered Ash, keeping his gaze ahead. "Maybe he's thinking about how this is like old times, when we used to travel together. He's probably having fun."
"This is ridiculously boring. No one's talking." thought Max, sneaking glances at May, Ash, and Serena. "It's like watching paint dry. Except there's a love triangle between the paint drying on the other three walls of the room, while I, the fourth wall, am wishing to get a TV installed on me."
"Max, I'm not sure that simile made perfect sense..." replied Gardevoir.
"Well, neither does that hickey I spotted on Ash's neck a couple seconds ago." retorted Max, adjusting his glasses. "It wasn't there last night, and certainly wasn't there when May, Brock, and I left this morning."
"That is none of your business, Max. Don't start."
"I'm not starting anything..." thought the bespectacled teen, rolling his eyes. "It's just that Ash's Aura has changed drastically from before he had that hickey, as has Serena's. Something happened while we were gone. Probably some awkward moves made by Serena, which probably reduced Ash's brain to a pile of California raisins, considering May just kissed him last night. And if the Auras don't support my claim enough, look at their faces. Ash just looks... stuck. And Serena's been blankly staring straight ahead, obviously deep in thought about something, or someone. My guess is Ash."
"May... is weird." thought Serena, her eyes focusing on the brunette, who was staring at the ground as she walked. "She's just as friendly as she was five years ago, but something's off... no, more than one thing is off. Even five years ago, something was off. I saw her taking those pills... What was that about? Should I ask? Ugh, I don't think it's my place. Yesterday, Ash said her Aura is unstable, and Max said she's been through a lot. But she seems pretty okay from what I've seen... The smile she gave me at Brock's house earlier was genuine from what I could tell. But... it was weird. That whole thing was weird. The hug... it felt too friendly. I'd say I don't understand how Ash has similar feelings for me and someone as off-putting as her, but she is pretty, and I don't know their history, so I guess it's not unfathomable. I wonder what she's thinking abou-"
"Serena?" uttered May, breaking the hour-long silence.
"Y-yes?"
"You're staring at me." stated May, a smile on her face. "Are you okay?"
At this point, Ash and Max were now watching/listening as they walked, both deciding not to speak up just yet. Meanwhile, Serena's eyes widened, her mouth slightly open. There it was again. May's smile... it was laced with something the honey blonde just couldn't put her finger on. Whatever it was, it made her uncomfortable.
"I'm okay!" answered Serena quickly, not realizing she'd been staring. "Um, I was just gonna ask... who's better at using Aura, you or Max?"
May's smile grew.
"I can't use it at all." she answered. "Not at will, at least. So the answer to that question would be Max, even though he's nowhere near as good as he makes himself seem to be."
"Why did you feel the need to add that?" grumbled Max, adjusting his glasses.
"But luckily," continued May, completely ignoring Max. "Ash is going to teach me how. That way, I can fight and defend myself and not be completely and utterly useless. Right, Ash?"
"Yes." answered Ash, wanting as little a part of the conversation as possible. "I wouldn't word it like that though..."
"I see..." replied Serena, her voice trailing off.
May's smile lingered a for a bit, her gaze slowly sliding from Serena, to Ash, then back to the ground below. Serena resumed her gaze to straight forward, Pallet Town but a small dot in the distance. It was finally visible. Such a sight sent a surge of relief through the honey blonde's body, for finally, the most awkward walk of her entire life was finally reaching the home stretch. Hopefully, she mused, things would be less awkward as the days went on. There were still four more members to add to the Fellowship, if Ash himself was not counted as one of the seven. But was he? It was more or less unclear to Serena. Regardless, more people were coming, and more people meant less tension. Hopefully.
Silence regained its control on the atmosphere for the remaining moments of the walk, until Pallet Town was close enough that nearly the entire layout of the small town was visible. As always, it was quiet and humble... emphasis on "quiet" this time around. Max looked around, his eyes fixing on the largest building in the town. He raised an eyebrow.
"Professor Oak's lab is looking... uncharacteristically serene." he noted. "None of Ash's pokemon are in the field..."
"There's nothing to worry about." said Ash, waving his hand in dismissal. "Gary used to return them all to their balls and bring them inside twice a week, they'd get in the way of lab maintenance procedures if he didn't. That's probably what's going on. But he's sure as hell gonna let them out once I go there later, because I can't wait to see all of my..."
Ash trailed off, stopping dead in his tracks. Something about the lab had suddenly urged him to focus his senses, shutting out almost everything around him as his eyes took on an azure glow. If there was one thing his masters had stressed in the Corridors of the Aura, it was to always trust his senses when they tingled. This was undoubtedly one of those times, because boy, were they tingling.
Serena frowned, confused as to why Ash hadn't finished his sentence.
"Ash...?"
"Ash," muttered Max, staring at the Oak lab with glowing blue eyes of his own. "I'm sure you feel that, right...?"
"Something is wrong." added Lucario. "I sense darkness... coming from that building."
"I feel it too." agreed Pikachu, ears twitching. "It feels like trouble. Like, actual trouble."
"Ugh... Reuniting with Mom will have to wait." thought Ash, frowning. "Yes, Max. I feel it."
Serena, unable to sense anything supernatural, looked at everyone, confused. Ash and Max were obviously on high alert, their sights set on the lab. Even May, who supposedly had little to no control over her Aura, seemed to be looking at the lab in curiosity. From these observations, Serena made the decision to reach into her cloak and pull out one of her knives, her other hand removing Braixen's pokeball off her belt.
Ash grabbed his staff off his back, taking a deep breath.
"Wait here, guys. I'm gonna go check it ou-"
Ash was cut off by the sound and sight of one of the lab's walls being blown open from the inside, debris flying outwards in various directions. Close enough to get pelted by a few stray pieces, Ash put a hand forward, creating a protective wall of Aura over his companions. Through Ash's construct, they could see dust and smoke billowing out of the hole in the lab, the malicious red glow of Dark Aura emanating from it. They also saw that, among the rubble scattered everywhere, there was a man with brown hair in a white lab coat face down on the ground. It seemed he'd been inside the lab before one of its walls had been obliterated.
"Sure, blow an enormous hole in my wall..." groaned the man, rubbing his head. "It's not like I'll have to pay for the motherfucking repairs at all. Fuckin' jackass..."
"Dr. Oak, I believe the blow to your wallet should be the least of your worries right now..." sounded a voice from inside the lab.
The red glow in the lab began to move and concentrate to a single point, forming a small red circle glowing through the smoke. Recognizing this as the forming of a Dark Aura Sphere, Ash leaped into action, landing in between the brown-haired man and the lab. It was then that the dark sphere was sent, only to be backhand swatted away by Ash.
"Ash Ketchum... the Chosen Guardian of the Aura..." spoke the unknown voice once more, its owner stepping out of the lab and into the sunlight. "I was hoping I'd get to see you here. It's been a while."
"Giovanni?" asked Ash, genuinely surprised.
"Ash Ketchum?" asked the brown-haired man, sitting up. "Ashy-boy? What the, YOU'RE ALIVE? WHAT?!... Pfft, actually, this makes sense. Given that a mystical wizard man appeared 5 years ago and killed you, it's not completely far-fetched that you'd return from the dead to save me from an evil crime-boss warlock. Poetic, almost. Anyway, this is a pretty realistic dream; 'wonder when I'll wake up. Definitely the closest I've been to lucid dreamin-"
"Heh, it's not a dream, Gary," said an amused Ash, looking over his shoulder. His amusement was short-lived, however. "I'm... really... here..."
Ash and Pikachu stared down at Gary's face, mouths slightly agape. Remembering experiences of their own, Serena and the Maples could more or less understand why Ash was staring at Gary. A faint blue glow seemed to be coming from Gary's forehead, a phenomenon all three of them had seen before. The only one completely lost was Gary. Having no idea what was going on, he simply blinked his eyes.
"What? Something on my dream-face, dream-Ash?" inquired Gary, pulling out his cell phone. Through the screen's reflection alone, he could see a blue, glowing number 6 on his forehead. "How the hell are you gonna tell me this isn't a dream? I have a goddamn luminescent prison tattoo on my forehead for crying out loud."
"No wonder the Commander sent us to dispose of this runt and his lab..." sounded yet another new voice, though its newness varied from person to person. "He's one of the Chosen Guardian's prophesied lackeys."
May and Max both took steps forward at the sound of the voice, though May seemed far more alarmed by it than Max. From the smoldering lab emerged Wade, followed by Butch and Cassidy. But the latter two didn't matter. It was Wade that the two siblings had directed their full attentions towards. Making eye contact with May first, Wade smirked. But as soon as he saw Max, his smirk made a complete 180 degree turn into a hard scowl, the spot where his original right hand used to be suddenly tingling.
"We meet again, Max..." he seethed. He then looked back at May, his smirk returning. "...and Rachel."
Serena furrowed her eyebrows. "Rachel?"
Apparently the name had some sort of significance with May, for the sound of it prompted a small shudder from the brunette, one that didn't go unnoticed by Serena... or Ash.
"Enough talk." uttered Giovanni, returning everyone's attention to him. "Wade, Byakugan, Cassidy... do as you please. Just leave the Chosen Guardian to me... I'll dispose of him and his worthless Pikachu, just like I did in Unova. We'll kill them all here and bring the bodies back to HQ, securing Master Brecht's impending conquest of the world. And I'll personally deliver Ketchum's corpse to him at first chance."
"Ohohohoh, those are some fightin' words." growled Pikachu, sparks flying from his cheeks. "Those are some GODDAMN fightin' words..."
"Damn right they are." answered Ash, gripping his staff.
From behind him, he heard the sounds of his comrades unleashing their various pokemon, as well as the sound of Gary, dreaming or not, moving to safer ground. In front of him, he saw Giovanni, Butch, and Cassidy powering up with Dark Aura, Giovanni's crimson display vastly larger than that of the other two's combined. Meanwhile, Wade hung back, a suspiciously confident grin on his face. This didn't bother our heroes, however: a severe beating was about to be dished out regardless of his grins. Ash responded to the enemies' actions with a ground-shaking power up of his own, with Pikachu hopping off his shoulder and onto the ground, ready to attack.
The bells of battle had begun to ring, all warriors present answering the call.
Well, that's that! I really try my hardest with every chapter for this story, and I hope you all enjoyed. I'm pretty excited to write the next chapter, because good golly gosh do I love writing fights. They're not easy to write for me, but they're so exciting that I usually push through. Anyway, we now have Gary in the Fellowship. Neat. He's actually the character I'm most excited to write about going forward, since, like Serena, he has no Aura capabilities, but will show, in his own way, that he's useful. But...
What trick does Wade have up his sleeve?
What's May's deal?
Will anyone ever get Butch's name right?
Find out the answer to all these questions and more in the next chapter of Pokemon: The Fellowship of the Aura!
Ta ta,
~DarkSlash9