Hey all! DarkSlash9 here with another chapter of Pokemon: The Fellowship of the Aura. Look at me, updating twice in the same month. The perks of social distancing, I suppose. I hope all of you, and by extension your loved ones, are doing alright in this absolute nightmare of a reality we're living in these days. Wash them hands and stay inside!

This chapter is quite the doozy, as I kinda thought it would be. It covers a lot, and picks up right where the last left off. Truth be told, it functions as both a normal chapter and the first episodic chapter, though really, it definitely reads more like the former. Regardless, I had an absolute blast writing it, which is part of the reason I got it done so fast.

Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: Please wash your hands regularly so you don't get sick. I don't own pokemon.


XV


[Veilstone City: Pokemon Center...]

"The Dark Order is led by a man called Alexander... The Ethereal." revealed Rosa, pacing around the room. "He's referred to as Commander Alexander by the Dark Guardians."

"Commander Alexander..." repeated Ash, slowly nodding his head.

"The Ethereal?" questioned Max, commencing his healing of Paul. "What's the epithet for?"

"I don't know." responded Rosa, lowering her head.

"I thought you said you know 'a lot'..." muttered Gary, folding his arms.

"I do." snapped Rosa, her voice calm but aggressive. "Commander Alexander is one of the 7 Grand Disciples of Master Brecht. Now before one of you gentlemen ask, I'll explain who they are too. Simply put, they're the 7 leaders of the Dark Order, with Commander Alexander being their leader. Other members of the Disciples include Lord Kamerion and Doctor Feinberg. Each member of the Disciples has reign over Dark Order operations in a select region, and each one has an epithet that has to do with their abilities. But the abilities themselves are kept top secret, I don't even think each member of the Disciples knows all the powers of their 6 companions, except for Commander Alexander maybe. Kamerion was known as the Kamerion the Eternal, which we now know was a reference to his multiple lives."

"Do you know Dr. Feinberg's?" asked May. "Epithet or actual power?"

"...I don't." sighed Rosa. "I don't know how he does it, but Dr. Feinberg has been the only person I've never been able to fully read... ever. I've scanned his shallower, surface level thoughts before, but at a certain point... I'd just hit a wall. Every time."

"Well, we were able to overcome Kamerion's B.S., so I'm not too worried about all the others. They'll all go down, regardless of their gimmicks." dismissed Ash, waving a hand. "How did they even get these powers, though? And what's the Dark Order's plan?"

"...The best way to answer both your questions is to go back to the beginning." replied Rosa, resuming her pacing. "By 'beginning', I mean the years immediately after Master Brecht's sealing by Arceus. Master Brecht had followers. Even though he and his army were gone, his influence on the world remained. As the years passed, those who secretly respected and revered him began to coagulate and connect, forming their own underground cult. They dedicated themselves to opposing the efforts of the few remaining Aura Guardians in whatever sneaky ways they could, hoping their efforts would one day boost the ease of Brecht's conquest of the world once he returned. But of course, Aura Guardians are no joke, especially when you don't have any powers or abilities to fight back with. As you may or may not know, the Dark Order had no Dark Guardians until a couple days ago when the seal broke, releasing Brecht's imps and demons into the world. Before all that chaos, everyone in the Dark Order was fighting with other methods. They've tried so many different things over the centuries, it's no surprise their leaders have unique abilities that are kept secret. The Dark Order has employed strange diets, strict exercise regimens, chemical experimentation... and Black Magic. Now this is where my information gets a little spotty. Not too many Dark Order grunts know about Black Magic. It's used a lot more by the higher ups. But I know for a fact the Dark Order created it to combat Aura Guardians."

"Wait." interrupted Ash. "If the Dark Order created Black Magic..."

"Then why are they after Paul's Chaos Badge?" finished May. "Shouldn't they have already had it?"

"I'd imagine so..." concurred Max, still healing Paul.

"Unless they lost it, at some point in history." chimed Serena, speaking up. "Maybe they're just trying to get it back. It looks pretty powerful, it'd make sense for them to want such a big asset back in their hands. Maybe they need it for something."

"...They do!" beamed Rosa, hopping into the air a little. "Serena, you're so smart!"

"Uh, thanks...?" replied Serena, eyes widened by Rosa's sudden excitement. "What'd I say though...?"

"Yeah, I'm not really following." added Gary.

"What a surprise..." said Rosa, in between fake coughs. "*ahem* They do need the Chaos Badge. Ash, you know what the Chaos Badge can do, right? Lucario told you?"

"(O.O)... He did, but how do you know that?" asked Ash, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, I guess you are still in the dark about me." noted Rosa, putting a fingertip to her chin. "This is old news to everyone else, but I have psychic-type DNA infused with my own. Nate has fire. A mad scientist named Dr. Feinberg made us this way. Yes, the same Dr. Feinberg I mentioned earlier. As a result of the experiments, I can read minds, and Nate is hot."

"Neat." complimented Ash, feeling somewhat desensitized to new powers this late in the game. "But yes, Lucario told me the Chaos Badge gives Paul access to a very limited version of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina's powers... at the cost of extreme exhaustion, among... other things. He can warp through time, open portals, and... I dunno, shoot antimatter out of his eyes? He hasn't really displayed any Giratina stuff yet..."

"If I were a betting girl, I'd say that with the right amount of practice and a high level of strength, a Chaos Badge user could likely rip open a pathway into the Distortion World." hypothesized Rosa. "It'd probably take a lot of energy... definitely more than Paul can harness right now. But in the hands of someone strong enough, perhaps someone at the level of a Grand Disciple..."

"They could get to the Distortion World..." muttered Ash, cupping his chin. He then retreated to his thoughts. "That's bad, right? I know it's bad, but can't pinpoint why..."

"Master Brecht's soul resides in the Distortion World." replied Lucario, from his ball. "He is unsealed, but he is still trapped there without a means to access the material plane. He requires a host. His army of imps and malevolent spirits were able to pass through the dimensional divide and possess Dark Order members because, simply put, they are smaller entities. It functions in the same school of logic as this: It is easy and common for a house to be haunted by a small, benign ghost. But dark, rare forces are truly at work when a poltergeist or demon is present in a home. The same works for Brecht's minions in comparison to himself. He's too powerful, his soul carries too much mass to force itself into our plane. Instead, his host will have to come to him."

"And with the help of the Chaos Badge... the Dark Order could help make that happen..." deduced Ash, opening his eyes. "...And if they get to the Distortion World, they can provide a host for Brecht's spirit."

"Exactly." agreed Rosa. "If we're right in these assumptions, then Paul is extremely important. We can't let him get captured at any point, whatsoever."

"Wait, aren't the Corridors of the Aura also in the Distortion World?" asked Max. "Doesn't that mean they're free to be attacked by Master Brecht's spirit?"

"No." denied both Ash and Serena at the same time.

The two young adults looked at each other, both sporting small smiles at the fact that they said the exact same thing at the exact same time. It felt like a classic moment for the pair, a cute little reminder that at times, they were unmistakably on the same wavelength. Such moments happened a lot on their Kalos travels, especially once Clemont and Bonnie were out of the picture.

Stopping himself from reminiscing, Ash came to his senses and gestured for Serena to continue, passing her the conversational torch. Serena's smile lingered as she turned to Max and spoke.

"Aura Guardians: A Complete History mentions a protective barrier surrounding the Corridors." she reminded, finally speaking at the same volume as everyone else. "If things today are still like how the book described them, then Ash's masters should be safe and sound as long as they don't step out of the building."

"Yeah, Max. They're fine." chided May, folding her arms. "Learn how to read, doofus."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" questioned Max. "My bad. Honest, deepest truth be told, I couldn't focus on what you were saying because your face is SO FUCKING UGL-"

"Arthur, D.W., go have your hourly bitch-fest outside. The grown-ups are trying to talk right now." cooed Gary, his scathing, narrowed glare in sharp contrast to his gentle tone. His demeanor then returned to normal as he shifted his focus towards everyone else. "Hold up, pause. So if I've been paying attention, which I have, then it seems like you're telling us that the Dark Order, a massive cult-organization existing for millennia, is putting all their effort into finding Paul and his emo Chaos Emerald? Seriously? All that man-power for just one real target? Besides us, of course."

"It's not that simple. At all." replied Rosa, her voice (surprisingly) lacking of any hostility. "The Dark Order is everywhere. Until 21 years ago, they weren't much to be wary of. Yeah, they've managed to kill a couple Aura Guardians every 40 years or so, but they were in no way a threat to the world."

"What changed 21 years ago?" inquired May.

"That's when Commander Alexander took over." answered Rosa. "He transformed the Dark Order from a disorganized cult with hundreds of loosely affiliated branches into one unified, dangerous force. Thanks to his leadership, the Dark Order now has hidden operatives in the government, the pokemon league; any important organization you can think of has some sort of secret influencer within their ranks. Through these influencers, the Dark Order has discreetly fashioned our world and society to be easily overrun by Master Brecht's raw power should he return to the physical world at full strength. It's also why an enormous base like the one we just destroyed this morning can exist. There's no need to hide those things when a higher up in law enforcement is your henchman. The Dark Order has been building their numbers and strength to not only take Ash down or get the Chaos Badge, but to provide Master Brecht with an army - and conquest - even greater than his original one 10,000 years ago."

"And it's all thanks to this Commander Alexander the Ethereal prick, huh?" sighed Ash, leaning his head back. "Must be one hell of a leader..."


[Dark Order: Main Headquarters...]

...

"Commander Alexander!" cried a random grunt, rushing in.

As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted with absolute silence. The Commander of the Dark Order was sitting calmly on his throne, as if he'd been expecting the grunt's arrival. Of course, his face was hidden by his mask, but just seeing the mask pointed towards him was enough to send shivers through the grunt's limbs. This was the man. The mysterious and powerful leader of the entire organization, the man that had brought the Dark Order into the modern era. He was looking right at him; it seemed like he was waiting, too.

"My deepest apologies for bursting in like this, Commander." started the grunt. He was determined to speak clearly for his one true hero, without any stutters. "We just got a transmission from one of the three men sent to retrieve the Chaos Badge!"

"..."

"Sir?"

Commander Alexander leaned forward a bit. It seemed like he was eager to hear the results of the mission.

"...As I was saying..." continued the grunt, blinking his eyes. "They were assaulted by the Chosen Guardian's Fellowship! They now have the Chaos Badge AND a wielder! They're still in Veilstone City at the moment, so time is most surely of the essence! We also haven't heard anything from our Sinnoh Base in multiple hours! What are your orders?"

"..."

"Commander Al-"

Suddenly, the Commander violently convulsed in his throne for a second, as if he'd just awakened from a deep, serene nap. The sudden movement startled the grunt, as he had been under the impression that Alexander was awake the entire time, intently listening. Unfortunately, he was not. As he came to his senses, the Commander locked eyes with the grunt, his mask, as always, hiding his facial expression.

"What the-... What's a bottom-ranked officer doing in my throne room without being summoned?" stammered Alexander, tilting his head. "You know that's possibly punishable by death, right? Oh hold on, if you'd knocked first, then I would've woken up, right? Which means you didn't knock. Tsk tsk tsk, not lookin' good for you. Definitely punishable by death. Frankly, nobody here is that good at knocking, now that I think of it. Anyway, what's your name?"

"Private Pablo Jackson, sir-"

At a speed beyond that of anything on the planet, Commander Alexander spawned a Dark Aura Sphere in his palm and launched it at Pablo's head, obliterating it. Pablo's decapitated corpse then crumpled to the ground, blood leaking from his neck stump.

"Rest in peace, Pablo." yawned Commander Alexander, pressing one of the buttons on his throne. "Doctor Feinberg, you there? I want an update on the three men I sent to get the Chaos Badge in Veilstone. Also, contact Lord Kamerion and see how he's holding up. Also... send a custodian my way. And tell him to bring a mop. Me and my dear friend Pablo spilled cranberry juice all over my throne room, it's a mess. I fired him."

"As you wish, Commander." replied Feinberg through the throne's intercom. "We just received word from one of the three men not too long ago. Members of the Chosen Guardian's Fellowship stopped them from getting the badge, and one of the Fellowship members ended up being a compatible host to it. 2 of our men were killed, and the third was sent to the Pacific Ocean in a block of ice. It's that third one that contacted us. He says Ash Ketchum is still in Veilstone City, as well as the Chaos Badge. They're holed up in the Pokemon Center. These events lead me to believe the Chosen Guardian has either killed Kamerion, escaped to Veilstone after rescuing his captured comrades, or both."

"I see..." said Alexander, yawning again. "Well that's a bummer. Alright, here are my orders..."


"Is there anything else you have to share with us, Rosa?" asked May. "We already know so much more now, thanks to you."

"Uh... Not really." replied Rosa, lamely. "All my knowledge is compiled from the minds of various Dark Order henchmen, scientists, and supervisors. I'm sure I've got a couple other random facts to reveal here and there, but as for the truly important stuff, that's all I got."

"What you told us was beyond useful." said Max, still healing Paul. "Now it's pretty obvious what our plan of action should be."

"It is?" asked Ash.

"It is." confirmed Gary, taking over for Max. "Ashy-boy, with Paul in the Fellowship, we have all of the Dark Order's only remaining targets right here. Now that the Fellowship is complete, we don't have to go around looking for anyone else and putting ourselves in unnecessary danger. Now sounds like the ideal time to build strength and prepare for the big battle ahead, all while laying low and keeping the enemy off our tail. As long as they never get Paul, they can never bring Brecht to the physical world, yeah?"

"How is there going to be a 'big battle' if I never come face to face with Master Brecht to begin with?" retorted Ash. "Okay, let's say we do what you said: We get stronger and keep the Chaos Badge away from the Dark Order. What about Master Brecht's spirit, then? I'm not gonna just leave him chillin' in the Distortion World forever. That's false safety. The one and only way to ensure peace to the world is to completely erase him."

"We could do that too." assured Serena, regaining Ash's attention. "If Paul gets strong enough while we train and travel, he could eventually get us into the Distortion World. Then you could defeat Master Brecht there, on your own time."

Listening to Serena's input, Nate turned to Rosa and tapped her shoulder. The pair made eye contact, and after a couple seconds, Rosa giggled. She then turned to Serena, grinning.

"Serena, Nate says you're on fire today." spoke the psychic brunette, giving her a thumbs up. "Pun intended."

"I'm honored." replied Serena, with a light chuckle.

"I guess that does make sense..." murmured Ash, his demeanor inflating itself with his usual energy. "Well... alright then! It's decided. Once Paul wakes up, we leave Veilstone. We'll spend the next couple of weeks traveling, using Gardevoir's teleport - or even Paul's powers - to keep enemies off our trail if we stay in any areas for too long. Any objection-"

Just then, Ash's irises lit up blue, his Aura auto-activating on instinct. His head immediately turned across the room towards the window, a bewildered look on his face. Serena, Gary, and Nate all looked at Ash in confusion, but as soon as they glanced at either May, Max, or Rosa, they somewhat understood what was happening. May and Max's eyes were also on Aura-alert, while Rosa's were just squinted. Their faces all held a look that was familiar to those who knew the ways of battle: it was the look of impending conflict.

"I'm sure some of you already feel it..." began Rosa. "But I'm picking up on about 8 people systematically closing in on this building... they came out of nowhere too. I'm having some trouble reading their minds from this far, so it's safe to assume they're Aura users."

"Dark Guardians." confirmed Ash, walking towards the window. "And from what I'm sensing... mid-level."

"Definitely stronger than the grunts sent to Paul's place." added Max.

"But how did they even find us?" inquired May. "Paul sent the only one I left alive to the ocean!"

"Ice floats." answered Gary. "His whole body, except for his head, was encased in ice. I'm sure he had ample time to contact his HQ while he was floating in the middle of nowhere."

"They're getting closer..." reminded Max, removing his hands from Paul.

"Everyone, listen up." barked Ash, already in fight-mode. "Max and Rosa, get Paul to safety. May, take Lucario's ball and go with them. Nate, Pikachu, you guys go with them and keep them all safe, in case you're followed somehow. Serena, Gary, you're with me. We'll take care of these guys and regroup with everyone else. Got it?"

"Yessirski." complied Pikachu, hopping off of Ash's shoulder.

"I'm with it." agreed Gary, pulling his gun out of his cloak.

"Nate wants to stay and help fight." announced Rosa as an excited Nate stood next to her, flames spawning on his knuckles. "Lucario, May, and Pikachu should be able to protect us just fine, Nate'll do more good here."

"I could also stay and fight!" pleaded May, approaching Ash. "I'm no slouch-"

"Rosa, if Nate fights, we risk burning down the Pokemon Center. Needless to say, not an option." grunted Max, picking up Paul's body. "May, Serena and Gary are the best fighters for keeping things relatively clean. The rest of us would just inadvertently destroy this place. Come on, guys. They're almost-"

Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass rang through the room, silencing Max. Through the destroyed window, an entire 8-man squadron of Dark Guardians leaped inside, eyes lit with the crimson gleam of Dark Aura. As soon as the enemies were actually in the room, all questioning of Ash's plan ceased, everyone doing as they'd been told. It only took a second or two for everyone but Ash, Gary, and Serena to gather, release Gardevoir, and teleport elsewhere.

Once they were gone, the battle commenced.

As soon as they'd gotten inside, two of the Dark Guardians rushed Ash and grabbed his arms, pinning him to a wall. Wasting no time, a third one advanced on our hero with a sword in hand, intent on stabbing his exposed torso. However, Serena would have different plans for the evening. Before the third Dark Guardian could go through with his action, Serena kicked him in the ribs with all her strength, sending him tumbling into a nearby nightstand. Ash took this opportunity to power up his Aura, blowing the two foes off his arms in the process.

One of the two Dark Guardians quickly got up and rushed towards Ash again, only to suffer two bullet wounds through each of his thighs, courtesy of none other than Gary Oak.

"Bang, bang!" he cackled, already shooting at another Dark Guardian. "B-B-BANG!"

"Stop screwing around, Gary." called Ash, punching another Dark Guardian so hard that he flew out the window, the same one they'd all previously entered through.

"Screwing around? Me?" asked Gary, repeatedly pistol-whipping a nearby foe. Once they were down for the count, Gary pressed the button on his gun. "Never."

He then fired the weapon at another Dark Guardian, one that seemed to be giving Serena some trouble in hand to hand combat. This time, a thin, green beam shot from the gun, and when it made contact with the Dark Guardian, he instantly fell asleep, leaning forward onto Serena. The honey blonde quickly shrugged the Dark Guardian off of her body, already focusing on her next target. Without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed hold of one her knives and flung it at the Dark Guardian Ash had punched outside, right as he'd finally managed to climb back into the room.

Unfortunately, things weren't bound to continue going as smoothly as they were. As Ash had stated earlier, their enemies were mid-level Dark Guardians, they were more adept combatants than the average grunt. The remaining Dark Guardians still in the room began to change their game plan, working more towards overwhelming the trio.

Ash couldn't help but feel frustrated: normally he'd have obliterated the enemies in the blink of an eye. But when confined to a relatively small room in a building occupied by many innocents, he was forced to resort to simple movements and small scale attacks. However, the simplicity of his battling would prove to have consequences.

Going for a straightforward swing with his staff, Ash found himself more than surprised when a Dark Guardian caught it, and began emitting black energy from a necklace he was wearing. Recognizing the energy as Black Magic, Ash took the selfless route and pushed away his nearest comrade, which happened to be Gary. He'd done it just in time, too. As soon as Gary had been out of reach, the Black Magic spread across half of the room, ensnaring both Ash and Serena in its effect.

"What the..." grunted Ash, not moving. The Black Magic was surrounding his body, the same way Aura would if he'd been powering up. "I can't move."

Both Gary and Ash's gazes turned to Serena, spotting her unable to move her body either. The only able bodied people left in the room were Gary and the 5 Dark Guardians left standing.

"Well... this is quite the pickle." observed Gary, putting his hands up. "I surrender."

"YOU WHAT?!" cried Ash, still unable to move.

While Ash found nothing but bewilderment in Gary's declaration, Serena found depth. Just earlier in the same day, they'd run into Wade and his men. She remembered specifically telling Gary that there was no need for him to take them all on alone. But with no hesitation, he'd taken the step forward and defeated them all, with ease and wit. To Serena, surrender wasn't a word she'd ever associate with a man like Gary. And so, her response to Gary's words wasn't verbal. She simply looked at him, unable to read his poker face.

"I mean, I'm clearly screwed on my own." explained Gary, hands still completely up. "All I've got is a gun."

"Heh, good choice." commended one of the Dark Guardians, approaching Gary. "Keep your hands up while we search your cloak. Any sudden movements, you die, got it?"

"Got it." agreed Gary, straight-faced.

While one Dark Guardian grabbed Gary's gun out of his hand, another stepped forward and began to rummage through Gary's cloak, as well as his lab coat underneath it. He seemed to be searching very slowly, his eyes peeled for anything of possible use to the Dark Order.

"Find anything you like?" asked Gary.

"Shut your mouth." ordered the Dark Guardian. "Where do you keep your wallet?"

"..."

"Where's your wallet?!" bellowed the Dark Guardian, grabbing Gary by the collar.

"...Hank, you told him to shut his mouth." reminded one of the Dark Guardians in the background.

"Fuckin'-..." cursed Hank, who absolutely despised such literal brands of smartassery like Gary's. "Ugh, just tell me where your wallet is. And then shut your mouth."

"Inner chest pocket of the lab coat." answered Gary, his expression still completely neutral. "The one on my right, your left."

Hank heeded Gary's direction, opening the lab coat and reaching for the inner pocket on the left. He didn't notice it, but his 4 teammates were able to see the beginnings of a smile creep across Gary's lips as he felt Hank's fingers come into contact with the pocket. However, none of them would be able to speak up in time. As soon as the pocket was opened, a plume of dark gray mist erupted from it, filling the room with its presence at an unnatural speed. No person present had the chance to evade it, with everyone, both friend and foe, breathing it in.

As soon as the mist entered Serena's lungs, a terrible, mind-splitting headache overcame her, accompanied by a cold sweat, burning lungs, intense muscle spasms, and powerful nausea. It was as if her body was shutting itself down, in the most unpleasant and painful way possible. Through the strain, she looked at Ash, who seemed to be experiencing the same ailments. In fact, everyone visible to her was.

Unable to control the Black Magic anymore, the Dark Guardian with the necklace - as well as everyone else - collapsed to the floor, their twisting muscles refusing to comply. The only person still standing was Gary Motherfucking Oak, who could be seen nonchalantly reclaiming his gun from a collapsed enemy.

"What *cough* did you do...?" sputtered Ash, still on the floor. "Gary...?"

"Well Ashy-boy, a couple months back I whipped up an artificial hybrid between Stun Spore and Poison Powder. Nearly 4 times as potent as a same-type pokemon's paralysis. And the poison spreads an agony-inducing 6 times as fast as a toxicroak's." answered Gary, calmly switching his gun back to bullet mode. "The rest of the details should be pretty self-explanatory."

"Why... aren't you affected?" asked Serena, between hoarse coughs.

"Heh, imagine rigging yourself with a paralysis poison and not ensuring you've developed the antibodies to grant yourself immunity first." chuckled Gary, shaking his head. He then pointed his gun at Hank, his expression becoming far more serious. "Couldn't be me."

The fight over, Gary fired his gun five times, one lethal shot for each of the downed enemies. Then, while whistling a catchy tune, he approached Serena and reached into his coat, pulling out a vial and two syringes. As if he'd done it hundreds of times before, he quickly filled the first syringe with the liquid inside the vial, knelt beside Serena, and inserted the needle into her shoulder. He then walked over to Ash and did the same thing with the second syringe, just as quickly.

"Alright, you guys should be fine in a couple of seconds." he declared, putting the rest of the antidote back in his coat. "We should probably get a move on, before they send reinforcements, or whatever. That gas was a one-time thing until I make more."

"That was really smart, Gary." complimented Serena, slowly picking herself up.

"You really shouldn't bet your life, and by extension, our lives... on a mind-game, man." grunted Ash, also getting up. "You're just lucky they searched you instead of killing you."

"And you're just mad you fell for it, just like Hank." sassed a smiling Gary, exiting the room. "Come on now, kids. Let's keep this show moving!"

As their bodies fully recovered, Ash and Serena exchanged looks of relief in regard for each other's safety. There was something about the way Gary's poison felt; the severity of their bodies' responses to it had shaken their very foundations for a brief moment, spawning a unique fear quite unlike any other. With the venomous mist dispelled from their blood, they both experienced a small burst of hyper-emotion when their eyes met, resulting in the pair pulling each other into a deep, harmonic kiss. Just like the one they'd shared at Brock's house two mornings prior, it was laced with nothing but love, passion, and a somewhat feral drive to go beyond. With their arms wrapped around one another so tightly, they could have easily stayed that way for a while, but, as Gary had said: they had to keep things moving along.

And so, right as Serena was about to start running her hands through Ash's hair, she pulled away, with Ash in complete understanding as to why she'd done it. With reddened cheeks and sheepish smiles, they both gathered their belongings and followed Gary out the door, leaving the room an absolute mess the likes of which room-service could have never fathomed possible.


[? ? ?]

...

...

...

"...-onestly I think I've healed him all I really can. The rest is up to him."

"How is that even possible? If he was fully healed, he'd be awake, wouldn't he?"

"Maybe the drawbacks of the Chaos Badge aren't only physical, but spiritual too. He looks way less malnourished than earlier, but his mind is still giving off a lot of strain."

"Welp, all I know is that I can't funnel any more Aura into him. It just bounces back. Now that I'm done healing my third patient today, maybe we could switch gears and think of what food we can FINALLY get once Ash and them regroup with us!"

"Shhh! Stop yelling, you're gonna wake him up..."

"May, please tell me: What the hell are you on? Isn't Paul waking up what we want?"

"Oh hey, look, he's coming to! Good work, team."

Paul slowly opened his eyes, being immediately met with the sight of May, Rosa, Nate, and Max sitting at his sides, curiously staring down at him. Greatly perturbed by such a situation, Paul narrowed his eyes at everyone, silently demanding less people gazed at him so diligently. He yielded mixed results. Max and Rosa heeded his unspoken command and shifted their attentions elsewhere, while May and Nate's stares remained unchanged.

His body healed but his soul drained, Paul sat up, ignoring May and Nate's blatant disregardings of his scowl. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. They were on the outskirts of the city, the same ones he'd walked through in the morning when he was talking to Officer Jenny. As he gazed at the night skies, he marveled at how much life could manage to change in a mere 8 hours. Aware time was to keep on advancing, Paul stood up and returned his attention to everyone else, his stare in its usual brand of stoic.

"Where's Ash and the rest?" he questioned, asking no one in particular.

"They're probably on their way back to us. We got ambushed in the Pokemon Center, had to split up." explained Max. "Ash's Pikachu is on that hill over there, contacting him. Once they're ready, my Gardevoir will teleport to them and bring them here."

"Hmph. Typical Ash." droned Paul, closing his eyes. "Never keeping his greatest weapons immediately on hand. If they're in a fight, why didn't he keep you with him?"

Paul was looking at May. Nobody said anything, so he continued.

"But he kept the blonde girl with him?" he questioned. None of this was meant to incite anything on Paul's part. He seemed to naturally pull people's strings. "She looked like she may have some tricks up her sleeve, but I doubt she could do more than you did when you dealt with the thugs in my house. Unless he has some sort of ulterior motive for keeping her around over you, his strategy just comes off as dumb to me."

Max, Nate, and Rosa's bodies stiffened, none of them daring to speak next in fear of saying something that'd make matters worse. Luckily, there was no silence this time around. May closed her eyes and stretched her arms, letting out a gentle sigh.

"You know Ash..." she said, letting out a small yawn after. "He plays his best cards at the best times. Never sooner, never later."

While Max rolled his eyes at the notion of his sister being one of their best cards when people like Lucario and Nate were in the picture, Rosa immediately cleared her throat, eager to change the subject. For May's sake.

"Well Paul, now that you're awake, allow me to fill you in on everything we discussed while you were unconscio-"

"Pika pi! Pika pikachu! Pi pi!" sounded Pikachu from the nearby hilltop, waving his paws.

Max subsequently looked to Gardevoir, the pair communicating through their Aura-link. After a brief moment, Gardevoir teleported away, while Max turned back to everyone else.

"Pikachu's made contact with Ash. They won. Gardevoir's gonna go get them." reported the teen. "But yeah, Paul, let's fill you in on the Dark Ord-"

"AAAANNNND we're back!" hollered none other than the one and only Gary Oak, appearing before everyone else (with Ash, Serena, and Gardevoir) in a flash of lavender light. The first thing he noticed was Paul being awake, so he turned to him, extending a hand. "Hey there, big man. I'm Dr. Gary Oak, established Pokemon Researcher and original rival and man-crush of Ash Ketchum. Nice to finally meet ya. I've heard stories."

"I'm Paul." greeted Paul, stiffly shaking Gary's hand.

"Good to see you up, Paul." said Ash, approaching his two past rivals. He seemed to have completely ignored certain parts of Gary's introduction. "Well, in case they for some reason haven't already started, Rosa or Max can fill you in on everything we know about the Dark Order sometime soon. For now... let's focus on getting some food. We're all hungry, right?"

A chorus of agreements were sent Ash's way.

"Well, it's a good thing I have no money whatsoever, and as a result, someone else will have to go into town and get it." noted Ash, taking a seat on the grassy ground. "Any takers?"

"May, would you like to try again?" half-joked Max, poking his elder sister with his finger.

"No." answered May, quite unquestionably.

"Gary, you have money. A lot of it. I know you do." stated Rosa, pointing at the brown-haired Researcher. "It has to be you."

"Woman, I am broke-"

"What's the point in lying to a mind reader?" questioned Serena, too hungry to allow Gary to continue. "Come on, I'll go with you."

"Nate and I will go too, we're building ourselves sundaes at Coldstone Creamery." added Rosa, grinning.

"You think I have fucking Coldstone money-"

"If you could just... stop talking..." proposed Rosa, following Gary and Serena back towards the town.

With Nate, Rosa, Serena, and Gary heading out for food, the only members of the Fellowship left were Ash, May, Max, and Paul. At first, nobody felt the need to say anything. But mere seconds into the silence, Paul, the only person still standing up, spoke.

"And now, half of your prophesied dream team is walking back into a city you just got ambushed in." observed Paul, glancing at Ash. "Does nothing about that seem like a bad call to you?"

"They'll be fine." dismissed Ash, as Pikachu climbed onto his shoulder. He pet the yellow rodent's head before continuing. "Save for Rosa, everyone in that group has fought alongside me at some point today. They're all strong in their own ways, they can handle themselves just fine if the situation calls for it."

"So you say..." replied Paul, abruptly walking off to go sit in solitude somewhere.

"Wait, Paul, before you go walking off to most likely sit in solitude somewhere," called Max, standing up. "I'll go with you and fill you in on the Dark Order stuff. Finally."

Without turning around to look at Max, Paul stopped walking, nodded, and continued walking. Max took this as permission to follow, the duo walking off into their wooded surroundings. With Max and Paul gone, the only ones left were Ash and May, sitting in silence under the moonlit sky. It didn't take long for Ash to look at her, hoping to spark some conversation. But it seemed like none would be had; May was laying down on the grass, asleep.

"Nah, wake her the fuck up." ordered Pikachu, tugging at Ash's ear. "Wake her up and kiss dem lips."

"Why on Earth would I wake her up?" thought Ash, flicking Pikachu's paw off his ear. "It's been such a long day for everyone, I'm sure she's probably exhausted. Also, how many times do you want me to kiss one girl and SOMEHOW end up kissing the other shortly afte-"

"Hey Ash?" uttered May, startling both our hero and his pokemon.

Awake, May sat up and turned to Ash, who was only an arm's distance away. As they faced one another, Ash instantly noticed that her eyes held some trace amounts of sadness in them, but her face was mostly neutral.

"Yes?"

"I... I want to- Let me start over. *deep breath* Ash, I'd really like to get stronger." she stated, re-establishing eye contact.

"May, I hope this isn't about the Pokemon Center." replied Ash, letting out an awkward chuckle. "Max was spot on with why I chose Gary and... Serena. It was for damage control."

"I know..." sighed May. "But still. I want to bring something to the table in our group. I hate being too weak or slow to help others in time. It's happened to me way more times than I've ever hoped to stand. It happened today, with Paul's brother. And I know, my strength may not have been the deciding factor in whether Reggie could've been saved or not... but I just can't shake the feeling that I could've done more if knew how to use my abilities in the real ways, rather than just hitting people really hard. I'm glad that with our mission cleared up more, I finally have the chance to take you up on your promise to train me. I want to be useful, even when I'm on my own."

"May... Of course, I'll be training you. You're right about that." agreed Ash. "But you're wrong if you think you don't bring anything to the table."

"Pikachu pika pi pikachu~!"/"YOU'RE HIS HOT AURA WAIFU!" chirped Pikachu.

"You're already strong." continued Ash, as if Pikachu had never spoken. "Speaking literally, your Aura is extremely potent for someone so inexperienced. But I'm talking about strength going deeper than that. I know you. I can tell you've been through a lot of pain, but here you are, strong and willing to help me on this crazy quest of mine. You've always been a fighter, you've been like that as early as our travels in Hoenn together. But even more than all that... you care. You always care. The whole team's only been assembled just a couple hours ago, but more so than anyone else, you've shown you care deeply for everyone here. Well, maybe Nate is a stretch. But he's weird, so he doesn't count. Anyway, your presence here is extremely important to me. You're the heart of this gang, if you ask me."

Rendered to a pile of blushing starbursts by hearing such kind words, May needed a second to collect herself before answering.

"...So smooth." she complimented, smiling.

"Well, if you consider the truth to be smooth, then-"

Without warning, May leaned forward and met Ash's lips with her own, prompting Pikachu's cheeks to spark up in approval. Unable to resist such an instinctively welcomed surprise, Ash leaned back, pulling May on top of him. This kiss was slow and intimate, a truly wonderful activity for the two of them to engage in.

"'How many times do you want me to kiss one girl and SOMEHOW end up kissing the other shortly after?'" quoted Lucario, sighing in implied disapproval. "This is unwise."

"Get that Team Serena nonsense out of my ears, blasphemous jackal!" rebuked Pikachu, watching as the kiss intensified. "Team May STAYS cookin'! Cookin' HOT shit! Spicy!"

Having (once again) subconsciously blocked Pikachu and Lucario as soon as the kiss had begun, Ash heard none of their banter. However, he'd be forced to pull away from the kiss anyway: he had to come up for air. Luckily, May seemed to have the same idea.

"By the way," she panted, also out of breath. "I'm sorry I keep kissing you without asking."

"All good," gasped Ash, stationed comfortably atop Cloud Nine. "All... good..."

May then rested her head on Ash's chest, both young adults making a silent deal to pause all talking until their lungs stabilized.

...

...

...

"So... Serena Yvonne..." began a recovered May, rolling off of Ash.

"Serena...?" repeated Ash, his chest freezing over in panic.

"Serena." confirmed May, staring at the stars. "She's pretty awesome, huh?"

"...Yeah." agreed Ash after some hesitation. "She is."

"Y'know, I've always thought she was cool. As far back as the day I first met her at your house." stated May, with enthusiasm. "She's got her stuff together, if you know what I mean."

"She definitely comes off as very well put-together..." agreed Ash, unsure of where the conversation was headed. "She's perceptive, smart, a quick thinker..."

"And really freaking pretty. Some girls just have it all, huh?"

"...(._.)..."

May rolled her eyes.

"...Oh come on, us kissing doesn't make you unable to admit another girl is attractive. Really, it doesn't have to change anything you don't want it to."

"...She's very pretty." admitted Ash. "So, ah, why exactly are we talking about Serena?"

"I dunno." admitted May, shrugging. "Truth be told, she's just the first thing that came to mind. So I rolled with it."

"Gotcha..." yawned Ash, rubbing his eyes.

"All those hours unconscious and you're still tired?" asked May, yawning as well. "That's bananas."

"Give me a break..." replied Ash. "I fought my way through a plane, killed a demon cat-man nightmare furry 9 times, and just took on 8 more enemies... with Gary Motherfucking Oak on my squad. I'm still spent."

"Fair." conceded May, closing her eyes. "Well, let's nap until everyone comes back with the food, then. I'm beat, too."

"Stellar idea..." agreed Ash, closing his eyes.

And with that, the pair eventually drifted off into deep, restful sleep. An hour had passed before they were woken up by Nate, Rosa, Gary, and Serena's return, and another half hour had passed until Max and a fully up to speed Paul returned from the woods. Once everyone had eaten and conversed, they journeyed further into the nearby woods and set up camp. In the early hours of the morning, before sunrise, they'd agreed to teleport to a random forest in Johto, leaving the Fellowship of the Aura's short but eventful Sinnoh Region adventure behind them...


...The next day...


[Johto Region: Forest Area...]

The crisp winds were blowing, the thick mists were settling into droplets of morning dew, and the first chirps of various bird pokemon could be heard in the distance. The Sun was not present, but its light still radiated across the sky, a prelude to the brilliance of daytime. The trees swayed in correspondence to the winds, the first generation of adult leaves rustling together in natural harmony.

It was these early Spring mornings... that Nate truly loved.

They were the epitome of rebirth, a concept he was a devout believer in. What was once strapping and filled with vitality ended up shriveled and dead, fallen to the ground. And then, the cold. The bitter, cruel cold. The months of dimmed life and frozen skies; how could anyone foresee an end to such darknesses? But it came, all the same. The airs cleared, the grasses grew green, and life was reborn from the brink of frigid oblivion. Such a cycle... was the essence of beauty, in Nate's eyes.

As he walked, barefoot, among the trees, he gingerly caressed their bark.

Tender.

Tender but adamant.

He took a deep breath, his body rendered breathless by the glistening splendor of the great outdoors. As he exhaled, a butterfree flew past him. A Monarch Butterfree, from what his earthy, hazel eyes told him. Its orange, black, and white wings danced the dance of flight, a form bearing elegance capable of bringing tears to the silent teen's eyes. He halted the watering, but not before looking up at the dawning skies and flexing every muscle in his body, a youthful fire burning in his soul. This was the world. This was Mother Earth's embrace. This was the one true-

"Nate! Please get to safer ground!" begged Rosa, her voice coming from far away.

Nate turned around, but instead of Rosa, he was met with the sight of a nearby tree falling over, its glorious branches twisting and snapping as it collapsed. Such a scene brought cataclysmic sadness to Nate's heart; a gentle giant had been slain... among his kinsmen, no less. It was an injustice far too repulsive to believe. With the wrath of Gaia burning in his eyes, Nate set his sights on whoever was responsible for such an act of flagrant disregard for the environment.

"Yeah Nate," called Ash. His voice also came from far away. "You probably wanna steer clear while May and I train."

"Crap! Did I hit him?!" cried May, from the same distance as Ash. "I'm sorry Nate! Are you alright?!"

Harnessing the ever-blazing heat from his burning inferno of a soul, Nate ran in the direction of Ash and May, spawning flames the hues of the rising Sun on his fists. However, before he could dutifully deliver the vermilion judgement of the forest upon the perpetrators, he was stopped in his tracks. A flash of green light was all he'd seen before an undefeatable wave of sleepiness snuffed out his fire, ending his crusade.

"~Rosa," sang Gary from afar, smoking gun in hand. "Could you do us all a favor and keep your boy under control?"

All melodies vacated Gary's voicebox when Rosa cast her gaze upon him. Her glare was so intense that it pierced holes in the Researcher's bravado, his eyes widening.

"Don't you ever use that thing on him again!" roared Rosa, in a rare display of unrefined anger. She then rushed towards Nate, who had collapsed onto the ground. "Nate! Nate! Wake up! You and I were supposed to climb a tree and play 'I Spy' today! C'mon Nate! Please!"

"Tough tofu, he'll be out for at least 6 hours." revealed Gary, returning his gun to his cloak. "My gun's Sleep Powder shot is about 10 times more concentrated than a grass-type pokemon's. Once again, I urge you to keep your flamin' fella on a leash if you don't want shit like this to happen ever again."

"What was he even angry about?" asked Ash, approaching the scene with May in tow.

"He was upset that you and May were destroying the trees..." seethed Rosa, through gritted teeth. "Nate likes trees."

"I am so sorry, Rosa." uttered May, hands on her head. She'd already destroyed quite a few trees. "Oh man, I didn't even realize- I just... I'm super sorry."

"Pfft, I'm not." ad-libbed Gary.

"Well, uh, haha, in that case, May and I could probably find a clearing nearby and train there. In respect for Nate's wishes." stammered Ash, quite intimidated. Despite her petite frame and cute appearance, Rosa's anger had already established itself as a nuclear threat. "Come on, May. Let's get to lookin'. We'll be covering a lot of ground in a short amount of time, so try to keep up with me, alright?"

"Uh, yeah!" replied May, half-heartedly.

Ash then dashed away in a burst of blue particles, moving at speeds inconceivable to the average human. Before going after him, May turned to Rosa one last time, her eyes bearing great guilt.

"Really sorry!" she squeaked, before departing at a speed not nearly as quick as Ash's, but still far beyond anything normally possible.

Due to her inability to reach the same velocity as Ash, it was only natural that May fell behind in the chase. But she didn't need to see him to follow him. She was aware that the activity served to test both her speed and the precision of her senses. She had to follow the trail of Ash's Aura as fast as she could, while simultaneously mapping out her route through the trees and wildlife. The constant split-second decisions were challenging, but she wasn't doing all that badly.

Eventually, she caught up with Ash, who'd managed to find a clearing closer to the camp they'd set up upon their arrival to Johto. Camp was a little under half a mile away, and the only people still in it were Max, Serena, and Paul. It was safe to say, anyone and anything important to anyone (awake or not), would be sufficiently far from danger in the clearing.

"Good job getting here." commended Ash. "You learn quick. How're you feeling?"

"Aside from the crippling guilt of indirectly causing Nate's forced nap? Pretty pumped up." replied May, thrusting a fist into her palm. "I feel like I've got lightning for blood."

"I see." replied Ash, finding meaning in May's reply. "As a Maple, your Aura responds to your emotional state. You're feeling great, so your powers are in a relaxed and easily-accessible state of high efficiency, and high potency. That's really good. But, as I'm sure you know, you can't rely on a buff like that. We're trying to increase your baseline strength and skill, so that even when you're in an emotional state that could weaken your Aura, you'll still be able to fight well. Think of Max. He can heal well no matter what. That's because he's tempered his emotions and his Aura to perform at a certain level, no matter how he's feeling. Understand?"

"I do. So, how do we go about working these Aura muscles of mine, Master Ketchum?" asked May, a competitive light in her eyes.

"Don't call me that..." drawled Ash, before answering. "Well, let's start with you and I having a power struggle. We hold both hands, bend our knees, plant our feet, and summon our Auras with the intent on overpowering one another. By doing this, I can gauge your maximum strength, which gives me a reference point to work off of."

"Real gangsta shit: you're lowkey a natural at this whole teaching gig." commented Pikachu, inadvertently reminding our hero he'd been on his shoulder the entire time thus far. "It's like you're in your element."

"Indeed. It is almost as if he were a TRAINER before he became an Aura Guardian." echoed Lucario's voice, hints of sarcasm present.

"Yeah, imagine that..." thought an amused Ash, locking hands with May. "Ready?"

May nodded, her game face on.


The camp grounds had been awfully quiet since majority of the Fellowship wandered off some 45 minutes prior. The only members left on the site were not exactly the best assortment in regards to conversational potential. Max had gone back to sleep once they'd set up the camp, and was still in a state of deep rest. Paul had decided to sit a few yards away and "meditate" on the Chaos Badge, in an attempt to better understand his control over it. Of course, such an activity required complete silence on the participant's part.

With both Paul and Max set to "Do Not Disturb", the only remaining nominee for talking was Serena. But without a person to speak to, her prize meant nothing. However, if anyone in the party were the most mentally-equipped to be left alone with their thoughts, it was surely her. All she had to do was think of the colorful crew of people she currently found herself saving the world with. Long overdue, she was finally taking some time to sit down and assess how she felt about them. She thought of all of them, save for Ash; her feelings for him seemed to become less and less of a secret to practically everyone with each passing day.

Rosa was by far the wisest teenager Serena could ever have hoped to meet. She spoke with such intelligence, while at the same time embodying a disorienting juxtaposition between maturity and childish desires. Kiddie moments aside, just one conversation with Rosa had convinced Serena to speak up a little more; a feat not taken for granted by the honey blonde.

Nate was, in every sense of the word, a mystery to Serena. There wasn't much to think about, besides wondering what he thought about on a day to day basis. Was he funny? Did he like cupcakes? Was he an extremely environmentally-conscious individual that loved the planet just as much as he seemed to adore Rosa? No, mused Serena; the first two could have been possibilities, but Nate seemed a little too... simple for that last one to be true.

Paul was just as mysterious to Serena, aside from the stories Ash had told about him during their Kalos travels. With everything that had happened the day before, along with her pre-existing idea of what his personality would be like if they ever met... Serena opted to keep her distance for the time being.

Max was a mixed bag; at many times, he was calm, collected, and approachable. Other times, he was inexplicably irritable and snappy. Every time, however, he was snarky. Every time. It was never welcomed, either. Regardless, his company was appreciated most of the time, as were his healing capabilities.

Gary was a good guy. Handy.

And then, there was May. All things considered, she...

...*light rumbling*...

"An earthquake...?" muttered Serena, noticing the vibrations that gently shook the camp.

Sensing the steady shaking as well, Max opened his eyes, azure light illuminating them. He stared at the skies overhead for a second, rolled his eyes, and then closed them again, with a dismissive snort to boot.

"Why am I not surprised...?" he grumbled, attempting to return to his dreams.

"What was that?" inquired Serena, still somewhat on edge.

"Ash and May are shaking the whole forest with their training." answered Paul, eyes still shut in attempted meditation.

"Oh? You can sense their energy too, Paul?" asked Max, opening a single eye. "The Chaos Badge can do that?"

"No." replied Paul, curtly. "Picture the idea of me figuring it out on my own. It's honestly not that impossible of a reality if you use your brain. Any part of it."

Serena eyed Paul, her lips pursing into a small pout; she was certainly keeping her distance from him, for the foreseeable future. But, her pout remained even after her thoughts of Paul's condescending nature. Such a persistent expression was caused not by Paul, but by another man. Despite the kiss they'd shared after defeating the Dark Guardians in Sinnoh, Ash had not spoken a single word to Serena for the entire evening afterwards. Not to mention the fact that when Serena and the others had returned with the food the previous night, Ash and May were found napping, in close proximity to one another. Very close proximity. This discovery, along with the ongoing drought in interaction since their kiss, had left Serena feeling somewhat dejected, to say the least. The current, rumbling reminder of Ash and May's attachment to one another only served to worsen such a feeling, too.

And so she stood up, her legs almost rising on their own.

"Where ya headed?" yawned Max, turning his head.

"To find some water." answered Serena, in her normal, level-headed tone. "I'll be back soon."

She then walked away, into the surrounding brush. As her footsteps became further and further, Max closed his eyes and re-succumbed to his sleep, fully aware the honey blonde was lying about where she was going. Paul seemed to know too; through his meditation he'd managed to let out a low scoff as soon as she'd begun walking.


Meanwhile...

"31... 33... 35... 36... 37... 37.5... 37.8..." thought Ash, flames of Aura burning all around him. "She's starting to level out..."

The power struggle with May had lasted for more than a full minute so far. All the Aura surrounding them made it hard to see each other, but he knew she was still there; her almost painfully tight grip on his hands made sure of that.

"Oh come on, May!" he goaded, cracking a smirk. "You can't tell me that's seriously all you've got!"

"HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGG!" growled May, digging as deep into her Aura as she possibly could.

The result of the brunette's fierce determination to match Ash's strength (or at least try to) resulted in one final burst of power, a burst so forceful her hands involuntarily removed themselves from Ash's, ending the contest. Winded from the exercise, May took a step back and nearly lost her balance, but found it when Ash stepped forward to catch her before she fell.

"Thanks..." she gasped, accepting Ash's helping hand. "How'd I do?"

"Truth be told, better than I expected." admitted Ash, scratching his head. "I told you, you're strong. That last rush of power from you climbed up to about 41% of my full strength."

"41?!" beamed May, rendered ecstatic by such a stat. "Really?!"

"Yes. But it's not like you can fight at that level all day every day." explained Ash, folding his arms. "Going that hard for even a fraction of a second had you breathing heavily and losing your footing just now. If 41% of my power is you at maximum output, then the most you can reasonably sustain when in a battle is probably around 21% of my power, a little over a fifth. Also, simply putting out that raw power is a very different thing from controlling and shaping it into attacks, constructs, or spells. Still, just being able to call forth that much Aura is extremely impressive for someone with no training whatsoever until today. And from what I managed to sense when we were fighting Wade and them at Gary's lab a couple days ago... you've already gotten a lot stronger in practically no time at all. You're just... a natural talent, I guess."

"Am I sensing some jealousy?" asked May, hands on her hips. "Hold on: *sniffs air* Yup, I'm definitely smelling some jealousy in your Aura, Master Ketchum. How long did it take you to be as cool as me?"

"Me? Jealous?" asked Ash, pointing to himself. He dramatically rolled his eyes before continuing. "I was at your level when I was in the womb."

"And you've only increased your power by the remaining 59% since birth?" retorted a skeptic May, taking a step closer to Ash. "Doesn't sound like much in the grand scheme of things."

"If you knew the things I'm really capable of..." started Ash, locking eyes with May. "...you'd eat those words."

"Why don't you show me, then...?" challenged May, her tone changing. She took another step closer to Ash, the distance between the pair only spanning 8 or 9 inches. "Show me what you can do... Master Ketchum."

There was a certain heat brewing between the two Aura users, one both were very aware of. Ash hadn't responded to May's challenge, instead opting to return the intense but undeniably flirtatious stare May was giving him, with intensity of his own to match. They were both so lost in the moment that neither of them took any note of the fact that they were most certainly being watched... by eyes laced with staunch disdain for what they were seeing.

"I call him 'Master', and he dislikes it." grumbled Lucario, arms crossed. His ball had been blown off Ash's belt during the power struggle, an event that resulted in his release. "But the Maple girl does it thrice in one morning, and he becomes aroused. I find this frustrating."

"Well my guy, that's b'cuz SHE says it like the HOT AURA WAIFU she is, not like... like... like a salty Lucario eager to serve." explained Pikachu, rather calmly. He had also been blown away by the power struggle earlier, subsequently opting to watch Ash and May from afar with Lucario. "You AND Serena should take notes. THIS is how you seduce the Chosen Guardian of the Aura, heheheh."

"It's funny you should say that..." replied Lucario, staring towards the direction camp was in.

"Huh? Why...?" questioned Pikachu, following Lucario's gaze. As he did, he both sensed and saw what Lucario meant, his ears promptly drooping in dissatisfaction. "Son of a... ugh, I was F*CKING KIDDI-"

"Hey Serena!" exclaimed May as she turned away from Ash, mere milliseconds before initiating what was bound to be a kiss. "Fancy seein' you here!"

Having been completely in the zone until a certain name was uttered, Ash's eyes widened, their focus shifting to the honey blonde vixen just a couple hundred feet away. She was standing on the border between the forest and the clearing, sky blue eyes fixed in his - and May's - direction. The way she stood there, perfectly still, with her entire body from the neck down concealed by her cloak... she radiated an extremely serious, terrifyingly unpredictable vibe. For reasons all too known, a massive wave of shame washed over our hero's psyche at the sight; the unique shame morally-just individuals feel when branding themselves as womanizers.

"Hey... Serena." greeted Ash, lamely waving a hand. "How's it goin'...?"

"Come to help us train?" asked May, no trace of discomfort in her voice.

Serena, who hadn't expected to be noticed yet, opened her mouth to reply. But then she closed it, thinking on her next words with ample consideration. With a response formulated, she then opened her mouth again.

"Sure."

"Great!" beamed May, as Serena slowly approached. "Gonna teach me how to throw knives? Or maybe how to land on my feet no matter what happens to me?"

Serena continued approaching, her face as straight as could be.

"Let's have a battle."

Ash, Lucario, and Pikachu all tilted their heads in response to Serena's answer, more surprised than anything. Had they heard her correctly? Serena, who rarely seemed to engage in any type of interaction by choice, was proposing a battle?

"You mean with pokemon...?" inquired May, also tilting her head. "I would, but I think I left Glaceon's ball back at camp..."

"No." clarified Serena, stopping her approach about 10 feet from May and Ash. "Just us."

Showing the closest thing to shock since witnessing Nate's rage earlier, May's eyebrows briefly raised themselves, before furrowing to help form her usual competitive grin.

"You're on."

"WELLLLLLLLL..." interrupted Ash, beginning to sweat. "Unfortunately, we'll have to do this another time! I was just about to round the Fellowship up so we could discuss-"

"That can wait, can't it?" counter-interrupted Serena, slowly pulling one of her knives from the confines of her cloak. Her eyes were still locked with May's. "We won't take too long."

"Yeah." agreed May, still smiling despite Serena's wolf-stare. "Just a quick sparring match between the ladies."

"Back off, Ash." called Pikachu from the sidelines. "I'm tryna watch the Hot Aura Waifu clap the Amazonian Barbie."

"I doubt you will be able to convince them to stop..." added Lucario.

"...*sigh* Alright..." conceded Ash, backing away from May's side. "Please, just be careful... both of you."

"No worries." assured May, glancing at Ash. "Max'll just heal up any damage we happen to tak-"

May was cut off by the sight of Serena's knife flying through the gap between her and Ash's eyes, the weapon landing a couple feet away. She immediately re-set her sights on Serena, who was already reaching for another one to chuck. Once it was in her hand, she did just that, launching it at May with a dangerous level of accuracy. Much to both Serena and Ash's surprise, however, May caught the second knife, her sapphire eyes taking on the blue glow of Aura. She then threw the knife back, the cerulean life energy augmenting the toss. The throw was nowhere near as clean as Serena's, but the speed of it made up for the lack in finesse. Unfazed, Serena hopped to her left and dodged the perilous pass, extending her right arm to catch the knife by the handle right after.

"This is dangerous." observed a worried Ash, claiming his spot next to Pikachu and Lucario.

"This is the content I've been waiting for." corrected Pikachu, rubbing his paws together. "Let them bleed for your love."

"Ugh..."

Deciding to hold off on throwing her weapon again, Serena rushed towards May, being sure to keep her hands hidden by her cloak. However, such a tactic was meant for nothing more than deception. This would become clear when she'd gotten to May's location, lifting her leg for a swift roundhouse kick instead. Instead of dodging, May raised her forearm to block the strike instead, the force of it causing her to slide a foot or two in its direction. Before Serena could attempt to follow up with another move, May took the opportunity to grab hold of her calf and ankle, forcefully throwing Serena a sizable distance away with the help of her Aura. Despite the unexpected nature of May's move, Serena landed on her feet, her face still void of any expression.

But Serena's face wasn't the only one stagnant in formation. Even as Serena rushed towards her again and assaulted her with a flurry of failed swipes and missed punches, May's smile hadn't left the picture. But her streak ended when Serena was finally able to land a clean, unblocked hit, via a low shoulder shove to the abdomen. With the wind knocked out of her, May was forced to take a few stumbling steps back and drop her smile... only for it to resurface once she regained her bearings.

"Good hit." she complimented, her praise genuine. "Didn't see that one coming at all, haha."

Pleased to have finally made meaningful contact, Serena's lips finally curved upward some, but not enough to lessen the tense vibes she seemed to be giving off.

"You're clearly not holding back. Good." continued May, cracking her knuckles. "Two can play at that game, though."

"Pi pika, pikachu!"/"TALK THAT SHIT, GIRL!" hollered Pikachu in the background.

"Why is Serena even doing this?!" thought Ash, absolutely mortified by what he was being forced to watch. "And why can't I read her Aura?! It's in like, DEFAULT mode or something; there's nothing to go off of!"

"The 'default' is not what you are sensing." replied Lucario, cryptically.

Before Ash could question what Lucario meant, his full attention was returned to Serena and May, due to the latter beginning to charge her Aura up. Instead of waiting for May to finish, Serena rushed her mid-charge. But a couple seconds was all May needed to access enough of her power to thrust her two arms forward, pushing Serena several feet away. The honey blonde had been lucky the clearing's grounds were grassy; she would have surely sustained more cuts and bruises if she had been sent tumbling through rocks or dirt. Regardless, it was still painful, and the worst aches came into play when her body continued to roll past the clearing's end, into the trees and bushes of the forest.

While Ash was busy sustaining the closest thing to a heart attack without actually having one, May's eyes widened, the brunette instantly dismissing her Aura.

"Oh..." she uttered, unaware she'd put that much force into the shove. "Serena?! You alright?! Crap... what the hell is wrong with me..."

Deciding the short match need not continue after such a play, May jogged over to where she'd sent Serena, peeking into the dense vegetation of the forest upon her arrival.

"Serena?" she called, unable to spot the blue-eyed beauty. "Hello? Are you in therRRRRRRRE!"

May's sudden exclamation was triggered by a roughed up Serena lunging at her from a nearby shrub, a large stick in her hands. Narrowly dodging it, May backed up out of the woods and back into the clearing, barely able to understand what had just happened. There was no time to let it marinate either, for Serena's assault had just begun. The stick she held was no ordinary stick. No, it was more than that. It was a big stick. It was the type of stick that could easily function as a spear or staff, and that was exactly what Serena was using it as. Her skill with the impromptu weapon was beyond anything May could've expected, as the only weapons Serena carried were her knives. But there she was, connecting each strike into the next in the most fluid of sequences.

While all of May's thoughts were focused on not getting hit by Serena's nonstop onslaught, Ash's found rooting in another facet of it.

"Hold the phone..." he thought, his mouth slightly open in awe. "I'm feeling the oddest sense of déjà vu right now."

"Hah, bullshit, you've never seen ANY lady handle wood like tha-"

"Shut up and watch Serena." ordered Ash, his tone very serious. "Her movements... I feel like I've seen them before."

"Oh yeah..." agreed Pikachu, his tiny mouse eyes narrowing. "Oh! What's the name of the purple Ninja Turtle? Donatello?"

"Lucario..." murmured Ash, completely ignoring Pikachu. He was getting good at that. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Because I'm certainly thinking something..."

"I believe the half of me that belonged to Sir Aaron is aware of what you are getting at, but it simply wouldn't be possib-"

Just then, May was finally able to find an opening in Serena's flow. With an Aura-charged kick, she halted Serena's next strike, snapping the stick in half. But instead of dropping her broken weapon, Serena continued to attack, with two sticks in hand now. Much to May's dissatisfaction, the ex-Pokemon Performer seemed to have just as easy of a time using the two shorter weapons than the original, longer one.

Seeing this, Lucario's eyes widened to the same level as Ash's.

"Perhaps this requires some looking into." he stated, completely disregarding his earlier, unfinished sentence.

"What, is she ALSO Leonardo?" asked Pikachu, still not following.

"If I'm not losing my mind... she very well could be all 4 Ninja Turtles..." uttered Ash, finally speaking Pikachu's language. "...if she wanted to."

As Ash watched Serena continue to lock May down with her unrelenting attacks, his imagination took some liberties on what his eyes showed him. Some things didn't need to be changed: blonde hair... fair skin... unusually piercing blue eyes. Other things did need to be changed: clothing... height... sex. A couple adjustments to those three things painted a very different battle unfolding before him. It was no longer May against Serena.

It was May against Sir Hylus.

"Bruh, c'mon." began Pikachu, finally understanding. "That's a REACH if I've ever heard one. The Hylus Clan only breeds boys. The masters in the Corridors told us that on Day 1. Also, Serena can't use or even sense Aura. We'd be hip to that if she could. I know you got feelings for her and all, but she ain't THAT special."

"If Serena was this good with a staff, spear, or double swords through some sort of training or practice, then she wouldn't be walking around with 5 kitchen knives and nothing else." responded Ash, his eyes following the honey blonde's every move. "She doesn't even look like she's thinking about her next attack route. She's seamlessly making do with whatever she's got in her hands. You know that ability is the Hylus Clan's calling card."

"But it does not change the fact that she is female..." noted a puzzled Lucario, also watching Serena. "This is something we must consult Sir Hylus himself about, if we ever hope to find clarity in the matter. But to do that, we would have to journey back to the Corridors of the Aura."

"And we can't do that until Paul gets the Chaos Badge under control..." thought Ash, sighing.

"Welp, nothin' we can do about it until then." concluded Pikachu. "Y'all gotta stop theorizing and focus on the fight. Shit's just gettin' started!"

Little did Pikachu know, the battle was coming to a close. Unable to keep up with Serena, May failed to properly block or evade one of Serena's swings, with one the sticks managing to graze May's bandanna. The force of the attack was enough to remove the headgear from May's person, the red accessory dangling freely from the tip of Serena's weapon. As if it were her plan all along, Serena quickly dropped her other stick, grabbed the bandanna, and tackled May to the ground, face down. Before the brunette could even attempt to wriggle free, Serena sat on May's legs, grabbed her arms, and tied her wrists together, effectively immobilizing her.

Pleased with how things turned out, Serena finally engaged in a complete but closed-mouth smile. She'd won.

"Nooooooooooooo..." groaned Pikachu, his tone losing energy with every letter 'o'.

As Serena came down from the momentary elation of victory, she immediately made moves to untie May, reaching for her wrists. As she did, she happened to glance at May's face. From her position, only half of it was visible. But that half was all Serena needed to notice the sly smirk the elder Maple sibling was sporting... as well as the glowing eye. By the time she'd looked back down at May's hands, it was too late: Aura was already manifesting in the area between her fingertips and forearms.

What happened next came as a shock to many. In a small burst of Aura, Serena was ejected from May's back, landing just a foot or two away. Even though the knockback was minimal, the fact that she'd hit her head upon landing left her dizzy for a couple seconds; a couple seconds too many. Before the stars had completely left Serena's vision, May (her bandanna reduced to tattered smithereens) pounced on her, pinning her down.

"Gotcha." declared a grinning May as she looked into Serena's stunned eyes.

"YESSSSSSSSSSS!" roared Pikachu, clapping his paws together.

"It's finally over... Thank Arceus..." sighed a relieved Ash, approaching May and Serena. They were about a 20 second walk away. "I don't know how much more of that I could've watched..."

Fortunately, the fight was indeed finished. As Ash approached, May remained straddled atop Serena, patiently waiting for her to say or do something in response to her last-second defeat. Perhaps a "You got me, haha!" or a "Rats! I almost had ya, too!".

She received neither of those.

Instead, she was met with the sight of Serena's expression hardening in what looked like intense anger or frustration. But as quickly as the demeanor came, it left, being replaced by a far softer, more somber look. And then, tears began to well in her eyes. As soon as she saw the first drops create twin trails down the sides of Serena's face, May's smile ceased to exist, the brunette quickly getting off of her. It was at this point that Ash arrived at the scene, also spotting Serena's tears.

"Serena...?" inquired both Ash and May simultaneously, with equal concern.

No response came from Serena. Instead, she simply stood up, picked up the knife she'd thrown at the very beginning of the battle, and walked off into the woods, in the direction opposite of camp. Her name had been called a couple more times as she departed, but each call fell upon deafened ears.

...

...

...

She didn't know why she'd challenged May to a fight. The more she thought about it, the more of an unfunny joke it felt like. She didn't have powers, May did. Even if she'd won, even if May hadn't caught her off guard at the end... what would it have done? None of it made any sense to begin with, she mused. But then again, things seemed to make less and less sense with each passing day.

As soon as she saw the two of them looking down at her, with all the worry in the world, she knew she needed to be alone for the following hours. As the tears continued to fall, her legs went on auto-pilot, taking her wherever they pleased. There was nothing to fear, she wouldn't get lost no matter how far she ventured; if anyone in the Fellowship knew how to navigate a forest, it was her. Why? Because she spent 4 years traveling the world, alone, looking for the one boy she'd ever fallen in love with.

Only to find herself trying to win his love over a girl she just couldn't bring herself to dislike, no matter how hard she tried.

Her jealousy would always be snuffed out by May's kindness. Her envy would always be washed clean by May's caring nature. Her frustration at her entire situation as a whole would always fight to a stalemate with the honest respect she had for May and the things she'd been through. The inner conflict such a duality imposed had been haunting her thoughts in the preceding hours, the preceding days, even. It came to a boiling point when the earth had quaked earlier. And now, with the ultimately meaningless battle lost and her dignity compromised... all the water that boiled so ferociously had evaporated away, leaving behind a burning pot in need of repair. Desperate need. And so she continued walking, hoping to find that fabled peace wherever her legs took her.

But she was not alone.

Far too shaken up to notice, Serena had not a semblance of a clue that she was being watched. It was only for a brief, passing moment, but a pair of blue eyes had certainly taken note of her, watching as she delved deeper into the Johto woods.

High up in a tree, with a sleeping Nate's head resting on her lap, sat none other than Rosa. Her solo game of 'I Spy' yielded quite the result. In the 30 seconds that Serena was in her sights, she'd absorbed all the information she'd needed to identify her plight. It was the same feeling Ash simply couldn't discern with his Aura. It was the feeling that felt like the "default" because, in truth, it was comprised of many emotions constantly cancelling each other out in a frenetic, free-for-all frenzy. It was stressful. It was exhausting.

It was confusion.


And that's that! I hope you enjoyed this one! Like I said up top, I really had fun with this chapter. And really... that's all I've got to say down here, lol.

Stay healthy,

~DarkSlash9