A/N So, here's the newest chapter! It's got tons of fun things, meh things, boring things, and... well, thing things!

And, not only that, but I got five hundred reviews!

... Almost. I actually got 499, but I figured I'd celebrate now, instead of later, just because of how excited I am! I mean, I expected, at most, to have half that by this point, but nooooo, you guys had to be all awesome, and had to shatter all of my expectations!

Thank you all. Honestly, I didn't expect to get this far, period, let alone barely starting off.

So, this chapter is dedicated to you all, and it has been fixed up by the awesome Syrup-Waffle, and poked and prodded by the amazing Thegrunt22!

So, without further adieu, let's get this started!

As the trio slowly floated towards the opening of the paddock, Atiae suddenly felt a huge rush of self consciousness. Was she clean? Were her feathers alright? She gave herself a short little look over, and she didn't seem too out of place. You know, for someone who hadn't preened, groomed, or bathed for a couple weeks.

She winced, and started trying to quickly smooth out her feathers with a weak psychic field. Sure, she was dangerously close to being completely empty, but she needed to be presentable. These were Ash's pokemon, and she needed to make the best impression she could. She smoothed out her feathers a bit, and took a sniff, wincing at the smell of sweat. She needed to bathe.

She looked for a water source as they moved on, but, to her disappointment, there was none. She pondered simply weaving an illusion that masked her scent, but the instant she tried to weave one up, her energy sputtered, making her freeze. She didn't have enough energy to make another illusion, and all the energy she had left was what she needed just to stay afloat. And even that was barely holding on as it was.

Crap.

She let loose a sigh, and looked morosely at the ground. She was at her literal limit, and it was a very unfamiliar and unwanted feeling.

Atiae didn't say anything for a moment after that, and instead followed Ash and Pikachu quietly, mentally berating herself for pushing herself so far for such little reason, especially when she was needed so much. She endangered Ash, just so she could make herself look better.

"You alright, Atiae?"

The female looked up to Ash, and sighed. She couldn't tell him her problems, not now. She'd just have to stall until she rested a bit. "Yeah. Just, well... Tired."

Ash nodded at that, and gave her a smile. "Yeah, me too. We'll make this quick. After all, we still have tomorrow to see everyone, and it's already late as it is."

Atiae nodded a bit at that, and stretched her still stiff back, earning a curious look from Ash. Hopefully, this wouldn't end in a fiasco. "Alright."

The trio continued for another uneventful minute before arriving at the entrance to Ash's Paddock. Sure enough, it held the name "Ketchum" on the sign, and it looked as if Ash managed to get some prime land. Atiae couldn't help but wonder if it was because he was so successful, or just because his Professor liked him a lot.

While Atiae stared at the area around them, Pikachu casually looked over to the pair of dragons. This would be his third attempt to convince others of Ash's current... problem, and he was determined to make sure that this time, there was no mistakes. "Alright, this is how it's gonna go. You two just wait here. Do whatever you want, just don't leave. I'll tell everyone everything, from Ash being a Pokemon, to your little whatever this is, and that Latia- Er, Atiae, is here with us, and is... I don't even know anymore."

The mouse sighed, and put a paw to his head. At this rate, his electric sacks were going to overcharge from the stress. "Don't leave, don't follow me, don't get bored and run off chasing a passing Butterfree, just... stay here. Do whatever you want, I don't care what, just don't leave this spot."

Pikachu then turned to leave, before turning back around. "Ash, pop quiz. What are you not supposed to do?"

Ash simply rolled his eyes in response. His starter always had a flair for the dramatic. "Don't leave?"

The electric type nodded in approval, and gave the pair a large smile. "Very good. Now, stay, roll over, and I'll be back in hopefully a minute."

Pikachu then turned back around, and walked off. After he managed to get into the paddock's tall grass, Atiae slumped into the surprisingly comfortable ground, and looked over to Ash coyly. "Are you sure you're the trainer?"

Pikachu calmly walked away from the paddock's gate, and quickly brought up a mental map. It was nearing winter, so... they'd probably be near the southern pond. It got the most light, and hey, it was the heated pond. It was warmer than everywhere else. He wandered through the tall grass in the direction of said pond, and mentally went over his "plan".

Find Bulbasaur, Find Noctowl, and have them basically hold everyone hostage until he could explain the situation. If he knew everyone, and he was pretty sure he did, then, they'd all be about to jump ship anyway.

If Ash was really missing, he'd do the same thing. But, Ash was here, safe, and all he really had to do was explain that to nearly a hundred angry, worried Pokemon that he was in fact safe.

Easier said than done.

He continued padding though the tall grass, and gave a glance toward the sun. Nearly sunset, He needed to speed it up. He got down on all fours, and started charging through the grass towards the pond. He hoped that the majority was still here, and hadn't just ran off to find him themselves. And Arceus help him if one of the unofficial peacekeepers decided to do that. If that happened, then there wouldn't be anyone here to "explain" to.

He'd have to have faith that cooler heads would prevail. Again, easier said than done.

"And why are we still here, then, Infernape? If Ash is in trouble, we should go find him!"

Pikachu felt his ear twitch in the direction of the shout, and he immediately changed his direction towards the argument. That sounded just like Torterra. There was no mistaking that heavy baritone.

"And if we all just run off in different directions, how are we gonna find each other if, say, Pikachu manages to call for help or something? Or Ash? What will we do then? We can't rush in, especially when Ash needs us!"

The electric type continued his rush towards the voice, and heard another shout. "That's rich, coming from you!"

Pikachu sighed in exasperation, and continued. If he wasn't there already, they were having a hell of a shouting match. He took one last push of agility, and finally shot out of the tall grass.

And what he found was a melee. Several Pokemon were at blows, and the ones that weren't were screaming at each other, both out of anger, and so they could simply be heard.

The electric type sighed in exasperation, and put a paw up to his face. Of course. No wonder Umbreon was so excited to have him here to "Fix" the problem. He glanced over the combat, and noticed some older bruises on several of the pokemon. This probably had been happening on and off for the past couple days. Sounded like Ash's pokemon, alright. Passionate, fiery, and not too bright.

"Everyone shut up!"

The shout didn't get a reaction, and Pikachu felt his irritation grow. They were simply being too loud for his "light" voice to be heard. He gritted his teeth, and counted to three before deciding to simply get their attention the "Pikachu" way.

He gathered up as much electricity as he could into a thunder, and prepared to shoot it into the air. "I said, SHUT UP!"

The lightning shot straight into the sky, and paused for a second, before coming back down, and harmlessly passing through him and into the ground beneath. The electricity didn't harm him, no, but the explosion that formed when it met the ground wasn't nearly as pleasant.

The entire group stopped immediately, paused in surprise, and glanced over to him in shock. He ignored the pain in his feet from the small explosion, and instead looked angrily over all of them, before beginning to count down from ten aloud.

"Ten... Nine... eight..."

The group stared in shock for another moment, before finally coming to their senses. "Pikachu?"

"Seven... six... five..."

"Pikachu!? Where's Ash?"

The mouse scowled a bit, and glared at the speaker. "Let me finish. Four... three... two... one... Yeah... I still reaaaally want to kill you all."

The group continued staring, and the mouse sighed. "Ok, so... let me get this straight."

He began glaring over at everyone. "Ash needs help, and here you all are, screaming at each other. Hurting each other. Fighting, whining, arguing, just being big babies while our trainer is lost, who knows where, and maybe hurt. And, instead of coming up with a plan, you... argue?"

No one dared answer.

Pikachu felt a mix of rage, and disbelief. But, he took one moment to take another breath, and shook his head.

"Lucky for all of you, while you were all being a bunch of complete dumb-asses, I, the one before you, have already fixed it. Sorta. What matters is, Ash's here. He's alive, and here. Not at the bottom of some stupid sea temple, trying to save some stupid prince of the sea, not at the top of a frozen mountain because he wandered off, not dangling over one of those countless cliffs this world seems to have because fate tried to kill him off again. He's safe, and all your shouting, fighting, and stupid arguments did nothing to help him. So, congrats on being so helpful, guys."

There was an immediate uproar, and Pikachu nearly had to put his paws over his ears.

"Where is he?!"

"What happened this time?"

"Did he run off and elope?"

"Why isn't he here right now?"

"His mom's gone looking for him!"

Pikachu was immediately swamped by dozens of concerned pokemon, and he found himself nearly overrun. So much for the guilt trip. "Enough! He's here, just- Corphish, let go! He's- Dammit, I said let go! He's waiting outside the paddock! But guys, there's something you all need to know, and it's really important."

The crowd had silenced a tad at that, and the majority looked a mixture of confused and worried. Even Corphish was toned down. "Well... how should I say this. He's a Pokemon."

"Bullshit!"

Pikachu immediately looked over to the Tauros who shouted that, and scowled. "None of that. Seriously, stop."

The Tauros nodded sheepishly, and Pikachu sighed. "We're still figuring it out, but Ash is a Pokemon. And I know it's him."

The crowd, however, didn't seem to agree wholly with him, and he grimaced. Several looked like they didn't believe him. He looked over to Bulbasaur, who had been sitting near the edge of the large group, and shot him a look. Bulbasaur took that as a cry for help, and rolled his eyes. Of course. "We're all familiar with Ash's ability to do literally everything that shouldn't be possible. After all, how many times have we saved the world? Dozens? I think I've lost count. And those aren't even the weird things we've done."

Pikachu gladly accepted the lifeline, and nodded. "Oh yeah. And, how many times had Ash gotten mixed up in some legend or other? Some mystical or powerful item that can take over the world, or go back in time, or warp a Pokemon's mind. Heck, I even remember Ash coming across a witch, or magician, or whatever she called herself, And she turned him into a Pikachu. We even have pictures."

Totodile, Bayleef, Quilava and several others of the Johto team nodded at that, but they all seemed rather awkward with the thought.

"So, yeah, he's a Pokemon now, but we'll figure it out. And I'm pretty sure it's a save the world kinda thing again. Maybe Arceus decided to just make it easier for once, or something."

A murmur of acceptance went through the group, and Pikachu sighed. "So, yeah. Ash is here, and he's safe. But... er, does anyone have any questions?"

There was a heavy thud, and Pikachu noticed that Snorlax felt the need to stand up. "Er, yeah, big guy?"

Snorlax nodded, and paused, as if considering his words, before finally speaking. "Is Ash unharmed? Healthy, well fed, well rested?"

Pikachu smiled a bit, and nodded. Of course Snorlax would be the one to ask that. "He's healthy, and fed, as far as we know. But it's been a long day. He's tired."

Snorlax nodded slowly, before immediately flopping back onto his back, earning a couple fearful shouts from those immediately behind him. Pikachu shook his head, and sighed. Snorlax didn't show much normally, but he always was one of Ash's more sensitive pokemon.

"So, any other questions?"

This time, it was Glalie who responded, shooting up above the others. "Yeah... what kind of Pokemon is he?"

Pikachu smiled a bit, and nodded. "Because he's Ash, he would have to be a huge pain in the tail, so he became a legendary, because he couldn't resist being such a huge target."

Pikachu paused, before smirking mischievously. "But just telling you what he is would be boring. So, anyone wanna take a guess?"

Torkoal was the first to reply. "Oh! Is he a Ho-oh?"

Pikachu shook his head. It seemed that he wasn't the only one to remember Ash's affinity for the golden Phoenix."Nah. It'd be cool, but a Ho-oh is huge, and I'd think you guys would've noticed already. Any other guesses?"

"Is he a Mew?"

Pikachu gave a bark of laughter at that. If only. "That'd be awesome, Heracross, but no."

The next guess came from Totodile. "A Latias?"

Pikachu paused a bit, blinking in surprise, before looking over at the water type suspiciously. "Er... you know that's the girl version, right?"

Totodile gave a somewhat off looking grin, and nodded. "I know."

Pikachu paused a moment at that, before shaking his head. He'd never figure out Totodile, and, at this point, he was pretty sure he didn't want to. "Er, good guess, actually. He's a Latios, not a Latias."

Totodile seemed surprisingly disappointed at that. Pikachu considered asking, but refrained, simply because he was pretty sure he wouldn't like the answer. "So..." The mouse spoke, deciding to quickly change the subject, "Who wants to see Ash?"

There was a roar of a response, and Pikachu smiled. "Alright then. He's waiting right outside the paddock!"

Atiae was in bliss. Heaven. Cloud Nine. Any other metaphor for love and pleasurable enjoyment. And it was all because of Ash and his magic... er, claws.

"You know, you coulda told me about your back earlier. I would've helped you a long time ago."

The female simply gave a very happy sigh and a noncommittal shrug. She didn't care what happened after this. She could die happy. Only way to make this better was to make him hers.

"Ooooooooh. Arceus, I don't deserve you."

And, just like that, Ash stopped, and Atiae felt a rush of embarrassment. Did she actually just moan that out? She'd berate herself, if she wasn't sure that she'd do it again in the same situation. "Ash?"

He was staring to her other side, looking mortified, and she felt her face burn red. She killed the mood and moment in one fell swoop, and even added a whole heaping of embarrassment as a side dish. She gave a single pause, before sighing. Maybe she could flirt her way into returning the mood? "No need to be shy, Ash. In fact..."

She gave the male a small, what-she-hoped-was flirtatious smile, hoping that he ignored her crimson face. "If you want... I might be able to return the favor."

At that, the male looked down at her, looking rather shocked, and flushed an equally brilliant red as herself. She took that as a good sign, and scooted a bit towards him, trying desperately to kill her hesitance. She was probably pushing the envelope here, but right now... it seemed to be the best time. She forced a seemingly shy little smile for him, and ignored the blood rushing to her cheeks. "You know... I'm quite good with my illusions. Maybe... If you want... I could try my hand at giving you a back massage of your own. I'm sure I can figure it out. And besides... Two of me is better than one."

The male blushed somehow more so, and looked at her incredulously, as if baffled by her offer, and Atiae's shyness somehow increased with his expression. But she forced herself to smile a bit more, and scooted a bit closer.

"Ash, I-"

"Wow... er, ummm... Yeah, I got nothing I'm willing to say in front of everyone else."

Atiae froze immediately at the voice, her mind going immediately blank for a moment. What?

But after a very short moment, her already red cheeks flushed ever brighter, and her head turned towards the voice. She did not recognize whoever that was, and even if she did, she'd still probably drop dead from embarrassment.

She continued looking towards the opposite direction, and, lo and behold, there was a very large crowd of Pokemon staring at her in shock, with the sole exception of a happily waving, very familiar looking totodile. She blinked owlishly, before reflexively waving back. Totodile seemed quite happy with that.

Oh, Arceus, why?

Pikachu, on the other hand, was simply holding his face in his paws at the previous sight. He did say do anything they wanted. But honestly, he didn't expect a intimate massage to be on the itinerary, nor did he want to hear what Atiae could do with her illusions.

And what's worse, Atiae, for the first time, couldn't be bothered to triple check everything before trying to make a move. She didn't even notice a crowd watching them, for Mew's sake, until Bulbasaur had the forethought to interrupt her before she elaborated on what she planned on doing. Bless his leafy, plant based soul.

The mouse pokemon continued holding his face, before feeling a prod in his side. He gave a tired glance over, and found a rather stoic Heracross looking at him. "Er... you didn't mention this tidbit. I think it'd be kinda important, especially since the fact would help us avoid Michael Bayleef from enjoying her second favorite hobby of cutting everything to ribbons."

The electric type gave a sigh, and shook his head. "I forgot. Arceus, how did I...Er, Michael Bayleef?"

"Because, at this point, it's a question of how many explosions we're getting, rather than if we're getting one at all."

Pikachu simply groaned, and Heracross gave a shrug at his poorly timed joke, before looking intently at the pair. "Well... at least he got the right... species? You know, she looks familiar. Is she-"

Pikachu groaned, and nodded. "Yeah, she's the Latias from Altomare."

The bug type nodded, and smiled jokingly. "Good for her. She had eyes for him back when he was a human, and I never did like Misty. Too much TsunTsun, not enough Dere."

Pikachu simply gave Heracross an irritated look, and the bug type shrugged. Pikachu gave another groan, and shook his head. "Not helping."

Heracross chuckled at that, before looking back at the blushing pair. "But, yeah, still would've been nice to know, especially seeing as we just kinda... walked in on them. I always did say I love surprises, but still, dick move, bro."

"I get it, I get it, I screwed up. Now, go bother Torterra or someone else while I figure this out."

Heracross gave an amused bark, and shook his head. "Fine, fine. I'll take my comedic stylings to someone who'd appreciate it. Maybe Bayleef could use some humor."

The electric type rolled his eyes, and let loose a breath. "You do that. I'll make sure you get a warrior's funeral."

Heracross simply waved a hand, and walked off a distance, and Pikachu gave a large sigh. This was going to be a headache. He took one last moment to gather his thoughts, before shouting loud enough for everyone to hear. "So, yeah, I forgot to mention, those two are engaged. Yada yada, kissy kissy. Give them all a big round of applause!"

There was a couple pokemon who actually took Pikachu's suggestion in stride, and a light clapping came forth. "So, guys. For those of you who have no idea what a Latios is, Ash is that big blue dragon who currently is trying to become a big red dragon. The smaller, normally less red dragon, is Atiae, his... claimed. Yep. Ash goes missing for not even five days, and we come back with a future wife in tow, because that's how the Ash works in his natural environment. Anyone got questions?"

Pikachu noted one of the dozens of Tauros raise a hoof, and Pikachu pointed. "Yes, you, in the back."

"Did they become mates because she's pregnant?"

Pikachu sighed, and took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. And so it begins. "No."

The same Tauros raised his hoof again, and Pikachu groaned a bit. "Yes?"

"Are you sure? Because she's pretty big 'round the middle."

Pikachu held back a laugh at that, and spared a glance at Atiae, who managed to regain her wits enough to look severely insulted. And to think, she was thin for her kind. "Yes-I-am-sure. Now, any other questions?"

This time, Donphan raised his trunk, and Pikachu nodded. "Yes, Donphan."

"So, if Dad is her husband, does that make her my mom?"

Pikachu paused a bit at that one. Oh yeah, Ash hatched him as a Phanpy. Damn, his memory was horrible today. "Er..." The starter looked over to Atiae, whose expression was surprisingly blank. He looked back to Donphan, and shrugged. "Well..."

"Yes."

The group looked back over to Atiae, and she gave a resolute nod. "If he's your dad, then yes."

Donphan seemed satisfied with that, and nodded approvingly in return. Pikachu gave a moment, before looking back to the group. "So, er... any other questions?"

Bayleef was shocked, but she couldn't say she was "surprised."

After all, she knew that, in the end, she never had a chance. It was a long standing acceptance, and one that she versed herself in daily. She knew that he'd choose a wife, and that he'd love her in a romantic way. And humans were surprisingly xenophobic when it came to romantic partners, and, bar the odd Gardevoir which looked sufficiently human to only be considered "extremely unsettling" by others when chosen, they didn't find Pokemon as worthy mating material. She knew this, and so did every other Pokemon who fell for their trainer.

She was never an option, and she'd never actually "win". And as such, she found herself content with what she had. A close friendship with her trainer. It wasn't love in the fashion she wanted, but it was enough, right?

But now... she would've had a "chance." Ash was a Pokemon, and now, it wouldn't have been wrong for him to choose her. And yet, she still didn't even have a single chance to try. He'd been a Pokemon for supposedly five days, and he already had been claimed by one of his "own" species, a species that was already bordering on extinct. She felt angry, she felt sad, and yet, she still couldn't bring herself to say anything about it.

It was obvious that it wasn't meant to be.

Simply because, in the end, nothing changed. Sure, he looked different, smelled... kinda different, and everything else, but he was still off limits. He was still someone else's.

She wished she could appreciate the irony, but it was a bitter pill. However, there was one thing she had to do. One thing she had to say, to help ease her heart and make peace with this.

Bayleef rose up a vine, and watched as Pikachu looked over at her, and winced. She knew why, but the gesture still hurt.

"You have a question, Bayleef?"

She swallowed once, and nodded. She was suddenly very nervous, but she had to make sure. "This question is for Ash."

Pikachu sighed weakly, before nodding, and looking over to her trainer. "Alright. Ash?"

The male Dragon nodded, and looked to Bayleef with a kind smile. The same kind smile he always had. "Yes, Bayleef?"

Bayleef couldn't help but smile a bit, and took a single, deep breath. Only one question.

"Does she make you happy?"

Ash paused for a moment at the question, and gave a glance at Atiae, who looked suddenly nervous. Both Ash and Pikachu knew that Bayleef was never one to hold punches, even with those she liked. Especially with those she liked, and boy, did she not disappoint. The male Sky-Dancer pondered for a moment, and thought out his answer. Did she make him happy?

He looked over to the shocked face of his "Claimed" and his first thought was no. She had not done anything so far that made him genuinely happy. She had forced him into a relationship, basically drug him, kicking and screaming, into a world that wasn't his, and shanghaied him into his current situation. She was selfish, she was often very single minded, and she was constantly cold, insensitive, and cared too much about how others seen her.

But, as the possessive side of his mind oh so helpfully reminded him, she was also his.

And she did love him. He knew that he was dense, he knew he didn't get girls that well, but... she made that fact screamingly obvious. She'd openly say it often, and she was genuinely trying to make him happy. She'd put him first when she actually thought of it, and... she often sacrificed much, just for some stupid little smile from him. He wasn't blind, and he saw how uncomfortable she was when she tried to "flirt", or whatever she called what she'd been doing. And, when they were going to go help watch the hatchlings, she looked as if she'd been told to walk into a Pyroar's den. And yet, she continued to sit beside him, once, well... she caught up, anyway. But even that was his fault, seeing as he ran off.

She tried to hide all of this, sure, but she wasn't as subtle as she thought she was, and even if she was, he was a pokemon trainer. It was his job to pay attention to his pokemon. And she was no exception. To others, she was a cold, calculating, and powerful leader. But, to him, she was a scared, hurt, and insecure latias, hiding behind her status and her work, so she didn't have to face reality.

So, yes, she was selfish, spoiled, and distant, but she was also passionate, fiercely loyal, and jealously protective. She was his, but he was also hers. And unlike so many who'd just be happy with having someone, she just wanted him to be genuinely happy, and, to her, she was the only one that could do it.

She hadn't made him happy yet. But in the end, it would simply come down to faith. And that thought brought a smile to Ash's face. He had faith to spare.

"I'm sure she will."

Both Pikachu and Atiae look at him in surprise, and he shrugged.

Bayleef didn't really respond immediately, before nodding once, and sat there for a moment, setting everyone else on edge. But, after a moment, she sighed, and gave the pair a sad, small smile. "If she ends up making you happy, then... I'll approve."

Atiae looked over to Ash, still looking quite gobsmacked. She expected him to say no, or to shrug, and give a maybe at most. Not a genuine show of faith, in front of what was basically his entire family, with the exception of his mother.

She... honestly didn't know how to feel.

Pikachu, on the other hand, did, and gave a large sigh, shaking his head. This could only end in two ways, and the lines were getting more and more distinct. He hoped it would just end well. "Alright. Any other questions?"

The Tauros near the back raised his hoof, and Pikachu scowled. "No, she is not pregnant!"

"I think it's time to get going guys. We'll be back in the morning. Just don't... I don't know, burn down the forest again or something when I'm gone."

A couple very cheery fire types gave half hearted waves in response as they walked off, and both Ash and Pikachu sighed. "Well... let's get home."

The pair looked over to Atiae, who had remained on the ground for the entirety of the visit, and waited for her to move. "You coming?"

The female nodded, and gave a sigh. She really didn't want to get up. And, she couldn't help but feel... conflicted, and she couldn't even find out why. And add the fact that, right now, this patch of dirt was more comfortable than her entire bed of soft moss and grass back at Altomare, and she really couldn't find herself wanting to get up. She was tired, hungry, and... anxious. She couldn't think of any other word for it, but it was there. "I am. Just... trying to recuperate. I'll need enough energy to cast that illusion back home, for Mimey, and to hopefully keep it going all night."

Pikachu raised an eyebrow at that, but ended up giving a begrudging nod. "How low on energy are you?"

Atiae paused, before looking over to the mouse with a frown. "I'll have enough."

"That wasn't what I asked."

The female frowned further, and shook her head, before rising into the air. "Let's go. I'm hungry, tired, and... It's been a very long day."

Pikachu nodded a bit, and gave Atiae a suspicious look. She'd been very reserved since Bayleef's question, but after a moment of staring, he sighed, and gave a nod. "Fine, let's get home."

The trip was a short one, and Atiae had, as promised, cast an illusion over both her and Ash. Sure, compared to the last one, it was sloppy and pretty weak, but it still held, and Pikachu still found himself impressed by how well made her weakest illusion was. But, he didn't dwell on it too much, simply because dinner was ready, and waiting.

As such, the trip had nearly been a run towards the house, and once they got there, they were met by a irritated looking Fairy type.

"Ash, I made a quick stew. Your mother took most of her non-perishables with her, but there was enough to make this. I will go shopping in the morning, but until then, this will have to do."

Ash nodded, and happily looked at the large pot of food sitting in the kitchen. It smelled great from where he stood, and while it wasn't his mom's cooking, Mimey was almost as good.

"So, let's eat. I set up spots for all of you, including you, Pikachu."

The mouse blinked; surprised that Mimey was allowing him at the table, before shrugging. Maybe it was just because of the occasion. The trio was then corralled into the dining room, where, sure enough, the table was set and ready.

"I made a basic stew, but it's Miltank. I hope that works, Miss."

Atiae shook her head quickly, and threw a smile on her face. "No, that's fine. I like Miltank."

She then watched as Ash jumped excitedly into his seat, and filling up a rather large bowl. She smiled at the sight, before suddenly feeling suddenly nervous, and she quickly looked away, instead focusing on her own bowl. She didn't know what the feeling was, but it wasn't welcome.

But she'd figure it out later. Food was good. And she was hungry, and she wanted to eat. These were facts. But, when she looked over at Ash...

She gave an internal groan, and sighed. She didn't know what was wrong with her, but it was bugging her to no end. Was it anger? Did the male do something to irritate her, and she just didn't recognize it? She pondered this as she casually reached for the ladle, and barely noticed that she fumbled the utensil. She mindlessly grabbed for it again while thinking. Was she embarrassed?

Well, of course she was embarrassed. She was caught by Ash's Pokemon while essentially attempting to seduce him. And poorly doing so, at that. But this didn't feel like embarrassment, and she doubted that was it, unless she somehow transcended into the next level of mortification. Maybe she-

"Er, Atiae, you feeling alright?"

The female dragon jumped slightly, and looked over to Ash. "Er, I'm fine."

"He wasn't the one who asked, and you've been playing around with that ladle for half a minute now. Is it that fun, 'cause if so, I know what I'm getting you for Christmas."

Atiae turned her head toward Pikachu, and frowned. Had she really? She felt a rush of genuine embarrassment, and shook her head. Her feeling definitely wasn't that. "Er, no, just... lost in thought."

Pikachu gave her a suspicious look, but nodded. "Alright... But you should get some food. Ash's already finished his first bowl, and he's been nicely waiting for you to stop goofing around."

She blushed a bit at that, and nodded. "Oh, um, sorry." She then quickly filled her bowl, and took a spoonful. It was delicious. If Ash ate like this every day, he was living the dream. And she immediately felt a pang of guilt at that. Was that what she was she doing? Taking him away from good food?

She grimaced at the thought, and Mimey noticed immediately. "Is there something wrong?"

Atiae shook her head quickly, and tried to stammer out a reply. "No, I... er, bit my tongue."

Mimey seemed to begrudgingly accept this, but looked at her suspiciously as she went back to her own bowl, and Atiae sighed. This was ridiculous. And the worst part was, she didn't understand why she was feeling this way. It wasn't embarrassment, nor was it guilt. So, what the heck was it, and why did it feel so infuriatingly familiar?

"Miss Atiae, was it? If you're finished, the guest room is ready for you."

The female blinked, and looked down to her now empty bowl. Lady Mew, she was either losing it, or Ash had somehow inhaled her bowl in the second she looked away. She gave a glance over to Ash, feeling irritation at her sudden nervousness with the act, and noticed that, sure enough, he had finished his bowl, and was looking glazy eyed and full, and, after a quick check, she felt the same. She ignored her urge to blush at both her embarrassment and her unsaid accusation, and instead looked over to Mimey in confusion. Wait, did she say guest room?

The idea of sleeping apart from Ash earned her a reflexive repulsion to the idea, but, her newfound feeling seeming to revel in it, and she found that extremely worrying. But, after a moment, she stood up, and awkwardly smiled at Mimey. She'd figure out this feeling, if it killed her. "Er, thank you."

Mimey returned her smile, and gave a gesture. "I'll show you the room."

Atiae nodded, and stood up, before sighing. She needed to figure out her feelings, before they drove her completely nuts.

Mimey led her down the hall, and, at the end, sat two rooms. "So, the room on the left is Master Ash's. And the room across the way is yours. I hope you sleep well, but if you need extra blankets, there's some in the hallway closet."

Atiae gave a mindless nod, and simply entered the room. It was rather cozy, and the bed looked very appealing. She was terribly tired, and frankly, she needed the rest. Her weak illusion should hold through the night if she went off her instinctual autopilot, so her worry was unfounded there.

But the feeling her gut kept screaming at her for something else, and she still couldn't figure out what it meant, or what she felt. She grumbled a bit, and took her time to disrobe, and plopped down on top of the covers. She felt nervous, scared, and happy, and had no reason to feel any of this. Atiae couldn't help herself, and growled lightly, making the effort to roll over onto her side.

Did she somehow fall out of love? The idea infuriated her, especially since she had loved Ash hopelessly, mindlessly, for the past two or so years. But, the instant she got confirmation of him returning the feeling, she felt this... hellion of an urge in her gut, with no explanation. Did she honestly just want the chase, and the instant it was over, she wanted something else to pursue?

Her heart told her no, and she growled again. Well, what was it? She was nervous, anxious, hesitant, airheaded, happy-

And, with that, she froze, and she rolled onto her stomach, absolutely furious. No wonder her feeling felt so familiar.

She had a crush on Ash again.

Atiae growled angrily, and head butted her pillow several times. Of course she did. Because one and a half years of hopeless pining weren't enough. Now, she had to go through another.

Her gut was telling her not to ignore him and find another, but to shyly avoid him, to blush and coo, and frankly, she wanted to tell her gut to sod off. She finally got what she wanted for the past two years and a half years, and she wasn't going to sit by and let a stupid resurrection of a crush tell her what to do.

She quickly got out of bed, and looked over at the door. Everything in her told her to stay put, but right now, she was gonna go sleep with Ash if it killed her.

"So... You getting in bed, or what?"

Pikachu shrugged at his trainer, and frowned. He honestly expected Atiae to make a fuss about staying in the guest room. But, she was probably just planning on sneaking out of the room once Mimey wasn't paying attention. He gave a sigh, and shook his head. Things always had to be complicated. "Not right now. I'll probably be back later. You just get some sleep, 'cause I have to go see Umbreon. I'll be back... whenever that gets over."

Ash nodded tiredly, and looked to Pikachu. "What was all that about, anyway?"

"I'll tell you later. Now, sleep. We have another big day tomorrow, and you need it."

Ash gave a sleepy nod, and pulled off his day clothes, and climbed into bed. "Well... Night, Pika. Have fun, or whatever."

Pikachu gave a single nod, and padded out the room, leaving Ash alone. The male sighed, and looked around the room, reveling in the fond memories. He caught sight of the contest ribbon he shared with May, and the reel Misty gave him. He even spotted the picture Atiae gave him two years ago.

But, after a couple minutes of looking and recalling fond memories, he felt the need to simply sleep. He sighed, and tried to close his eyes, and just fade away. But, after a moment, he groaned. He was exhausted, and yet, he couldn't sleep. Irony.

He groaned, and rolled over, sitting on his side, before sighing. This wasn't working. He sat there for several more moments, until a slender arm wrapped itself around his waist, and some cloth pressed into his back.

He immediately froze, and tried to look behind him, and found some brown hair. "Atiae?"

The female stiffened into his back, and Ash found himself rather curious. Did she think he was asleep?

Atiae, on the other hand, was nearly frozen. Why was she this shy? She had honestly cuddled up to him like this twice, and not once had she felt a single moment of hesitation. Damn her gut, and damn her stupid little crush. She worked hard to get this far, and frankly, she wasn't gonna let a stupid little schoolgirl's fancy ruin it for her. "...Yes?"

Ash felt hesitant for a moment. He didn't expect her to sneak in, nor did he expect her to sound so... off. "Er... why are you here?"

Atiae didn't respond immediately, and instead gave an awkward shrug into his back. She didn't trust her words right now, nor did she trust herself not to stutter. Ash blushed a bit at the feeling, and he tried to look behind him a bit more. He got a look, and noticed that she was wearing his shirt.

"That's mine." It wasn't a question.

She gave a nervous nod into his back, and sighed. She knew she should've put her own clothes back on before she left.

"Where are your clothes?"

Atiae didn't respond immediately, simply because she didn't know what to say. She forced up what was left of her courage, and forced out a reply. "Probably the same place yours are."

Not her best come-back. It sounded like an insult, if anything. She grimaced, and pushed herself further into Ash's back. Maybe, if she kept quiet, he'd forget she was here.

Ash blinked, not expecting the seemingly sarcastic reply. "Er...What?"

"My clothes are on your floor?" Arceus, that sounded better in her head. This was exactly why she was trying to avoid talking.

Ash blinked once, before groaning. "Please tell me you're at least wearing pants."

"... Technically, I never wear pants."

Ash was not reassured by her answer, and frankly, neither was Atiae.

Atiae winced. This was a horrible idea, and she was now regretting every moment. She did this to get rid of her stupid little flight of fancy. Nip it in the bud, snuggle up to him, and get somewhat intimate at the same time, getting him used to the idea. Instead, she found herself awkwardly clinging to his back, terrified and hoping that he'd just ignore her, which was honestly the first time she ever felt that way. All while questionably dressed.

She wasn't sure what level of failing that was, but she was sure it was pretty far up there.

"Can we just... sleep?"

Ash gave an exasperated sigh, and nodded. "Sure, fine. If my mom pops in, and we die, I'm blaming you."

Atiae gave a nervous nod and attempted to push the crimson from her cheeks, and sighed into his back. She sure botched this one up.

"Night... Ash."

Let it be known that Pikachu was never fond of Psychic types. They were always the ones who rained on his parade, or found him whenever he tried to sneak out, for whatever reason.

"So, where are you going?"

Pikachu, who had been about five seconds from crawling out the window, winced, and turned around, looking over to Mimey, who was patiently looking at him from her spot at the kitchen table like an exasperated mother, catching her son trying to sneak out for the fifth time.

"Er... Gotta go meet Umbreon."

Mimey nodded at that, and shrugged. "Very well. Your friend seems nice, by the way. Rather cute, too."

Pikachu blinked, and looked at Mimey in confusion. Were they talking about the same person here? "Er... "Nice" wouldn't be my choice of words to describe Umbreon."

The fairy type didn't outwardly respond, and instead looked back down to the newspaper she had laid on the table. "Wasn't talking about Umbreon, but your opinion is noted."

Pikachu paused, before raising an eyebrow. "Wait, you mean... Atiae?"

The Psychic mime nodded at that, and looked back up to the starter. "Of course. She has the cutest little crush on Ash. He's lucky; Latias aren't normally ones to be so hesitant."

Pikachu froze at that, and looked at Mimey in complete bewilderment. He wasn't sure what was more surprising. The fact that she knew that Atiae was a Latias, or that she thought she was shy. "Wait, you mean... you know-"

"That she's a Pokemon? Of course. Ash too, but I think I'll leave the figuring out on 'how' that happened to you. It gives me less headaches."

Pikachu simply sat there for a moment, before grimacing. "You saw through the illusion?"

Mimey chuckled at that. "No, actually, she spoke like a pokemon right off the bat, which made it pretty easy to guess. Ash too. After that, it was a simply guessing game, and seeing as I wouldn't be able to detect a Zoroark's illusion at all, due to its dark typing, I had to go with the other possibility."

Pikachu gave a groan, and shook his head. "And you don't have any problem believing Ash is a Pokemon now?"

The female gave a small smile, and shrugged. "I'm not a battler like you, Pikachu. I don't have that inherent paranoia that most trainers' pokemon seem to have when it comes to deception. Besides, is there not a picture of Ash as a female Pikachu sitting on the mantle? I fail to see how that could happen, and yet, think that Ash becoming a completely different pokemon completely impossible. With Ash's track record, I wouldn't be surprised if you said Ash was actually Atiae."

Pikachu groaned at the mention of Ashachu's lesser know trait. No one was supposed to know, especially Ash. Dang Johtian Pikachu breeds and their lack of obvious sexual dimorphism. That event even gave him some terrible dreams for quite some time, dreams he'd never wish on anyone. "Fine. But don't ever, ever tell Ash that."

Mimey nodded. "Of course. Delia told me the exact same thing when she found out. After she stopped laughing, that is."

"So, we've got no problems? Do we even need the illusion, or should we keep it?"

The fairy type gave a bored shrug, and flipped the page of the newspaper. "It's fine. I don't mind either way, although I'd love to see Ash as what he is now, instead of what he was, three years ago."

Pikachu gave a hesitant nod, and sighed. "So, do you know about their whole... everything else, too?"

Mimey shrugged. "Well, she's currently in his room, snuggling him, and before that, she couldn't look at him for longer than a second before blushing, so... yes."

Pikachu gave a second wince, and shook his head. "And... you, er, have no problem with this?"

The female sighed, and shook her head. "I do, and I'd go upstairs the instant I thought something more was going on. But, if they wanted to be intimate, would I be able to really stop them? I can detect her current illusion because I know exactly what I'm looking for, but, what if I didn't? She could simply make it seem that they're elsewhere, or hide themselves, or even make it seem that they're with you, and I'd never be the wiser. I may be a psychic type, but I'm not psychic, nor am I some well trained detector pokemon. If she didn't want me to know, I wouldn't know, even if they were trying it right in front of me."

Mimey paused, and gave a sigh. "In the end, I'll just have to trust the two, and hope that Ash's fear of his mother will be able to keep the two of them at bay."

And, in that moment, Pikachu's worries about Ash's chastity were completely dashed. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

The female chuckled at that, and nodded. "I'm sure too. He's terrified of his mother, and frankly, Atiae seems to be the shy type. I doubt she'll try anything."

Pikachu hesitated at that, but decided against correcting the female, if only for her own safety of mind. The Atiae he knew was anything but shy. But, he instead nodded again, and looked at the window. "So... I better go, before Umbreon hunts me down, and causes a scene."

The fairy type nodded, and looked back down at her paper. "Very well. Go, have fun. Do whatever you'll do. After all, I'm not responsible for you, and you're an adult, as far as Pikachu's go."

Pikachu blushed slightly at the implication, and sighed. "Alright. See you later."

And, with that, the mouse crawled out the window. Mimey looked at the open oriel, and sighed. "At this rate, I'm gonna go bald. Please hurry up, Delia."

A/N So, here we are! Atiae finally defrosted a bit towards Ash, Antics ensued, and Now, all of Ash's Pokemon are in the picture! Except Charizard. And Lapras. And.. well, Pidgeot. And Butterfree...

Alright, some of Ash's pokemon are in the picture. But that's better than none, right?

So, Tell me what you thought of the chapter! I love reviews and PM's, and if you have any questions, I love answering them!

But, It's rather difficult to respond to anon reviews, so I'll be unable to, unless the answer's short. I can get very lengthy in question responses, and I refuse to pad the story with lengthy review replies. I pad it enough with story relevant tidbits I probably shouldn't post anyway. XD

So, thank's for reading, and the next chapter should be out pretty quick! It's another "Everyone else" chapter, except it also includes Pika/Umbreon convo.