The Chosen One's Wrath Chapter 17: Just Like That, a pokémon fanfic

Hey everyone! Welcome back to the story, this time, it's chapter 17! If ya'll are new to this story, I do urge you to favorite and follow the story! It would mean a lot if you guys can continually support the story! If you have the time, follow me as well! This story has a bit to go, but when this story is done, it would be great to see your support as soon as I can get the next story up.

As per usual, let's talk shall we? So last chapter got a lot of positive attention! I'm really glad that the story is getting so much positive attention, but something I've noticed is the number of guest reviews. It bothers me a little that I can't directly respond to some people because they don't have an account. It's perfectly okay, but I was thinking if you want me to respond to ya, just make a fanfiction account and let me know! If you just want to give your opinion, it's perfectly okay too! I read every review and PM, just wanted to let you all know.

Last chapter was really important, and not everyone understood what I was trying to play at. I'll likely put out again the moment here in again that I will try to elaborate. However, there was something that I didn't even realize I had put in that regarded the chapters name: I named the last chapter The Broken One. What I didn't mention in the chapter was, who exactly was the Broken One?

Is Zandra the Broken One? Is Ash the Broken One? Last chapter took a while to come out and I felt guilty about giving you guys an extra-long wait for a chapter that's centered around an OC, since I'm trying to give each OC a chapter based around them (I already had one that was based primarily around Axel and July.) So I decided to give you all faithful readers an interesting ending to the chapter for being so patient.

It's time to stop this intro so you all can see what happened. You all have waited more than enough time to see what happened. Why the drastic change in Ash? Let's go see. Again, if you're new, follow and favorite! It would mean a ton to me guys. Thanks so much!

Enjoy the Chapter guys!

LegionZ Presents… The Chosen One's Wrath… Chapter 17

Last Chapter…

"And Now, the Matchups for the Bracket-Quarterfinals… the round of 32! Here they are, posted right here on the screen!"

Everyone's eyes darted to the screen, set on finding their matchups.

Arceus Bracket

July Ruftulis vs Paul Shinji (1)

Abel Winchine vs Steven Stone (1)

Max Maple vs Scarlett Underwood (2)

Wulfric Coldform vs Aaron Readkin (2)

Zekrom Bracket

Ghost vs Erika Grassal (1)

Falkner Corsto vs Bobby Johanson (1)

Axel Fractera vs Bella Treesdale (2)

Karl Miller vs Cynthia Shirona (2)

Yvetal Bracket

Alder Forevaborn vs Clay Earthbound (1)

Korrina Pillar-Yates vs Xavier Blackmon (1)

Trip Craggier vs Kung-yo Sin (2)

William Sedasta vs Malva Keenfire (2)

Giratina Bracket

Koga Briarwood vs Candice Frozenul (1)

Samantha Johnson vs Gary Oak (1)

Lance Dragonwright vs Sally Redawl (2)

Bonnie Yates vs Zandra Polisik (2)

AN: The winners of (1) battle each other, as those with (2) battle each other. Then, the last person standing in each bracket with (1) battle the last person standing in each matchup with (2). Winner of that matchup wins their bracket.

And then, her train of thought ended. She was frozen in time for a brief period, it could've been minutes, it could've been seconds. However, she now knew why she was so angry. It was because Ghost had taken her in when he had much more powerful trainers to choose from. Ghost had seen through her ominous persona and decided to try and repair the person that had ceased to exist, even when it appeared as though was truly gone.

End Flashback…

She had lied to herself. No. She had lied to herself about the entire thing; that was not the reason she was so angry at May. She had not forgiven Lance. And yet… she was interested in him. How could she be interested in someone who…

Her breath hitched.

… everything made sense now.

She legitimately knew now why seeing May made her angry in the back of her mind. It was because Ash and her were one of the same. Ash had been betrayed by everyone he held close to him, especially May. And yet, he had found it in his heart to forgive her and let her back into his life even after she had pretty much destroyed it.

Zandra twirled her pink hair instinctively before she sighed and said. "The reason I cannot be with you is because, yes, you did scar me for life. However, it is not the incident itself that is forcing my hand, it is because I cannot forgive you for the incident."

Lance was silent for a moment or two before saying in disbelief. "I've… I've told you how sorry I was countless times—"

SMACK! Lance toppled to the ground, holding his cheek in shock, caught completely off guard. Zandra lost her temper for a moment. "Don't you DARE say that saying SORRY makes up for scarring me for years?!"

Lance, affected by emotions as well, yelled at her as he struggled to his feet. "Get OVER it! I've bet you shagged countless men since you became a—" He never finished his sentence, nor did he ever remember what had just occurred seconds prior.

SMACK! Down he went again. Zandra had tears streaming down her cheeks. "And that is why you and I cannot be together Lance! You weren't thinking clearly that night, and you're not thinking clearly now! So let me make this very clear, if you have to remember one damn think right now, remember this!"

She snagged Lance by his collar and snarled. "We will never be a couple. We will never be together. And you can sure as hell bet that we will never fuck again! And for your damn information, you were my first, and you were my last! Get that through your thick skull, and you should know that if we battle in this tournament, which we will, I am going to kick your ass so badly you'll be stuck in an emergency care unit until I win this damn tournament. So shut the fuck up and leave me the fuck alone until you know what you're doing wrong, and… and…"

She stopped speaking and tossed him to the ground, the back of his head colliding with the dirt beneath him and making dazed for a short period of time. It was more than enough seconds for Zandra to walk back to the Pokémon league.

She walked into his chambers and raised an eyebrow. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary… or was there? She then realized something was wrong: there were no Pokémon in the room. Why? Pikachu was usually around and would always greet her with a happy smile. Why wasn't he doing so?

"Why are you here?"

She was startled as she looked towards the balcony. She saw a figure sitting there on the ledge of the balcony. She had no doubt in her mind it was Ash, and she walked towards it. "Ash! What the heck are you doing? You probably shouldn't be so—" She stopped walking and gasped when she saw him. He was no longer wearing his red vest and gray jeans. He was no longer wearing his red cap, or his gray and red gloves.

He was wearing a black cloak that bellowed behind him as the wind carried through his room. He was also sporting a large black hat that covered his eyes, and a piece of black fabric that covered his mouth and neck-area. He stood up on the balcony, his dark black boots gripping the rocks beneath them and his midnight black pants with a leather black belt completed his entire appearance.

Zandra was too stunned to speak in coherent sentences. "Wh..Wh-wha…h-ho-how…"

Ash nodded slowly. He stared at her and her two Pokémon behind her. Zandra whispered, totally shocked. "W-Why?"

Ash held his head low for a moment. A single tear rolled down his face, but Zandra didn't notice at the costs of the heavens opening up and letting the rain pound Alola, ALT City, the league, and Ash's heart all combined. He then looked up and a titanic streak of lightning danced across the night sky atthat exact moment, lighting up Ash's face, or rather, what he chose to reveal: his blue eyes and nose, plus everything in between. For Zandra, it was frightening.

His whispered one singular word.

"May."

In that instant, the tear that fell down his cheek hit the ground. In that instant, the lighting died out, and a roar of thunder could be heard nearby. The light faded from Ash's face, as well as the light that had been in his heart.

Present… WARNING: There is Light Fluff in this Chapter. If it isn't your thing, stay advised.

Fear was overtaking Zandra. She had not seen her leader like this in… well… ages! It had been at least a couple of years since she had seen Ash dressed in his black robes. She only remembered him when he was like this at his darkest points: his robes weren't just to look much more ominous; they signified his dark and depressing past. Ash had worn his red vest and the rest of the monsoonal only when he had forgotten his past and more importantly, moved on from it.

His past was haunted, terrifying, depressing, and possibly most damning of all, overwhelming. If it could take down the pride of the Champion of Alola, things were not good. What the hell had happened to Ash for him to act like this? The only thing that had happened in the evening was with May and their…

She froze. That was it.

Flashback…

Lance looked over at Ash again with an eyebrow raised. "It's okay to say your name here?"

Ash shrugged. "I believe so."

Lance sighed. "Okay then. I just wanted to talk to you about what would happen if we both win our next matchups. If that was to happen—"

Zandra finished for him. "Yes. I know. We would battle one another, and knowing our past "history" it could make the battle awkward. Is that it?" Lance looked quite embarrassed for a moment or two before nodding. Zandra sighed and walked to her Pokémon. She put a hand on Aurorus' skin and pet it. The Pokémon cooed in response. She then spoke to Lance with an emotionless tone. "Look Lance, I honestly have no quarrel with you, but I feel as though we must talk about our past if we are ever to shake it."

Lance remained quiet for a moment before nodding slowly in agreement. Zandra turned to her Pokémon and said calmly. "I want all of you to continue practicing. Aurorus?" The prehistoric Pokémon turned to its longtime trainer. "Return. In case things go…" she hesitated for a moment to look at Lance. "Awry…" she said with the smallest grin on her face. "I'd like to have you at the ready."

The Pokémon trilled in agreement. The two men watched as the Pokémon was returned into Zandra's pokeball. She attached it to her belt and then looked at Lance, who had an unreadable expression on his face. She then turned to Ghost, still wearing his usual red vest, gray jeans and red cap. She opened her mouth to say something but instead, Ghost cut her off, seemingly reading her mind.

"Don't worry. I know the drill. Take care of yourself."

He turned to Lance. "Keep her safe."

He then hopped on Charizard's back once more and took off to the skies in the direction of ALT City. Zandra murmured. "Hope his date goes well…"

Lance questioned politely. "What was that?"

Zandra smiled back in his direction. "Ghost has a date."

Present…

The word echoed in the pink-haired girls mind over and over again.

'Date… Date… Date… Date…'

The room was silent for a moment or two before Zandra let carnal roar and punched the closest wall, shattering it in pieces with the single punch that she had thrown. Pikachu, who was nearby, let out a cry of shock, jumping up from the ground to all fours. Glaceon and Swampert, who were still standing firmly at attention to their master, both jumped as well. Zandra never lost her temper like this, even though she was commonly considered the Ruthless One. She could feel blood rushing out of her knuckles, but at the moment, it did not matter.

She knew it; she knew it! People like her and Ash always got betrayed in the end. They always did so much to fight for the ones and for the things that they cared for, and yet, they always found as though it all failed in the end for them. It wasn't bloody fair! She knew just how much Ash loved May, so why the hell did he always get his heart stomped on like this? She shook her head and Ash finally spoke.

"Care to explain why part of my wall was blown to pieces?"

Zandra growled out. "That bastard May did this, didn't she? What did she do to you now, I swear to Arceus she's going to Pay!"

Ash was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "She was there, already talking to another man. One man that looked quite a bit like someone we both know." She blinked a couple of times at his words, caught a little bit off guard by the calmness of his voice. She looked at him with an anxious expression. "W-well? Who was it?"

Ash was quiet again, this time however, it was a much longer pause than the one that had just passed. He did respond, though.

"… Me."

Zandra shook her head. "Ghost, I know that. Obviously, you were there. You talked to her."

Ash shook his head back at her. "I'm afraid you misunderstand."

Zandra frowned. "Enlighten me."

Ash sighed. "I was talking to her."

Zandra growled. "Enough with the damn riddles Ketchum. Spill. What the hell are you talking about?"

Ash whirled around at her, dark cape bellowing in the wind. He roared. "SHE WAS WITH ME!"

Zandra paled and took a step back, it was rare to see her leader with such a carnal look in his eyes, but yet, there it was. Then, she began to realize Ash's words and understand them differently. She said quietly. "… someone who looked like you was there Ash?"

Ash began his quiet explanation, and as it went on, Zandra's facial expression changed.

Flashback… Ash… Two Hours Prior…

"What do you think buddy?" Ash said, looking in a mirror and flexing.

Pikachu sweatdropped and stared at his trainer, who did not look any different whatsoever. His faithful partner murmured while shaking his head. "Pi… Pika Pi Pi Pikachu Pika…" Ash whirled to his partner in surprise. "Wha… What do you mean I look exactly the same? I don't always look like this, do I?"

Pikachu gave his trainer an incredulous look. He then nodded his head once at his trainer as slowly as he could to show emphasis. Ash gave a look of legitimate surprise to his partner, completely not believing that he wore the same clothes even though it was incredibly obvious that he did just that.

"Pi Pika?"

"Oh, I'm taking May out to this fancy restaurant in ALT City. It's called The Merchant's Feast. I've only been there with the elites every once and awhile. It's damn good food though, I'm sure May will love it."

Pikachu was quiet before pointing at Ash and claiming. "Pi Pi Pi! Pika-Pi!"

Ash was surprised for a moment before saying. "Well, yes. I do have feelings towards May Pikachu, I always have."

"Pika-Pikachu!" Pikachu accused him.

Ash frowned. Pikachu had a point there. He said to his partner. "Look, what matters is that May recognized her mistake and was willing to understand what she did was wrong! Look at the other traitors, they aren'teven willing to try and understand what they did was wrong, let alone ask for forgiveness!"

Pikachu shook his head and fired back. "Pi-Pikachu Pi! Pi!"

Ash took a step back. "… No, I suppose it doesn't change that she still betrayed me."

Pikachu sighed. At least Ash understood something that was quite important. Ash sighed again at his partner before saying aloud.

"Pikachu, I think it's time."

The Pokémon looked at Ash in confusion, waiting for him to continue talking. Ash did so.

"I'm going to tell May who I am."

The Pokémon's eyes widened in shock, unable to believe his trainer's actions. However, Pikachu wasn't going to argue it. Ash took a deep breath, took one last look in the mirror, and then walked out of his chambers with all the intention in the world that, by the time he returned, May would know who he was, everything that had happened to him and how his feelings for her had not changed.

A Short Time Later…

Ash smiled as he landed, and then jumped off of Charizard's back and returned the dragon after thanking him for his effort. He then looked up at the rather large building that appeared to be at least three stories. He walked in with a confident smile on his face, knowing that tonight had a good chance of going so well. He had everything planned out to the best of his ability, and nothing could go wrong, at least, as long as he could help it.

First, they would have this romantic meal, and he would tell her stories of his past, in an attempt to jog her memory of him. Then, he'd take her out on a—

His mind froze momentarily as he approached the hostess, a pretty blonde girl in her twenties. "Hello, I'm meeting someone here under the name Maple."

The waitress blushed hard, knowing very well who she was talking with. She nodded at the handsome champion and said. "One moment s-sir…" Ash nodded in understanding. He stood there patiently while the hostess appeared to be checking her notes of some sort. After a moment, she said. "Um Sir?"

Ash frowned patiently. "Yes?"

The hostess looked confused. "It says here you are a party of two, yes?"

"Correct, and the problem with that is?"

The hostess frowned. "It says here that Maple, party of two, is already checked in."

Ash cocked his head slightly to the left. "I-I'm sorry, what?"

She frowned. "It says here Maple Party is already checked in sir. I don't know what else to tell you sir."

"You could tell me that you're joking, and that I can head right in to see my girlfriend." Ash joked without an ounce of humor in his voice.

The hostess sighed. "You can just go in to see if you see her there."

Ash was relieved, now they were getting somewhere, it was probably just some mistake, in all honesty. He walked past the hostess with the lone intent of seeing May, his beautiful brunette girlfriend. He knew the exact place he had reserved; a private room for the two of them. He walked to the elevator. Pressing the darkened number "3" on the panel inside, he watched as the doors closed and his ascent began. Soon enough, the elevator halted and the doors opened to reveal a singular door down the hallway. He felt the door handle and was surprised to find it locked.

He shook the handle once or twice, and nothing happened. He then heard a noise emit from someone inside. He felt his protector instincts kick in. "Hang on! I'm coming in!" He yelled. He then kicked the door with all his might, and it swung open to reveal two people.

Ash's mind had frozen in shock when he saw the two people. One was a gorgeous brunette with an excellent bust and pretty brown pigtails. Her eyes were shining an almost creepy light-blue. Her eyes widened when she saw him walk in. The other person had auburn eyes and raven-like hair. He was around the same height as the girl. He was wearing a very familiar blue and red outfit.

Ghost stood there in disbelief as he saw May and… none other than himself standing there. He fought to find any words to speak.

Finally, the words came out. "What the…"

May exclaimed in a bubbly tone. "Ghost! C-can you believe it?! Ash is alive!"

Ghost merely stood there; a stunned look etched all over his handsome face. Ash's doppelganger walked over to him and held out his hand cheerfully. "Hi! My name is Ash Ketchum! It's nice to meet you! My goal is to become a Pokémon master someday!"

Ghost was frozen for another moment before he slowly extended his hand and shook his doppelganger's hand. "My name is Ghost. I'm the champion of the Alola region, a pleasure."

Ash grinned cheekily and released the handshake. May excitedly said. "I can't believe you came back to me!"

Ash held her hands and said softly. "Well of course I would come back to you, I love you!"

May whispered. "I… I love you too."

Ghost's eyes widened in horror as the two hugged tightly. When the two failed to break their grasps over one another, Ghost finally lost his cool. "So… that's how this is going to be huh?"

May looked at Ghost with desperate eyes. "I… I d-don't even know what to say Ghost… I-I'm so sorry that this had had to happen. B-but Ash had been the one I've been yearning for… for years! I couldn't do anything, I couldn't say anything to anyone, a-and if I did… w-who would believe me?!"

Ghost stared at her with tears threatening to build and then said. "S-so… w-we're done?"

He saw tears in her eyes. "Y-y-yes… we are."

Ghost's face changed ever so slowly to an emotionless one. "I see. I'll stay out of your way, but don't even think of getting in mine."

He then walked out of the room, an emotionless tone written all over his face. With every step he took, he could feel his heart breaking piece by piece. It had happened again. May could not keep a single boyfriend. He couldn't say that she had done this before, because then she'd suspect something, as would his doppelganger. But why? Why would she snap his heart again? What did he do to deserve this? As he walked out of the restaurant, he felt darkness overtaking his soul, and this time, he wasn't sure if he could ever come back.

Present…

Zandra was shocked, May broke it off with Ash Ketchum for an imposter Ash Ketchum?! That was… well… messed up. Poor Ash, err, the real one. He held his head in disbelief. "I was dumped by my girlfriend by myself! H-how crazy is that? H-how unlucky can I get?"

Zandra suddenly said aloud. "Something isn't adding up here Ash."

Ash groaned. "You're telling me? There was literally a guy who looked nearly identical to me!"

Zandra frowned. "Nearly?"

Ash hesitated for a moment or two before saying. "Yeah, I mean, I noticed the scars on my face were off. Also, I'm pretty sure when I went to Kalos, I was a lot taller."

Zandra raised an eyebrow. "Wait, your copycat was wearing your Kalos clothes?"

"Uh-huh."

Though his eyes were covered by the large black hat, she could feel his eyes gazing over her curiously. He gently turned his head as if to question her. He said slowly. "What are you hinting at here Zandra?"

Zandra turned to Ash. "I'm saying that I think something was up with May during that dinner, and it was affecting her in a big way."

Ash stared at his pink-haired elite and said with a sigh. "What do you want to know?"

Zandra frowned. "Didn't you say her eyes were glowing light blue?

Ash nodded. "Yeah, they were. I'd know her eyes anywhere, they're usually an ocean blue. During dinner, it was light blue, they were definitely different than how I know them, I swear. And…" He paused and took off his hat slowly. "… now that you mention it… there was something May said that is wrong… well, at least as of right now, it sounds wrong…"

Zandra sent a look at her champion and sat down on his bed. "Care to enlighten me?"

Ash nodded.

The Flashback…

End of the Flashback…

Ash shook his head and said to his elite, "But that last part… about not saying anything to anyone… and nobody believing her as the excuse… that's a lie! She told me about it, and I promised to help her! Though I suppose I didn't specify when I'd help… she definitely was making it seem like nobody at all was on her side on the matter."

Zandra suddenly gasped in recognition and stood up faster than she ever had before. She yelled out in surprise. "I KNEW IT!" Ash blinked once or twice and said. "Please, explain?"

She ran to Ash's work desk and booted up his computer and began typing away rapidly on it. Ash muttered aloud under his breath. "Oh sure, help yourself…"

"Bonnie is my next opponent!" She claimed proudly.

Ash shook his head, his eyes wide in bewilderment. "And that is important because?"

"Because… if I remember correctly…"

She showed Ash the computer after a moment or two, and then, Ash could only widen his eyes as he saw everything he needed to know about the situation. His pink-haired elite was indeed onto something, but there was only one way to find out if their current theory was on the right path, completely on-point, or completely off-point.

Traitors…

"I told you it would work!" Max said proudly, puffing out his chest.

There, before them, was May, tied up and gagged, all while sitting on a chair. She had swollen eyes from all the crying she had done. She recognized all the traitors, the ones who had betrayed Ash, all there. Well, all of them except Trip. She wasn't sure where he was, but wherever it was, it wasn't with her. She saw Bonnie helping Max with something in a corner a moment or so later. Cilan walked over to her and smirked. He then removed the gag from her mouth.

"I am quite sorry."

May spat at him. "Like hell you are."

Cilan didn't flinch from her cold gaze. "Honestly, you were never meant to get hurt or injured. The one we intend to harm is your boyfriend… or should I say ex-boyfriend?" At that May let out a growl and fought to get free so she could strangle to green-haired man. He chuckled a little and shook his head at May.

"A futile attempt, to say the least."

May growled. "You're going to pay for this!"

Dawn walked into the room with a sweet smile on her face. "Ah but we beg to differ. You're just lucky Misty's boyfriend isn't here to wipe the floor with you."

Cilan raised an eyebrow. "Any reason why he chose not to assist us in this mission against the leader of the Alola region?"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "He said something about winning "the honorable way" and how we were going about it is wrong. I don't know what's gotten into him, but I'm sure he'll see the error of his ways and come back. After all, it is Ghost that tossed his girlfriend into Jail in the first place, is it not?"

May snarled. "Maybe you're forgetting that she stole Pokémon from a fellow competitor, and unlike the rest of you idiots, he realizes that stealing is wrong, and unlawful."

"Don't you realize that Bonnie, Max, and Trip now have the chance to become champions? And of course, when they do become champions, we'll all become rich! I don't think you understand just how close we are to achieving our dream May." Iris said, walking into the room and crossing her arms while staring at May with an indifferent look in her eyes.

"Ghost will beat you all." May said, a small grin covering her face.

A smile crossed Iris' face in response, and May felt the smile on hers leave entirely. "I doubt that, May. I don't believe you've heard the news?" May didn't respond, so Iris continued gleefully. "Ghost swapped his dress attire today, word has it."

May blinked. "And that's bad because?"

She wished she hadn't asked. "Oh… according to some of the residents of ALT City, they said they haven't seen Ghost wear this particular outfit in around two years… back when he used to be a leader that rarely communicated with his people. He was closed off, quiet, and most importantly, he wasn't always trusted." May's eyes were widening in horror.

Iris smirked. "Ghost is about to begin losing the trust of his own people once more, and of course, losing you before all of this to the dead Ash Ketchum. Ahh seeing Ghost's face as you betrayed him just like you betrayed Ash was priceless!"

May had tears that were threatening to fall out of her eyes. She didn't know why she did what she did, but what she did know was that she did not want to break up with Ghost. But was Ash really alive!? Why would he help the people who backstabbed him? It didn't make any sense!

"Why on earth would Ash help you hurt Ghost?" She found herself saying.

Cilan laughed. "Silly girl! That's not Ash! It was merely Max who had a ton of make-up on; courtesy of our great—" He held his hands out as though he was introducing a product of some sort. "—Dawn Berlitz!" The blunette grinned and took a polite bow to spite the brown haired girl.

"G-Ghost will find me!" May said, trying to sound confident, but on the inside, she really didn't know if he would even try to find her.

Max joined the bunch and smirked at the girl. "Trust me sis, after that performance we put on at that restaurant, the only reason he'd come looking for you is to demand that you pay the bill!" He laughed at her.

The rest of the traitors joined in on the laughing. May felt tears streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably now, there was nothing that she could do.

"I'll admit, you had me fooled."

The traitors stopped laughing and immediately began panicking as they heard a voice echoing throughout their apartment. Iris clenched a pokeball on her waist and yelled out in surprise. "W-who's there!? Show yourself!"

The room was silent for a moment or two before the voice that echoed throughout the room began to laugh ominously. Bonnie cried out. "H-Hypno! Protect me!" The Pokémon materialized next to the blonde haired girl and cried out its name respectively. At that exact instant, the lights sliced off in the room, making visibility all but impossible. "H-hey! Who turned off the lights?" Max yelled to nobody in particular.

"So… you still find the need to cause trouble in this region… my region…"

"I-It's Ghost! He's here!" Dawn cried out in panic.

Everyone was running around wildly, and in their haste, bumping into each other, knocking stuff over, and what not. May felt someone run into her, and she closed her eyes as she waited for the impact with the floor to reach.

A few moments later, and the power to the room was restored. Max blinked and looked around. Everything was still the same! Except…

"MAY IS GONE!" The traitors whirled around to the chair that had just contained the princess of Hoenn moments earlier.

The voice echoed sarcastically. "Oops… did I do that?"

Max yelled. "Come on! We can't let her get away!" He ran to the front door and swung it open. You could imagine his look of shock when he was lifted off his feet by a brown haired man with a very defined jaw line. He stood around 6'3'', and his eyes were glaring daggers at the boy in his grasp. Max was struggling mightily to break free, with no avail. All the traitors recognized this man instantly, and it was not Ghost.

"You all make me sick. You betray Ash all those years ago, then you kidnap the girl who loved him all to satisfy your own greed? How could Ash possibly have been friends with such bastards like yourself?" The man spat at them.

"Ketchum was a bit of a loser back in the day, but our final battle opened my eyes to what he fought for: a friendship with everyone, including Pokémon! How could you all do this to him? I just don't know, and even as much of a tool as I was all those years ago, I could never do something as low as what you all did to him." Another voice spoke. Out from behind the brown haired boy came another. He had purple hair that was fairly spiky and messy. He had a glare in his dark eyes, and was wearing a blue and black jacket. He was a couple inches shorter than the brown haired boy.

The traitors were clearly taken aback by the appearance of two people they all knew. "Gary, Paul, what the hell are you doing here!?"

Ash's two former rivals stood before the traitors, Paul with his arms crossed, and Gary still holding Max high in the air, showing his impressive stamina and strength. Max managed to get out. "P-put m-me down!"

Gary chucked Max to the ground, earning a loud crashing noise in response. Gary spat at them, malice in his voice. "Haven't you all been bastards enough? You killed Ash, you kidnap May, you plan to ruin Ghost, and you steal from Abel Winchine? What the hell is your problem!? Have you gone insane?"

Cilan accused. "How do you know all of this?"

Paul snorted. "Does it matter?"

Iris retorted. "Yes! It does!"

Paul shook his head. "I don't waste my time with a bunch of losers like you all. People who have to drop as low as stealing, kidnapping, and murdering people to get an edge or even the score don't deserve anything but a jail cell for their actions."

Cilan smirked. "And yet, if we did all of this, why hasn't anyone arrested us?"

Gary chuckled. "Because Ghost has something planned for you all."

Max laughed. "Yeah right. Did he tell you to tell us that because he was too scared to come here and do it himself?"

"Feeling lucky?" A voice said from behind the traitors. They whirled around and saw a figure standing there with a black cloak on. The figure was wearing a large black hat that shielded his face from view. He also wore black boots. He looked quite lethal, and the traitors were smart enough to recognize this.

"W-who the hell are you!?"

"You don't recognize me? A shame."

All of the sudden, Cilan was sent flying up against a wall, and landed on the ground with a crash. Iris was sent flying backwards as well, smashing through a chair. Both Dawn and Bonnie flew backwards, with Hypno getting launched into the two females. Max was grabbed by his neck this time.

"Let me make this abundantly clear. If you ever touch your sister again, you will be ended. If you ever feel the need to think about your sister again in the way you have been thinking about her, as a bargaining chip, you will be ended. And to give you a good idea of this…" The cloaked figure held Max up high in the air by his neck, choking him. "… remember this mark before you do something as foolish as what you just did." In one hand, he hurled the boy into Cilan, smashing the wall even more. Max groaned and coughed uncontrollably for a moment or two.

When all the traitors came to, Gary, Paul, and the cloaked figure were all gone.

Flashback… Ash and Zandra…

"Bonnie is my next opponent!" She claimed proudly.

Ash shook his head, his eyes wide in bewilderment. "And that is important because?"

"Because… if I remember correctly…"

"Are we sure that Bonnie used her Hypno to possible manipulate May and to do this?"

Zandra nodded eagerly. "It is possible. If May was being hypnotized, then this makes perfect sense. Her eyes would be light blue, almost glossed over. Bonnie would tell her what to say, and therefore, since Bonnie didn'tknow you and May had a conversation about proving Ash, err, you were killed by them all those years ago, then there would be holes in May's story. But the problem is, we don't know where the traitors would be. I don't even think they're stupid enough to use the same hideout twice. How are we going to find them?"

"We can always check their old hideout. Hell, maybe they are stupid enough to use it again." Ash shrugged.

She nodded at her champion. As if on cue, the rest of the elites could be heard laughing and talking down the hall. Ash looked worried. "I…"

Zandra placed her hand on her champion's shoulder. "Don't worry Ash. I'll take care of them. You go try and find her. Get it done." Ash nodded, called out Charizard, and motioned for Pikachu to hop on as well. Zandra returned her Pokémon and ran out to greet the rest of Ash's elite.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash soared above the building with a frown on his face, would they really be stupid enough to come back and use it again as a hideout? Ash landed outside the Pokémon center and walked in, intent full on seeing on whether or not May was here.

"Ahem, Nurse Joy?" Ash said, cloak still behind him.

The Nurse looked at him, and she gasped. "G-Ghost!? What are you doing in your old uniform? I almost didn't recognize you!" Ash grinned underneath his hat. While the local residents of ALT City would know this outfit, the traitors would not.

"I need to know if Max Maple and his friends are still here."

The Nurse nodded and said. "I can check for you. Is that alright?"

Ash nodded. "Okay. I'll be right back."

The nurse vanished behind a door leaving Ash to his own thoughts. After a moment or two of silence, someone behind him spoke. "Why the hell would you even consider being friends with that loser?"

Ghost turned with an eyebrow raised, though his face stayed entirely concealed. A boy in a blue and black jacket stood there with his arms crossed. He didn't appear very happy, as confirmed by his words against Max. Ash raised an eyebrow at one of his most bitter rivals. The purple-haired boy just sneered at him, completely unfazed.

Ash smirked. "What makes you say I'm friends with him?"

Paul fired back. "What makes you say that you're not?"

Ash chuckled. "Aside from the fact that they caused a scene in my City, and are actively trying to take over my league, that's what."

Paul's eyes narrowed. "You're not Ghost. You're wearing entirely different clothes than he wears."

"Paul, cut it out. Check this out." A brown haired boy ran over and showed his friend something on his Pokegear. Paul's eyes widened and then his eyes darted back to Ghost, who simply stood there watching the scene unfold.

"… well I suppose you are indeed the one they call Ghost. Guess I was wrong." Paul admitted begrudgingly.

Ash nodded and spoke dismissingly. "Now that we got that wrapped up…"

Gary, another one of Ash's bitter rivals, questioned Ghost before he could end the conversation for good. "Wait, why do you want to talk to Max and his friend group? You just said they were bad news, yet you want to go see them, why?" Ash merely chuckled. "Let's just say they need a good talking to and leave it at that."

Paul smirked. "He needs more than that; he needs a wakeup call. He's notwinning this tournament if I've got anything to say about it."

Gary nodded. "Or I."

Ash chuckled. "Then I suppose we all have something in common."

It was then that a light switch was flicked on inside his head. He looked at the two boys. He smirked. "How would you two like to give me a hand in a chore that I have to do?"

Gary blinked. "And that chore is?"

Ash laughed. "Taking out the trash."

"Glad to help in the garbage department. I'm Paul, and the hotshot here is Gary. How can we be of service, Mr. Champion?"

May…

May found herself lying in a rather large bed, tucked in nicely. She looked down underneath the covers and saw she was not tied up anymore, so what had happened? She pushed herself up and looked around the room in bewilderment. It was an elegant design, one that had everything one could ask for. Hell, it looked like a kid had designed the room. She didn't even notice the man watching her curiously.

"… How are you feeling?"

She jumped at the voice and turned to see Ghost sitting, one leg across the other at a 90 degree angle. Her eyes widened and she began to ramble.

"G-Ghost! Oh My God! I-I-I'm s-so sorry! I know it looked b-bad but I swear, I-I didn't do it o-on purpose! My b-brother and his friends controlled m-me using one of their Pokémon! I swear! I-I'll do anything to show you I-I'm telling the truth! Anything! P-please let me show you! I-I can't l-lose you too! I-I'm so—" She was cut off from rant when Ghost firmly and yet kindly replied to her. "I am aware of everything May."

Her jaw dropped an inch or so, completely dumbfounded that Ghost had managed to solve everything in such a short period of time.

"B-but… how?"

"I can't take all the credit. If it wasn't for Zandra, my fairy type elite, I'd very well be in a very rough place right now. And of course, without the help of Gary and Paul, I may have not had the time to get you out unharmed."

May frowned. "How did you even do… Wait… why do I remember you wearing all black?"

Indeed, Ash was no longer wearing his usual Black Cloak. Instead, he was once more wearing his red vest, dark gray t-shirt, the usual outfit. Ghost nodded at her question. "Yes, I was. Perhaps I'll go into details with you some day to as why I was like that."

"Ah, she's awake." They both turned to Ash's doorway and saw Zandra standing there with the slightest trace of a smile on her face. May couldn't honestly believe it though, Zandra was the girl who had been the coldest to her by a country mile, though she had been dispelled by her original theory that Zandra had feelings for Ghost. This occurred when Ghost had mentioned to her that Zandra and Lance had a history together.

So why all the bad blood then?

"Glad to see you're doing alright. Honest."

May said quietly. "Thank you…"

Zandra nodded once in response. May questioned Zandra. "S-so you know about Bonnie's—" The elite raised her hand to stop her. "Hypno, and how it hypnotized you? Yes. We know." May said nothing else, and Zandra nodded once more before she told Ghost. "You ought know this Ghost; you got the unlucky slot."

May looked at Ghost with confused eyes. What did that mean? He moaned aloud and in a very disappointed voice. "Gahhhh… you are kidding, I hope?"

"Afraid not."

Ash sighed and said. "Guess I better get going then…"

May's eyes darted to Ash in surprise. "W-what? Why are you leaving?"

Ash chuckled. "Guess who got stuck in the first battle time slot?"

May's jaw dropped. But the first battle wasn't supposed to be till late on the… she found herself asking. "How long was I asleep?"

Ash chuckled again. "Well, it's currently 6."

May blinked and Ash now laughed at her expense. "… In the evening." She nearly screamed at him. "I was asleep for over 16 hours!?"

"When's the last time you got a decent night's sleep May?"

May turned a light red in her cheeks and said shyly. "I… I don't remember." Ghost nodded once and stood up. "I'd love to stay and continue chatting, but my battle against Erika starts in about an hour. I have to get over there and prepare; A spot in the top 16 is on the line right now, after all." As he walked away, she suddenly cried out. "W-wait!" Ash turned back to her. "Yes? What is it May?"

"Where does all of this leave us Ghost?"

Ash frowned. "What do you mean?"

May said in confusion. "What do you mean, 'What do you mean,' Ghost? I was being controlled by a Pokémon! We broke it off under that spell! Is everything really okay?"

Ghost turned back towards her. "Let me ask you something then."

May nodded. He walked closer to her, eyes twinkling. "Do you still want to be together?"

May gasped. "Of course! Why would you even—"

(Warning: Some Fluff for you Advanceshippers, no Lemons though.)

Ash smiled. "Well I want to stay together. See? There's no reason to cause tension when we both feel the same—" Ash gasped as May pushed her mouth firmly against his. She wrapped her arms around Ghost's neck, deepening the kiss. She moaned happily when she felt Ghost's hands trailing down her back little by little before eventually reaching her perfect backside and squeezing it.

She removed one hand from his neck and used it to remove Ghost's hat. Tossing it aside, She then turned her head to get a better angle of Ghost's face. The feeling was absolutely indescribable, it was like she was flying across the sky. Meanwhile for Ash, he was feeling just as tremendous: May's lips were intoxicating. He had pressed his hands into her bum firmly, and somewhat expected her to break away from him and call him a pervert or something of the sort. Instead she had only moaned into his lips, as if begging him to keep doing that. So, that was exactly what he did: he began massaging her backside in his hands, enjoying how perfectly shaped they were and how great they felt in his hands.

May wrapped her one leg around Ghost's, making sure she had a good grip on him. She whimpered happily when he broke the kiss and began lightly sucking on her neck. "G-Ghost…" the man responded with a quiet word. It was a single word, but it was filled with emotion, and an action followed right after it.

He seductively whispered. "Mine." He then lightly bit down on May's neck, causing her to squeal lightly and then moan as she felt him lick the spot softly with his tongue. She had zero idea Ghost had a rather… sexy side; and she loved it. In response to his action, she got on her tippy-toes and prepared to do the same thing to him. He growled in his throat as he felt the gorgeous brunette placing kisses on his neck. She whispered to him the same word he had whispered to her.

"Mine." She then bit down on his neck, earning a groan from the young champion. She licked it softly before Ash pulled her down onto his bed, with her landing on top of him. Then began to kiss once again, their tongues tracing each other's lips from time to time.

Ash continued to massage May's bum in both of his hands, never failing to give it the attention it wanted. May moaned seductively. "Ghosttttt…" In that she was more than willing to go the distance with Ghost. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest as they kissed. She knew he shared the same feelings that she had for him. Breaking the kiss, she began nibbling on his earlobe playfully, earning a sigh from the man in the red vest.

"May… I need to… ah… Go…" He panted. May murmured. "Ten more minutes…?" Ash chuckled at her, regaining his focus and composure. "It's already been twenty sweetheart…" Her eyes widened and she turned to the clock that she had seen when she was looking around earlier. It was true, they really had passed a lot of time making out.

She giggled. "Sorry, guess I got a little carried away…"

He placed both his hands on May's backside once more. "Don't be. I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed it."

The girl smiled and lightly kissed him once more.

"May."

The girl looked at him as he slipped out from under her and grabbed his hat that was positioned on the floor. "What is it Ghost?"

"I want you to stay here while I battle."

She blinked in confusion. "W-what?" Why?"

Ash smiled mysteriously. "Just… trust me."

She smirked. "Come on Ghosty, give your girl something to go on here." Ash hesitated for a moment or two, but then, she leaned over, giving an excellent view of her bust. She smiled evilly at seeing how much of an effect it was having on her handsome boyfriend. Ash smirked, if that was how she wanted to play it, so be it. He leaned in next to her and whispered something as softly as he could. May's eyes widened in shock at his words. She stared at him with wide eyes, not believing what she had just been told.

He smirked at her again before walking out of the room, the grin never leaving his face for a single second, and leaving May in the room in a state of shock.

Alola Battle Stadium…

Ash sighed. He was staring in the mirror quietly, listening to the outside noises of the stadium. The announcer sounded as though he was introducing his opponent, so he knew it wouldn't be too long before they called him up as well. He was massaging his neck with a half-grin, half-frown on his face. The mark May had left on his neck was seriously started to attract attention, but at this point, he felt as though he and May had taken a huge step in their relationship.

"Yesterday ended much better than I thought I would've, Zandra, Paul and Gary seriously saved my Bacon. Time to get back into the groove of things."

He heard cannon fire going on outside, and he knew that Erika was being introduced for sure now. It wouldn't being long now…

"Ghost! You're up!" He turned to the doorway and was surprised to see none other than Kiawé standing there with a grin on his face. Kiawé had been defeated in the round beforehand, falling to elite Aaron from Sinnoh.

"Got it. Thanks."

Kiawé's eyes widened when he saw the mark on Ash's neck. He closed the door and breathed out in disbelief. "What in the…"

"May." Was Ash's only response.

The Alola-Native man chuckled at that. "Man, you two must be having some smooth sailing then! Congrats Ghost!"

Ash shook his head with a weak grin on his face. "Ah, if only it were that simple… I have to fight quite a bit for her."

Kiawé grinned and wisely said. "For the right partner, one will have no bounds in the actions they take for them." He walked to the door and grinned one final time. "Good luck Ghost. Stay frosty out there." He then closed the door and Ash could make out the sounds of fading footsteps. As if on cue, Ash heard the familiar beat begin playing.

*Play Virginia Tech Enter Sandman Football Entrance For Reference*

Out in the stadium, everyone had begun to clap their hands slowly in beat with the crowd and the music. The crowd was cheering loudly as they knew Ghost would be arriving on the battlefield soon. Every other second, the audience would clap, and on the four mega screens on any side of the stadium, the picture/video would change.

The first was a close up video of boots walking down what appeared to be a concrete tunnel.

A close up of Ghost's red hat in a sideways motion was next.

Then, a figure enlarging a pokeball in one hand.

"DOWWWNNNNN GOES HITMONCHAN! BULBASAUR WINS THE BATTLE!" An announcer's voice roared as a clip of Hitmonchan hitting the ground and Bulbasaur standing triumphantly over it was shown.

The crowd continued clapping for a few more moments before the chanting began as the words appeared on the Big Screen.

"LETS-GO!"

"ALO-LA!"

"LETS-GO!"

"ALO-LA!"

The deafening roars of the crowd shook people to the bone, sending goosebumps throughout every single person in the stadium. This would continue for a few more moments, until all of the sudden, the light's dimmed and a guitar began to play.

Everyone began to jump around like a bunch of madmen. Cymbals could be heard in the background of the song, and after a moment, drums began to play loudly in sync. The crowd cheered loudly as the song began to pick up the pace. Lights were flashing everywhere, and eventually, a guitar kicked in. The audience didn't stop cheering, the feeling was nothing short of exhilarating.

After a moment or two, the song hit its peak, and the guitar hit a new chord, sending chills through everyone in the stadium. At that exact moment, Ghost walked out of the concrete tunnel once more, fireworks being shot off in every direction. The audience was whooping and cheering as they watched the tournament favorite take the field across from a well-respected gym leader. Remarkably enough, she seemed to be the only one who was unfazed by the intro; everyone else was moved by it.

The referee in the middle of the battlefield announced. "Welcome to the first battle of the round of 32 trainers. This battle is between the Ghost of Alola, and Erika Grassal from Kanto. Each trainer will use three Pokémon, and the battle will be over when all three Pokémon from either side are unable to continue. Furthermore, both sides are permitted to substitute Pokémon. And before we begin, it's time to reveal the newest factor of the ABS, the battlefield randomizer!"

Erika raised an eyebrow in surprise, while Ash's eyes widened in horror. He had totally forgotten about Sophocles mentioning that! On all of the big screens, a multi-colored wheel began to spin describing the terrains that could be chosen for the round. The wheel slowly stopped on a light blue wedge of the circle labelled, "Ice."

The floor from underneath the two trainers and referee vanished for a moment before an ice battlefield that included high and icy cliffs reappeared. "Without further ado, let the battle begin!"

Erika frowned. "It's truly bad fortune to be forced into a brutal battlefield, but I am far from over! Exeggutor, come out!" The standard Exeggutor took the field, crying its name triumphantly before watching it's opponent keenly, waiting to see who Ghost would use as it's opponent.

He calmly took out the pokeball on his belt and stared at it. He hadn't planned on using her in this battle, but there was nobody else would held a candle to her on this battlefield; it had to be now. He said calmly. "I need your assistance."

The Pokémon materialized, and the audience gasped in surprise. Ash smiled as his watched his newest Pokémon take the field and cry out proudly. "Deeeelllvvveeee!" Erika was stunned as she stared at the beautiful, golden Pokémon. The referee raised an eyebrow, totally unsure of what the Pokémon he was seeing even was.

"Ghost, what is this Pokémon's name?" The referee questioned.

He answered. "Her name is Delveon. She is, technically, a legendary Pokémon." Erika's eyes widened in shock. How long had he been saving this Pokémon for before he unleashed it? How strong was it?! The referee appeared to be scanning it with his pokedex to confirm Ash's story. While the crowd murmured in shock and bewilderment, Ash silently thanked his lucky stars that Lusamine had put in a good word to the good Professor Sycamore in Kalos about Delveon. It took a day or so, but Delveon was successfully registered, with all the data on her put in as well.

The referee nodded and told Erika. "Delveon checks out. It's in the pokedex."

Ash nodded once and Erika did as well. The referee walked back to the center of the stage. "This battle is between Exeggcutor and Delveon! Erika will have first move! Ready… BATTLE BEGIN!"

AN: Well dang… that was a long chapter! Hope ya'll enjoyed it, this one took me awhile to type, as per usual! Also, I want to thank you guys who have been following and favoriting this story! Why? Because we just hit 400 favorites on the story, and we're nearly at the half-thousand mark in followers! Thank you all SO MUCH! It's such an honor to see my story thriving so much, and it's because of you all that it is!

Next chapter will be the round of 32, Ash vs Erika. Delveon will finally have its tournament debut, even before Manectric! What is Ash saving Manectric for? Or, maybe more accurately,

who? Ghost and May's relationship looked as though it was finished, but it's still churning along! Ash was understanding about the situation, and in fact, it increased their bond with one another! But will Ash let the traitors off so easy? Will he press onto why the traitors chose to act like they did NOW? Why didn't trip partake in the plan? Too many questions, but all have answers! Come back next time to see Ash vs Erika in round 5 of the tournament!

If you are new, I do urge you guys to follow and favorite the story! It would mean a lot to me, and if you'd like, leave a review/ PM me! I always get back to responses as long as they aren't guest responses! (If you are a guest, you can still review. I always see it. )

Thanks for reading everyone, till next time!

LegionZ