A/N: Here I am once more with another update to this story. Another chapter over 10,000 words for those of you who like the longer reads. This is like my fourth one in a row…
Well, I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Please leave a review and like.
Disclaimer: I still don't own Pokemon. Never have. Never will.
Chapter 38: Articuno of the Seafoam Islands
A lone ship was sailing smoothly in the ocean right now. It was en route to Cinnabar Island which was home to several tourist attractions. The island had several lavish seaside resorts, clean beaches, and a variety of activities from hiking the volcanic mountain trail to soaking in the hot springs. However, Cinnabar Island wasn't just a big vacation spot. It was also where Blaine, the Cinnabar Island gym leader, lived. Also, the coastal island had a huge research center where a machine was being created that could bring prehistoric Pokemon to life from different fossils.
Ash, Serena, Misty, and Brock were aboard the ship heading to Cinnabar Island. They knew that despite all the fun activities that would be in store for them, they had several things to take care of. If what the scientist back at the Pewter Museum said was true, the fossil machine should be ready by the time they reached Cinnabar Island. Ash would also be competing for his sixth gym battle. Most important, Ash had a meeting with his uncle, Riley, about this hidden gift he had learned about in Saffron City.
The ship they were on was fairly large due to the route being so well traveled. Everyone was doing their own activity at the moment. Misty was lying down on her back in a pool chair trying to soak up as much of the sun's rays as she could so she could get a tan. Pikachu and Cubone were in the pool area playing games with each other since they weren't ready to get in the pool yet. Serena and Ash were playing in the pool right now with Misty's and their water Pokemon, except Psyduck since it couldn't swim. It was watching the water as if to debate whether to jump in her not.
"Now don't be hasty, Psyduck," Misty told it from the pool chair as she saw the duck Pokemon's dilemma. "You know you can't swim. If you jumped in, I would have to save you."
"Psy…" it muttered sadly as it hung its head.
"I'll tell you what. Cinnabar Island has several beaches there. I'll try to teach you how to swim while we are there," Misty said with a smile.
"Psyduck!" it replied with a nod.
"Misty and Psyduck sure seem to have grown closer in the past month," Ash whispered to Serena while they watched.
"I know. When she first got it, you would think she would just go ahead and push Psyduck in the pool to get rid of it," Serena whispered back.
"What was that?!" Misty shouted at them from the pool chair.
"It's nothing!" they both replied quickly.
Brock was leaning over the ocean deck, staring out at the ocean. He was fighting the strong urge to not go staring at all of the pretty girls who would be in the ship's pool right now. This was largely due to his Vulpix standing next to him right now, watching him. Ever since Brock had gotten Vulpix from Suzy, he had been trying to control his urges to resist beautiful women. He could only imagine what his Vulpix would think if it saw Brock react that way. Then what would Suzy think? He didn't know how long he could keep that promise, though.
He gave a quick glance over at the fox Pokemon before smiling at it. "Hey, Vulpix. I bet a nice brush up would feel really great right now, especially with the ocean breeze."
"Vulpix!" it replied happily.
"Great. I'll get the brush," Brock said as he went over to his backpack to get it.
There was a group of teenage girls that were passing by in their bathing suits on the way to the pool as Brock was getting the brush. He instantly felt his face heat up once he saw them.
"Must resist beautiful women," he thought. This was going to be harder than he thought.
"Attention, passengers. The ship bound for Cinnabar Island will be arriving at the Seafoam Islands within the next thirty minutes for anyone interested. They are home to various types of water Pokemon not found in other parts of Kanto. Keep in mind that should you depart here, you will have to wait several hours for the next ship to come through on its way to Cinnabar Island," a female's voice said over an intercom on top of the large ship.
"Many kinds of water Pokemon?" Misty asked with interest as her face lit up. "I say we stop there!"
"What do you think, Serena?" Ash asked her. "The Seafoam Islands may be a good opportunity to get your first water-type Pokemon."
Serena pondered over what Ash had mentioned. He did have a point. Serena really did lack any water-type Pokemon on her team. It would also be fair to Misty if they made a stop there since she hadn't caught any new Pokemon in a while, either.
"That sounds good! I say we check them out," Serena answered.
"Yes!" Misty cheered from the poolside. "I'm going to go get changed right away!"
With that, she hopped off of the pool chair and returned her Pokemon before hurrying off to change.
"I say we get out of the pool, also, so we don't miss the stop," Ash suggested.
The two then swam over to the edge of the pool and climbed out. They grabbed their towels nearby and threw them around themselves and began to dry off. Ash looked over on the other side of the ship and saw Brock brushing his Vulpix.
"Hey, Brocko! Serena, Misty, and I are going to stop at the Seafoam Islands! Are you coming with us?" Ash called from pool deck.
"Sure! That sounds good! Just let me finish with Vulpix before I get ready!" Brock answered back.
Ash nodded once before turning back to Serena. "This is going to be fun. I have a feeling something really cool will happen while we are at the Seafoam Islands!"
"Me, too!" Serena replied. She hoped she might be able to find some alone time with Ash while they were there. Like Cinnabar Island, the Seafoam Islands had beautiful beaches, as well, and the sunsets were said to be magnificent. It would be so romantic if she got to watch the sunset with Ash. She once more began to blush.
"What are you thinking about?" Ash asked once he saw her red expression.
"Just about you and me," Serena answered automatically, forgetting to give a cover-up this time. She immediately realized what she said and blushed harder.
"Oh. Eheheheheheh," Ash laughed nervously as he blushed, as well. "I bet it was something nice."
"It was," Serena replied shyly.
"What was it?" Ash pressed.
Serena looked down. Should she really tell him that she was having a fantasy about him? She already slipped up by admitting what she was thinking about. She might as well go the full way to see what Ash would say.
"I was…thinking about maybe watching the sunset with you later if that's okay," Serena said in a small voice.
"That sounds like fun!" Ash replied while giving her a thumb-up, which caused Serena to look up at Ash in surprise. "I'll make sure to do that while we're here! Count on it!"
Serena beamed at Ash's response. "Oh, Ash! Thank you!" she said happily. She certainly wasn't expecting such a positive response from Ash. She expected him to get nervous and things be really awkward for a second, but he actually agreed! Maybe she should tell Ash her thoughts about him more often.
Behind them, Pikachu and Cubone gave a smile and nodded to each other.
"The Seafoam Islands are a little more deserted than I thought they would be. Were we the only ones that got off here?" Ash wondered aloud as he looked around. The group didn't see any sign of other people here. The beach was completely empty.
"That's because the Seafoam Islands aren't a tourist destination like Cinnabar Island," Brock explained. "They are a Pokemon habitat and only visited by Pokemon trainers who want to catch more water Pokemon or train."
"I guess we must have been the only trainers on the ship then," Ash figured.
"I actually prefer this way," Misty piped up. "With less people here, there are less likely to be any interruption while we are looking for Pokemon."
"So then, where should we start looking?" Serena asked.
"I hear most of the water type Pokemon appear in the cave over there," Brock replied while pointing to it a short distance away. "It may not appear big, but it goes down several floors."
The group was just about to start walking when something caught their eye about twenty feet away. The figure had been so silent and still that they had just now noticed it. Upon turning to see what the figure was, it showed to be a pink Pokemon with a long tail and four legs. It had a very spaced out look on its face. It was a Slowpoke.
"Oh, cool! A Slowpoke!" Ash exclaimed as he and Serena took out their pokedexes to scan it.
"Slowpoke, the dopey Pokemon. Slowpoke are incredibly slow and sluggish. It can take them up to five seconds to feel any pain once attacked," the pokedexes explained.
"Hey, Serena. Why don't you try to capture that Slowpoke? It's a part psychic-type also so it would be a great addition in adding diversity to your team," Ash suggested.
"I guess so," Serena said as she looked at the Slowpoke. She couldn't tell if it was ready for battle or not. It was just standing there, looking at them. This thing was even more out of it than Psyduck was when they first met it.
"Maybe if you send out a Pokemon, that will prompt the Slowpoke to battle," Misty guessed.
"I'll try," Serena replied before sending out a Pokemon. "Go Nidorina!"
The poison pin Pokemon emerged from the pokeball and gave a cry before seeing who its opponent was. Once it saw the opponent was a Slowpoke, it raised its eyebrow in question before shrugging and got into a battle stance.
The Slowpoke, on the other hand, was completely unmoving, causing everyone to sweatdrop. It didn't even change expression! Did it even know that something was about to attack it?!
"Is that thing even alive?" Misty asked.
"It's definitely alive. Its breathing proves that much," Brock confirmed. "I've heard Slowpoke are pretty…well…slow, but I had no idea to this extent."
"It doesn't even look like it's going to attack you," Ash muttered as they continued to stare at the dopey Pokemon. He then addressed his yellow rodent. "Pikachu, go see if you can talk to Slowpoke."
"You, too, Cubone," Serena added.
Both Pokemon jumped out of their trainer's arms and went over to the Slowpoke. It didn't even seem to notice they were coming. Nidorina joined them, too.
"Pika Pikachu?" Pikachu asked Slowpoke.
"Cubone bone?" Cubone asked as well.
"Sloooow," Slowpoke mumbled after about five seconds.
The three Pokemon waited to see if Slowpoke would say anything else, but to no avail. The three then sighed before returning to their respective trainers. They just shook their heads at the humans when they returned.
"I see. So not even Slowpoke knows what's wrong with it?" Ash guessed.
"Pika," Pikachu confirmed, Cubone and Nidorina nodding their heads, as well.
"If Slowpoke isn't going to attack, why don't you just go ahead and throw a pokeball at it?" Brock suggested.
"Right," Serena
She then pulled out a spare pokeball before shouting, "Go, pokeball!" and threw it through the air. The ball connected with Slowpoke and sucked it inside. The pokeball landed on the sand and began to shake back and forth. The group thought it was going to be an easy capture, but to their surprise, the pokeball opened up, and Slowpoke was released back outside. It still had the same dazed expression on its face!
"So this thing is too lazy to battle, but it isn't too lazy to break out of a pokeball," Misty deadpanned.
"I would feel bad if I attack Slowpoke to weaken it if it isn't going to attack back. Maybe we should just leave it alone," Serena said sadly as she returned Nidorina.
"I can understand that, but don't worry. I'm sure there will be more Pokemon waiting for you find here," Ash reassured her as he placed a comforting hand on her back.
The group then turned to leave the Slowpoke alone and headed towards the cave. Serena gave one last look at the Slowpoke before they went into the cave. It still hadn't changed expressions or moved the entire time. She gave a sigh before entering the cave.
Once the group was out of sight, Slowpoke blinked and got a confused look on its face.
"Sloooow?" it wondered. Were there humans here just a little bit ago? Where did they go? Weren't there three Pokemon that were talking to it, also? It couldn't remember.
"It's pretty dark in this cave," Serena commented as she clung onto Ash's arm for support.
"Hey, Brock. Do you still have that flashlight in your backpack?" Ash asked him, trying to fight the urge to blush from Serena clinging to him.
"I do," Brock confirmed as he pulled it out and turned it on. He then added, "Maybe your and Serena's Charmeleon's can help light the way. The more light the better."
"Good idea," Ash replied as he released his Charmeleon. Serena released her Charla, as well.
"Okay, guys. We need to you to help light up this cave," Ash told them.
Both Pokemon nodded before holding their tails in front of their faces and walking ahead of the group.
As they were walking along, one thing the group noticed was that the Seafoam Island cave almost rivaled Mt. Moon in how complex it was. There were several corridors leading off in different directions so the group was having a hard time navigating the place. They only Pokemon they had seen so far were a few Zubat, but they were just passing through and had no interest in battling the group. After walking through the cave for about ten minutes, they began to get a little discouraged.
"I can't believe we are in the Seafoam Islands, and the only water-type Pokemon we've seen so far was a Slowpoke on the beach," Misty groaned.
"Wait. Do you guys hear something?" Brock asked as he cupped his hand to his ear.
The rest of the group listened, as well. It sounded like a swishing noise.
"It's running water!" Ash stated with a smile.
"I bet that's where all the water Pokemon hang out!" Misty figured as she clapped her hands together.
"Lead the way, you guys," Ash told Charmeleon and Charla with a smile.
Both Charmeleon nodded and began heading towards the sound of where the water was coming from. It wasn't long before the indoor river came into view. What was different about this part of the cave was that it wasn't as dark. There were several crystals embedded into the cave walls which gave it somewhat of a glow. The group could actually see pretty well.
"I guess this is as good a time as any to bring out my special Misty lure!" Misty exclaimed as she pulled out the lure in her image and proudly held in front of her.
"Go for it, Misty," Ash encouraged as she pulled out the rest of her fishing gear.
"I can't wait to see what I catch here," Misty said excitedly as she cast her line into the water and waited, and waited, and waited...
"Errrr...," Ash began, but stopped himself.
"Oh! I don't understand! How is it that I still haven't caught anything yet!" Misty complained after the group had been waiting ten minutes.
"Maybe they saw your face on the fishing lure and got scared," Ash joked.
"Hahaha! Very funny, Ash Ketchum!" Misty scowled at him.
"Misty does have a point, though. It is rather strange that we haven't seen many water Pokemon. The Seafoam Islands are supposed to be chock full of them," Brock realized.
As if on cue, Misty finally felt a tug on her line as her face lit up with excitement. "Awesome! I finally got ahold of something!"
She then gave a mighty hard pull as the Pokemon flew out of the water and into her hands. The first thing they noticed about the Pokemon was its long tongue. The Pokemon was covered by a hard purple shell that made it hard to see the inside of it. Two large eyes were all that could be seen inside of the shell with the exception of the tongue.
"Shellder!" the Pokemon cried in a high-pitched voice. It then gave Misty a curious expression before sticking out its long tongue and licking her across the face.
"Ewwww," Misty grimaced as she froze from the gesture and dropped the Shellder on the ground. She then hastily began to wipe her face with her shirt.
"So that's a Shellder," Ash muttered as he and Serena scanned it.
"Shellder, the bivalve Pokemon. Shellder has a super hard shell that can withstand many attacks. It is vulnerable only when its shell is open," said the pokedexes.
"Sounds good to me! A Shellder will make a great addition to my team of water Pokemon!" Misty said. "Misty calls….Starmie!"
The starfish Pokemon was released from its pokeball and stood in front of the Shellder, looking prepared to fight.
"Use Rapid Spin!" Misty called.
Starmie obeyed and began spinning through the air. The Shellder saw the attack coming and quickly withdrew into its shell to avoid damage. Starmie, however, was more powerful than the Shellder expected. It crashed into the bivalve Pokemon which sent it flying through the air and into the cave wall. It was slightly stunned but still relatively unharmed.
"Now finish with Water Gun!" Misty ordered.
Starmie shot a jet of water from its top point straight at the Shellder. The Shellder tried to avoid the attack but was too slow. The water sprayed right into it which sent it into cave wall again.
"Great job, Starmie. Go pokeball!" Misty yelled as she threw it forward. The pokeball flew forward and connected with the Shellder, which sucked it inside. The ball moved back and forth a few times before it dinged to show that Shellder had been caught.
"Alright! I got a Shellder!" Misty cried with delight as she went over to pick up her pokeball. She was rather pleased since this was the first Pokemon she had caught since Psyduck.
Misty then decided to get acquainted with her new Pokemon and released it from the pokeball. Shellder reappeared outside and looked up at Misty expectantly. Misty gave it a smile and knelt down on her knees to be more eye-level.
"Hey there, Shellder. I'm Misty! I'm sure we will make a great team together!" she introduced.
Shellder seemed to size Misty up before nodding its head. It then hopped over to her before licking her face again with its long tongue.
Misty grimaced while the others laughed.
"Well, I think you two will have no trouble hitting it off," Ash said in an amused tone.
"Do you think we should try to find another spot to fish at?" Serena asked. "I mean…I haven't seen very many Pokemon anywhere. Just look at how long it took Misty to even get one bite."
"I'm with Serena on this one. There are so much more water Pokemon to find here! Let's go!" Misty cried as returned Shellder and took off down the cave.
"I think we are rubbing off on her, Serena," Ash muttered. "It's normally you and me who take off running."
"Yeah. This place must be like a paradise to Misty," Serena agreed as the she, Ash, Brock, and their Pokemon tried to catch up.
The cave still continued to have glowing crystals along the wall so they were still able to see okay despite it being a little dim. Despite being as complicated a maze as Mt. Moon was, at least it wasn't as dark. While they were running after Misty, they weren't expecting the floor to begin shaking. It was shaking rather violently, as well, which was throwing them off balance. Several pieces of debris began falling from the ceiling and the cave wall, ranging from small bits of rock to sharp, jagged stalactites.
"Woah! Is this an earthquake?!" Ash asked as he tried to dodge the falling rocks.
"It can't be! There aren't supposed to be any around this area!" Brock answered.
"Chuuuu!" Pikachu cried as it was thrown around.
Then, just as quickly as the shaking began, it stopped. The group and their Pokemon took a moment to catch their breaths before breathing a sigh of relief.
"Is everyone okay?" Ash asked them with his hand over his chest.
"I think so. That was a really strange occurrence here. The Seafoam Islands are supposed to be pretty tranquil. I don't see any way how this cave could have been provoked to start shaking like that, and earthquakes are out, too," Brock wondered.
"I say we hurry up to find Misty and get out of here," Ash suggested as he and Serena returned their Charmeleons so they wouldn't be in danger anymore.
"I agree. Who knows if there could be any more quaking here. I really don't want to be the victim of a cave collapsing on us," Serena said.
"She couldn't have gotten far," Ash mentioned. He then cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, "Hey, Misty! Can you hear us?!"
"Is that you, Ash?" the voice of Misty asked back from the depths of the cave. "Help me! I'm over here! Just follow the sound of my voice!"
"This way!" Ash motioned to his friends as he began to run in the direction of her voice.
After running for a couple of minutes, they came into a wide room in the cave that looked like it felt the effects of the shaking, also. They looked around and spotted Misty several yards away. They let out a gasp when they saw her predicament. She was lying down on the ground on her stomach with a rather large boulder pinned onto her right leg. She had a pained expression her face.
"Misty! Are you okay?!" Serena cried as she and her friends went over to her.
"I don't know," Misty moaned as she cast a glance at her leg. "The cave suddenly started shaking when I got to this clearing, and this boulder fell from the ceiling and fell on my leg. Now I can't move."
"Do you think we can push it off of her?" Ash asked.
"Bad idea," Brock disagreed. "If we try to push something that large off of her, we could wind up hurting her even more."
"Then what should we do?" Serena asked.
"My rock Pokemon can handle a job like this," Brock replied as he released his Graveler and Rhyhorn. He then gave them a serious look and said, "Okay guys. I need you to try to break that boulder to help Misty. Rhyhorn, use your Horn Drill. Graveler, use Mega Punch."
Both Pokemon nodded as they went to work. Graveler was punching the boulder as hard as could while Rhyhorn was trying to drill through the boulder to the best of its ability. It took a couple of minutes, but after Rhyhorn had drilled through enough of the large rock, Graveler was able to smash it to bits after another Mega Punch.
"Easy there, Misty," Brock said soothingly as he felt around her leg to see if it was broken.
Misty groaned in pain from Brock feeling her leg, but seemed to be okay. After about thirty seconds, Brock gave his report.
"Thankfully, it doesn't look like she has any broken bones, but her leg still looks bruised pretty badly. I have some bandages in my backpack to help keep her leg still so it can heal better," Brock told them.
Brock then reached into his backpack and brought out a roll of bandages. He then knelt down next to Misty and began to wrap them around the affected area. Mist hissed in pain but made sure to keep her leg immobile.
"So is she going to be able to walk?" Ash asked.
"I would recommend that she stay off of it for at least the next couple of days to make sure it heals completely. If she isn't careful, she could damage it further," Brock replied.
"Great," Misty groaned.
Once Brock was finished, he placed the bandages back in his backpack before going over to Misty and lifting her in his arms.
"I'll just carry you around until we can find someplace for you to rest," he told her.
"Um…okay," Misty said, a little embarrassed.
"Now that we know Misty is okay, I say we get out of this cave," Ash suggested.
The rest of the group nodded and was just about to start walking when the cave started shaking again, this time more violently than the last.
"Woah!" they all cried as they were rocked back and forth.
More debris started to fall from the ceiling, just narrowly missing the group. Cubone was thrown from Serena's arms and landed a short distance away.
"Cubone!" Serena cried as she hurried over to it and picked up.
As soon as she got ahold of it, a wide fissure began to open up in the ground below them due to the constant shaking. The river in the cave was being swished around rapidly before forming huge waves that were constantly being thrown out onto the dry ground, occasionally splashing the group.
"Watch out, Serena!" Ash yelled once he saw the ground opening up beneath her and Cubone.
Serena looked down, and her eyes widened in terror when she saw what was happening. She tried to run away from it, but the floor collapsed before she could make it. She fell into gap, but managed to grab onto the ledge with one her hands while the other one was holding Cubone.
"Serena!" Ash shouted in horror as he ran over to help her.
Unfortunately, more of the floor started to open up afterward, breaking apart and making it harder to reach her. Ash didn't let that deter him, though. He jumped over every crack and crevice to get to Serena in time.
"Be careful, Ash!" Brock yelled as he watched Ash putting himself in danger, also.
Ash ran over to the edge of the cliff and hastily bent down on his knees to grab Serena's arm.
"I've got you, Serena. Just hold on tight," Ash grimaced as he attempted to pull her and Cubone up.
"Right," Serena said fearfully. However, as soon as she looked into Ash's eyes and saw the full determination in them. She couldn't help but began to feel relaxed. It was like she knew Ash was going to save her, and everything would be okay.
Pikachu had come over as well and was pulling on Serena's pinky to help as much as it could. The only problem was the constant shaking of the cave was making it hard to get any progress done. Ash gritted his teeth as he struggled to pull her up, using all of his strength. Since he couldn't pull Serena up by both of her hands because one was holding Cubone, it was extra difficult.
"We're almost there," Ash said in a strained voice.
Ash was just about to have her pulled up far enough to where Serena could get a foot out of the hole when disaster happened. Another large rock had fallen from the ceiling right above where Ash was pulling Serena up. Everyone's eyes widened as they saw it coming closer, as if knowing what it was about to do. Ash tried to twist his body out of the way of the incoming rock. His sharp reflexes had definitely saved him from the rock landing on his back. However, it wasn't enough for Ash to dodge completely. The rock fell and struck Ash right on top of his arms. The force of the impact made Ash gasp in pain and release his grip on Serena. It was then that she and Cubone began to fall into the abyss.
"Ash!" Serena screamed once he lost his grip on her.
"Noooooo!" Ash screamed as she falling, completely ignoring the throbbing pain in his arms. He made a grab for her again, but missed as she was just out of his reach.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried as well
Serena had a look of shock on her face as she falling and saw the edge of the cliff and Ash's face become further and further away. As panic set in, she realized that she was too far away for Ash to call out any of his Pokemon or to reach out again or save her in time, but there was still something she could do. She threw Cubone up with all of her might towards Ash. Then she hurriedly unclipped her pokeballs and threw them upwards, as well. Ash reached out and caught the lonely Pokemon in his arms and managed to catch her pokeballs, too, as he continued to watch in utmost horror.
Ash's brown eyes were locked onto Serena's blue ones as she fell. They harbored a deep sadness and heart brokenness as she watched him draw ever further away. There was nothing but an endless black below her. Serena seemed to mouth something to Ash as she was falling, but he couldn't make it out due to all of the shaking.
"Ash, I love you," were the words Serena had said as she was falling. She wasn't sure if he had heard her or not. Something was telling her that he hadn't. As she continued to fall, she couldn't help but have a huge feeling of regret. There were so many things she hadn't experienced yet. She was supposed to go on a journey and travel with Ash and meet great friends and Pokemon along the way. She never got to say goodbye to her mother, or Leaf, or Gary, or Brock, or Misty. Worst of all, she never told Ash how she truly felt about him. That was the biggest regret of all. It wasn't supposed to end like this. Serena let a lone tear escape her eye before closing them and allowing the darkness to take her.
Ash continued to watch as there was nothing he could do. He saw Serena close her eyes and then...he couldn't see her anymore. It had seemed like an eternity to watch her fall into the darkness, but really it had only been the span of a few seconds. She was gone.
The shaking of the cave finally stopped, but no one even seemed to notice. They couldn't tear their eyes away from the dark hole which had swallowed Serena. Out of all of them, though, Ash had been affected the most.
"Serena?" Ash croaked as he felt a lump in his throat. He couldn't believe it. This couldn't be happening. It was another bad dream, and he would soon wake up. Right? Ash pinched himself in a desperate attempt to get himself out of this horrible nightmare. Nothing was happening, though. Ash was still here, in the Seafoam Island cave, Brock and Misty still in shock, and the hole that Serena had fallen into was still there.
Unable to fight back his emotions any longer, tears freely began to fall from Ash's eyes as he continued to stare at the abyss below him. He began trembling violently back and forth. He felt unbelievably sick right now. One of the most important people in his life was now gone, and he had been powerless to save her. It was his fault Serena was gone. Ash had sworn to Serena's mother that he would protect her, and now he had been the one to let go of Serena. It was his fault she fell. Unable to hold back the feeling in his stomach any longer, Ash leaned over and vomited.
"Pikachu?!" the yellow rodent cried in an alarmed state when it saw Ash throw up.
"Ash, stay with us!" Brock yelled in fright as he hurried over as fast as he could while carrying Misty. He soon reached him as he gently set Misty down and grabbed onto Ash to support him. Despite this, he and Misty were really hurting, too.
Cubone, meanwhile, was staring at the abyss with a devastated expression its face. It had just lost another mommy that it had been unable to save, either. It had to sit back and watch once more while it lost one. Cubone then began to cry hysterically. It fell on its hands and knees as a river of water streamed from its eyes. It had gotten close to Serena in the short time it had known her, and now she was…
Pikachu was frantically looking back and forth from Ash to Cubone, as if trying to decide who it should go to first, but it really wanted to cry, as well.
"Come on, Ash," Brock tried as he continued to snap his fingers in front of Ash and occasionally shake him.
Ash didn't seem to hear him, though, as his tears soon dried. It then looked like he was going into a state of shock. His skin became ghostly white and his breathing in ragged, short bursts.
Brock and Misty were at a complete loss as to what to do. They were far away from any sort of civilization right now. Not to mention they weren't even exactly sure how to get out of the cave. Not knowing what else to do, they both began to shout.
"Help!" they both cried, even though knowing that it was futile.
Ash, meanwhile, wasn't even comprehending what was going on right now. All he could think about was Serena. Her lovely hair swaying in the wind when she walked, her captivating blue eyes, her beautiful smiles. He would never get to see them again. It was then Ash realized that he had never thought of Serena like this before. It was so strange. Sure, he had always playfully complimented her, but to actually think of her as beautiful?! He then thought of everything he and Serena had been through together. How he first met her in the forest of Pallet Town's summer camp, and he helped bandage her up and take her to the Nurse's office. She had been incredibly shy the first few weeks, but afterwards fit right into the Pallet Town gang. They had both started their Pokemon journeys together and did so many things together, both good and bad. They had watched each other's others battles, ate together, explored together, saved Silph Company together, and now…she was gone. Ash realized the old saying was true. You never knew how precious someone truly was until you lost them.
As Ash continued to dwell on what had happened, he felt something weird inside of him. It felt familiar yet so distant. What is that? It almost felt like he could sense something. As he began to concentrate, he realized it almost felt like that time he was connected to Pikachu at Saffron City gym. This time, however, it seemed like it was being used for something else. The strange feeling inside of him continued to manifest until he sensed something strange. It felt like a weird form of energy coming from deep within the Seafoam Island cave. Ash didn't know how to explain it, but it almost felt like he was sensing…Serena?
Ash's eyes instantly lost their ghostly look to them, and they were soon replaced by a fiery determination. Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Cubone instantly snapped their heads in his direction upon seeing the sudden change.
"She's alive," Ash muttered.
"What are you talking about, Ash?" Misty asked him in concern.
"Serena. She's alive," Ash repeated, a little stronger this time.
"Cubone?!" Cubone exclaimed hopefully, Did it just hear that its mommy wasn't really dead?
"How do you know Ash? What's going on?" Brock asked with a confused frown.
"Just trust me. I don't know how to explain it, but it's like I can sense her. It's almost like that time when I was connected with Pikachu, only this time it's allowing me to pinpoint where someone is. I think it might be my hidden gift kicking in again," Ash said as he stood up off the ground.
"Really?!" Brock and Misty asked, completely shocked.
"I'm going to find her," Ash stated before he took off running at full speed down one of the nearby corridors. He didn't know if he was just blindly following a false dream or not, but he didn't care. If there was even a shred of hope that Serena was alive, he was going to take it.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu called as it hurried after his trainer. Cubone was right behind it. Like Ash, if there was even a slim chance its mommy was alive, it would do everything it had to see it through.
"Wait for us!" Brock yelled after them as he picked up Misty as carefully as he could and hurried after them, leaving the partially collapsed room behind them.
Serena slowly opened her eyes. She was lying on her back and was still a bit dazed as to what had happened. The last thing she remembered was falling to her death into a seemingly endless hole. How was it that she was still alive? What was going on?
Once Serena got a good look at her surroundings, she saw the familiar crystals embedded in the wall and realized that she was still in the Seafoam Island cave. This confirmed that the whole ordeal hadn't been a dream.
As Serena's senses began to fully return, she heard the most beautiful sound she had heard in a long time. It was even lovelier than her Jigglypuff's singing at its best. It was so calming and soothing. Serena then sat up and got a good look at her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was that she was in a very big room in the cave. The next thing she noticed was all the different types of Pokemon that were in the room. It was filled with them. There had to be hundreds of them, and they were all looking at one thing at the edge of the room.
Serena followed their gazes to where there was a large pool. There was nothing in the pool that had all of the Pokemon's attention, though. It was the creature above the pool, and it was the being that was producing the beautiful sounds. As Serena looked up, she let out a gasp.
The Pokemon was large in size and light blue in color. It had large, regal wings and a long, elegant tail of feathers. It had a cream underbelly and piercing red eyes. There was just something about the Pokemon that seemed to command respect, and for a good reason. Serena's eyes widened in surprise once she realized the Pokemon was one of the three legendary birds. It was Articuno.
"Oh my goodness," Serena muttered in shock.
Ash was continuing to dart through the cave as fast as he could. Thankfully, there hadn't been any more shaking since the previous one, but Ash wouldn't have cared if the entire cave was collapsing around him. He was sensing that Serena was alive, and he wasn't going to stop looking until he found her. It was just so weird how knew. It was like he could sense her life force, and it was telling him where he needed to go to find her.
"Ash! Are you sure you know where you're going?!" Misty called out to him from Brock's arms as they followed him.
"Just trust me!" Ash yelled back. "
Misty said nothing else as she looked back up at Brock with a confused expression on her face. Brock nodded his head back to her grimly as a silent gesture to just accept what Ash said for right now.
Pikachu and Cubone were following Ash, regardless. Like him, they weren't going to stop looking until they found Serena.
"Just hang on, Serena. I'm coming," Ash thought.
Serena continued to stare up in awe at the majestic bird. It continued to make light cries as all of the Pokemon were crowded around it. It was then Serena realized that his must be where all the Pokemon of the Seafoam Islands had gone. They were down here in the same room as Articuno.
She tensed up when Articuno suddenly lay its eyes upon her. It didn't take a genius to know that humans were probably not welcome here. It was little unnerving to be in the presence of one of the legendary birds in what was supposedly its private chamber. Serena suddenly found herself lifted off of the ground and floating towards the Articuno. The legendary bird had its eyes on her the entire time as it was guiding her closer. Once no more than a few yards away from it, she stopped. Serena noticed that Articuno was looking at her expectantly, and she realized it was waiting for her to say something.
"Were you the one who saved me, Articuno?" Serena asked timidly.
Articuno gave slow nod in and weak cry in confirmation.
Serena realized that Articuno must have seen her falling into the room and slowed her descent by using its powers, sort of like how she was floating now.
"I didn't enter in here intentionally," Serena explained. "I had fallen down a crevice in the ground. I was separated from my friends who were traveling in the cave with me. I don't mean you any harm. I promise."
The Articuno was studying her as if trying to size her up. It then nodded its head and gently set her back on the ground. Serena still couldn't tear her eyes away from the beauty of the Pokemon.
Serena figured it would be best to try to go find Ash and the others to let them know that she was safe. Not knowing what else to do, she gave a small bow to the Articuno despite feeling a little silly doing it. She was debating on whether to tell them her story when she found them. She didn't know if they would believe her or not. Only a few people have ever come face-to-face with Articuno in their lifetime.
She was just about to try to find the way out when she heard footsteps far off in the distance. Apparently, all of the Pokemon in the room heard them, too, as they all turned in that direction in alarm to see what was going on.
Serena's eyes widened once more when she was able to make out a lone figure running straight into the room with to smaller ones beside it. A short time later, she noticed another figure carrying someone else coming into the room, as well. It was at that time that she was able to make out who was running into the room, and she felt tears come to her eyes as her face broke into a wide grin.
"Ash!" she cried as she began running towards him as fast as she could.
Ash's eyes found her and he immediately altered his direction. He was sprinting towards her just as fast, Pikachu and Cubone behind him.
"Serena!" Ash yelled back.
The two continued to run to each other. The only thing they saw was the other. They were finally reunited! They didn't stop running until they collided into each other, almost knocking the other over. Instead, they settled for a great big hug.
"Serena, you're okay!" Ash cried, tears falling from his eyes. As soon as Ash made contact with Serena, that strange feeling of connection to her was gone, but he barely took notice of it. The only thing that mattered right now was that Serena was alive and that he had found her.
Pikachu was next as it leapt onto Serena's shoulder and nuzzled its face against her cheek. Cubone followed by leaping into the small opening between Ash and Serena's bodies and snuggling into Serena's stomach, hugging her as tightly as it could. It didn't lose another mommy, after all. Brock and Misty were last as Brock gently set Misty down before hugging Serena , as well. Misty managed to stay on her leg as she joined, as well. The six of them then went on for one great big group hug. It was like nothing could take away from their elation at the moment. After about thirty seconds, they broke off even though Ash embraced Serena a little longer once everyone else was finished.
"How are you…what happened?" Ash stammered once he and Serena finally released each other.
"I was…," Serena began, but was cut off by the sound of several cries behind the group.
Everyone spun around to see the hordes of Pokemon surrounding them, all staring at the group intensely. Needless to say, they looked less than pleased that there were more humans here. It almost looked like they were ready to attack. They then looked up at Articuno who also had a disapproving look on its face. It was then that the rest of the group noticed it for the first time since arriving in the room.
"Is that…Articuno?" Ash asked in amazement. Brock, Misty, Cubone, and Pikachu looking up in awe as well.
"Wait!" Serena cried as she jumped in front of the group and spread her arms out in front of them. "They are my friends! They were just trying to find me after we were separated! We aren't trying to disturb or harm you!"
Articuno continued to stare at the group of humans and two Pokemon in front of it before it finally gave a gentle chirp. The other Pokemon in the room, upon hearing Articuno, backed off and gave the group a little more space, but were still watching them.
"That was close," Misty breathed a sigh of relief.
"It was," Ash agreed before turning back to Serena. He was full of questions, but only one stuck out right now. "I don't understand, Serena. I thought you were gone. How did you survive?"
"It was Articuno who saved me," Serena replied. "It must have seen me falling and used its special abilities to lower my descent enough to where I would live."
"Articuno…" Ash muttered before he turned to the majestic bird. Not exactly knowing how to address a legendary Pokemon, he bowed to it. "Thank so much for saving Serena. She means so much to me."
Serena felt a great rush of affection for Ash once he said that about her. It seemed she meant just as much to him as he does to her, after all. She felt herself starting to blush again, but she didn't care.
Articuno nodded its head back at Ash before signaling the other Pokemon to gather back around it. All the Pokemon that were around the group once more began to make their way back to Articuno as it hovered in place above the pool.
"So this explains where all the Pokemon were in Seafoam Islands," Ash mused. "They were down here to see Articuno."
"I don't get it, though. What's going on?" Misty asked confusedly.
I've heard rumors that Articuno inhabited the Seafoam Islands, but few people have ever really confirmed it," Brock explained. "It is said that Articuno sleeps for a very long time and only awakens every ten years or if there is a crisis where it will be needed."
"So would this be the one time in ten years it is awake?" Ash guessed.
"I think Articuno awakening might have been causing all of the shaking we were experiencing above ground," Brock realized as he placed his fist in his palm. "Such a great force like Articuno coming out of a long sleep is bound to give an outburst of energy around it."
"That makes sense," Ash surmised as he glanced back at Articuno. "It also explains all of the Pokemon coming to its lair. They may only see it every so often, also."
"It's too bad Leaf isn't with us," Serena said with sad smile. "I bet having a legendary Pokmon in her pokedex would have definitely been useful."
"We'll just have to share our information with her when we see back in Pallet. She'll probably freak out!" Ash grinned.
"Hold on, Ash. It may not be a good idea to let everyone know we saw Articuno here," Misty advised.
"What do you mean?" Ash asked.
"If we told anyone that Articuno was down here, it would attract a lot of unwanted attention from researchers to trainers trying to look for it down here…or even Team Rocket. With all of the spies they have everywhere, they're the last people we want down in the Seafoam Island cave," Misty explained.
"Good point," Ash said. He could only imagine the horrors Team Rocket would do to the Seafoam Island caves while trying to find Articuno.
They were interrupted by Articuno letting out another cry. Its voice sounded so powerful and commanding. The Pokemon in the room then began to dance in circles as Articuno began flapping its wings gracefully. The air itself seemed to sparkle.
"It looks like some kind of ritual," Brock muttered as he and the rest watched.
"What is it for?" Serena wondered.
"It's probably the Pokemon's way of asking Articuno to continue to keep watch over them in the Seafoam Island cave," Brock answered.
"It's so pretty," Misty said.
Pikachu and Cubone were watching as well. Their eyes sparkled as the watched the dancing which was so elegant.
It went on for few more moments as the Pokemon danced and Articuno continued to shower them with its blessing. Soon, the dancing slowed down until it stopped completely. The Pokemon then gave a cry of happiness to Articuno before leaving to go their respective directions.
"That was really neat to see something like that," Ash said in awe.
Articuno then looked once more towards the group and nodded its head before pointing one of its wings towards the exit of the room.
"I get it. It's time for us to go," Ash smiled sadly, receiving a nod from the legendary bird.
"We promise we won't tell anyone you're down here," Serena told it. "We understand your need for secrecy."
Articuno nodded once more before letting out another approving cry to send them off. It then closed its eyes and began to concentrate really hard. A small form of blue energy soon emerged from Articuno before the light began to make its way from its body and past the group. The light continued down the cave passageway until it stretched to where the group couldn't see it.
"I get it! You're showing us the way out of the Seafoam cave!" Ash realized, receiving a nod.
"We just need to follow the blue light, and it will take us straight out of the cave," Brock told the group.
The group then turned to give one last look at Articuno before departing.
"Thanks a lot for everything, Articuno. Good bye," Serena told it, the rest of the group waving.
"Oh! Wait! I almost forgot!" Ash remembered as he reached into his backpack before giving Serena her pokeballs. "I believe these are yours!"
"Oh!" Serena cried with delight as he received back the pokeballs and gave them a tight hug. She then hurriedly clipped them to her belt in excitement. What she didn't know was one spare pokeball wasn't properly connected in her haste…
They then turned around and began to make their way out of the chamber, each with many different thoughts running through their heads. They were in complete amazement they had been face-to-face with a legendary Pokemon. A lot of people go through their whole lives without even catching a glimpse of one. They had sworn they wouldn't tell anyone about their experience, though.
As Articuno watched the group leave, it figured it would be best not to let them know the real reason it had woken up. It was true the last time it was awake was ten years ago, but it had come out of its slumber for a different reason this time. It sensed that a great danger was going to threaten the Kanto region very soon. It had no doubt its brethren, Zapdos and Moltres, felt it and had awakened from their sleep, too. When the opportunity was right, they would be reunited once more to fight for their region. Even so, Articuno couldn't shake the feeling that the group of humans that were just in the cave would play a large role in it, as well. With those thoughts in mind, Articuno closed its eyes and began concentrating in order to contact the others.
"It really is beautiful, isn't it?" Serena asked Ash as they watched the sunset. Currently, they were on the beach alone, and just as Ash promised, were in clear view of the sunset. Seafoam Island really did have the best sunsets. Brock, Misty, and their Pokemon were watching for the next ship to arrive to go to Cinnabar Island.
"It sure is," Ash confirmed in awe. He then turned to her. "You have no idea how relieved I am that you are still alive."
"Ash, I'd prefer not to talk about it," Serena said as she looked at the ground. That had been really hard on her, but she didn't know how hard it hit Ash, also.
"I can't stop thinking about. When I saw you fall down that hole, and the fact that you probably were dead, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't even think straight," Ash said seriously.
"Really?" Serena asked as she locked gazes with Ash.
"Yes. I don't know how to explain it, but you are the most important person in the world to me," Ash continued as he gently grabbed her hands in his.
"I…I…," Serena stammered as she blushed heavily. She had never heard such genuine words come from Ash before. How was this even Ash talking at the moment?! Did HE even know what he was saying?!
"And then, I felt a strange power within me, like that connection I had with Pikachu. Only this time, it was telling me that you were alive," Ash told her.
"So that hidden gift allowed you to sense I was still alive?" Serena asked, amazed.
"Yes," Ash confirmed. "When I realized you were alive, I was suddenly filled with the determination I didn't know I had. I wasn't going to stop looking until I found you. And when I did find you I…"
Ash broke off there as he turned to the side and blushed in embarrassment. "Heheheheh. Sorry. I guess all this sounds really stupid and corny."
"No, not at all," Serena replied as she shook her head. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. I…" it was then she who stopped mid-sentence.
Serena didn't know what to say. For once, it was her who was at a loss for words. In the snow cave, it was Ash. Now their roles had been reversed. Serena felt an enormous, warm feeling in her chest as she felt tears come to her eyes. Ash just told her that she was the most important person in his life, and she couldn't be happier at the moment.
"Serena," Ash spoke up, which caused Serena to give him her attention again. "Let's stay together forever. I don't ever want to be separated from you again."
"You…want to stay with me…forever?" Serena stuttered. She thought her heart just jumped into her throat.
"I do. I'll never let you go again like I did in the cave," Ash stated with determination. He didn't care if he sounded corny or stupid. He didn't even think he was capable of saying such things! Still, this is how he felt right now!
Serena's heart rate was speeding up to the max right now. She had really just had her breath taken away from the words Ash spoke to her. That settled it. She knew for a fact that Ash really did like her just as much as she liked him. The atmosphere was great, too. They were on a beautiful beach with the sunset in the background. It was the perfect time to say how she truly felt about Ash. It was time for her to confess to him. She almost missed that opportunity forever when she thought she was falling to her death, but no more. She wasn't going to delay any longer! She was telling him right now!
"Ash," Serena started as she looked him straight in the eye, summoning up as much courage as she could.
"Serena," Ash replied as he stared back at her.
They were unknowingly getting closer to each other, particularly their faces. This was it! And then…
"Slooooowwwww…."a lazy voice said beside them.
The two preteens fell forward slightly at the interruption and looked down to see Slowpoke standing there with a blank stare on its face. Did it even know where it was at the moment? Had it been there this whole time? Slowpoke must have been so quiet and unmoving that they just now noticed it when it said something.
Serena groaned that her perfect moment had been ruined by this thing. It was all going so well, too. When would she finally get to tell Ash that she loved him now that she was ready? A great opportunity was wasted!
"Do you think this is the same Slowpoke from earlier?" Ash asked as he studied it.
"I think so," Serena replied, still extremely disappointed, but tried her best to mask it. She then turned to Ash. "Can we go someplace else for a little bit?"
"Sure. Come on," Ash said as he and Serena turned to leave.
What Serena didn't know is that one of her spare pokeballs that wasn't attached correctly had come undone. It fell to the sand and rolled in front of Slowpoke.
"Oh, hold on. I dropped my pokeball," Serena stated as she went to pick it up.
As she grabbed it to bring it back to her belt, she took a quick glance at Slowpoke and saw it staring at her. Serena stared back it with a slightly freaked out look. To have such as spaced out Pokemon looking at you with seemingly no emotion was little creepy. Serena felt like the Slowpoke was staring into her soul.
'Uhhhh…." Serena stuttered. A strange thought then came to her that she decided to entertain to see what happens.
She held the pokeball out in front of her as close to the Slowpoke as she could. For a while, Slowpoke didn't move at all. It simply stared at the pokeball in her outstretched hand. After about thirty seconds, Slowpoke leaned forwards ever so slightly and touched the pokeball button with the tip of its nose. Serena's pokeball opened and transported Slowpoke inside in a beam of red energy. Her pokeball then immediately made the definitive 'ding' to show Slowpoke was captured successfully. It didn't even put up a fight this time.
"I…guess you just caught Slowpoke," Ash muttered from behind her.
"Yeah. I guess I did, too," Serena replied slowly as she stared at the pokeball in her hand now containing Slowpoke. What a weird way to capture a Pokemon! She felt terrible for thinking something like this but wondered if the Slowpoke even knew it had been captured by a Pokemon trainer. Shen then watched it teleport out of her hands, presumably to Professor Oak's lab. Since she now had more than six Pokemon, she would need to make sure to start rotating her team.
"Hey guys! The boat to Cinnabar Island is here!" Brock called to them across the beach.
Ash and Serena turned to Brock and nodded their heads before turning to look at each other. They both knew the conversation they were having earlier wasn't completed yet. There were so many more things they had to tell each other, but they were interrupted and ran out of time. The way they were looking at each other, however, led to a silent understanding between them. They would continue it in the near future. Very soon at that.
They then broke gazes with each other and turned back to Brock. "We're coming, Brocko!" Ash yelled as he began to run in the direction of where Brock was waiting for them and the boat.
As Serena followed Ash, she knew in her heart that words didn't need to be said about how they felt about each other. There was enough emotion in their facial expressions just now to tell them their true feelings. Still, Serena felt that a proper confession still needed to be done. She thought just now was going to be the perfect opportunity, but apparently it wasn't. It was then Serena remembered her eleventh birthday was in a couple of days. She realized that would be the perfect time to tell Ash. She would make sure to get alone time with him and confess her feelings then. She wasn't going to back down any more. She was done delaying. In a fashion not quite like her, she was determined more than ever to really tell Ash how she felt. Somehow, she believed that she knew Ash would return her feelings, too.
Oooooh, foreshadowing for things to come. Both good and bad.
So Serena caught a Slowpoke (M) (lol) and Misty caught a Shellder (M).
Thank you all once again who reads this story and makes it worth continuing. I truly had no idea I would reach this many reviews or favorites when I started this story. I'm considering going back to redo a few of my earlier chapters (Gosh was I really that terrible), but we will see as a few of them really do need some tuning up.
Riley is coming up next chapter as the group lands on Cinnabar Island. I will see you all then with the update. It will be next Tuesday as always.
Chapter 39: Hidden Gifts
Answering the Questions:
Do you plan on doing March Of The Exeggutor Squad?
No.
Serena says she loves Ash will he say something down the line of my life is in your hands?
I don't picture Ash saying that.
Will Ash be getting another Pokémon soon?
Yes. Aerodactyl from the Old Amber Fossil from Mt. Moon a loooong time ago.
Will you use Dratini in the viridian battle or do like what ash did with Krabby in the Indigo League to "showcase" Dratini's true power?
Ash won't use it in the Viridian Gym Battle. He may use it in the Pokemon League, though.
Riley is going to at least tell Ash about Aura right?
Absolutely. He will tell Ash about it and even reveal some of the special things he will learn from it. However, it won't be taught to Ash until much later when he is older. Riley will merely introduce aura to Ash next chapter. I have aura showing up at least one (possibly two) more times in the Kanto arc from Ash, but I think they are appropriate.
Are any of the events from the 8th movie plot going to come into play at any point in this series?
Yes. That is one of the movies I will be doing, but there will be many changes to it to fit my story.
Will Ash do something for Serena's birthday?
Yes.
When Charla evolves into Charizard, will Serena give her a pink bow to distinguish her from Ash's Charizard?
Maybe.
In movies 6, 9, and 11, Brendan was shown to have a Shiftry (which he kept in a Repeat Ball), an Aggron (which he kept in a Luxury Ball), a Swampert (possibly his starter that he got from Prof. Birch), and Rhyperior. Will he have some of these Pokémon in your fanfic series?
Maybe, but I haven't planned Brendan's team at all yet.
Is Gary going to have ten badges again to show off by the time everyone gets to the Viridian Gym?
No. I made it to where there are only eight gyms per region for easier handling. He will only have seven.
How long do you think this whole project will take? Will each arc take around a year to complete?
I'm not exactly sure. I'm hoping to complete the Kanto arc by the end of 2014 or at least early 2015. With the exception of the Orange Islands arc because it's so short, each arc should take roughly a year to complete. So going by that, I may have the series done in about four years. However, I have no idea what the future holds. My schedule may change drastically with work and I may end up with either more or less time to write.
If Brock likes Suzy in this story, I'm pretty sure that he won't have his infatuation with Prof. Ivy. What are you planning for Brock's absence from The Archipelago?
Brock had an infatuation with Suzy in canon also, though. However, in this fic, Brock will probably have a small crush on Prof. Ivy, but his main reason for staying will be so he can learn more about Pokemon. He will still return for Johto.
At the end of Johto, when Misty leaves, is she going to go back to the gym on her own free will, or will her sisters do something stupid that forces her to return to the gym?
I'm not sure yet.
Are you able to tell us when Paul and Gary will meet and when that battle will take place?
It is actually a spoiler if I tell you where they meet and battle. I will say that will meet before the Pokemon League, though.
What about Leaf's and Paul's battle that you promised us?
I don't recall ever promising a battle between Leaf and Paul. Just Gary and Paul. If I did, you may have to refresh my memory of when exactly I said that. Regardless, it don't see Leaf and Paul ever having a reason to have a true battle between each other.
Will we be expecting another appearance by Calem again?
Yes. Calem is set for one more appearance in the Kanto region.
In the recent episode of Pokemon XY, Serena decided to try to be a Pokemon Performer (one that has no battles). Are you going to have Serena be a Pokemon Performer in your future stories?
That's the plan. I'm thanking God right now that Serena finally has a canon goal that I can work off of. That being said, I know very little about how Pokevision and Pokemon Performers work right now. I will need to see more episodes of XY before I can understand them better and begin to create my own for Serena.
When will Ash get a rock or ground type?
Aerodactyl is a part rock type. He will get that. As for a ground type, it may not be until Phanpy in Johto.
You are going to have the two Dratinis battle each other as Dragonites during Ash and Paul's Sinnoh League Battle. Am I Right?
If it isn't the Sinnoh League, there will definitely be a showdown between the two Dratini at some point.
Why hasn't Serena lost a Battle Chateau Challenge yet? Any reason?
Serena will lose a Battle Chateau. You just simply haven't read it yet. I have a chapter where she loses already written that I haven't posted because it's still weeks away in my profile. Also, there are a lot fewer Battle Chateaus than there are gyms in Kanto. I have to compress the losses for Serena more than Ash due to this so they don't travel to several cities twice. The only exception is Saffron City when Ash goes against Sabrina again. If there were Battle Chateaus in every city and town like a gym, it would be easier to work around this.
Will Ash keep he and Serena becoming a couple a secret from his mom to avoid embarrassment (even though he told her about the date)?
No. He will tell her.
If a new region is added while you're writing this fic, will you skip that and add another year to the Final Story?
Probably something like that.
When will Ash put Dratini in his team?
He will rotate it out. The first time it will be on his team is Cinnabar Island.
Paul actually beat Sabrina?
Yes. And so did Gary. Ash almost beat her, too, until Abra evolved.