Well, a normal update, for once, I suppose. Guess writing goes a little faster when you've been thinking about the content of this and oncoming chapters, but well... I hope you like my take on the first movie of this series and well… And for the rest of what's to come, all I can say for the next chapter is: expect the unexpected!
Translation for the French used in this chapter:
'Bon Dieu' means 'Good Lord'
'Quoi' means 'What'
'C'est dommage, ça' means 'That's a shame'
Checked over with Grammarly and yeah… I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing this~
"Are you okay now?" Ash asked, as he carefully kneaded the blonde teen's shoulder.
Clemont didn't say much and just let himself undergo the treatment the young trainer was so familiar with. He knew what to do because he was the Pallet king of cuts and bruises, after all. Still, his first advice would be to avoid hurting yourself until your shoulders were Oran berry coloured, but the Gym Leader hadn't had much choice in the matter.
For the two Pokémon Serena had discovered in his backpack, were literally made out of rocks and crystals… All the things Ash would avoid putting in his bag because they were extremely heavy. However, they clearly had snuck in there, if Clemont's panicked reaction at discovering them had been anything to go by. Oh, the teen wasn't bothered by the Pokémon, he was too tired for that, but his worry about the content of backpack, namely his machines, on the other hand…
Everything was fine, though, as it became quite clear that the stowaways didn't have any ill intentions towards them and that they really hadn't meant to hurt Clemont. Still, no matter how polite the two were, Ash's mind was quick to supply him with suspicions and theories which somehow sounded too logical not to be true. So while Serena and Bonnie were fawning over the larger Pokémon, who did seem very cute, the black-haired teen focused his attention on the smaller one.
"So, do you talk?" he asked casually.
"Ah, yes, Beacon, I do." The Pokémon answered instantly, actually floating a little closer.
Well… That peculiar name which the creature used to call him already convinced the boy that he had been right about something, at least. Because if there was anything Ash was convinced off, was that one of them at least was a Legendary Pokémon. The teen would bet on the larger Pokémon being the one, but then again, he could be mistaken.
"Please call me Ash."
"As you wish, Ash."
"So… What do I call you?"
"I'm Carbink. And Princess Diancie is over there, talking to your companions."
"Well, nice to meet you, Carbink." Ash nodded. "How about you tell me exactly what the two of you are doing here, obviously far out of your comfort zone? And why two people came to ask about a strange Pokémon, which I sincerely suspect would be your Princess?"
"… Those are good questions…"
"Well, I'm glad. Now it's your turn to give me good answers."
The Carbink looked highly uncomfortable all of a sudden but the teen couldn't bring himself to care. Either the Pokémon answered or left, because he couldn't help anyone if he didn't know their problem(s). And he would be damned if he let a Legendary Pokémon travel with them, bringing them all into a dangerous situation they didn't know why it ever even came into existence.
"A-alright. I will tell you, Ash, but please… Could you help us?"
"Of course. After all, you and your Princess smuggled yourself in Clemont's backpack for a reason, or is that your usual method of transportation?"
"No, of course not!" the Carbink answered indignantly. "Princess Diancie felt your prowess and decided to… well…"
"As courageous as I am, a large part of it is still stupidity. And how did you know I wasn't evil and travelling with my underlings?"
Ash could hear Mewtwo's chuckle at his statement, but the teen wanted to know what these Pokémon could do. If they could sense whether people were bad or not, then they were running from something for a good reason… And if that was the case, the boy wanted to know.
"Fairy Aura cannot work on those with evil thoughts."
"… Wait, work? What do you mean by that?"
"Well, those with regular Aura are compatible with Fairy Aura."
"… You mean, me?"
"No, the other boy." Carbink answered.
Ash stared at his friend who was snoozing in the sun, lying face-down in the grass, to spare his poor, abused back.
"Clemont has Aura…?" the young trainer repeated dryly.
"Yes, my Princess sensed it."
"Ah, one learns new things every day. That being said, I am not at all surprised, though I am unsure what kind the boy has then."
'No kidding…'
"Where?" Ash asked.
"His mind supplies it."
"If it is in his head, then only those with sensing abilities can know for sure."
'Yeah, but it that normal?'
"Aura is a living being, friend. If it knew it was getting hunted, it will probably have thought to start manifesting in… different ways than usual. At any rate, it would explain the boy's phenomenal ability to create, would it not?"
'I'm going to have to tell him that, won't I? Because, heck, that 'Princess' manipulated him through it.'
"Every kind of Aura has its weaknesses, I suppose. While it is Clemont's full right to know, I cannot fathom what kind of benefit the knowledge of it will ever bring him."
'True…'
Still, Ash was bothered, but then again… He did feel different around both Bonnie and her brother, so that would explain a lot… even though the teen never really questioned his relationship with any of his friends before.
"Well, alright, I didn't get any happier knowing you possessed my friend into doing your bidding, but I asked. Now, the rest?"
The Carbink delivered and honestly, Ash's questions got their answer, even if he could have done without the knowledge that his decisions would be the cause of whether or not Diancie and Carbink's world would crumble down on them. This wasn't the first time he had gotten the weight of someone else's issues on his shoulders but heck, why was the world always in a state of hit or miss? Like, couldn't something just be a little wrong?
"You… Could you help us? Please?" the Carbink then asked.
Ash's head was already nodding before he actually opened his mouth, but well… Even with all his misgivings, he was not going to leave anyone to sit around, stewing in their problems. That was just not how he worked and the teen wasn't planning on implementing large character shifts any time soon.
"Of course. Just… the accumulated weight of your presence proved to be a little… straining on my friend. Would you mind if we stayed here and start travelling tomorrow?"
"No, no, of course not, Ash. I'm more than flattered you are willing to help us and the issue is not as dire to simply act without disregard for the health of others. But if we could leave tomorrow, to find Xerneas…"
"Absolutely, we will leave tomorrow, that's a promise. Though, how are you going to find that Pokémon?"
"Princess Diancie has a very good sense to trace Aura, so seeing that Xerneas has plenty to sense, it seems like it would be pretty easy to find them."
"And why is it that you haven't yet, then?"
"… I found Princess Diancie in the city, window-shopping."
The teen chuckled, knowing fully well how vain a Pokémon could get. If you added that with a mind of their own, well…
"Alright, let's hope Xerneas is near, then."
"Ah, but the Princess found you, did she not?"
"Well, that requires little to no effort, does it now? I mean, you are unmissable in many regards."
'Thanks.' The teen thought, deciding to take that as a compliment.
After all, in times like this, it was better to just take everything aboard… And there was his typical little voice in the back of his head piping up again, so he needed to remain calm and collected - a feat he only succeeded in when dire situations were at hand. Yes, Ash was vexed by it and it seemed to be visible on his face.
"Seems like whatever Carbink told you didn't succeed in cheering you up, huh?" Serena asked.
"… Wait, his name is Carbink?"
"His species is, so yes."
"Oh…"
"Well?"
"Yeah, sorry, I just… feel as if this whole situation could go to hell at any time, in a second or two. I don't know where it's coming from but…"
"… Well, I trust your judgement, so tell me when it's sliding down to hell, 'kay? I mean, I wouldn't mind sliding down with you, but if we can avoid it…"
"Mm, I get it."
No matter how cheerful Bonnie played with the Pokémon, or how much Clemont's condition had improved, Ash didn't feel at ease. Mewtwo was staying silent as well and if there was anything which worried him, it was the lack of sarcastic comments the being usually happily provided. But there was none of that this time and the teen found himself tensing, the more time passed.
"You look about ready to jump out of your skin."
Ash did jump a little, not having expected Serena to have come stand next to him right now. He probably didn't look like good company right now.
"Yeah… Sorry about that."
"It's okay, we know you're sensitive." She said, smoothly sitting down right next to him. "Still, nervous wreck or not, you must have given a godly massage to Clemont. He looks a lot better and those bruises are as good as gone."
"He's just lucky I massage my own leg as often and that my bag is more a first-aid kit than a travel backpack." Ash answered. "Heaven knew what he was thinking! Heck, if my own bag would suddenly weigh so much more, I would probably have noticed straight away… But Clemont must have had been carrying all this weight around for more than a few days to get such bad bruise… Man, if my mom saw something like that on me, boy, would I have some explaining to do."
Serena giggled and gently patted his shoulder.
"It's not easy being you, is it, getting judged from all sides? But if it's any consolation, Clemont is rather sure that he wasn't thinking at all and that those two cuties over there managed to control him."
"Mm, Carbink told me that too. It's a strange kind of business we've ended up in, much weirder than Korrina's issue, at any rate. That being said, I'm pretty sure we can trust them, like, if they wanted to harm us, they could have done so from the start, even when we were sleeping… only… Ah, man, I've never wanted to leave a place so badly."
"Don't go running away from us in the dead of night, okay? Because I would follow you and we're going to have words when I catch you."
"Give me one reason why I should run without taking you or anyone else with me when I suspect danger?" Ash asked, giving her a blank look. "Also, in case you've forgotten about it, I'm not very good at running."
"Ah yeah, good point." the girl said. "Still, let me show you something else you should focus on."
"Oh?"
With a rather victorious, little smile, Serena slipped her bag off her shoulder and got Clemont's yellow notebook out of it.
"… You've taken it?"
"I asked before I did. He said he didn't remember actually using it and frankly, Clemont looked a little uncomfortable when I brought it up. I… don't think he even wants this back at all."
"Carbink told me Diancie's Fairy Aura manipulated him a little, so heaven knows what happened. I've never been a fan of Fairies either, with how creepy they are in fairy tales, always knowing stuff they're not supposed to know and being creepy as heck, just appearing out of nowhere… And you couldn't even trust the little buggers to stay where you wanted them to stay…" Ash sighed. "I'm not even sure whether I want to see it now."
"Ah, come on, live a little." She grinned. "It can't be that bad?"
"Don't jinx it."
The girl just put the notebook on the table… and was already bored out by the mathematical calculations that appeared when opening it.
"… Maaaan…" Serena moaned, sounding a little bummed out.
"Well, what did you expect from a young, ambitious scientist? Even with magic inside his head, Clemont will have sought comfort in his intelligence to check he wasn't actually going mad despite feeling like he was."
"I don't know what I was expecting, really." She sighed and leafed through countless pages, full of calculations… until her eye caught something else.
Something Serena could use to get Ash's mind to stop focussing on his anxiety.
"Look at this, then." She grinned.
The teen went completely silent, carefully watching the pretty detailed drawing of him, at probably one of the mornings Clemont had followed him early in the morning.
"Well, it's a nice drawing, but that is not my bum, that's for sure." He ended up saying, pointing at the offending area.
The girl couldn't help but giggle at that.
"Who's else is it then?"
"I dunno, but there's a possibility he's been mixing and matching certain body-parts."
"… Like Build-a-Pokémon?"
"Do I look like I know what Clemont was thinking at the time?" Ash asked.
"Heck if I know." She shrugged and turned the page… but all too quickly slammed it back shut. "Alright, let's just chuck this whole thing in the campfire."
"… Euhm, I could ask Fletchinder to roast it. Like, being evolved and all that has strengthened her pyromaniac feelings." Ash said. "But shouldn't we ask Clemont-"
"Unless you want to tell him he drew porn when he was under the influence of Fairy whatever-the-heck-it-was, go right ahead."
"…"
"You weren't in it."
"Ah… Well, it might just be that he wants to know what'll happen next time he gets under the influence of Fairy Aura."
"What do you mean, next time?"
"I dunno." The teen shrugged, causing Serena to sigh.
"Fine, I'll go ask him." She said. "But don't touch this."
"Mm-hm."
He did, though, just to check. It was interesting to see what happened to someone under the influence of Fairy Aura, because this was the first time Ash had even heard about it. Next time he would meet up with Professor Sycamore, he would try and ask the man about it, seeing the Professor was the person who had introduced the Fairy type to the Pokédex.
However, Ash was not prepared to see what he did. It was really clear that whatever Diancie had caused within his friend, had made him believe he was in love with the people he looked up to, probably mistaking his admiration for something else… Aw hell, the teen could have done without the sight of his uncle and-
"… You looked, didn't you?" Serena said accusingly.
"I was curious."
"And now?"
"… It's good to know Clemont has a Champion kink."
The girl groaned, but at the same, she was kind of happy Ash's expression lost that haughty look. She didn't know what he was feeling, or whether his feelings were just, but despite that, it was creepy. Just by the fact that he had recalled all his Pokémon –except for Pikachu, evidently- and had moved all their stuff towards a particular side… Heck, Ash had even told Bonnie to play at a certain spot, which she obviously wasn't doing, being young and all that… But surely the teen wasn't expecting the little girl to listen to him, right?
"Right, whatever, let's just-"
Before she could say anything, an ear-deafening screech sounded out and in the dusk of the evening, a large shape appeared over the trees, gleaming blue eyes appearing at the top of it.
"Get down!" Ash screamed and actually jumped from his seat, shooting towards the group which was straight in that large shadow's line of sight.
Serena did as he said, because… well, whatever.
Good thing she did jump out of the way, though, because whatever that thing was, hanging there above the trees, fired an attack at them, hitting the middle of the camp in seconds. As soon as the beam of light coming from the creature's mouth –or so Serena assumed the attack was getting shot out off- made contact with the ground, it exploded and made material started shooting towards all sides.
Serena was so lucky she could hide underneath the table and hugged her very upset Fennekin close to her. The poor thing was scared to death and was yelping at every explosion… And there were too many of them to the girl's liking.
'Please, everyone, be safe.' She prayed, closing her eyes out of fear.
For what seemed like hours, the rubble kept falling on the table with heavy thuds, one even hitting through the table, heavily scraping her arm… but the pain was probably incomparable to what the others were going through. Her wishful thinking wasn't doing much for her and as the creature seemingly was satisfied with the destruction it caused, the attacks stopped and the dust and debris started to settle. It was clear that the Pokémon who had caused this was gone shortly after as well, because Fennekin wasn't scared any longer.
However, now it was the time to go and face reality and heck… Serena was already scared to come from under the table. But then she heard the crying, causing her to shoot from under her hiding spot, dragging Fennekin along for the ride. The girl didn't see a thing, though, and she waddled through the mist the attack left in its wake. The Pokémon in her arms sneezed, causing her to look down and walk straight into Clemont.
"Serena?!" he cried out, clearly shocked that it was her he had walked into. "Weren't you with Ash?"
"No, he ran towards Diancie and the others just before the attack! Oh, Clemont-"
"Don't start that on me! Someone's crying!"
Serena nodded automatically, too shocked to take any offence from Clemont's outburst. The teen was probably as worried as her, presumably even more, because this couldn't be anything else than a disaster.
"Come on, we should check out who's crying."
The girl nodded and quickly followed her friend into the thicker part of the mist. Clemont had pulled out his transceiver, using the built-in flashlight as a guide through this mess.
"Oh God, look at all this damage…" he sighed, pointing the light at the ground, which had become one solid path of gnarly looking stone.
"What even was that thing?" Serena asked. "And why did it attack?"
"Heck if I know, I was mostly asleep at the time, remember?"
"Yeah… Ash purposely moved your sleeping bag to that side."
The young Gym Leader suddenly stopped in his tracks, as if realising something.
"Oh, no… Bonnie! He told her to- and she didn't!? Oh, God!"
Suddenly the teen started sprinting forward, causing the girl to do the same thing, not wanting to be left alone, not right now. After a while, they finally got to what seemed to be the edge of the threshold the attack had created. But there was no one there and the crying definitely sounded like it was further towards the other side.
"I really hope that what I'm hearing, isn't Bonnie's crying." Clemont sighed and started walking towards the sound's direction.
Well…
He got his wish.
It certainly wasn't Bonnie crying, because she was frozen in position, having turned into cold, hard, rock.
As soon as the teen noticed that, he literally stiffened in place as well, letting his transceiver drop to the ground As it landed, the light cast an eerie glow on the 'statue'… and it gave them a good view that Bonnie had seen the attack coming. Her left arm was raised in front of her and her right… had a hold of Pikachu. Dedenne was there too, having jumped in the bag for protection again but was now resigned to the same fate as its trainer.
"O-oh… Oh no…" she uttered.
"H-how am I ever going to be able to say this to dad…?"
In Serena's opinion, Clemont's father really was the least of their problems, actually.
'If I shine this light on the left and I see Ash turned to stone as well, I'm going to scream.' The girl thought, feeling a little hysterical all of a sudden, as she bent over to pick up Clemont's transceiver.
She was pretty sure the teen wouldn't go anywhere, even without light, so she aimed it at a different direction and finally spotted what seemed to be Ash. He seemed to be okay, though, from the looks of it but as soon as Serena aimed the light at the black-haired teen, he turned away, shielding his eyes with his right hand.
"Ash! Ash, please tell me you're okay?"
"I-I… I don't know. The light hurts." The boy uttered. "Did... Did I get everyone?"
"N-no… No, you didn't." she said, kneeling down in front of him.
In his arms, impressively enough, were Diancie and the Carbink, meaning he literally had planned to scoop everyone away from that attack.
"Who? Who didn't I get?"
"Ash, you can't see?"
"My eyes hurt, Serena and it's dark. Please tell me."
She took a long look at him, seeing he was actually already crying, so…
"… Bonnie, Pikachu and Dedenne are…"
"Yeah?"
"… They turned to stone."
The gasp that sounded out told the girl everything she needed to know.
"Oh no… Oh, no, no, no, not Bonnie. Not Pikachu, oh, no, please God-"
Ash scrambled up, seemingly having forgotten he was still holding onto Diancie, who was still silently sobbing.
"Where? Where are they?" he asked, wildly looking around.
"Over there." The girl said, aiming the light at the statue, where Clemont was as well.
The teen practically flew to it, skidding to a stop.
"A-ah… T-this is bad." He muttered, his hands roaming over his turned-to-stone Pokémon, yet not exactly touching it. "I-I… I don't know how to fix this one."
"Ash, you don't have to know something like that!" Clemont cried.
"But what's the use of all the things I know, then? Why did I get so much power i-if I can't even protect the ones close to me? The people I like?"
"Ash, no, that's not-"
"Since when is Pikachu not my responsibility?" the teen asked, breathlessly, panting as if he had just run a marathon.
Ash had a good point and the girl was very impressed he wasn't blaming Bonnie for this.
"That's not what I meant!" Clemont all but exploded. "You keep blaming yourself for things, as if the world revolves around you!"
"True. But who else is going to take the responsibility?" the teen answered and when his friend failed to answer, he continued. "Sit yourself down somewhere, Clemont and stew on your emotions on your own for a while. But don't bother me with it. For I'm going to use the intellect I have to find a solution to this problem and not to think off smart-ass remarks."
That made Clemont stay silent for a while longer and honestly, the girl thought he deserved that. Ash was visibly hurt by seeing his partner Pokémon in the state it was in, so it was kind of obvious his painful truth would come oozing from the open wound on his heart, was it not? And while she was powerless to help him, Serena would still be there for the teen.
"Stupid idiot." Ash growled.
"Yes." She said dryly.
"You do know that if someone other than you guys see Pikachu in this state, I'm deported back to Kanto?"
"Wait, what?"
"I'm disabled, Serena. Pikachu is the only one who allows me to travel, as he and my other Pokémon are supposed to keep me safe… But he's the one with the collar and when I fail to present him, should there be a check-up at a random occasion, I will be sent back. And I'm not planning on leaving without Pikachu, so please, whatever you do, don't scream. Not until I have him back in my arms."
That was as good a motivation as anything. And it was worrisome as well, because Ash was the only one actually taking the initiative here. While he was an emotional mess, he was still somewhat reasonable… but if he wasn't here, Clemont and Bonnie's father might actually become a big problem. And Serena wasn't so sure whether her mom would allow her to travel if this news got out.
"Euhm… If the two of you could listen for a second?"
The Carbink squirmed a little when he did get the undivided attention of the two teens, but got himself together pretty soon.
"I… have some experience with Yveltal."
"… You mean, that creature was a Legendary Pokémon?" Ash asked, eyes wide for a reason the girl didn't understand.
"Indeed. It is the counterpart of Xerneas… and because of that, I might have an idea how to help you. Especially seeing you've selflessly thrown yourself at us, saving Princess Diancie and me in the process."
"… Go on."
"It has been a while since I have seen Yveltal, but I'm almost sure that Xerneas can undo the damage done by it."
"Let's find it, then." The teen said instantly.
"… How?" Serena asked. "We can't leave this place, can we?"
"Lemme think." Ash answered and started walking around a bit.
It took a while, but then it did seem like he got an epiphany just as he passed the Legendary Pokémin in their midst. After staring at it for a while, he started talking... and Serena hoped they could count on him still.
"You." The teen said, pointing to Diancie, who had seemingly calmed down now as well.
"M-me?" the Pokémon uttered hesitantly."
"Yes, you. You can sense Aura, right?"
"… Yes?"
"Well, I can't sense a thing, but I can attract… So if you manipulate my Aura, can't you attract Xerneas a lot more efficiently?"
"Ash, are you sure that's a wise thing to do?" Serena asked, after Diancie had nodded that, yes, this was a good plan. "You know what happened to Clemont."
"I can't draw for shit, Serena, so if I do end up drawing porn, it will only be fit for a garbage can."
"… Still…"
"Do you have a better plan?"
"Ash, that's a cheap tactic of letting things go your way."
"But what other way is there?"
"… Fine, but I'm staying near."
"Do whatever you like, Serena." The boy said, kneeling down in front of Diancie already. "Go on, do your thing."
"Can you hold out your hand, please?" the Pokémon asked sweetly. "I need to be in contact with you."
And stupidly enough, held out his left hand… and as soon as Diancie touched him, everything went dark.
Things got a little confusing for the teen when he got a hold of his senses again. Ash wasn't sure what was happening, or whether he was upside down, or standing… but at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to care. And just as the boy had decided on that, he started to hear a soft, gently whispering.
'The damage has been undone, Chosen, you can rest at ease. It is unfortunate you felt such despair as to allow the Fairy Aura to manipulate you, for it only pushed me away. I do not get attracted by Fairy Aura, because I can hardly feel the difference between mine and that of someone else. However, I still found you, which is the most important. All you need to know now, Chosen, is that you should move away from Yveltal's nest, which is only a few trees away from your current resting place. While I know it did not take aim at you, I cannot be responsible for what it is thinking, if it is thinking at all, in the first place. So when you wake up, Chosen, try to move away as fast as possible.'
'You can bet I'm moving away stat. Watch me drag off my friends straight away.' He thought, figuring this was Xerneas talking to him.
'While that would be ideal, you will not be physically possible of performing that act, Chosen. Right now, your Aura is still protecting you from any harm, having been startled by the Fairy Aura, but it cannot and will not keep that act up for long. Please take care of yourself and sleep a little longer. I will keep vigil nearby, should my unreasonable counterpart make another appearance… Though I'm very convinced Yveltal will sleep a while longer, thanks to Diancie.'
'Ah, then she mastered whatever she needed to save her species, then?'
'Indeed, she did. But the saving will need to wait until tomorrow, for they are all asleep, not far from you.'
'Good. Those who sleep don't worry, right?'
'I hope so. Sleep, Chosen. Until we meet again.'
Ash hope he would meet the Legendary Pokémon face to face again, so that he could at least touch it and show how grateful he was. But if Xerneas had made mental contact, much like Mewtwo usually did, it would probably have noticed just how he felt about this event. After all, the Pokémon had mentioned it had felt his despair, right?
'Ah well.' The teen thought. 'If the damage was undone, that means Bonnie, Dedenne and Pikachu are all safe. So I might as well just sleep.'
And that's what he did, even though he wasn't sure in what state he had been prior to falling asleep. But who cared when everything was peaceful and quiet, hm?
Well, his emotions sure didn't, because the teen got a really bad nightmare, causing him to wake up with a gasp… and practically launched his Pikachu off him, who had been curled up on his stomach. Ash didn't really notice any of that, until the Pokémon had jumped on his usual sitting spot again, giving a careful lick on the boy's cheek. That was about all Pikachu could do before getting grabbed by his trainer, though.
"Chu~" the creature sighed happily as he got that kind of heartfelt hug he liked so much.
"I almost thought I lost you." The teen sobbed, getting the brunt of his emotions now he had his dear starter in his arms again.
Xerneas had been right, his Aura had kept stuff from him… but as the boy noticed that light was appearing in the sky, he figured his power had at least been able to keep all of that bad stuff from him so he could at least have a peaceful night's rest. But right now, with all his ghosts floating back in his mind, Ash figured he was better off waking up and doing something to keep his mind of all of that, anyway.
He cringed a little when he checked his transceiver, as his eyes still hurt when light reached them. The teen didn't like that one bit and was incredibly bothered by the extra worry. He really didn't want to have yet another disability and being blind was just… That would be his undoing. His mother would probably tie him to her middle and never let him go again. And he would just drown in his own misery, that much was sure.
"How is it that the moment I choose to sleep once in a whole year, you still get in trouble, trying to merge with Fairy Aura nonetheless? And now you're wondering why you're hurt?"
'I had this pain before deciding on letting Diancie manipulate my Aura. It's probably damage from the explosions."
"… What explosions?"
'You think I would propose someone to take control of one of the only things I like about myself without a good reason?'
"… Your lack of self-esteem worries me. I do not like it one bit."
'Why don't you have a look at my memories prior to this morning, Mewtwo? I believe you would find all the answers to your questions there… Because I'm in no mood to explain myself.'
"I most certainly will."
Ash just sighed in response and cast a wary glance at the destroyed table a little further away… and the direction where apparently, Yveltal was asleep. Or rather, hadn't Xerneas said that Diancie had kicked its butt? So yeah, the teen quickly turned away, figuring he was better off making some breakfast right away and trying to lure his friends into waking up early… Because he didn't want to be here when the Legendary Pokémon woke up, that much was sure.
But there were a few things that bothered him, one of them being that yellow notebook which somehow hadn't moved at all during the whole attack on them. While it was quite remarkable, Ash figured that it wasn't okay for it to just be laying there, with the sensitive content that was inside it. Anyone could just find it here and even if it would be an extraordinary coincidence if Lance would ever get to see it -though, with the internet these days...-, the teen just couldn't risk it.
So, he called out Fletchinder, who seemed a little too happy to see him. And it was then that Ash remembered that his Pokémon could perfectly feel his Aura and that they had been helplessly trapped inside their Pokéball while he was wallowing in his own despair. Lovely.
"Hey, girl, you okay?"
The Pokémon chirped happily and ruffled up her feather after having stretched out her wings.
"You're still getting used to your new form, are you?" he asked softly and nodded after another happy chirp. "Well, let's hope we get some time on our own, so I can train with you and Hawlucha a little more. We need to work on team dynamic again either way, even if Hawlucha and Froakie got over their initial issues… With the trouble we encounter, there's no room for mistakes."
Fletchinder seemed to understand that all too well and nodded seriously.
"But hey, I didn't call you out for gloomy thoughts. I actually have a mission for you."
"Fletch?"
'I want you to go and destroy that yellow notebook, as quickly but as silent as you can."
That was no issue for the elegant Pokémon, who succeeded in getting the notebook in one, confident swoop. Ash couldn't help but be very proud of Fletchinder and as such, welcomed her back with several treats later. However, there was something else still worrying the boy, something that wasn't exactly his business but...
"Friend, I understand why you ended up doing what you did yesterday, but am I truly correct in assuming you are tempted to go and meet the cruel being that almost took away your Pikachu from you?"
'And what if I want to check whether it's okay? Because for all the evil it has done, it is still a Pokémon and what if I want to love all Pokémon equally? And do you think one could be so evil to hurt someone who came to see whether they were okay?'
"You have too big a heart, friend. Know that I will be by your side just in case Yveltal does not see things your way."
'Thank you, friend.'
Taking one last look at his peacefully sleeping friends, the teen made up his mind and picked up his backpack, filled with medical supplies. He remembered Xerneas saying that Diancie had attacked it with its newfound powers and if his hunch was correct, Yveltal was bound to be hurt. Getting attacked by a Mega Evolution wasn't going to be pleasing, Legendary Pokémon or not, so… If the being was supposed to be sleeping, it would be best to ensure it wasn't hurt.
So, gathering all his courage, Ash walked over the clearing and walked past the trees… and discovered they had been sooo close to the being's nest, it wasn't even funny. But what had even awoken the Pokémon? Surely Bonnie hadn't been that loud, had she?
"… Yveltal?" he asked softer that he had intended.
Somehow, the creature had heard and its moody face poked over the edge of the cave system below the ground.
"I wanted to know whether you were okay." Ash said and only got a cautious look back from those blue eyes, belonging to the pretty majestic looking Legendary Pokémon. "I heard Diancie attacked you while Mega Evolved, so I… I figured they all wanted you to go to sleep again, like you want to, I suppose, but that can't be nice when you're hurt, right?"
A huff sounded out in response.
"… I talk too much, huh?"
Yveltal gave him a long, hard look, before suddenly slamming its wing right next to the teen, causing him to jump a little… but then the wound showed up. Seeing the Pokémon was bothered with his plethora of words, Ash decided to just get on with it and get the job done. He was a little frustrated with the way Legendary Pokémon attacked each other, with no regard for each other's safety. Like, if he defeated a Pokémon, he would always go and check whether it was okay.
His Pokémon packed a punch, that much the teen realised, so why those big, magnificent creatures didn't take a little more caution… Well, if people acted the same way, the jails would be full to the brim and the hospitals as well, let that be known. However, Ash suspected the Pokémon had their own set of rules and senses of justice, so he decided not to butt into that. This wasn't his business, after all.
'If it is not your business, then what are you here for?'
Ash looked at the being, more than impressed by the deep voice it spoke with. But he was quick to answer.
"I answer to nobody. I am uncontrollable, after all."
He could hear Mewtwo's gasp and the way Yveltal's eyes widened, made him wonder whether he had said the right thing.
"That was so powerful~"
'You are a much different Chosen than I am used to.' Yveltal answered. 'And simply because you are forceful with good intentions, I respect you. Consider me an ally, should you need me.'
"That is fine with me, I enjoy your company."
A while of silence fell as Ash carefully continued trying to painlessly treat the wound. Pokémon were resilient, that much he had been taught by Professor Oak and his 'Pokémon health' classes. But good thing he had kept his head in the game, or he would be in serious troubles now, if he failed to help Yveltal, despite having promised to.
'You are a curious human.'
"I've heard that before. And not just from Pokémon."
'I see. But I currently see no reason to change that.'
Ash chuckled and nodded.
"Thanks."
'… That little one packed a punch.'
"Mega Evolution isn't something to take lightly. I'm personally not a big fan of it, but desperate times call for desperate measures."
'Are the… three I attacked okay, Chosen?'
"One of them is right here, so see for yourself, Yveltal."
Pikachu was giving the Legendary Pokémon a dubious look, but luckily for the Pokémon, Yveltal seemed to have a sense of humour and didn't seem to be bothered by the behaviour.
'Good.'
"Can I… ask what made you so angry?"
'A helicopter crashed into me. As a cocoon then, it did not hurt me as severely… But I do not have a great mood when woken up that rudely.'
"… Meddling people. I bet they were after Diancie's diamonds."
'That would not surprise me. Humanity and greed go hand in hand. Has been for centuries, so why would I expect any change in that...'
"Surely there are things to look forward to?"
'Sleep.' Yveltal stated dryly.
"Well, at least it's something." Ash shrugged and stepped away from his handy-work. "Does this feel better?"
The creature lifted its claw/wing and flexed it a little.
'Yes, I cannot feel any pain. Medicine these days has become more effective.' Yveltal answered. 'Thank you for your care, Chosen.'
"It's no problem to me." The teen said, smiling at the Legendary being. "You can go to sleep now and I'll euhm… try and get in as little problems I can get, so you can continue resting and would not need to own up to your promise."
'Mm-hm.'
And with that, the creature balled up and disappeared into the underground cave. Ash stopped himself from peering over the edge, because knowing his luck, he would fall in… and there was no telling what Yveltal would do. Also, was that lava down there?
"It is."
'Right-o, let's go back to camp then. I'm getting hungry, now that my worry is as good as gone.'
Mewtwo didn't say anything which probably meant that it agreed. And well, even if Yveltal wasn't bothered by his presence, didn't mean it liked the others here. So yeah, he made his way back and started breakfast, making it a little more… festive, just to cheer himself up, or something.
Turned out he didn't even need to worry about finding ways to wake up his friends, as Clemont's transceiver did the job just as fine. The device cheerfully announced that someone was trying to contact the blonde teen, causing him to wake up with a snort and look around in a disoriented manner. But then the noise stopped, thankfully, because it had been loud and Ash just didn't think this had been smart. However, nothing moved except his friends, who had all been woken up by the ringtone.
Clemont seemed to have realised it had been his transceiver which had rung and as such, he had taken it. But then the device gave another signal, this time of a message, succeeding in startling the teen for the second time in such a short amount of time.
"Holy moly…" the young Gym Leader sighed.
"Who was it?"
"Professor…- Ash?"
"I'm not actually a Professor." The teen chuckled.
"Ah, no, I didn't mean it like that!" Clemont exclaimed, jumping up from his sleeping bag. "Ash, are you okay?"
"As okay as I'll ever be after an event like yesterday. Can I interest you in not raising your voice, though Clemont?"
"… Sure?"
"See, Yveltal is sleeping behind those trees over there."
The teen paled instantly.
"Y-you… You went there?"
"Yes." Ash answered simply. "Go on, get ready. The faster we can have breakfast, the quicker we can move away from this place."
"Yes, yes, I'll just euhm…"
The news had managed to unsettle Clemont enough to hurry up and it pleased the teen, for the blonde was the slowest one in the group. Serena and Bonnie were quick to follow, though the youngest of the group seemed a little too subdued to Ash's liking. However, this was not the right time or place to go discuss things.
"Professor Sycamore invited us to his camp. Should we go?" Clemont asked softly.
"Sure, why not? We could use a little fun, I think."
"Myeah…"
They were barely a level above whispering, but somehow, Serena nor Bonnie made a remark about it. But they were probably still impressed with yesterday's event… and heck, Ash was so, so worried about his sight now. His eyes hurt so much, now the sun was out and shining in them. He didn't know what was going on, but he was pretty sure he couldn't hide this. His cap was already pulled down low enough to shield his eyes but it still wasn't enough to make the pain stop. Even if there wasn't any light shining in them, his eyes still had this really uncomfortable feeling in them.
"Take my arm, Ash." Serena whispered. "I know you're still hurt, but that's okay. We'll ask Professor Sycamore for help when we get there."
"Is that camp that close by that I can't just pop into a Pokémon Centre?"
"They're good at treating Pokémon and common injuries. But I don't think your issue is common at all. If I didn't know any better, seeing you're having issues with light-sensitivity, it could even be the sign of a concussion."
"… You think so? I don't remember having hit my head…"
"I only remembered a rock had hurt my arm a while ago, when it did hurt plenty at the time. What we went through wasn't normal, so you could just have forgotten."
"… Alright."
Though Ash wasn't sure at all. His head wasn't hurting anywhere… but then again, when would anything ever be normal with him, huh? Watch him end up with some kind of unknown eye-damage or something… He sighed and just let himself get guided through the forest and into the city.
"Oh, Bon Dieu, what happened to you, Ash?" the Professor said, after he had broken off his merry welcoming.
"I think I got a little too close to something…"
"… Quoi?"
"He got it after being to near to a Pokémon attack." Clemont said.
"Ah, c'est dommage, ça! Right, Ash, I'm going to have to take you aside, but I'm sure that, once a doctor has taken a look at your injury, we will reunite you with your friends."
"That's fine." The teen said simply, knowing he was no good to them right now anyway.
And he needed the rest, because this pain was letting him remember that god-awful moment with Pikachu… and seeing Bonnie wasn't her happy self still, her silence made him feel… well, not good. Not good at all.
"And where do we go?"
"Ah, you can follow the one of the camp leaders. And you're in luck, because there is one right there. Adelle, do you have a moment?"
"Of course, Professor!"
Even while knowing his friends were in good care, this whole situation, being blinded by this bloody affliction, was giving Ash the creeps. But well, he was with Professor Sycamore now, who probably was the safest person to be within this whole camp, so yeah... And his eyes got a little less painful when they got inside of a building and his surrounding got a whole lot darker.
"I can see you are sensitive to light, Ash. So that's something I can tell the doctor as I call him… But I'm almost a hundred percent sure that I won't be able to convince the poor soul of how you ended up getting it, hm?"
"You should participate with the lottery today, Professor, your guessing game in on point." The teen answered dryly.
At least the man let out an amused chuckle.
"Will I ever get to know what happened?"
"Depending on whether or not I have to go to a hospital, I would tell you after the doctor came around, Professor. I feel like it's a story many travellers should know about."
"I would think anyone would know how to stay away from a Hyper Beam, Ash and avoid being cooped up inside for heaven knows how long."
"It wasn't a Hyper Beam. And the sun will go down eventually." Ash answered. "My eyes worked pretty normally at night."
"Of course, but there is no need to turn to vampirism just yet, Ash. Let's just listen to what the doctor has to say."
They heard what was wrong with him pretty soon, you know? The doctor lived nearby and was on stand-by just in case something would happen at the camp. With how uneasy the teen was feeling and the knowledge he would be staying here for a while, there was something telling him something was going to go down, so having a doctor near was a really good thing, in his humble opinion. Whether it was going to be terrible or not, Ash didn't know. But he knew it would happen, no matter what.
"Friend, keep in mind what Xerneas has told you. Stay true to yourself and make yourself easy to find. You know that you are being guarded, so if you feel anything, please call out through your Aura, so that they can find you and help."
'… You think they will come? And can't you feel anything?'
"I am afraid this Pokéball is finally revealing its true nature. I would never have let you go through that blasted situation on your own, a testament that I cannot feel a thing except for you, friend. While it has given me the rest I have been craving for, you will need to rely on your own instinct for your safety."
'Like any ordinary person, I would assume. You do feel things outside the Pokéball, I hope?'
"Oh, yes, yes, that is no issue."
'Perfect. Then everyone is just going to have to learn to live with me being a paranoid bugger.'
"And if you do not feel safe, you can always travel to a different part of this camp. Or at least, when they call it a camp, I assume it is big enough to move around in."
'I've not seen it, but I think so. I hope I'm allowed to move around and not get assigned to a room.'
"If there is a door to open, you are allowed to leave. You did come here voluntarily, after all."
'True.'
"Well, that was good news, wasn't it?" Professor Sycamore said happily.
"Yeah, but the eye drops hurt."
"You'll be fine by tomorrow, Ash, so try and bear with it. You're lucky it's just your cornea annoyed at that sudden light that damaged it a little… It could have gone a whole lot different."
"You mean, if the blast hit me? Because I would have been rendered into a stone statue."
"… Do I even dare ask what Pokémon it was?"
"Yveltal."
The man sucked in a breath.
"I knew I would come to regret getting this knowledge. Are you sure?"
"Yes. I checked."
There was no reason to worry the Professor with what Xerneas and Yveltal had told him. Besides, what were the chances of him even fully believing anything Ash said?
"What actually happened?"
"It got Bonnie, Pikachu and Dedenne instead." The teen answered dryly. "And while Clemont was despairing, Serena and I tried to fix it."
"Considering Pikachu is right in front of me and that I saw the girl and Dedenne a little while ago, in good health, I assume you succeeded in doing so. Which brings me to the question of how?"
"Xerneas. It can undo what Yveltal damaged."
"And it just came around to say 'hi' or what?"
"Professor, please don't work your annoyance the unawareness of how this situation came to be within you out on me. If you think that I intended for a helicopter to come crashing down onto Yveltal, so it would wake up in a very bad mood, causing it to attack Bonnie, who had been cheerfully playing with my Pikachu and her own Dedenne, you're very much mistaken."
"A helicopter?" the Professor asked, frowning. "Did you see it crash?"
"I saw the wreckage. That tells me enough."
"You went to...- Ash, are you completely mad?!"
"… You don't agree with me putting the safety of a Pokémon first? Doesn't sound like something a Pokémon Professor should be saying."
"Ash, your mother would kill me if she knew what you did."
"Ah, Professor, if I was dead, I couldn't care less whether my mother murdered you. But I'm not and seeing my mom knows me pretty well, she wouldn't blame anyone but me for my death, knowing what kind of a meddlesome troublemaker I am. That being said, Professor, what kind of mood would you be in if someone woke you up with a grenade? And how would you respond if someone came to help you?"
"You're telling me Yveltal was happy, receiving your care?"
"Nobody can escape my good intentions. Not even Legendary Pokémon."
"… You're a strange boy, Ash."
"This strange boy did manage to get a pretty good report on what Pokémon think about Mega-Evolution, though."
"Is that so?" the man sighed, sounding a little defeated. "Well, I can hardly tell you off for what you've done, with me being a Pokémon Professor and all that… But I'm still going to carry you to your room."
"Guiding would be better for your back, Professor. Besides, I took such effort in regaining my mobility so it would be a shame not to use it."
"Alright then. I still say you're lucky, Ash, with how little damage you ended up suffered from such disaster."
"Physically, maybe."
"With the camp actually starting tomorrow, you're lucky you can actually participate too."
'With how many times he's telling me I'm lucky, he's going to jinx this whole thing.'
"Let us hope not. You could use some fun."
'Mm-hm…'
It was kind of funny how he ended up getting assigned to a room, like Ash had feared would have been the case. But at the same time, he wasn't going to worry, because Clemont told him about the different activities planned, so there was little to no chance of him attracting stuff when he was almost continuously moving around and about.
But this all still sucked, because he was kind of confined to his bed, seeing his eyes had some trouble adapting to the light still. The teen could hardly wait for tomorrow to come, if only so that he could at least have a look at what this place had to offer. Ah well, all he could do was wait until his cornea figured it was okay to function normally again.
The young trainer was a little bewildered when he could hear the door to his and Clemont's bedroom open… and by the gentle tapping of the heel of the shoes, Ash knew it was Serena.
"Serena? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah euhm… I'm fine. It's just… Clemont's not very good at talking to Bonnie so she knows that there are some things that didn't… Well…"
"You want me to talk to her about what happened? Does she know?"
"I think so. But she closed up instantly when Clemont said he was going to ask you to not let her play with Pikachu any longer."
"Right." The teen said, as he got up from his bed. "I'll see what I can do-"
"Ah, don't get up. It… might be best if she comes in here."
"Isn't that too dark for Bonnie?"
"I don't think that'll be a problem."
"Well, alright then. Just let Clemont know, he can come in after Bonnie left, okay? If I'm being used for advice and criticism right now anyway, I have some remarks for him as well."
"Oh, don't worry, I've got you covered on that." She said, sounding suspiciously like his mother when she was a little pissed at someone.
'Ah.' Ash thought, figuring that's why the girl wanted him to talk to Bonnie here.
Nevertheless, he was glad to at least spend some time with the youngest of their group, especially after what had happened to her. Man, there was no way the boy would stop her from playing with Pikachu, because his starter liked the girl as well! And you can't stop the development of a child as rudely as that, right? In fact, Ash would let all his Pokémon surround her and play with her non-stop, to make sure she was secure, dangit!
"… Hi…" Bonnie said softly as she came in.
"Hey, Bonnie, can you see enough not to walk into anything?"
"…"
"Come here, come sit on the bed with me."
"You're not angry?"
"Of course not, you didn't do anything wrong, after all?"
"Then why does brother act like that?"
"He… Clemont was more than a little affected with what happened to you, Bonnie. I think he's trying to get rid of anything that might make him remember the situation where disaster struck."
"…"
"It's not fair to do that to you, though, especially since it won't help your brother either. And well, let's face it, he won't get rid of me or Pikachu that easily."
"So I can still play with it?"
"Of course. I would like to think we're pretty safe here, with Professor Sycamore and so many trainers around."
"… You're really nice, Ash. And I'm sorry I've worried you."
"Do you know what happened?"
"I remember a little." She answered. "I didn't like it."
"I can understand that much. Still, all I would like to tell you, is that I would never tell you to do anything without a solid reason. I'm… very good at guessing."
"Yeah, Serena said it was your Aura thing again."
Well, that was half the truth, because Ash did have his Aura from the moment he was born. Granted, it wasn't as big then… but even as it had grown to a considerably noticeable size, the teen had never stopped to look for trouble in the past. While right now, Ash found it halting his progress, with how many times he checked his surroundings. And well, the young trainer had no idea as to why he could feel nothing else but danger coming.
"That would be your trauma causing that."
'For real?'
"Oh yes. But do not worry, you might think it is a hindrance right now, but it will prove to be a vital part of your life. Who knows you how many innocent souls you might save from harm with what you call paranoia."
'But feeling unsafe at times when there is nothing wrong is actually categorised under paranoia, Mewtwo.'
"Yes, friend, but is it not the case that there has always been something wrong to cause you to feel that way?"
'… Good point.' Ash thought. 'But why am I still feeling like this then?'
"Now how would I know?" the Pokémon replied in a sing-song tone.
'… Right.'
A cry of frustration sounded out from the other room, causing the teen to sigh.
"Oh dear, I don't think Serena is able to convince your brother of whatever she's trying to tell him." He chuckled. "Let's go see what that's all about, okay?"
"Won't the light hurt you?"
"I figured something like this would happen, Bonnie, so I got my sunglasses out of my bag before I even laid down."
"Oh, okay!"
Granted, it was a little tricky to make sure he didn't get one of those painful light flashes in his eyes when opening the door, but he managed. And well, his appearance was more than enough to throw both arguing teens off, which was perfect for a swift intervention.
"Ash! Shouldn't you be resting?" Clemont asked.
"Hah, you thought you got rid of me that easily, hm?"
"… No?"
"Besides, how can you expect me to sleep through this ruckus?"
"Yeah well, sorry for being worried about the welfare of my sister." The blonde teen huffed, making a rather dramatic gesture.
"You can be worried, but how is denying her the freedom of choice a part of securing her welfare? Punishing someone for a deed they really had no part in, except for the unfortunate execution of it, is really unnecessary."
"Then what do you suggest I do?"
"I've been through plenty of this kind of Tauroscrap before and if you're honestly wanting my take on how to act after it, I would advise you act like you normally would." Ash said and raised his hand when it seemed Clemont wanted to protest. "I'm not telling you to forget, Clemont, in fact, I want you to remember it. Learn from experience, but for goodness sakes, don't live by it. We all came out of this with everything attached so thank heavens for that! So why punish yourself with trying to make your sister feel bad about something that's not her fault and knowing fully that seeing her sad will hurt you as well?"
The Gym Leader gave him a pensive look.
"I know it might be strange, but shouldn't you be a little proud?" the black-haired teen said, a hesitant, little smile on his face. "I mean, you'll never forget what happened, but why should you be sad about that? You've been alive and now you know what disaster looks like. Now you know how bad it can get, just in case someone ever asks you."
"… It does put my first world problems in perspective, yes."
Ash nodded, looking pretty proud of the fact he had at least managed to calm his friend down.
"Can I ask, though, Ash… How many times did something similar like this happen to you to be able to talk about it so freely?"
"Oh, at least three times a year." Was the cheerful answer. "And that was when I was actually looking, so who knows what kind of things happened when I turned around and moved on?"
"… How many already happened this year?"
"Sorry to tell you, but my leg happened last year, so the counter is firmly put at one."
Clemont's expression darkened a little too quickly, so Ash quickly started talking again.
"I did ask you whether you were sure when you wanted to come with me, back at Santalune, remember? Where's that cheerful soul gone that proposed to join, hm? Did that turn to stone as well?"
"…"
"Too soon?"
"No, it's just… I could use some peaceful times." Clemont sighed.
"Oh, but we're going to get them! I swear, as soon as my eyes are better, which I'm hoping it will be the case by tomorrow, we're going to have fun. This is a camp for trainers and as such, it would be a waste for us to leave this chance to hone our skills behind, wouldn't it?"
"You can say that so juicily. What if you get your butt handed to you?"
"And since did losing a battle become a crime? I learn more from losing a fight than winning one, because that only makes both my Pokémon and my ego bigger than it's supposed to be. And that is a really bad thing." Ash said enthusiastically.
"Right, well, I guess I could make an effort to cheer up…" Clemont sighed.
"That's the most depressive way I've ever heard anyone say that. Come on, buddy, give me a smile."
The blonde did smile, but well… Serena snorted in the background, but Ash really couldn't care about details.
"Beautiful." He grinned and laid his arm around his friend's shoulder. "I know it's hard getting up when you think you've hit the lowest point, but everything's easier when you keep smiling. So, with that in mind, let's get some food. And if you at least make an effort, Clemont, I will do my best and find a surprise for you, which you'll definitely like."
"Well, I am hungry… But I'm not sure whether I'm up for a surprise."
"You've not been making a lot of effort either, so it's all up to you, buddy." Ash chuckled. "Come on, let's go."
The black-haired teen had to drag Clemont outside, really, but once he was in his stride, no one could break it. Not even Gym Leaders who thought they suddenly had the right to judge… As far as Ash was concerned, that was one of the rights a select amount of people deserved to have controle off. But well, the sooner he could get the matter out of Clemont's mind the better, or else his friend would become a very bitter kind of person, with an alienated sister.
"I get that you're good with words but that was pretty good what you did there." Serena said, once they had gotten inside the 'restaurant' within the camp. "Look, they're actually talking again."
"Thanks, it's the trauma." The teen said, indeed seeing the two together again.
"… Really?"
"Mm, I was channelling the things my therapist told me. If there's anything I'm good at, it's mimicking."
"You did well. In fact, you almost managed to convince me that you have moved on and forgotten about it."
"Oh, yes, yes, ask me about my tragic backstory." Ash grinned. "I'm more than happy to provide."
"Really?"
"Yup! Ask me anything you want to know~"
Serena did just that, but she didn't count on the teen's storytelling abilities. She probably would be too distracted to be able to decide whether what he was telling was true or not… But Ash couldn't care, he was happy to be the entertainment that caused plenty of people to listen in to what he was saying. And Clemont looked a lot better now as well, so if anything, the teen was satisfied.
Yes, if things continued like this, maybe this would shape up to be like one of those camps in the early days, where he was only dreaming of becoming a Pokémon Master… and not on route to be one yet. Where his dream to capture as many Pokémon as he could hadn't shifted into the realisation that he was better off having a few strong friends, than having ended up with an uncontrollable amount of estranged Pokémon. Mm, Ash swore he would enjoy himself in the amusement Professor Sycamore and the camp leaders would provide, or at least, as much as he could.
The uneasy feeling was there, but honestly, it might be the remnant of what happened to his friends still bothering him. But one thing was certain, if anything would try and hurt any of the children here, Ash would do anything in his power to protect them. And if possible, with a smile, something he had forgotten thanks to his time he had to spend at home, recovering from his accident. As long as you kept smiling, all would be well… right?
( … to be continued…)
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