Chapter 8

Monday, September 19th

"Good morning mes élèves!" Fantina declared to her students as she looked around her first period class. "Today we're going to begin our first major project of the year. I believe this one will take about two weeks to complete."

"Two weeks?" May exclaimed. "That sounds like a lot of work."

"It is mademoiselle, but the end result will make it all worthwhile," Fantina replied eloquently, excusing May's interruption.

"So, what are we going to be doing?" Another student piped up.

"I will be pairing you off once again, but this time you and your partner will be working on a single piece together," Fantina revealed to them, and this seemed to open the floodgates.

"I call Ash!" May proclaimed immediately.

"No fair, I want to partner up with him!"

"Forget them, Ash, you and me will make the ultimate tag team!"

It took Fantina a few moments to regain the attention of her students, giving them some unfortunate news to silence them.

"Actually, you all will be working with the person you were partnered with for the portrait project," Fantina stated, causing a fair number of her students to deflate.

"Aww, so Ash and Dawn are together again?"

"Man, their piece is going to be amazing."

Fantina could already tell that a fair portion of the class wanted to work with Ash for his superior skill. In fact, Dawn was probably viewed in the same light but Fantina was curious to see what the two of them could produce together.

"So, what are like…the guidelines for this project?" May asked after raising her hand. This caused Fantina to smile warmly at her class.

"That is the best part. I have but one rule for you all for this project. Since this is a duet piece, all I require is that you and your partner split the piece evenly. You cannot overstep this boundary." Fantina explained to them.

"So you're saying we have to split the paper or canvas that we're working on?" Dawn asked for clarification.

"Exactly. You can use any medium you want, and it can be as big or as small as you want." Fantina went on. "I just want you all to have fun with this one."

"This sounds pretty cool actually." May declared, earning a nod of agreement from some of her peers.

Fantina then encouraged everyone to sit with their partner and spend the rest of the class brainstorming. Dawn moved to the empty seat beside Ash in the back of the classroom. They shared a glance as Dawn got comfortable in her seat. While the rest of the class became absorbed in their discussions, Ash and Dawn remained silent. Ash had his chin placed delicately on the back of his hand as he observed the bluenette seated beside him, waiting to see what she would do.

After a few moments, Dawn finally broke eye contact with Ash, amazed that he could hold a neutral expression as he openly stared at her. Dawn was embarrassed when she stared at Ash, and blatantly returning his gaze was even more embarrassing. Clearing her throat to relax her mind, Dawn decided to focus on the task at hand.

"So Ash, what do you think we should use as our medium?" Dawn asked him.

"I don't know, is there anything specific that you want to work with?" He asked in return.

"…You know, I haven't seen you paint something with my own eyes yet. You want to take a swing at it?" She suggested and Ash shrugged his shoulders.

"I'd hate to disappoint you, so I'll do what I can," Ash said before he added. "For you."

Dawn pursed her lips, feeling her cheeks heat up a bit.

Wednesday, September 21st

Dawn was last to arrive at her usual lunch table, greeting both Nando and May who had been there for a little while now.

"So, I finally got Ash to agree to join us for lunch guys." Dawn began as she took her seat beside Nando.

"Wait, Ash has lunch this period?" May exclaimed. This was news to her.

"Yeah, since the first day of school, May," Dawn stated in a deadpan.

"Well, I've never seen him here!" May pointed out indignantly.

"He told me he usually skips lunch. I gave him the offer for him to join us a couple of times, but he always turned it down." Dawn explained to them.

"Oh, I'm going to have to give Ash a piece of my mind when he shows up. I can't believe he turned down an invitation to have lunch with May Maple." May announced, causing both Dawn and Nando to give her a look.

"At least I know why he didn't want to sit with us. He spends enough time around May already." Nando said under his breath.

"Hey, I heard that." May chirped at him, causing Dawn to laugh. May looked toward her female friend now, a devious smirk forming on her face. "So~ Dawn, do you know what made him decide to accept? Was it your date over the weekend?"

Nando felt his chest tighten considerably at May's suggestion, but Dawn's reply put him at ease.

"No May." She stated, clicking her tongue. "You should know, it's the project for Ms. Fantina's class. We're…not doing that good actually. So, I told him we should try talking a bit more during lunch."

As she said this, Dawn spotted Ash stepping out from the cafeteria, searching for them. Dawn rose from her seat, waving him over to their table.

"Hey, guys," Ash said as he gave a nod to Nando and May.

"So Ash what's the deal with you blowing us off? I'm actually kind of hurt that you didn't want to sit with us for lunch." May said as she placed a hand over her chest as if to feign heartache.

"I usually spend my lunch in Ms. Fantina's room. But Dawn wanted to talk so I came out of my little den today." He explained to her, earning a 'hmph' from May.

"I guess I can accept that…for now." She said while crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"For now?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow I want a better answer." May stated, and Ash looked toward Dawn and Nando for an explanation. Nando rolled his eyes at this.

"Ash, do yourself a favor and just ignore her. After a while, May can't really hear the crap that comes out of her mouth." Nando said and Ash laughed out loud. May turned red at this before Ash covered his mouth, surprised that he had been so loud.

"Anyway Ash, I had a couple of ideas that I wanted to go over with you," Dawn said as she retrieved her sketchbook. She had Ash's full attention now as he sat down beside her.

"Yeah, let's see 'em." He said as she opened up to the pages that she had been doodling on during her classes this morning.

"What do you think of these?" Dawn asked him, watching as Ash's eyes jumped around the page. He spent about a minute studying the contents of the page before he gave an answer.

"These seem, kind of impersonal if you ask me, Dawn." He said after setting her sketchbook back down on the table. He then pointed to one of her drawings, using this one as a reference. "I like the thought of there being a centerpiece that the two of us work around, but it has to be something that really captures the audience."

"That's a good point. But what should be the subject then? Like, something we have in common?" Dawn suggested.

"That could work but uh…outside of art, what could we use?"

As the two of them went back and forth rattling off ideas and thoughts, Nando and May watched them interact quietly. They had never seen Dawn work like this.

Ash seemed to bring out a side of her that she never showed at all. When Dawn Berlitz starts to work, she enters her own little zone. No one else had ever set foot in there...until she met Ash Ketchum.

The focused Dawn Berlitz, a girl who wouldn't utter a word as she worked, was gone. In her place was a girl that was enthusiastically gushing out her thoughts and opinions on their project as if she were an open fire hydrant.

"I'm really liking this idea now Dawn," Ash said with a nod of approval. "All we need to do is figure out what to do for the centerpiece."

"There's no need to worry. We'll get it in no time. For now, though we've got a lot of stuff to work with. This is going to be so awesome!" Dawn said as she raised a hand toward Ash as a gesture for a high five.

"You got that right," Ash replied with a grin as he tapped her hand, but Dawn closed her fingers around Ash's hand as they made contact, causing him to furrow his brow. "Is something wrong?"

Dawn stared at their hands for a moment, and then her eyes brightened.

"That's it!" She exclaimed suddenly.

Friday, September 30th

Fantina was stunned, to say the least as she observed two of her top students. The work Ash and Dawn had done was nothing short of breathtaking as they applied the finishing touches.

Fantina understood that this project was difficult for her students. Giving a little under two weeks to try and combine their talents was a tall task, so she had adjusted her expectations after the first time she had given this assignment three years ago. In the past, each pair of students would simply split the canvas in half and work on their own. It was always clear that two people with two different visions had been working on these pieces.

However, for the first time, Fantina found a pair of students had blended their work together seamlessly.

Watching Ash and Dawn as they worked around a large canvas that was laid out on the table in front of them, Fantina couldn't help but marvel at their unspoken communication. They were the only pair that Fantina didn't hear any complaints from. They never overlapped or fought over an area to work on. They worked around each other perfectly.

Dawn had always loved to paint. She found it exhilarating to mix paints, create different tones and colors and then apply it all to a canvas. She had painted with other people in the past, but painting with Ash was a different experience. Not because he was a remarkable artist…but because Ash just seemed to understand her vision and adjust his vision accordingly, and of course Dawn would do the same for him. It was strange really.

Whenever Dawn painted, she felt as though she entered her own little zone. Putting all other distractions aside, it was just her, her palette of paint, and the canvas. For the first time though, Dawn had company in her zone. Ash was here working alongside her, and Dawn could swear that it was like they were inside each other's heads. They didn't need to talk, they just…understood. The finished product was clear proof of this.

Setting his paintbrush down, Ash exhaled audibly. He was done with his portion of the painting, but Dawn was still addressing some small details. Ash watched Dawn curiously now as she worked, lightly touching the canvas with the tip of her brush. It was mesmerizing to watch her while she was in this little zone.

A pair of feathery, angel-like wings seemed to unfold from Dawn's back, stretching out behind her. Ash inhaled sharply, a small smile on his face. This was a common occurrence, but the sight of these wings still made him smile.

Looking back at Ash and Dawn from her desk, May spotted Ash staring openly at Dawn. They remained like this for a few moments before Dawn finally looked up from her work and realized Ash was looking at her. They made eye contact and stared at each other for just a moment before turning away. This caused May to smile softly as she began to think of some possibilities.

Rising from her seat since Ash and Dawn had stopped working, May knew that this was her chance to finally see what they had been working on. Both Dawn and Ash had been so secretive, insisting that no one see it until they were done, except for Fantina of course. Not to mention they had been working on this piece in class, and privately during their free periods. With the amount of time invested, May was expecting to see a masterpiece, and what she saw fit that description.

It was almost overwhelming at first. There was just so much to take in, but as May spent a few moments studying this piece she began to understand what they had done. The centerpiece was a pair of hands, like a couple holding hands. As each arm faded off to the sides of the canvas, they became lost in a variety of images and colors. The contrast between the two artists was what defined the painting though. Ash's side was monotone, with his images being painted on shards of broken glass. On the other hand, Dawn's side was colorful and vibrant, expressing her warmth and happiness as opposed to the loneliness of Ash's portion. The most noteworthy thing to May though was the fact that Ash's wrist and forearm were grey, but as it transitioned to his hand it gained color. Almost as if coming into contact with Dawn's hand was restoring its color…or perhaps something else to his life…

"Magnifique!" Fantina declared as she observed their work. It was stupendous. Immediately a crowd formed around their desk as the other students came to see Ash and Dawn's work.

"Wow! That's incredible!"

"The two of you are freakin' amazing!"

"Dude, why are you so good at this?" One of the guys asked Ash, causing him to scratch the back of his neck with a chuckle.

"This is nothing really," Ash replied casually.

Dawn used this moment to steal a glance at Ash as he laughed softly. This was an outstanding piece he had just completed, but she knew in the long run that all of this was meaningless to him.

Soon enough the bell chimed, signaling the end of first period. As the students packed up their belongings and left, Dawn approached Ash once again while she had a few minutes before her next class.

"So, Ash, Ms. Fantina wants to put our painting on display. After that though she wants to know which of us will take it home. " Dawn explained to him and Ash snorted a bit.

"It's all yours Dawn." He said quickly, not that Dawn was surprised by his answer.

"Are you sure?" She pressed.

"You and I both know I have enough paintings in my house. I'm sure your folks can find a spot for it though." Ash said with a small grin. There had to be a place for this painting in Dawn's enormous home.

"Yeah…I suppose." Dawn noted before glancing at the doorway of the room where the early birds for the fashion class were arriving. "Um…do you want to hang out again this weekend?"

Ash frowned and clicked his tongue.

"Sorry Dawn, I actually have plans this weekend." He replied although he would've jumped at the chance to go the beach with her again.

"Oh, are you working?" She asked curiously.

"Uhh, yeah…I guess you could call it work," Ash said softly with a small nod.

The sun was sinking into the horizon as Ash found himself standing on a hillside that overlooked the suburbs of Vermilion City's northern residential area. He ran a hand through his hair and then stretched out his arms to enjoy the breeze as it passed over him. Much like the breeze, his school day had flown by without much notice. He said his goodbyes to Dawn as she caught the bus to head home, and then he met with his company for the afternoon.

Ash glanced over his shoulder and saw that Brock was still seated on the hood of his car in the small parking lot farther back. Per Ash's request, Brock was waiting for him after school to take him to a secluded spot for a demonstration.

"Are we clear?" Ash asked Brock, causing him to look around again. There had been a couple in the parking lot when they had arrived about ten minutes ago, forcing them to sit back for a while. Fortunately, the two of them had finally left earning an all-clear signal from Brock.

"Yeah, let's get started." He replied as he slid off his car. Opening the passenger's door, Brock went straight for the backpack that was resting on the seat, unzipping it to release Pikachu who was hidden inside.

"Chaa-" He groaned as he climbed out of the bag and stretched his small limbs. Pikachu rubbed at his cheeks before he glanced up at Brock and greeted him with a salute. "Pika!"

"Long time no see, Pikachu," Brock said as Pikachu jumped out of the car, allowing Brock to shut the door. Once he spotted Ash, Pikachu scampered over to his trainer and with one jump, he leaped onto Ash's shoulder, his favorite spot.

"Alright, let's get straight down to business, Brock." Ash declared before he looked at Pikachu. "We're going to show Brock everything we've been working on Pikachu, so no holding back, okay?"

"Pi-ka!" He declared before he jumped down to the grassy hill.

"I had better be impressed, Ash," Brock stated as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and took a seat on the hood of his car.

"Alright then, Pikachu let's show him your Agility," Ash announced to his partner. Brock watched Pikachu closely and raised his brow as he saw Pikachu's form flickered. Then with a shout, Pikachu dashed forward and raced around the hill. Despite his distance and position, Brock was still struggled to track Pikachu's movements with his eyes. Pikachu was lightning quick!

Pikachu soon returned to his starting point and stopped on a dime. He was in full control of his movements even with all of the momentum he generated while in motion. Together, Ash and Pikachu looked at Brock and waited for his thoughts. Brock leaned back a little and concealed his smile with one hand. He liked what he saw, however, there was still plenty of room for improvement.

"Not bad, not bad," Brock said, motioning for them to continue.

Ash frowned at Brock. He expected more than that, so he decided that they would go for a real showstopper this time. With a glance toward Pikachu, Ash gave a nod and Pikachu understood.

"Pikachu, Charge up!" Ash declared as he swung an arm through the air.

Pikachu stood on all fours, and he tensed his muscles with the call for action.

"Pi-kaaa," He raised his voice, and electricity crackled from his cheeks. What started as a few small sparks grew into a visible dome of lightning. Brock furrowed his brow as he could hear the crackle of the lightning from a distance. Pikachu rose up onto his hind legs, and the electricity became a cloak on his fur.

"Now show him your Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded as he pointed skyward.

"Pi-ka-CHU!" Pikachu shouted and Brock's jaw dropped as a bolt of lightning was fired into the sky!

Ash cheered at the sight of it, splitting a cloud above them. "Awesome job, Pikachu!" He exclaimed as Pikachu jumped to give Ash a high five with his tail. Once again, they turned to Brock for his reaction and this time, Brock wasn't hiding anything. He stood on his feet, his mouth agape and sunglasses now crooked on the bridge of his nose. "Well Brock, what did you think of that?"

"Get in the car!" Brock barked suddenly as he hustled into the driver's seat of his car.

"Wha-What?" Ash exclaimed.

"I said get in! We've got to get moving now!" Brock demanded as he started the engine and reached over to throw open the passenger door. Pikachu could hear the urgency in Brock's voice and rushed off to the car, and Ash followed suit. As soon as Ash and Pikachu were in the car and the door closed, Brock whipped out of his parking spot.

"Brock, what's the matter?" Ash shouted at his friend as he struggled to put on his seat belt. In a matter of moments, they were racing down the hillside.

"Get Pikachu back into your bag," Brock ordered him. Ash's frown deepened, but he followed the instruction and reached for his bag on the floor.

"Sorry Pikachu, back in ya go," Ash said as he opened the bag for Pikachu to stow himself away. As Ash closed up his bag, he had to grab the handle as Brock turned wildly back onto the main roadway leading back into the residential area. "Sheesh, Brock, what's the matter?"

"Ash, you just shot a lightning bolt into the sky!" Brock exclaimed. "That's a dead giveaway on what we were doing."

It took a moment for Ash to realize that he didn't consider his actions in the slightest. "Ugh, I'm so stupid," He muttered as he palmed his forehead.

They were a fair distance from the closest homes to the hillside, but if anyone saw a lightning bolt get fired into the sky, their first thought would be a Pokemon ball. Of course, that would prompt an investigation from the authorities and if caught, an arrest. That was the last thing either of them needed.

"I didn't think you'd do something so flashy," Brock continued as they arrived at an intersection that led into the suburbs. Brock slowed his pace since they were the only car passing through. There was no need to draw any further attention to themselves. A few blocks down was the entrance to a highway ramp that they could use to join traffic and 'disappear.'

"Well, the goal was to impress," Ash mumbled.

"And I was…" Brock remarked before he added. "Damn near crapped my pants though," He stifled his laughter. "But now, we have to high tail it out of here before the cops show up. I'm sure you don't want to have to explain why you have a Pikachu in your backpack."

"Yeah, that was my mistake," Ash said and Brock slugged him on the shoulder.

"I'll forgive you this time," Brock said with a smirk as he turned onto the highway ramp. He sped up and joined the traffic of rush hour as people were returning home from their workday. "I think we should be fine from here."

"So uh, what did you think of Pikachu?" Ash asked after a few moments.

"Hmm," That was Brock's initial statement, and he let Ash stew in silence as a form of punishment.

Every couple of weeks, Ash and Pikachu would demonstrate some of their attacks for Brock to gauge their progress. Ash wasn't familiar with any of the other local trainers to find a practice partner, but Brock was an active lurker of the Pokemon scene in Vermilion City. Brock could safely say that he saw well over a hundred Pokemon battles, making him just as informed as any other trainer.

"Do you have anything to say, Brock?" Ash pleaded. "Or do you want me to beg?"

"Alright, I can definitely say that the two of you took another step forward," He commented. "How did you train Pikachu to use Agility?"

"Before sunrise on the weekends, we'd for a five-mile run. Pikachu really enjoys those," Ash explained. "While we're running, he'd do these face steps and like, flash from one place to the next really fast. I remember seeing a battle where a Glameow was using Agility, and it looked really similar to what Pikachu was doing."

"And you guys were only running on the weekends?"

"Yeah, it's tough to run during the week since people are waking up early," Ash replied and Brock nodded. If he was seen running with Pikachu during the morning, most people would jump to one conclusion and that would get Ash into a lot of trouble. Brock was proud of Ash for using enough forethought to only train with Pikachu during the safest times available to them. But…

"That Thunderbolt attack was actually pretty scary. It's much stronger than the last time you showed it to me," Brock noted and Ash grinned. He opened his backpack and Pikachu poked his head out.

"Did you heart that Pikachu? Brock said our Thunderbolt was awesome," Ash said and Pikachu gave him a thumbs up.

Brock pursed his lips as he stole a glance at them. While Ash and Pikachu showed some improvement, there was no denying that there was still a gap in ability between Ash and the trainers that he wanted to battle.

"Ash, do you know what time you have to meet this guy from the Red Skulls?" Brock asked him.

"Six-thirty," Ash replied. "We still have plenty of time."

Brock was also aware of Ash's activities at the end of every month, how he worked with the Red Skulls to make some money off the books.

"Do you know how much you're getting paid this time?"

"Usually it depends on the job," Ash answered. "But it's never below five thousand."

"Man, I might have to consider working for the Red Skulls too," Brock said with a laugh, but Ash deadpanned.

"You're the one who recommended this to me," Ash pointed out.

"I don't know, was I?" Brock asked in return, sending a smirk in Ash's direction.

"Whatever, Brock," Ash said as he returned his gaze to Pikachu.

Ash and Brock were…partners in crime, so to speak.

They first met almost two years ago while attending a battle night downtown. Unfortunately, the authorities caught wind of the event, and everyone scattered with the officers arrived. Brock bumped into Ash was clearly lost in the pandemonium and snatched him up to make an escape. Offering Ash a ride home that night, Brock got to know him a bit and learned that he was an aspiring Pokemon trainer, who was in possession of a Pikachu. That marked the beginning of their partnership.

As a young teenager, Ash had no access to some of the tools available to other trainers in Vermilion City, and he struggled to attend battles to see what he could learn. However, with Brock's guidance, Ash and Pikachu were now racing toward their dream, and that thought brought a smile to Brock's face.

While Ash and Pikachu didn't know it, they were already on par with the average trainer in Vermilion City. But Ash wasn't interested in the average trainer, which was to be expected. Who would dream of being 'average?' Ash wanted to beat the strongest trainers of Vermilion City, and if he did so, that would lead to recognition. Recognition meant that his voice would be heard and hopefully that would one day allow him to make a change.

But for now, Brock focused on the present. One question remained on his mind. Was Ash capable of beating the Five Kings of Vermilion City?

"Oh yeah, that reminds me," Brock said as he got Ash's attention. "I've got some news for you."

"What's up?"

"Next Saturday, there's a block party in midtown. I heard that N is going to have a battle there." Brock revealed.

"For real?" Ash exclaimed. "Who is he going to battle this time?"

"It's nothing serious. Just an exhibition match like at the subway station, but seeing him in person is something you can't pass on," Brock explained. "So, don't get too banged up with the Skulls this weekend, alright?"

"Yeah, I hear ya," Ash responded before looking down at Pikachu. "Did you hear that Pikachu; we're going to see N in a battle next weekend."

"Pii-ka?" He asked in return and tilted his head to the side.

"He's the King of the White Lotus. One of the strongest trainers in the city." Ash explained to Pikachu. "One day, you and I are going to battle him and beat him. That's why I want you to see how he battles for yourself."

"Pika-chu." He replied with a nod of confidence.

Brock snorted softly at the two of them. They were two peas in a pod despite their differences. Humans and Pokemon had more in common than most people cared to think about…or admit.

Sunday, October 2nd

Brock enjoyed his weekend for the most part, even though he spent the majority of it watching his siblings. Now, as he wrapped what was left of his weekend on Sunday night, he received a phone call that forced him to drop everything that he was doing.

"I'm near the old steel mill on the west end. Can you come pick me up?" Ash asked him.

Ash wouldn't reach out to him at an odd time like this, so Brock was willing to bet that something unusual must have happened to his friend. The skies grew dark by the time Brock found Ash. After traveling along the perimeter of the shipping yards, Brock found him seated on a bench beneath one of the street lights.

"Ash, are you alright?" Brock asked as he jumped out of his car and rushed to Ash's side. Upon closer inspection, Brock saw that his clothes were torn and there were fresh bruises on Ash's face.

"Uh…I don't think we should stay here," Ash mumbled in response as he nodded toward the two bags on the bench beside him. There was his blue backpack, and then a large duffle bag. "Pikachu's in the blue one, be careful with it."

Brock checked on the Pokemon within it for himself. Pikachu rested at the bottom of the bag in far worse condition than Ash. What happened to them? Brock took his time as he collected both bags and stored them in the back seat of his car. Then he returned to Ash.

"Do you need a hand?" Brock asked him, and Ash gave him a nod. "Come on then."

Brock hooked his forearm under Ash's left armpit and Ash cursed at him. He was taken aback as he released Ash who grimaced.

"Whoa, what's wrong?"

"Sorry…it's my shoulder. I think it's dislocated," Ash replied as he held his arm and waited for the pain to subside.

"Let me see if I can reset it for you," Brock suggested, but as he reached for Ash's shoulder, he caught a glare from Ash.

"How about we leave it to someone that knows what they're doing," Ash said to decline Brock's offer. "Take me to Shauna's place."

"Gotcha," Brock said with a nod. He slowed down for Ash's sake and waited for him to get to his feet. Brock opened up the passenger door and waited until Ash was comfortable before he helped him put on his seat. Once Ash was set, Brock shut the door and took his place behind the wheel to begin their short trip. "Are you going to fill me in?"

"Well…the Red Skulls had some big plans this weekend," Ash muttered. "They wanted to make some sort of statement to the White Lotus, so they rounded up a group of us and sent us into Lotus territory on the west side," Ash winced as he readjusted in his seat. "There was this abandoned apartment complex that the White Lotus use for…something," Ash shook his head. "We didn't get all the details, they just told us to storm the place and chase out any Lotus trainers that were there on Friday night. After that, we held it down."

"Wait, so did you actually get to battle some of the guys from the White Lotus?" Brock inquired.

"Yeah. I don't want to sound rude, but those guys weren't that strong. We beat two guys on Friday, and then we won all four of our battles on Saturday," Ash explained. He thought fondly of when he and Pikachu celebrated their victories. They won convincingly as proof of their progress from training.

"Seems like you guys did pretty good," Brock noted, but a glance at Ash let him see the grim expression on his face. It was then that Brock realized that something must have gone horribly wrong to explain Ash and Pikachu's current condition.

"Everything was fine until earlier this afternoon…everything just got crazy," Ash revealed and Brock was eager to know. "I'd say like thirty guys from the White Lotus showed up, and it turned into a hot mess."

-X-X-

Ash was having a blast! The past day and a half was unlike any other he experienced. While the environment wasn't pretty, consisting of worn-out apartments and empty parking lots, being surrounded by other trainers was something that Ash longed for. Once they assumed control of the complex, Ash spent the majority of his time talking with the other trainers, trying to learn more about their Pokemon, and arranging a practice match when he could. It was so much fun to listen to different strategies and share experiences.

They became a boisterous group as their victories over the White Lotus piled up on Saturday. At every opportunity, they would gloat to provoke the Lotus trainers that came to reclaim the complex. However, the arrogance that carried them wouldn't last through the weekend.

Ash knew that all too well as he stared at a scene of pure chaos in the main parking area of the complex. At least thirty trainers from the White Lotus arrived to engage the trainers sent by the Red Skulls, and battles broke out all over the place. Everyone fought with little regard for their surroundings, and soon enough there was evidence of Pokemon battles everywhere. The concrete was shattered, scorched, and uprooted.

With an advantage in terms of numbers, the Lotus trainers began to overwhelm their opponents. It wasn't long before Ash and Pikachu found themselves among the six remaining trainers on their side. The trainers that no longer had a Pokemon protecting them didn't fare too well as the Lots trainers paid them back in full for the last two days by beating them physically.

Ash winced as Pikachu was sent skidding across the ground to his feet, and Pikachu remained on his side, unconscious from the blow. It wasn't a fair fight as Pikachu found himself with three opponents, and Ash faced those same odds as three Lotus trainers assaulted him. He was thrown to the floor and the heel of a boot was placed on his shoulder. They began to apply pressure and Ash writhed as he felt a pop. They followed up by delivering a kick to his side, and they didn't stop at just one. When Ash lowered his arm to protect his side, their foot connected with his face.

He blinked back hot tears as he tried to roll away, but there was no mercy. Ash positioned his good arm to protect his vital areas as they continued to kick at him. He peeked through one eye and he saw the rest of the Lotus trainers surrounded the last two trainers that still had Pokemon standing.

"Get them!"

"Sandshrew, attack with Rollout!"

"Krabby, get them with Vice Grip!"

"Machop hit 'em hard with your Karate Chop!"

"Drowzee, use Psybeam!"

-X-X-

Brock frowned deeply. "That got ugly, quick," He mumbled.

"Oh no, it got worse from there," Ash interjected and Brock looked at him in shock.

"How could it get worse than that?"

"Someone in the area called the police, not that you could blame them considering how out of control those battles got," Ash explained. "And then to top it all off, you'll never guess who showed up."

Brock remained silent, unable to think of what could be the cherry on top for Ash's eventful weekend. He nodded to Ash as a gesture for him to reveal this information.

"N."

-X-X-

A black blur raced through their makeshift battlefield. Just as the last remaining Pokemon were bombarded with attacks, a Zoroark appeared. It was as if time was moving differently for him. He read each attack and parried them away with ease, protecting the pair of Pokemon that were still standing. There were gasps as the Lotus trainers immediately realized what Zoroark's appearance meant. The King of the White Lotus was present.

"Use Roar," A voice declared, and the dark Pokemon took his place at the center of the parking lot. He threw his head back and his spiky fur stood on end as he let loose a feral roar. Every trainer raised their hands to shield their eardrums from this deafening cry. All of the Pokemon that were conscious were reverted back to formless light that was transferred back to their Pokeballs. That brought the battles to an instant end. Once Zoroark became silent, the trainers looked to the trainer commanding Zoroark as he sat on a windowsill on the second floor of the building that overlooked the parking lot.

He shook his head as he observed the scene, a frown on his face.

"What are you all doing?" N shouted as an invitation for anyone to answer.

Both parties stood frozen, glancing between N and his Zoroark. He was truly the last person that anyone expected to get involved in this confrontation. There was no telling how things would continue from there.

Soon enough, one of the trainers from the White Lotus stepped forward to answer N's question.

"Sir, their trainers are the same group from the Red Skulls that chased us out of here on Friday. We returned to claim what is ours," He declared to N who raised his eyebrows in return.

"Did you come here to take back our territory…or was revenge your motivation?" N inquired as he made a gesture to the trainers sent by the Red Skulls that were bruised and beaten from the blows they received.

"They brought this on themselves!" Another trainer piped up. "They were the aggressors!"

N merely shook his head at the response. "The White Lotus does not instigate conflict, nor do we respond to it. We have our duties and attacking other trainers is not one of them."

"So, we should just let them walk all over us?!" Someone barked. N looked at him sharply.

"No. We have a decisive means to address conflict. A Pokemon battle. A demonstration of skill, strength, and teamwork. If you can conquer your enemy in an honest battle, he has no reason to turn against you," N declared. "Rather than stopped down to face your enemy, make them rise up to face you."

Ash sat upright as he listened to N speak, holding his shoulder with one hand as he tried to ease the pain. With N's appearance as the leader of the Lotus trainers, Ash was expecting this situation to get far worse. But he was actually berating his subordinates. No one questioned N's instruction, and they put away their Pokeballs, albeit begrudgingly. Clearly, they had the utmost respect for their King.

Several of them glanced upward or furrowed their brow as they heard sirens in the distance.

N bit down on his lower lip as he realized he should have ended these battles sooner. All of the commotion must have earned the attention of some people in the area, and clearly, those people notified the authorities. If any of them were caught here, they would be prosecuted and sent to prison.

"Everyone, gather your Pokemon and head to building three!" N barked at the trainers around him. "If you want to escape, follow us!"

The Lotus trainers looked at him incredulously as they realized where N was leading them. The sound of the sirens approaching them quickly deterred any doubts about N's decision. Regardless of their affiliation, he didn't want any of these trainers getting arrested.

As the Lotus trainers took charge in leading the Red Skulls to building three, Ash was surprised to see a hand being extended down to him. Looking up, this surprise only increased as he saw that it was N standing in front of him.

"You know, I didn't plan on seeing you again so soon," N stated as Ash grabbed his hand. N then hoisted Ash up to his feet where he took a moment to steady himself.

"Neither did I, but I'm glad," Ash replied. There was no telling how things would've gone if N hadn't shown up. Then N's Zoroark approached him with Pikachu in his paws. Extending his partner to him, Ash smiled at Zoroark as he raised his hands to collect his partner. Ash grimaced visibly as he raised his left arm, and N realized he wouldn't be able to hold his Pokemon for the time being.

"Allow me," N said as he accepted Pikachu into his arms, creating a pocket to hold him for now. "We don't have much time. Let's not fall behind the others."

N and Ash were at the tail end of the mob of trainers that had rushed into building three of the complex. Entering the lobby, they all raced down the staircase into the basement where Ash was shocked to see the trainers rushing through a large hole in the far wall. The Lotus trainers began to call out some of their Pokemon, asking them to light the tunnel they had entered.

Ash and N were the last two to enter the tunnel, and N called for his Zoroark to cover their tracks. With ease Zoroark pulled a large steel cabinet in front of the tunnel, concealing it from view. This wouldn't suffice though as N called for Zoroark to attack the ceiling of the tunnel near the entrance. Doing so caused several pieces of earth to drop down, sealing off the tunnel completely.

"We should be safe for now," N stated with a sigh of relief. He then motioned for Ash to follow him as they jogged to catch up with the other trainers. The Lotus trainers had been helping the Red Skulls along, especially those whom they had hurt. There were no apologies, but no complaints from the Red Skulls since they had escaped the authorities.

As they all continued along the tunnel, they soon saw light at the end of it. Reaching this point, Ash was surprised to see that it simply led to another tunnel. This one however was refined by human hands, well-lit and there were train tracks on the ground.

"Is this one of the abandoned subway lines?" Ash asked curiously as he looked toward N who nodded.

"Yup. Some tunnels lead to the subway lines all over the city." N noted softly. "They say a Pokemon called Diglett actually made all of these tunnels underneath the city centuries ago."

Ash took a moment to marvel at that thought, but it would also explain how these tunnels lasted so long without collapsing.

"Come on everyone, let's keep moving!" N called out as he took charge, leading all of the trainers now.

They walked together for at least an hour before N declared that they had arrived at their destination. There was a ladder leading up a tight tunnel that would take them above ground. One by one the Red Skulls ascended this ladder. Those that struggled due to injuries were carried up the ladder on N's Zoroark. It was a little uncomfortable being seated on Zoroark's shoulders as he climbed, but it beat struggling to do so on his own.

As Ash reached the surface riding Zoroark, he was surprised to see the sun was already sinking into the horizon. N was the only member of the White Lotus to come out from the tunnel and he spoke with the trainers for a few moments.

"I don't know what your intentions were when you stepped into an area controlled by the White Lotus, but I will apologize on behalf of my trainers for their aggressive behavior," N began, much to their surprise. "I will hold them accountable for the injuries that they caused to you as trainers, but I believe eluding the police is payment enough. You all are currently located within the old steel mill on the wend end, so you should have no trouble getting home from here."

There was an earnest thanks from some of them as the group dispersed, but not from everyone. N approached Ash and placed Pikachu in his good arm.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" N asked him curiously.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Ash responded, though N could see that he was trying to conceal his discomfort.

"I hate to say this, but it's rough trying to be a trainer in this city. You can't come in with that half-hearted effort and think you'll make it. I'm not a big fan of how things work within our community of trainers, but I feel like this is something you still don't understand…" N stated as he studied Ash's expression. "You won't always have a fair battle. People will gang up on you, just like they did today. If you and your Pokemon can't overcome people being crooked when they battle you…you won't have a place here for very long."

N wore a stone face as he said this, without a hint of remorse in his voice. He made it abundantly clear to Ash that he couldn't be a part-time trainer. Even after all the training that he did with Pikachu, there was still a lot of work ahead of them if they wanted to compete with the best trainers in Vermilion City.

Movie night was a Sunday tradition for Shauna, Miette, and Serena as they were huddled together on a sofa within Shauna's one-bedroom apartment. Tonight, they watched an old romantic comedy with a predictable storyline, but they were enthralled nonetheless.

"I still can't believe girls fall for such cheesy lines," Miette exclaimed, though she realized her complaint fell on deaf ears as both Shauna and Serena swooned over the male lead.

Unfortunately, their escape from reality was shattered as someone banged on Shauna's door. Startled, she rose to her feet to answer the door.

"Did you have someone coming to visit, Shauna?" Serena inquired.

"Not that I know of. Did you order pizza or something?" Shauna asked her friends, but they shook their heads. With no conclusive answer, Shauna opened the door and gasped as she found Ash leading against Brock, using him to support his balance. "Oh my god!"

Movie night faced an interruption as Ash and Brock entered the apartment.

"Ash, what happened to you?" Miette exclaimed as she and Serena jumped off the couch to make room for him. Ash grimaced as he sat down, and Shauna took a seat beside him to conduct an examination.

"Were you in a fight?" Shauna asked as she helped him remove his shirt.

"Something…like that," Ash grunted as she got a look at his torso. There were discolorations all over his body which put a frown on Shauna's face, and her dismay only increased as she saw the scar on his forearm. "Can you look at my shoulder, I'm pretty sure it's dislocated."

Shauna adjusted her focus and immediately spotted the depression in his shoulder muscle. It was exactly as Ash stated.

"Miette, I need ice. Like a lot of it," Shauna stated with a glance to her friend. Miette gave a nod before she went off to the fridge. Shauna then looked to Serena and mouthed, 'talk to Brock, now!' Serena bit down on her lower lip before she looked at the entrance of Shauna's apartment where she caught Brock trying to slip away.

She pursued him out into the corridor, shutting the door on his way out.

"So, Ash," Shauna began as things grew quiet. "You're pretty beat up. Care to explain?"

"Shauna, let's keep this how it's always been, you patch me up, no questions asked," Ash said with a sigh. "And I'll make sure I pay you the next time I see you."

Ash lowered his voice as he said this, but not enough to ensure that Miette didn't hear him. Miette poked her head out of the kitchen as she heard this, but she swallowed her urge to ask about this right now. But she would definitely ask Shauna as soon as she had the chance.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Serena called out as she moved at a brisk pace to catch with Brock at the end of the corridor.

"I've got a little something to take care of," Brock replied as he continued.

"I need to talk with you," Serena interjected as she now matched his pace.

"You're welcome to walk with me,"

"Tell me what happened to Ash," Serena stated. Regardless of Shauna's little push for her to go after Brock, Serena wanted to know as well. Shauna mentioned that Ash would show up to her apartment with small injuries every now and then, but what she witnessed tonight certainly didn't fit that description. Not to mention, she wasn't sure if Shauna meant to share the information at the time, so Serena was now more curious than ever."

"Serena, I honestly think it'd be best if you didn't know," Brock answered.

"Why?" She exclaimed. "I care about Ash and his safety. He shouldn't be getting hurt like that, so I have every right to know about this!"

"Then why don't you talk to Ash about this?"

"Because I know that knucklehead will try to act like he's alright," She retorted with a huff. "So, come on Brock, out with it."

"Serena, I'm going to say this again. You really don't want to know how that happened to him," Brock insisted which confirmed her suspicions.

"It had to do with Pokemon, didn't it?" She concluded though she kept her voice low. Brock paused for a moment, and his hesitation was all Serena needed to know that she hit the nail on the head. "I've seen more Pokemon battles than you guys probably care to know about, and I know that if someone gets hurt the way Ash is…they're doing something that they shouldn't be doing. So why did that happen to him?"

"If I answer this, I want you to know that under any circumstance, you cannot try to interfere. You'll be putting yourself at risk, and Ash at even greater risk," Brock said as they arrived at the lobby of the apartment building. They came to a stop at the exit and Serena raised her brow as she waited for Brock to continue. As he made eye contact with her, he could tell that there was no way to avoid this, so he took a glance around the lobby to make sure that no one was present. "Ash…has been working with the Red Skulls."

Serena's expression didn't change. She mustered all of her willpower to restrain herself.

"So, you've known about this and you haven't told him to stop?" Serena asked him.

"I can't stop him," Brock said.

"What do you mean you can't?!" She snapped at him. "Brock, all of this is way too dangerous for him, for any normal person! You can't let him think that it's okay to run around town with a group of thugs and their Pokemon!"

Brock didn't respond to this as he stepped toward the exit.

"Brock, please," Serena was begging him now. "Ash knows that none of us want him to do this kind of stuff, but you're the only one who keeps supporting him and that's why he keeps trying. Just look at what it's doing to him!" Brock didn't make eye contact anymore. "He's hurt, and if this keeps up, he might be more than just hurt one day. And…I-I couldn't bear to see that. So please, stop giving him this false sense of hope that Pokemon is the answer."

"What are you saying?" Brock asked as he glanced back at her. "That I shouldn't help Ash achieve his dreams?"

"Not when you're putting him at risk. If you really loved Ash like the rest of us, you wouldn't be able to look at him while he's hurt and act like it's alright!" Serena said sharply. "If anything happens to Ash…I'll never forgive, Brock."

Brock looked away and left her in the lobby. He stepped out into the street and traveled up the sidewalk to reach his car. As he arrived at his car and unlocked it, he slid into the backseat beside the bags that Ash brought.

"Once you drop me off with Shauna, I need you to treat Pikachu," Ash explained to Brock as they pulled up in front of the apartment building where their friend lived. "In the second bag they gave me, you'll find some Potions that you can treat Pikachu with."

Brock placed his hand on the zipper of the duffle bag and opened it, and his eyes grew wide at what he found within it. There had to be at least ten thousand dollars, all bundled up for Ash. This was probably twice the rate that the Red Skulls would normally pay!

Brock looked up in thought and recalled what Ash told him about this weekend. Was it possible that these trainers that were sent into Lotus territory weren't actually members of the Red Skulls…and actually hired mercenaries that were used to stir up some trouble for the White Lotus?

He stroked at his chin. Brock had a funny feeling that this wasn't some small conflict that could be considered an afterthought after a few days. Something major was developing between the White Lotus and the Red Skulls.

With a sigh, Brock focused on his current task. He reached into the bag to obtain one of the Potions that Ash told him about. If this was part of payment, it made it that much more obvious that none of these trainers were expected to come out victorious from the situation they faced over the weekend. The Red Skulls knew that they would be beaten. Which meant they only did that to bring N onto the scene earlier today…but why?

Brock retrieved Pikachu's sleeping form from the backpack and rested the Pokemon on his lap. With the Potion in hand, Brock doused Pikachu with the purple liquid, and the bruises on his body faded somewhat. Pikachu's breathing relaxed, and he curled up on Brock's lap.

"You don't think it hurts to see them like this, Serena?" Brock asked in a whisper as he glanced out the window. "It does…but this is bigger than you could understand."

Brock looked back to the duffle bag to return the Potion to its rightful place. As he did so, he caught sight of the money that was tucked into the corner of the bag.

"But is this worth it…?"

A/N

Phew, a lot of work went into this chapter between me and my beta-reader MjrGenMatt. I'm really happy to finally upload this so I hope you all enjoyed it.

I'm now realizing that I never really talked about how frequently I intend to update this fic, so I might as well give you guys my plan now. I know you might not be the biggest fan of this, but once a month is usually my goal. I'm pretty busy as it is, so once a month gives me ample time to go over everything, discuss it with my beta-reader to make sure it's the highest quality we can achieve. We might surprise you guys and spit out two chapters a month, but I don't think we'll ever be rapidly updating this story like some authors on this site. I'm grateful to those of you who patiently wait for each chapter, and I sincerely hope each chapter leaves you satisfied…actually I'd prefer if they leave you wanting more, but it's whichever you prefer.

So thank you very much for reading, I hope you all have a wonderful day and I hope to see you again at the next update!