May a New Day Dawn

by Flamewing98

Ash and his best friend return to Pallet Town after the Sinnoh League. They have both trained very hard for 3 years and have become wiser, stronger, and more mature. However, old friends await them as well as a new land filled with new dangers. Will their new-found strength be enough to fulfill the destiny that awaits them? Only time will tell... [Canceled indefinitely]

12. Chapter 12: From the Heart

May a New Day Dawn Chapter 12

Hello once again everybody! How'd you all like last chapter? Some serious stuff, right? Sorry this one took so long. Work, getting sick, and getting distracted by a shiny new videogame… along with many other factors, have severely cut down on the time that I both have the motivation and energy to sit down and write. Anyways, I think it's about time we see what the aftereffects are from Ash and Stephen's little morning excursion. However, as always, I'm gonna answer your kind reviews!

AdvancedLover- Thanks for the review! All I have to say is: wait no more! For if you're reading this, I've obviously posted the new chapter! Enjoy!

Plasma57- Thanks! Always happy to hear that you guys are liking the story!

Jinseiwakurai-Shouganai- Glad you like it! And I already know that "nya" means meow in Japanese. I had thought that you were possibly referencing one of the newer episodes of the X and Y anime, where Team Rocket say "nya" at the end of all of their sentences. My mistake. Nevertheless, I hope you keep enjoying the tale!

Guest- Thanks! I'm glad to hear you like the story! Also, for anyone curious, no… this guest was an actual guest… not me writing a review on my phone like the last one. Anyways, I hope you keep reading!

Zyphrost- Thanks! Yeah, the chapters take about an hour to type per 1,000 words… so about 10 hours or so of work go into each chapter. I try to update once every three or four weeks, depending on how busy I am. I wish I could update every week, and I probably could if I made the chapters super short, but I wouldn't really be able to have anything interesting happen in under 2k words, so I don't. I'm glad you like the plot! Believe me, it's only just beginning… muhuhaha! As to my story being the best… I'm not so sure on that. I was mainly inspired by the story "Champion of Champions" by Basic Trainer, and I think he's doing a better job than I am. But I'm glad you like my story nonetheless! Finally, I have never actually given previous thought to having a beta reader, as I was never expecting to get even a third of the following that the story currently has! I try to edit them myself, mainly by reading the whole out loud after I finish typing it. But, obviously that isn't quite enough. Thanks for the lengthy review!

WeeGee66- Glad to hear you liked the chapter! I was wondering how people would react to another power like Aura. Trust me though, there's a lot more to each power and it will all be revealed as the story progresses. I just don't wanna say too much too quickly, ya know? Anyways, I hope you keep reading!

So, I guess I'll post an opening for a Beta Reader as well, if anyone is interested! If you don't mind my irregular updating schedule, send me a pm if you'd be interested! Keep in mind, I have no idea how Beta Readers even work… so I'm unsure of what exactly to do if I get one.

Furthermore, since nobody entered the contest for the Roselia giveaway, as of this chapter going up, it has been traded away on Wonder Trade. If, by some crazy coincidence, you happened to get that Roselia and are reading this, I hope you enjoy it!

Another note, as of this chapter going up, I am hereby closing the OC submissions. I finally received enough entries for what I have planned, and I will not be accepting any more… at least for right now. Thanks to everyone who submitted a character and I hope you look forward to when I finally reveal them all!

Lastly, one of you mentioned to me in a pm if I'd be willing to accept fan art. While I already answered your pm, I'll just put this here in case anyone else thought the same thing. Guys…. I…I… *Sniff*… would be FUCKING HONORED to receive absolutely any piece of fan art! I've never even thought I'd hear the idea come up… so I've never given it much thought. However, if anyone ever makes me a piece of fan art, you can just link me to the deviantart page and, with your permission, would like to make your art the cover image for one full chapter update. (So, a full month) But seriously guys… I'd love to see what you all imagine Stephen and Ash look like within the story, as it also lets me know how me as a writer am making them seem.

That about sums everything up I suppose! So, onto the story!

(…)

Chapter 12: From the Heart

Luna walked up the mountain trail, still unused to the new feelings swirling around in her head. Holding a hand to her chest, she paused for a moment, and tried to make sense of it all. Pain, confusion, pride, joy, and a deep fondness for something, were all just a taste of the new emotions flowing through her mind. It was odd though, feeling someone else's emotions alongside yours. Of course, she had learned that Bonding with someone else would have this as a side-effect. That WAS what she did on the bridge, after all. A special one-way Bond, that's all it took to push Stephen's power into the open.

Blushing slightly, Luna turned to face the forest to the North, staring directly in the direction Stephen was. She could easily point him out now, without having to embrace her Psionic Energy. That was another side-effect from the Bond. Pursuing him would be easy, but out of the question for now. She hadn't yet gotten the power boost that came with Bonding, which was the last of the side-effects. Soon though, her Psionic capabilities would nearly double, all thanks to the one way Bond she had put on Stephen.

"Stephonius…" Luna thought, letting her mind settle on the image of Stephen for a moment. "It's funny. I started this mission on a quest to steal your Psionic Energy for my lord… but for some reason… I couldn't bring myself to do it. I wonder why…" Luna pondered several reasons.Was it maybe because Stephen was a knight of Psion like she was? Or rather, was it because he was a Romanan, again just like she was. Was there maybe another reason? Who knew? For now, Luna banished the thoughts from her mind, and finished her climb up the hill, not looking forward to reporting her failure to Shadow. He wouldn't be pleased. But… it wasn't all bad. At least she wasn't alone anymore…

(…)

Head pounding, Stephen kept his eyes closed as he lay on his stomach. His whole body still felt warm, as he had just shaken off a fever or something. What was he lying on anyways? Grass? That's at least what it felt like. Opening his eyes, Stephen let his blurry vision clear for a moment before he looked up, flinching at what he saw.

"Gah!" He yelped, flinging himself backwards. On the back of his right hand, was what almost looked like the purple outline of a… fang. Or maybe a claw would be a better description. It even kinda looked like the right half of one of those yin-yang symbols, with the point facing down on the right half at least. Even weirder about it, was the fact that it seemed to glow, but it didn't give off any perceptible light. Rubbing the symbol with his left hand, Stephen sighed as he confirmed that the symbol was definitely real. "What the hell is this?" Stephen finally mumbled to himself.

"That is the Mark of Psion," A voice sounded in Stephen's head, making him quickly turn in place. Not ten feet away, a Suicune was standing in the same forest clearing as Stephen, staring at him. "You have finally awoken."

"Awoken?" Stephen asked, before the obvious statement hit him. "Oh, right. How long was I out for?" Stephen finished, standing up and stretching his achy muscles.

"You misunderstand, Chosen of Psion," Suicune said, making Stephen freeze. He had heard that term before… back when Arceus gave him and Ash that prophesy. "I am referring to your true power: your Psionic Energy. THAT is what has awoken."

"Psionic Energy?" Stephen repeated, glancing at the newfound mark on the back of his right hand. Then he remembered what Luna had told him. "Oh, right. Luna told me about the whole thing. There are the two entities of energy, and this is what comes from the Psion half." Stephen paused to look up at Suicune again. "So… what exactly can this power do?"

"Psionic Energy is the energy of emotion, just as Aura is the power of the mind," Suicune explained, as Stephen nodded in understanding. "While Aura works my attaining a focused state of mind, Psionic Energy works by not only calming your emotions, but actually drawing on them for different results."

"Drawing on my emotions?" Stephen asked, not quite understanding it.

"Yes," Suicune replied with a nod. "Your power is used by choosing different emotions based on what you want to do."

"I see. So… which emotions do what?"

"I am afraid that I cannot answer that," Suicune said with a shake of his head. "Since I cannot posses Psionic Energy, I cannot directly explain how it works." Stephen looked down at his feet now, trying to think of who could teach him, only to look up as Suicune spoke again. "However, I can tell you what small pieces I do know."

"I'm all ears," Stephen said, crossing his arms behind his back.

"All I know is that Psion Knights have the capacity to see what truly dwells in people's hearts. In other words, you can see how people truly feel."

"You mean… I can sense people's emotions?" Stephen asked, earning himself a nod from Suicune. "I see… One more question, what did you mean that this was the mark of Psion?" Stephen continues, glancing at the mark on his right hand once more.

"The symbol on your hand reveals you as a Psion Knight to those that posses either half of the Powers of Creation," Suicune explained. "Together with the Mark of Auría, the two symbols form what you humans call the 'Wheel of Creation', as it was Psion and Auría who first created the Alpha One."

"Right… Luna mentioned how Arceus came to be as well," Stephen mumbled to himself. But then he paused as another question hit him. "Wait… you said that the mark was perceptible to those who wield either half of the Wheel, right?"

"Correct."

"Then, shouldn't Ash have that 'Mark of Auría' or whatever it was?" Suicune simply gave Stephen a confused look. "I've never seen anything on either of his hands."

"Who is this 'Ash'?" Suicune asked, slightly changing the topic.

"Oh, right. He's my brother, and he's an Aura Guardian," Stephen explained. "He's got black, spiky hair and two Z's on his face too. Ya can't miss him."

"It was HIM who assaulted me on the bridge?!" Suicune roared, growling as the wind picked up for a moment.

"Whoa, hold on a moment!" Stephen said, raising his arms up, hoping to calm the beast of wind down. "What exactly happened on the bridge?"

"After Celebi and I took you away from that woman, I engaged her in combat," Suicune explained.

"Why?!" Stephen half-shouted, genuinely confused.

"You seemed in peril," Suicune said matter-of-factly. "You were in pain, and she was the only other one around. I assumed it was her doing, and the fact that she fought back confirmed my theory."

"I see…" Stephen said, trying to remember what had happened. He talked to Luna, learned about the whole other power… and then she kissed him. Feeling his face flush for a moment, Stephen shook the thought away. "Well… I don't really remember what happened, so I'll have to ask her if I see her again."

"Use caution, Chosen of Psion," Suicune warned. "Now that your power is awakened, you will be as much of a target as the Chosen of Auría."

"Right… the Chosen of Auría," Stephen mumbled, recalling Arceus' prophesy.

"Only the Chosen of Psion and Auría can save the Land of Unity."

Well, there were a few more pieces of the puzzle filled in. If the land of Unity was Unova, and Stephen was the Chosen of Psion… then who was the Chosen of Auría? Surely, it had to be an Aura Guardian. Which meant… Auría's chosen could either be Ash, Guardian Riley, or the other two Aura Initiates that Stephen briefly met back in Rota. (A.N. That's right… Ash ain't the only Aura Guardian out there!)

"Oh, who the hell am I kidding!?" Stephen mentally whined to himself. "Of course the Chosen of Auría is most likely Ash. Arceus forbid, we have a NORMAL journey for once…"

"What's wrong big guy?" A new, higher pitched voice asked from right behind Stephen. Turning around, Stephen smiled upon seeing a very familiar green Pokémon.

"Hello Celebi," Stephen greeted.

"Hiya!" Celebi replied, smiling broadly. "I didn't expect you to be up so quickly! I guess that just proves how strong your Psionic Energy is!"

"Wait…" Stephen mumbled, confused again. "What does my Psionic Energy have to do with me waking up quickly?"

"It is one of the many abilities you now posses," Suicune explained, making Stephen t urn back around. "Your newfound Psionic Energy will allow your body to regenerate itself, healing off any non-fatal injuries with unmatched quickness."

"Huh…" Stephen spoke, thinking back for a bit. "You know… that WOULD explain a lot. I've always been a pretty fast healer… and I can't even remember the last time I got sick."

"Pretty neat, huh?" Celebi asked, fluttering in front of Stephen excitedly.

"Heh, I guess." Stephen paused to think for a moment. "But… what about Aura? If Psionic Energy and Aura are similar, do Aura Guardians heal quickly too?"

"No," Suicune said, shaking his head. "As far as I understand, Aura Guardians are instead much more resistant to damage than Psion Knights. Their Aura fuses with their bodies, greatly enhancing their abilities to withstand damage." Again, Stephen stopped for a moment to think. Again, that DID explain a lot. Back during his travels, it always seemed that no matter how much Ash was thrown around, he'd always get back up. It must've been his Aura… even back then.

"Wow… this is… a lot to take in," Stephen finally said, sitting down and running his hand through his hair. "And it's only morning…"

"Aw, don't worry!" Celebi finally said, trying to comfort Stephen. "You can just learn all about your power, one step at a time!"

"I guess…" Stephen absentmindedly replied, once again looking at the mark on his hand. That purple mark; the mark that looked like the outline of a fang of sorts. The Mark of Psion. As with everything else… it Had to be purple… just like… "My eyes!" Stephen suddenly shouted.

"Are you injured?" Suicune asked, immediately crouching into a ready stance.

"No… I'm fine," Stephen responded with a shaky voice, earning himself two confused looks. Stephen was sure of it now. His eyes were violet, never to go back. However, that point raised a memory, and with that memory, a question. "But… I have one last question."

"What is it?" Celebi asked, hovering delicately in front of Stephen, a look of concern on her face.

"Why would anyone want to kill a Psion Knight?" Both Suicune flinched at the question, and then exchanged worried glances. Looking up, Stephen felt a fire burning within himself. He HAD to know the answer to this question! People had tried to kill him in the past… and he WOULD know why!

"There… is a darker side to your power… Chosen of Psion," Suicune began, sounding nervous. "Since the whole base of your power are your emotions, your enemies can use that against you."

"What do you mean?" Stephen asked.

"I mean… that you must take care that it is always you who control your emotions… and not the other way around." Suicune finished, giving Stephen a level look.

"But… that doesn't answer my question!" Stephen shouted, rising angrily to his feet. Clenching his fist, Stephen glared at Suicune.

"How much do you know about the Pokémon known as… Gyarados?" Suicune asked, throwing Stephen off guard.

"Gyarados? Well… they're said to be the Atrocious Pokémon, as they have been said to burn down whole villages if enraged," Stephen said, remembering Gyarados' PokéDex entry.

"Exactly… and do people fear Gyarados? Do they fear their villages burning down in a rage?"

"Of course they do!" Stephen answered, growing frustrated. Suicune was dodging the question again! "But what does they have to do with me!?"

"A Gyarados is capable of destroying a village," Suicune began… pausing to look Stephen in the eye. "Psion Knights can destroy much… MUCH more if they are taken over by their emotions. Likely, those people merely have heard the old legends, and acted to defend themselves, letting their fear rule over their judgment."

"Destroy?" Stephen began, before a memory flooded into him. A few days ago, when Team Rocket had threatened to kill Dawn. Stephen had let his anger consume him. Was that what Suicune was talking about? What if… what if Stephen himself had killed Dawn? Or worse? Suddenly feeling sick, Stephen sank to his knees, clasping his head with both hands. Was that all he was? Some person destined to go insane and destroy everything he cared about? Was he a demon? Was someone using him for revenge? "What am I?" He finally whispered, hoping against hope that he wasn't some sort of monster.

"You are the Chosen of Psion," Suicune said, making Stephen look up. The look on Suicune's face… it could only be described as… compassionate. Of course. Suicune probably felt something similar, having so much power as he did. "Alas, fear not. You are not doomed to become the monster that you fear."

"What do you mean?" Stephen asked, snapping to attention.

"What he means is…" Celebi cut in, obviously not liking being out of the conversation anymore. "Is that there's a way past the whole 'being controlled by your emotions' thing. Besides, how would there still be Psion Knights around if they all went insane?"

"That's… a good point," Stephen admitted, feeling his feeling of despair already fade away. "I guess I just have to figure out how to use this power, huh?"

"Exactly!" Celebi cheered, happy to see Stephen's mood lift. "But… don't you have some friends go go back to?"

"Shit!" Stephen half-shouted, realizing that everyone else was probably worried about him. Glancing around, Stephen tried to get his bearings. "Uhm… where is Cerulean City from here?"

"About 5 miles, that way," Suicune replied, gesturing behind him with one of his tails.

"Five miles!" Stephen shouted in disbelief. "How the hell am I supposed to make it back in time!?" Then, he began pacing. "Damn… what to do… what to do…"

"I have an idea!" Celebi chimed in, getting both Stephen's and Suicune's attention.

(…)

Ash walked into the Pokémon Center, still trying in vain to piece together what had just happened. There was a column of purple light that shot up into the sky. Then, Suicune was attacking some random woman, stating that it was no business of an "Aura Guardian." What was that supposed to mean? Aura Guardians were the defenders of peace throughout the world. Why would a legendary Pokémon who had just attacked someone not be his business? Sadly, before Ash could think any further, the scene before him shook the raven haired trainer from his thoughts.

"What's this all about?" Ash muttered to himself, looking at the crowd that was all clamored in front of the television. They seemed to be watching the news as well. What was so exciting? Walking over, Ash began his miniature investigation. Tuning into the television, Ash listened in.

"People were baffled this morning, as an odd column of light was sighted over Nugget Bridge just this morning," The announcer said, showing a brief video that someone obviously made of the column of light. While the bridge itself was hidden by trees, the video showed just enough of the scenery to confirm that the light definitely came from Nugget Bridge. "Unconfirmed reports of various activity occurring within the area has arisen, but no conclusion about the disturbance has been announced. More will be revealed as the story develops."

"What do you think made that light?" One person asked.

"I have no idea," Another replied.

"Was it a Pokémon?"

"No way! There's no Pokémon that I know of that does that!"

"Is it maybe a new species?"

Ignoring the random ideas of the people in the lobby, Ash turned and walked towards his own room, his thoughts swirling. That wasn't good. If that light was Stephen, and Ash had a pretty solid feeling that it was, did it have any similarities to when he went crazy while they were saving May and Dawn? Or, was it something worse? Either way, Ash had a bad feeling about the whole thing. Pushing such thoughts from his mind, Ash finally got to his door, and prepared to enter and awaken May she that she could prepare for their day of training. However, to his surprise, Ash entered the room to not only see May awake, but already dresses, new scarf and all! Furthermore, she was apparently giving a few of her Pokémon a proper grooming session, given by the fact that she was brushing Pikachu at the moment with a smiling Glaceon close by.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu chirped, seeing Ash walk into the room. It seemed that Ash had caught May's attention as well.

"Hey Ash! All done with your exercises?" May asked, giving Pikachu a final few brushes. Once done, both Pikachu and Glaceon immediately began to happily lope around the room.

"Yeah, I just got back," Ash replied, glancing at the two happy Pokémon. "It sure is nice to see those two still getting along after all this time."

"Who? Glaceon?" May asked, before giggling. "Oh, please! You should have seen her when we had to leave you guys again when we made a visit to Sinnoh. Let's just say that she was not very happy for a while." Ash merely chuckled at the story. He remembered that visit alright. It really brightened his spirits, if he was remembering correctly.

"That right? Oh, hey. Did Stephen happen to come back at all?" Ash asked idly.

"No… I don't think so," May replied, bring a finger to her chin as she thought. "Maybe Dawn would know. They DO share a room right now." Ash barely resisted flinching at the thought. Rotan nobles… such a headache.

"Right, I'll go ask her in a little bit then," Ash said, sitting down on the bed.

"Is something wrong?" May asked, obviously able to tell that Ash had something on his mind.

"Well… sort of," Ash replied, looking over at the coordinator. "Have you heard about that purple pillar of light that people are talking about?"

"Actually, yeah!" May replied. "I just heard about it while I was brushing Glaceon. Nobody seems to know what it was!"

"I see…" Ash said, feeling that sinking feeling in his chest again.

"Did you happen to see it while you were out exercising?" May continued.

"Yeah actually. I ran to the spot that the light came from."

"What was it!?" May immediately asked, leaning forward with a sudden excitement.

"I'm not sure," Ash replied, thinking on how to phrase it. "When I got there, all I saw was some girl that was battling with a Suicune. I tried to help, but I… didn't bring any of my Pokémon with me."

"Fighting a Suicune?!" May asked. "What kind of Pokémon did she have? They must've been really strong!"

"That's the weird thing. She didn't seem to have any on her either," Ash described, earning him a confused look from May.

"Wait… she was fighting a Suicune by herself?"

"From the looks of it… yeah," Ash replied with a shrug. "I don't really get it either."

"Do you think she was somehow the one making the light?" May suggested, making Ash's eyes widen as he considered the idea. "I mean if someone would actually fight against a legendary Pokémon like that… they'd have to have SOME sort of trick up their sleeve."

"That's a good point," Ash mumbled, losing himself in thought. If that girl was the one who caused that light to appear… then what? That still didn't explain why Stephen wasn't at the bridge where they split up. Sighing, Ash glanced at the Mark of Auría on his left hand. It was his duty as an Aura Guardian to protect people… and yet he couldn't even protect his own brother.

"Is there something on your hand, Ash?" May asked, having walked over and followed Ash's eyes to his hand. Or course, she couldn't see the mark. Only Aura Guardians could, as far as Ash knew.

"Oh… uh… no. Just losing myself in thought for a second there," Ash hastily replied. Thankfully, Pikachu took it upon himself to jump up on the bed by Ash, eager to greet his trainer.

"Pika pika!" The mouse cheered, quickly climbing into his favorite spot on Ash's shoulder.

"Ha ha, hey buddy!" Ash greeted, happy to have the familiar feeling of his best friend on his shoulders once more.

"Pikapi pikachi pika pi?" Pikachu asked, quickly wiping the smile from Ash's face. It was to be expected though. Pikachu could probably sense the presence of Suicune nearby. It wasn't every day that a legendary Pokémon was this close to a city after all.

"What'd Pikachu say?" May asked, seeing Ash's quick change in expression.

"He said that the Suicune is still in the area. It's getting closer in fact," Ash said, glancing out the window. Sure enough, the leaves on the trees were starting to flutter from a North wind. Suicune was definitely coming back, but why? Just then, Both Ash and May turned to look at the door as they heard a knock. Rising, May silently volunteered to go open the door.

"Yes? Oh! Dawn!" May exclaimed, face brightening upon seeing her friend's familiar face. "And you brought Meowth too!"

"Good morning, May!" Dawn greeted with a smile. She certainly seemed in a good mood. Dawn had even put on her new scarf from yesterday. Ash felt a wave of guilt as he readied himself to give Dawn the bad news, if she happened to notice.

"Mornin'!" Meowth copied, greeting everyone with a wave. Hopping down From Dawn's shoulder, Meowth hopped onto Ash's bed, sitting beside the trainer. He seemed to have something on his mind.

"Oh! You're back already, Ash?" Dawn asked, noticing Ash from behind May.

"Yeah, I just got back a few minutes ago actually," Ash replied.

"I see," Dawn said, casting a glance around the room. Ash felt his chest tighten a bit. She was probably wondering why Ash had said that only "He" was back. "Where is—"

"Stephen?" Ash interrupted, hoping to get the initiative in the conversation. With a nod, Dawn entered the room at May's gesture, and sat on the bed across from Ash. May soon followed suit, wearing a slightly worried expression on her face. "I don't know where he is." Dawn opened her mouth to argue, but was quickly cut off by Ash as he continued.

"I know he trained by himself for a bit on Nugget Bridge, but he wasn't there when I got done with my own training. Instead, there was some woman there who was fighting a Suicune."

"A Suicune?" Dawn asked, blinking a few times in confusion. "Who would be fighting a Suicune? And how? Aren't Suicune's supposed to be super strong?"

"I don't know," Ash replied, shaking his head a bit. "I never managed to get her name. As to that last part, that's what's bothering me."

"What do you mean?" Dawn asked, growing more and more worried. "Were her Pokémon THAT strong?"

"That's actually the problem," May cut in. "Apparently, she didn't have any Pokémon at all!"

"None?!" Dawn half-shouted. "You mean she fought a legendary Pokémon all by herself!?"

"Apparently," Ash replied with a serious look on his face. "That's why I'm worried. If there's someone who could stand toe-to-toe with a Suicune… they might've attack Stephen as well."

"What?!" Dawn shouted, rising from her spot on the bed. "Did you at least see where she went!?"

"Calm down, Dawn," Ash said, raising two hands to try and calm the blunette. "That's just one of my ideas. It's also possible that Stephen simply went somewhere else, and could even be here any minute."

"Mmph…" Dawn mumbled, sitting down with worry still plastered all over her face. Ash silently cursed himself for making her worry so much, but she deserved to at least know that there was potential trouble. "Did… did you at least see what caused that giant pillar of light earlier?" Dawn finally asked, catching Ash a little off guard.

"You saw it then?" Ash asked.

"Yeah," Dawn replied with a nod. "I just happened to look out the window as I finished getting dressed. I've never seen anything like it!" Dawn then dropped her voice a little. "Do you think that light might have something to do about anything?"

"I don't know," Ash replied, furrowing his brow and crossing his arms in thought. "That's the one part that really confuses me. I have absolutely NO idea what made that light!"

"Dat's got me a little confused too," Meowth cut in, earning him everyone's undivided attention. "Don't get me wrong… I still got no clue as to what made dat light. But, I get da feelin' dat it's nuttin' especially bad… ya know?" Meowth then cast a look at Pikachu. "you felt it too, didn't 'cha?"

"Pika," Pikachu replied with a nod.

"What do you mean by it's nothing to worry about?" Dawn asked.

"I mean dat dere's nuttin' to worry about. It's tough to describe… but it feels like sumtin' dat had to happen… finally happened," Meowth replied, rubbing his chin with his paw as he did so.

"Do you know what happened, then?" Ash asked, leaning forward a bit.

"No clue," Meowth replied, shaking his head. "But like I said. It's nuttin' to worry about."

"Pika Pikachu," Pikachu added, finally convincing Ash.

"Well… if you two are completely sure… then I'll take your words on it." Slumping back onto the bed, Ash tried once again to make sense of the light. Sadly, he had little time to do as Meowth spoke again.

"Besides… we got another problem on our hands right now."

"What is it?" May asked, worry beginning to show on her face.

"Dat Suicune is getting' even closer… in fact… he should be here just about—" Meowth was cut off as several shrieks and shouts were suddenly heard from the main lobby, snapping everyone to attention. Suddenly at the door, Ash instructed the girls to stay put, and ran out the door as quickly as he could.

"This is bad," Ash thought to himself as he ran down the short hallway. "If that Suicune came here, I can only imagine it was to fight me for interrupting his earlier fight with that girl. I just hope I can persuade him to—" Ash's thought train halted once he entered the lobby, only to notice that everyone had left, including Nurse Joy. That wasn't right. There weren't any signs of a fight, so where did they all go? Glancing out the front door, Ash's question was immediately answered as he saw a crowd forming a huge circle around something. Walking out the door, Ash carefully worked his way into the center of the circle, ignoring the idle chatter of the crowd. Once at the center, Ash froze, unable to believe his eyes.

"This is where we part, Chosen of Psion," Suicune said, turning his head to the person on his back.

"Thanks Suicune, I really owe you," Stephen replied, climbing down from the beast's back.

"It is my duty to protect you. However, I would appreciate it in the future if you're more careful. I cannot always be there to save you."

"Ha… I'll keep that in mind," Stephen replied with a laugh. Meanwhile, Ash's mind was swirling. Why was Suicune in the city, if not to fight him? Why was Stephen on Suicune's back? Where had Stephen gone? What was a "Chosen of Psion"? Why were Stephen's eyes purple? And just what the hell was that mark on Stephen's right hand?!

"Then farewell, Chosen of Psion. May you realize your destiny," Suicune said, before leaping effortlessly over the crowd and soon vanishing into the distance. Stephen simply stared in the direction ran in with a look of almost… amusement on his face.

"Stephen!" Ash called out, hoping to snap his brother from his trance.

"Ash?" Stephen replied in kind, immediately running over and wrapping Ash in a warm embrace. "Man, you have NO idea how happy I am to see you, especially after what just happened to me." Although somewhat slower than his brother, Ash soon returned the gesture in kind. He had to admit, it was nice to see that Stephen was at least alright. After a moment, the two trainers broke from their embrace, finally realizing that they were still surrounded by a crown of people, all of whom looked eager to bombard the two with questions.

"I think we should go," Ash whispered to Stephen, who nodded in agreement.

"Excuse me, everyone," Stephen bellowed. "I'd like to enter the Pokémon Center if that's alright." Surprisingly, the crowd parted at the entrance, revealing a clear path to the entrance. Ash and Stephen simply looked at one another and shrugged. They hadn't quite expected it to be that easy. Entering the Pokémon Center, Ash stopped Stephen once they reached the hallway.

"So, mind telling me what exactly happened?" Ash asked, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall. Sighing, Stephen prepared to tell his little tale.

"Boy, have I got one hell of a story for you," Stephen began, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand. Stopping, he glanced at it, and turned to show Ash the symbol on the back. "I guess this would be a good place to start."

"What is it?" Ash asked, tilting his head in suspicion.

"Apparently, it's something called 'The Mark of Psion'. It's supposed to go along with the Mark of Auría, form what Suicune told me."

"Mark of Auría? You mean this?" Ash asked, holding his left hand out to show Stephen the symbol on it. Well, I he could see it, that is.

"Yeah! That must be it!" Stephen exclaimed, comparing the two marks. "They look almost identical! Just… sort of turned a little."

"They're related, then?" Ash asked, growing more and more curious.

"More than you'd think," Stephen replied. "This mark is supposed to symbolize my power."

"You mean how you can talk to Pokémon?"

"Yup."

"And how your eyes turn purple?"

"Mmhmm."

"And how you absorbed my Aura Sphere that one time?"

"Yeah."

"And that little… incident… in the forest with Team Rocket?"

"What is this, 20 questions? Yes, that's ALL related to my power," Stephen replied with a smile. "It's called Psionic Energy, and it's a lot more closely linked to Aura than even all of that. In fact, from what Luna said, there's even more to your Aura than what you've learned from Guardian Riley."

"More?" Ash asked, leaning forward now. "What more could I possibly do?" Then Ash frowned. He'd missed a big question. Who was Luna?

"I'm not sure," Stephen answered before Ash could make his inquiry. "But Luna seemed to make it sound like our powers had pretty much infinite possibility."

"Infinite huh?" Ash mumbled in reply, glancing at his Mark of Auría. It was possible he supposed. Guardian Riley COULD be wrong about the limits of Aura. He was already wrong about only Aura Guardians being able to see the Mark after all. Wait… Ash missed the question again. "Who exactly is Luna?"

"Luna?" Stephen asked, almost as if the name was odd to him for a moment. "I don't really know. I met her on the bridge not to long after you left. She told me some story… which I think you'll wanna hear. Then she… erm… awakened my power. I don't really remember what happened after that until I woke up in the forest with Suicune and Celebi."

"So they're the ones who moved you?" Ash asked.

"Yeah."

"Heh… we just CANNOT let you go anywhere by yourself… can we?" Ash remarked, chuckling a bit. Stephen merely looked down with a defeated expression.

"Yeah… it seems all I've been doing lately is worrying you guys. Sorry about that." Ash then walked over and laid a consoling hand on his brother's shoulder, causing the latter to look up.

"Don't worry about it, man! I know you're a tough nut to crack. It'll take a lot to bring down the queen's Third Shield after all!"

"It wasn't you that I was talking about," Stephen replied, the slightest hint of a smile barely creasing his face. Then he glanced at the door to the room that was rented by Dawn and himself. "I was referring to May and Dawn. They don't know about our positions in Rota yet."

"Well we COULD go and change that… right now if you wanted," Ash offered.

"Sure… sounds good," Stephen replied with a smile. Nodding, Ash took the lead and opened the door into his room. Upon entering, he saw a somewhat nervous looking May and Dawn immediately look up. Seeing that Ash had returned, the two girls immediately sprang up from May's bed to run over and begin bombarding the young trainer with questions. Unable to answer them all, Ash simply stepped aside and gestured, as Stephen walked into view.

"Stephen!" Dawn exclaimed, rushing forwards and wrapping Stephen into a hug. "Where were you? I… er… WE were so worried!" Returning the embrace, Stephen waited a moment before responding.

"I don't exactly know what happened… but I think we should all go in and sit down."

"Why?" Dawn asked, pulling back slightly and looking Stephen in the eyes. Her face soon grew shocked to see that Stephen's eyes were violet.

"I have a lot of information to share… and I'd rather nobody else hear it but you guys." Finally agreeing, our four heroes reconvened in the room rented by Ash and May. Ash sat next to Stephen, while the girls occupied the other bed. Meowth, Pikachu, and Glaceon sat beside their respective trainers. All eyes were on Stephen as he seemed to be thinking on how to word his story. However, Ash's gaze kept drifting down to the mark on Stephen's right hand. It was odd. With his own… it could almost make a circle of sorts. Were they as connected as Stephen said they were? Before Ash could think any further, Stephen finally spoke.

"Right… so where would you all like me to begin?"

"Well… what exactly happened to you that caused you to go missing?" Dawn hesitantly asked.

"To answer that… I'll need to go back from that just a bit," Stephen replied. "I guess I'll start from where Ash and I separated on Nugget Bridge…" Over the course of the next several minutes, Stephen explained his whole story to his friends. Meeting Luna, her story about the universe's creation, what Psionic Energy was, and his last memory before blacking out.

"SHE KISSED YOU?!" Dawn nearly screamed as she sprung from her seat. Cringing, Stephen glanced at Ash. Ash simply shrugged back. He had no idea why that was such a big deal.

"Well… I… er... I guess… she kinda did," Stephen hesitantly replied, slowly straightening himself out. "I mean it was after that… that I started to feel awful. Hell… it felt like I was going to explode!"

"Did you happen to see a purple column of light?" Ash asked, gaining everyone's attention.

"Hm… no I don't think so," Stephen replied as he rested a hand on his chin. "All Luna did was make that same purple crescent that you guys said I made against Team Rocket."

"I see," Ash mumbled. That just about confirmed it. The column definitely had to have come from Stephen. Otherwise, he would've surely have seen it.

"So… um…" May meekly cut in. "will your eyes ever go back to normal?"

"No," Stephen replied with a shake of his head. "Although nobody ever told me that… I just kinda know that this newfound purple color is permanent." Stephen's brow furrowed slightly, and Ash could only imagine that Stephen was recalling his being chased out of that one village they happened to pass through.

"But… why is that such a big deal?" Dawn asked. "I mean it's not like your eye color is THAT rare! Why would people attack you for it?"

"She's got a point!" Ash added, remembering something. "Even Anabel has purple eyes, and the Battle Tower isn't that far from here!"

"Mine are still different," Stephen quietly retorted, looking away from everyone.

"How so?" Dawn asked. Saying nothing, Stephen returned his head to look the coordinator in the eyes. Even from his angle, Ash could see what his brother meant. Stephen's eyes almost seemed to… glow. Just like the symbol on his hand, and even Ash's Mark… his eyes glowed, but gave off no light. It wasn't super obvious though… and you'd have to take a second glance to really see it.

"There's… another part of Psionic Energy that I didn't mention," Stephen replied, looking down. "You all remember how crazy I went when Team Rocket kidnapped you two?"

"Yeah," May replied. "But you singlehandedly defeated all of their Pokémon! It was pretty incredible now that I think back on it!"

"No," Stephen retorted, shaking his head forcefully. "What's incredible is that the situation didn't get much worse than it did."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked, growing worried.

"You know about those old fisherman's stories about how an enraged Gyarados could burn down an entire city?" Stephen asked. Ash nodded in reply, and Stephen continued. "Apparently, an enraged Psion Knight could destroy a lot more than just one city."

"You mean, like, a whole region?" May asked, gasping in shock.

"I don't know," Stephen replied, looking down again. "Suicune didn't exactly say. But the point is… I'm dangerous from now on. I could fall prey to my emotions again and go berserk… and maybe hurt some of you. I told Ash to stop me if that ever happens… but if he can't…"

"That's enough of that talk!" Dawn shouted, standing up again giving Stephen a look that silenced him. "I'm just going to pretend that you weren't about to suggest leaving us all behind." Stephen winced at the remark, while Ash felt his eyes widen. Stephen hadn't mentioned that he had wanted to do that! Why? "Furthermore, I trust you." Dawn walked over and crouched down in front of Stephen, placing two comforting hands on his shoulders. "I know you'd never hurt any of us… and you should know that too. Remember that we're all here for you, so you never have to be alone. So no more thoughts of going off on your own, okay?"

Stephen paused to consider Dawn's words for a second or two. Then, suddenly, He wrapped his arms around Dawn and pulled her into another hug, making the poor girl yelp in surprise.

"Thanks Dawn… I think I needed to hear that," Stephen said, still hugging Dawn.

"I… uh… No problem," Dawn replied finally regaining her composure. Ash caught movement from May, and was slightly confused to as why she winked at him. However, her next sentence explained it.

"Oh my! I think we ought a give the two lovebirds here some space!" May said, standing up and pretending to leave the room. "Come on Ash, it'd be rude to interrupt." Only slightly getting the joke, Ash smiled and followed May's lead, calling for Pikachu to hop onto his shoulder.

"Oh, alright then. Come on Pikachu, let's give these two a little privacy."

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu chirped, playing along as well.

"Hey, hold on a second!" Stephen blurted out, standing up now that he had let go of Dawn. "Just what are you two implying?"

"Who? Me? Why, nothing of course!" May teased. "I just thought that the newlyweds would enjoy a more private setting for their honeymoon!"

"Honeymoon!?" Dawn blurted out as her face grew a bright red. Ash smiled as he noticed even Stephen's face turning a bit red as well. It was funny implying that those two were married already, even though they were just friends. Smiling, Ash decided to tease them more.

"Exactly! We wouldn't want to interrupt such an important event for a newfound couple!"

"Oh? Well what about you two?!" Stephen challenged, taking a daring step forward. "Who says YOU'RE not just sneaking off to do something naughty, eh?"

"wha-?" Ash choked, feeling his chest tighten.

"We would ne—" May tried to say, but she seemed unable to reply either, and her reddening face showed that Stephen's counter-tease had gotten to her.

"Yeah!" Dawn added, gaining Stephen's initiative. "What if this is just a trick so that YOU TWO can go become the real couple? We ARE at the Festival of Luv after all!"

Nobody was able to say anything after that. They all just stared at one another for several moments before suddenly bursting out in laughter. It was just too funny! Here they were, worried sick about their friend not mere minutes ago, only to discover that his power is much more complicated than they thought. Now they were teasing each other about relationships like typical kids again. It was a nice feeling…

"Ha ha…" Stephen finally began, getting a grip on himself. "Okay… I think we can really start our day now. But… there's someplace Ash and I have to go first."

"Where would that be?" May asked, still smiling.

"You mean visiting Misty?" Ash asked, answering May's question.

"Yup."

"Oh, Misty!" Dawn cheered. "It'll be so great to see her again! I hear she's gotten really popular thanks to her leadership at the Gym! I bet she'll be overjoyed to see you two again!"

"Erm… maybe," Ash heard Stephen mumble.

"I wouldn't be so sure…" Ash mumbled as well.

"However!" May chimed in. "You two need to get properly dressed!" Looking at his outfit, Ash looked for anything missing. Finding nothing, he raised a questioning eyebrow at May, who countered by pointing at the pink scarf around her neck.

"The scarf?" Ash asked, feeling his own neck, only to remember that he hadn't put his on this morning, much like Stephen.

"We have to wear those all the time?" Stephen asked, obviously as confused as Ash was.

"Yes, dummy!" May countered, placing her hands on her hips. "Of course you have to wear them all the time! You're supposed to be our boyfriends, remember!" Ash glanced at Stephen, who shrugged in response. It seemed a little odd, but Ash decided to play along. He went over and grabbed his scarf from the nightstand it had been laying on, but before he could start putting it on, May interrupted him.

"Hold it mister!"

"What? I'm putting the scarf on!" Ash countered, only slightly annoyed.

"What about Stephen?" Dawn chimed in, giving Stephen a sideways glance.

"My scarf's in my room," Stephen said, in a tone implying that that should have been obvious.

"Well then you two can go in there and get it!" May commanded. "And put them on while you're in there!"

"Why do I have to go in there?" Ash asked, growing confused.

"Because I want to have a little bit of girl-talk with Dawn… and I can't do that with you boys in here."

"Fine, fine," Stephen said, raising his hands in surrender. "We'll leave you girls to it. Come on Ash."

"Right behind you." Following Stephen out, Ash was still slightly confused even when May shut the door behind him. Oh well…

"Aw… dammit!" Stephen suddenly hissed under his breath as he took his key out of his pocket.

"What is it?" Ash asked, fearing something bad had happened.

"We forgot to tell them about our positions in Rota! Her Majesty even gave us permission." Stephen paused to sigh as he unlocked his door. "Oh well, I guess it'll be easier when we get our outfits anyways."

"Outfits?" Ash asked as both he and Stephen entered the room.

"Yeah!" Stephen replied. "Didn't I tell you?" Ash thought about it and, recalling nothing, shook his head. "Ah, well you know how Dawn and May always dress up for contests?"

"Well, yeah," Ash replied, just starting to see where Stephen was going with this.

"So… I asked Her Majesty if she wouldn't mind sending our uniforms down so we could use them as costumes. I doubt anybody would recognize them here."

"Wait a minute!" Ash half-yelled, making Stephen pause as he was reaching for his scarf on the table. "You mean to tell me that our queen actually agreed to send my Aura Apprentice uniform down here along with your suit of plate armor?"

"Well… yeah," Stephen replied matter-of-factly. "It seemed safe enough to me. I mean, how many people have stopped too ask me why I'm carrying a sword around in the middle of a city? I guess they just figure I have a right to carry it."

"Heh, well you DO have that knightly posture of yours," Ash joked, tying his scarf around his neck.

"'Knightly Posture'?" Stephen asked, tying his own scarf on. "And just what's THAT suppose to mean?"

"Oh, nothing," Ash replied with a smile. "Hey… don't these scarves kinda remind you of something?"

"Changing the subject are we?" Stephen asked with a smile and a raised eyebrow. "But no, I don't seem to recognize anything from these scarves."

"Well… don't they kinda remind you of a Lickitung?" Ash asked, bringing a piece of the scarf by his mouth to demonstrate.

"I guess…" Stephen admitted, tilting his head and looking at Ash. "But come on… what sort of Pokémon would use its tongue as a scarf? That's just ridiculous!"

"I suppose," Ash admitted, standing normally again. Then, glancing at Stephen's bed, he decided to point something out. "So, you gonna bring your Pokémon to the Gym? You might need 'em against Misty."

"I thought we both agreed that we were sure that she'd forgive us and just be glad we showed up," Stephen argued.

"Would you really hate to have a plan B in a situation like that?" Ash asked, crossing his arms. Pausing to think for a second, Stephen then went over and grabbed his Pokéballs.

"I guess not," He finally admitted.

"I thought so. Now, let's go to the Gym!"

"Right!"

(…)

"No, I think she'll understand if we just explain your situation to her," Stephen told Meowth. The feline had been nervous about being attacked by Misty due to his previous relationship with Team Rocket. Stephen felt some sort of humor about it. If anyone should be worried about being attacked by Misty… it should be himself and Ash.

"You really tink so?" Meowth asked, sitting on Stephen's left shoulder.

"Of course!" Stephen replied with a smile. "Brock and Professor Oak understood didn't they?"

"Dat's a good point," Meowth mumbled. Nodding, Stephen changed the subject.

"By the way, Meowth. Once Dawn and I start training for the contest, I want to see what you've got as well. That way we'll know where to start your training regimen. Sound good?"

"Y-yeah," Meowth replied with only slight hesitation. Nodding again, Stephen looked straight ahead. Just a block ahead was the Cerulean Gym, Dewgong on the roof and all. Feeling his heart rate quicken, Stephen mentally braced himself for the worst. Once our heroes had finally reached the door, Ash rang the doorbell, which sent a noise echoing throughout the whole gym. After waiting for a few seconds, a young blonde woman opened the door.

"Like, can I help you?" She asked, giving all four members of the group the once-over.

"Hi Daisy, is Misty here?" Ash asked.

"Does she, like, know you?" Daisy asked, giving Ash a look of slight suspicion.

"Yeah, about eight years ago I came here and had a gym battle with her!" Ash replied, seeming to think that was specific enough. Stephen simply mentally sighed.

"Um… like… could you be more specific?" Daisy asked, putting a finger on her chin in thought.

"He's probably the one that Misty says owes her a bike," Stephen cut in, earning him an elbow to the ribs from Ash.

"Oh, yeah!" Daisy exclaimed as the pieces clicked into place. "Now I remember! Well… I don't remember your name though." All four of our heroes felt a bead of sweat go down their heads at this point. "But I bet she'd be, like, so happy to see you! Follow me!" At that, Daisy turned around and beckoned that the group follow her. Entering the gym, Stephen nearly whistled at how different it looked. It was still definitely a water type gym, with all of the aquariums around. However, there were a ton of new Pokémon in the tanks, from regions all over the world. It must've taken a lot of work to find them all!

"Wow! What's that Pokémon?" Dawn asked form behind Stephen. Turning his head, Stephen recognized the pink, serpent-like Pokémon. It was swimming among some coral reefs in one tank, moving with what could only be summed up in one word: grace.

"That's a Gorebyss," Stephen said. "They're from Hoenn."

"Really?" Dawn asked, still watching the elegant Pokémon swim.

"Yeah. But be careful. Gorebyss can be very nasty if you get on their bad side," Stephen warned, remembering Gorebyss' PokéDex entry.

"Hey hey!" Ash exclaimed form beside Stephen, as our brown haired hero turned his head to the right this time. "That's a Pokémon we ought a remember, eh Stephen?" Recognizing the Atrocious Pokémon swimming through a tank designed to simulate the deep ocean, Stephen felt a slight chill, remembering the destruction that they can cause… along with what HE could supposedly do. However, such thoughts were quickly banished from Stephen's mind as he remembered what Dawn had told him.

"Yeah, especially after a group of them sunk us while we were on the S.S. Anne," Stephen remarked, making Daisy stop and turn her around.

"Are you the two that were on that with Misty when that happened?" Daisy asked, seemingly in shock.

"Yeah, although Brock was there too," Ash replied. Blinking a few times, Daisy resumed leading our heroes through the gym, until they reached the central room. Seeing a giant pool, complete with diving board, Stephen let out a whistle.

"Looks well maintained," Stephen said, noting the clear appearance of the pool water. Suddenly, Stephen's ears perked up as he heard a very familiar voice call from up above. Looking to the diving board, Stephen smiled… and felt a slight chill as Misty waved down at the group.

"Hi everyone!" She called. "Welcome to the Cerulean Gym! I'll be down in just a second!" At that, she turned and went towards the ladder.

"Last chance to run," Stephen whispered to Ash, who merely "Humph'd"

"Aura Guardian's don't run… even when they're still in training," Ash retorted.

"Well then… neither do Psion Knights," Stephen countered back as he recalled what Luna had called him. Ash merely raised an eyebrow before the term sunk home.

"So hello everyone! How are—" Misty greeted as she walked over, before she paused as her eyes rested on Ash's face. Fearing the worst, Stephen tensed his muscles for action… but nothing happened.

"Ash?" Misty said in disbelief. "That you?"

"Yeah, Stephen's here too," Ash said, gesturing to Stephen.

"You traitorous son of a bitch!" Stephen mentally screamed as he glared daggers at the side of Ash's head.

"May and Dawn are here as well!" Ash continued as he stepped out of the way to show Misty the two coordinators. Suddenly, Misty lunged forward, and Stephen instinctively reached for his sword.

"It's so good to see you!" Misty blurted out, giving Ash a hug. "Why didn't you call ahead of time?"

"I…er… uhm… I've been a little busy," Ash fumbled, weakly returning Misty's gesture.

"Sorry about that Misty," Stephen added in. "We really did mean to call you!"

"Oh, don't worry about it," Misty replied, letting go of Ash and walking up to Stephen. "I'm just happy to see you guys again after to long!" Misty then gave Stephen a hug, as he returned the hug. While a bit confused, Stephen felt himself relax. Maybe Misty had changed more than they thought.

Three years can change a lot about a person

His own words echoing in his mind, Stephen chuckled silently. Of course… Misty was bound to change a bit too in such a long time. Finally being released, Stephen smiled.

"The gym looks amazing, Misty!" Dawn commented, looking around again.

"Yeah, you've really taken good care of it!" May added.

"That's right," Stephen remembered. "May's dad is a gym leader. So she probably knows all about taking care of a gym. Wait… that reminds me. I've still gotta go through the whole thing of talking to Dawn's mom and tell her about how we're 'dating' for this festival." Feeling his chest tighten a little, Stephen forced himself to be calm. That could wait until later.

"May! Dawn!" Misty cried, giving the two girls hugs. "You both look amazing! Who are the scarves for?"

"Well… we're participating in the contest tomorrow," Dawn explained, dodging the main point of the question.

"I know that, silly!" Misty countered. "I mean who are you competing with?"

"Erm…" Dawn mumbled. Her eyes drifted towards Stephen for a moment and Stephen felt that odd sense of… something… swirl around in his gut. What feeling was that? He'd definitely have to learn his different emotions now… considering how Psionic Energy worked and all. However, Misty soon derailed Stephen's train of thought.

"Stephen!" Misty teased. "I didn't think you were that interested in girls! You always seemed to just freeze up whenever a pretty girl tried flirting with you!"

"Um… well… you know… things change!" Stephen nervously replied, feeling himself grow tense. Sheesh… just thinking back on those times made Stephen tense up a little.

"What about you May? Don't tell me that you're competing with Ash here!" Misty asked, giving a sideways glance at Ash.

"Uh… well… you see…" May tried to reply, nervously twiddling her fingers.

"Wow… I guess you two changed more than I thought in three years," Misty said, holding her hand to her head in disbelief. "I honestly thought I'd never see the day that the 'Two Blockheads' finally realized what girls were."

"Hey!" Stephen challenged, feeling offended. "Hold on one second!"

"We always knew what girls were!" Ash followed up. "We just… uh… didn't understand them very well."

"Mmhmm," Misty countered, placing her hands on her hips now. "I'm sure…" Misty paused as her eyes set on Meowth, who looked away nervously. "What's Meowth doing with you guys?"

"He's with me," Stephen replied. Don't worry… he left Team Rocket… for good this time."

"And you trust him?"

"With my life." Meowth whipped his head around and stared at Stephen in shock. Stephen gave Misty a level gaze. He trusted all of his Pokémon… simple. Meowth was no exception.

"Well… as long as you two trust him. Anyways, would you two mind if I have Pikachu and Meowth come over here for a second? I wanna show them something."

"Uh… sure?" Ash replied, nodding at Pikachu to comply. Hopping away, Pikachu was soon joined by a slightly confused Meowth.

"Anything specific about this?" Stephen asked, growing curious.

"I just wanted their opinion on the gym water's condition. See for yourselves!" Misty said. In unison, Ash and Stephen turned around to look at the pool again. Stephen had to admit… it WAS very well maintained. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Stephen's neck stood on end as he heard a terrifyingly familiar poof sound, followed by the sound of someone gripping a weapon.

"Stephen, look out!" Meowth called out, but it was too late. Turning around, Stephen only had time to see the red of an all too familiar mallet collide with his face, sending him skipping across the water of the pool with a loud "Bwaaaauuuugh!" Finally coming to a stop about ¾ of the way across, Stephen floated on his back as his face burned in pain. It HAD to have a mark. Not a second later, Ash heard another "Wham!" followed by a "Aaaaauuugh!" As Misty then his Ash into the pool as well. After he was done flying into the pool, Ash came to a stop beside Stephen as both of them contemplated their foolishness in thinking that Misty would change THAT much…

"That's what you two get for not even calling me!" Misty yelled form the edge of the pool. "You're both lucky that you're my friends or I'd come in there and hit you both again!"

"Ash…" Stephen said weakly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you get the feeling that this is just gonna be a loooong day?" Ash paused to sigh.

"Yeah…"

(…)

That wraps it up everyone! Sorry this chapter wasn't as action packed as the last one. You know how it is. Every storm needs an aftermath. But! I took the time to set up for tons of things next chapter! So I hope you all stay tuned! And hopefully… I won't take so long for the next one. Anyways, I hope the wait was at least made somewhat worth it with the gang's reunion with Misty. I'm Flamewing98, signing off!