Hey all! Sorry for the wait! Here's Chapter 8!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon.


VIII


[Outskirts of Kanto...]

Crimson obscurity replaced blue elegance as the skies took on the most ominous of appearances, rendering Serena Yvonne motionless. She had seen the Sun rise, set, and everything in between during her travels. She'd seen nights where the stars and moonlight lit her paths, and she'd seen nights where, ironically, seeing was nigh impossible. She'd seen the sky in so many forms, but never had she seen the stratosphere fester into such a color.

There was no doubt in her mind that this was unnatural, and Ash's current condition only reinforced this notion. Her hand was on his shoulder, but she could feel it sinking. As if he had suddenly become 60 years older, the Chosen Guardian began to hunch over, using his staff to help support his own weight.

"A-Ash?" squeaked Serena, her voice fearful. "What's happening?"

With a shaky grunt, Ash turned to Serena, unintentionally giving her the most intense stare he'd ever given anyone in his life, bar none. His eyes were blue to the point of neon, his black pupils providing a truly intimidating contrast to the overwhelmingly bright blue. His eyes had only spent a fraction of a second looking at Serena's before shifting to something else, something behind her.

Before Serena could ask what he was looking at (only after giving "Ash, what's happening?" another go, of course), she began to hear noises behind her. Ever on her toes, she turned around just in time to see one of the grunts she had taken out stand to his feet, eyes closed. This wasn't a huge surprise, she hadn't exactly killed any of them; the surprise was in the fact that this was the grunt that had gotten a knife thrown into his leg. The very same injury that had stopped the man in his tracks was now nothing to him, his impaled leg standing just as sturdily as his healthy one.

Ready for round two, Serena slowly reached one of her knives, but the next bizarre sight revealed itself to her before she could grab it: the grunt's eyes opened, revealing irises overtaken with dark orange glow. He glared at the honey blonde, who in turn found herself petrified by the malice of his gaze. His first step forward was his only one, the grunt fully leaping forward in an effort to close the gap between them.

"Serena!" barked Ash, finally speaking up. "Move!"

Freed from her moment of fear-induced paralysis, Serena hopped and stumbled out of the way. The airborne grunt was in no position to change his direction, his body now on course to land near Ash. As the miraculously agile foe soared forward, our raven-haired hero let out a heavy groan as he stood tall and swung his staff like a baseball bat, with the sound of the grunt's jaw cracking providing confirmation that it was indeed a home run.

As that unfolded, Serena eyed two more grunts rising from their previous defeats, one of which whom had certainly been killed earlier by Pikachu's point-blank Thunderbolt. Realizing her questions were to be saved for later, Serena grabbed a knife from her holster and threw it, the blade barreling straight towards the man with pinpoint accuracy. But, as the honey-blonde survivor turned her attention to the other revitalized grunt, her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the grunt dodging her throw, a move her various prey in the past hadn't successfully executed in quite a while. Caught off guard by this strange event, she could only duck as the grunt lunged at her. Doing her best to time it right, Serena grabbed another knife from her holster and awkwardly thrust it upwards, managing to plunge it deep into the right side of his abdomen. The grunt's momentum kept him moving forward, so much that he landed face-down in the small area of ground between his two foes, which in turn only pushed the knife deeper into his body.

Ash, breathing heavily, glanced at the fallen grunt, only to see that the man was still squirming and shuffling afterwards, attempting to get up after Serena's stab.

"All beings who's souls have been deemed compatible by darkness have become possessed, controlled by the imps and demons of old... becoming Dark Guardians." echoed the stern voice of Lucario. "Wounds alone cannot vanquish them. The hatred and malice of Master Brecht runs thick through their veins, corrupting them to the point that even death is of a different threshold for them."

"Spectacular." replied Ash, caring very little about Lucario's words. His lungs were still burning, and his head was still pounding. "Now please, if you could just provide the same level of insight in regards to what hell is happening to MY body, we'd be set."

"Brecht's essence marks the Earth once again. Your body has never sensed the presence of Dark Aura in general, let alone exposure of this magnitude." explained Lucario. "Your body is simply acclimating, your full strength will return to you in a matter of moments."

"Seems legit." answered Ash, nodding his aching head.

He looked to his side and saw Serena doing battle with the other grunt turned Dark Guardian. She was fast, but the unarmed Dark Guardian was surprisingly spry, able to fight on even ground with a knife-wielding foe. Ash looked to his other side, and saw the Dark Guardian who's mandible he had previously cracked open like a cold one with the boys. Slack-jawed, the evil being rushed towards Ash, having picked up one of the many abandoned swords off the ground in its time off-screen. Ash blocked the incoming vertical swing with his staff, immediately shoving the enemy away.

"Yeah... I can definitely feel my strength returning..." he thought, exhaling. "Alright, time to whoop some ass. How do I kill these guys?"

"One can only wonder... ¯\_(T_T)_/¯"

"...True." thought Ash, amassing Aura into his palm. "Very true..."

While our hero prepared to blast the Dark Guardian with a powerful Aura Sphere, Serena began to gain the upper hand in her own fight. At first, the demon's movements were hard for her to predict, but it didn't take long for her to start reading the poor sap like a book. Each dodge came easier to her than the last, until at one point, it felt like dodging any longer would just prolong things. And so, with all her might, she delivered a swift roundhouse kick to the fiend's neck. The enemy rag-dolled to the ground, not dead, but reeling from the hit.

After taking a second to breathe, Serena turned her attention to Ash, just in time to see him shoot his own foe with an Aura Sphere. What happened next was rather unexpected: blue cracks began to appear from the point of impact, until the man's entire body was covered in them. He then exploded in a flash of dim light, vanquished.

Ash smirked, feeling his upbeat attitude returning in tandem with his strength. He cracked his knuckles as he watched the remaining particles of his opponent fade into the winds.

"Get rekt." he spat, head held high. "That's how we do it back in the Corridors of the-"

"Ash?"

Serena's call prompted Ash to immediately turn around, though he was sure he knew what she was warning him about. The Dark Guardian he had witnessed her stab earlier had most likely found success in getting back on his feet, and was almost surely poised to attack him from behind in the coming seconds. Wanting to handle the situation with the utmost style, Ash turned around on his heels, ready to launch an Aura-charged fist into the enemy's face. But unfortunately, his predictions on the matter at hand were wrong; The D-Guardian Serena had stabbed was still writhing and wounded on the ground.

But the one she'd recently kicked down wasn't.

He now stood, hands glowing with a crimson-orange energy that almost matched the hue that stained the skies above. A fearful Serena stood beside him, contained in a red, transparent prism composed of the same energy that enveloped his palms. The Dark Guardian grinned, knowing his new hostage had given him the best advantage he could acquire at the moment. If Ash did anything to apprehend him, he'd simply crush the girl with the flick of his wrist first. The situation had become a sticky one.

"Dammit, if I do anything to take him out... he'll just go and crush her with a flick of his wrist! Ugh, this is a sticky situation..." thought the Chosen Guardian, as perceptive as ever. "If only Pikachu was awake... then I'd just have him end this easily with Thunderbolt..."

"Word."

"Wait, what? Pikachu?"

Before the Dark Guardian had any time to react, the force of thousands of volts suddenly ran its course through his body, effectively ending the short stand off. Unfortunately for the Dark Guardian, this was his second time feeling this sensation, the first one being his original death as a grunt at the hands of Pikachu, just minutes earlier. It felt even more painful the second time around, his frustration and agony being expressed in the guttural howl that escaped his lips during the attack. As his body fried to a demonic crisp, his control over the prism imprisoning Serena inevitably ceased, freeing her from it.

When the light from the surprise attack died down, the blackened corpse of the Dark Guardian collapsed, revealing the yellow rodent standing behind it. The electric mouse raised a paw to his temple immediately after the attack, wincing. Like Ash, his body was still adjusting to the high concentration of dark energies in the area, and his body hadn't quite been ready to fire a full-force Thunderbolt just yet.

"Nice one, Pikachu." complimented Ash. "You woke up just in time, bud."

"Yeah, just in time to save ya girl while ya just stood there, thumb planted firmly up your ass." replied Pikachu, rolling his eyes. He then turned to Serena, who had fallen to the ground when the prism around her had vanished. "Don't say I never did you any favors, woman."

Serena smiled at Pikachu.

"Yeah, I'm alright Pikachu, thanks for asking :)." she cooed, petting his fur.

"What the hell are you talking abou-... oh. I see. This is it, huh? This is how things will be. This is my life now." grumbled Pikachu, realizing Serena couldn't understand him like Ash could. He then turned to Ash, ignoring Serena's gentle touch. "Anyway, what just happened? Oh, and... ya might wanna watch your foot."

Ash looked downwards and saw the last remaining Dark Guardian clawing at his feet, having given up on its original goal of standing up. With minimal effort, Ash charged another Aura Sphere and fired it, finishing the evil-doer off before he could cause any trouble. As soon as the third and final Dark Guardian was dispatched, the sky slowly began to return to its natural blue color, as if nothing had ever happened. As the sky completed it's transition back to normal, Ash and Pikachu felt their full strength return to them, all ailments leaving their bodies.

"Those were Dark Guardians." uttered Ash, placing his staff on his back. "The sky turning red was a side effect of Master Brecht's seal being broken. Hundreds of thousands of demons and imps just possessed hundreds of thousands of people on this planet... so, um, yeah, we'll definitely be seeing more of them in the future, which is just... fantastic."

Silence followed Ash's words. He then approached Serena, who was still crouching next to Pikachu. When he reached the two, Pikachu climbed up onto his shoulder, while Serena did absolutely nothing. Ash attempted to make eye contact with her, but found her eyes dodging his gaze. Ash frowned.

"Are you alright, Serena?" he asked, crouching down to her level.

"Yeah..." she sighed, finally meeting his eyes. "I just... How am I supposed to be useful if I couldn't even beat a normal Dark Guardian on my own...? I thought I had him beat, and then he just snuck up on me and trapped me in that barrier before I could even do anything..."

"I mean, when I saw you fighting with him earlier it looked like you were doing pretty well on your own." recalled Ash. "It's like you said, he snuck up on you. That entire battle was one giant surprise, really. We'll handle things a lot better next time, now that we know what we're up against. Besides, you didn't even have any of your pokemon with you. I say it's pretty amazing that you were able to keep up with an enemy that had powers when you didn't. You need to stop selling yourself short. Like I said before, you're here for a reason, Serena. You've been nothing but amazing so far, and... I need you around, y'know? Now come on, let's get back to camp and pack our stuff. We can reach Pewter City in a couple hours if we keep on the move, okay?"

Ash then stood, offering Serena his hand with a warm smile. Serena looked up and grabbed it, managing to smile back a bit as she did. With a light tug, Ash helped the honey-blonde to her feet. Using Ash's pull as an initiator, Serena wrapped her arms around the young Guardian, hugging him.

"Thank you, Ash..." she whispered, resting her head on his free shoulder.

"Don't... mention it..." he awkwardly answered, expecting neither the hug nor the heartfelt tone in her voice. He slowly placed his arms around her, one awkwardly snaking its way to her long locks of wavy hair. "I'm just saying the truth..."


[Ferry to Kanto...]

"Ughhhh..."

A pair of bespectacled eyes slowly opened, blinking multiple times before finishing the process. The first thing seen was a white ceiling adorned with white lights, in what looked like a mostly white room. Beeping machines could be heard, but Max didn't have to look at them to know where he was; besides, turning his head that much would surely agitate the dull headache that currently plagued his cranium. His only question was how? How did he end up in a hospital bed? He didn't remember much, his most recent memory being searching the ferry for May.

"You're awake?" asked a nearby voice.

Deciding his own sister was worth turning his head for, he glanced at May, who was a few feet away, in a similar condition as him: laying on a hospital bed. Max stared at May, his confusion visible to the brunette.

"Do you remember how we got here?" asked May, seeming to be in less pain than Max. "Because I don't."

"Neither... do I..." answered Max, managing to sit up in his bed. "All I remember is that we were on the ferry to Kanto. What happened to us? Why are we in a hospital...? Besides this annoying migraine, I feel fine. You?"

"I woke up with a headache too..." admitted May, still laying in her bed. "This is weird, Max."

"Yes... it is." concurred Max, grabbing his glasses from the table next to his bed. "I'm gonna go into the hallway and find out where we are. Wanna come?"

"I'll stay, just in case a nurse comes by or anything." said May, staying put. "Just don't go for too long... I don't know why, but this place is making me feel... uncomfortable."

"Ditto..."

With a little more effort than it usually would've taken, Max got out of his bed and made his way to the door. He couldn't help but feel on edge for some reason, his feelings about the situation running parallel with his sister's. Something didn't feel quite right, and that feeling only worsened when he reached the door and turned the knob, only to have its status as locked revealed to him. Before even alerting May of this new development, he retreated into his thoughts, hoping to get answers from the only other person who might have them.

"Gardevoir, what in the world is going on?"

...

"Gardevoir?"

...

Max reached for his belt, and much to his discomfort, the two pokemon he carried with him at all times were nowhere to be found. Something was definitely wrong, he thought. It was undeniable at this point, as hospitals rarely handled people's pokemon if they were already contained in pokeballs.

"Max..." called May, from across the room. Max turned around, finding a worried expression on the brunette's face as she began to get out of her own bed. "I just realized... Glaceon's not with me. And I just saw you feel your belt... your pokemon are missing too, yeah? Why would a hospital take our pokemon?"

"I don't kno-"

"Because you're not in just any hospital, honey." answered a new voice, from behind Max.

Both Maple siblings stared at the one and only door in the room, and silently watched as the previously locked knob turned. Max made way for the person entering: a nurse. She looked fairly normal, being a middle aged woman in white attire. The warm smile on her face did nothing to defrost the icy stares of suspicion that were being sent her way by May and Max, however.

"You're in our boat's five star medical ward." continued the nurse, clasping her hands together. "Hi, I'm Nurse Cathy. We brought you here after several other riders reported spotting both of you unconscious at the bottom of a staircase. This being a five star establishment, we are required to take your pokeballs to ensure their advanced technology doesn't interfere with the transmission waves of our equally advanced medical gear. We only use new, state-of-the-art equipment here, so even I don't know all the details."

Max raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, Nurse Cathy," he began, folding his arms. "here's my first issue: pokeballs aren't considered advanced tech anymore. They haven't been since 1996, when Silph Co. first made them. I find it just a little hard to believe that your 'advanced medical gear' has problems being in the same room as them."

"Well, actually," replied Nurse Cathy, tilting her head. "the pokeball design has been revised numerous times over the years, they actually function differently quite than they did back then. According to a book I rented from my local library, the standard pokeball actually got upgraded a few years back. You see many workers at Silph Co. began to attempt to start their own private pokeball businesses, and in order to stop these ex-employees from becoming potential business rivals, Silph Co. restructured the pokeball with an entirely new operation system, complete with built in GPS and hand warmers, and radar-"

"Alright, we get it. Now, you say your machines are state-of-the-art..." stated May, raising an eyebrow. "But this machine right next to me literally says, in small, Times New Roman print, 'Made in China, 2004'. Care to explain, Nurse Cathy?"

"Honestly, May, don't even call her Nurse Cathy," continued Max, narrowing his eyes. "Her name tag says Nurse Erica for some strange reason."

"I borrowed my coworker's shirt!" exclaimed Nurse Cathy, sounding panicked. "I accidentally spilled some spicy lo mein on it during lunch today, heheh. And Ms. Maple, about the machines; you know the Chinese, ALWAYS pulling pranks! You can't trust 'em sometimes! I remember that one year that my husband and I took a trip to Lumiose City's Chinatown and we got punk'd out of our minds! Everyone there was scheming, it was absolutely unbearable! I remember one person tried to sell my husband some lemonade for 25 cents, but it was just water with food coloring! I don't take chances with them-"

"But your blatantly racist ass can trust them enough to chow on their cuisine to the point of ruining your shirt?" asked Max, tilting his head.

"I don't remember me ever telling you my last name." declared May, walking to Max's side.

Nurse Cathy looked at both siblings, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead. She opened her mouth to speak, but alas, there was nothing more she could say to get them off her case. She closed her eyes, realizing the jig was surely up, though May and Max could have argued that the jig was never that believable to begin with.

"So, why don't you tell us who you really are, 'Nurse Cathy'?" asked Max. "And also, if you would be kind enough to tell us why... your..."

What caused Max to trail off was none other than Nurse Cathy opening her eyes, revealing something quite terrifying: irises gleaming with an orange glow. Nurse Cathy, her face expressionless, cast her gaze upon them, nearly immobilizing both siblings out of sheer intimidation. It was as if the moment her eyes took on the color, a demonic, otherworldly essence washed over the room, drastically changing the mood in an instant. May looked at Max, hoping this was something he'd seen before, but it didn't seem so; his eyes were just as wide as hers, his mouth agape.

"Why... your..." he repeated, blinking. "eyes... are... holy shi-"

Recognizing the probable danger in the situation, May took hold of Max's hand and briskly walked towards the door, hoping to escape before anything could happen. But unfortunately, such luck was nowhere to be found. A wall of dark energy materialized in front of the door almost instantly, blocking the only exit the room had. The Maples then turned around and saw the same energy amassing around Nurse Cathy, who was looking at them over her shoulder, her blank stare having turned into a sinister one.

"I commend you for seeing through my elaborate, carefully-constructed ruse." chuckled Nurse Cathy, her voice distorted. "But all you did was make things less interesting for me. No, I am not the nurse I claimed to be. I am a Dark Guardian, a servant of Master Brecht! Ohoho! This woman I possess, ohohoh, she was already a devout member of the Dark Order, an organization I know you both are familiar with. She and her brethren, how they waited for this day... the day that our Master would be free to share his ultimate wisdom with his steadfast followers! Now I, a spirit subsequently freed by the glorious liberation of my master from his seal, have granted her the power she had prayed to him for, the power to manipulate the physical manifestation of hatred and despair, the power to wield the ultimate power, the power to wield Dark Aura! Now, as a merged being, I drink from the chalice of champions, I bathe in the falls of ferocity! Now, I bear the strength of the stallion, now, I bear the tenacity of the tiger, NOW, I-"

"Refuse to stop talking." snapped Max, his eyes taking on a glow of their own. "Goodness gracious, Cathy or not, all you do is run your damn mouth. Enough already."

Max put a hand forward, and as soon as he did, several flames of Aura burst into existence around the Dark Guardian, engulfing her in its purifying light. But the situation was not solved that easily. The Dark Guardian emerged from the display of blue life energy, a protective coat of Dark Aura covering her body.

"You're weak, Maple." spat the Dark Guardian, taking more steps forward. "I was born to win, for I am a hardened warrior forged in the heat of battle! My will is ironclad! You have not scaled the mountains of might, nor have you bested the trials of tribulations! Cathy and I are one now, bearing twice the hatred, and twice the gusto! You thought an attack of that caliber was enough to defeat me?"

"Nope, but check this out." said Max coolly, taking a step backward.

Max stared the Dark Guardian down for a few seconds, the tension in the room rising. And then, he stared some more. And some more. And then... he stared some more. Right when the Dark Guardian was about to lose her patience, it finally happened: Max bolted out the door, the barrier on it having disappeared during his "unsuccessful" attack earlier. In actuality, he hadn't planned on actually fighting this new challenger, for it wouldn't have ended well considering he barely knew how to use Aura offensively anymore. All he needed to do was distract the Dark Guardian enough to open up the exit and get out of there, which he had successfully done without much trouble.

May, (who wasn't in on Max's impeccable plan) could only follow his example, sprinting out the door a split second after he did. As soon as she exited the room, May spotted three pokeballs on the floor, left completely unattended. Wondering how Max could've missed three red and white objects on a brown, tiled floor, she quickly scooped them into her palms and rushed down the hall, following her brother. She ran as fast as her legs could take her, and right when her endurance was beginning wane, she saw Max make a hard left into a different wing up ahead. May reached the turn, and found the 19 year-old right there, catching his breath.

"That was pretty smooth, Max, not gonna lie." she gasped, leaning against the wall. "Now what do we do?"

"Well, it looks like we actually are still on the ferry..." panted Max, recognizing the look of the hallways. "So I guess the best thing to do is get to the deck. That's a nice, relatively crowded place. Cathy won't be able to find us easily there..."

"What even was all that?" asked May, handing Max two of the three pokeballs. "Was she really...?"

"Look, now's not the time for the full explanation, and even I don't know everything." growled Max, grabbing the pokeballs. "But yes, I think she was definitely the real deal, like the ones I read about in the book. I mean, it was kinda obvious after she started using that reddish orange Aura..."

"Okay, so what are we doing just running? Don't you think there'll be more of them on the ship? I don't think getting to the deck will solve anything, not for long at least. The best way to get away from her is probably-"

"YOU CAN'T GET AWAY FROM ME!" thundered Cathy's voice, echoing throughout the halls. "I'VE GOT THE TRACKING SKILLS OF THE YOUTHFUL BLOODHOUND, THE INSTINCTS OF AN AMAZON! MY DRIVE TO SUCCEED SURPASSES THAT OF THE HUNTING SHE-WOLF!"

May and Max both glanced around the corner, both siblings catching a glimpse of orange light glimmering down the hall. Cathy was close, very close.

"Continue." prompted Max, looking back at May.

"The best way to escape is for Gardevoir to teleport us out of here." stated May, doing her best to remain calm. "When you tell Gardevoir where to take us, do not say it out loud; that way, we won't have to worry about being followed. Quick, before she catches up with us."

Max nodded and tossed Gardevoir's ball into the air, and in a flash of white light, the Embrace Pokemon was present. Gardevoir, who'd heard everything May had said, prepared herself to use Teleport, but before she initiated the move, she turned to Max.

"Where to?"

"Anywhere!" replied Max, the orange light that was down the hall mere seconds ago now dangerously close. "Just get us out of here!"

Gardevoir nodded and whisked the Maple siblings away, just in time to avoid the torrent of Dark Aura that had engulfed the hallway mere seconds after their departure. Cathy arrived with the attack, aware that her targets had teleported away with the use of Max's Gardevoir, whom she had so carefully hidden along with the rest of their pokemon. With a squeeze of her clenched fist, she dismissed her Dark Aura, teeth grit in pure rage.

"They eluded me, teleporting to parts unknown..." she whispered, glaring at the ceiling. "WEAKLINGS! YELLOW-BELLIED SCUM! THEY COULD NOT STAND THEIR GROUND! THEY WERE UNABLE TO TANGO WITH I, I WHO BEARS THE WILL OF THE WILDEBEEST, THE DRIVE OF THE DRAGOON, THE MIND OF THE-"


[? ? ?]

In an instant, May and Max found themselves in an entirely new area, one vastly different from the ferry they were on. Both May and Max fell onto all fours, giving themselves moments to recollect their composure after such a strenuous situation. Once her heartbeat steadied, May looked at the ground beneath her, noticing green blades of grass sprinkled with rays of sunlight. She then looked upwards, revealing a thick canopy of tree branches and leaves, a light breeze keeping them in a constant dance. It was a beautiful sight, truly a reminder of the beauty of nature.

"Whew... Thanks, Gardevoir." sighed Max, returning Gardevoir to her ball. "Now... where are we?"

"Hey!" shouted a voice in the distance, prompting both siblings to turn to their right.

In the distance was a boy in a straw hat, white shirt, and shorts, with a butterfly net strapped to his back. He had a large, overly-excited grin on his face, which only served to make May uncomfortable and Max annoyed. He approached the Maples, eyes much wider than they needed to be and pep in his step. He stopped when he was about 10 feet away, surprisingly allowing the siblings some space to breathe.

"I'm Bug Catcher Rick! You have pokemon! C'mon! Let's battle 'em!" he exclaimed, waving his net from side to side. "Go, Weedle!"

"...We're in Viridian Forest." deduced May, watching with limited interest as Bug Catcher Rick's level 6 Weedle graced the battlefield with its presence.

"Okay Weedle, let's get this party start with a String Sho-"

"Yeah, we are." agreed Max, rolling his eyes. "Alright, this is a pretty good place to be. We're close to Pewter City, which means we're close to Brock's house. I'm sure Brock can help us get to Celadon by tomorrow, if he isn't busy. Regardless, there's no way we can reach Celadon on foot in one day, we'll need somewhere to stay overnight..."

"HEY! I'm Bug Catcher Ri-"

"Yeah, that seems like the best idea. After what just happened... I'm a little afraid to travel at night. If we make good time, we could get to Brock's house by sunset." said May. "I haven't been here in a while, but I'm pretty sure Pewter City is... *points forward* ...that way."

"You have pokemo-"

"I think that's right... Eh, if we get lost, we'll just check the map on my pokedex." replied Max, walking forward.

"C'mon! Let's ba-"

"That works too." concurred May, departing with Max. "It'll be really nice to see Brock again. It's been so long... Oh, also, now that we're safe; if you could explain why we were just attacked on the ferry, I'm all ears."

"My Weedl-"

"Sure thing." replied Max, adjusting his glasses.

The pair then walked off, heading deeper into the wooded depths of the forest. Unfortunately they had seemed to have completely forgotten the presence of one other person, a person who was not at all pleased with the way things had just gone down. He watched May and Max walk away, flabbergasted to the nth degree.

"Wha- WHAT THE FUCK?!" roared Bug Catcher Rick, his voice cracking.

It didn't make sense to him. He had done all the essentials: Establish eye contact, approach, challenge; yet there they were, walking away, their voices were barely audible at this point. Why hadn't it worked? He decided to try again.

"Hey!" he cried, desperate to test his might. "You have pokemon! C'MON. LET'S BATTLE 'EM. My name's Bug Catcher Rick and I'd like to baaaaaaattllllllle!"


[Elsewhere...]

"Rise and shine, my little pets..."

A brown haired girl woke from her slumber, an immediate response to the voice. She opened her eyes, preparing for the same sensation she always felt when waking, the pain of lights far too bright invading her retinas. She handled it easier than most would, her blue eyes only squinting for the first few seconds before acclimating, like they always did. As the blinding effect of the lights died down, she hoped the same hope she did every morning; that the process wouldn't halt halfway. But alas... it did. In the years since her capture, her vision had declined more and more by the day. Perhaps it was the fault of the lighting, or maybe it was how she'd been treated... the answer didn't matter. Nothing did anymore.

Though her vision was near-gone, there were a few things she could always recognize, those being the sight of the boy in the next room over, and the white-coated man responsible for waking her, his thin frame visible at the entrance of the room. She sat up, deciding standing would be a waste of her strength; something she held in high value nowadays.

"It's a sad day..." uttered Dr. Feinberg, his yellow grin contradicting his words. He took a few steps into the room, hands behind his back. "A sad day indeed."

The brunette looked to her left, through the clear wall. Her only friend, the boy on the other side, was but a blur in her eyes, but she could make out the sight of him rising to his feet. She watched as he approached the wall separating his room from hers, banging it with his fist in hatred.

"Ah Nathan... I will miss that fiery attitude of yours..." sighed Feinberg, his glasses shining. "And Rosalina... I will miss your cute little visage... if only you could see how much of a woman you've become under my care... If only you could see at all, heheh. But that's neither here nor there..."

Rosa Higgins, now 17 years old, glared at Dr. Feinberg, put off by both his words, and his general presence. He rarely ever set foot in the rooms he kept them in, usually communicating over the loud speaker, which was always set a notch or two past appropriate volume. To see him standing in the same room as her could only mean bad news, that much she was sure of.

"I see. Silent as ever, truly the opposite of when you arrived here." observed Feinberg, taking a step closer. "You're probably wondering why I've come to you two today. Though it pains me to say... it's time for you to spread your elegant wings and leave the nest. Tomorrow, as per the Commander's orders, the two of you will be sent to Lord Kamerion's base, all the way in the Sinnoh region, to begin the final leg of the beautiful metamorphosis you've undergone in the past two years. There, you will no longer be restricted by the rules of I, father bird. You will be free to walk the halls, respected and revered by our ranks as the very first of your kind, the elites of the elites... but only after some... strict conditioning."

Feinberg took a step closer to Rosa and knelt to her level, making sure he was close enough so that every rank, humid breath that crept from his mouth could lay its essence on her face. He placed a hand on her shoulder, alternating between loose and firm grips.

"But I must warn you..." he continued, staring into the brunette's dull pupils. "Lord Kamerion and I are very different men. You may find serving under him to be even more of a hell than living here... Especially you, my cute little darling. You see, Lord Kamerion's obsession for women with brown hair and blue eyes is, in my opinion, one of his defining traits. I think it not uncommon for pretty little dolls like you to be a little more than just his subordinates. I'd rather not go into detail, but I'm sure your imagination is expansive enough to paint the picture in your powerful little mind... But let's hope that image doesn't become a reality, wouldn't you agre-"

A brilliant display of orange light accompanied with a wave of heat cut Feinberg's words short, both phenomenon coming from the room to the left. This happening only caused Feinberg to burst into laughter and walk towards the room's exit, while Rosa silently rose to her feet, sighing. She shakily walked towards the wall separating her room from Nate's, seemingly unbothered by the sweltering heat that seemed to grow with every step she took. Once she reached the wall, she placed her hand on the glass and closed her eyes, her mind shutting out the maniacal laughter that mercilessly echoed throughout the room.

"Ohohohohoh, ohoh, oh yes..." cackled Dr. Feinberg, looking into the eye-scanner that controlled the lock on the room's door. "I will miss you two dearly..."

As Feinberg departed, the heat and light died down, revealing Nate standing on the other side of the glass, head bowed and eyes closed. Holding back tears, Rosa opened her eyes, and through clouded vision, she was able to make out one thing: Nate's hand pressed against the glass, lined up with her own.


[Pewter City...]

The Sun was mere moments away from setting by the time Ash and Serena had finally arrived in Pewter City. After their victory against the Dark Guardians in the forest, they returned to their camp, packed their things, and kept moving, fortunate enough to reach their destination without any more battles along the way. But of course, this in no way meant the walk wasn't an exhausting one. They had succeeded in reaching the city before nightfall, but at the cost of being absolutely exhausted when they arrived. So exhausted that they ignored every single sideways stare that they, two young adults in face-concealing hoods and archaic cloaks, received from both bystanders and police officers alike.

"So..." yawned Serena, looking at the different houses in the area. "Which one's Brock's?"

"This one." answered Ash, stopping in his tracks.

Serena looked at the house in front of them, only to see that it was the Pewter Gym. She removed her hood and looked at Ash, who removed his own hood as well. He looked back, confused as to why she looked so... confused.

"What?" he asked. "You didn't know Brock's family runs the Pewter City Gym?"

"No, I did... but I didn't know they live in it..." explained Serena, wide eyed.

"Of course they don't live IN it, what, you think they sleep on fuckin' rocks?" snapped Pikachu, glaring at Serena. "Huh? Yeah? That's how you think they live their damn lives? Like cave peopl-"

"Pikachu, I will fucking curb-stomp you if you don't cool it, pronto." warned Ash, balling his fists. He then chuckled and turned to Serena, finding humor in her misunderstanding. "No, no, no, they don't live in the gym, there's a house behind it."

"Oh... I don't even know why I said that, hehe..." she giggled, shaking her head. "I guess it's just been a long day."

"It really has." agreed Ash, walking past the gym into its back yard. "But now we just have to go in, get through the inevitable 'Ash, you're alive?!' scenes, and then we can get some rest... and food."

"That sounds nice... I haven't slept on a bed in years..." sighed Serena, following Ash.

The pair walked through the open field between the gym and the house behind it, their tired, dragged out steps finally coming to a halt at the front porch. Before knocking on the door, he looked at Serena, who responded with a sweet smile. Getting over the last second nerves that seemed to come out of nowhere, he brought his hand to the door, knocking on it thrice. At first, there was no answer. But finally, the sounds of footsteps approaching from the other side became audible, followed by the unmistakable sound of the door's lock being opened. The door slowly swung open, revealing a pair of seemingly closed eyes that Ash knew all too well.

They weren't Brock's, however. They belonged to a young boy, no older than seven. He looked up at Ash with fear in his eyes, but seemed to only blush at the sight of Serena. Ash grinned.

"Billy?" he asked, reaching down to roughen the child's hair. "Woah, you're so big now! I haven't seen you in-"

Billy, the youngest of Brock's brothers, swiftly dodged Ash's hand and took a step back, trembling. Ash raised an eyebrow. The 7 year-old then turned around, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"BROCCCCKKKK! I opened the door again! Guess who's at our door?! Jesus is at our door!" hollered Billy, suddenly seeming very excited. He then glanced over his shoulder at Serena once more, his cheeks growing even more rosy. "And he brought an ANGEL with him! We're going to heaven, Brock!"

While Serena simply chuckled at Billy's words, Ash gingerly ran a hand through his raven hair and beard, muttering something about needing a haircut as soon as possible.

"Billy, what did I tell you about opening the door without an adult with you?" sighed Brock, coming into view. After gesturing for Billy to go to the living room, he focused his attention on the two people at his door. "Look, you cosplayers really need to... need to... need... to..."

Brock had trailed off, unable to process what he was seeing. Sure, there was a stunningly beautiful young woman at his door, but for once, that wasn't the center of his attention. Instead, he found himself staring at the black-haired, tan-skinned man with a Pikachu on his shoulder, a sight that immediately brought back memories of a friend long gone. Ash smiled, which only deepened Brock's awe-fueled trance, as the raven-haired Guardian's smile was just one of those things deemed unmistakable by both friends and family alike. Realizing Brock was probably going to be staring for a while, Ash cleared his throat to snap him out of it.

"Oh! Oh, I'm sorry." apologized Brock, scratching his head. "You just... you just really remind me of a close friend that I lost a few years ago... sorry for staring. How can I help you?"

"Brock..." laughed Ash, parting his messy locks of hair to reveal his z-shaped birthmarks. "It is me."

Brock opened his mouth for a second, before curving it into a hard frown.

"Whoever you are," he growled, eyebrows furrowed. "you should know I really don't appreciate you cosplaying as Ash Ketchum. Do you realize how disrespectful that is to me, one of his closest friends at the time he passed? You're sick, you know that? Please, remove yourself from my property."

Ash rolled his eyes.

"Pikachu, shock some sense into him." he ordered.

"Is that truly necessary?" asked Lucario exasperatedly. "It is understandable for him to have difficulty believing that-"

"SHAZAM!" hollered Pikachu, sending a weak shock in Brock's direction.

The bolt hit Brock square in the face, causing his hair to stand on end more than it already did. Stunned from the hit, Brock fell onto his back, while Ash and Pikachu burst into laughter. Serena, however, didn't find the action quite as humorous, kneeling to Brock's side to make sure he was alright. After feeling for his pulse, she looked up at Ash and Pikachu, pouting.

"Why'd you guys do that?" she asked. "You could've hurt him..."

"He's fine, trust me." laughed Ash, wiping a tear from his eye. "Right Brocko?"

Brock quickly sat up, eyes fixed on the young man in front of him, examining him closely. That Thunderbolt had definitely been a familiar sensation, from the many times it had stopped him from drooling over Nurse Joys, Officer Jennys, and female gym leaders. He looked back and forth at the smiling faces of Ash and Pikachu, and for a second, he saw the same faces, only five years younger, looking down at him. It was then that the revelation made itself clear to him. Hands trembling, he stood up and placed a hand on Ash's free shoulder, and from that position, pulled the Guardian into a tight hug, one of the tightest our hero had ever experienced. Ash returned the hug, his grin stretching from ear to ear in joy.

"It's good to see you again." he sighed, patting Brock's back.

"It really is you... Ash... How...? I-...I don't understand, they said you were dead..." uttered Brock, his voice choked up. "Everyone said you were dead..."

"Oh please... Don't listen to everything you hear." replied Ash, ending the hug. "This is me we're talking about... I always come back somehow."

"Ahahah ahaha... Yeah... After all those adventures back in the day, I guess I should've known better, huh?" laughed Brock, rubbing the tears from his eyes. His hands were still shaking. "But what actually happened that day, then? Where have you been? If you were alive all this time, why didn't you return sooner?"

"It's a long story, Brock... is it possible I can come inside to explain? Also, can you help me cut my hair?"

"Yeah yeah, of course you can come in." said Brock, eagerly making way for Ash to enter. "You and... and... and this divine beauty serendipitously sent by the heavens to grace us with her unmatchèd beauty! My deepest apologies, daughter of Aphrodite, I was so caught up in my dear friend's return from the deathrealm that I failed to award you your unquestionably due praise sooner! Greetings my sparkling queen, I am Brock, a noble man of humble upbringing! From the bottom of my heart I ask for your hand in marriag-"

"This is Serena," said Ash, grabbing Brock (who had gotten down on one knee during his speech) by the ear. "and she's with me."

"With you, or with you?" asked Brock, snapping out of his stupor.

"That IS the question these days, isn't it?" noted Lucario.

"Lucario coming from left field with the BURN! Damn, a savage lurks among us." joked Pikachu. "But nah, we only endorse Team May here."

"Both of you need to be pushed down a flight of stairs." thought Ash, narrowing his eyes.

"I do not possess a body for you to push." retorted Lucario. "This side-quest has made sure of that."

"AND HE DOES IT AGAIN."

Deciding to ignore his pokemon and answer Brock's question, Ash glanced at Serena, who was staring at him, diligently waiting for him to answer. This moment of eye contact, of course, prompted Ash's face to start heating up, his palms beginning to sweat. What could he say? He'd love to say that yes, she was with him, but that wasn't the truth, at least not yet. But something told him saying anything otherwise would work against him. It was then that he scolded himself; his goal wasn't to date Serena, it was to save the world, right? But it wasn't like he could just ignore his feelings either, right? His inner conflict on the matter became clear when he finally opened his mouth to speak.

"We um, well, I, I- I- well, you see, kinda, I think, um, well, I... Look, she's part of my group, Brock. I need her around." he stammered, beads of sweat forming in his forehead.

"Well played." commended both Pikachu and Lucario, their voices glazed in a thick coat of sarcasm.

Ash did his best to gauge Serena's reaction with his peripheral vision, but from what he could see, her expression was unreadable.

"Well, regardless, you're both welcome inside." said Brock, sensing the awkward tension in the air. "I'll cook you guys up some dinner, and after you fill me in on what's happened, I'll gladly help you cut your hair Ash."

"Thanks..." sighed Ash, following Brock inside.

Serena followed Ash in, and once his back was turned to her, she let her true feelings take over her face. She neither smiled nor frowned, biting her lip instead. She didn't know whether to be upset with his answer to Brock's question or not. She desperately wanted him to confirm that they were something special, but so far, he didn't have any tangible reason to say such things, nor did she have much of a reason to expect him to.

But perhaps it was time to change that.

They were most likely going to spend the night at Brock's house, and would undoubtedly have some time alone at some point. All she had to do was seize the opportunity, whenever it chose to present itself. She put a hand on her chest, smiling. It was time to finish the mission that had begun that fateful morning, five years ago.

...

[Two hours later...]

"And so, I'm basically in the process of finding the other members of The Fellowship. Once I gather 'em all, we'll find out where Master Brecht is and defeat him, thus saving the world from eternal darkness and destruction." explained Ash, watching in the mirror as snippet after snippet of hair was cut from his head. "And after that's done, you best believe I'm challenging the Kalos Elite Four, since I never really got around to doing that."

"Wow... that sure was a lot to take in." sighed Brock, carefully trimming Ash's hair with his scissors. "But I think if anyone's able to take on a challenge like that, it's you. You're literally the luckiest guy I've ever met, you've survived just about every life-threatening situation that you've ever found yourself in."

"Yeah, I know... it's still a little overwhelming though. I barely know where to start, to be honest. I don't really know who the enemy truly is besides Master Brecht, or how the hierarchies of neither the Dark Guardians nor the so called 'Dark Order' works. I'm really hoping that all clears up as things go along."

"I'm sure it will..." assured Brock, reaching for the blow dryer. "I just wish I could help you out, like the good old days. But if that Mark of the Fellowship you talked about didn't appear on me, I guess it just isn't in the cards. Honestly, it's probably better that way. Now that my parents are retired and traveling the world together, I have to stay and run the gym."

"No kidding? You're the Gym Leader again?" asked Ash, raising his voice so Brock could hear him over the blow dryer. "What happened to Forrest? And the rest of your siblings, really? The only ones I've seen around the house are Billy and Tilly."

"Yolanda, Salvadore, Tommy, Cindy, Suzie, and Timmy all left to become Pokemon Trainers and Coordinators, so they're all off on their own journeys. They stop by every once in a while, mainly for holidays and such. Forrest on the other hand..." Brock paused, taking a deep breath. "Forrest resigned from being the Gym Leader to follow his true passion."

"His true passion?"

"About 4 years ago he really got into hip-hop and R&B. Now he's pursuing a career in producing. He spends a lot of time in the basement making beats on his computer, and when he's not there, he's out in the city handing out mixtapes and promoting his SoundCloud account. I'm trying to support him, because in the end it's his life and he can do what he wants with it... but still... sometimes I wish he'd pursue something a little more... lucrative."

"...Nah."

"What?"

"I think the best thing to do is to support his dream 100 percent." said Ash, completely serious. "Music is an art, Brock. We all need music, and we all need art, it's how we express ourselves. I speak for both Pikachu and myself when I say that you should help him rise to the top and run the entire hip-hop game. Strong support from family goes a long way in keeping a young artist off the streets."

"That's true... but what does Pikachu have to do with all this?" asked Brock.

"Uhhhhm, you see, we kinda..."


"Yo, when the are they gonna finish cutting his damn hair? I'm bored as hell out here."

Having been separated from Ash after dinner, Pikachu found himself laying on the floor of Brock's living room, where absolutely nothing entertaining was going on. Billy and Tilly had gone to take naps in their rooms, leaving Serena as the only person for him to interact with. But she didn't remain an option for long, for she had curled up into a fetal position and fallen asleep on the couch mere moments after Brock and Ash went to the bathroom to cut the latter's hair. Of course, Lucario was always an option in terms of someone to talk to, but without Ash there to mediate, there was very little Pikachu could actually talk with the Aura Pokemon about.

Having lost hope for any entertainment for the next half hour, Pikachu resorted to the only thing that was always able to keep things exciting in his life: rhymes.

"Yo, fuck Feraligatrs, tell 'em 'seeya later'." he began, staring at the ceiling. "They always bein' haters, cuz I'm makin' all this paper. I pull up with the bills, diamonds in my grills. Watchin' Henny spill while I pop like 30 pills. Absolute gangster, number 1 prankster. Grass-type in the club, man, nobody smellin' danker. Now I just robbed 12 banks, still sippin' on my drank-"

"Pikachu." echoed Lucario's voice, sounding very indifferent towards Pikachu's rapping.

"Bruh. I was about to go in. Why'd you interrupt?"

"My apologies, but I sense two familiar presences approaching... presences that I believe it is best you take note of."

"*sigh* This better be worth it..." grumbled Pikachu, sitting up.

The yellow mouse then closed his eyes, his ears perking up. Since he was neither a human nor a Lucario, it took much more concentration for Pikachu to harness any Aura-related skills. But due to five years of training, he was able to access them far quicker than any other Pikachu lucky enough to be an Aura-sensitive. As he extended his senses to the area surrounding Brock's house, he did sense two life-forms approaching, though their Auras didn't ring any bells in his mind. At this realization, he opened his eyes and exhaled.

"Yeah, there's people coming, but they're not familiar to me at all." he admitted.

"But... oh, how foolish of me. Of course you cannot recognize their Auras, you were not trained in the ways of the Aura the last time you encountered them... Fine. Looking out the window will suffice."

"Dude, I just wanna rap..." groaned Pikachu, reluctantly climbing up to the living room window. As soon as his black eyes peered through the glass, his eyes widened, his mood doing a complete 180. "YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-"


"We're finally here..." sighed May, Brock's house just a few yards away. "No thanks to you."

"Listen, how was I supposed to know my pokedex's battery was dead?" snapped Max, defensively. "We wouldn't have needed it's map if you hadn't pointed us in the wrong direction!"

"And if you'd have taken Gardevoir to a Pokemon Center for once, that Teleport she used to get us away from the ferry wouldn't have been her last one!"

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW SHE WAS ALMOST OUT OF TELEPORTS?" roared Max, waving his hands in the air. "I don't take Gardevoir to the Pokemon Center because she's so strong she usually never gets hurt in battles! Can't say the same for that glass-cannon of a Glaceon, now can we?"

"How was I supposed to know? Howwwww was I supposed to knowwwwww?" mimicked May, repeatedly rocking her head from right to left during her Max impression. "And don't bring Glaceon into this. Just accept that if you just recharged both your pokemon and your pokedex, we would've been here way earlier."

"I'll bring whoever I damn well please into this, thank you very much." declared Max, head held high. "Maybe you should've recharged your face-"

Max paused for a second, spotting something moving in one of the windows of Brock's house. At first it looked like a yellow rectangle, but after adjusting his glasses, his vision became a little clearer, revealing it to be a yellow mouse. As quickly as he could, he felt for the Auras inside the house, but immediately had to stop himself; besides the Pikachu in the window, there were five other Auras in the house. Four of the other five were around normal levels for humans, but one... one was so powerful that even attempting to focus on it overloaded the teen's mind instantly.

"Oh no."

"What do you mean, 'oh no'?" sounded the voice of Gardevoir, entering Max's mind. "You remember the talk we had. It it's him, it's him. You can't control May's life, Max. Don't you dare stop walking towards that house."

"Fine... it's not like we can just turn back now anyway... but gosh, how the hell do things just line up like this?"

"You're so annoying..." hissed May, unaware of Max's inner dialogue.


"Well Ash... if you really think I should, I guess I'll put some more effort into helping Forrest out." said Brock, exiting the bathroom.

"Yeah man. You gotta let him do his thing." said Ash, exiting the b throom with a hairstyle similar to the one he sported in his Trainer days, with the hair just an inch or two longer. "If it's his dream, then it's his dream. I always wanted to be a Pokemon Master, and back then, nobody even knew what the heck that even was. Now look at me! It's all about positive attitude, and it's hard to have that when no one's supporting you. Now, I think I'm gonna follow Serena's lead and take a nap-"

"Bro!" called Pikachu, sprinting across the living room towards Ash. "Someone's at the door! Someone's at the motherfucking door! "

"Okay, okay, who's at the door?" asked Ash, confused as to why Pikachu was so excited.

"It's probably Forrest. He forgets his house keys pretty often." stated Brock, heading towards the door with Ash following.

Suddenly, the door bell rang, the jingle ringing loud enough to wake Serena from her sleep. The honey-blonde gingerly rubbed her eyes and peeked over the backrest of the couch, catching a glimpse of a cleanly shaven Ash, with trimmed hair. She blushed, admiring how much better he looked after the makeover. But unfortunately, her fawning was cut short by the light knock on the door that followed the door bell's jingle.

"Hm." hummed Brock, tilting his head as he unlocked the door. "That knock sounds kinda light to be Forrest..."

"Brock you fuck just open the damn door!" roared Pikachu, hopping up and down on Ash's shoulder. "Gosh, what's taking so long? I could learn to read faster than it's taking this man to OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!"

"What's gotten into you?" thought Ash, glaring at Pikachu.

Brock then opened the door, revealing who was on the other side. Serena tried to see who it was, but the couch she was on did not provide a suitable angle to see anything besides Ash, Pikachu, and Brock's reactions, which were... stunned, to say the least. She looked at Brock's face first: his eyebrows were raised and his mouth slightly open, but aside from that, he didn't look as surprised as he did when Ash had reunited with him earlier. She looked at Pikachu next, immediately noticing that the electric-type was by far the happiest she'd ever seen him since she freed him and Ash from the Tree of Beginning.

And speaking of Ash, our hero looked like he'd seen a ghost of some sort.

His face wasn't nearly as expressive as Brock's or Pikachu's, just... pale. He wasn't moving, which only served to worry the honey-blonde. Realizing that whatever was at the door was something she needed to see for herself, she rolled off the couch and landed on her feet. But, as she stood up, the truth was laid bare to her. As she rose, she watched as a young woman with brown hair collapsed onto Brock, slid through the Gym Leader's arms, and landed in the safety of Ash's. She was unconscious.

"May!" cried a new voice, just a split second after the brunette had fallen.

A teen with oxford blue hair and glasses rushed inside, immediately grabbing hold of the girl's face. He brushed her hair away from her face, revealing eyes that were barely open, no sign of awareness of her surroundings present in them.

"Max?" asked Brock, completely lost as to what had just happened. "What's happened to May? What are you guys even doing here?"

"She's just... surprised, is all." answered Max, sighing. "Good to see you again... Ash."

Max looked up at Ash and Brock, noticing that, similiar to when they had opened the door form him and May, they were staring at him as if he had grown a second head. Max raised an eyebrow, unable to understand why they were still looking at him. But as soon as Max looked back down at his sister, and saw a blue, glowing number 5 on her head, things stared to piece together. He looked back up at them, and could see a blue glow reflecting in their eyes, undoubtedly coming from his own forehead.

"NO FREAKING WAY." yelled Pikachu, ecstatic at yet another unforeseen turn of events. "IT JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER, EH BRO?"

Pikachu turned to Ash, waiting for a response. But alas, the rodent never received one. Our hero, May still in his arms, was too busy staring at Serena, who was still peeking over the backrest of the couch, her cyan eyes returning Ash's gaze. And, just like earlier in the day... her expression was completely unreadable.

But what he sensed in her Aura said it all.


Okay so I'm writing this Author's Note, and I just woke up, so it's probably not gonna be all that coherent. So... Any guesses on what Ash is sensing from Serena? C'mon, give me your best guesses. Lol. Anyway, that's that. Two more members of The Fellowship added... although the situation could've been better for our young, romantically confused hero. What'll happen now? You'll find out soon enough... *laughs evilly*. This chapter was really difficult for me to write, I guess it's just me getting back into the groove of things... again. But I'm back... again. I hope it came out decently well.

Seeya all next time,

~DarkSlash9