A day had passed since the nine Pokemon had last seen their trainers. They currently were in a small cave, huddled together. Their fire was bright and large thanks to one of Ash's Pokemon, but it didn't make up for the icy blizzard outside.
The interior of the cave wasn't any better. When they first got in, there was a large layer of ice coating every surface, and they had to melt it away. Even now, they could hear the rhythmic noise of water droplets falling onto the rocky floor from somewhere.
But, besides themselves, all the Pokemon were worried about their trainers. While they could secure food, create fires, and keep warm thanks to their moves and typings, their owners could not do the same.
People were weak. Far too weak for their good. In a world driven by Pokemon, the human race had lost their natural survival skills and now relied on Pokemon to make up for it.
The ideology wasn't necessarily wrong, since it had led to such beautiful relationships between humans and picket monsters. But when separated, it was two different situations.
Pikachu sang a small song. There were no real lyrics, as it was in the Pokemon language, but it had a tone of hope within it. The veteran Pokemon from Ash's team could tell it was the electric mouse's way of coping with being away from its best friend. The song must have been one of the two sung together often.
Ampharos watched Pikachu with a blank expression. The light Pokemon felt like its head was foggy, unable to form proper thoughts. Its new trainer was suddenly gone, amid a snowstorm. The rookie had no idea whether he was okay or not.
Delphox adjusted its sitting position next to Ampharos for the hundredth time. The fox couldn't seem to sit still, worry evident in her expression. Pancham and Sylveon weren't in a better state to comfort the bigger Pokemon, silently worrying in the corner of the group.
One of Ash's Pokemon tried to reason with all of them, saying that their trainers were probably fine and that they should focus on conserving strength to search for them when the storm stopped.
They all agreed initially, the adrenaline of escaping the blizzard still running through their blood. But, time slowly ticked by, and it got worse. The wind was now roaring, snow pelting the ground like hail. Any Pokemon or person still outside was at serious risk of getting injured, which didn't help the gloomy mood.
The cave was too small to do much in. Two of Ash's Pokemon tried to spar, but they almost caved themselves in. They were now slumped over, bored out of their minds.
Sylveon, who could sense their emotions, spoke up. She was a bit disturbed that they didn't seem worried in the slightest. No, scratch that, the black-haired boy's entire team excluding Ampharos wasn't worried.
Four of them glanced at the other five, confused. It was unnatural to not be worried, but these monsters were only concerned about the storm ending.
What kind of pokemon was like that?
Pikachu stopped singing and glanced at Sylveon. Sylveon noticed his gaze and turned to him, hoping for some sort of response. Fortunately for her, she did get one.
The mouse walked up to her and placed a paw on her feeler, trying to convey his feelings. "Pi-Pika-Chu."
The fairy-type met his eyes. The sheer amount of trust flowing into her made her nauseous. Pikachu didn't doubt his trainer a bit, knowing that he was fine no matter what the situation was.
The mouse had spent most of its life with Ash.
Sylveon glanced at the rest of his team. They all had the same glint in their eyes. It wasn't that they didn't care, but rather they didn't need to. They trusted their trainer to such a degree it was unbelievable. As Pokemon, that was the greatest feat possible.
The eeveelution backed off, her expression filled with new awe. Delphox, who wasn't informed, turned to the smaller Pokemon with concern. It asked what happened.
Sylveon didn't give her a straight answer but rather asked Delphox to drop the topic. Reluctantly, the fox did as she was asked.
Ampharos spoke up this time, pointing to the icy terrain outside. He was wondering when it was going to end. Everyone glanced out at the snow squall, which didn't show signs of ending. They didn't say a word, the answer unknown.
One of the dual-type Pokemon from Ash's team suddenly stood up, looking alarmed. His heavy body rumbled every nook and cranny of the cave, surprising the rest of the critters inside.
Delphox stood up, angry. She barked out questions in a spur of anger, directed at the Pokemon which she disliked. Unnaturally, it remained silent, its eyes trained on the blizzard.
Ash's Pokemon stood up in unison after the flying type, getting into a fighting stance. They could tell someone was approaching, and that person-or monster wasn't a pushover.
Serena's team alongside Ampharos stood up afterward, bewilderment spread across their faces. The other four pocket monsters held deathly serious expressions.
A silhouette grew visible through the raging storm, although faintly. Every Pokemon in the cave could now sense a presence approaching.
Nine creatures eyed the figure, their guards raised. The faint, unrecognizable block started to grow a defined shape as it got closer.
Pikachu stepped forward, looking stupefied. He seemed to recognize the approaching figure. Ash's other Pokemon, who didn't recognize it, glanced at the Pikachu. They'd never seen such an expression on the veteran's face before.
"Pika-chu." The mouse said. Its voice, as cute as ever, held high authority in its tone. Everyone seemed to relax after hearing him say the approaching Pokemon wasn't hostile.
Delphox squinted its eyes. The silhouette grew a dominantly blue color across its body. It was bipedal, telling from the way it walked, and was skilled. Its footsteps were silent- far too silent even if there was a snowstorm outside. They couldn't hear a single crack from the light snow below its feet.
The three Pokemon who belonged to Serena gasped, and Pikachu grew a huge grin. He ran at the Pokemon and gave it a high-five with its tail. A blue, webbed hand slapped it back.
Greninja was standing at the mouth of the cave, an astounding aura around it. Even though its mouth was covered with its long, elastic tongue, they all could tell it had one large grin hidden beneath it.
-
Ash woke up to a whining Oddish, who felt hungry. The Pokemon wasn't used to going hungry, and the others weren't either. While they didn't complain, the Pokemon didn't stop their friend, sharing a mutual feeling.
Ash rubbed his groggy eyes, trying to get his blurry vision to clear. The first thing he did was place a hand on Serena's head. It was still warm, but much cooler than yesterday.
He felt a sigh of relief released from his mouth. She hadn't woken up since yesterday and didn't seem to be in too much pain.
The black-haired teen did not know about taking care of a person. He didn't even know what to do if he got sick, let alone someone being sick. The lack of medicine and food didn't help him in any way.
"Sorry, little guys, I don't think there's much we can do about food," Ash whispered. His voice was withered and low, showing his weak state.
A slowpoke placed its paw on the teen and closed its eyes. The Pokemon was concentrating on something.
Ash watched the paw start glowing green and his body alongside it. Slowly but surely, his heavy and sore body started to ease up. His clouded and strained mind started to clear up a bit.
"Was that heal pulse?" Ash muttered, glancing at the little animal. It hesitantly nodded. A smile blossomed on his drowsy face, and his eyes grew a small sparkle.
"Wow, thanks bud." The teen thanked it gratefully, rubbing its head. It let out a small noise, enjoying the petting.
The other Pokemon tried to heal Ash in their special ways. The slowpokes used healing pulses and other big types trying string shots on him to have a makeshift blanket for him to wear.
The black-haired boy made sure to give everyone plenty of pets. It became a rave of purrs from the little critters as they asked for attention from Ash, whose heart was melting while watching them all.
"Hey guys, by any chance, could you use healing pulse on Serena?" Ash asked the slowpokes. While he wasn't even close to being fully healed, the teen felt a bit better than before.
A slowpoke placed her hand on Serena's forehead and attempted a healing pulse. Nothing changed. Ash couldn't hide his frown as he checked her temperature again and felt it was the same as before.
Her forehead is still warm. And even now, she looks like she's in pain.
Ash's heart hurt. Serena, who was only trying to make him feel better by taking him on a walk, was now left in a horrible state. He cursed powerlessness.
The slowpoke also seemed guilty, whimpering about while rubbing Ash's arm. It wanted to apologize for letting the trainer down.
"Thanks for trying, Slowpoke. It's not your fault- I'm feeling a lot better thanks to you and everyone else." The black-haired boy comforted.
Suddenly, he started to stand. His bones creaked, not ready to support the weight being put on them. The Pokemon around him squirmed and yelped in surprise and worry, trying to get him to sit back down.
It was clear he couldn't handle his weight. His shoulders were slumped, and his knees wobbled. The teen had labored dangerously low breaths.
"I'm gonna go get some berries to eat. You guys look after Serena.." Ash said, shuffling across the icy flooring of the cave. The little critters hugged his legs, hoping to stop him.
It was the least he could do for all of them. The fact that these Pokemon were willing to help him and Serena was more than enough reason to get food- the only way he could repay them and help Serena feel better.
It meant risking his own life in this situation, but that was the least of his worries. The only thing on his mind was the pained expression of Serena in her sleep.
He lightly pulled them off and continued to walk like they weren't even there. His slow steps led him to the mouth of the small cave within two minutes.
The tired Pokemon, who had been using moves like heal pulse for prolonged periods, couldn't find the strength to stop him. In the end, he was about to leave with them unable to do anything.
Ash heard a yell come from the cave. Wearily, he turned around, to see a caterpie drag his jacket over to him. He grimaced a bit, "But Serena needs it-"
He glanced at the girl for a second and saw she had layers upon layers of string laid on her like it was a blanket. While it may not have felt the best, it would keep her warmer than the jacket had.
He weakly grabbed the coat from the floor, which felt much warmer than his numb fingertips. After wearing the jacket, he turned around and finally left.
Serena was now the only person left in the cave, along with a few Pokemon. They glanced at her, unsure of what to do other than watch.
-
When Serena came to her senses, it took a second for her to register her new surroundings. She scanned the dark walls, which were pitch black for her unadjusted eyes.
"...Ash?" the honey-blonde called out into the silence. The roaring winds and low crackling of a dim fire were the only things that responded to her.
The term felt a little tickle on her side. Her half-asleep consciousness stared at the thing next to her, which had just moved. A strange warmth was wrapped around her.
Suddenly, she felt something was off. Very off. With a small yelp, she tried to jump away. The icy floor beneath her didn't give her feet the friction they needed to do so, only letting her slip against the wall.
She felt the eyes of many animals stare at her suddenly, as though they'd been awoken. A chill ran down her spine.
What's going on? Why the heck am I here? Where's Ash?!
Questions spun around in her head, with no answers anywhere. She began to feel anxious.
"W-wait!" The animals slowly approached her. Her weak body refused to get up, and her heart was trembling in fear.
Serena was ready to scream her lungs out when one of them jumped on her. Luckily, she stopped herself in the nick of time.
Wait, that's a slowpoke. And.. Caterpie?
Her eyes seemed to have adjusted to the cave's dim lighting. A bunch of cute little Pokemon came into view.
"There's so many of you guys..." Serena gasped. There must have been twenty or so in the little can't she resided in. A small sparkle appeared in her eyes after seeing them snuggle against her.
"You're all so cute!" She laughed. Her voice, although hoarse and a tone deeper, carried the same charm it always did.
The Pokemon felt the same warmth from her as Ash. They both shared the same, gentle eyes, and even had similar smells. It was like they were two in the same.
Serena's heart couldn't handle all the cuteness of the little critters. Where had they come from?
It is cold outside, so I don't blame them. Even this cave is a bit frosty...
A cold wind accompanied her thoughts, as if on cue. Her body trembled. Even though her skin felt hot, her insides were as cold as ice. It was no different than being frozen in an ice block in the middle of a desert.
"My goodness... It's cold..." Serena shivered. Despite all the Pokemon surrounding her, they couldn't provide the same warmth Ash did.
The blonde's body yearned for him to sit next to her and hold her hand, which magically heated her entire body.
"Ash..." She mumbled, looking up at the ceiling. The cold wind made her realize just how sick she was. The adrenaline had begun to wear off.
Wait, Where's Ash?
Her eyes widened. She covered her mouth reflexively, holding back a sudden gasp. If the performer was in this cave, then he'd brought her here. Serena couldn't forget- she had blacked out suddenly in the middle of the storm.
"A-ash? Are you here?" She asked, her lip quivering. Anxiety crept through her legs and back, sprouting every root across her body.
There was no response. He wasn't here. That meant that the Pokemon trainer was outside in that raging storm.
Serena felt like she was suffocating as she watched the storm rage on. Her desperate pleas for it to calm down were unheard, as it continued with no sign of stopping. And the Pokemon trainer was out there.
She knew Ash was in danger. He was already extremely tired from the three days of nonstop training he'd done, and then he had to scavenge a shelter in the middle of a blizzard with an unconscious girl to butt.
The realization fell on her as lightly as a feather. It's my fault.
Everything felt like it was crashing down. She had suggested going for a walk.
She was the one that pushed him away in that touching moment they had.
She was the reason he was out right now.
Serena was the reason. Serena was at fault.
Tears spilled down. Her covered mouth couldn't stop the quiet sobs that began to release. She couldn't even stand up from how weak she felt.
The Pokemon watched her cry, realizing what had gotten her so sad. That black-haired boy was the reason. They didn't need to tell her why he went out, because it would make things worse.
The cave was left with sobs and a dying fire within it. It was a miserable sight if anyone were to see it.
Yet, there was nobody to see it. There was nobody around. The Kalos Queen felt more alone than ever before in the cave.
Thud.
Serena froze. The noise sounded heavy. Was it a person? Snow? Her mind raced quickly.
"Did a tree fall over..?" She mumbled between hiccups. Her tears had come to a half out of fear, but the lump in her throat remained. The stinging feeling in her eyes didn't go away. The guilt in her heart wasn't dispersed.
The Pokemon, who had jumped from the sudden noise, slowly crept toward the mouth of the cave. They were constantly sniffing. Serena realized they must have smelt something good.
An Oddish, who couldn't resist the smell, rushed out. Serena watched it suddenly jump to the side and out of sight. She didn't even have the emotional stability to call out for it at that moment.
One after another, the Pokemon headed out, attracted to the smell. Even Serena had begun to get a whiff of the smell.
It smells like berries...
Her stomach selfishly growled. The teen felt like punching it, but she knew it wouldn't help. She could only bite her lip and see what was to happen next.
And she didn't have to wait long. Outside the cave, two figures appeared. Fear gripped her bones like shackles, not allowing her to move. Either way, she is currently far too weak to move.
Step after step, they came closer. Her messed-up vision from being sick made it harder for her to discern who they were until they got close.
A familiar sound filled her ears. The sound of a Pokemon which she hadn't heard in years. The teen couldn't hide her surprise when she heard him.
"Gre-"
"Serena!" Another voice called out her name. This time, she didn't feel shocked when she heard it. Only relieved.
Ash Ketchum was now back in the cave with Greninja to tow.
-
It's too harsh... I can't see a thing.
A black-haired teenager with a light jacket on traversed through the snow, pushing against the strong winds.
He had originally come out to find berries, but if he couldn't see his two feet, there was no way he'd find any.
Drip.
Ash turned around. There was nothing. For a second, it was like the raging winds had stopped, only to let a single droplet fall. He could hear it in his head, and it felt too real to confuse with anything else.
His sore arms fell to his side and he gave up quickly. If he wanted to make his way back, he'd have to save as much energy as possible.
But, it was already proving to be hard. His footsteps were now untraceable as done had covered them up. It didn't help that the wind current was blowing against him.
"Darn it..." the Pokemon trainer muttered to himself. His voice was faint as if it were coming from far away. The teen felt like laughing at how bad his situation was.
The only thing he could do now kept pushing. Not because it was the right thing to do, but rather the only thing to do if he didn't want to die out in the cold.
At this rate, he'd be fainting any second. His body and mind were beyond their limits already, and his feverish feeling made everything worse.
An angelic face that was smiling flashed in his mind, momentarily warming his freezing body. His body was in a state between consciousness and unconsciousness, so his thoughts were flooded with random things.
Oddly, these random things circulated to one person- Serena. He randomly smelled her lavender scent or felt like her silky hair had just touched his shoulder. It would have been very creepy if it didn't remind him of her.
A small giggle came out of thin air. Then a laugh. The rustling of clothes, or the soft steps of someone lightweight. Random noises came from all around him. The poor teen kept walking through it all, in a trance.
He could see her face slowly form in his mind. A small smile grew on his face, causing his teeth to clatter aloud. His body shivered and trembled uncontrollably. His vision felt like it was growing darker with every step he took.
But it was all fine, he could stop. All he needed was to see her. Her smile, her giggle, or her face-
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
The sound made him come to a halt, almost like it had slapped him back to consciousness. It was strange. He heard tons of noises mere moments ago, but it didn't do anything. But now, these droplets had snapped him out of his trance.
They sounded different. They sounded real. Every drop was clear and undisturbed, playing out in his ears like he had headphones on. And now, instead of one drop, it was three.
"What's going on with me?" Ash groaned. He resumed his walk through the storm, making sure to keep himself conscious. Time started flying by.
While the laughter and smells had stopped, the dripping of water hadn't. A while later, droplets turned into a small stream of water. Then, the small stream grew in size. Now, it was a torrent of water gushing from everywhere.
Strangely, the water sounded familiar. It felt cozy. Despite how loud it was, Ash felt comfortable while he listened to the water fill something.
It was a nice sensation, almost like it rejuvenated him. His mentality began to reform as the water continued to move, and his body felt more energized. His muscles still hurt, and his body was still numb, but it felt more bearable.
Suddenly, the water gushing stopped. All he could hear now was the inside of the water. It was like he was swimming in the ocean.
It finally dawned on Ash. The water sounded almost exactly like the one from his dreams. The teen looked bewildered by the sudden realization.
"W-what? But how?" He yelped. His dreams had shown his future before, but not in a way like this. The water noises were coming from his head, and he knew it. Nothing was going on around him.
So what was causing this? The noise, the calming feeling... Everything was somehow familiar. He felt like he'd seen his dream before as well.
Ash rubbed his eyes, feeling a small itch. Everything was so confusing suddenly. So many questions with no answers. So many thoughts with no basis. So many feelings with no source.
He opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the white snow on the ground beneath him had disappeared. Ash was airborne.
He couldn't even manage a scream as his body dodged an incoming tree branch. The teen was rushing across treetops for some reason.
Ash couldn't understand whether he was going mad or not. The air pressing against his face felt real. Adrenaline pumped through his body. His eyes felt lively. Everything about this felt real. The only oddities were the lack of soreness across his body and the fleeting feeling of fever.
He dodged another tree branch in his face. Although he wanted to stop, his speed was far too fast to stop. Plus, he had to land on narrow surfaces with little space to even jump. Stopping would be impossible without injury.
I need to find a clearing somehow..!
His body struggled to keep going. The tree branches lacked leaves, and little white dots blurred past his vision. The Pokemon trainer was still in an area with snow. He was still near his original location.
But, nothing looked familiar. He could barely discern what was ahead of him, and that took all his concentration. He'd have to slow down somehow.
Ash took another jump off a tree branch. His legs felt a lot stronger, and his initial launch was much higher than usual.
The teen clenched his eyes as she was forced to push through a mass of tree branches, which was unavoidable. The branches scraped across his skin, which felt unusually smooth. The pain was thankfully minimal.
Ash opened his eyes after rushing through, only to see that he had missed a branch and was soaring over the side of a mountain.
He couldn't hold back a scream. His hand desperately reached for a branch, but it was far out of his reach.
I need to grab that somehow!
Ash hadn't even noticed. The small part of his vision which was covered by something, unraveled. A cold breeze hit his neck. It felt like he'd take off a scarf.
But, it wasn't any scarf. It was a tongue. A long, skim tongue that was resting on his collar unwinded and stretched farther than his hands ever could. It perfectly caught onto the branch, breaking his fall.
Ash then realized one more thing. This wasn't his body, nor was he in control. Not once had he thought of using his tongue to reach out and grab the branch, and he didn't control how the tongue wrapped around the branch. Then, how had he been synced with the person up until now?
There was only one answer he could come to. The sounds, water, the sudden shift in vision, the real feelings of hopping across trees, and the synced movements. All of them boiled down to one Pokemon.
Ash felt a huge grin grow on his face. An excitement spread across his body like never before.
"Greninja! Maneuver down the mountain slope!" Ash yelled. His vision shifted from looking up at the cliff edge to below him. Bumps and random branches sprouted off the side, acting as obstacles.
Suddenly, the ninja Pokemon dropped. The feeling of his body slicing through the air at absurd speeds returned.
Thrill. Joy. Excitement. Such fiery emotions raged within his body. The sync he had with the Pokemon strengthened. His slightly blurry vision cleared, and he could feel Greninja's emotions more clearly. The ninja felt the same as him.
Another branch appeared. They were moving so fast that it looked like the wood had popped out of the ground. Greninja easily adjusted his direction and passed by it.
The water type dug its padded foot into the rocky terrain, gaining a foothold to push off of for more speed. It needed to go faster. It needed more action.
Ash couldn't agree more. With a roar, he yelled, "Heck yeah!" The ninja returned his cheer with one of its own. It swiftly weaved past another rock.
"Use water shuriken and clear up a path!"
"Dodge!"
"Adjust your feet more!"
Command after command, Ash controlled Greninja like it was his extended limbs. The frog didn't doubt a single word his old trainer said and responded with the perfect move that Ash wanted it to do.
After five years, despite their different journeys, those two were still on the same page- even the same sentence. There was no delay between command and action.
Ash realized just how much he missed his first Kalos Pokemon. The ninja was a powerhouse who could hold a candle to his other strongest five years ago, and that didn't seem to change all this time.
Even if he were to suddenly add the Pokemon to his team, there wouldn't be any backlash. He was on par or even ahead of some of his current team.
Greninja landed on the ground safely, kicking up a snow cloud after making contact with the ground. He was traveling so fast that a crater had formed.
Ash grinned, and he could feel the ninja do the same. With a victory cry, the water-type starter shot its fist into the air. It had managed to land safely.
Ash could feel that its presence was close to him. Before his old Pokemon could start heading toward him, he made a suggestion.
"Hey Greninja, take a small detour," Ash said. The frog paused, listening in on his old trainer.
"Let's do some berry-hunting."
Whew. I didn't think I'd take this long to write a chapter. Apologies.
But on a better note, I have a few other story ideas set up for Amourshipping, which I'll publish once this book nears its end. In the meantime, I'll see you all in the next one.