What's up guys and welcome to The Betrayed Champion chapter 25! I'm glad you guys liked the recent chapter, I thought I had lost my touch but I guess I still got it. So I thought I was ready to come back when I posted the last chapter but turns out I wasn't. But now I know I'm ready to come back full time and update regularly, I'm sorry for making you guys wait so long but finally I'm back and this time I'm here to stay.
I think I'm gonna stop with the whole "guess the name of the fic" thing, I've used up all the names I've wanted and so I think it ends here.
Don't forget I'm always looking for new ideas for my fic so if you got one don't hesitate to send it in. Oh and thank you for getting me to over 800 reviews, I know I say this all the time but I seriously did not think I would ever get this many but it's all thanks to you guys and girls so thank you.
Disclaimer: Yeah I totally own it.
Recap of last chapter which I'm sure you've forgotten about what had happened: So last chapter we had Jimmy revealing to Marina what had happened and we saw how Jimmy and Marina plan to go back to their town but Jimmy has to tell his boss, Alpha first. Then we had Alpha awake from his coma and Brock leaving him and May alone where she pulled out an old thing from the past.
Alpha hadn't taken his eyes off of the necklace that May had placed on his chest, it was something he never wanted to see again, something he threw away long ago. The memory of the last time he had seen it wet through his head.
Ash had tears strolling down his face as the pain of betrayal was still fresh. He sat there as he contemplated Jesse, James, and Meowth's offer, to join them and be apart of Team Rocket. Accepting their offer would take his life down a path he never thought of taking before, but the situation had changed and the hatred and betrayal clouded his vision.
Ash brought himself to his feet and dusted the dirt off of himself. Before saying a word to the trio he dug something out of his pocket, something that had once held great importance to him. He looked at the object in his hand with disgust as he threw it as far into the woods as he could, with that signified a new era in Ash's life.
"Alpha," May said, noticing that he had spaced out. "Are you feeling okay?"
Hearing May's voice brought Alpha out of his head and back to reality, "Why would you care? More importantly mind explaining why you pulled out that ribbon?"
"I care about you Alpha that's why, so does everyone else but that goes without saying. But it's to try and tell you something. This," May replied as she held it up and extended it in the air, "is a necklace I made to remember someone I cared for. The thing that's attached to the necklace though, the ribbon that's cut in half is called the Terracotta Ribbon."
Hearing that name, Terracotta made Alpha grind his teeth in anger, "If my memory serves me right, I thought you had and Ash Ketchum shared it. I thought that the half of the ribbon was lost after he was killed in that forest fire."
May was taken back by Alpha's knowledge, "You know a lot more then you let on," she didn't get any reaction from Alpha so continued to speak, "but you're right, Ash and I shared it. But his half of the ribbon was recovered in the fire, so since then I've always kept the pieces with me, and only recently have I made it into a necklace."
"How foolish can you be," Alpha said as he shook his head.
May didn't really know how to respond to that so Alpha continued to talk, "I know what happened during Ash's final days, how you and everyone else betrayed him. You must be so caught up in your own feelings that even though he died, hating you for turning your back on him, running into the arms of that green haired traitor, that you have the audacity to keep that ribbon in your possession and make it a necklace to remember him? You might want to remember him but judging from the pain you caused him, he wouldn't want to remember you."
Alpha turned his head and stared at the after finishing his against May. He was shaking with anger and hoped that his words would make her leave, but instead he heard the sound of choked tears. But he felt no desire to turn and comfort her, she had inflicted pain to him and now he was returning the favor.
"Everything you said," May replied as a sense of realization filled her, "it's true, all of it. I hurt Ash and I hurt him bad. You would think that after everything he did for me and how he was always there for me that I would have been there in his time of need...But I wasn't."
Alpha shook his head, agreeing, "It's good to hear you accept it, give me that necklace and I'll have my Charizard burn it to ashes."
Alpha motioned his hand to grab the necklace but pulled his hand back after he felt May's hand push his back, "I know what I did was terrible but that doesn't erase all the great and fun times Ash and I had! We traveled through Hoenn together where I watched him conquer gym after gym while he become a mentor of mine, helping me become the coordinator and more importantly the person I am today. So even though Ash is gone I know he would want me to move on and not dwell over his death, he was the type of person you see once in a lifetime."
May seemed to have exhausted herself after her speech as she slowly took deep breaths as Alpha watched on, stuck in his own thoughts, "You told me know Ash, " May continued, "so you know how great of a person he was. Always willing to help others even at his own expense, he was my best friend and if I could just apologize to him and tell him how wrong I was, then I would be able to sleep happily and not be haunted by the nightmares I have."
"Living in the past," Alpha said slowly as he tried to focus, his determination shook by May's words of desperation, "that's...that's not a path Ash would have chosen, am I right by saying that?"
May nodded her head as she gripped her necklace tightly, "No, that's not the kind of guy he was. He could always find the good in people when it had seemed like there was no good to be found. Each day would be a new adventure for him, whether it was the day of the gym battle or helping out a person in need he would take it all in stride with the same enthusiasm."
Alpha stayed quiet for a second before he abruptly pushed himself out of bed while reaching for something to wear, "Where are you going, you only just woke up?" May cried out.
"May, your words right now confirms something for me."
"What do you mean," May asked puzzled.
Alpha took a deep breath and started walking to the door, "That Ash you knew and loved," the door opened and paused there for a second, "is dead." The door slammed leaving May all alone while Alpha made his way to a place to clear his head.
He remained calm as he took the elevator and exited the building, he stuck to the shadows, a place that always felt the most comfortable to him. He wasn't in the mood to deal with his fangirls or paparazzi, he just wanted to be alone. Slowly after sneaking away without being seen he entered the woods and to a place he knew all to well.
In front of him lay a thick rotting tree that had fallen down only a few days ago. The blood was still visible on the forest green grass and Alpha cringed at the sight of it.
'Lucario...You saved my life right here. Had I died here would anyone really care? I know my place in Team Rocket and even as a high ranking official there I know I'm just as disposable as Jessie, James, and Meowth were,' Alpha walked slowly to the fallen tree and sat on it.
He looked up through the green leaves and into the clear blue sky, 'I have my pokemon but that's a given. But is there anyone out there that truly cares about me?'
Alpha let his mind wander for a bit and closed his eyes while something May had said earlier came into his head, "She said she and everyone else cared about me, but that's not the first time I've heard that. But am I ready to forgive them, for turning their backs on me when I needed them the most?' With Alpha so consumed in his own thoughts he didn't hear a person sneak up on him.
A tap on his shoulder took him out of his mind and he opened his eyes, expecting a fangirl but was instead met with someone much more than that, "Never thought I'd meet up with you here."
Alpha let out a small laugh, "Hey Dawn, what are the odds of us meeting up in this giant forest?"
"Not sure but it makes the story more interesting," Dawn replied as she sat down next to Alpha. "So what are you doing out here, I thought you were in the hospital."
"I was, or at least that's what I've been told. The last thing I remember is being hit by that hyper beam and the next second I'm in my hotel room with Brock and May," Alpha replied as he rubbed his head.
Hearing May's name peaked her interest, "Wow really, so what happened that made you end up sitting on this tree?"
"I just needed to clear my head, don't try to think too much about it," Alpha replied coldly. "Where's Paul been, I need to have a word with him?"
Hearing his name made Dawn clench her fists in anger, something Alpha noticed, "Alright tell me what happened."
Dawn look shocked for a moment that Alpha picked up on it but the "go on" look on his face made her open up, "I can't trust him Ash. I thought he had changed, that he wasn't his old self, but I was wrong. He hurt me bad Ash, but more importantly he hurt other innocent people, I just don't think things will work out between us." By now she had tears streaming down her face and she was filled with a mixture of anger and sadness.
Alpha lowered his eyes and embraced Dawn into his arms where she buried her cries into his shirt. "Do you remember the day after I beat Lucian, when it was just you and me in the woods all alone. It seems like a simpler time back then, but it's one I've never forgotten."
Flashback
Ash had a big grin on his face as he walked back to the pokemon center, Dawn had him just finished training and she was able to pus Ash to the limit. The slight breeze in the air helped cool them off as they walked down the beaten down dirt path.
"I had a great time Dawn, if you ever take a break from coordinating you should try out some gyms. You definitely have what it takes," Ash said with his usual enthusiasm in his voice.
A smile appeared on Dawn's face as she began to talk, "Thanks Ash, looks like if I ever become a wash up as a coordinator I'll always have that being a trainer dream in the back of my pocket. But when there's people out there like Zoey, Wallace, and even May out there, winning the big one seems like an almost impossible goal."
Ash's grin he once had faded away as his demeanor became serious, "In my trips through Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and now Sinnoh I've had to grow through a lot of adversities and struggles. But there's one thing that always stayed the same through all that time. It was the confidence in myself, you don't think I get intimated seeing Cynthia up there with the title of a Pokemon Champion? It does but I have confidence in myself and my pokemon so I know that even if I lose I'll have left it all on the field."
No words were spoken for a few seconds as Dawn took everything in, "You know Ash, I don't know how you do it but you almost always have the perfect thing to say," Dawn replied in a light hearted matter.
"I just say the first thing that comes to my mind, and sometimes I get these rare moments when it fit perfectly," Ash stretched out his arms over his head but he accidentally hit the bill of the cap and hit it off his head.
"I got it," Dawn quickly said as she picked up from the dirt path.
Ash expecting to receive the hat back was met instead with a devilish look on her face that he knew was trouble, "Dawn..."
"Yeah Ash?" Dawn said still with the look on her face.
"What are you planning?" Ash replied getting ready for the worst.
Dawn looked around as if he was talking to someone else, "What your accusing me of planning? What happened to trust Ash, I think you know me better than th- OH MY ARCEUS IS THAT A HO-OH!?"
Ash being as gullible as ever quickly turned his head and looked up at the skies, "Damn you Ho-Oh why do you keep following me! Is it like in Matkin22's fic where you're my father!?" But as Ash scanned the skies he realized he had been tricked.
He turned back around and saw Dawn's blue hair disappearing into the woods and his along with it. Ash let out a deep sigh and sprinted after her, "You're not gonna get far Dawn!"
"Well we'll see about that!" Dawn was running as fast as she could through the brush and trees, she made a quick turn and almost ran off a ledge, "Not gonna go that way," she said to herself as she turned back but as she went back to her original route she was hit head on by a sprinting Ash.
The hat flew out of her hands and into the air as dust was risen from the two bodies hitting the ground. As the dust settled the image of two bodies, one laid on top of the other was clear to see.
Ash opened his eyes and felt a warm, comforting body on top of him. He and Dawn locked eyes and a bright red blush filled their faces but neither one moved a muscle.
"Y-you okay, Dawn?"
"Yeah," Dawn said quietly, "in your arms I always feel safe."
"We should umm...probably get back you know. I have May waiting for me and you have Paul."
"Yeah I uh guess you're right," Dawn said as she picked herself up and dusted off, "I guess we both have someone else. Maybe if the situation was different though..."
A confused look on Ash's face showed up, "What situation do you mean?"
Dawn let out a laugh as she picked up Ash's hat and gave it to him, "Oh Ash you're so dense, maybe you'll understand what I meant one day."
Flashback End
"I know what you meant back then, well I do now at least," Alpha said as he stroked Dawn's head.
Dawn started to cry even more now but it was for a different reason now, "I can't believe you remember that, I knew the old Ash was still in there. But the situation is different now though..."
Alpha didn't hesitate like he had done before, he pulled his shirt that covered his face down and pulled her back from his chest and made the move he almost had done all the time ago. Locking lips with her as he felt the warm radiation coming off of her, the tears streaming down her face as she reciprocated the feeling. It was as if they were in their own little dream, just Dawn and Alpha and who knows how long it would have lasted, but Dawn pulled away after a bit causing Alpha to pull his shirt back up.
"What's wrong?" Alpha asked.
"I-I can't do this, it's not right.," Dawn said trying to hold back the tears again.
"Is it because of Paul?"
"No," she replied quietly, "it's because May's in love with you."
The realization of hearing that took Alpha a bit back but he shook his head furiously, "I doesn't matter if she's in love with me because I don't care about her anymore!"
Dawn just softly shook her head, "Who are you trying to fool Ash, me or or yourself?"
"What are you talking about!?" Alpha replied almost screaming.
"I...I can tell you still have feelings for her, the writing has been on the wall the entire time but I just chose to not look at it," Dawn said as she began to recompose herself.
Alpha opened his mouth to respond but stopped when he heard Dawn continue to talk, "I can see the fake persona you put on around her, it may fool the others but it's translucent to me. You saved her at the battle, because you care about her. If you didn't then you would have just let her get hit instead."
"But the thing that stops me more than your hidden feelings for her, more than anything is that loosing you once drove her to the edge, why don't you ask her about that scar on her arm next time you see her. But now loosing the love of her life again to her best friend no less, I don't know how she would take it but I won't let it happen Ash!" Dawn had to take in a deep breath after her speech.
Dawn expected a lengthy response from Alpha but was instead met with silence. Alpha clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he stared Dawn down for a second and turned his back on her, leaving her standing there.
Dawn just stood there shaking her head as she sat back down on the tree and started to cry once again.
Alpha on the other hand was seeing all red because deep down, even though he would never admit it he knew Dawn's word had some truth to it. He didn't bother trying to avoid his fan girls or anybody that wanted to talk to him, he was on a linear path straight to his room.
He surrounded himself in his blue aura and while many photographs were taking the aura he was letting off made sure that no one would approach him. He made it somehow back to his room without killing anyone, May luckily had left his room and he was alone. The curtains were closed and everything looked neat and tidy, he sat on the edge of the bed and just thought about what had happened, what his next move should be.
He spent a lot of time in that position, a few hours to be more specific. In that time he had cooled off and was thinking more clearly now, especially about his battle tomorrow. He laid down on his bed and tried to fall asleep but he knew he wouldn't be going to sleep anytime soon.
A Few Miles from the Hotel
"So, how did the assignment I sent you on go?" A man in a long brown over coat asked.
"Oh you won't believe the pictures I got," the other man in a black over coat replied sliding him the pictures.
The man nearly jumped out of his seat, "Wow, these are going straight on the cover of the magazine that will come out tomorrow."
They both grinned as they looked over the pictures, "Alpha, the man that has taken this whole tournament by surprised, making out with the famous coordinator, Dawn Berlitz."
So that was chapter 25 for you, long over due I know and I am truly sorry. I'll try to go back to when I would update one a week or once every two weeks but sure it won't take nearly as long as it was this time.
Holy crap I just checked and saw that I have had that poll up since the end of June wow. So you see now how the poll ended up, 73 wanted to Dawn to be a side love interest and 57 didn't want her to be, closer than I thought it would be.
A special thanks to Shadow-God-Time-Hunt-Ice-Tide, I laughed my ass off at that your review.
Anyway I hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to review.