Hey all! DarkSlash9 here with another chapter! As I said last time, this one takes place the same day as the last one, and covers Max, Gary, and Serena's adventure. As per usual, expect some brief talk about where the story goes next at the Author's Note in the bottom.
Gotta say, thank you for all the reviews! I got a bit more than usual for Chapter 16, and it was great to read them all! Though, it seems some of you think May has this romance in the bag... It ain't over till it's over folks. That's all I'll say about that.
Enjoy Chapter 17!
DISCLAIMER: *rolls eyes*
XVII
[Johto Forests: Camp...]
Sunrise.
The honey hues of a new day shone upon the Fellowship of the Aura's camp, adorning all things in it's rich, rejuvenating glow. Every surface in the forest was blessed with a golden tint, except for a certain head of long, wavy hair that could harness that same elegant shine without help from the Sun. However, it was time for an eclipse. As soon as she'd gathered what little belongings she needed, Serena pulled her cloak's hood over her head, shrouding herself in darkness.
Once again, it was time to venture into the sun-kissed forests for the entirety of the day.
It was her third day of it. Getting up at sunrise - before anyone was awake - and isolating herself until it was too dark to see anything. When she'd return to camp, she'd allow everyone to see her walk into her tent, just so they knew she was still alive. She wasn't entirely sure what she was hoping to accomplish by distancing herself from everyone except her pokemon, yet she found herself eager to do it more and more each morning. What was the point of essentially recreating the life she lived before finding Ash in the Tree of Beginning? It was an answer as elusive as peace of mind was. Maybe it was out of longing for those somewhat simpler times, or maybe it was all an act of avoidance. Wandering into the forest was certainly effective at keeping a certain pair of Aura users away from her. Out of sight, out of mind.
So there she was, just about ready to depart... until...
"Serena..."
Hearing her name, she turned towards the source, unable to believe she'd been noticed. She'd mastered the art of silent movement long ago; even the Fellowship's lightest sleepers shouldn't have been able to hear her if she didn't want them to. Yet somehow, the heaviest sleeper of them all was calling her name.
Ash.
Her legs almost moving on their own, she slowly approached his tent. What was he going to say? Was he going to apologize? What exactly would he even apologize about, if he were to do such a thing? In theory, nothing had really changed between them, save for how much she let her emotions dictate her behavior as of late. Perhaps, seeing that change, he wanted to talk things over with her? In the 5 seconds it took to reach her destination, her mind was riddled with these inquiries.
"Serena..." repeated the Chosen Guardian, right as the honey blonde in question parted the tent's entrance and peered inside.
Ash was fast asleep, with his mouth open.
"...let's... drive around..." he continued, sleep-talking. "It's... a beautiful day..."
"... (ಠ_ಠ) ..."
Serena backed out of the tent and made her way into the forest. She wasn't quite sure what she'd expected, but still felt a distinct wave of disappointment at what she saw. Usually she'd be somewhat delighted to hear him dreaming about her, but as things were... it was just whatever. And that, she mused, was why she was going on her walk: an overwhelming feeling of "whatever". However, she'd only managed to walk past a couple trees and shrubs before yet another voice would garner her attention.
"Well good morning, Serena Yvonne." greeted none other than Gary Oak, walking out from behind a random oak tree. "Goin' on another solo-dolo day-trip, are we?"
"Good morning... Gary." replied Serena, somewhat startled by his sudden appearance. "Why are you awake this early?"
"Hahaha, oh Serena... I'm a Pokemon Researcher/Scientist." chuckled Gary, closing his eyes. He then opened them, staring dead into hers. "My sleep cycle is as fucked up as your love life, by default."
Serena's eyes narrowed; Gary's comparison was a little too insensitive for her liking. However, she knew he must have said it for a reason. Gary Motherfucking Oak always had a reason, it was an undeniable truth in a world full of uncertainties. The intensity of his gaze only bolstered that notion.
"You want to talk about Ash, don't you?" sighed Serena, breaking the eye contact so she could walk past Gary and further into the woods.
"Only if you're willing to." answered Gary, staying in the same spot. "Otherwise, I will resume the glorious piss I was taking before I heard someone coming."
Serena stopped walking, stood still for a second or two, glanced over her shoulder at Gary, and then resumed walking. Taking that series of actions as a "yes", Gary pulled some hand sanitizer out of his cloak, used it, and followed Serena deeper into the forest.
"So," he began, quickly catching up to the honey blonde. "Are you mad at Ash, May, or both?"
"Neither."
"Are you mad at yourself?"
"I'm not mad at anyone..." murmured Serena, as she hopped over a fallen tree trunk. "I just... It's just... I'm just..."
"You're just salty at this romantic shitshow of a scenario you've found yourself in, and have been avoiding everyone for the past few days because you just want to run from the issue." finished Gary, putting his hands behind his head. "But that doesn't help, does it? Nope! Running from shit never does anything to solve it, and neither does staying silent about it. But hey, you know that already. So let's say you decide to bring it up and put your foot down. Hold on though; where's the time for your own personal feelings when the fate of the world is at stake? It feels selfish to even think about shaking things up for Ash when he's got such a monumental task hangin' on his shoulders. But maybe you should do something, because he and May are awfully chummy, while you and Ash have your moments as well. Seems like he's being a bit of a player, whether he means to or not. Can't be easy watching the guy you left your whole life behind to search for - and eventually found after a whole 4 years - acting all buddy-buddy with another girl, while he also responds to his connection with you too. But man, May is such a kind person that it's hard to antagonize someone like that, isn't it? So here you are, upset with two people you're actually pretty fond of, while shaming yourself for even letting something like this get to you when there are much bigger fish to fry at the moment. Not to mention your dignity. Like, was/is one guy really worth all this trouble? But when a prophecy tying your fate to his is involved, it's hard to think things could've been any different."
"...Yes."
"Yeahhhhh, I just hate when that happens. Definitely some The Bachelor type shit." sighed Gary. "Regardless, it sounds like you need a reset."
"A reset? You watch The Bachelor?"
"Yes ma'am. My wife, Leaf, put me on to it." confirmed Gary, nodding. "Entertaining as all fifty fucks, that show. But anyway, yeah, a reset. A sabbatical, even. You need to do something or go somewhere that takes your mind off things, so you can return to the issue at hand with a refreshed mindset. You'd be surprised how much clearer a solution can become when you pause the constant questioning and puzzlement and put yourself in a totally different environment for some time. Walking off into these woods everyday isn't enough. You've got a family, right?"
"Just my mother, really. But-"
"But what?"
"But I don't know if seeing her is the best thing to do right now." stated Serena, her steps coming to an abrupt halt. "I haven't told anyone... except May... but I ran away when I set out to find Ash. My mom thought I was going crazy, and wouldn't have let me go if I asked her, so I took matters into my own hands. She'll be happy to see me... but she'll definitely be upset with what I did, too. Honestly, without Ash coming with us, she may just think I'm still crazy."
"Gotcha. No mommy visits, then. How about-"
"No, I think I do want to see her, though." interjected Serena, thinking about the vision Wade's magic had given her back at Gary's lab. "...I miss her."
"Damn right you do." replied Gary, with enthusiasm. "Besides, there's no better person to help change your perspective on these types of issues than a good mother. Take a day away from the gang over here, decompress, and talk to your mom. Don't worry about all that 'her not believing you' stuff, because I'll tag along. Even if she thinks you're crazy, there's no way she wont believe the whole Fellowship thing once me, an established stud with hella degrees and hella funds, vouches for you. After I help clear your name, I'll fuck off and do my own thing for as long as you need me to."
"Sounds good to me." giggled Serena. Gary's last sentence had granted her the first semblance of laughter she'd experienced in many days. "How will we get there?"
"Heh," chuckled Gary, turning back towards the direction of camp. "You know how."
"Congratulations to Max Maple for winning the Super Ultra Magnum Ding-Dong Pan-Regional Mega-Cup! With a 6-0 victory, no less! What a battle!"
The stadium erupted in cheers as confetti fell from the skies. Proud of such a big win, Max stepped up to the podium, ready to claim his trophy. With gusto, he proudly walked past the Pokemon Trainers in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place (Albert Einstein, 10 year-old Ash Ketchum, and the Burger King, respectively), and eyed his reward crafted from solid gold. It was in the hands of two beautiful women in bikinis, and they seemed to be giving him some incredibly suggestive yet masterfully discreet stares. He'd be sure to talk them up after the award ceremony.
"Now," began the announcer, smiling from ear to ear. "Before you claim your trophy and gain the ultimate prizes of one million dollars CASH, the opportunity to become an OMNIPOTENT GOD ruling over the cosmos for the next 6 months, and last but not least, A REALLY COOL BASKETBALL... we have one request!"
"What would that be?" asked Max, barely able to contain his joy.
"Wake up!"
"...What?"
"Wake the fuck up! :)"
...
"Max." whispered Gary, poking his head into the Maple siblings' tent. "Wake the fuck up, Max. We got shit to do."
Max opened his eyes, pulling himself out of his dream and into reality. He looked to his right, and saw May still fast asleep. He then looked to the tent's entryway, glaring at Gary.
"What do you want?" he yawned, closing his eyes. "I'm sleeping..."
"Open those fucking eyes or I will staple them open for good." threatened Gary in a low, sinister tone.
At that, Max's eyes opened wide, only to see a goofy old grin on Gary's face.
"Heheh, relax. I'd never." assured Gary, still whispering. "But seriously, get up, grab your stuff, and meet us out here."
Max raised an eyebrow.
"Us?"
...
[5 minutes later...]
...
"Of course you want me and Gardevoir to take you to the Kalos Region." grumbled Max, rolling his eyes. He was now out of the tent and on the outskirts of the camp, with Serena and Gary. "That and healing are all I'm good for these days, right? Max Maple, the healing and teleportation guy. A stand-up guy afforded no rest until all destinations are reached and all wounds are mended."
"Yep." agreed Gary. "Glad we're all clear on that."
"Shut up..." groaned Max, rubbing a hand over his face.
"You don't have to come with us." offered Serena. "If you just lend us Gardevoir, you can go back to sleep."
"No... you'll need me, too." yawned Max, shaking his head. He waited for the yawn to end before continuing. "I don't doubt you and Gary's abilities to defend yourselves, but neither of you can sense Aura. The Dark Order is everywhere, remember? You could easily get ambushed and captured if you're not careful. At least with me there, no one's gonna get the jump on us."
Max then reached into his cloak, pulling out Gardevoir's pokeball.
"Where to?" he asked, releasing The Embrace Pokemon.
"Vaniville Town, please." answered Serena.
Max turned to Gardevoir and nodded. In return, Gardevoir enveloped him, Serena, and Gary in her psychic energy, whisking them away in a flash of lavender light.
...
...
...
[Kalos Region: Vaniville Town...]
In a split second, the trio arrived in the Kalos Region, just on the outskirts of Vaniville Town. Once everyone was accounted for, Max returned Gardevoir to her ball and turned to Serena, who was already staring at the town ahead with an unreadable expression on her face. It was a straight face, but there was a certain something underneath it. It was a vibe Max couldn't quite discern, even by reading her Aura. He then looked to Gary, who seemed to be looking at Serena's face as well.
"This is the place, right?" asked Max.
"It is." confirmed Serena, walking ahead. "It just... looks different."
"That's to be expected." said Gary, following alongside Max. "It's been 4 years, hasn't it? Plenty of time to add new buildings, upgrade the infrastructure, open up a bar or two. That shouldn't throw you off."
"It's not the buildings." clarified Serena, putting up her hood.
Max and Gary waited for her to say more after that, but she never did. Deciding to keep their own hoods down, they followed her into town, opting to remain silent for the time being. She was walking rather slowly, giving both gentlemen more than enough time to observe their surroundings. There were certainly people walking around and going about their daily businesses, but they all seemed to be rather quiet. Many bystanders seemed to be staring at them with wary eyes and cautious gazes; an apprehensive disposition that didn't go unnoticed by any of the three Fellowship members. It seemed their status as unusual individuals was known by the locals.
"You think we should've taken the cloaks off before walking around?" muttered Max, glancing at Gary. "They do make us stand out."
"Like Hell we should've." snapped Gary. "I spent hours making these things bulletproof. I'm rockin' this fit until the day I die. Besides, I feel like these people would stare at us anyway. Something tells me they have a knack for spotting outsiders..."
Max and Gary then looked to Serena for her own input on the matter, but she said nothing; she was too busy analyzing the town she considered her home. Of course, she'd noticed the stares and quiet nature of all the residents she'd walked past, but she'd also noticed something Gary and Max would not have been able to, since they hadn't seen the town 4 years prior. Many properties were nowhere near as well-maintained as they used to be. What used to be neatly trimmed hedges and mowed lawns had become overgrown bushes and motley grasses. What were once uniform, stone pavements were now aged walkways, with moss growing in their grouts. Keeping Vaniville Town beautiful had always been one of town hall's priorities, so seeing everything in such a sorry state was more than alarming.
But not as alarming as the fact that so many people were out and about so early in the morning.
"What are all these people doing up right now anyway...?" whispered Max, raising an eyebrow. "It's like, 7 in the morning."
"Don't underestimate the power of the early morning grind, Max." replied Gary. "It's a simple lifestyle: Get up at the crack of dawn, down some coffee, and start the motherfucking day-"
Gary stopped talking when he suddenly felt himself bump into Serena, who had stopped walking. Before he or Max could question her halt, she turned around and faced them, taking off her hood.
"If you guys don't mind..." she said, with a straight face. "I'm going to continue on my own from here."
"I don't think that's the best move, at the moment." objected Max, looking around. "I'm really not trying to offend you or anything, but something about this place seems very... off. I'm sensing trace amounts of fear in pretty much every person we walk past. The type of fear that just lingers in the back of someone's head, even if they're not in immediate danger."
"I gotta agree with Max on this one." concurred Gary. "Splitting up isn't in our best interest here. Something's fishy. Besides, I thought the plan was for us to help you out with your mom."
"You see those townhouses over there?" asked Serena, pointing to a small assortment of homes a couple blocks away. "The one all the way on the left is my house. Just give me some time to handle things alone, first. 40-45 minutes is good. After that, feel free to come by. I can assure you I'll be fine, I have my pokemon with me. Not that anything dangerous is going to happen in the first place..."
"But we should still play it safe regardless. Why don't we just follow you and stay outside until-"
"Max..." interrupted Gary, putting a hand up. "Let's just let her go."
Max turned to Gary, delivering the brown-haired researcher the most incredulous look one could possibly muster. It was a look so filled with raw disbelief that his eye began to twitch a little; a completely involuntary action.
"Uh, come again?" he questioned, leaning forward. "Wanna tell me what's possessed you to change your mind so damn quickly?"
Gary sighed and took a step closer to Serena, lightly tapping her shoulder with an open palm. He looked at her, gave her an assuring nod, and then turned to Max, with a rather relaxed look in his eyes.
"This is Serena's mission, and we're in Serena's town. She's the leader today. She's clearly got something in mind, something that we probably wouldn't understand or be helpful in. Sometimes, it's better that we, the followers, just shut up and listen rather than question her decisions. 45 minutes, right Serena?"
"Yes." confirmed Serena, slowly turning around. "I promise I'll be alright, guys."
"We know you will. You're a very capable young woman." replied Gary, walking over to Max. "We'll see ya soon."
And with that, Serena walked off, heading in the direction of her house. For a while, Gary and Max watched her go, both of them doing so in complete silence. However, as soon as she was out of hearing range, Max turned to Gary and delivered yet another incredulous look, one that somehow surpassed the raw "what the hell?"-ness of the first one. Right as the bespectacled teen opened his mouth to speak, Gary smirked and put his arm around Max, turning both of their bodies in the opposite direction.
Max then opened his mouth to speak yet again, but, once again, he was interrupted. This time, it was by Gary stepping forward and forcibly pulling him along to walk in the opposite direction Serena had walked. As they walked, he pulled a small PDA-like device out of his cloak and held it outward, for both of them to see. It was the same one he'd used on the plane to Sinnoh.
"Max, my boy..." he sighed, turning the device on. A small pink dot appeared on a grid-like plane, and it was moving further and further away from the center of the screen. "You should really pay closer attention."
Max's eyes narrowed.
"What are you showing me, exactly...?"
In response, Gary pressed a button on the side of the device, turning the volume on. As a result, what sounded like hair rustling to the rhythm of footsteps echoed from the device. At first, the sound only further confused Max. But then, right when he was about to admit he still had no clue what was happening, a single memory replayed in his mind: when Gary had tapped Serena's shoulder. It had all been done so smoothly, so inconspicuously... no one could have realized it in the moment, not even someone as perceptive as Max.
"...Wow." he uttered, eyebrows raised.
"Like I said," sang Gary, pep in his step. "Sometimes it's better that we just shut up and listen. Now come on, let's buy May a new bandanna to kill some time."
Serena continued on her path down the road, refusing to look back until she was sure Gary and Max would no longer be able to see her. She was in front of her house when she finally did it. As she'd hoped, they were out of sight. The reason she needed to be away from them for some time was simple: she didn't plan on going to her mother's house, at least not immediately. Grace's car wasn't parked in front of the driveway, which meant she wasn't home. However, just in case her assumption was wrong, she slowly approached the front door.
With each step, she remembered a different aspect of her life before setting out to find Ash. She'd stopped Pokemon Performing. She'd gone home. She'd stopped talking at home. She'd [barely] worked at the local library. She'd stumbled upon Aura Guardians: A Complete History. She'd gotten fired/quit her job at the local library. And then... she left.
By that last thought, Serena had found herself at the door. Before knocking, she looked around at the yard. Just like the rest of Vaniville Town, it was nowhere near as neatly maintained as it used to be. With a heavy sigh, she raised her fist and knocked.
No answer.
She knocked two more times, and then pressed the door bell. Once again, nothing. As she suspected, no one was home. With that suspicion confirmed, she walked back to the road and made her way to her next destination. Luckily, it wasn't that far away.
What Gary and Max didn't know was that everyone in Vaniville Town more or less knew everything about everyone. It was a small place; gossip spread like wildfire. Something changed in her absence. The town's lively spirit was nowhere to be found. She desperately wanted to know what happened, almost as much as she wanted to speak to her mother. Given her somewhat matured appearance and unusual clothing, she was more than aware most of the seemingly apprehensive townspeople wouldn't immediately recognize her, and, as a result, wouldn't trust her enough to engage in a conversation. But there was one, she mused. One person - besides her mother - that would be able to give her the answers she wanted.
And so, she made her way to their location.
"So, where's she headed?" asked Max, perusing the shelves of a craft store he and Gary had gone to. Before Gary could answer, however, Max let out a low growl of frustration. "Okay, does this place not have ANY bandannas?"
"I've got a couple on that shelf over there, young man." called the store owner, a rather large man in a business suit and a fedora. He was pointing to the opposite end of the shop. "Lots of different designs, I'm sure at least one of 'em will match your weird cosplay outfit."
"Sir, you wouldn't happen to have a map of this place, would ya?" asked Gary, eyes on the tracker.
"Nope!" answered the store owner. "But I do have a map of the town."
"...That's what I was asking for."
"Oh, I thought you meant a map of the store. In that case, yes. The maps are in the same aisle as the bandannas."
"Why the fruit-flavored fuck would I need a map of the-... *sigh* nevermind. Thanks." stammered Gary, following Max to the correct aisle.
While Max began to examine the selection of bandannas, Gary reached for a map, holding it in front of his tracker. He then pressed a button on the side, prompting a ray of red light to scan over the map. Once the scan was complete, the map appeared on the screen in perfect detail. The pink dot, which represented Serena, had moved past the collection of townhouses her home was a part of, and further down the block. Seeing this, Gary turned the volume up on the PDA. However, once again, all that could be heard was Serena's hair brushing against the mic as she walked.
"Well, she definitely didn't go to her house." muttered Gary, finally answering Max's question. "It looks like she's headed... towards a library? That's the only major building left in that direction. That, and the liquor store."
"I guess that's not entirely surprising."
"Oh yeah? Truth be told, I didn't think she was the type to drink her troubles away."
"I'm not talking about the liquor store..." sighed Max, grabbing a blue bandanna. "Before you joined the Fellowship, Me, May, Ash, and Serena had spent some time at Brock's house. While we were there, Serena told me she'd had a job at that library before she left to find Ash. She ended up finding Aura Guardians: A Complete History there. I don't know why she's going there now, but it's definitely a place that bears some significance to her."
"Well then, we'd better buy that bandanna and hurry to somewhere secluded, so we can listen in on whatever goes down." concluded Gary, holding his hand out. "Gimme, I'll just pay for it."
"It was your idea to buy one; I never intended to pay to begin with." yawned Max, handing the bandanna to Gary. He then turned to the store owner. "How much do these cost, sir?"
"$40."
"Forty bucks?!" cried Gary, his eyes going bloodshot in disbelief. "For a piece of fabric?! Bullshit!"
"Oh!" exclaimed the owner, shaking his head. "Sorry about that, gentlemen, it's early. My mistake, that was definitely the wrong price. Those bandannas are all imported from Alola; they're actually... *looks at price chart* ...$60! :)"
... ... ...
"SIXTY BU-"
"Sixty bushels of hay in the barn, sixty bushels of hayyyyy..." sang a young man with straight, black, medium length hair. "Take one out, spread it around, sixty bushels of hay in the barn..."
Such freestyled nursery rhymes on his morning walks to work were the only things keeping Calem sane in the troubling times Vaniville Town had fallen under. After 4 years, he was still working at the library, but had been promoted to manager. That building was his pride and joy, one of the rare lights illuminating a life engulfed in corrupt shadows. Many people in Vaniville Town had lost their smiles, abandoned their hopes, and snuffed out their passions... but through his library, Calem was still hanging on to dreams of better days.
He didn't have many customers anymore. Not many people had the funds to rent out books. The ones he did have were downtrodden and depressed. As he approached the back door of the library, he let out a sigh. He refused to believe Vaniville's days of blooming flowers and joyous essences were over. As he raised one hand to punch in the door passcode only employees knew, he put his other hand on his heart, quite dramatically. One day, he mused, he'd see someone so vibrant, so full of life... that it'd make all his hard work worth it. One day, he prayed, a shining savior would come to whisk Vaniville Town away to freedom in a chariot of good tidings and well wishes...
Today was not one of those days.
As soon as he opened the door, he was met with a mysterious, hooded figure wearing a royal blue cloak. They were standing less than 10 feet away, completely still. They seemed to have been waiting for him. With wide eyes, Calem stared at the figure, wondering how they could've gotten in. None of his few employees matched the height of this person, it couldn't have been someone he worked with.
"Who-"
Unfortunately, Calem was cut off by the figure grabbing him by the collar, hooking their leg behind his knee and then pulling their leg back, causing him to fall on the floor. As he fell, the stranger turned him around, which resulted in him laying face down on the ground. The hooded assailant quickly sat on his back, holding him down with their weight, while also holding his head down with one of their hands.
Terrified, Calem relinquished what little composure he had in the first place.
"Wh-what do you want?!" he cried, hyperventilating. "Ah, my back! Please, sir, ease up! I PROMISE you I don't have any weapon to harm you! I'm a librarian for crying out loud!"
"What happened to Vaniville Town?" asked the figure, not easing up. In fact, they seemed to apply even more pressure. "Tell me, Calem."
Recognizing the voice to be a woman's, Calem let out a terrified shriek, as he had most certainly already called the person "sir". He couldn't imagine such an error working in his favor. But then his eyes widened slightly, realizing that, whoever this mystery person was, they knew his name. His nametag wasn't on yet, so there was no way they could've seen it.
"How do you know my name?" he inquired, attempting to look over his shoulder.
He couldn't see much, but he could at least see his attacker bring their free hand to their hood, removing it. As soon as he saw the honey blonde locks cascade from the shadows, his eyes widened. It was her. The girl he'd never forgotten. The girl still holding the record for the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. The absolute goddess who had vanished one day, and was presumed to be dead.
"...Serena?" he gasped, his tone drastically softening. "Is... is that you? You're alive...? Your... your hair looks better than ever. I really like your outfit, t-too. C-can I see your face?"
"What happened to Vaniville Town?" repeated Serena, rolling her eyes. After all these years, Calem still had a crush on her. "Nothing's the way it was when I left."
"Are... are your eyes still as blue as the heavens abov-"
In a split second, Calem suddenly found a knife wedged into the floor, mere centimeters away from his face.
"What happened?" insisted Serena, eyes narrow.
"...I'm not allowed to talk about it." murmured Calem, his tone shifting to a far more serious, but still timid, one. "No one is. You're better off not knowing. For your own safety, and mine. I don't know where you've been all these years, but you're better off just going back. Before they notice you're here."
"Who is they?"
"I can't say."
"Yes, you can."
"I really can't. Th-they'll kill me."
"Not if I kill them first." retorted Serena, removing her knife from the floor. "I'm not that same dainty, normal blonde you knew. I've done things, seen places, and fought people you wouldn't be able to wrap your head around. This is my home. Someone's obviously terrorizing it. I'm not leaving until I fix that."
Calem closed his eyes.
"...I'm sorry, but my lips are sealed." he whimpered, as if the words were painful to utter.
Realizing the conversation wasn't going to go anywhere, Serena got off Calem and walked towards the door. As soon as he was freed, Calem immediately shuffled to his feet, just in time to see Serena open the door. He briefly considered saying at least something to help her, but Serena, standing in the opened doorway, would end up talking first.
"I thought you, of all people, would help me. Wishful thinking." she muttered, putting her hood back on. She then reached into her cloak, pulled out an item, and tossed it over her shoulder, all without looking back. "Here."
Too shaken to make what should've been an easy catch, Calem watched the object soar through the short distance between them, landing right by his feet. It was a blue book, the very book Serena had rented out on the last day he'd seen her, 4 years prior: Aura Guardians: A Complete History. Surprised to see it again, Calem reached downward and picked it up, feeling the cover. It was still in perfect condition, after all the time Serena had it in her possession. Wishing to compliment her good caretaking, he looked forward again.
But she was already gone.
Under a tree, in a relatively secluded part of town, sat Gary and Max. Gary's PDA was placed right in front of them, with the volume on the maximum setting. As soon as the pink dot representing Serena left the library, all conversation heard from the device ceased. Once again, all they could hear was Serena's hair brushing against the mic.
"...Did she really have to mug him, though? Seemed a little harsh." yawned Max, leaning his head against the tree. "Poor guy."
"Oh please. I'd have done the same thing. Fuck librarians." retorted Gary, grabbing the PDA. "He obviously knows what's going on in this town but won't squeal, too. There's nothing I hate more than a secretive librarian."
"We already know enough, just by the fact that he won't speak on it." noted Max, folding his arms. "Like Serena said, someone's definitely terrorizing this place. That's why everyone's afraid. At the very least, we know we're probably going to have to take care of that. It's fairly obvious Serena's not leaving until we do. Where's she headed now?"
Gary glanced at the tracker's screen.
"Back to her house, it seems."
With the knowledge that there was a looming danger in the area, Serena found walking back home to be impossible. Her mother's job was out of town. With someone - or multiple people - bullying Vaniville Town into submission, it wouldn't make sense for them to allow people to leave it. That was why Calem told her to leave before she was noticed, she mused. After putting these pieces together, knowing her mother's whereabouts had become absolutely paramount.
Once she reached her front yard, she opted to skip knocking on the door.
"Pangoro!" she called, tossing the Daunting Pokemon's ball into the air.
In a flash of light, Pangoro materialized into existence. As soon as he noticed his surroundings, his expression softened, realizing they were back in Vaniville Town.
"Mega-Punch!" shouted Serena, pointing to the front door.
Pangoro turned to Serena, wondering if he'd heard her properly. She wanted him to punch through the door to their own house? In response, Serena simply nodded her head, her face straight. Realizing something very serious must've been going on, Pangoro dismissed his confusion and obliterated the front door with one massive punch. He was then returned to his ball by Serena, who briskly walked into the house without a moment's hesitation.
"Mom?!" she called, walking through the foyer and into the living room.
Every appliance in the living room was off. After attempting to turn multiple different ones on, it was clear that the house's electricity had been shut down. She walked into the kitchen next. She immediately noticed a faint odor, and traced it to the fridge. As soon as she opened it, she wished she hadn't. Every single thing was rotted beyond recognition, and the full rankness of the smell was enough to make her gag. After closing the fridge, she left the kitchen.
"Mom!" she called again.
Once again, there was no answer. After checking the entire ground floor, she made her way upstairs. Her first order of business was to check her mother's room. Fortunately, the door was unlocked, eliminating the need for another Mega-Punch. Upon entering, there was nothing immediately alarming about the room. It was only when she walked by her mother's dresser that she took note of something out of the ordinary:
Bottles.
Stationed on Grace's dresser was an assortment of about 5 different pill bottles. They were placed on top of a thin, square, navy blue fabric with a light pink floral pattern. After a quick scan of each of the bottles' labels, Serena was able to deduce that they were all prescribed to her mother, and that they were all different brands of antidepressant. As soon as that realization dawned on her, Serena felt an icy chill ripple through her chest. She was sure, no, certain... that her mother hadn't been using such medications before she'd left.
Her vision from Wade's magic immediately began to play in her mind. How much of it had actually come true? What had she done to her mother's state of mind by running away, when things were already tense between them? Where was Grace now? It was clear no one had been home for a long time. As she continued to ask herself what seemed to be an endless onslaught of questions, her breathing began to lose its rhythm, while her heartbeat increased its tempo. Maybe Grace moved somewhere else? But if she did, why would she leave such important items like medication behind, and why would she leave the fridge full of food? With the twitch of an eyebrow, she dismissed the "moving away" notion. She wouldn't have been able to, given what was happening to the town. So where was sh-
"Where is she?" sounded a voice, one that didn't belong to Serena.
As soon as her ears picked up on the sound, Serena snapped out of her spiraling thoughts. Without thinking, she quickly grabbed the edges of the fabric the bottles rested on, tied them up in a messy knot, and shoved the makeshift sack into her cloak. She'd heard the voice coming from downstairs, and it was not a voice she recognized.
"She's not on this floor." answered a second voice, yet another one Serena did not recognize. "She's gotta be somewhere upstairs. You two, take her out."
That last sentence was all Serena needed to know that, whoever they were, they were trouble. With her emotions still running high, she slowly crept towards the hallway, planning on ambushing the men before they could do the same to her. These were likely them, she deduced. The ones responsible for Vaniville Town's decline. The ones who were likely to know the whereabouts of her mother. Channeling her anger and confusion into steely determination, she came up with her plan. She'd kill all but one, and get the info out of him. Then, she'd kill him too. Simple.
As soon as Serena peeked her head into the hallway, she was met with two large men in business suits. There was one on the right side of the doorway, and one on the left. She hadn't expected them to be in such an arrangement, but there was no time for shock. She immediately turned to her right and pulled out one of her knives, plunging it deep into the first enemy's abdomen, before he could even raise his fist to attack. The force of Serena's first move was enough to knock the man over, with Serena unintentionally being brought down with him.
"Gambino! No!" shouted the other intruder, pulling out a handgun. "Eat this, you bitch!"
He quickly fired two rounds at Serena's back, only for the bullets to bounce off her cloak. Having never seen the cloak's bulletproof nature in action before, Serena was just as startled as the gunman, but only for a brief moment. As the bullets rolled harmlessly across the hardwood floor of the hallway, Serena quickly stood up, grabbed the knife from the first foe's body, and threw it at the second one with lethal precision. As the blade lodged itself in his neck, crimson ribbons of blood spattered across the wall, confirming his death.
However, Serena was far from done. She quickly pried the second enemy's gun from his dead hands and fired it 3 times at his body, letting out a high pitched scream of mock agony as she did. That way, whoever was downstairs would think she'd just gotten shot. Wasting no time, she then retreated back into her mother's room and opened the window, quickly peering below. It was a 1-story drop, nothing major. After a quick inhale, she climbed onto the windowsill and jumped the one-floor jump, landing gracefully on the grass below.
Her next move was to army crawl her way back to the front of the house, as fast as she could. Once she made it to her destination, she stood up and peeked through the living room window, only standing high enough for her head to be visible through the glass.
5 more men in black or gray business suits were inside, all facing the stairs. As planned, they were waiting for their companion to come down the stairs with her body. Little did they know, she was right outside, plotting their demise.
"Sylveon, come on out." whispered Serena, pulling the eeveelution's ball from her cloak.
Once the Intertwining Pokemon was released, Serena picked her up and carried her to and through the front door, which Pangoro had punched in earlier. Keeping her footsteps silent, she skillfully maneuvered her way across the foyer and into the doorway that connected it to the living room. The men still had their eyes trained on the stairs. Ready for the next step of her plan, Serena slowly raised Sylveon higher, until the back of the pokemon's head was lined up with her nose.
"Disarming Voice." she ordered, monotonously.
All 5 of the men immediately turned towards Serena, having heard her order loud and clear. However, they were far too late to do anything about it; purple, heart-shaped manifestations of sound had already begun to emit from Sylveon's mouth, each of them hitting one of the men. As soon as the first wave of hearts hit them, all of their facial expressions showed hesitation. Upon receiving their second dose, they became indifferent to Serena's presence completely. By the third, they had all become quite teary-eyed and shaky. By the fourth, their attentions were no longer on Serena.
They were on each other.
"Y'know, guys," croaked one of the men, dropping his gun. "I just... I just never realized how much I love you all."
"I was gonna say the same thing, man." hiccuped another, also dropping his gun. "Literally *sniffle* the SAME. FUCKING. THING."
"Life is so fragile." chimed in the third one. "So fragile. It could be stripped away at any moment. Any moment. In all the time we've spent in this town, I just came to the realization that I've never given any of you sons a' bitches a SINGLE hug. Not one."
"Well I've got two arms and a warm shoulder right over here, bud." sobbed the fourth enemy, going in for a hug. "Did I ever mention you've got some great posture, too? So proper and upright..."
"Did I ever mention you've got a voice richer than the hot cocoa my dearly departed grandmother used to ma-EEEEEEK!"
Unfortunately, the mens' emotional renaissance would be destroyed by Serena putting Sylveon down, walking towards them, and running the blade of her knife through their bodies, one by one. In their years of travel, Sylveon had witnessed Serena take down many foes wishing to do her harm, for whatever the reasons. However, she'd never seen her honey blonde owner take lives with such rough, wrathful movements. It looked like she was using all of her strength each and every time, when the action didn't require it. As the mens' blood splashed and leaked from the multiple stab wounds inflicted upon them, Sylveon let out a small whimper, unable to hide her discomfort.
"Return." grunted Serena, putting the eeveelution away.
There was only one man left. He was the only one who hadn't gained a sudden appreciation for his cohorts after Sylveon's Disarming Voice. The move had definitely worked on him a little, but nowhere near as much as the rest. The more Serena stared at him, the more she realized that there was something about his appearance that set him apart from the others. He wore a fedora hat that matched his business suit, while all the other men hadn't worn hats at all. He had golden rings on many of his fingers, while the other men had none. Just like her own, his eyes held a fierce but calm danger in them, the type a cold, calculating leader would have.
As a bloodstained and battle-ready Serena approached him, the boss pulled out a knife of his own, from an inner pocket of his suit jacket.
"You're gonna pay for what you did to my men, little lady." he stated.
"You're gonna pay for what you did to my town." replied Serena, her voice low. "But first, you'll tell me where my mother is."
"...Who?" questioned the boss, raising an eyebrow.
Instead of an answer, he would receive a visceral slash from Serena, one he managed to deflect with his own knife. Serena quickly went in for another swipe, but it was easily evaded by the boss. In between strikes, Serena narrowed her eyes; he was rather spry for a such a large man. Deciding to change things up, she quickly spun around and transitioned into a roundhouse kick. However, he was still able to follow her movements. With what seemed like minimal effort, he caught Serena's ankle with his free hand and pulled, causing her to lose balance. She quickly regained it though, just in time to yank her leg free and avoid what would've been a lethal stab to the chest. Instead, the blade grazed her calf, creating a small wound.
Serena winced. Even though the wound was small, it stung. She couldn't help but chastise herself for being so sloppy; had she been in her normal state of mind, no such injury would have befallen her. With the answers to her mother's whereabouts being so close, her emotions were all over the place, and it reflected in her combat. Fortunately, such a small wound, no matter the sting, wasn't going to be enough to eliminate her from the battle.
The sudden numbness in the corresponding leg, however, would.
As soon as she'd tried to approach the boss again, she found herself on the floor, having lost all control over the leg that had been cut. It was only when she looked upwards at the boss that she finally realized a purplish shine glistening on the edge of his blade.
"Poison." he confirmed, an evil grin on his face. "Strong stuff, imported from the Alolan black market. Just one cut is all it takes."
Once again, Serena couldn't help but reprimand herself for falling victim to such a simple tactic. This wasn't her. Aura and Black Magic were the type of things she had understandable trouble fighting against, not basic tools like poison-dipped switchblades. Her carelessness had landed her at this man's mercy, when on any other day, everything would've been settled without a hitch. The whole situation was the epitome of pathetic, as far as she was concerned.
"Where..." she wheezed, already feeling the poison spread to the rest of her body. "Where is... my mom? Who... are you people?"
"Go to Hell." spat the boss, grabbing the fallen honey blonde by her cloak's collar. With one arm, he raised her until her feet were dangling an inch or two off the ground, and then looked her in the eyes. "I don't owe an explanation to some mystery girl who killed half my men."
With a wicked smirk, he reared his knife back, preparing to deal a fatal blow. Unfortunately for him, the sudden intervention of lavender luminescence would prevent him from doing so. The light was bright, causing him to close his eyes for the few seconds that it filled the room. Deciding to kill first and investigate later, the boss brought his knife down, only for it to be halted by what sounded like a metal object. This prompted him to open his eyes. There seemed to be someone beside him: a brown-haired young man with a similar outfit as the girl he was about to kill.
"Well then..." spoke the newcomer, having halted the knife with the side of his gun. "How about the two handsome devils that killed the other half?"
"Gary..." sputtered Serena, her throat stinging too much to talk.
"The one and only." confirmed Gary Oak, with a wild grin. "Here - right on time - to save you from... wait. Aren't you the fucking craft shop owner?!"
"Bandannas from Alola, poison from Alola. It certainly adds up." noted Max, appearing from behind Gary. As he returned Gardevoir to her ball, he raised an eyebrow. "He's even wearing the same stupid fedora."
"Sloppy." reprimanded Gary, slapping the knife out of the store owner's/boss's hand.
Without wasting a single motion, Gary aimed his gun at the man's head and fired it, killing him. His body lifeless, the boss let go of Serena as he fell backward, landing flat on the floor. As this happened, Max stepped forward and caught the honey blonde, before she could fall in the same manner. Meanwhile, Gary simply stared at the undeniably dead craft store owner, his eyes wide.
"Oh." he uttered, eyebrows raised. He then glanced at his gun. "I coulda swore I had this thing set to Stun Spore..."
"Nice job." muttered Max, examining the wound on Serena's leg. "I'm pretty sure Serena needed that guy alive."
At the sound of Serena's name, Gary turned towards her and Max, an ashamed look on his face. Indeed, the store owner seemed to be the last of his group. Around the same time that Gary's tracker began to relay the audio of Serena battling the men, another 6 henchmen had approached Gary and Max, armed and dangerous. It was only after disposing of them that the pair was able to teleport to Serena's house, in what seemed to be the knick of time. Unfortunately, mercy wasn't in Gary's vocabulary. Just like Serena, he'd made sure all the foes had died by his (or Max's) hands. As far as they knew, the boss was the last one.
The whole day was the furthest from what Gary wanted for Serena, so far. Instead of reuniting with her mother and clearing her head a little, she'd ended up fighting mysterious thugs, in her empty home, in her oppressed town. And now, as the cherry on top, she had been poisoned.
With a heavy sigh, Gary knelt beside the honey blonde, on the opposite side of Max, who had already begun healing her leg.
"What's her status?" he asked, lowly.
"I mean, the wound is healing... but not healing." began Max, eyebrows furrowed. "The poison is breaking down her cells at the same rate that my healing regenerates them. All I can really do is keep it from getting any worse, but that's only for as long as I can maintain the healing. I've never seen anything like this."
Gary closed his eyes, sighed, and stood up, walking over to the boss's knife.
"How long can you keep it up?" he asked, picking up the blade.
"12 hours, at best." sighed Max. "I'll probably start getting lightheaded around 9 hours."
"Here's what's gonna happen, then." announced Gary, putting the knife in his cloak. He then reached into a different pocket, pulled out May's new bandanna, and tossed it to Max. "Here. Tie this around the wound to help halt the bleeding. Give me Gardevoir. I'll teleport to Lumiose City and examine the poison in Professor Sycamore's lab. Give me a couple hours to whip up an antidote, while you stay here and keep her alive. Sound good?"
"I didn't think antidotes could be synthesized in 'a couple hours'." replied Max, catching the bandanna. Once he tied the bandanna around the wound, he tossed Gary Gardevoir's ball. "You sure you can do it?"
"Positive." confirmed Gary, catching it.
He then released the Embrace Pokemon, who had already learned the next destination through her mental link with Max. As the trademark lavender light of Teleport began to envelop him, Gary turned his back to Max and Serena, letting out yet another deep, heavy sigh.
"Smell ya later."
And just like that, he and Gardevoir vanished, leaving Max alone with a barely conscious and visibly ill Serena Yvonne. The room was silent from that point on, save for the sounds of Serena's suffering. Truth be told, it was almost unbearable for Max to watch someone go through such agony knowing the best he could do was keep it from worsening. Her eyes were half shut, and her breathing was labored. Though she was sweating, her body was shivering. It was hard to discern whether she was fully aware of her surroundings anymore, but one thing made it clear her mind was still there, somewhat: the tears welling up in her eyes. Sadly, Max didn't need to read her Aura to know their composition.
They held pain, in all its different forms.
[Dark Order: Unova Base...]
...
...
...
*knock* *knock*
"...Yes?"
"Good morning, Doctor Feinberg. I have been sent by Captain Kurt to notify you that it is now 8:00 in the morning, and your meeting with him is due to start in 15 minutes!"
"I'm aware."
"Well, okay then. We just wanted to make sure you hadn't overslept, sir."
Having already been awake for many hours, Feinberg found nothing but irritation from the grunt's words. He was a man of science; his sleep cycle was the likes of which the common man could never understand. Regardless, he was not like Commander Alexander; he wouldn't brutally kill the grunt just for pestering him, while being sure to end the interaction with a witty remark or punchline.
Instead, he opened the door, fired a Dark Aura Sphere right through the grunt's chest, and proceeded to calmly walk down the hallway - all of it done without a clever quip or remark.
The truth of the matter was that Feinberg's sour mood was rooted in a reason far greater than a grunt assuming he'd overslept. The true reason was the fact that he was all the way in Unova, thousands of miles away from his lab at HQ. His lab was his comfort zone, where he engineered his countless experiments, miracles, and wonders. Any time spent out of it felt wasted. It was rare for him to leave the Dark Order's headquarters, and even rarer for him to be summoned for a meeting with a fellow Grand Disciple. He couldn't help but wonder what Captain Kurt wished to discuss, and why it was so important that it couldn't be spoken about over a simple video call. However, his answers would be coming quite soon.
The walk to Captain Kurt's conference room was a short one, and within minutes he found himself opening the door to it. The room was relatively small, housing a single, round table with 8 seats surrounding it. In one of the seats sat a tan-skinned man with extremely long, straight, purple hair, which extended past his shoulders and down to his sides. His large, toned muscles seemed one flex way from ripping through his black, double-breasted trench coat, while the silver buttons holding the coat closed seemed one deep breath away from flying off. His face was a stoic one, with a practically unreadable vibe emanating from his dark, nearly black eyes.
"Doctor Feinberg, The Adamant." greeted the man, his face straight.
"Captain Kurt, The Dispiriting." retorted Feinberg, his glasses shining.
"Please, have a seat." beckoned Kurt, gesturing towards the seat opposite from him on the table. Once Feinberg sat down, he continued. "There are many things I've summoned you here to discuss, Doctor. Many of these things do not require your presence in my base, here in Unova. In fact, only one of them does. But this one topic of discussion is so delicate that I simply could not run the risk of addressing it through technology, where others may be able to hear or retrieve the audio records from our conversation. You know better than anyone that there are very few I trust, even among our fellow Grand Disciples."
"Cut to the point, Captain." sighed Dr. Feinberg, locking his fingers together. "You know better than anyone that I absolutely despise spending time away from my studies. What am I here for?"
Captain Kurt closed his eyes, as if he were collecting himself before continuing the conversation.
"In the past week, I have grown wary of Commander Alexander."
"...How so?" inquired Dr. Feinberg, eyes narrowing.
"Tell me: do you not think it odd that every time we learn the whereabouts of the Chosen Guardian and his blasted Fellowship, the Commander sends operatives destined to be defeated their way? The Commander's leadership has led to nothing but failure after failure in the days following Ash Ketchum's return. Countless different squadrons of low to mid rank Dark Guardians. Giovanni. Butch. Cassidy. Wade. None of them ever stood a chance to begin with, yet they were sent. And the trend has not stopped."
"You must to realize," began Feinberg, folding his arms. "It's nowhere near as simple as it seem-"
"But it is." interjected Captain Kurt, gently laying a fist on the table. "What's stopped him from rounding up the Grand Disciples and spearheading a full scale attack on the Fellowship any of the times we've pinpointed Ketchum's location? We'd finally discovered the location of the Chaos Badge, my Chaos Badge... and three worthless no-name grunts were sent to retrieve it. If he'd ordered me to get it, I could have easily mastered its power and had our forces stationed in the Distortion World by now. But instead, the badge is now with that Paul boy. I'm aware the Commander works in mysterious ways, but, no matter how you look at it, this does not make sense."
Feinberg lowered his gaze to the table, unable to deny the truth in Kurt's words. The Captain's frustration over the loss of the Chaos Badge to the Fellowship lined up well with his own frustrations regarding the losses of Nate and Rosa. On the day Lord Kamerion ended up being killed, Feinberg had attempted to warn Commander Alexander of the danger the Chosen Guardian posed to the Sinnoh base. But he was shut down and dismissed. Perhaps if they'd sent reinforcements to back Kamerion up, Nate and Rosa, his two greatest creations, would still be in the Dark Order's grasp.
Feinberg returned his gaze to Kurt.
"...I understand your sentiments, Captain Kurt. I understand them quite well." muttered Dr. Feinberg. "However, this is how Commander Alexander has always been. We've never understood his methods, and we've always questioned his choices. But look at what those very same questionable choices have done to the Dark Order - we have the world in our palm, when a little over 2 decades ago, we were nothing but a measly cult. I trust in his judgement, no matter how illogical it may seem. That's all I intend to say on that subject."
Captain Kurt folded his arms, seeming quite displeased with Feinberg's answer.
"Very well." he grumbled, eyebrows furrowed. "But know this: the next time I catch wind of the Chaos Badge's whereabouts, I will make haste to retrieve it from that Paul child, with or without Alexander's permission."
"Insubordination..."
"I prefer to call it initiative."
"Whatever you call it, just be sure you're prepared to face the potential consequences." dismissed Feinberg. "Now, as I already said, I'm done talking about this. What else are we here to discuss, Captain?"
"Well, the next topic on my itinerary is something I'm sure you'll be interested in. At least, more than the previous one." chuckled Kurt. "Next, we shall discuss your two super soldiers - Nathaniel, the Fire-Type, and Rosalina, the Psychic-Type."
"...What about them?"
"Seeing as they've been added to the Chosen Guardian's Fellowship and are now, without a doubt, enemies of the Order..." began Captain Kurt, placing both hands on the table. "Don't you think it's time you and your team started working on a couple... countermeasures?"
Feinberg scoffed, insulted by Kurt's question.
"I'll have you know the DNA tests have already been completed."
"On?"
"Yet another pair of prodigious youths. My men retrieved them a couple months ago..." revealed Dr. Feinberg, displaying his yellowed teeth in the form of a nasty grin. "...right here, in Unova."
[Vaniville Town Public Library...]
7:00pm... closing time. For the entire work day, Calem had been watching his back, expecting trouble to walk into the library at any moment. The way things were in Vaniville Town, there was no way the men controlling it wouldn't have known about Serena's morning visit. But for some strange reason, nothing had happened yet. However, the danger was far from passed; he still had to walk home, with the sun already set.
As he approached the back door, the same one he'd entered through in the morning, he took a deep breath. It was a short walk, not too far. All he had to do was look forward and walk. Walk, and keep his ears alert. If he heard something, he'd run. Simple.
"Keep looking forward..." he muttered to himself, opening the door.
Standing right outside the door, waiting for him, was a hooded figure in a blue cloak.
"Oh lord, not again-"
Once again, Calem found himself being grabbed by the mysterious figure on the other side. However, instead of pinning him to the floor like last time, they pinned him to the nearest brick wall and shoved his face against the hard, rigid surface.
"Serena," yelped Calem, his voice hushed. "please, is this really necessary a second time-"
"Serena?" questioned the stranger, tilting his head. "Hah, no no no no no no no... Same pop, different tart, Calem."
"What does that even mean-"
"You're asking a lot of questions for a fella at gunpoint." noted the figure, pressing a pistol to the side of Calem's head. "Listen; I'm strapped for time. If you don't wanna get your dome fuckin' blasted, you are going to tell me exactly what happened to this town, and you'll also tell me what happened to Serena Yvonne's mom. And you're going to do it fast, librarian."
"Who are you?!"
"A man with a trigger finger itchier than a rash."
"Please, whoever you are, don't shoot!"
"I've already explained the criteria that'll result in you not getting shot. Stop pissing your pants and fulfill them, dipshit." growled the stranger, tapping his foot impatiently. "Pulling the trigger in 5... 4... 3... 2..."
"Alright, I'll spill!" cried Calem, breaking down. "I'll tell you everything... I will..."
From behind the shadows of his hood, the oh so mysterious gunman cracked a smile, easing up his hold on Calem as he did.
"Much appreciated."
...
...
...
Headaches, hunger, and heavy breathing had defined Max's full day of healing. Even though he'd successfully kept Serena's body in the same state as when Gary had left, she'd still seemed to have lost consciousness anyway. Her eyes were still half open and staring up at the ceiling, but she'd become completely unresponsive to anything Max had tried to say to her for majority of their 11-hour time together. As the hours progressed, Max's own breathing began to mirror hers, both of them trapped in a cruel game of catch up, where stable breaths were nothing but an elusive dream.
At first, Max was powering through the stress. But at this point, in what was by far his longest healing session to date... he was struggling.
"Gardevoir..." he thought, channeling what little Aura he had left into Serena. "Please tell me he's almost done... It's been 11 hours. I can't do this much longer..."
"I'm sorry we took so long, Max." apologized Gardevoir. "But..."
As Gardevoir's voice left Max's mind, the darkness shrouding the Yvonne household was briefly vanquished by bright light. Afraid he'd pass out if he closed his eyes, Max opted to keep them open, waiting for the light to die down. When it did, he was met with the sight of Gardevoir and Gary, the latter of whom had his hood up and gun in hand.
"We're back." finished Gardevoir.
Not bothering to return Gardevoir to her ball, Gary immediately knelt beside Serena, on the side opposite of Max. Once he was in position, he quickly removed his hood and looked at Max, who had bags under his eyes.
"Took ya long enough..." wheezed the younger Maple sibling, narrowing his eyes.
"Sorry, I took a detour before I made my way back here. It also took a few minutes to explain a buttered-up version of the situation to Professor Sycamore." replied Gary, pulling a syringe out of his cloak. He quickly inserted it into Serena's leg, injected the antidote, and nodded his head at Max. "You can rest now. Good job."
Not needing to be told twice, Max removed his hands from Serena and leaned back until he was laying down. Once he managed to catch his breath a little, he sat up, looking at Gary. The look on Gary's face was even more somber than when he'd left, which was odd to see. With Serena's breath visibly stabilizing from the antidote's influence, Max had expected to see Gary proud of his tiresome work at the Lumiose lab. But instead, Gary was just staring at Serena with a distinctly saddened expression.
"What exactly happened in that 'detour' you took?" questioned Max, gaining Gary's attention.
"I paid a certain someone a visit... at the library."
"Calem."
Gary nodded.
"I got a lot of info out of him." he sighed. "What happened to Vaniville Town is pretty simple. The town is small and isolated, sitting on the outer edge of the region. There's no big businesses or attractions that bring in outsiders, but there's still money flow between the townspeople, and money that comes in through trade and exports. All of that made it an easy target for extortion, and that's exactly what they were dealing with. Those guys we got rid of were a small mob trying to grow by leeching Vaniville's funds into their own pockets while terrorizing the townspeople into submission. They've been around for about a year. They ran the town like slave drivers, forcing long work days to make as much trade money as possible. But, since we've erased them, things should hopefully return to normal on their own. I told Calem to spread the word that those thugs have been dealt with. By Serena Yvonne, and no one else."
"We did a good job here, then." concluded Max, folding his arms. "So why the long face?"
"...Serena's mother is dead." revealed Gary, shifting his gaze to the floor.
There was a pause before either of them spoke again. While Gary's gaze stayed downward, Max's shifted from Gary, to Serena, to the floor. His mouth had been open since Gary had broken the news, but only after taking 30 seconds to process said news did he finally form a reply.
"Was it... because of the mob?"
"No." answered Gary, shaking his head. "Ms. Yvonne passed about 6 months before the mob took over... from starvation."
"..."
"Serena's departure took a toll on her." continued Gary. "Search parties were sent, but they never found Serena. After a couple months, they assumed she was dead. Her mother went through the first 3 stages of grief - denial, anger, and bargaining - but never moved past the 4th: depression. Word has it she got medicated and changed prescriptions many times, but claimed none of them worked. As time went on, the townspeople started seeing her less and less, and eventually she stopped leaving home altogether. By the time anyone decided to break in and check on her... she was gone."
"That's..."
"Yeah."
"...How do we tell her?" asked Max, eyes closed. "She has to know - But how? How can we possibly break that kind of news to her? The whole point of today was to make her feel better..."
"I wish I knew." sighed Gary, lowering his head. "I just... I dunno, man..."
From that point onward, neither of them spoke for a couple minutes. There was very little left to say between the two of them, and so they retreated into their own thoughts. They thought of their own loved ones that they'd left behind for the sake of Ash's quest. Then, they thought of whether those loved ones were safe, given the unpredictable world they all lived in. Neither could imagine losing those people in the same way Serena had lost her mother, and neither of them were oblivious to the fact that Grace had been the only family Serena had left. For her mother to pass in such a way... from a cause that stemmed from her own actions... it was a truth that felt impossible to relay. But, little did they know, they wouldn't have to.
Serena had been listening the entire time.
Unbeknownst to her two companions, she'd emerged from the unrestful haze between consciousness and unconsciousness as soon as Gary had injected the antidote. Just as when Gary had left, all she could do was stare at the ceiling above, as tears streamed down the sides of her face. As her body recovered, her mind deteriorated; a cruel duality far more poisonous than any concoction glistening on a blade's edge. Alas, the dreaded nightmare in the back of her mind had been true, all along. As far as she was concerned... she'd killed her mother.
...
...
[1 hour later...]
...
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[Johto Forests: Camp...]
It had been a relatively quiet night at camp, save for the various sounds of nature that rang throughout the forest. By the dwindling flames of the fire pit sat Rosa, with Nate sleeping right beside her. After explaining what his, May, and Pikachu's days had been like, Paul retreated to his own tent, leaving the teen brunette to stare at the smoldering embers before her, thinking about what she'd been told. Meanwhile, Ash and May had already gone to sleep, seemingly moments after May had woken up. Even Ash's Charizard had curled up and fallen asleep, leaving Rosa as the only conscious individual around. A girl of principle, she didn't feel right going to sleep until Serena, Max, and, by extension, Gary... returned from their mysterious trip. Despite how tired she was, she'd wait for them.
Luckily, they'd arrive not too long after the first wave of yawns.
Sensing the psychic energy of Teleport, Rosa turned around right as her three comrades appeared in a spark of lavender light. She intended to say hello to them once Gardevoir's lightshow died down, but stopped herself when she sensed the immense concentration of negativity coming from the trio. The sheer weight of their thoughts was impossible to ignore, and in terms of information, they were like a massive stack of documents with no clear place to start from. Max and Gary's minds were daunting enough, but what Rosa sensed from Serena... it was unlike anything she'd ever encountered.
However, before she could ask anyone anything, Max and Gary quietly walked back to their respective tents, while Serena journeyed into the woods, her steps robotic and uniform. As the seemingly distraught honey blonde walked away, Rosa considered calling after her. But the feeling of a hand gently squeezing her lap stopped her. She looked down at her thigh and saw Nate, awake and looking up at her. All he did was shake his head from side to side, slowly.
Rosa sighed, deciding to take Nate's advice and mind her own business... at least for the night.
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Meanwhile, for what felt like the millionth time in the past week, Serena found herself walking alone through the woods. Though she was breathing just fine, she was suffocating. Though she was surrounded by air, she was drowning. Though her body had been healed... she was breaking down. The moon shone brightly that night, just like it had on the day she'd left her mother behind... the night the gears of her Grace's death had been set into motion.
How could she live with herself? It was a question nigh impossible to answer. How could she continue, knowing the consequences of the choices she'd made? Another elusive panacea. How would her presence there, in the Fellowship, feel? How would she continue being around these people, knowing what she lost so she could be with them... so she could be with him? She'd keep walking until an answer came; no matter how long it took.
Or at least until she heard some footsteps behind her.
Without a sound, Serena stopped walking, and looked over her shoulder. Through her teary, bloodshot eyes, she caught a glimpse of brown hair. Having half-expected to be followed, she immediately turned back around, continuing her walk.
"Not now, Rosa..." she croaked, her voice hollow.
"Rosa's back at camp."
As soon as she'd heard the brunette behind her's response, Serena stopped in her tracks. As soon as a thin, neat wall of Aura appeared in front of her - blocking her path - her eyes widened. She knew the voice, but she'd never seen the brunette in mind come close to making an Aura construct that clean. She was by no means an expert in Aura Guardian growth, but even Serena could tell... such a feat shouldn't have been possible.
And so she turned around, locking eyes with the girl just a few feet away from her.
"I really want the two of us to talk." uttered May, her irises lit with Aura. "Please."
And that's that! Well, it seems like Serena's trip didn't go as planned. At all. And it seems like May wasn't as asleep as we thought she was ;). I wonder what she'd like to discuss? Good thing the next chapter will pick up exactly where this one ended!
I'd like to say that the time is drawing near, folks. The next chapter, as well as the one after, are going to be pretty important for all you Advance and Amour shippers out there. I'd say more, but I think it's better I just let the writing do the talking.
Until then, stay healthy and safe!
~DarkSlash9
