Chapter 22: Dreams and Nightmares

Pikachu yawned deeply as he lay beside Lucario, Tyrunt, Fletchinder, Chespin, Bunnelby, and Luxray, all around Charizard's tail flame.

Nearby Charla had attempted to do the same, but Ash/Clemont's Pokemon got there first, much to her chagrin. As such, she rested further off with Pancham and Braixen cuddled beside her tail flame. It was a new moon, and a gentle breeze made the night particularly pleasant, especially with the fire lizards' warm tails.

Pikachu glanced over at the two tents set up nearby with their human companions sound asleep inside. Normally Pikachu would've preferred to sleep beside Ash, but he and Serena had gotten up to the antics of a married couple.

"Pika." Pikachu muttered, sweat dropping as he thought about it. The electric mouse then turned his gaze upon Greninja, who leaned against a tree while watching over them, barely visible on the new moon. Now that Pikachu thought about it, he realized that he'd never actually seen Greninja sleep. Yet another question about his mysterious companion.

Pikachu and the others tried several times since the battle to ask Greninja why he cut off their aura connection to him, and whose voice it was they heard. However, Greninja remained more distant than ever.

"Pika." Pikachu sighed. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier until the electric mouse drifted off into a deep sleep.

Greninja sighed deeply and lowered his head slightly before glancing back at Pikachu, then Ash's tent.

"Gre." Just then, Greninja detected something awry and instantly stood up in a defensive posture, drawing both arm blades. The ninja pokemon remained silent and scanned the surroundings carefully before noticing something. He looked closer and realized two sets of eyes gazed at each other from the trees on either side of the camp.

"Gre?"

Pikachu opened his eyes after hearing a commotion.

"Huh?" Pikachu muttered, rubbing his weary eyes before realizing Lucario had bumped him with his arm.

"Oh, Lucario, try to be more careful. I was trying too-"Pikachu's eyes widened, and his face turned pale when he realized that Lucario's arm had twitched because he had a sword embedded into his stomach.

"Lucario!" Pikachu shrieked in utter horror. However, as he backed up, the electric mouse bumped into something else.

"Why didn't you stop them?" A familiar voice groaned in agony, and Pikachu yelped again when he saw Charizard with three lances sticking through his body.

"No! No!" Pikachu felt his blood go cold when he turned all around to see all the others dead or dying. When the electric mouse looked upon the tents, it only got worse. One was burnt to a crisp, and two skeletons sticking out.

"Clemont! Bonnie!"

"Pikachu."

Pikachu's heart stopped, and his body trembled. He didn't want to look. He refused to, but something forced him to turn, and then, the world ended. Before him lay Ash dying with two swords in his stomach.

"No! No! Ash!" Pikachu sobbed as he raced over and tried in vain to pull the swords out.

"Ahhh! Ash!"

This final voice sent a final chill down Pikachu's spine, and he looked over at Serena, who was dragged away by a squad of Galar knights towards King Victor.

"There you are, my precious bride."

"No!" Pikachu sparked his cheeks and raced over, only for shadowy figures taking the forms of Galar pokemon, including Gigantamax'd ones with glowing red eyes surrounding him.

"It's over! All you love is lost! Fall into despair!" The figures laughed.

"No! No! This can't be happening!"

"Don't listen to them, Pikachu!"

"Huh?" Pikachu opened his teary eyes and gasped as he saw none other than Greninja emerge from the darkness, blades drawn.

"It's a lie! An illusion! Don't give in!" Greninja slashed apart the figures with ease, and Pikachu saw his dead companions, including Ash rise back up, their eyes glowing as they turned on him.

"Fall into despair!" They roared.

Pikachu grit his teeth and sparked his cheeks.

"No! I won't believe it! You're not real!" Pikachu unleashed a discharge of electricity that shattered the figures into nothing.

"It wasn't real! Any of it!" Pikachu cried in a combination of joy and relief.

"No, well done." Greninja retracted his arm blades and stepped forward, nodding his head.

"Greninja, what's happening?"

"We're inside a dream, or I suppose in your case, a nightmare."

"A nightmare? I don't understand?"

"Neither do I fully understand it. But Just a minute or so ago, I sensed something descend upon the camp. Two beings are locked in some kind of battle, and we're caught in the middle of it. One is projecting nightmares upon us, and the other good dreams. Luckily I saw through the illusion immediately and was able to come to your aid."

Pikachu sighed deeper than he had in a long time, knowing none of his family were hurt.

"Ok, so, how do we wake up?"

"First things first, we need to free the others from the illusions too. I don't know what's causing this, but it may take all of us to stop them."

"Right!" Pikachu cried while sparking his cheeks, only to sweat drop moments later.

"Uhh, how exactly do we do that?"

"Follow me." Greninja led Pikachu deeper into the woods before they found a doorway sitting in tree.

"Be ready, it may be another nightmare."

"Right! We'll zap away their fears!"

"We can help them, but remember Pikachu, only the one having the nightmare can truly overcome it."

Pikachu grit his teeth but nodded. He readied himself for the worst, but upon opening the door, gleaming light nearly enveloped them both.

"Huh?" Pikachu and Greninja entered the doorway and found themselves in perhaps the lushest and most vibrant garden they'd ever seen. The flora almost seemed to dance in the rich sunlight, and the smell of sweets filled their nostrils.

"This is a nightmare?"

"More likely than not, it's a good dream."

Just then, Pikachu and Greninja saw him. A large Chesnaught emerged from a small mountain of various sweets and began gorging on them with a look of utter delight on his face.

"So tasty!" His voice sounded slightly different, but Pikachu and Greninja instantly knew whose dream this was.

"Oh, Chespin." Pikachu and Greninja sweatdropped.

"Chestnaught, tea time!"

"Huh?" Pikachu and Greninja saw two more figures approach on a Rapidash. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was Clemont and Shauna, though only Pikachu recognized Shauna. However, both appeared different than usual. Clemont looked more dashing than he really was and had gilded spurs on.

Shauna was also seemingly glowing with a swollen stomach.

"Coming!" Chesnaught cried in delight as he picked up an armful of sweets and ran over to join the two humans for steaming tea.

"Come on, let's go." Greninja said when he noticed a reluctant look on Pikachu's face.

"He looks so happy."

"Pikachu, this isn't real. Chespin can't stay here forever." Pikachu sighed and nodded, knowing Greninja was right.

Together they walked over when Chesnaught noticed them.

"Pikachu! Greninja! You're just in time for tea! Care for some macaroons!" He offered them a plate, and Pikachu had to remind himself it was just a dream, for they smelled heavenly.

"They were made with love!" Shauna practically sang.

"No, we can't stay, and neither can you, Chespin."

"Huh? What are you talking about? First of all, look at me. I'm a Chesnaught now and-"

"Chespin, you're having a dream. This isn't real."

Chesnaught blinked and nearly dropped the tray of sweets.

"What!? No, of course, it's real. Look around; everything is perfect here! Clemont's finally a chevalier, Shauna is safe, and their baby is due any day now! There are all the sweets in the world and-"

"Chespin, this place is too perfect. Can't you see that." It pained Pikachu to say this, especially when he saw a somewhat distraught look on Chesnaught's face.

"No! I don't believe you! This is real! You're just jealous that we're so happy! Right Clemont, Shauna!"

"Right Chesnaught!" They sang together.

"Chespin, is this the kind of life you want to live? Life is about more than just happiness, and it's not meant to be perfect. You can stay here forever if you want, but you won't really be with Clemont, and you won't really ever become a Chesnaught."

Chesnaught trembled and started to tear up.

"This, this isn't real. I need to get back to Clemont." Chesnaught transformed back into Chespin at the same time Clemont, Shauna, and the sweets vanished. Pikachu patted Chespin's back as he took a deep breath.

"You made the right choice, Chespin. Let's keep moving." Greninja pointed to a doorway that appeared on another tree nearby.

"Prepare yourself for the worst." Pikachu and Chespin followed Greninja's instructions, especially when they saw what awaited them inside. All the warmth and vibrant light from Chespin's dream vanished into a frigid tundra that chilled all three Pokemon to their core.

"Gaah! It's too cold! Let's go back to my dream!" Chespin tried to run back, but Pikachu dragged him forward. Somehow, despite the dark sky, void of any stars or moon, the three saw everything around them clearly enough.

"So whose nightmare is this?" Chespin asked.

"Hellow! Where are you!? Where is everyone!?" Pikachu, Chespin, and Greninja went silent.

"Shhh." Greninja listened closer until he heard the soft noise of footsteps approaching them.

"Tyrunt." Pikachu muttered and pointed to the fossil pokemon who wandered aimlessly across the tundra, looking lost and afraid.

"Hellow!" Tyrunt cried, louder and more desperate this time.

"I don't get it?" Chespin asked, and Pikachu had to fight back his tears.

"He's looking for the other Tyrunts and Tyrantrum."

Chespin tilted his head slightly.

"Wait, I don't get it. There are other Tyrunts and Tyrantrum."

"Only those under Count Grant. Think about it, he's been around Kalos now and has seen all kinds of wild Pokemon living in the wild, but no other Tyrunts. Think about what it must do to him, knowing that his kind is virtually extinct."

"Hello! Please! Someone must be out there! Where is everyone!?"

"Tyrunt." Pikachu raced out, much to Tyrunt's relief.

"Pikachu! Thank goodness you're here! I can't find the other Tyrunts!"

"Tyrunt, there are some more Tyrunts and Tyrantrum back with Count Grant."

"I know that! I'm looking for the others in the wild!"

Pikachu took a deep breath and placed his paw on Tyrunt's snout.

"Tyrunt, there aren't any other Tyrunts in the world. Just you and those with Count Grant." Tyrunt jumped backward and shook his head.

"No! No, that's impossible. We've seen plenty of other Pikachu! Other Chespin and Froakie too!" Tyrunt cried when he saw Chespin and Greninja approach.

"Tyrunt, I'm sorry, but this is the truth, and deep down, you know it." Greninja added.

"No! No! They're out there. I know they are! I'll find them myself!" Tyrunt sprinted off with Pikachu and the others following.

"Hello! Hello!" Tyrunt kept crying until he stopped in his tracks and went pale.

"Tyrunt!" Pikachu cried until he realized why the fossil pokemon stopped. The four had entered a graveyard filled with hundreds of skeletons. Not just any skeletons either, Tyrunt and Tyrantrum.

"No! No!"

Before Pikachu could say or do anything else, the various skeletons started moving, and ominous red lights lit up in their eye sockets.

"Alone, alone, you're all alone!" The skeletons spoke in unison, all of them staring at Tyrunt, who started trembling even worse.

"No! No!"

"Alone! Alone! Alone! Fall into despair!"

Greninja noticed that none of the skeletons had shadows. Instead, he picked up on a mysterious shadow-like figure looming over them in the sky with red eyes.

"Ahhhh!" Tyrunt sobbed and collapsed to the ground, falling into despair.

"Tyrunt." The dinosaur pokemon felt something warm around his snout. He opened his tear-filled eyes and saw Pikachu embracing him.

"Tyrunt, you're not alone. Even if there aren't many Tyrunts left, you still aren't alone. You have a new family now, us."

"Huh?"

"Pikachu's right! Family is more than just blood. It's those you're close to! Luxray, Bunnelby, and I are all family with Clemont!"

"Tyrunt, you have all of us."

"Family." Greninja muttered, more to himself than anyone.

"Alone! Alone! Alone!" The skeletons continued.

"No! I'm not alone! I have a family!" Tyrunt's roar caused the skeletons to shatter.

Tyrunt nuzzled Pikachu, who smiled and patted him back.

"Well done, let's keep moving." Greninja led the other Pokemon into a new doorway that had just appeared.

"Alright, ready yourselves in case it's another nightmare." Pikachu said while Tyrunt growled.

However, when Greninja opened the doorway, it quickly became clear that wasn't the case, and they found themselves in an almost idealized version of the northern Kalos coastline with white beaches, lush palm trees, and a massive estate erected nearby.

"Hmm, I think my dream looked prettier." Chespin said, earning annoyed glances from the others.

"What?"

"Come on. We need to find out whose dream this is." Pikachu took the lead towards the estate when they heard a series of excited shouts and applause.

"Look!" Tyrunt growled as he pointed to a large stage set up in the estate with hundreds of people/pokemon watching someone and something in the sky. Upon closer inspection, Pikachu realized it was Serena who danced in the sky via her wingsuit. However, she didn't perform alone.

"Prepare to be dazzled!" A Charizard cried while flying alongside Serena. However, this wasn't an ordinary Charizard, but rather a much more dragon-esk variant.

"Charla!" Pikachu, Chespin, and Tyrunt shouted. Serena and Charla landed together to roaring applause.

"Thank you! Thank you! You're all too kind!"

"Mama!"

"Eh?" Pikachu watched as no less than ten small Charmanders, some looking like Charla had as a Charmander, some like regular Charmanders, and the rest as a mix ran over to Charla with a very familiar Charizard moving behind them.

"There's my beautiful babies!" Charla almost sang as she began tenderly nuzzling them before doing the same with Charizard.

"You were spectacular, my true love!"

"Ohh, Charizard, you're making me blush."

Pikachu, Chespin, and Tyrunt all gave crestfallen looks and sweatdropped.

"Ohh Charla." Pikachu sighed and facepalmed.

"How are we going to convince her to let this go?" Tyrunt asked.

"We must." Greninja reminded them.

"Ok, let me think." Pikachu held his chin and considered their options. Finally, he gave a determined look and approached Charla.

"Charla!"

"Hmm, Pikachu! Ohh, Chespin, Tyrunt, and Greninja too! Kids, say hello!"

"Charla, wait!" Pikachu found himself swarmed by the Charmanders, who started nuzzling and licking him.

"Don't worry, Pikachu, we'll save you!" Chespin tried to use vine whip on Pikachu, only for three of the Charmander to overtake him.

"Gaah! They're too cute!" Tyrunt groaned as four started climbing over him.

"You all came at the perfect time. Serena and I have another performance in a few minutes!"

"Charla, I know this will be hard for you to hear, but you're in a dream right now!" Pikachu shouted, trying to push his way through the swarm of baby Charmander.

Charla beamed and nuzzled Charizard's snout.

"I know. It's all a dream come true!"

"That's not what he meant! This is a literal dream!" Chespin cried.

"Huh? A dream? No, you're just being silly!"

"Do you recall when you evolved into Charizard and had all these Charmander?" Greninja asked. The question caught Charla off-guard, and she started to look quite nervous.

"Well, I, they. No, this can't be a dream! Charizard loves me, don't you!"

"Of course I do, mon amour! You're the love of my life!"

"See!" Charla almost pleaded.

Pikachu finally got through the various Charmander and reached Charla herself, who now shook a little.

"Charla, I know how much you want this to be real. But you can't live a lie. The Charizard beside you isn't the real Charizard, not the one you love. These children aren't real either."

Charla clenched her eyes shut and almost looked ready to cry.

"But they could be."

"Eh?"

Pikachu looked up at her with utter sincerity.

"Charla, you could make all of this real one day, but only if you leave this dream."

Charla exhaled deeply, and upon nodding, she transformed back into a Charmeleon. All of the other figures vanished, but Charla remained determined.

"Come on! The sooner we get out of here, the sooner I can make it all real!"

Pikachu, Tyrunt, and Chespin sweatdropped a little.

"Well, at least she's accepting reality."

Greninja led the group towards another doorway and carefully opened the door.

"Woah!" Chespin yelped when a flash of lightning and boom of thunder nearly enveloped them.

"Relax, it's just a dream. Nothing can really hurt you in here." Greninja showed no fear while entering the doorway.

"Easy for him to say. He's not afraid of anything." Chespin groaned while following Pikachu and the others. The group found themselves amid a violent thunderstorm on a forest route at night.

The howling wind and rustling flora gave the Pokemon a haunting feeling, all except Pikachu and Greninja.

"Whose dream could this be?" Chespin asked.

"Dream, I'd say this is a nightmare." Charla countered.

"What do you think, Pikachu?"

However, the electric mouse almost looked like the nightmare was his.

"I remember this place. I've been here with Ash before. Oh no." Pikachu sounded terrified, but not for himself.

"What's wrong?" The others asked, especially when they saw Pikachu's pale expression.

"I know whose nightmare this is."

xxx (Play Asphalt and Ablution from Halo ODST, very important to the scene)

"Ash! Ash, where are you!" A soft and fearful voice carried through the harsh wind.

"Who is that?" Charla asked.

Only Pikachu knew, and he hadn't heard that voice in years.

"Come on. We need to hurry!" Pikachu raced through the storm with the others close behind until he stopped before a bend with a rock along the side.

Sitting on the rock was a small, bruised, and frightened Charmander, who desperately tried to keep his dying tail flame alight with a leaf as he looked aimlessly around.

"Ash, where are you? I'm scared!"

Charla covered her mouth and almost shook.

"Don't tell me."

"Yes, that's Charizard." Pikachu muttered.

"That's Charizard!?" Chespin cried in disbelief.

"This isn't just a nightmare. It's a memory, a traumatic one. This is where Ash and I found him, alone and abandoned by his previous trainer."

"Ash, please!" Charmander wailed, tears in his eyes.

"He's gone. Why would he ever want a pokemon like you."

Pikachu's fur stood up, and he growled as a shadowy figure in the shape of a human emerged from the darkness with glowing red eyes that bore down on Charmander.

"It can't be!" Pikachu realized this was the trainer who abandoned Charmander.

"You're weak, useless, good for nothing!"

Charmander wilted under these insults and cradled himself as the rain bore down on him.

"You think he ever really wanted you? He just pitied you, and who could blame him, a loser pokemon who could never win a single battle and had to be saved! You're nothing. You're dead already. Fall into despair!"

Charla roared and tried to race out, only for a swarm of shadowy Zubat to emerge from the darkness and block their path.

"Out of my way!" Charla desperately tried to fight her way through the Zubat shadows, but for each, she destroyed two more appeared.

"Charizard, don't listen to him!" Pikachu cried.

"Come on, don't let a shadow push you around!" Chespin added.

Tyrunt, too tried to break through alongside the others but to no avail.

Additionally, the crack of thunder made it impossible for Charmander to hear them, and he continued to cradle himself, the despair closing in.

"No!" All three Pokemon cried.

Nearby, Greninja furiously tried to break through but found similar results.

"Merde!" Greninja cursed.

"Ash." Charmander muttered. That's when Greninja realized there was something he could do, but it meant reopening his aura connection to the others. Clenching his eyes shut, Greninja did so and funneled Ash's aura into Charmander.

"No! Don't you give up on me!"

"Huh?" Charmander felt a fiery sense of love and devotion fill his very being. Opening his eyes, he saw and experienced an all too familiar presence before and within him.

"Never give up until the end!"

"Ash."

"You're weak! Pathetic!"

Charmander stood up tall and growled back at the human figure.

"No, you're the weak one. You'll never know compassion, friendship, or love! I don't need your approval. I never did!"

Pikachu and the others watched in awe as Charmander transformed, evolving all the way back into Charizard, who now loomed over the figure.

"You have no power over me! I was never weak! Ash saw my potential and helped me grow! That is something you will never know, and I feel sorry for you!" A colorful sphere surrounded Charizard, and the storm now fled in terror as he emerged Mega Charizard Z.

"Begone!" Charizard Z glowed green and flew into the figure with a Dragon Rush, shattering it.

"Alright, Charizard!" Pikachu cried.

"Ohhh! Mon amour!" Charla's eyes turned to hearts, and she raced out, wrapping her arms around him with everything she had.

"Huh? Charla? Pikachu, what's everyone doing here?"

"Charizard, you're in a nightmare. Or at least you were."

"You conquered it all on your own! I knew you would. You're so courageous and strong!"

Charizard sighed deeply and stroked the back of Charla's head before turning back towards Greninja with Pikachu and Greninja. The water ninja pokemon kept his back to them.

"Come on. We don't have time for this."

One by one, the ever-growing party went into various dreams and nightmares. Lucario dreamed of himself overcoming Daniel Rian's Lucario, while Braixen's nightmare had her hiding in a cave after losing all her fur.

Eventually, every Pokemon in their party stood together.

"Ok, we've got everyone! Now what?" Pikachu asked Greninja, who took a defensive stance.

"Now, we meet the ones responsible." The Pokemon saw themselves back at the campsite but knew it was still a dream.

"Who's there!?" Luxray growled.

"Show yourselves!" Lucario snarled.

Just then, two strange Pokemon became visible and floated overhead, directly across from each other. One looked almost like a colorful crescent moon, while the other resembled a dark spirit.

"Who are they?" Pancham cried in awe.

"My name is Cresselia, the bringer of sweet dreams and banisher of nightmares. My 'friend' is Darkrai, the bringer of unending nightmares."

"So it was you two who did all this!?" Tyrunt snarled.

"Yes, my sincerest apologies. Darkrai and I found ourselves locked in combat, and you got caught between us." Cresselia sounded warm and enchanting, almost motherly.

"Hmm, speak for yourselves. I found their despair delightfully satisfying until they so rudely awoke from my nightmares." Darkrai's voice crept with chilling terror.

"Let us go!" Pikachu growled.

Cresselia nodded.

"Yes, this fight isn't yours."

"Ohh, I don't think so." All eyes turned to Darkrai, who raised both hands as a ghostly mist filled the air around him.

"I will gorge myself on their despair and lament. Then Cresselia, I will place you into a nightmare that will never end! And after that, I'll expand across the land, and the lands beyond the sea, until all humans and Pokemon are trapped in eternal darkness and despair!"

"Wow, did you rehearse that speech?" Braixen muttered while sweatdropping.

Darkrai ignored her, and within moments the Pokemon gasped upon seeing a shadowy figure appear beside him, one for each of them.

"Fall into despair!" These figures manifested themselves into the objects of each Pokemon's inner fears.

"Don't let him deceive you! His only power is fear and lament!"

"Silence!" Darkrai blasted Cresellia with Dark Pulse, only for her to counter with Moonblast.

"Come on!" Pikachu led the others in an attack on their various fears. Even those who hadn't endured nightmares found their awakening experiences helpful, and each quickly gained the upper hand.

However, Greninja did so quickest and acrobatically leaped towards Dakrai with low kick. However, even as he did so, Darkrai's eyes met his.

"Ahhh, yes, you. The very special one."

"You have no hold on me! I overcame your nightmare!"

"Did you? Ohh, you think you did, but I can see through your facade. I know what you're really afraid of. Even after all this time, you can't forget it!"

"Greninja?" Pikachu saw and felt a pure terror in Greninja that he never imagined possible.

"Ahhh!" Greninja vanished into a dark void.

"No!" Disregarding his safety, Pikachu leaped into the darkness and found himself in another nightmare.

xxxx (Halo Asphalt and Ablution again)

"Greninja! Greninja!" Pikachu saw himself in what looked like Northern Kalos, but something about it seemed different.

"Greninja!"

"No! Brother, what have you done!?" Pikachu almost jumped when he heard a human's voice. Not just any voice, either. Pikachu Remembered it from days earlier, the one from Greninja's aura that he tried to hide.

Pikachu frantically followed the voice until he came across a human man wearing strange attire as he'd never seen before. Upon closer inspection, Pikachu realized that he bore a strange resemblance to Alexandre and cradled someone else in his arms.

"Who are you?"

"Brother." The man sobbed as he held the lifeless body in his arms.

"Bunnelby." Pikachu froze and looked over at a Froakie, whose expression mirrored the human's as he cradled a Bunnelby in his arms.

"Greninja." Pikachu muttered before he saw an oddly familiar shadow loom over them.

"You couldn't save them, you couldn't stop me, and you couldn't save him either." Pikachu saw the dead Bunnelby transform into Alexandre's body, making Froakie shiver even more.

"History will repeat itself, and there's nothing you can do to stop it! Fall into despair!"

"Greninja, don't listen to him!" Pikachu had no idea what all this meant, but that didn't matter.

"Think about Serena! Ash! They're still here, and you can still protect them!"

Tears flowed down Froakie's eyes, but when he opened them again, Greninja returned.

"I won't fail again!" Pikachu saw Greninja transform again as Ash's aura flowed through him.

"Woah!" The watery veil formed back around him, and Greninja leaped up at the figure. Back in the main dream, Charizard now took charge when suddenly all of the shadows vanished.

"Huh?"

"Gaaaah!" All eyes turned to Darkrai, who had a colossal glowing Water Shuriken stapped completely through his chest.

"Now!" Cresellia blasted Darkrai with Moonblast, which went straight through his injury and came out the other side.

"Woah!" Chespin yelped.

Pikachu's eyes opened and he looked around at the other Pokemon who also started to get up.

"Pika?!"

"Grau!"

"Gre." Greninja pointed up at Darkrai, who held his hands over a gaping hole in his chest.

"Rai! Darkrai!" The Darkrai wailed as his body came apart, evaporating into nothing.

"Cress." Cresselia sighed before smiling back at the other Pokemon in appreciation.

"Cress." Cresselia offered to give them all a night of sweet dreams as a thank you, but the Pokemon declined, preferring peaceful sleep after everything.

Cresselia nodded before retreating into the darkness.

Chespin yawned, then fell over and started snoring. One by one, the others did the same, all except Ash's team, who surrounded Greninja.

"Pika."

"Grouuu."

"Grauuu."

"Runt."

"Fletch!"

Greninja slowly relaxed and nodded before joining them in sleep, keeping the aura connection open.

Author's note

More of a character focused chapter, but there was plenty of important information revealed

Also yes, Greninja and Cresselia killed Darkrai

Not too much more to say,

So until next time,

Please review, comment, suggest, or ask (VIA PM)