Chapter 17

Sunday, November 13th

Throwing open the front entrance to his home, Ash gave a cheerful call of 'I'm home!' to those present inside. Looking toward the entrance of the living room where he could hear the television running, Ash frowned with disappointment that no one had come to greet him. Sticking out his tongue as he kicked off his shoes, he kneeled down and removed his backpack, releasing Pikachu. Quickly climbing out of the bag with an exclamation of gratitude, Pikachu shook its fur before it scampered off into the living room to see who was here today.

Following his partner to the living room, Ash found Pikachu already resting comfortably in the lap of May as she stroked its back. Pikachu gave a content yawn with an expression of glee as May massaged it. It had been another long day of work for Pikachu, and nothing felt better than having its back rubbed.

Ash and Pikachu had taken full advantage of their freedom during the weekend, using this time to train all day with Giselle like they had the day before. Ash was loving every minute of this, but sadly he had school the next day so they had the cut the training short. He would've stayed out for at least another hour, but since Dawn and May were watching the girls today, he knew he had to relieve them early to make sure they didn't get into any trouble. Ash still couldn't believe that they had agreed to help him with such a big responsibility, and he thanked them graciously at every opportunity.

Taking a seat on the arm of the sofa beside May, Ash asked how their day had gone. Macy had taken charge in explaining what they had for lunch, and how they had gone to the park in the afternoon. Now they were absorbed in a movie that May had brought, one of her keepsakes from her childhood.

Macy was absolutely enthralled with the movie. It was geared toward her age group, centered around the life of a kidnapped princess, but it still managed to hold the interest of the older audience through the captivating story of how the princess was rescued by her soon to be prince charming. Once the movie had ended, Dawn and May said their goodbyes, promising Macy that they would be back again tomorrow. Ash saw them off, waving to them from the stairway in front of his home as they drove off.

Returning inside, he saw that it was almost nine o'clock and called for the girls to get ready for bed. Casey stuck her tongue out in response but complied with Ash's direction. Ash snatched up Macy in his arms and took her up to her room. She shared the events of the day with him once again, relating how much fun she had with Dawn and May. Ash was glad that Macy had taken such a liking to everyone that was watching her. It was keeping her mind off of Cassidy for the time being, and he was grateful for that.

Now in her room, Ash set Macy down on her bed and placed her covers over her. She babbled away the whole time for him, but was finally silenced when he placed a kiss on her forehead. Before he could say goodnight, Macy popped a question for him.

"Ashy, are you gonna sing for me?" She asked sweetly, and Ash could only stare at her with a dumbfounded expression.

"What for Macy?" Ash inquired as he took a seat beside her on her bed. She had never asked for anything like this before.

"Everybody sings for me before bed." She pointed out, and Ash furrowed his brow. Since when? "First was Shauna, then Serena. After that was...May."

Macy listed the people that had sung for her already and was Ash shocked that she had indeed listened everyone that had watched her for the past week. Clearly, this had become a routine that she was already grown accustomed to, and it appeared as though she wouldn't be making an exception for him.

"Did you like having them sing to you?" Ash asked her, and she gave him a big nod, her eyes sparkling.

"Now I want you to sing for me." Macy said eagerly, and Ash gave a nervous chuckle. He had heard Serena and Shauna sing before and already knew that he couldn't hold a candle to them. Fortunately, Macy had also mentioned that Brock had sung for her, so at the very least Ash had to be better than him.

"Alright Macy, but I'll let you know, I'm not that good at singing." Ash said to her, but she waved off his warning.

"Ashy, you're the best!" She declared, motioning for him to start.

Ash gulped audibly, running through his mind for something to sing to her. Settling on the song Brock had sung to him just a week ago, Ash cleared his throat and began to sing for Macy. She looked at him earnestly at first, a smile on her face, but as he continued her smile gradually faded. Seeing her excitement disappear, Ash's voice faltered and he solemnly admitted that he was finished.

"Okay Ashy, you're not the best singer." Macy noted, placing her small hand on top of his own to comfort him. Ash laughed a bit at her statement, thanking her for being so nice.

"So who did you like the most Macy, Shauna or Serena?" Ash figured that his question would take some time for Macy to answer, but she already knew what to say.

"May."

"May?" Ash repeated, looking down at her.

"Yeah. She's the best." Macy said, and Ash raised his eyebrows. That phrase had always been used for him exclusively, not that he minded of course. He just hadn't been expecting May to be the answer.

"Hmm. I guess I'll just have to hear her myself then. Alright, get some sleep Macy, I'll see you in the morning." Ash said to himself as he leaned over, placing another kiss on Macy's forehead. Tucking in her covers, he rose from the bed and left the room, shutting off the light as he did so.

Monday, November 14th

Fantina clapped her hands, calling for her students' attention as she stood at the front of the classroom. The room quickly became quiet, and Fantina welcomed her students to a new week of classes.

Ash yawned quietly as he leaned back into his seat, lazily watching Fantina as she quickly reviewed their discussion from last Friday. He didn't care much for the art history lessons Fantina gave, but he enjoyed seeing some of the classical work that was done centuries ago.

"And today, we will be starting a spécial three week group project." Fantina declared to her class, most of which perked up at this. Last week had mostly been lessons from Fantina so that she could give them one of the few tests she gave during the year. The mention of something a little more active was a welcome relief for her students. "With all of the-" Fantina frowned, searching her mind for the word she wanted to use. "-lectures, we had last week, I want to see what you have learned. So I will be putting you in teams of three and assigning a period of time to each group. The three of you will then be tasked with recreating a piece done from the time period you've been assigned."

This got her students' full attention as they all anxiously waited to see who they would be working with. Approaching her desk, Fantina looked to the list she had made, beginning to read off groups for the class.

As the groups began to form, May found herself anxiously waiting in her seat to hear her name called. She was hoping that she was paired with Ash or Dawn. It didn't matter which of the two, but just someone that could offset how little May would contribute. The brunette was as far from artistic as one could be, so she was hoping that one of Ash or Dawn would come to her rescue. May could hardly contain her surprise when her name was finally called.

"May Maple, Ash Ketchum and Dawn Berlitz." Fantina stated.

"What?" May exclaimed, receiving everyone attention.

"Is something the matter mademoiselle?" Fantina inquired as she looked toward May. In response May began to laugh sheepishly, her cheeks becoming red with embarrassment. She didn't mean to have an outburst, but she couldn't believe how lucky she was. Being with both Ash and Dawn meant there was no chance that she could have a negative impact on this project.

Once Fantina had finished putting the groups together, she encouraged her class to begin brainstorming because the project was due in two weeks. Pulling three desks together near the back of the room, Ash, Dawn, and May sat together to begin working. The time period they would be studying was roughly a century ago. The early modern era.

"Fantina didn't really cover this one now that I think about it." Dawn noted as she and May looked through their notes on this time period. "Ash, how much to do you have?"

"Huh...uh..." Ash covered his notes with his arm, causing both Dawn and May shoot him a look of confusion. "Not much, like you guys."

"Can I see what you have?" Dawn asked him skeptically, and Ash looked away from her.

"You're hiding something aren't you Ash?" May proclaimed as she leaned over, beginning to poke at Ash's sides. He began to squirm, being forced to raise his arms which allowed Dawn to snatch the papers he had been hiding. Dawn briefly scanned his page for a few moments before looking up at Ash in a deadpan.

"Ash, do you even take notes?" Dawn asked as she set down the papers for May to see.

"We're in art class, why would I take notes?" Ash retorted as May looked over the pages Dawn had passed to her. While Dawn had taken some detailed notes about the material Fantina had covered in class, Ash had nothing more than a bunch of doodles on each of the pages. He dated each page, but it was nothing but sketches beyond that. May stifled a laugh while Dawn looked at him incredulously.

Dawn then raised her hand, calling Fantina over to them. Ash stared at her in a deadpan, wondering if she was going to tell Fantina that he hadn't been taking notes during the lectures.

"Ms. Fantina, the time period you gave us is kind of vague. We didn't go over it much in class." Dawn pointed out to their instructor who looked up to recall what she had assigned them.

"Ah, I remember," Fantina said as she went to a nearby table to retrieve a stool, then she joined them at their trio of desks. Her voice became hushed as she leaned in to speak with them. "The time period I gave you was a dark time. It was right after the Great Crisis."

Ash perked up, recalling that he had heard a short story about this subject once before. Dawn and May, on the other hand, gave their teacher an odd look.

"I've never heard-" May began, but Fantina raised a finger to her own mouth as a gesture for May to speak quietly. Lowering her voice, May began to speak again. "I've never heard of that. I don't think we ever covered something like that in history class, right Dawn?"

"No, I haven't heard about a 'Great Crisis' either." Dawn added.

"It's modern history, something that people are trying to forget," Fantina explained solemnly. "I selected this time period because it was a very emotional time for people all over the world, and the artwork from that time was very percutant err, uh powerful."

"What happened that made everyone so emotional?" May asked, causing Fantina to sigh as she straightened up. She looked around her classroom, taking a moment to admire the generation that she instructed, as well as the fact that a piece of history had successfully been withheld from them. Returning her gaze to the trio in front of her, she shook her head.

"It's not my place to tell. In fact, I shouldn't know about it myself." Fantina admitted, surprising the group.

"Then how did you learn about it?" Ash cut in.

"It was one of my research assignments while I was studying for my teaching certificate," Fantina explained. "The libraries in Sinnoh are very deep, and I uncovered information that had been buried for years most likely."

"Wow, so cool!" Dawn exclaimed. She had seen pictures on the internet of an enormous library in a small place called Celestic Town. It was said to have some of the oldest texts of recorded history.

"I see that I've put you all between a rock and a hard place, so I'll find some references for you all to work with tomorrow." Fantina suggested, wrapping up their discussion on this subject. The three of them thanked her, and Dawn decided to it was best to think about what medium they should use.

While she and May began to go over the pros and cons of each medium, Ash became lost in his thoughts concerning one subject.

The Great Crisis.

Ash had this subject come up among a group of trainers while he and Brock were out one night many months ago. It was a vague story, and not even Brock could give him the details about this. But it was described as the day Pokemon turned on mankind.

It shattered the trust between people and Pokemon.

With so many blanks to fill in surrounding this story, all Ash could do was wonder would it would take for the relationship between people and Pokemon to recover from that dark time.

It was almost nine o'clock as Ash hastily entered his home. Unless he had to work that afternoon, Cassidy would normally berate Ash for staying out so late on a school night. In her absence, Macy of all people would do the same. Of course, her reasoning was different compared to Cassidy's. The small girl simply missed him if he didn't get home before she went to bed, and she made it a point to voice this to him.

Poking his head into the living room, Ash took a quick glance around in search of the girls. The only person present in the room was Casey who was absorbed in a TV program.

"Pssst." Ash said to get her attention. "Did May leave already?"

"No, she's putting Macy to bed." Casey responded, pointing upward. "You're so late, Macy has been trying to wait for you."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Ash mumbled as he went over to the staircase, making the quick trip upstairs. Heading straight for Macy's room, he could hear her giggling as he approached the doorway. Ash raised his eyebrows as he entered to find them both munching on a plate of cookies, a glass of milk resting on the nightstand beside Macy. Narrowing his eyes as they looked toward them, Macy beamed at him while May refused to make eye contact.

"Ashy!" Macy exclaimed as she set down her cookie to wave to him with both hands.

"Macy, you know you don't get sweets before bed." Ash pointed out immediately. Macy struggled to sleep if she had sugar before bed, but she also couldn't resist having sweets at every opportunity. In response, Macy smiled innocently, causing Ash to roll his eyes. As much as he wanted to reprimand her, he couldn't find it in his heart to do so when she made such a face.

"Sorry Ash, it was my idea." May admitted, but this caused Ash to smirk.

"Don't worry about it." Ash said as he came over to the bed, picking up the plate that they had been eating from. "But I'll be having the rest of these."

"Hey! No fair!" Macy said, reaching toward the plate which Ash held just out of her reach. He lowered his head and blew a raspberry at her and she made the same face at him in response.

"Drink your milk and to sleep, Macy." He said to her. "May will tuck you in, alright?"

With a huff Macy obliged, allowing Ash to hand her the glass of milk which she slurped down noisily. Ash grimaced at the sounds, earning a laugh from May.

"I'll be right back." Ash said, deciding to leave the room rather than listen to Macy as she drank. She was young, but Macy was smart. She knew Ash hated it when she drank like that, and she was likely doing in on purpose to get back at him for confiscating her cookies. With a chuckle, Ash shook his head at Macy's antics. Clearly, she had learned a few things from Casey.

Entering his own room, Ash set the plate down on his nightstand and sat down to remove his backpack. Opening it up, Pikachu practically jumped out of it to shake its fur and stretch out its limbs.

"Sorry Pikachu, I know it's not comfortable in there. I still don't have a timetable on a Pokeball for you." Ash said as he retrieved one of the cookies, offering it to Pikachu.

"Pi-ka." It muttered in response, shooting him a narrow glance. Ash rolled his eyes, wondering how Pikachu could complain about hiding in his backpack every day, and then refuse the comforts of a Pokeball.

"Oh brother." Ash mumbled as he watched his partner begin to nibble at the cookie while it remained seated on the floor. Rising to his feet, Ash left his room to go check on Macy now that he was finished with Pikachu for the most part. Stepping back into the corridor, he could faintly hear a voice that was almost angelic.

Was that...May?

Listening as he approached Macy's room, Ash felt as though he had been uplifted. It was such a pure and soothing voice. Just listening to a few of the lyrics as May sang, it was no wonder Macy liked her voice so much. She was simply amazing.

Arriving at the entrance to Macy's room, Ash leaned against the door frame to watch May as she sang. Her eyes were closed and her head raised, and the softness of her voice was lulling Macy to sleep. Ash raised his eyebrows as he thought back to the first real discussion he had with May earlier in the school year.

She had shared her lack of decisiveness with him and that she was uncertain about her future. Yet, she had an incredible voice. How could she think she didn't have a future while sitting on a talent like this!?

"Sleep pretty darling, do not cry. And I will sing a lullaby."

Ash felt as if her words were caressing him, as though he was in the arms of his mother when he was younger. Smiling faintly, Ash remained silent as May traveled through the chorus of her song one final time. Upon finishing, she glanced down at Macy and smiled proudly that she had put Macy to sleep. Rising from the bed, May turned to leave but she found Ash standing in the doorway.

He raised a finger to his lips, motioning for her to remain quiet until they were outside of her room. Once he had shut the door, May slapped his shoulder, giving him a hard stare.

"What was that for?" Ash grumbled.

"Why didn't you say anything? I thought it was just me and Macy." May pointed, irritated that he had been eavesdropping on her small performance.

"Is that a problem?" Ash asked her in return. May's cheeks reddened a bit as she looked away from him now. It only took Ash a moment to realize it might have been embarrassing for May, and he felt a touch of guilt for listening in on her.

"I don't normally sing in front of other people," May confessed. "I'm usually alone."

"So...you're telling me no one knows that you can sing like that?"

May shook her head.

"The only people I have ever sung for was my mom and little brother." She explained, and Ash frowned a bit at her. "What?"

"You can really sing though. Why would you hide it?" Ash asked her curiously.

"I'm not...trying to hide it." May reasoned through pursed lips. "I never really felt the need to, broadcast to everyone that I can sing. Kind of like how you don't show off that you can draw really well."

"Fair point," Ash said with a nod before smirking a bit at May. "So would you sing for Dawn tomorrow if I told her?"

"NO!" May proclaimed, causing Ash to shush her harshly. May's cheeks reddened out of embarrassment. "No, don't tell her."

"Why not, I thought you said you weren't hiding it?"

"I'm not." May protested with a huff, shooting Ash a sharp stare. He gave her a wink in response which caused May to exhale exasperatedly. "Fine, I don't want anyone to know. Not yet, at least."

"If you won't sing for Dawn, how come you'll sing for Macy?" Ash asked her curiously.

"It reminds me of when I was younger before my family had moved to Vermilion City. We used to travel a lot because of my dad's job, so we'd be sleeping in a different hotel almost every night. It was hard for my little brother to sleep properly, so my mom would sing to help him get to sleep." May related to Ash, smiling fondly at the thought of her mother. "My mom is amazing, and listening to her every night is the reason I started to sing. I couldn't imagine what it would've been like without her, so now when I see Macy I just want to make sure that she's alright since her mom can't be here for her right now."

Ash smiled faintly, thoroughly impressed with May's level of concern for his sister.

"May, I'm pretty sure I've said this before but, you rock." Ash said which caused her to beam brightly with a giggle.

"Hey, I try." She replied, shrugging her shoulders. Her expression became more thoughtful as she looked at Ash. "So um, are you okay?"

May saw Ash's expression darken momentarily, then he pursed his lips as he looked away from her.

"I'm a-o-kay May." He replied, brushing aside her look of concern.

May frowned as Ash turned, beginning to make his way down to corridor to the staircase. Ash could be so enigmatic at times. She wondered if that was what Dawn found so attractive about him. May never cared much for mysterious guys that were hard to read, but maybe the challenge was what won Dawn's attention.

Either way, May shrugged and followed him downstairs. It was already late and the last thing she wanted to catch an earful of her father's complaining that she was out on a school night.

Tuesday, November 15th

"Ash, are you okay back there? You haven't said anything in a while." May noted as she looked up at the rearview mirror. She and Dawn were seated in the front of her car as they drove to Dawn's house, while Ash was seated in the back with his nose buried in the book Fantina had provided them in class today.

"Uh, yeah, yeah I'm good." Ash mumbled back, far too absorbed in the contents of this book to give a proper response.

"Don't forget Ash, once we get to my house that book is supposed to be in my hands." Dawn proclaimed, earning a snort from Ash and a deep sigh from May.

Fantina had come through for them, just as she said she would. During their first period class when this trio was together with their art teacher, she gave them a book entitled 'The History of Modern Art.' As the title suggested, the book covered artwork from the modern era which had started roughly three hundred years ago. The pieces within it were amazing, all of which had an analysis by the author of the book. While Ash went from page to page examining the artwork, Dawn wanted to read the thoughts of the author which took far too long in Ash's opinion.

They had attempted to share the book during first period, but the two of them had literally butted heads trying to study the art. May and the rest of Fantina's class couldn't believe that Ash and Dawn were having such a petty squabble over this book. Realizing that they wouldn't be able to share the book at the same time, Ash and Dawn decided that one of them would have the book for a class period. Once the allotted time was up, they would hand it off to the other person 'willingly.' May must have rolled her eyes at least a dozen times today watching them exchange the book. There was even a point where Ash wouldn't let go of it in the hallway and Dawn started to shout at him in the midst of the all the traffic between classes.

Ash was amazed by what he was seeing in this book. He had never cared much for art history, but with their subject being the Great Crisis, Ash couldn't deny that his interest was piqued. This book covered the modern era perfectly as well.

Ash could see the contrast before and after the Great Crisis.

The artwork from before the Great Crisis featured Pokemon in it. Even some of the great and powerful Pokemon that were feared presently were painted or drawn in great detail. Proof that the artists were able to get close and examine these Pokemon extensively. Following the tragedy that was the Great Crisis, the artwork took on a completely different feeling.

Chaos was the predominant quality of almost every piece. Destruction filled the landscape, sorrow occupied everyone's expression. Pokemon were now absent from every piece. It was just as Fantina had said, the artwork was very powerful. Ash didn't know all of the details surrounding this event, but seeing the depictions through the art was a chilling experience. It was like he was being drawn into that time period and witnessing the deluge of emotions that people were going through. Terror and fear had filled their hearts as they mourned over those who were lost.

Hearing someone knock on the glass beside him, Ash blinked repeatedly before looking out the window. Dawn was standing outside of his door, looking at him expectantly. With a quick glance, Ash saw that they were parked in Dawn's driveway and both girls had already gotten out of the car.

"Time's up Ash, hand it over!" Dawn declared, causing Ash to sigh with irritation.

Unbuckling his seat belt, he opened the door to climb out the car with his backpack. Dawn looked at him intently, waiting for him to pass the book that was rightfully hers for the next hour. Rather than give it to her directly, he raised his arm straight up, holding the book above her.

"Take it then." He responded, sticking out his tongue at her.

"Why are you being so impossible today Ash?!" Dawn hollered at him as she began to grab at the book, but Ash's stature kept it well out of reach. With a sigh, May decided to bring Dawn's struggle to an end as she approached Ash. Tickling the armpit of his raised arm, Ash dropped the book immediately, jumping away from May instinctively. The book would've hit the ground if Dawn hadn't been so persistent, catching it on its way down.

"The heck?" Ash exclaimed, shooting May a funny look. She raised an eyebrow at him, wearing a smirk.

"You'd be surprised what I've learned about you from Casey and Macy." May commented, and Ash paled in response. He had no trouble picturing Casey exposing all of his secrets and weaknesses to his friends.

Looking past May, Ash caught sight of everything else that was taking place at the Berlitz Estate. The driveway that had empty every time Ash had visited in the past, was now occupied with several black vehicles.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Ash inquired, pointing to all of the cars and trucks.

"Oh yeah, my dad is home for the next few days." Dawn replied casually as she motioned for them to follow her up the grass lawn to the front door.

"So, what's all this for?" Ash asked again.

"That's his security Ash." May said knowingly, and Ash's mouth hung open for a few moments.

"Security?" He exclaimed. "What does he do for work?"

"He does a lot of things if I had to be honest. Like he owns the shipping yards downtown, he runs a lot of businesses and sponsors all sorts of things." Dawn explained before she decided to summarize everything she had shared. "He's a tycoon."

"So that's how you guys afford this place." Ash pointed out, earning a chuckle from May. As they arrived at the front door, both doors were opened for them by two men in black suits.

"Afternoon, Dawn." They said together, sparing her a nod.

"Thank you." Dawn said kindly as she, Ash and May stepped into the foyer. "It's good seeing you guys again."

"Likewise." One of them replied as the doors were closed. They then stepped toward Ash and May, causing the brunette to sigh audibly.

"What's it going to take for me to get security clearance like Dawn?" May asked them, causing one of them to chuckle.

"Only the big boss can give security clearance." He replied with an apology. May groaned as she took off her bag, allowing them to quickly check it. They did the same to Ash backpack before clearing them for entrance into the household.

"So where are we going to work Dawn?" May asked curiously as Dawn led them past the entrance to her kitchen.

"I figured we could my workshop in the basement today." Dawn explained as they traveled into a long corridor where a circular stairwell was waiting for them.

"You have a workshop?" Ash exclaimed, disbelief written all over his face as they arrived at the stairwell. Before they could begin to descend down the stairs, a well-dressed gentleman stepped out of one of the rooms further down the hall and waved upon spotting Dawn.

"Ah Miss Dawn, you're home early today." Darach remarked as he approached the trio.

"Yeah, we got a lift home with May," Dawn replied, noticing that Darach's gaze now rested on Ash. "Oh right, I don't think you've met yet. This is Ash, one of my friends from school."

"It's pleasure to meet you," Darach said as he bowed deeply to Ash. "I am Darach, the butler of this household."

"Nice to meet ya." Ash responded, scratching the back of his neck with a chuckle. No one had ever addressed him like this before. He felt so, dignified!

"Is there anything you all would like to eat?" Darach offered, causing Dawn and May to look up thoughtfully. Then they looked toward Ash since this was his first official visit to Dawn's home.

"What would you like Ash?" Dawn asked him, and he made a face since the decision had been left up to him. He shrugged his shoulders after a few moments, unsure of what Darach could prepare for them.

"I don't know." He replied.

"Okay then, how hungry are you?" May asked with a smug grin. She had seen Ash's appetite at lunch, and it was no secret that Ash could put away a meal when he was ready. Right on cue, Ash's stomach voiced its opinion and the girls couldn't help but giggle. "If I may make a suggestion...Darach can make some mean sliders Ash."

Ash's eyes lit up at the prospect, and once Darach listed what he could use as the contents to these small sandwiches Ash was practically drooling. For someone that was usually so calm and composed, Ash could act pretty silly until his appetite was sated.

"I'll have them ready for you all in thirty minutes or less." Darach declared before he promptly left for the kitchen.

"Don't skimp either Darach, this guy can eat!" May called out to the butler. Ash gave May a narrow glance for this comment, but she only grinned at him in response.

"Come on guys, this way." Dawn said as she stood in the stairwell, motioning for them to follow her. Keeping pace with Dawn as they journeyed down to the basement level of the estate, the bluenette led them to into a sizable room that was dedicated to housing various art supplies. Ash was astonished by all of the tools Dawn had at her disposal and whistled at the sight of it all.

"Whoa, you've been holding out on me Dawn." He noted, waiting to hear a response from Dawn. Receiving nothing in reply, Ash looked toward the bluenette and discovered that she was already seated on a nearby bean bag chair with the art history book on her lap.

"So uh, what should we do Ash?" May asked him up realizing that they would hardly be getting input from Dawn for now.

"Well I guess you and I can choose the medium and start brainstorming our composition." Ash pointed out, receiving a nod from her as they went over to one of the tables at the center of the room.

Time passed quickly as the two of them went over this topic, throwing ideas back and forth. Ash was both surprised and impressed with May. After seeing her artistic ability...or lack of it in class, he wasn't expecting much from her. However, she turned out to be an incredible brainstorm partner. May was very vocal, and she had some sound ideas that they could use as a foundation.

Taking May's thoughts and putting them down on paper, the two of them built up two different compositions before Darach called for their attention. He stood in the entryway to Dawn's workshop.

"Mister Ash, I'd like to request your assistance in bringing down your snacks." Darach said, and Ash was standing beside the butler in a heartbeat.

"You got it." Ash said with a small salute. Then he spared May and Dawn a wave before he left, entering the corridor with Darach. They walked in silence for a few moments, reaching the stairwell before Darach cleared his throat.

"So Mister Ash, I've actually been looking forward to meeting you." Darach revealed to him, and Ash raised his eyebrows.

"Really? What for?" Ash inquired.

"Miss Dawn speaks very fondly of you. I think it's fair to say most of the staff of this household have been curious to see this young man who left such a strong impression on her." Darach explained, and Ash felt his cheeks heat up. For whatever reason, he could picture Dawn gushing to her family about him.

"Gee, I don't really know what to say." Ash replied with a chuckle.

"Say no more, I actually had something I wanted to speak to you about," Darach confessed as they arrived at the stairwell. Ash was surprised at this. He didn't really think anyone in Dawn's house would give him the time of day during his visit. "You see, Dawn shared with me your interest in Pokemon."

Darach glanced at Ash, spotting a small frown on his face upon hearing this news.

"Not to worry. I understand the public's view of Pokemon may not be a positive one, but this household has nothing against trainers and their Pokemon." Darach stated, and Ash was truly surprised by this. Darach couldn't help but snort at the expression of shock Ash wore.

"Are you serious?" He asked Darach tentatively.

"Indeed. In fact, the previous owner of this house used to possess many Pokemon. I grew fond of them while I served her." Darach explained and Ash's interest was piqued. Could he meet this woman?

"She was the 'previous' owner...did she move or something?" Ash inquired, and Darach became silent for a few moments. They reached the top of the staircase, and he led Ash down the corridor to the main foyer. Ash furrowed his brow with confusion, wondering if he had touched on a sensitive subject. These concerns were put to rest as they entered the foyer and Darach led him over to a large painting that hung on the wall.

It was a portrait of a beautiful woman with long brown hair that was seated on a colorful sofa. She smiled warmly for the painter, entertaining the pair of Pokemon that accompanied her. Standing beside the sofa was a Gardevoir who looked down at the woman fondly, but the other Pokemon caught Ash's attention. He didn't recognize this one, but its silky mane and nine tails stood out to him.

"This is Lady Caitlin, the previous owner. She...passed away." Darach explained with a deep sigh.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Ash apologized, but Darach waved it off.

"It's not your fault," Darach replied. How could Ash have known any of this? Looking up at the painting, Darach took a moment to pay his respects as he always did, then he turned back to Ash. "She was truly an exceptional woman. She will be missed."

Darach then motioned for Ash to follow him as they made their way to the kitchen.

"Oh, I went off topic," Darach noted with a chuckle, readjusting his glasses. "I didn't call you to discuss Lady Caitlin. I wanted to offer you tickets."

"Tickets? To what?" Ash asked.

"Underground matches." Darach said and once again Ash was shocked by something Darach has shared with him. Tickets to the official matches of the underground circuit were hard to come by and typically on the high end of the price spectrum. These battles were held within a secluded location, in front of an audience to determine who was the best trainer among those in Vermilion City. Pokemon battles took place all over the city where any trainer could participate, but underground matches were where you'd find the trainers and Pokemon of the highest caliber. The professionals. The people that Ash wanted to battle.

"No way. How'd you get them?" Ash asked in a hushed voice, glancing around to make sure no one was listening.

"Mister Ash, as I said this is a neutral household. No one is going to give you hard time about Pokemon here." Darach responded, motioning for Ash to relax. "Now as for how these tickets were obtained, it was through Mr. Berlitz, the current owner of this estate."

"Is he a trainer?" Ash exclaimed though he frowned at the thought. Dawn had mentioned that her father was a business tycoon, so there was no way he had the time to balance Pokemon training with the rest of his responsibilities.

"He's nothing of the sort. However he is well renowned within the underground circuit as a sponsor, so he regularly receives tickets to observe the matches." Darach explained to Ash. "Unfortunately, these tickets always go to waste. He is a very busy man, and he rarely has time to attend these. When I heard of your interest in Pokemon, I thought that you might be someone who would appreciate these."

"Heck yeah, you better believe I will!" Ash declared. He could hardly believe such an opportunity had been dropped into his lap like this.

"Excellent." Darach said as they entered the kitchen, and Ash's focus shifted. He raised his head, catching the aroma of grilled meat. Scanning the kitchen briefly, Ash's gaze became fixated on the island at the center of the room where a platter of well-crafted sliders was waiting for them. They were practically sparkling as Ash stared at them hungrily. "I will retrieve the tickets for you Ash. It will only take a few minutes, feel free to have one of your sliders in the meantime."

Darach spared Ash one last glance as he left the kitchen, making his way to the den of Mr. Berlitz. The owner of the house was preoccupied with a conference call, allowing Darach to freely enter and exit his private chamber. Entering this dimly lit room, Darach quickly approached the wooden desk near the fireplace and rummaged through the contents of one of the drawers before finding the tickets. Each of them was laminated with a barcode on the bottom, likely to ensure that these could only be used once. Tucking the tickets into the breast pocket of his jacket, Darach promptly left the room and shut the door softly.

He still couldn't believe what a stroke of luck this was.

That Ash would appear right in front of him this week of all weeks.

This opportunity couldn't be more perfect!

Journeying back to the kitchen, Darach's jaw almost dropped as he discovered that Ash had eaten all three of the sliders that had been prepared for him. Darach couldn't have been gone for more than three minutes, so there was no way Ash could have eaten them all so quickly. Then May's brief warning to him rung out in his ears. As he observed the young man, Darach could see a look of contentment on Ash's face which left him to assume that the sliders had done their job.

"Uh, Darach right?" Ash said, noticing that the butler had returned. Darach gave him a nod as he approached the island where Ash was standing. "Those sliders were amazing! I...couldn't really control myself."

Darach wasn't sure whether he should be impressed or horrified at the fact that Ash had devoured that meal in less than five minutes. Brushing this thought aside, Darach thanked Ash with a small bow and cleared his throat.

"Here are the tickets for you." Darach stated, pulling them out of his pocket for Ash. His eyes began to sparkle as these tickets were placed in his hands.

"You have no idea how much I appreciate this. Thanks so much!" Ash said almost giddily. Reading the tickets, he saw that they were for the matches taking place this weekend! He couldn't wait to see these, and he knew exactly who he was bringing!

Saturday, November 19th

"Oh man, I can't believe we're going to be seeing pro matches tonight!" Brock exclaimed and Ash nodded excitedly.

He, Ash and Pikachu stood on the rocky shoreline to the west of Vermilion City. They were waiting in a line to gain entry to the Hidden Cove, the stadium where professional Pokemon battles took place. Getting there was no small task.

The stadium itself had earned its name for where it was located. The rocky shoreline led up to some steep cliffs, but the cove was tucked away in a portion of the cliffs that had been hollowed out. Sunlight was provided through the main entrance of the cove, but man-made lights had been installed all over the place for the darker hours of the evening.

To reach this cove required the skill of a seasoned maritime captain to guide a boat into this cove or the maneuverability of a water Pokemon. The latter was what Brock and Ash had used to reach the cove.

There was a small beach on the western end of Vermilion City where several trainers were stationed. They provided the water transportation to get those attending these battles to the cove and back when the night was over. Ash was absolutely ecstatic at the opportunity to ride a Mantine to the cove and Pikachu was glad to make the acquaintance of the marine Pokemon. It was roughly a fifteen-minute ride on Mantine to the cove, and Ash marveled as he realized the beach was actually within the low cliff they were approaching. Disembarking at the beach, the group gave thanks to Mantine for the ride before it began its return trip to Vermilion City to pick up its next set of passengers.

Ash and Brock followed some of the other guests further into the area. A large portion of the cliff had been hollowed out for where the stadium was built. It wasn't clear if the open cave was natural or not, but it was impressive to observe. Spotlights had been set up at various places for once the sun had set, and they could see some very tall lights extending from the open roof the stadium, casting light down onto the battlefield.

Many people had already gathered outside of the stadium, with dozens of Pokemon roaming about as well. With no chance of the authorities even discovering this stadium, everyone present could have peace of mind knowing that their Pokemon could do as they pleased.

Some of the guests marveled at the sight of some of the large Pokemon, while some of the trainers spoke among themselves. The participants of tonight's battles were the first people to set foot in the stadium. It would be another fifteen minutes before they started letting in the audience. Lining up with everyone else, Ash and Brock couldn't wait to see some of the matches that would be taking place soon.

One of the attendants came by handing out the match schedule for those interested. Ash gladly accepted one and raised his brow as he studied the front of the program. The cover was dedicated to advertising the main event for tonight.

'Trek' vs 'Hydration.'

Upon entering the underground circuit, trainers could select an alias to go by rather than using their real name. It became a way for trainers to battle freely on the streets without the danger of their identity becoming known to the authorities.

"Whoa, last time I was here they didn't promote the main event like this." Brock noted as he looked at the program with Ash.

"Who are these guys?" Ash asked him, and Brock pulled out his phone, quickly accessing the PokeHub. Scrolling through the profiles, he found 'Hydration' first.

"Jonah 'Hydration' Romano," Brock stated as he began to read through his profile. "He has two Pokemon registered in the circuit, a Poliwhirl and a Staryu."

"Oh, so he mainly uses water types." Ash said, getting a nod from Brock.

"He's rank forty-one in the entire circuit," Brock exclaimed, realizing that they were going to be seeing one of the best trainers in the city tonight. Returning to the profile list, Brock began to search for 'Trek' now. "If they're pushing the main event like this then the other trainer must be really good...oh, here he is."

Ash looked at Brock, anxiously waiting to hear the information about 'Trek.' His friend became pale though as he looked through the profile of this trainer.

"Well?" Ash asked him, motioning for Brock to speak.

Brock bit down on his lower lip, uncertain of if he should speak. With a deep breath, he simply gave Ash his phone to let him read for himself.

Accepting the device, Ash discovered that his thumb had landed on the back button, taking him back out to the rankings. Glancing at the names of the top five trainers, he saw that 'Trek' was ranked fifth and sporting an undefeated record throughout his eight-year career in the underground circuit.

Although his record was very small, participating in only nineteen matches during this eight-year span. Most trainers would take part in the number of battles that this man has in just one year. Opening his profile, Ash quickly discovered why this man was ranked so highly despite such low participation in the circuit.

'Trek' was the King of the Red Skulls.

And his name was...Aaron 'Trek' Ketchum.

Ash's father.

A/N

Welp, enjoy your cliffhanger. The following two chapters go hand in hand with this one and I can't wait for you all to see them. Lots of cool stuff up ahead that I think you'll enjoy.

Also, have to give credit to The Beatles for the line I used from 'Golden Slumbers.' Great song, that admittedly, I heard in the movie 'Sing' that was produced by Illumination. I really love that movie regardless of how it was received.

Gotta give a shoutout to MjrGenMatt for his help with this chapter especially. We discussed a lot of stuff in this one so I'm happy to finally put this one out there.

Thanks for reading, drop a review and I'll see you all again soon!