The Power of Love

A/N: Yikes! Sorry about that, everyone, but I've completely forgotten about this story, so it hasn't been updated for a year! Sorry! I've been so busy with other things. Mainly school and progress with my other stories.

But thanks to twilight sparkle, I've finally managed to get the creative boost I needed to finish this way overdue chapter! Let's get on with it, then! Roll it!

Chapter 11

Festival Gone Chaotic

That very same night, the village of the Kanto Kingdom was buzzing with life and joy. Lights were strung throughout, there was a stage set up in the plaza, and there was a carnival being held at the outskirts.

Chloe was up at the stage, Snivy on her shoulder and getting ready to start the dance. The royal family had just arrived at the festival, with the queen waving and smiling brightly to her subjects, and the twin princes looking bored out of their minds. Queen Delia had pushed Ash over towards the dance floor and kept Ritchie beside her.

"Hello there, Kanto Kingdom!" Chloe exclaimed, making the crowd cheer loudly. Ash and Ritchie cracked a smile at their friend livening up the party. "Is everyone ready to party?" Her answer was more cheering.

Braixen was with Serena, on the sidelines. She reluctantly nudged her Trainee's side. "He's here, Serena." She whispered.

Serena saw Ash looking bored out of his mind as he got in line to dance by the pushing of his mother. She smirked. "Tonight, I'll make sure that he will love me again."

Ash barely moved as he swayed side to side in the dance as Chloe began singing a popular song. Her voice was really good, but he still didn't feel like dancing. Especially after being dragged against his will to come. Pikachu also looked bored out of his mind.

Ritchie felt like he couldn't tear his eyes away from his friend as she sang and danced in the air. A soft smile came up on his face. But then, his mother reverted his attention back to the dance, making him slightly blush and groan in annoyance. Sparky bit back a chuckle at what must have been going through his Trainee's head, making Ritchie turn a brighter shade of scarlet.

"Shut it." He whispered to his scruffy-furred Pikachu, dispelling the blush from his face.

As Chloe continued singing, she subtly made her way over to Ritchie and winked at him with a playful smile. Even though Ritchie felt an unfamiliar heat burst in his cheeks, he still returned the grin and wink. That is, until his mother pulled him away so that they could talk with some of the dignitaries.

Chloe felt her heart slightly sink when she saw that. But then, as she moved back to the center of the stage singing, she saw Serena hiding near the side of it. She made a questioning look at her. Subtly, she pulled out the glowing pink love potion from in her satchel. Serena gave her a wink before vanishing back into the crowd. Chloe really hoped that this wasn't a mistake.

Serena then jumped up into the dance lineup, introducing herself to her partner with a smile and wink. "May I join?" She asked politely.

At the other side of the opposing line, Ash saw Serena in line. You have got to be kidding me! He screamed internally, and Pikachu's cheeks sparked dangerously. He thought he made it very clear back at the Spring Ball that he wanted nothing to do with his ex-fiancée, but apparently, she doesn't know when to quit.

He immediately flew up and out of the line, leaving a space in between two other Trainees, and went to where his mother and brother were.

"Hey, Ritchie." Ash said to his twin brother. "Serena's here, so I'm leaving." With that, he flew away to keep an eye on the perimeter of the festivities.

"Ash!" Delia called after her son.

Ritchie knew that Ash would do anything if it means that Serena wasn't within a fifty-foot radius of him. And since he was going to be patrolling from above, he might as well take ground level. And it would a good chance to get some revenge on his brother's behalf.

"I'll take his spot, Mom." He said as he quickly flew down towards the dance floor.

"Ritchie!" Delia shouted after her other son. "Not you, too!" She sighed with defeat. "Boys."

The other prince jumped into the vacant spot that was occupied by Ash. "May I cut in?" Ritchie asked his partner with a polite smile.

Serena scowled for a moment at who was soon to be her dance partner instead, but then a look of fear replaced it. She glanced up at Chloe, who was slowly taking the love potion out of her satchel once she saw that Ritchie was in the dance line.

"Serena." A cold voice snapped her back to who was in front of her. It was the other prince. A wicked, mischievous smirk came on his face. "Let's dance."

Ritchie grabbed her hand and quickly began spinning her around rapidly in a circle, up to the point to where she could see stars. All the while, Ritchie began leading her up onto the stage. Braixen watched her Trainee's face slowly turn green, and not an attractive shade at that, which almost made her laugh. Sparky however, who was on his Trainee's shoulder, was enjoying every minute of it.

However, no one was noticing that there were a few shadowy stragglers among the dancing crowds. But from their vantage point on top of a roof, Ash and Pikachu started to take note of them. The Trainee prince placed a steady hand on his sword.

One by one, the figures got on the stage, with Ariados appearing from the top of it, spitting out String Shot attacks, tying up the musicians. However, Chloe was unknowingly dodging the threads as she struggled to open the bottle.

"You can't get the stupid thing open?" Snivy asked.

"I'm working on it!" Chloe quietly hissed as the instrumental part of the song came on.

"Chloe, don't!" Serena tried to get her attention as Ritchie forcefully guided her towards the blond Trainee.

Meanwhile, Ash was fighting off some Shadow Trainees, his sword swinging around and Pikachu tackling their Pokémon. However, they got them restrained. Ash and Pikachu struggled fiercely to break free. A Graveler held Pikachu in its four arms, and since it's a Ground type, Electric attacks wouldn't work.

"This one's too feisty." A dirty Quilava said, regarding the squirming Ash. "Go get the other one."

The Trainee nodded and went off towards the stage. Ash then knew who he was going after.

"Ritchie!" He shouted.

"Sparky!" Pikachu tried to get his fellow Pikachu's attention.

Finally, Chloe had managed to uncork the bottle. "There we go." She whispered.

"Chloe, no!" Serena said the minute she regained her bearings.

Right as Chloe had turned around to dust Ritchie, she stopped half-way when she saw that the object of her affections was right in front of her, completely aware of her presence.

"Care to do the honors, Chloe?" Ritchie asked her with a mischievous smile.

"Ritchie!" She exclaimed.

"Whoops!" Snivy added.

"There you are, sweetheart!" A familiar voice to Chloe and Snivy called up from above. Chloe only looked up for a moment before she was tackled to the ground by the Purrloin from earlier in the Shadow Forest.

"What the?" Ritchie exclaimed, completely forgetting about Serena, who had decided to make her escape.

Chloe struggled to keep Purrloin at bay, though he had managed to get his paws on the bottle. "Let go!" She ordered. But during the struggle, some of the potion spilled out and sifted through the air towards Ritchie. "No!"

Ash recognized the glow of the pink glittering potion. "Love potion?" He muttered in horror. "No!"

Ritchie was too late to shield his eyes from the potion, and his face was powdered with the stuff. Sparky was fortunate enough to have avoided the dust. "No, no!" Chloe shouted.

The younger prince slightly stumbled from the dust that got into his eyes, and a large sack was pulled over him and Sparky. Ash continued to struggle to break free and get to his brother, but it wasn't any good.

"Guards!" Delia shouted as she tried to get to her younger son, but she too was stopped by some Shadow Trainees, along with some of the guards. "My son!" All the festivities came to a halt as all of the Shadow Trainees and their Pokémon made themselves known in the Kanto Kingdom.

"Mom! Ash! Help!" Ritchie shouted from inside the sack. He couldn't get his sword out of its sheath for fear that he might hurt either Sparky or himself if he did. He was about to open his eyes, but Sparky stopped.

"Don't open your eyes!" Sparky said, making Ritchie quickly close them again. "Once your eyes open, you'll go ga-ga over the first person or creature you see!"

The scruffy-furred Pikachu prepared to zap the sack and make it disintegrate, but Ritchie stopped him. "No, don't!" He said. "If you zap the sack, you zap me too."

Sparky growled in frustration at their predicament. They were stuck in a stupid burlap sack of all things, and they can't cut it open or destroy it without hurting the other, themselves, or Ritchie being at risk of falling under the potion's spell.

"Ritchie, hang on!" Chloe said to him, still struggling to keep the love potion. But Purrloin finally wrestled it away from her grip, corking it.

"No one double-crosses me and gets away with it." He hissed.

Chloe tried to go after him, but she and Snivy were restrained by two Shadow Trainees. "Why do you want to misuse the potion?" She demanded.

Purrloin ignored her question. "See you ladies around." He said with a mock salute before scurrying away, the potion held by his tail.

Chloe huffed. "I'm sorry, Diancie." She whispered, knowing that she failed to keep her promise to the Mythical Pokémon.

"Where's the potion?" An angry female voice called out, echoing throughout the plaza. Suddenly, a dark figure appeared on the stage, crouched in a defensive position. Then, it slowly stood up and began walking up to the front, making everyone either gasp or stare in shock.

Dawn stood there, her darkened Beautifly-shaped wings spread out, her eyes cold and narrowed in anger at the Kanto Trainees. When her gaze met Ash's, his eyes narrowed as well.

"I'll say this one more time." She said coldly. "Where is the potion?" She unsheathed her sword and embedded it in the wood, almost hitting Chloe's fingers when she tried to free Ritchie and Sparky from the sack.

When no one answered her, she angrily scoffed. "Very well." She said. "If that's what you want." She whistled sharply, and a few Venomoth and Yanmega came down to her. "Get the prisoner out of here." She ordered.

The Bug Pokémon nodded their heads in obedience, and they each grabbed the sack holding Ritchie and Sparky and began carrying them into the sky.

Ash had enough of it. He struggled even more fiercely and got closer to Dawn. "Release my brother, you dirty piece of swamp filth!" He cursed.

Everyone gasped at the older prince's foul language, and Dawn growled at him. However, from her hiding spot, Serena was impressed by Ash's tenacity and sharp tongue aimed at the infamous Shadow Lady. And she thought that he hated her.

Dawn came closer to him and offered him her proposition. "Return the love potion before sunrise, tough guy, or you'll never see your brother again."

Ash gritted his teeth at her. "I'll have your wings clipped!" He said, managing to sweep Dawn's legs under her with one of his own, making the crowd gasp again, not just at his actions, but also by the threat he made, which was the worst one a Trainee can make at another.

Dawn got back up, her eyes even colder than before as she glared at Ash. She lifted her sword up, ready to deal a fatal blow.

"Stop!" Chloe shouted, making Dawn lower her sword. "Take me instead! I took the love potion!"

"Chloe!" Ash yelled, angry not only because she, out of all the Trainees he knew, would do something like that, but also because she offered herself up.

Dawn zipped over to her. "Then give it back." She ordered.

"I, I don't have it anymore." The blonde Trainee admitted, making Dawn growl again.

The blunette Trainee flew higher up where she could address the crowd. "You've heard my terms." She said. "Before sunrise, or I'll tear this kingdom apart!"

With that threat made, she flew away, leading her followers back to the Shadow Forest, with Richie and Sparky in tow.

The minute that Ash was free from who was restraining him, he grabbed them both and tossed them up into the sky after delivering a punch to the both of them in their jaws. He roared angrily as he flew up to try and follow the invaders. But then, someone grabbed his ankle, preventing him from flying any further.

Ash looked down to see who had stopped him. "Mom!" He exclaimed.

"I forbid you to fly into the Shadow Forest!" Delia said sternly, pulling her older son back to the ground.

"Mom, I let this happen!" Ash said, knowing that he would've been doing the rounds he was supposed to do instead of avoiding Serena, Ritchie would've been safe. "I have to get him back!"

"I have to get him back." Delia corrected him, holding him by the shoulders. "I have to keep you safe." Ash sighed heavily, knowing that this time, he can't disagree with his mother.

As the queen began making preparations to lead an army into the Shadow Forest, Ash turned to Chloe.

"What were you thinking?!" He demanded, making his friend flinch from his angry tone. Ash quickly calmed down. "Why?" He asked.

Chloe sighed. "I….I don't know what I was thinking." She said regretfully, knowing that she was fully to blame.

Ash bit his lip in worry. "What are we going to do?" He asked. "Ritchie can't fight off everyone at once, even with Sparky helping him, and if he opens his eyes, who knows who he'll fall in love with."

"Let me help you rescue him." Chloe offered.

"No, it's too dangerous." Ash said.

"We've been there before." Snivy added in. "We can lead you to the Shadow Lady's manor."

"And risk you two getting captured for your crime?" Pikachu asked rhetorically. "Not a chance."

"Pikachu's right." Ash said. "Besides, I'm the only one who can save him." His Electric type partner cleared his throat at him. "We're the only ones who can save him." He corrected.

"So what do we do?" Chloe asked him.

"You two, get that potion back." Ash said. "We'll get my brother!"

Once he said, Ash quickly took off into the air, fleeing the plaza with Pikachu perched on his shoulder.

"Ash!" Delia called after her rebellious son.

Serena smirked. "Looks like I have to help save….two princes." She said to herself.

Delia angrily turned to Chloe. "Chloe!" She shouted. "If anything happens to my sons, I'll be holding you personally responsible!"

Chloe hung her head. "I understand, Your Majesty." She said.

Delia then continued to give her army orders. Chloe got off the stage. "I never should've listened to Serena in the first place." She muttered.

"Yeah, maybe." Snivy said. "But truth be told, when it comes to Ritchie, you tend to lose all reason." Chloe gave her Grass type partner a brief smile, knowing that it was true. "You can still make things right, though. We just got to find that slippery Purrloin before he causes too much trouble."

Chloe nodded, a determined look in her eyes. "Ritchie's my best friend." She said. "I'll do anything to help him."

"Then, what are you waiting for?" Snivy asked her Trainee.

Chloe smirked confidently. "Nothing!" She said, before shooting into the air like a missile in search of the love potion.


A/N: Hopefully, I won't take forever with the other chapters following. But I can't promise very frequent updates, since I'm almost done with my senior year and I have a lot of other stories that other readers want me to continue. And it will take some time to get into this "Strange Magic" vibe that I've lost since I haven't seen the movie in forever.

But at least I'm not going to copy the entire movie. That would be way too corny, and besides, it's copyrighted.

Until Chapter 12, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think! They are highly appreciated.

Got to fly! ;)