"Ashton."

The elder patonai jolted up, finding himself in Cameran Palace, standing on the seal of the Guardians that decorated the floor of the throne room.

"Father? Is that you?"

Blue eyes blinked into existence once again, so much like Ash's. "It's good to see you again, son."

"Likewise. May I ask you something, if you have time to answer it?"

"I don't see why not."

Ash fiddled with his sleeves and cleared his throat. "Why were you never around when I was little?"

The voice sighed, the exhale of air echoing through the chamber. "Always the hard questions first. I was caught in a war, Ashton; a war that threatened to consume everything your mother and I established for you and your sister. I had two choices- fight my enemies and defend my family or send you away to a safer place so you wouldn't be in danger while risking losing touch with you. I chose the latter. I couldn't bear the thought of you two not getting the chance to discover and pursue your own hopes and dreams."

"Wait wait wait, I have a sister?" Ash asked, utterly dumbfounded. "Why haven't I heard about this? Who is she? What's her name? Have I met her before?"

The voice chuckled. "I assumed Delia told you about her, but I suppose I was wrong about that."

"What reason would Mom have to hide that from me?"

"It's extremely dangerous to raise two aura-sensitive children in the same place, especially where you two were born. When the children of Guardians are little, their powers- though small- can bring quite a bit of unwanted and unneeded attention. I suppose she thought it best if you two split up until the time was right."

Ash frowned. "How dangerous could it be? Last I checked, kids can't wield until they understand the concept of aura."

"Two children born of aura create a beacon that cannot be misinterpreted or ignored. If the wrong people had caught that signal when you two were still small, our opponents would've found you and killed you with no questions asked."

"I stand corrected," Ash said.

"I would love to continue our chat but it seems that you have more important things calling you, son..."

"Ash," Aurian said. "It's Melee Day."

"Give me a second," Ash groaned, rolling onto his stomach with a groan. "How much time do we have?"

Aurian checked her Pokegear. "About an hour. Everyone else is checking out the vendor booths around the stadium and picking up merchandise. Want to strategize before we head out?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good. What're you thinking?"

"Most important thing here is defense. We can't put ourselves out there until we're absolutely certain we can take someone out," Aurian said. "How many Pokemon do we get?"

"Two," Ash replied, taking a notebook and a pen out of his backpack. "Any guesses on who's bringing whom?"

"We know Tobias and Faith will team up. Darkrai is a certainty and I'm pegging Latios or Heatran as his second. I've never seen Faith's Pokemon but I wouldn't be surprised if she pulled out a few pseudo-Legendaries. Assunta and his Dragonite are a definite. Harrison's bringing Blaziken, Jon Dickson's Meganium is almost a hundred-percent certain."

"That's a field of nightmares," Ash said, gratefully taking the breakfast bar that Aurian passed him. "They'll be expecting Pikachu."

"And Empoleon, for me. Who's in?" Aurian asked, munching on her own cereal bar.

Ash frowned and put their observations on the paper. "I think I'll play along with their expectations. They haven't seen everything that Pikachu's capable of yet so we can run with that. I'm considering Charizard as my second. I'm not taking chances and if worst comes to worse, I want Charizard against Darkrai."

"Good choice. Cass is in today, she has some Dragon running through her moveset so she can counter Assunta and any other crazy tricks people'll pull to take advantage of her Steel-side. Togekiss is tough enough to take on the field but I feel like she'd be better in a traditional battle setting," Aurian said, shifting her legs into a criss-cross position. "Any advice?"

"What about Altaria?" Ash asked. "He'd be good in this kind of situation. Chance is your best tank."

"Not a bad idea but you're playing Charizard. I need a good counter to that. I'm putting Dragonair in."

"I never said I was battling with Charizard!" Ash protested. "I only put the idea forward!"

Aurian grinned. "I know how you think, Red."

"And I know how you think" Ash said. "Ready to meet up with our friends?"

"Also ready to face our fates," Aurian said, linking arms with her patonai. "How's your hendo been treating you?"

Ash bit his lip. "Surprisingly quiet. I'm kind of nervous that it's going to act up during the Melee."

"Drain what you can," Aurian replied, handing over her arrowheads. "Use mine if you need to, it's running about two-thirds full. If something weird does happen, I can carry your excess."

Ash frowned. "I'm not putting you through that kind of strain, Ri!"

"No. If you need to, I can take your spare aura. This is payback for saving me in Orre," Aurian groaned, putting her hands on her patonai's shoulders. "You can't keep refusing favors that people owe you, Shadow. It may work on Koga, but it won't work on me."

"You returned the favor in Johto with Spiritomb. We're even. Here, I'll use your arrowheads, deal?"

Aurian passed over her arrowheads.

Ash put a hand around the crystals and concentrated, sending his aura deep into the core of the crystals.

"That should do it," he muttered, the blue glow under his fingers dwindling away. "Much better."

"Dear God," Aurian said, latching the arrowheads back around her neck. "You've been holding onto all of that this entire time?"

Ash nodded and led the way out of the campsite. "Didn't realize it until you pointed it out. I know I've asked you this before, but what was yours like?"

"Hell," Aurian answered. "Of course mine had to start just after initiation. And unlike you, lucky Psyduck, I couldn't control when my fingertips started sparking, 'member?"

"That was an interesting strategy meeting," Ash said. "Hey, that looks like the crew over at the Silph Co. booth- want to go surprise them?"

"One sneak attack coming up," Aurian said. "This should be fun."

The patonai silenced their steps the way that Riley taught them and walked to meet their friends, silent as shadows.

"You'd think that Red and Blue would be up by now," Max noted, crossing his arms. "Should we go check on them?"

Aurian grinned and threw her voice. "No, they'll join us when they join us. No need to worry."

"Great, now you're sounding like Dawn," Brock groaned.

Misty frowned. "That wasn't me."

Ash and Aurian grinned as they encircled the group.

"Boo!" the patonai growled.

Misty jumped, Brock drew a Pokeball, and Max took a protective stance in front of Maddy before they realized that they weren't in any real danger.

"Dear God," Brock sighed. "Really, you two?"

Ash laughed and high-fived Aurian. "It was a golden window of opportunity! We couldn't pass that up."

"What time are you supposed to meet with the other top ten?" Misty asked, throwing a wicked mean look towards Ash.

"We have a prep meeting fifteen minutes before we start. I bet Goodshow's gonna run over the rules with us and make sure we understand what happens if we break them," Aurian said. "This is risky and the League knows it. I hope they've put the necessary crowd protection measures in place."

"Crowd protection?" Maddy asked.

"The last League-sponsored Melee battle happened when you two were too young to remember it," Brock said. "It's utter chaos. One wrong move could hit a spectator instead of an opponent so they normally enclose the arena."

"Red, you said people have died doing this, right?" Max asked, eyes wide. "Why does the League think this is a good idea?"

Ash frowned. "They're hoping it's been long enough since the last one that people have forgotten about how lethal Melees are. We'll be prepared to defend ourselves but I don't know if the other top ten members can do the same."

"We should head to the meeting," Aurian said. "Cheer for us?"

Misty nodded. "You know we will. Good luck, you two."

She hugged Ash, who blushed a little and nodded. The rest of the group exchanged embraces and high-fives and split up once again.

The patonai found their meeting room- a private suite on the top floor of Stadium A- and entered to find Assunta, Tobias, Faith, and Tyson present. Mr. Goodshow, Lance, Cynthia, Wallace, Alder, and Will stood off to the side, engrossed in conversation.

"Looks like we're early," Ash muttered.

Aurian nodded. "Good morning, everyone!"

Faith crossed the room to greet her friend, her limp slightly less pronounced than the last time the patonai saw her. "I don't think I ever got to tell you congratulations, Blue. I'm looking forward to seeing you in action."

"Likewise," Aurian laughed. "Tobias, it's good to see you again."

"And the same to you, Miss Katrian. Red, how have you fared?"

Ash suppressed a frown at the odd phrasing. "My team and I have been holding up just fine."

Pikachu interjected with a happy "Cha!" and a thumbs-up.

"My, your little one is out to prove me wrong," Tobias chuckled, waving someone over. "Assunta, have you met Red Aronshu?"

A tall man with white hair and intimidating blue eyes walked over and shook Ash's hand. "No, can't say that I have. I'm Assunta."

"I competed in your Kanto League," Ash said, returning the action. "My friends and I got to watch your final battle and I have to say that it was one of the main reasons why I decided to continue my journey on to Johto."

Assunta blushed, his dark skin growing darker. "Thank you, Red, that really means a lot. Was that your first League?"

"Yeah. Glad to say that things have trended upwards from then."

Mr. Goodshow put his hand up and the room fell silent.

"Trainers, we'd like to personally congratulate you for making it this far. You are the pioneers of your trade and your talent is unmatched in the Six Regions and Orre."

A smattering of applause filled the room.

"We at the League have been hoping to bring Melee Battles back into competitive play for quite some time now, so we're all extremely excited to see how this turns out," Goodshow continued. "Before we turn you loose in the arena, there are a few things you need to know. This may seem like common sense, but attacking trainers is off-limits and illegal. There may be an accidental collision of attack and person- that's unavoidable at times- but any distinctive action is grounds for disqualification, trial, and probable imprisonment by grand jury. Are we clear?"

All present nodded, terrified at the idea of losing one of their own.

"Secondly, you will lose Pokemon in this fight. No one in recorded Melee history has made it out without at least one team member fainting. Traditional style calls for three Pokemon but we need to keep this tournament rolling so you will use two Pokemon total- one starter and one back-up. No serious injuries today," Mr. Goodshow coughed.

Nine pairs of eyes flickered towards Tobias, who didn't flinch in the slightest at Mr. Goodshow's shade.

"We want to see good clean action out there today," Lance said, crossing his arms. "Everyone here is Top Four potential but only the best of the best know how they and their teams best operate under mass chaos. Best of luck, you are dismissed. Report to the assigned waiting rooms posted outside of the door."

Ash and Aurian resisted the urge to salute and followed the rest of the top ten out.

"I'm in room ten, where are you?" Aurian asked.

Ash frowned at the list. "Nine. Think this is by age?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was," Tyson said, cracking his knuckles. "Jon's in room one, Harrison is in room two, and so on. How old are you guys, anyways? You can't be older than twenty."

"Does it matter?" Aurian asked, crossing her arms. "Last I checked, this competition wasn't run on seniority grounds, Tyson."

Tyson put his hands up. "Forgive my curiosity."

"No, Blue's being defensive," Ash said, patting his patonai on the shoulder. "You have every right to know. I'm eighteen, she's seventeen."

"Not for long!" Aurian interjected. "How about yourself?"

"Twenty-five," Tyson said. "God. I feel ancient compared to you two spring Sawbuck."

"Don't say anything about feeling ancient, son," Jon said, clapping Tyson on the shoulder. "You don't have grey hair. We need to get going, we have ten minutes until the battle starts. Best of luck to you all."

The patonai nodded and retreated to their rooms. Once they parted ways, Ash and Aurian paced their areas, following well-worn circles in the green tile.

You holding up okay? Aurian asked.

Ash sighed. I won't know until we get out there and start fighting. We'll be fine, I know. It's everyone else that I'm worried about.

We're the wild cards here, Aurian said. No one in their right minds would peg two teenagers as championship-caliber material. No one will expect what we're coming out of the gate with.

Are we really going to do it? Ash asked. Should we really open the gates to hell?

If all else fails, yes, Aurian replied. Here we go.

The waiting room doors slid open and the top ten entered the arena, which had undergone a complete transformation. A transparent enclosure surrounded the field in a massive half-sphere, reaching about a thousand feet upwards.

"Dear Lord," Ash muttered. "This is unreal."

"You're telling me," Aurian replied, running a hand through her hair.

"Trainers!" Shauntal's voice boomed through the stadium. "Release your first Pokemon!"

Ash motioned for Pikachu to jump off of his shoulder. Aurian released Cass, who immediately started gauging her opponents' strength.

"Begin!"

Ash and Aurian moved to stand closer to each other while Pikachu immediately started charging power.

"Cass, we're aiming for Vergil's Haxorus," Aurian said. Store your aura and prepare for a mixed Dragon Pulse and Aura Sphere like we did in our first battle."

Cass nodded and sped through the clash in front of her, narrowly dodging a Dark Void from Darkrai and a Superpower from Faith's Machamp.

"Pika, we're taking down that Meganium. Prepare to use a Counter Shield and start upping your speed with gradual Quick Attacks."

Pikachu raced after Cass and stayed on her tail. Ash slipped into aura sight. His heart skipped a beat when he looked towards Darkrai and Machamp.

"Dear God."

"What's up, Red?" Aurian asked, keeping tabs on their Pokemons' progress.

Ash bit his lip. "Pikachu, hard right and Thunderbolt!"

Darkrai and Machamp's auras have a green tint around the edges. They used the enhancers!

Aurian grimaced and clenched a fist, her fingernails drawing blood from her palms. "Crap! Cass, now!"

Cass summoned a Dragon Pulse and injected it with her aura. The attack collided with Vergil's Haxorous and sent the dragon flying into the stadium wall, bruised and battered.

Assunta's Dragonite shot a Hyper Beam towards Pikachu, who dodged by the skin of his teeth and returned fire with a Thunder.

"We've got company," Ash muttered. "Change of plans, cover my six?"

"You know it," Aurian replied. "Cass, finish your business and cover Pikachu!"

Vergil's eyes widened as Cass leapt forward into an incredibly strong barrage of fighting-type attacks. Haxorous returned Cass' Close Combat with a few Dragon Claws of his own. One particularly strong claw made contact with Cass' shoulder, drawing blood. The Lucario shrugged, patched herself up with aura, and eliminated a shocked Haxorus with a nasty Dark Pulse.

Meanwhile, Pikachu and Dragonite exchanged blows at lightning-speed.

"Pika, charge!" Ash cried, ducking a wild Dark Pulse from an enraged Darkrai.

Aurian caught onto Ash's plan and relayed her instructions to Cass, who slipped behind the Dragonite and started raveling a small aura shield.

"Thunderbolt!"

Assunta grinned. "Too slow, rookie! Dragon Claw!"

Pikachu's attack missed by three inches. Cass caught it with the shield and rebounded the lightning directly between Dragonite's shoulder blades. The Pokemon dropped like a stone, unconscious.

Ash checked the battlefield and found that Assunta was the fourth of the top ten to lose a Pokemon. Jon, Vergil, and Tyson had moved onto their second team member.

"Who now?" Aurian asked, wincing as Cass took a Steel Claw to the side from Lieutenant Surge's Magnezone.

Ash frowned. "Faith's on top of Jon, Tobias is working on Assunta. Vergil and Tyson are up."

Cass and Pikachu bounded off in the direction of their new opponents, carefully building power and waiting for an opportune time to strike.

"Cass, Aura Sphere!"

The Lucario met Vergil's Emboar in a shower of flames and aura sparks and did her best to KO her opponent. Cass collapsed of exhaustion and Aurian pulled her back, sending in Dragonair. Emboar cowered back a bit as Dragonair let out a cry of despair and launched a furious Hydro Pump at the Pokemon that took out his new comrade.

Emboar hit the back wall and Vergil's portion of the giant scoreboard above their heads burned out. Tyson's face winked out a second later as Pikachu slammed his Typhlosion with a huge Volt Tackle, sending the rock-type careening directly into Darkrai, who struggled to maneuver himself out from under Tyson's Pokemon.

Darkrai rose up from the ground and summoned two Dark Voids, extending his hands in Pikachu and Dragonair's direction.

"Crap crap crap crap crap," Aurian said, biting her lip. "Dragonair, aim for Raichu!"

Dragonair rocketed through the arena. narrowly avoiding the Dark Void, which instead struck Morrison's Blaziken, whom was knocked out by Faith and her Machop. Morrison's face faded from the screen. Jon was knocked out soon after, leaving Assunta, Tobias, Ash, Aurian, Surge, and Faith still in the mix.

Assunta switched his aim from Surge to Darkrai and his Dragonite met the Legendary head-on with the most powerful Giga Impact tha Ash had ever seen. It wasn't enough- Dragonite fainted and the top six turned to five.

Darkrai turned his attention back towards the patonai. Ash recalled an exhausted Pikachu and sent in Charizard, who let out a war bellow that knocked the dark-type back a few inches.

Should we do it? Aurian asked.

Ash nodded. Time to show Tobias we mean business. Faith'll finish Surge.

"Blast Burn variation six!" Ash cried.

Aurian crossed her fingers. "Dragon Pulse Delta!"

Tobias's jaw dropped as the flames enveloped the Dragon Pulse and morphed into a swirling pitch-black mass. The gates to hell opened, sending a massive blast of energy towards Tobias' cornerstone. The attack nailed Darkrai in the face and sent him careening into a back wall, bruised and bloody.

"Hyper Beam!" Tobias ordered, face turning red.

"Dragon Dance, wait for it," Aurian called.

Ash shook his head. "Charizard, cut him off!"

Dragonair rocketed in and lashed out at the Legendary with a Dragon Tail. Charizard followed suit and contributed a nasty Giga Impact that drained the last of Darkrai's power. Ash's worst nightmare collapsed at his feet, soundly defeated.

Tobias withdrew Darkrai, shocked. Before he had time to react, Faith's Machamp knocked out Surge's Raichu with a well-timed Superpower.

"That's all she wrote, folks! Our Top Four are Tobias Langley, Red Aronshu, Blue Katrian, and Faith Sorenson! Congratulations!" Lance cried.

Ash picked Aurian up and spun her around in a triumphant hug.

"We did it we did it we did it!" Aurian cried, returning the action once her patonai set her down. "Holy crap, we did it!"

Ash grinned at his best friend's enthusiasm and wiped a few tears of joy off his face. "Look alive, Blue!"

They turned to face Tobias and Faith, who shook their hands.

"Congratulations, you two," Tobias said. "I've never seen anyone battle the way you do. You're a perfect match."

Aurian hugged Faith. "So are you two! I can't wait for the next few days. May the best trainer win?"

"May the best trainer win," Ash said. "Is there some sort of meeting we need to go to after this?"

"I believe so," Tobias replied, glancing over his shoulder. "I think that's Lance on his way over."

Lance and Dragonite flew down from the press box and landed in front of the four.

"You're going to hear this a million times over, so here's my addition. Congratulations, you're four of the best trainers in the world! Mr. Goodshow has planned a gala dinner in your honor tonight in his suite. Dress code is a nice suit for guys, long formals for ladies. You'll meet Steven Stone at the top of the stadium at seven."

"Understood," Faith said. "We'll come prepared. Can we bring friends?"

"I don't see why not," Lance said. "I'd limit it to one per person. Any other questions?"

All assembled shook their heads.

"Excellent. See you then!"

Lance and Dragonite flew off into the distance.

"He certainly knows how to make an exit," Tobias muttered. "We'll see you soon, Red and Blue. Faith, are you ready to head out?"

"Yeah," Faith replied, recalling her Machamp. "I'm ready. See you tonight, guys!"

The pairs split up and Ash and Aurian trekked across the destroyed arena floor.

"Who're you bringing as a date?" Aurian asked.

Ash snorted. "You, of course! You're the only person here that I'd trust with my life."

"I'm flattered, but we should really consider opening up our options. You could bring Misty, I could bring Brock. We'd have extra allies that way."

Aurian raised an eyebrow at Ash's sudden blush.

"It's something to consider," Ash muttered. "You really have to drag Misty into this?"

"You and I both know she can handle herself," Aurian said. "Come on, let's go find our friends."

"Holy carp, you did it!" Max laughed, hugging his mentor. "That was incredible!"

Maddy grinned. "I'm so proud of you guys! I've never seen anything like what you used to take Darkrai down!"

Aurian put an arm around her trainee. "Thank you, Maddy. Red and I call that opening the Gates to Hell."

"Metal," Brock muttered. "How'd you discover that combination?"

"Blue was talking about her Contest days," Ash started, biting his lip, "and how she wanted to come up with some sort of signature move that the two of us could use to let the world know that we'd taken care of business. What you saw back there was the brainchild of three all-nighters on a sniping mission in the Sevii Islands."

"Lance thought I was insane when I explained the concept," Aurian chuckled. "Then he saw the attack and changed his mind."

"What's next for you guys?" Misty asked. "There has to be some sort of celebration..."

Ash nodded. "Goodshow is hosting a gala dinner in his private suite."

A gala dinner?" Brock asked. "Where are you supposed to find formal wear on such short notice?"

Ash grinned. "We keep all sorts of secrets up our sleeves, Brock. We're trying to work out a potential date situation."

"Would you and Misty be opposed to coming with us and watching our backs?" Aurian asked. "We can bring a person each."

Misty shook her head. "That's the least we can do to repay everything you've done for us. Are you expecting the Andan Alliance to pull something tricky tonight?"

Ash shook his head. "At this point, we can't assume anything. Gala dinners normally attract the wealthy and the influential- two kinds of people that Andan would absolutely love to take advantage of and use for their own good."

"We're going in armed to the teeth," Aurian said. "You two will need to, as well, if push comes to shove."

Brock grinned. "I'm in. Think of all the beautiful girls that will be there!"

Max grabbed Brock's ear and dragged him down to earth. "For the love of Arceus, calm yourself!"

Misty laughed at Max's reaction. "Where should we start?"

Three hours, an emergency shopping trip, and a stop to the G-Men headquarters later, the four gala attendees exited their campsite and started walking to the private suite.

"You ladies look fantastic," Brock said.

Aurian grinned and spun the long skirts of her midnight dress. "Thanks! I'm amazed that we managed to find these on such short notice and that Research was able to make the necessary alterations to everything in time."

"I'm still not used to the idea that there are knives hidden in my shoes," Misty noted, tapping the toes of her black stilettos on the ground, "but I do feel pretty comfortable knowing that we can defend ourselves if something goes wrong."

"Dressed to kill," Brock muttered. Ash whacked him in the side.

"Shall we?" Ash asked, offering his arm to Misty, who took it with a blush after straightening her date's red bow-tie.

Aurian took Brock's arm and led the way to Goodshow's private suite. "Remember, if anything gets weird, stay back and Red and I will go to work. Only draw your Pokemon or your weapons if absolutely necessary."

"What about you two? What do you have up your sleeves?" Misty asked.

Ash grinned and shifted the sleeves of his jacket back. "My cufflinks, buttons, and tie pin are Rota Crystal, along with our arrowheads. Riley channeled as much of his aura in them as possible."

"These aren't pearls," Aurian smirked, fiddling with her necklace. "Riley went to Rota when he first started his training and found this crystal necklace in the ruins of a Guardian Temple. This is technically on loan from a tiny little museum inside of Victory Road but no one will notice. We're armed to the teeth as wel- but our weapon of choice is stealthier than what Andan will bring to the table."

The four joined a steady stream of well-dressed people and made the long climb up to Mr. Goodshow's private suite. The rooms were located on the top edge of the stadium and had curved windows as walls on three sides, the fourth being the backdrop for a massive bar.

Ash whistled at the feel of marble tiles under his dress shoes and made mental notes of what not to touch. Some of the artwork in Goodshow's suite cost more than he'd ever make as a G-Men captain.

The four were met by none other than Steven Stone, dressed to the nines in a tuxedo with a bright silver tie.

"Good evening! You're just in time, they're about to recognize the Top Four. Tobias and Faith are standing right by the platform. Red and Blue, if you could go join them, that would be greatly appreciated."

Ash nodded. "Understood, sir. Everyone's here?"

"Yes. Hurry up, you'll be late!"

The patonai rushed to meet Tobias and Faith by the stage.

Faith, true to her call name, wore a brilliant crimson cocktail dress with a silhouette that forced many a man to blush. Tobias stood by her side, a shadow in all black and a charcoal tie.

"Blue!" Faith said, putting an arm around Aurian. "You clean up nice!"

Aurian laughed. "Thank you, Faith, and that's a gorgeous dress. Where'd you find it?"

Ash and Tobias stood in an awkward silence as the girls burst into excited conversation about dresses and shoes.

"So... any idea how this recognition thing will work?" Ash asked.

Tobias shrugged. "Goodshow calls our names. We get a medal. We schmooze with fancy people who really don't care about the outcome of the next three battles. We leave."

"Sounds about right," Ash laughed. "Hopefully the food will counteract the awkwardness."

Tobias chuckled. "I hope you're right, Red. There're plates of sesame shrimp going around that look incredible."

"That sounds divine," Aurian sighed. "We've been living off of PokeCenter and campfire food for the past two weeks. This is a wonderful change."

Faith grinned. "Enjoy it while you can! I'm floored that everything we've seen so far are just the appetizers..."

The elder trainer was cut off by Goodshow clinking a spoon against a wine glass, quieting the room in a rush.

"Welcome to the Victory Gala! Tonight, we celebrate four of the most talented young trainers in the world. Before we feast, we would like to offer them our sincerest congratulations on behalf of the Pokemon League and their home regions."

A polite round of applause rose and echoed among the vaulted ceilings.

"Our youngest Final Four member, hailing from Canalave City, is none other than Blue Katrian, the Sinnoh Sharpshooter!"

Aurian stepped up on stage to thunderous applause from the younger trainers in the room and grinned as Goodshow draped a medal around her neck.

"Kanto's Crimson Menace, Red Aronshu!"

Ash climbed the steps, shook Goodshow's hand, and received his medal, joining his patonai.

"The Undeniable Tobias Langley of Vermillion City, Kanto!"

The applause faltered a bit and then resumed as Tobias took the stage and repeated Ash's actions.

"And last but certainly not least, Kanto's Sweetheart, Faith Sorenson of Lavender Town!"

Faith took her medal and grinned, joining the other three trainers on stage.

As Goodshow raised his microphone to speak again, the glass windows shattered and Andan troops burst into the room, weapons drawn and aimed at the League President.

"Hands up, everyone!" Mars called, shouldering her rifle. "Do as we say and no one gets hurt!"

Ash and Aurian reluctantly put their hands up. Misty and Brock followed suit, eyes wide and arms trembling.

"We have a list of demands here that the G-Men so eloquently refused to accept a few days ago. Our esteemed leader decided to give you all a second chance," Mars cleared her throat. "Relinquish control of the League to our Leader, who you will address as Cabot. Turn in your G-Men. Finally, bring Ashton Ketchum and Aurian Copland out of wherever you've been hiding them and hand them over to us."

Ash snuck a look at Tobias, who remained impassive and impossible to read, as always.

Lance stepped forward, all eyes and weapons trained on him.

"We denied your creed once and we will deny it again," he said, slowly moving his hand towards his belt. "Long live the League and long live the G-Men!"

A roar of support rose from the assembled crowd.

A spark of insanity appeared in Mars' eyes. "Very well then. If you will not willingly relinquish control, we will seize it!"

Gunshots echoed throughout the suite. None of them hit their targets, thanks to Ash and Aurian throwing up an invisible shield of aura and redirecting the bullets as they hit, sending shrapnel back at the Andan troops. Lance released Dragonite, who let out a mighty bellow and stared down his opponents.

"Are we in on this one?" Aurian asked, a hand on her necklace.

Ash nodded. "Yes. Ditch the skirt and move out!"

Aurian ripped the long skirt off of her dress, relieved to move around in the shorts she'd worn under it, and launched into action, tying her hair back while releasing Empoleon. Ash called out Pikachu. Brock and Misty followed suit with their cornerstones.

Patonai, this is Riley. Hold back on Aura until I give you permission, I'm up on the roof with the rest of the Armada.

Aurian groaned. It's a little late for that, we just protected Lance from a hail of bullets. Invisible aura.

The patonai glanced through the sheer chaos in the room and noticed Tobias and Faith sprinting for Goodshow. Midnight's Heir and Lady Crimson knocked the head of the Pokemon League out and made to carry him out of the room.

Riley, Tobias just kidnapped Goodshow. Moving in, Ash said, drawing on the power in his cuff links and sprinting towards the other trainers. Aurian followed close on his heels, ditching her shoes in the process.

"You really think that's a good idea?" Ash asked, nailing Tobias in the small of his back with a well-placed flying kick.

Aurian grinned as the rest of the Armada rappelled through the windows and started combat with Andan. "You're not the only ones who brought reinforcements."

Faith propped Goodshow against a wall and attempted to take out one of Aurian's eyes with the sharpened point of her signature stilettos. Aurian flipped out of the way and retaliated with a few careful punches.

Ash blocked a punch from Tobias and returned the action, managing to slip a hand into the elder trainer's pocket.

"Why turn against the League?" Ash asked, loosening his tie between attacks.

Tobias laughed. "Turn? No, little boy, you'll learn the truth soon enough. There is more to this story than you know."

"I'll be more than happy to put it to an end," Ash said, switching to defensive maneuvers. "That's our job."

"Our?" Tobias asked. "You and your little girlfriend?"

Aurian threw Tobias a pretty grin; then hauled off and backhanded him in the nose. "For the last time, we're not dating!"

Tobias stumbled backwards, slack with shock, nose bleeding profusely, and a massive bruise forming across his face.

Faith pulled something from her belt and tossed it in the patonai's direction, using the distraction to grab Goodshow and run.

Ash turned his back, pulled Aurian in front of him, and summoned a shield of aura around the two of them, protecting the room from the blast and smoke that came out of what Faith dropped.

When the smoke cleared, Goodshow was gone. The Andan troops ran for the doors, closely pursued by Lance, Cynthia, Riley, and the rest of the Armada.

"Crap!" Aurian said, head in her hands. "We couldn't stop them."

Ash shook his head and took his patonai's hand. "It's not our fault. Faith took us by surprise with that smoke bomb. What's more important is that Andan took Goodshow. What now?"

Lance joined the patonai, his tuxedo slightly singed at the ends of the pants and a sleeve nearly torn off. "We need to regroup at HQ. Gather your things and bring your trainees and friends. We'll need all the help we can get to pull this off."

"What happens with the tournament?" Aurian asked.

Lance groaned. "Dammit, don't remind me. Assume that it's on hold for now but be prepared to battle tomorrow for the top two spots. I will do my damnedest to pit Red against Tobias and you against Faith, Blue. Since Goodshow is gone, the League will most likely ask Cynthia and I to take joint control until we can get him back. We'll discuss this at length at HQ."

"Understood," Ash said, suppressing a salute. "We'll meet you there."

Aurian picked up her shoes from a pile of rubble and started checking on the rest of the guests, applying first-aid training where needed and calling in the authorities to start a crime-scene investigation.

"You guys okay?" Misty asked, sheathing her knives back into her shoes.

Ash nodded. "We're fine. Are you hurt?"

"No, thank goodness. That was quick thinking with the smoke bomb," Brock whispered. "That could've been a lot worse. What now?"

"Headquarters," Aurian said. "We need to go get the kids."

"We're on it," Misty said. "We'll meet you at the Center in ten and teleport there."

The four split up, leaving Ash and Aurian alone to direct the Jennies and their squads and explain what they saw to a waiting Interregional Investigator- none other than Looker.

"That's the story?" Looker asked, an eyebrow raised at how implausible everything sounded.

The patonai nodded.

"Very well, you're dismissed."

Ash and Aurian raced down the stairs. Halfway down, Ash's Pokegear rang.

"Hello?"

"Ash, sweetie, is that you?"

Ash sighed in relief. "Mom!"

"I saw what happened at the gala on the news. Are you and Aurian okay?"

Aurian took the Pokegear as Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulders. "Hi Delia, we're fine. Goodshow's been kidnapped and we had to act out of uniform."

"Lance wants me at Headquarters in case Andan figures out who you two are," Delia said. "Safety first."

"Good move on his part," Ash muttered. "Mom, we'll be there in ten."

"See you soon, kiddo. I love you."

The line went dead and the patonai finished their sprint to the Center, where Max and Maddy stood waiting for them.

"Dear God, Red! You're bleeding!" Max cried.

Ash put a hand to his forehead and it came away sticky with red. "Nothing I can't fix."

A small burst of aura appeared under his hand and Ash wiped the blood away. "You ready to go?"

Misty came out from inside the Center and nodded. "Yeah. We went ahead and healed our teams while you were finishing up. Take us home."

Ash released Xiphos and the six spun through space and time until their feet hit the ground inside of G-Men headquarters.

"We need to change out of our formals and into our actual formals," Aurian said, looking down at her ruined dress. "Go wherever Lance tells you to, see you in ten."

The patonai dashed off to the locker room and started changing.

"Ash, did you ever tell Delia that our new opponent was Andan?" Aurian asked, shrugging into her jacket.

Her patonai frowned, taking the scuff marks out of his boots. "No, I never did."

"That's not a name that's well known outside of G-Men circles. It'll be all over the news tonight, but there's no way that Delia should have known that," Aurian finished, buttoning her cape to her shoulder.

"Something feels off here," Ash said. "Mom sounded worn out and strained. She's been stressing out about something. I'm worried, we need to check on her when she gets here."

"I'm coming with you for that," Aurian replied, shutting down Ash's protests. "We're a team."

Ash frowned. "There's something that I've been meaning to tell you..."

"What's up?"

"My dad appeared in a dream last night. Ri, I have a sister."

Aurian raised an eyebrow. "And Delia never told you about this?"

"Nope. Mom has some explaining to do."

Aurian groaned. "Dear Lord. For now, we need to see how badly everything's gone to crap. We'll talk to Delia about this as soon as we're allowed to. Looks like we'll have to save the day- again.

(A/N): Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for reading Chapter 20 of Primary! As always, it's review response time!

thechinskyguy- Thank you! This chapter had a lot more action packed into it so I hope that balanced out C19 for you, friend.

MidnightHunter563- Hope this chapter lived up to your expectations!

emosewa-13: Welcome back! Thank you for your kind words. You'll see quite a bit more of Hiori in the next few chapters, for sure.

If you've liked what you've seen so far, feel free to drop a review! Tell me what was great, what was bad, what you liked, what you didn't like, what needs to be changed.

This is PL, signing off!