Hey guys, welcome back. This is chapter 23 of the Chosen One's Wrath. If you're new, please follow and favorite the story and myself to show your support. This chapter we finally return back to ALT City and the tournament. For those who've forgotten where we are in terms of the tournament, that's totally understandable. We are currently in the top 16, almost at the quarterfinals. Ash's next opponent is Falkner, the flying gym leader from the Johto region.

I've been getting plenty of messages regarding the lack of Ash and May's relationship, don't worry. I totally get where you're coming from, it has been quite some time right? I'll be diving into that in not too long. You'll see! I also have to touch up on some other things that you'll see this chapter. Let's dive into it everyone!

It's time to rumble!

LegionZ Presents… The Chosen One's Wrath… Chapter 23

Last Chapter…

Ash stared at the screen, all feeling lost in his body. He had feared it not to be true, but it was indeed. Professor Oak had indeed been working with group, but it hadn't been Rocket like he originally thought; it was Flare. Lysandre had approached him all those years ago, not Giovanni? The boss was Lysandre, not Giovanni? Professor Oak didn't know the Ghost was the man who slaughtered every single person in Team Flare?

Delia and Oak both had motives to get him killed, but both also had motives to keep him very much alive. It sounded like Del- his mom, was still very much attached to him, but she had been hiding dark secrets from him. Also, why would Delia fear he'd been close to finding out who his supposed half-brother was? Did he already meet this person? He tried to recall people he had met around the time of the betrayal, but was coming up empty handed, unsurprisingly. There had to be more motive, and unfortunately, his time was running thin in Kanto, and his purple cat was out of commission, drained from teleportation and mind-reading.

Oak on the other hand sounded like he was being selfish and he did sound like he was connected to Tracey's demise. He also sounded like he needed Ash to help him no matter what, which also made him sound guilty. But like Delia, there were plot holes. For one, Oak didn't sound like he got along well with Lysandre and was constantly hiding things from him. That also would be reinforced as a mutual feeling when Oak was kept in the dark in Tracey's attack and then following up by believing the attack was made for him. For Ash's death, it made no sense to why Oak would even want him dead. After all, if he possessed the valuable information from Tracey as Oak clearly believed, Oak would do anything to keep him alive, especially if he wanted the Yzerlock for himself. Why kill him? Plus, it sounded like Oak was furious that someone had killed Ash.

Neither Oak nor Delia had concrete reasoning for wanting him gone. Neither one had mentioned the traitors, and neither one had airtight alibies. Both had holes in their stories. Oak clearly was frightened Ash would uncover the Yzerlock first. Delia clearly feared her son finding out she had an affair and had a child behind her other son's back.

Paul scoffed. "None of your business. Besides, from what I'm hearing it sounds like she was hung up on Ketchum enough to the point where it was your fault that you didn't move on to other girls. If you're so dashing, why not pin after other girls?"

Drew roared. "Because there's NOBODY like May! She's PERFECT! And she loved HIM over ME!"

Silence for a moment or two. Drew was panting, a snarl etched on his face directed at both men. Ghost looked unfazed while Paul showed his usual bored face. Ghost nodded. "Well, let's continue then." Drew's eyes darted up to Ghost's, surprised at how swiftly they were hopping off the topic. "W-Wha—"

"It's my knowledge Ash and May went their separate ways after their time in… Hoenn, yes that's it. Care to explain why you didn't swoop in then?" Drew shook his head and scoffed. "Because she was still hung up on him. I don't get why those two never got together during the time they travelled with one another, but she never stopped pining for him. I still openly admitted I liked her, and back then, I assumed she didn't admit she liked me back either because she was too embarrassed or she was too young to know what love was."

Ash blinked. "When did this… obsession… for her stop?"

Silence from Drew told the story. Ash breathed out. "You never have."

Present…

The flight back to ALT City was one Ash found to be very bittersweet. On one hand, going back to his region, his home-field advantage, his friends… that was good and all. Now though, Ash had to worry about plenty of other things along with his current battle status. The tournament itself was in the sweet sixteen stage. If all went well, he'd have four battles to win and then he'd emerge as the victor.

Of course, the bracket was burned into his mind.

Arceus Bracket:

Paul Jackson vs Abel Winchine (1)

Max Maple vs Aaron Readkin (2)

Zekrom Bracket:

Ghost vs Falkner Corsto (1)

Axel Fractera vs Cynthia Shirona (2)

Yvetal Bracket:

Alder Forevaborn vs Xavier Blackmon (1)

Trip Craggier vs Malva Keenfire (2)

Giratina Bracket:

Koga Briarwood vs Gary Oak (1)

Lance Dragonwright vs Zandra Polisik (2)

It wasn't like Ash saw Falkner as much of a threat. A flying type gym leader, the only gym leader remaining for that matter, would be a fairly easy breeze for him. The issues would begin in the top eight and beyond that point of contact. For one, no matter what happened from Falkner, he would inevitably face off against either his elite Axel, whose power rivaled those of a champion, or Cynthia Shriona, who was quite literally a champion. Neither option would prove to be an easy fight, then again, the top eight in any tournament would and should prove to be the same way.

After that, assuming he… no… when he won, he would then have to conquer Paul or Abel when they won their bracket. It was no offense to Aaron, and plenty of offense to Max naturally; Paul and Abel were incredible battlers. As Ash saw it, Paul should be favored in the fight. He deserved it; he had combined his aggressive battle tactics with cunning traps and maneuvers. Paul Shinji was no slouch.

Though if Ash won that, it would mean he would take on someone in the other two brackets for the championship round. As Zandra, Lance and Alder had to be the favorites of that area, Xavier, Gary and Malva each posed legitimate threats as well. He'd be surprised if Koga or Trip made a push.

Ash fought the urge to gag as he realized both Max and Trip were somehow in the top 16. That didn't make too much sense. But, on the topic of the traitors, Ash's mind wandered to another traitor: Dawn.

For some time he hadn't seen the blunette about the group, and thanks to Paul, he figured out why. Dawn was in Kanto with Drew of all people. Ash wished Paul had said something to him beforehand, but it was of no matter. What's done was done. Now he had to figure out how all the pieces fit together.

His three suspects all had motive to get him out of the picture. Delia had dropped a bombshell on him when she spoke that she had a son that her firstborn didn't know about. Espeon seemed to drop the ball so to speak during the interrogation, and Ash knew his information was limited. It also didn't help her image to invite Drew along as well. That was really out of the ordinary. What was the motive to kill Ash though? Was he getting too close to something in Kalos?

This son of hers was a wildcard. Who was he? What was his name? How old was he now? Ash guessed around 17 or 18. But what was the motive to kill him if it was to protect a son who she didn't even know? She was clearly in Pallet Town at the time of the betrayal since it was at her house, so it could have easily been orchestrated there while he was moping around.

Then there was the professor himself. The obvious motive on first glance would be the Yzerlock and how Ash 'clearly' knew about it at the time of his demise. The problem was, if Professor Oak was so desperate for this object, why would he want Ash dead if he held the vital source of information that would be the key to finding the Yzerlock? There wasn't any other reason Ash could figure out that would connect Ash's death to Professor Oak.

He was also easily available at the time of the betrayal, but again, his motives and his goals didn't line up accurately to having Ash dead. That didn't help him much either.

Finally, there was Drew. As of now, Ash could understand that Drew had the most motive, but again, there wasn't anything to work with. He loved May, and May loved Ash. What's the practical solution? Remove Ash and watch as the guy who loved May their entire lives runs into his arms.

Only it didn't work that way.

May was devastated, and even after she attacked Drew for ruining her chances with Ash and even though it had been her fault, she wanted nothing to do with him. It was Ash or nothing. Even after Drew had been rejected yet again, he was willing to do whatever it took to get May by his side. In a moment of hastiness and impulse, he was able to knock Ash out and convince the others he trusted to turn on their longtime friend. Ash would be killed, and Drew would make a pointed excuse to not show up, thus making sure he was nowhere near the scenes.

The holes in that story?

What motives did the traitors have to betray Ash for Drew? What did Drew have to offer that they wanted? Fame? Money? Sure, Delia and Oak may at least have a handful of each of those, but Drew wasn't exactly rich or famous. Delia had plenty of money, and Oak was plenty famous. Drew was out of luck there. So why turn their backs on the trainer some of them had followed for ages?

These were the questions that plagued his mind as he made his way back to Alola. The week hadn't completely passed yet, meaning there was still a bit of time before he needed to make a legit move more in that area. For now, his focus had fallen back onto ALT City and the tournament, which he was very much in contention to win. On the way back, he had realized they had announced the schedule for the remaining games. Two matches would be played each day, and there would be no battlefield gimmicks. Everyone would know what type of battlefield would be. Ash and Falkner had been dealt a middle-slot; the night match on day two.

Day one began two days from that moment. At six-thirty in the evening of Monday through Thursday a match would be played. At nine at night each day a match would be played as well. Each match could take up to an hour, so the extra time in between each match was used to clean up the field and prepare for the next battle. There were obviously pre-games and post-games as well, taking up more time in addition to this.

Monday's matchups were Paul versus Abel and Alder versus Xavier at 6:30 and 9 o'clock, respectfully. Tuesday had Koga against Gary in the 6:30 slot, while Ghost and Falkner would tango in the night battle. Wednesday had Trip against Malva followed by Cynthia and Axel. The final matchups were Aaron against Max and the real battle everyone was dying to watch, Lance against Zandra. The match was expected to be as close as ever.

Paul and Abel's matchup was neck and neck for who was favored. Abel ended up getting the smallest of nods and was marked as the slight favorite. Alder was a 2-1 favorite over Xavier, to the surprise of few. Koga held a small advantage over Gary and Ghost's gap over Falkner was the largest favorite to underdog difference out of any of the four matchups, Ghost being given a 90% chance at victory over the final gym leader left in the tournament.

Malva and Trip's battle line had an interesting turn of events though. Surprising even Ash himself, Trip wound up becoming the favorite to win the fight, even though it was just barely so. Neither he nor he elites had seen that coming; Xavier would especially be upset. Cynthia was the favorite over Axel, butonly by the same margin as Alder was projected over Xavier. A bit like Ghost's projected line, Aaron was also favored over Max in landslide fashion, though not to the extent of Ghost's and Falkner's fight. However, the last fight was the most dramatic; the bettors had decided not to declare an outright favorite between Zandra and Lance, shocking most. Though Ash wouldn't find this out until after their dramatic battle, the majority of the money had been placed on Lance.

In any event, the top 16 was almost upon them. It was now Saturday, and that gave Ash three days to prepare for his battle. Before he could begin a training regimen though, he had a few errands he had to run once he made it back to his fair city. Ash and Paul landed, with Paul taking off immediately to begin preparation for his battle. After all, he'd been dealt the first available slot and had a fierce competitor in Abel, who was raring to battle the purple haired trainer.

Ash went back to the Alola Castle, otherwise known as the Alola League. When he arrived, none of his elites appeared to be present. Upon questioning the guards, they confirmed all were out and that they were to remain on high alert until their return. With further questions, it was revealed that Zandra was in deep meditation in the nearby waterfall cave. For some reason, she seemed eerily distraught when the guards had last seen her.

Axel and July were off doing… naughty things… and Xavier was supposedly out doing shopping.

This was all perfectly fine for Ash, as he was more than happy to roam the league by himself. The champion trudged through the league and admired the infrastructure absent-mindedly. This was his design; a massive green hill that had a high point and a landing, each very large in size. The hill on the top would hold the building, shaped like a diamond with multiple levels. The landing held the open area for elites to train and for Pokémon to relax and run free.

Ghost himself walked outside and didn't stop his stroll until he came to the overlook of the landing. He smiled when he saw all his Pokémon strolling about, minding their own business with the others. Ash snatched the five balls on his belt and chucked them up in the air. One by one, his team that he had brought to Kanto emerged and let out their respective cries.

"Thank you all for your hard work. We've returned home. Feel free to stay with the others, Pikachu, you're with me." His partner gave him a look that said, 'Do you seriously need to ask?' and stood by his trainer as the other Pokémon took off, ready to catch up with Ash's other Pokémon.

"Pika?"

"No buddy, we're going to go up to my room."

His partner titled his head to the side, trying to get a read on Ash. His trainer merely smirked, not giving anything away. The duo made their way back into the league, not in any rush whatsoever. Ash passed by the guards quarters and smiled. He knocked three times on the open door and poked his head inside.

A younger black man who had short brown hair, muscles all over and appeared to be no older than 25 was sitting in a recliner, a game controller in his hand. He had a companion; a white male who seemed like he was in his early thirties. This man had long brown hair that was tied up into a ponytail. He had dark brown eyes and wore a grin that Ash knew all too well. He also had a game controller in his hand.

Ash knocked on the wall inside this time and both men turned to look over their shoulders. Surprise reflected over their features before happiness settled in.

"Ghost! Welcome back!" They chorused in unison.

"Bail, Arch. Good to see you both. I trust the league was held in check?"

"Of course. We never once deviated from your instructions sir." Arch, the ponytail-wielding man grinned.

"What he said." Bail nodded in confirmation.

Ash knew very well the league could be susceptible to an attack, even though it was on a massive island and home to some of the most elite trainers in the world. So, Ash hired an entire team to remain in the league that possessed elite battling skills. These two were obviously not all of the guards; there were ten in total; eight males and two females.

Because of how long they'd all been together, the guards were essentially family. Since the league had been created and the building had been put together, the ten guards had been stayed. Ash knew they'd need a place to stay and didn't want to force them to seek refuge in the city below. Though it wouldn't necessarily be difficult, it would most definitely be inconvenient.

Instead, Ash simply installed quarters for all of the guards. All of their quarters would be on the first floor. There were five rooms; each one held their own private room and a common area that had a lounge, kitchen and living room. Each spot for the guards was quite large, as Ash wanted nothing other than the best for those who protected the league.

In addition, all were paid handsomely for their work. Bail Cree and Arch Drezdale were just two of the ten guards. At all times, five guards were to be on duty. One guard manned the main entrance, one manned the security cameras while three were on patrol. This would also include upstairs as well, which was specifically for the elites. And, just in case someone found out that five guards were on duty, Ash would sometimes send out an additional member to go on patrol or join whoever was out in the main entrance.

He wanted all their bases covered.

No matter what, nine out of ten available guards had to at least be on league property. This meant that if a guard wasn't on duty, they were either sleeping, relaxing or doing something else on league property. The one other person was given a slotted time to go visit family or friends for a three day period. Because there were ten guards, it was essentially perfect placement; every month, there would be about thirty days, and with ten guards, everyone got three days off. It usually worked like that.

In any event, these guards were not just guards at this point; they were family. They'd been with the league for three years. From the guards perspective, it was a sweet deal. They were in a heavily protected and guarded facility, given their own food and board and were simply told to defend the premises at all costs. Of course at first, they had a tough time warming up to one another, but it didn't take long to become tighter than family.

"I believe you. I have a question, is there a message from a May Maple?" Pikachu's eyes darted towards its trainer, now fully understanding why Ash let out his Pokémon ahead of time; he didn't want them to see what may happen.

Bail raised an eyebrow and looked at Arch, who simply gave a knowing grin. "Uh… yeah actually? It was left about a half hour after you arrived actually…"

Ash paled. "A half hour?"

"Yeah, said something about waiting for you somewhere. We forwarded it to the secure phone in your room." Arch explained. Ash sighed, he was going to get chewed out by his girlfriend for the lack of communication, he just knew it.

"Well… guess I better go get this over with. Thank you both, when do you take your shifts? Is it a full day or a part day swap with one of the others?"

Bail grinned toothily. "Full day sir. We'll be here if you need us."

"Thank you gentlemen." Ash walked out of their quarters and both men returned to their game. Before Bail clicked the resume button though, he looked at the door Ash had just walked out of curiously. The black man's lips began to curl into a smile, not an evil one, just one that let in more than he had actually spoken.

"… You think he suspects anything?" His companion let out a chuckle, hands motioning over the buttons of the controller eagerly.

"Nah. He's too worried. He'll find out soon enough what happened. Just hope he's not too mad at us."

Bail gave him an incredulous look. "Man I wasn't taking her wrath! She was gonna have my head and ass on a silver platter if I didn't agree to her deal!"

Arch held up his hands in mock surrender. "Oh trust me; I ain't disagreeing with you."

Meanwhile, Ash and Pikachu were trudging up the stairs towards the elites quarters. The entire floor was solely for the five of them, with each elite claiming a corner and Ash taking a large addition to the floor, making the cube not symmetrical after all. It was in the middle of Zandra's and Axel's corners, and was larger than both of them as well. In between Zandra's and Xavier's corners was the kitchen and lounge area. The area that was centered between Xavier's and July's corner had a gym, while July and Axel's in between space were guest bedrooms should anyone need them.

Ash prided himself of thinking of every conceivable thing. Of course, this wasn't nearly the whole thing, but Ash had no reason to go past those areas, at least now right that second.

As the duo rapidly approached Ash's corridor, the champion began to ponder aloud.

"Why would she call the league office first rather than me only to leave a message to me on there instead of calling me?"

"Pika?" Pikachu shrugged his tiny shoulders. He was as clueless as his trainer was.

"There's gotta be a good explanation buddy." Ash pushed the doors open to his room, completely forgetting that he locked them in the first place. After all, the doors hadn't argued with the contact. Ash peered down at his most trusted Pokémon and continued to rant while walking.

As soon as Pikachu got a glimpse of the room, he froze and his eyes became as wide as saucers.

"Maybe she's in trouble? Maybe there was an issue with the tournament she needed to tell me? Maybe—"

"Pika." His partner tugged at his leg, trying to show Ash what he saw. "Not now buddy, I need your help to think here! What do you think she could be up to? I know I could just—"

"Pika!" Pikachu tugged harder, now pointing towards the bed.

Ash wasn't paying any attention. "The message is there, so who am I kidding? Why wouldn't I just go over and—"

"PIKA!"

"WHAT?" Ash cried, startled by his Pokémon's outburst. After taking a moment to deadpan, Pikachu pointed to the middle of the room and Ash paled profusely. There, sitting on the bed wearing a light brown t-shirt and tight blue jeans, was his girlfriend. She had an amused look plastered on her face, no doubt from listening to Ash and Pikachu argue. Ash stared at her for a moment or two before clearing his throat, a rare moment of embarrassment for the one they called Ghost.

Her smirk had yet to leave her lips. "I… uh…" Ash scratched the back of his head awkwardly, not exactly sure what to say next.

"Nice to see you got my message." May began. Her grin grew wider. "Also nice to know that even the legendary Ghost has a breakdown here and there."

Ash's mouth opened and closed like a fish, unsure of if he should deny the claim or simply brush it off. In the end, he did neither. "Hey! Everyone's allowed a moment to let it all out aren't they? I'm human too after all."

May giggled. "So I've been told." She pushed herself off the bed and in one motion, her lips were connected with Ash's. Almost furiously, she mashed her mouth against his own, deprived of her boyfriend for a good amount of time. Ash pressed back and as if on cue, they both laughed against each other's lips and fell down on the bed, Ash's arms snaked around her waist. He began to nibble on her neck and a quiet giggle escaped May's lips.

Pikachu groaned aloud and took his leave out the main doorway. Neither Ash nor may noticed this, both too lost in one another. May ran her hands through Ash's hair approvingly, admiring his brown locks. Ash's hands began to trail down May's back until they reached a very sensitive target. She gasped softly when he hands were cupping her backside.

Ash muttered. "Hmm… I've missed this…"

"Me, or my butt?" She teased him.

Ash smirked. "Can't I miss both?"

"Maybe… but you'll have to show both how much you missed them." Ash's eyes widened, gleaming brightly at the challenge and rained kisses down her neck once more. She laughed at the contact and gently pushed him off her. "Mmm… as much as I'd love to do this now…" She slowly leaned in and whispered into his ear. "I want to wait until tonight… I have something special to show you."

Ash could feel the color rushing to his head. "O-Oh? You do?"

May, still close to Ash's ear, playfully nibbled on the lobe and made him grunt softly. "I do… but until then… we need to catch up."

"Feels like we're catching up to me." Ash jested.

She playfully hit him on the shoulder and Ash pulled her to her feet. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions May, you've earned it. Go ahead, ask away." Ash motioned for the young adult to speak, and she took the opportunity.

"Why did you leave for Kanto for all those days without telling me what was going on?" Ash merely smiled; he'd ran over this scenario in his head a hundred times. In every one though, the end scenario was the same; tell her the truth.

"I was in Kanto investigating Ash Ketchum." May's hands flew to her mouth in shock.

"You're still looking into that?"

Ash's polite smile never left his face. "What? Did you think I was just going to bag a beauty, a beauty who trusted me to get justice, and run? I'm not like that." He paused before flirting with her. "Though you're very baggable, trust me." She laughed at the line and relished the mood between them.

She really did care for him. May had never considered herself to be lucky when it came to love or romance or anything of the sort. After all, the only guy she really cared about had been dead for over six years now. It was painful, knowing she had to soldier forth while the weight of losing someone she cared so, so much about was pushing her down. It physically ached to not have Ash with her. For years, she'd figured she'd always be alone with the facts that her brother and his friends were the reason the man she loved was gone.

Then, someone finally came along to fill the void. She wouldn't have ever expected it to be in the form of a regional champion, but something about him just made her happy. Maybe it was because he didn't seem to be obsessed with power. Maybe it was because he was just that powerful in return. It could've been the fact that he stomped her hated younger brother into the dirt like Max was gum on his shoe.

Or it could've been the fact that he was extremely good looking. To say Ghost was sharp was an understatement: messy brown hair, dynamic blue eyes, about six-foot one and ripped all over. He was a dreamboat. He certainly didn't act like one either; he was incredibly modest. What perplexed her about her newfound boyfriend was that he was supposedly a very cold individual to some, and prior to her meeting him that he had a dark history. And yet the citizens followed him and hailed him as though he was the second coming of Arceus himself.

She didn't know what to make of these rumors, but she figured he'd come clean with her when the time was right. So, she didn't push him for any answers. Besides, she was very happy and content in their current relationship. Their relationship wasn't entirely physical, though she loved the aspect that was.

May suspected he'd been in a relationship before since he was very much aware of how to please her… both physically and emotionally. Under all that bravado, he was a sappy guy. And she adored it. Ghost had a cold mentality and the fact that she was the one to warm him up brought butterflies into her stomach.

"It's not that… I'm surprised you'd look into the guy who I had such deep feelings for after, well, everything." She admitted.

Ash paused, carefully choosing his next words. Deciding it was better to stand on the balcony and enjoy such a beautiful day at least somewhat, he motioned for May to follow him, to which she did. The duo stood out on the balcony and Ash explained all he had learned. He told her that he knew the traitors were involved, though he declined to tell her exactly how other than agreeing with her about overhearing Max.

He told her about Delia, and how she had a motive to want him gone. He didn't specify exactly it was a half-brother that was causing the dilemma. He explained to her about Oak and his diary. Naturally, the specifics of them were also left out. Finally, Drew's involvement, he begrudgingly admitted, was also very possible. It was clear May hadn't been expecting this, as her face showed one of utter astonishment.

"Wow…" She breathed out. "That's a lot to take it."

'And I didn't even give you the whole sixty minutes.' Ash's mind deadpanned. Instead, he merely nodded and leaned on the ledge that shielded the balcony from the ground below. She looked at him lovingly. "I really am the luckiest girl in the world."

Ash raised an eyebrow at her, somewhat amused. "How so?"

She smiled brightly. "Only I could be hung up on a guy for so many years, fall in love with a different guy, and that same guy is willing to investigate a disappearance for his girlfriend despite the past the two share."

It didn't take her long to see Ash's gob-smacked expression. She was bewildered. After another moment of silence, May broke it. "Ghost? What is it?"

Another pause. "You love me?"

May's eyes bulged slightly. "W-what?" She squeaked, not expecting those words to come out of her boyfriend's mouth.

"You just said you fell in love with a different guy who's willing to investigate a disappearance for a duo who have a past with one another. Call me crazy, but I'd say you were talking about me." Ash semi-sarcastically stated in a slow rhythm. May's face had turned bright red by this point; she knew she was caught. What could she possibly say about this to get her out of hot water?

The short answer? Nothing.

Which is exactly what she said. She was frozen, unable to form any sentences that would either help or harm her case. Ghost's face was completely unreadable, he too appeared to be shaken up by the confession. "I-I…" May began, very emotional all of the sudden. It had slipped out, but it was true; she did love him. It scared even herself; they'd barely begun going out, yet she felt like she'd known Ghost for ages.

It scared her to no end. And now it was out in the open, far too soon, and now she may have scared him away. She opened her mouth and then in one motion, she turned and made her way to the door swiftly. She was gone in seconds, leaving Ash to himself and his thoughts. He silently thanked her for leaving, not because he wanted her gone, but rather because he didn't know what'd he'd say to May for leaving.

He didn't want to be forced to say something now. It wasn't like he didn't like May, but from his perspective, how on earth could he love her again so quickly?

He'd just gotten over the fact that apparently May hadn't been kissing Drew all those years ago because she truly cared for the green bean. He'd just found that out. Ash had gone six years believing the girl he loved had ripped his heart out and not truly cared for him as she had claimed to on the video phone. Then, after re-meeting her as his new alias, she falls for him yet again. How compilated could it possibly get?

For the moment, he openly accepted the peace and quiet up on the balcony. He may learn to regret it, considering May was incredibly emotional after her confession, but it wasn't like he wasn't shaken up by her words either, even if they had come out by mistake. Maybe a day or so apart to figure out the feelings they had for one another was exactly what they needed.

'And there's something else I need to do…' Making sure he was looking directly out into the field below, he whistled loudly two times to get the attention of a certain Pokémon. Then, placing one hand on the ledge and as if taking a page straight from a blockbuster action movie, he threw himself off the balcony and landed safely on the back of Charizard. The duo made their way into ALT City.

It was time to pay a visit to a close friend for some answers.

Lusamine was sitting in her office sipping a hot cup of coffee. While it wasn't first thing in the morning and it was far from a busy day, sometimes she found herself just craving that cup of jo. She hummed happily and the taste and sent a text message to her daughter, who was spending the weekend on vacation with her boyfriend. Lillie was quite happy with the powerful trainer, and as long as her daughter was happy, there was no reason to bring Lusamine's hammer of wrath down on the boy.

She turned out to the ocean view and admired it. This really was a beautiful region, and it was her job to protect it. Thankfully, she wasn't alone in Alola's defense; some of the most elite trainers in the entire world were also aiding her on the island, as the Alola league itself was connected to Aether Paradise. Well, in a way at least.

It was all connected by ALT City. So, yes, it was connected, just to a certain point. In any event, she treasured her position, her friends/family and her job above all else. Lusamine knew she was blessed to be in the situation she was at the moment, and she knew it was all just a matter of time before it all came crashing down.

"Uh… ma'am?" She turned back around and saw one of the Aether Paradise workers, a young girl named Star Withers, standing there looking a bit tentative. "Yes? Star? What is it dear?" She didn't catch the grimace on the girls face. Star cleared her throat. "I have a man here who claims to be the champion, but he doesn't look exactly—"

"Let him in." She waved her hand nonchalantly.

Ash walked in briskly, not acknowledging the worker. Star gave a look to the duo before slowly closing the door behind her. Lusamine noticed Ash's face and frowned; it was one etched with Anxiety.

"You have something on your mind don't you? I can tell; your face is reading like an open book. Speak your mind." She gestured.

Ash hesitated and after waiting a moment or two, he sat down on a nearby couch. He took a deep breath and began what he knew was bound to be a long conversation if what he suspected was true.

"What do you know about the Rainbow Yzerlock?"

Lusamine's eyes widened. After opening and closing her mouth multiple times, she gauged Ash's reaction. He appeared grim and determined to get the information. Unable to form any other words, she whispered out. "Where did you hear those words? Where?"

"A diary. Answer the question Lusamine. What do you know about it?"

Silence was his answer for the time being. She said nothing, but the horrified look that ran wild across her face spoke volumes. After another moment or two, she took a deep breath and uttered a single word.

"Come."

Ash followed Lusamine to a nearby corner of the room and watched as after a few seconds, the bookcases lining the walls opened up to reveal a secret passage. Ash's breath hitched softly, could this be where the Yzerlock was being kept? Was it possible that they already had the Yzerlock in her possession.

Ash followed her in the poorly-lit passageway. It seemed by lit by torches and not natural lighting. "This passageway is off the grid, off blueprints and entirely unknown. As far as I am aware, no one other than myself and the creator of this tunnel are aware of this passageway. It acts not only as a safehouse, but as a library."

Ash blinked. "A library?" They made it to the end of the tunnel and Ash found it free to gape.

Lusamine smiled proudly at his stunned expression. "Yes, library."

There were mountains and mountains of books lying about, ranging from information on legendary Pokémon to region's history and so forth. Pokémon scholars would kill for this information. Ash had no idea what to say. So, he said nothing. He was absolutely speechless, and thus, Lusamine continued from where she'd left off.

"I will tell you what I know about the Rainbow Yzerlock. It is only because of these books that I am aware of the Yzerlock. I do not know how it is you came across this information, but it is crucial you do not reveal this information with anyone, not even the Guardians or your Elites. The balance of the world could very well be at hand with this device."

Ash sat down on the floor nearby and felt the dark red carpet below. Ash blinked and stared about the room, admiring the wood-carved walls and gawked at the fancy ceiling with a small chandelier. This room looked like it could've cost a fortune.

"I've heard so much about this device… but I still don't know exactly what it does." He admitted.

Lusamine sat down next to Ash and began the speech of the Rainbow Yzerlock. "Then I will tell you all that I know, and trust that you will not breathe a word of this knowledge to anyone." She looked to Ash for confirmation. After two nods from him, Lusamine began.

"Legend has it that people existed far before what we imagined. These people had not yet bonded with Pokémon as they bond with Pokémon now. Before they were frightened of Pokémon, the Ultra Beasts were the first ones that humans initially feared. However, rather than act rashly, they befriended the beasts. However, in secrecy, in the case that Ultra Beasts were truly out for destruction, they created a device that would allow them supremacy over the creatures."

"The Rainbow Yzerlock." Ash guessed quietly.

Lusamine didn't confirm as such and did not need to. "Golden all over, with two green crests built into its side… the Yzerlock is built like an arm-gauntlet of sorts. When strapped on and activated, there are no limits to what this device can do when it comes to the power of Ultra Beasts."

She stood up and then began to pace. "The problem lied within trust between the two parties. They worked together, but it was… begrudgingly done so. In any event, for years, both sides did not fully trust the other, as you could expect. Both sides knew it would only take one event to break the metaphorical dam wide open. That event happened, ironically not from either side, but from the order of Pokémon itself. A single mutiny began to rise, and as the mutiny from the Pokémon sparked others, the tensions finally snapped."

"Pokémon attacked both Ultra Beast and Human settlements. The Humans and Ultra Beasts were expected to fight with one another, but the Ultra Beasts refused. The Pokémon tensions were wiped out once the original mutiny was dealt with. But, as the Ultra Beasts had refused to work with Humans, the Yzerlock was used to banish the Ultra Beasts to the realm at which they're currently stuck in now."

Ash frowned. "So, theoretically, if someone was trying to find the Yzerlock… It would only be the control the Beasts, as they are already banished?"

Lusamine nodded. "Exactly. Again, this is all from legend and tales. I am unsure of just how much of this is accurate, while the rest is fiction. This is a difficult topic for me to cover especially, because I and I alone am supposed to know about the Rainbow Yzerlock. Nobody else is supposed to have any information on the Yzerlocks existence. It was that heavily guarded back to the days of the original Ultra Beasts."

"But there's more to this story, isn't there?" Ash said softly.

Lusamine grimaced. "Yes. As we all know, just because Ultra Beasts are banished, it does not mean some cannot breach the barriers between our worlds. That is why the Humans came up with a contingency plan; in case something was to go wrong and somehow Ultra Beasts found their way back onto our world. The Ultra Guardians were founded many, many years ago as a security blanket, a defense system to erase any and all Ultra Beast threats."

"For years, nothing would come of the Yzerlocks banishment, and humans believed their world was truly safe. Now, with the Pokémon uprising and Ultra Beast fear quashed, Humans focused on building relationships with the Pokémon. We all know what happens from there; since the beginning of time, Humans and Pokémon have been allies. While it's not entirely true, for the most part, yes, it is."

"After Humans used the Yzerlock, it was in the right hands. They knew that if the wrong person or group got a hold of the Yzerlock, it could mean that the Ultra Beasts would be under their control, and thus, it must be kept safe. But, on the other hand, should the Ultra Beasts return, they knew the Guardians would not be enough to stop them. And thus, they could not destroy the Yzerlock either. It had to be hidden or locked away and that nobody would know where to find it unless you were truly worthy of wielding the device."

Lusamine looked at Ash, who was absorbing all the new information he'd just gotten. "Do you have any questions, Mr. Champion?"

Ash hesitated, then spoke. "Do we have any idea on where the Yzerlock currently is?"

The tall blonde woman shook her head. "It was said that the Yzerlock was placed into a bag of sorts for safe keeping. Nine other identical bags had an identical feeling object with a similar weight placed in the bag as well, and then each bag was given to a different runner. Each bag was locked with a peculiar device that prevented the runners from opening the bag, this way, should the runners betray their leaders, there was no way of telling which bag actually held the Yzerlock. In any event, the Yzerlock has remained hidden for millennia. There's nobody alive who knows the location of the Yzerlock, which is both a blessing and a curse."

The man nodded in agreement. "Right; so long as the Ultra Beasts only trickle out one by one rather than by the dozen, it's fine that the Yzerlock remains hidden. But if for some reason the Ultra Beasts find a way to come into our world unrestrained, we need the Yzerlock to send them back again, assuming it must be worn in order for its powers to fully manifest."

Lusamine sighed. "Exactly. What I have told you is what I know about the device. I'm afraid it's nothing more than rumors and such, but I hope it assists you Ghost."

Ash nodded once. "Thank you Lusamine. How do you propose we get out of here?"

She grinned, merely pointing up.

Ash arrived back at the league not too long later after another flight from Charizard. Apparently the secret room had a built-in fail-safe that had a path to the surface should the island capsize or something of the sort. It was smart to say the least. Ash always appreciated some security blankets in important places.

In any case, he was now back at the league and awaiting his elites to arrive back at the league so he could catch up with them. And as fate would have it, he didn't have to wait long for the majority of them.

Zandra, July and Axel all walked into the league less than a half hour after he had made his way back from Aether Paradise. He greeted them politely and the four of them wasted no time in catching up. His elites had run the league fine in his absence, but were more than happy that their leader had made his return. Ash wasted no time in telling them what he was obligated to, leaving out his trip to Aether Paradise and some select other things.

Nonetheless, his elites believed him entirely.

"Damn." Axel said, eyes widened in surprise. "That's a mind-melder right there."

"Tell me about it. Now I've got to make some decisions that won't be easy." Ash sighed.

Zandra shrugged. "It's not even a decision you should be deciding on." The opposing trio looked at the pink haired girl incredulously. Zandra was unfazed. "Why is it a question? You contact Rocket and ask them to look into it. They're on your payroll for a reason. Train for the tournament. Focus on yourself."

Ash chuckled. "I mean technically I hav—"

"You know that's not what I meant. Prepare for the tournament. Sometimes you need to let go of the past for the future." She said sagely.

Unfortunately and understandably, Ash definitely got the wrong message. "My entire future was caused by my past. Those traitors are the reason why I have an arm brace on no matter where I go, why I have to wear a disguise to go to the damn grocery store! They're the reason I can't even use my real name. The past is still my future, and I will never, ever let it go—Not until every one of those bastards is on their knees begging for forgiveness." He hissed.

"And they won't get any." July patted him on the shoulder. "It wasn't what Zandra meant. Obviously, your past is important to you, it brought us to you to help you. We understand what it is you went through, and you can bet your ass we'll be in your corner while you wipe the floor with those who betrayed you Ash."

The champion bit his lip and nodded, avoiding Zandra's gaze. Sensing the tension, Axel spoke. "So, you and May spoke? How did that go?"

Ghost sighed and plopped down on one of the community couches. "Just swell. She surprised me in my room, we groped each other for a few minutes, I relayed to her what I told you lot and—"

Zandra uninterestingly remarked. "That sounds like a lot of stuff that isn't very relevant or things we need to—"

"And she told me she loved me." The three reactions that came from his elites were mixed.

"She said the three words to you? This soon?" July's stunned gasp came.

"What a guy. Takes a girl only a couple short months to get the girl he previously had wrapped around his finger wrapped around his finger again." Axel joked.

"She said WHAT?" Zandra shrieked.

Ash chuckled aloud and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Yes, she said the three words to me. I was completely shocked, and I'm fairly certain she didn't mean to say them to me based on her reaction of what happened afterwards."

"And that was?"

A pained smile covered their leaders face. "Her running out of the room without being able to form a sentence." Axel grimaced. "Ouch."

"Got that right. She didn't even give me a chance to explain… though at the time I guess I wasn't exactly upset for the peace and quiet. I really needed to think and clear my head, you know? I wasn't exactly in the right mind, immediately coming back from Kanto and her dropping a bombshell on me. She doesn't even know me, she can't love me if she doesn't know me!"

Silence came from his elites. "Well, maybe you should change that." July quietly stated.

"Huh?" Axel blinked.

"Excuse me!?" Zandra's voice was low and dangerous.

The green-haired beauty held up her hands in surrender and adjusted her pink blouse quickly. "All I'm saying is that, even if May accidentally let it slip out, maybe it's time you… you know… did it." Ash stared at his elite in bewilderment, unsure of how to proceed the conversation from the semi-sexual reference. July bit her lip. "You're really going to make me spell it out for you? Fine." She took a step closer to Ash.

"Reveal yourself to her."

The uproar that came from the three others was to be expected. Axel looked at his girlfriend in awed disbelief, Ash was holding his hand over the bridge of his nose, trying to contemplate what his elite had just recommended, and Zandra was trying her best to not break Zandra's own nose for the outrageous comment.

Zandra formed the first words. "You did not just recommend that July."

"Hun, are you sure that's really such a smart idea?" Axel hesitantly supported Zandra as well.

"Hold on you two." The blonde and the pink-haired female whirled to their leader, who wore a curious expression on his face. Neither one spoke from a mixture of fear and curiosity at to what Ghost would say next.

"Why should I reveal myself to May after she just booked it from the league on her own free will? Wouldn'tthat just make things worse?"

July shook her head. "You're thinking about it too much from her perspective. Put it into your own perspective. She doesn't know your true identity, yet she still fell for you. She just admitted to you that she was in love with you despite her telling you that she loved a different man two months ago. If she was being genuine, isn't this the best time to tell her? She probably feels guilty for holding such a secret. Now's your time to get the truth out there!"

Before Zandra could argue, July cut in again. "Plus, think of it this way; if you don't reveal yourself now, you'll only have to reveal yourself later… when it would be a lot more awkward because revealing yourself wouldn't have a place like it does now." She placed a hand on Ash's arm brace and quietly continued. "Look, I know a lot of us don't know a ton about love. Hell, none of us really did prior to two months ago. Xavier's idea of love is a one-night stand, Axel and I were too clumsy to recognize our feelings for one another—"

"Sorry love, but speak for yourself. My feelings had long-since been recognized." Axel jested, playfully poking his girlfriend in the ribs. July smirked at him before continuing.

"Zandra and yourself had your hearts broken by Lance and May, respectfully. But tell me this right now; do you see yourself getting in a long-term relationship with May?"

Ash froze, that was as good a place to begin thinking as any. Ash had to decide what it was worth to have May. She was an amazing girlfriend, but their haunted past was seriously going to mess things up. However, July did make a good point; now that the truth from May was out in the open, revealing himself to her now made the most sense. Well, it at least made more sense than waiting until their relationship developed deeper and Ash had dug himself into a hole that he couldn't dig himself out of.

"I… I don't know. I mean…" He quietly began. July continued in stride, not being deterred by the angry look Zandra was giving her.

"Is she worth fighting for? Is she worth waking up next to every single day? To have her in your arms? Now that you know her feelings for you never left… could you stand seeing her in the arms of another man?"

Ash's mind ran wild with hallucinations and nightmares in the next few seconds. The memory of May making out with Drew, a hallucination of her having Drew's kids… their devious acts in the bedroom, it was enough to make him retch. That should be him. He was the one who'd cared about her for so long, the one who'd gone years believing she had betrayed him like everyone else. Now she was here, and she was trying to get to know the real Ghost.

She didn't know she'd known him longer or better than anyone. Was their love just not meant to be? Was she just destined to constantly be a figment of fate's torturous demons assaulting the Chosen One at every turn? Did he want her to leave?

That's when it happened.

Ash's mind snapped.

… No. No!

"NO!" Ash roared, suddenly standing up. "She is worth fighting for! She's worth every second! I will not waste this second chance!" Silence from his elites. Axel spoke for the first time in a long time.

"Well then Ash… I think you know what you have to do."

Ash licked his lips and nodded slowly. He knew they were right. There was no point in putting it off any longer when it could strain their relationship even worse. There was no time like now to try and lock down their relationship so that Ash would never have to see the brunette beauty in the arms of another man ever again.

He would not let that happen.

It was time.

May would soon know the truth… the whole truth.

AN: Anddddd that's a wrap ladies and gentlemen! What, did you think just because I posted something on the football fanfiction I wouldn't be posting something on this story either? Heckkkk nah! We all in on this guys and girls! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as it rounded out just under 10,000 words, about an average chapter length.

Admittedly yes, this was more of a catch-up chapter, but it had to be done to set the tone for the upcoming chapters. So, points of notice: May's confession, Lusamine's revelation, Xavier's MIA and Ash's decision. A lot of interesting tidbits to keep you readers at bay until next month's upload. If you haven't seen the pattern, it's the middle of every month when I upload. I try to make it around the 12th-16th for uploads. Obviously, college work sometimes interferes with that, let alone normal work! Hopefully I can keep it all under control.

In any event, thank you all for reading. If you have any questions, feel free to message me or review, and I'll answer them as fast as I can. Next chapter should be a doozy… will May finally find out Ash is none other than the man she loves, and has been alive for the past six years while she and the world thought him dead? Come back to find out!

Make sure to follow and favorite both myself and this story so you never miss another upload. I'm still posting on my other story, Pallet High: Path to Glory, which is a Ash x Skyla fanfiction that just began not long ago. That one may receive an update prior to this one for the obvious reason of being less updated than this story, but who knows? Guess you'll have to wait and see.

Thanks guys, until next time!

LegionZ