Chapter 28: The Truth
Despite her ever-increasing symptoms of pregnancy, Serena woke up feeling rather well-rested. Sunlight entered through the window of her and Ash's chamber, which complimented the gentle sound of waterfalls in the distance.
The Princess stretched a little when she felt gentle breathing on her ever-growing stomach. Looking down, she giggled upon seeing Ash's head resting there and soon stroked his thick raven-black hair before hearing a yawn.
"Bonjour, mon amour."
"Bonjour, and good morning to you too, baby." Ash kissed Serena's stomach, making her beam brightly. After the initial shock, Ash quickly came around the news of his impending fatherhood, as did his Pokemon.
"We still need to come up with names."
"We?" Serena said with a somewhat stern expression, making him sweatdrop slightly.
"My last count was twenty-six names if it's a girl and thirty if it's a boy. Et toi?"
"Well, I did come up with one if he's a boy." Serena narrowed her eyes slightly.
"One?"
Ash nodded and smiled back.
"Alexandre." Serena's frustration instantly vanished, and she was nearly brought to tears/
"Oui! Oui, that's going to be his name if he's a boy!" Serena pulled Ash up and shared a passionate kiss with him.
Several minutes later, he returned to caressing Serena's stomach while she rested back against her pillow.
"Ash, would you mind bringing up my wing suit from the caravan?" Ash's head shot up, and now he gave Serena a stern look.
"Serena, we talked about this. You have to take it easy, no more strenuous activity until the baby's born."
"Ash, I can still move around, well enough. I don't want my performer skills to get rusty."
Ash continued to stare at her with the same expression.
"Ok, no flying! But I can still do ground performances! Plus, Delphox only just evolved. She'll get restless! S'il te plait!" Serena pleaded. Ash sighed deeply.
"Fine, ground performances only. But, you're taking a long nap first, and then another after."
"Oui! Oui I promise, merci!" Serena quickly laid her head back and fell asleep despite her excitement.
Ash took another deep breath and kissed her stomach.
"I hope you have your mother's spirit."
Ash got dressed in his tunic and trousers before leaving their chamber. He opened the adjoining room from the manor's hallway, revealing his and Serena's Pokemon, save Tyrantrum, resting inside.
As Serena said, her Braixen had evolved into a Delphox two days earlier and cuddled up beside Lucario. Ash smirked a little when he saw this and the fact that Charla did the same with Charizard.
Pikachu yawned and stretched himself when he saw Ash.
"Pika." Pikachu ran up and onto Ash's shoulder when they both noticed Charizard's eyes slowly open.
"Charizard, did you want to come too?"
Charizard looked down at Charla, who slept soundly against him and appeared to think things over for a moment before shaking his head.
Pikachu smirked back at Charizard, who promptly ignored his companion and went back to sleep. The moment he did so, Charla opened her eyes with a sly smile and glanced back at Ash/Pikachu, who gave her a thumbs-up as she nuzzled her head against Charizard's. Ash and Pikachu walked down the manor's halls, occasionally passing a servant, guard, or their Pokemon.
However, things took a wild turn when they spotted Red's Sceptile peering his head around a corner as if scouting out the area for danger.
"Tile." Sceptile came out and motioned forward. Ash and Pikachu blinked when they saw Red himself slowly emerge from the same corner, his Gardevoir close behind.
"Red?"
"Shhhhh!" Red frantically hushed Ash as if a pack of killers waited in the corners, ready to strike.
"Quoi?"
"Pika?" Ash approached his brother, who almost looked like he'd just come from a battlefield. The count's hair was extremely messy, his clothes hastily put on, and a look of exhaustion overtaking him.
"Red, tu vas bien? What happened?" Red's fear melted into fury, and he looked ready to maul his younger brother.
"This is all your fault!"
"Tile!"
"Gard!"
"Me?"
"Pika?" Red's rage fell back into exhaustion as he held his head.
"Ever since Korrina found out about Serena's pregnancy, she's become obsessed with us having our first baby…..Correction, she's even more obsessed than she already was!"
Ash looked at Red's appearance again and almost burst out laughing with Pikachu.
"Ohh, you poor thing." Ash said sarcastically.
"Ce n'est pas drole!" Red almost snarled, Sceptile and Gardevoir backing him up.
"Every morning, she checks with the physician to see if she's pregnant, then when he says no, she lectures me about what we might be doing wrong, and then-"
"Again, you poor thing."
Red now shook with rage.
"I don't need this from you! Charizard and Noivern have already betrayed me and are at best encouraging her, at worse helping her!"
Ash placed his hand on Red's shoulder and tried to calm him down.
"Relaxer, I'm just having a little fun. Where's Korrina now?"
"Still with the physician, I hope." Red frantically looked behind his shoulder with his Pokemon.
"Well, maybe this one will be the time. I wouldn't mind my son/daughter having a cousin their age."
Red exhaled deeply and nodded.
"Oui, it's not that I also wouldn't like to have a child. Especially now that we might be approaching the dawn of this dark night."
Ash, Red, and their Pokemons' expressions changed dramatically.
"Do you really think this horrible war might soon be over?"
Red finally smiled again and nodded, full of hope.
"Oui, I do. While you were busy in the north, my forces and the Catalan company defeated Earl Gordie as well as Earl Piers, capturing them both and their troops. Not only that, but we just learned that Duke Wikstrom defeated and captured Earl Raihan earlier this week. We also learned that Count Grant and Count Michael both combined forces and laid siege to Lumiose City. The Galar inside tried to hold them, but the people revolted and forced the gates open. Fortunately, the Galar troops surrendered on the spot, and the Counts' troops saved them from being massacred by the people of Lumiose."
"That means!"
"Pika!"
"Oui! All of Victor's Earls are captured. It's just him and Duke Leon with whatever troops they can scrape together. Once we drop Serena off in Kiloude City, we'll link up with Calem and end this.
Ash wanted to be hopeful but remained cautious.
"Sir Mercer is still out there, and Duke Lysandre." Red nodded with similar caution.
"Oui, they are, but the tide has turned. We'll get defeat them soon enough and get justice for all their crimes!"
"Pour Kalos!" Ash cried.
"Pour Kalos!"
"Pika!" Pikachu yelped with a terrified expression.
Ash quickly mirrored him when he saw Red's Charizard and Noivern turn the corner and stare down at their trainer like hunters would prey. Yet it wasn't the Pokemon that unnerved them, but rather Korrina, who had a shadowy aura around her and glowing red eyes.
Red went pale and trembled, though he didn't stop smiling.
"Merde, she found me."
"There you are, mon amour." Korrina wrapped both arms around Red as Gardevoir and Sceptile yelped.
"The physician says my womb is still empty, which means we need to correct the situation immediately."
"Ash!" Red reached out towards his brother only to get pulled away. Sceptile and Gardevoir tried to intervene, but Noivern and Charizard stopped them, then quickly chased after the couple with eager expressions.
Sceptile and Gardevoir both raced after them, leaving Ash and Pikachu with crestfallen expressions.
Later that morning, Ash and Red stood across from each other before one of Couriway town's numerous waterfalls.
Ash's Pokemon faced off against Red's Team, which now included a Raichu and Pidgeot. Ash and Red clashed training swords at the same time their Charizards met.
"Grauu!" Both roared while unleashing extremely powerful moves at their respective trainer's direction, eager to prove to each other how powerful they'd become.
"Tile!" Sceptile cried in immense frustration at his inability to land a decisive blow on Greninja, who masterfully dodged or parried each incoming attack.
Lucario similarly channeled his aura connection with Ash to evade or break free from Gardevior's psychic moves. However, he couldn't land a decisive counter-blow on her yet.
"Noi!"
"Grawww!" Noivern and Tyrantrum almost shook the ground when they clashed, contrasting Talonflame and Pidgeot, who flew above them in a more agile battle.
"Pika!"
"Chu!" Pikachu and Raichu's Iron Tails clanged like swords, and both electric mouse Pokemon kept up a fierce melee.
Raichu smiled confidently as he did so and mixed in a few electric moves at Red's command.
"Chu!" Pikachu avoided these and kept up his Iron Tail Defense.
"Red, did you catch a Raichu just because you thought it would one-up me?" Ash asked, earning a smirk from his brother.
"What are big brothers for?"
"Perhaps, but you forget one thing." Ash came in lower and caught Red's sparring sword, giving him the leverage to throw him back.
"He's my Pikachu!"
"Pika chu!" Pikachu successfully parried Raichu's Iron Tail then kicked off him to open up enough room for Return.
"Chu!" Raichu gasped after Pikachu hit him dead center in the stomach, sending him sprawling onto his back.
"Metal Claw!"
"Bone Rush!"
Nearby Rokusho's Scizor faced off against Korrina's Lucario.
Lucario carefully parried Scizor's unrelenting Metal Claw but struggled as his bone club shattered every few strikes, and he barely managed to generate a new one in time.
"Power-up Punch!"
"Iron Defense!" Just as Scizor shattered another aura bone, Lucario moved slightly to the side and threw a fierce uppercut towards his opponent's chest. Scizor held his arms together just in time to heighten his defenses before Lucario's punch hit him.
Both Pokemon moved back and stared intensely at each other.
"You're not bad Countess." Rokusho said.
"Merci, you're not too shabby yourself, samurai. But I will admit this battle is getting a little boring. Why not try out that gift for helping us fight this war?"
Rokusho smiled eagerly while looking at the keystone embedded into his gauntlet.
"Hai!"
Korrina and Rokusho pressed their keystones and watched as Scizor and Lucario Mega Evolved.
At the same time, Ash touched his keystone while Red did the same with both his. Ash's Lucario soon mega evolved while Red's Sceptile and Gardevior did the same.
Mega Sceptile renewed his assault on Greninja and now came dangerously close to striking him.
"Come on, Ash, we want to see this phenomenon with your Greninja!"
"OuI!" Korrina shouted.
After Mega Sceptile landed a leaf blade across Greninja's stomach, he and Ash nodded.
"You asked for it." Taking a deep breath, Ash and Greninja synchronized their aura. Within moments a veil of water formed around Greninja, and his eyes glowed from within.
Korrina and Rokusho paused their match at the same time Ash and Red's other Pokemon did, all of them wanting to see Ash-Greninja.
"Allez!"
"Gre!"
"Now we're talking!"
"Incredible."
"Ala." Father Hugo and his Alakazam watched the battle from nearby and gazed at Ash-Greninja with awe.
"Tile!" Mega Sceptile came at Ash-Greninja with everything he had, but the Synchro-Bonded Pokemon effortlessly dodged them, almost as if some unseen force prevented Sceptile from hitting him.
"Incredible!" Red muttered in awe.
"Night slash!" Ash-Greninja struck back, catching Mega Sceptile's arm blades with his own, then slashed across him in an X-shape.
"Tile!"
"Water Shuriken!" Mega Sceptile stumbled backward and was helpless against the glowing water shuriken, which brought him to one knee.
"Enough, bien, Greninja!"
The veil vanished, and with it, Ash-Greninja reverted to Greninja. Sceptile similar returned to his base form and saw Greninja offer him a hand.
"Gre."
"Tile." Sceptile nodded and accepted his help.
"Ahhh! Greninja is so amazing! I had no idea he could Mega Evolve!" Korrina squealed with stars in her eyes.
"It's not Mega Evolution, it's a kind of Aura bond." Ash said.
"Aura bond?" Red asked.
"Oui, like the kind of aura Lucario uses."
"So you're saying I could do something similar with Lucario!?" Korrina's eyes turned to hearts, and she took her Lucario by the paws as she imagined sharing such a bond with him.
"Ash! You have to teach us!"
"Oui! I want to learn it too!" Red shouted with similar enthusiasm.
Ash and Greninja nervously sweatdropped.
"Well, the thing is, we haven't really figured it out ourselves. Felix is the expert, but he's too reserved to open up about it." Ash pointed to the older samurai who meditated with his Lucario on top of the waterfall beside them.
"Hmmm, I'll find a way to get it out of him. Then we can master it, and maybe even teach it to our future baby!" Korrina beamed as she hugged Red tightly and kissed his cheek.
"Oui, I'm sure we did it this time." Red muttered, sounding more hopeful than assured.
"Aura, how interesting. I can only imagine the possibilities such a phenomenon will bring." Father Hugo added.
Not far from them, Serena and her team practiced their new routine in front of another waterfall. However, they didn't do so alone. Shauna and Delcatty joined them, with Tierno also practicing and Miette.
"Finish!" Serena cried while posing with her team.
Shauna, Tierno, and Miette similarly completed their practices to applause from Arnaud, Raymond, Zinnia, Trevor, Clemont, Bonnie, Don Miquel, and Monsieur Gefried.
"Bravo!" Arnaud cheered with the others.
Alongside Red and Korrina's feudal troops, Arnaud's company, which now had over thirteen hundred men, and the Catalan Company both rested in Couriway Town after their recent victories against the Galar and prepared to move north to join Calem.
"So beautiful!" Bonnie cried, almost losing herself to the combined performances.
"Merci! It will be nothing to what you see tonight!" Shauna cried.
"We can't wait!" Arnaud laughed.
"Ahhh." Serena sighed, fatigue hitting her like a brick wall.
"Char!" Charla and the others did their best to keep her steady before Tierno, and his Kommo-o raced over.
"Princess, ca va!" Tierno tried to help Serena stand up straight when her Pokemon growled at him.
"Ehhh?"
"I'm ok." Serena assured him.
"Are you sure, I-" Tierno started before Trevor appeared behind him.
"Tierno, you need to give it up. She's literally pregnant with Monsieur Ash's child."
Tierno's face turned crestfallen, with tears streaming down both eyes.
"Oui."
"Kom!"
Charla cringed when she saw Kommo-o come close with hearts for eyes and flowers in his hand.
Delphox and Pancham both giggled while Charla narrowed her eyes at them.
"Kom!" Kommo-o shoved the flowers closer, making Charla back up with a freaked-out expression.
"Char." She muttered, trying to let him off easy, but Kommo-o wouldn't listen and moved in.
"Tierno, Kommo-o is getting a little too friendly with Charla." Serena said.
"Kommo-o." Tierno muttered, sounding less than enthusiastic.
Charla continued back up and nearly used a move on Kommo-o when suddenly the ground shook as Ash's Charizard landed between her and Kommo-o.
"Grauu!" Charizard huffed, sending Kommo-o backward in a terrified stumble.
"Charr!" Charla's eyes turned to massive hearts and she leaped into the air and hugged Charizard, who didn't resist.
"Phox."
"Cham." Delphox, Pancham, and Serena giggled with Shauna and Bonnie.
"Kom." Kommo-o gave a crestfallen expression while Tierno patted his back.
"I understand your pain."
"So, Princess. I understand you've had some recent developments." Miette giggled as she came over.
"Oui! I have. Ash and I will have our first baby!" Serena almost boasted. However, to her surprise, Miette merely smiled back.
"I suppose congratulations are in order. I wonder if you'll give birth before me."
"Eh?" Serena, Shauna, and Bonnie muttered while Miette beamed.
"Ahh right, you never found out. Monsieur Gefreid proposed shortly after the siege of Shalour. We discovered my pregnancy only last week." Miette giggled while glancing back at the Kalos knight.
Shauna's mouth hung open with Delcatty's as she turned to Serena, Zinnia, and finally Miette.
"Are Korrina and I the only ones here not pregnant?" Shauna muttered before turning almost pale upon realizing what she'd been doing with Clemont since her freedom.
"I need to see a physician!" Shauna screamed as she ran off, leaving a cloud of dust behind her.
"Is she ok?" Miette asked as Serena sweatdropped.
"I hope so. Also, please don't let Korrina know about your condition. For Red's sake." Serena muttered.
Later that day, as promised, Serena returned to her chamber and rested while Ash caressed her feet.
"Ahhh, merci." The Princess muttered, half-asleep. Ash smiled warmly at her and kept it up while Serena's Pokemon each rested beside her.
"Ash, after we get to Kiloude City, Red and Korrina will head back north to join Calem, corriger?" Ash nodded but noticed the wariness in her voice.
"Oui."
"What about you?" Ash and Pikachu felt their stomachs harden. Both hesitated.
"...Serena, I'm still a chevalier."
"Ash, the war's basically over! They don't need you to finish off the Galar! You're about to become a father-"
"Wars aren't just fought by childless men, Serena." Ash soon regretted his words when he saw the mixture of fury and lament on Serena's face.
"I know! Almost a year ago, you and Red left with my father to go to war! All three of you promised me that it would be an assured victory, that you'd all come home!" Tears swelled Serena's face as a mixture of sorrow from Alexandre's death, and hormones nearly sent her into a frenzy.
Ash bit his tongue and placed both hands on Serena's shoulders.
"Serena, I'm not going to leave our child fatherless."
"Then don't go! They don't need you there! I need you! Our baby needs you!" Serena wailed. Her Pokemon similarly tried to ease the Princess, yet with no success.
"Serena-"
"Ash!" Clemont burst inside the chamber with a frantic expression.
"Clemont, what's wrong?"
"We're under attack! Sir Mercer and Lysandre's troops are coming in from every direction!"
"Merde! Armor me up!"
"Oui!" Clemont got Ash into his suit of armor within moments before doing the same to himself.
"I'll be back." Ash said as he kissed Serena's cheek and then ran off with Pikachu and Clemont.
"Ash!" Serena tried to chase after him, but Delphox, Charla, and Pancham restrained her.
Ash and Clemont joined hundreds of other knights/men-at-arms who raced across Couriway town while the townsfolk hurried to the citadel.
"Armar! Armar!" Don Miquel roared while the Catalan Company formed ranks near the town's southern entrance.
"Aux Armes! Aux Armes!" Arnaud and Raymond echoed, mustering their troops towards the northern entrance.
Ash and Clemont soon found their other Pokemon and Rokusho awaiting them among Red's troops near the west.
"Korrina, you didn't need to join us." Red sighed as she formed up with Lucario beside her.
"I'd be more willing to agree if I had a baby in my belly." Korrina retorted, making a nerve form in Red's forehead.
"Reduka, have mercy. Can we focus on something else for a change!"
"Oui, this battle." Red sweatdropped but slowly nodded.
"Red! Korrina!" Ash shouted.
"Ahh, there you are!"
"What's happening?"
"We're not quite sure. Our scouts reported seeing Sir Mercer alongside Ladies Mable and Celosia moving in." Korrina said, looking more confused than fearful.
"How many?" Clemont inquired.
"Few, according to Felix." Rokusho answered before grabbing his chin.
"At least, I think that's what he gestured. Seriously whoever came up with vows of silences." Rokusho grumbled.
"Our other scouts confirmed it too. We outnumber them over three-to-one." Red said in the same tone as Korrina.
"Quoi? Then why attack us?"
"We don't know, but they wouldn't do it without reason, so we need to be ready!"
"Mon Seigneur! Here they come!" All eyes turned to the adjoining waterway's far side, where hundreds of Galar and Lysandre troops moved into position alongside their Pokemon.
Red's eyes widened when he saw Sir Mercer at their head.
Both knights exchanged fiery glances until Father Hugo placed a restraining hand on Red's shoulder.
"Harden not your heart, mon seigneur. Focus on those around you."
"Oui." Red muttered after taking a deep breath.
Ash and Korrina similarly grit their teeth when they saw Mable and Celosia emerge beside him.
"Celosia! We never finished our battle!" Korrina roared alongside her Lucario.
The noblewoman ignored her.
"Remember the mission, Galar." Mercer snorted.
"Do what you want, Sliggoo eaters. I'm here for him!" Mercer snarled while aiming his sword at Red.
"Attack!" Dozens of longbowmen and crossbowmen from Lysandre's troops began losing volleys alongside ranged attacks from their Pokemon.
"Fire!" Clemont roared. Fortunately, Clemont had already outfitted all three contingents with hand cannons, allowing them to gain an early advantage over their opponents across the river.
Even so, small groups of hostile troops began crossing on boats, barges, or water Pokemon while more came overhead. Sir Mercer himself rode his Metagross straight for Red, who'd mounted Charizard in preparation for the air battle.
"I'm gonna take from you what you took from me!" Mercer revealed a keystone on his gauntlet and pressed it. Red and Charizard watched in awe as Metagross Mega Evolved.
"Red, I've got the air!" Ash shouted as he flew up on Mega Charizard Z alongside Talonflame.
"Oui, Noivern help him!"
"Noi!" Ash and Mega Charizard Z went for a pair of Mega Evolved Beedrill with Lysandre's knights on their backs while the other flyers clashed around them.
"Go!" Several Galar knights Gigantamax'd their Pokemon alongside two more Mega Evolutions from Lysandre's knights.
In response, Father Hugo and half-a-dozen Kalos Chevaliers Mega Evolved their Pokemon and met them.
Clemont and Rokusho led a group of men-at-arms in defense of the hand cannoneers, holding back squads of Galar of Lysandre troops that tried to rush ashore.
"Hold them! My cannons are on the way! Once they're in position, we'll blast them apart with ease!" Clemont cried.
"I don't think so." Mable chuckled, revealing herself on a barge with her Houndoom Mega Evolved.
"Flamethrower!" Clemont and his Pokemons' eyes widened when they saw the enhanced jet of fire come straight for them.
"Gre!" Greninja leaped over them and blasted the Flamethrower with Hydro Pump, extinguishing it and nearly hitting Mega Houndoom.
"Hmp! Get them!" Mable directed four of her knights with Drapion to attack when Tyrantrum similarly revealed himself alongside Lucario.
"We'll take it from here!" Rokusho revealed himself and his Mega Scizor, having just cut down two Galar men-at-arms.
"A Steel-Bug against Houndoom? Espèce d'imbécile." Mable giggled.
"Sword's Dance!"
"Flamethrower!" Mega Houndoom almost engulfed Mega Scizor, but the Steel Pokemon masterfully dodged the attack.
"Fire Fang!"
"X-Scizzors!"
Mega Scizor flipped himself and avoided Mega Houndoom's jaws by inches.
"Scizor!"
"Doom!" Mega Houndoom whined after taking the powered-up hit.
Elsewhere, Celosia shook with fury while standing beside her Mega Manectric on another barge.
"Merde! Just hit him already! Discharge!"
"Man!" Mega Manectric let loose a full barrage of electricity at Korrina's Mega Lucario.
"Bone Rush!"
"Grouuu!" Mega Lucario spun two bone-shaped aura clubs in front of him, keeping the electricity back.
"Fire Fang!" Mega Manectric dashed across several boats and tried to snap his jaws around Mega Lucario but soon regretted this choice.
"Bone Rush!"
"Grouuu!" Mega Lucario slammed both clubs into Manectric, hurling him back and onto the barge. In doing so, he flipped it and propelled Celosia through the air before she landed directly in front of Korrina.
"Eh?" Celosia trembled when she looked up at the Countess, who cracked her knuckles.
"Où étions nous?" Celosia gulped.
"Ahhhh!" The battle nearly stopped when both sides saw Korrina wail on Celosia with greater fury than her Mega Lucario, resulting in a near cartoonish chase as Celosia tried to get away.
"Get back here and face me like a woman!"
"Crazy polone." Sir Mercer snorted while Red chuckled.
"Her craziness is worth it."
Red and Mega Charizard Y turned their focus back to Sir Mercer.
"Thunder Punch!"
"Fire Blast!" Charizard Y performed a barrel roll and easily avoided all four of Mega Metagross's arms, flying underneath him while Red and Mercer exchanged sword blows.
"Why won't you just die!?" Mercer snarled in frustration while Red parried each blow.
"Not until you salopards are driven from my home!" Red struck Mercer at the very moment Charizard Y blasted Mega Metagross's underside with Fire Blast.
"Gross!" Metagross landed in the water, reverting back to his base form. Mercer himself landed half submerged.
"Ohhh." The Galar knight felt his head spin and struggled to find his sword.
"Mercer!" Red slammed his foot onto sir Mercer's chest and pinned the knight down. Charizard Y huffed and loomed over them both, snarling at the Galar knight like Red.
"Now you die!"
"Non!" To Red's surprise, Father Hugo sprinted over and threw himself between both knights.
"Mercy, mon Seigneur! Mercy!"
Red trembled in rage.
"Non! Non, he doesn't deserve it! He's a murderer! He's broken every code of chivalry! If I let him live, he'll keep killing innocent people!"
Father Hugo took Red by the shoulders with a pleading look.
"Mon Seigneur, I beg you, reconsider. You're better than this, you-" Father Hugo convulsed, and Red went pale.
"Alakazam!" Hugo's Mega Alakazam shrieked. Father Hugo coughed up some blood and looked down to see the tip of a sword sticking out of his chest.
"Stupid wanker." Mercer snorted as he pulled his sword free and shoved Hugo onto Red and Charizard Y, who frantically tried to keep him upright.
"Come on!" Mercer climbed onto his Metagross and fell back.
Mable looked out into the distance and saw what looked like a familiar Pokemon flying off.
The noblewoman smiled and nodded to Celosia, who was still running for her life.
"Retraite!" At her command, the combined Galar/Lysandre host fell back before Clemont's cannons could get into position.
"That's right, run!" Korrina roared.
Ash and his Pokemon similarly sighed in relief, unaware of what happened to father Hugo.
Red and Charizard Y frantically set the priest down as blood soaked his robes.
"Non! Non! Medic! Medic!"
"Alakazam!" Alakazam's eyes swelled with tears as she raced over and grabbed Hugo's hand.
"Alakazam." Hugo coughed.
Red and Charizard Y felt tears escape their eyes, but soon it exploded into fiery hatred.
"Mercer! I'll hunt him till the ends of the earth if I have to!"
"Grauuuu!" Charizard Y snarled.
"Non!" Father Hugo placed his bloody hand on Red's cheek and stared into his eyes like a concerned parent. No rage or resentment, only fear for Red.
"Non, Red, mourn me but don't get revenge for me. Please."
Red clenched his eyes shut as more tears escaped.
"He's a monster! I'll never forgive him! Never!" A single tear escaped Father Hugo's eye, and with the last of his strength, he reached into his robe and took something out, placing it in Red's hand.
"Could you forgive me?"
At that Father Hugo laid his head back and gazed up at the sky while clutching the pendant around his neck.
"Pardonne-moi, Reduka. Pardonne-moi." Father Hugo spoke his last and passed on to the next world.
"Ala." Alakazam broke down completely and wrapped his arms around Hugo's body.
Charizard Y tried to comfort Red but struggled to keep himself standing. The Count still trembled when he finally looked at what Hugo gave him and realized it was a time flower.
"Quoi?"
Ash and Charizard were about to fly down when he saw Zinnia racing over on her Altaria.
"Zinnia?"
"Zinnia! What are you doing here!?" Rokusho and his Steel Pokemon sprinted over with furious expressions before she frantically said something and pointed to Ash.
The chevalier only heard two words, Rocket and Serena.
Ash didn't quite know how long it took Charizard Z to reach the manor, but that didn't matter. He'd lost all sense of time and the world around him while sprinting through the house alongside his Pokemon, save Tyrantrum.
Greninja felt much the same, and their hearts pounded together, particularly when Pikachu and the others saw shurikens embedded into the wall.
Ash kicked the door clean off its hinges in one blow and then went still. The room looked ruined by a fierce Pokemon battle. A dozen unconscious Golbat lay spread across the floor alongside Pancham and Delphox, both similarly knocked out.
"Char! Char!" Charizard slowly approached the window and trembled when he saw Charla pinned to the ground, both her wings frozen solid. Even so, the dragon Charmeleon violently tried to force herself into the air, screaming and thrashing while tears ran down her face like one of the numerous waterfalls around them.
"Char!"
Ash couldn't speak, he couldn't think, he couldn't even stand. His sword hit the floor with a loud clang, and the chevalier nearly collapsed.
"Pika!" Pikachu and Lucario tried to hold him up but struggled.
Greninja looked no better, all the color leaving his body.
Moments later, Felix burst into the room with his Lucario and ran to the window. The samurai stared out into the distance and then punched the window so hard the wood shattered.
"Ash! Non." Red choked when he entered the chamber alongside Clemont, Shauna, Rokusho, Zinnia, Korrina, and Bonnie.
"Serena! Serena!" Bonnie screamed as she frantically tried to look for her in the chamber.
"Non! Non! It's not true! It's not true!" Shauna covered her mouth and collapsed, Clemont barely able to keep her standing.
Korrina similarly clasped her mouth shut and went still.
"Reduka help me! Reduka help me!" Ash screamed as if he were on fire.
"Ash, Ash!" Red and Rokusho tried to get ahold of him.
"Ash." Red sobbed, but Ash held his head and looked like he might die.
"Reduka, help me!" He pleaded.
"Ash, it's going to be ok. It's going to be ok. Remember those words, our words."
"Pika, Pikachu." Pikachu sobbed.
Ash clenched his eyes shut and spoke, not in Kalos but in Kanto.
"Never give up, never give up until the end."
"What did you say?" The entire room nearly jumped when a new voice came from seemingly nowhere.
"Ehhh!?" Who said that!?" Zinnia yelped.
"What did you say!?" Ash and the others went still when they realized it came from Felix.
"Nani!? You can talk!?" Rokusho shouted angrily.
The older samurai pushed past Rokusho and grabbed Ash before very carefully removing his helmet. Only then did it hit them that he and Ash had never actually seen each other's faces.
When Felix saw Ash, he stumbled backward and began trembling.
"It can't be."
"Grouuu!" Felix's Lucario teared up but smiled while nodding, soon turning to Ash's Lucario, who was checking on Delphox.
"Sssssatoshi. Aka." Felix now sounded like he took was on the verge of tears when he looked at Ash and then Red.
Both chevaliers trembled and backed up like Felix.
"Why did you call us those names!?" Red shouted.
"Because I gave them to you." Felix removed his helmet and silenced the entire chamber. The man standing across from Ash and Red had Ash's face and Red's eyes.
"My boys, you live."
Author's note
Yep an emotional chapter to say the least
Father Hugo has died, but what did he need forgiveness for?
Felix's identity is revealed, probably no surprise for those of you who've read my other fics
And Serena...To be clear, if you've stuck around my channel for any amount of time and think I would ever hurt Ash's one and only Kalos Queen, you don't know me very well :)
So until next time,
Please review, comment, suggest, or ask (VIA PM)