Set right after Cat Blanc in Miraculous and in the middle of Tag Team Battle Inspiration in Pokemon

Serena and Shauna had just run off to practice for the Anistar City Pokemon Showcase. Tierno and Ash decided to battle, and they were about to start, when Ash's phone rang. He took it out and answered. Right away, A teary-eyed face with blue-black pigtails filled the screen. Ash took one look at the caller and gasped.

"Oh my god, what happened to you? Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Marinette tried for a small smile, but failed. "I-I-" she sniffled. Ash glanced at Tierno.

"Could we put this battle on hold, please?"

"Oh, no, if you're busy, I can just call later-"

"Nope! You are going to talk to me, 'cause you're my best friend, and I don't like seeing you like this."

Tierno nodded. "We can finish later if you want," he offered. Ash shot a grateful look at the dancer. "Thanks."

He walked to the bench and sat down. "So what happened? Did you confess to Adrien? Or was it something Hawkmoth did? Or Chloe, or Lila-"

Marinette managed a laugh, albeit small. "Stop! I can tell you, y'know. You don't have to keep guessing."

Ash pouted, grinning at the screen. "Aw, but I like guessing games!"

"No you don't," Marinette retorted. "But no, it wasn't Chloe, or Lila-it was. . .me."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Or partly me, at least," Marinette corrected, glancing at something off screen. "It was Adrien's 5th namesday, and I wanted to drop off a present. I couldn't, but. . .Ladybug could. I transformed, and as I was leaving, Adrien caught a glimpse of me. He. . .figured out my secret identity, and he told Cat Noir, I guess. Bunnix pulled me into her burrow after, and said something had damaged the future. I told her what happened, and she sent me into a world-a parallel world where I was dating Cat and he knew who I was." She paused at this, trying to wipe away tears.

"Marinette, if you don't want to talk-"

"No, no, I have to. You're the only person I can talk to." Marinette took a deep breath, and continued. "Cat Noir was sitting on a roof-alone. He was wearing white, not black, so I was confused. I walked over to him, transformed, of course, and when he looked at me, it was like I shouldn't-coudn't be there, which was true. I asked him what was wrong, and he-he told me that-that our love did this. He gestured to our surroundings, and it was-was Paris. Flooded. I couldn't believe it, but when I looked closer and Cat No- Cat Blanc, I saw. . .he had been akumatized."

Ash gasped. "No-but how?"

Marinette gave another teary smile. "I asked the same thing. He told me that we were dating, both as civilians and as superheroes, and that when Hawkmoth figured it out, he tried to get him on his side. Apparently Hawkmoth was someone he knew, so when he was forced to choose, forced to choose between me and him, Hawkmoth. . .akumatized him. Into Cat Blanc. He-he turned me-or the me in that world-to stone. He did the same with Hawkmoth. Or not stone. When I touched them, they-they crumbled. I-I went back to Cat Blanc and tried to reason with him. I-it was working, I think, until he tried to get my e-earrings. What happened next-it was the hardest thing I had ever done. I had to fight my partner. I won, but it was close, and after I de-evilised his akuma, Bunnix pulled me back because I had saved the future. I stopped myself from giving my identity away, and now-now I have to pretend like it didn't happen, because it didn't -but it did, and I don't know how I can face Cat Noir now. And since you're the only person-person, not kwami- I can talk to, well. . ."

Ash wiped away a few of his own tears and gave Marinette a warm smile. "Like I said, you can talk to me about anything-anything, especially if it's how Chloe's a little bitch."

Marinette grinned, her first real smile since coming back, and nodded. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime," Ash answered. "And as for Cat Noir, well- he's your partner. He'll understand if you want to keep quiet about this."

Marinette nodded. "I should go."

"Bye." "Bye."

Ash let out a breath. He glanced at Tierno. "Well?"

Tierno grinned. "Thought you'd never ask!"