A/N: (*Cue the whaaaaaa sequence!) Whaaaaaaaaaat?! Holy crap, it hasn't been two weeks yet!
Hello, my lovely readers. I am back with a chapter. So enjoy the earliness~
Disclaimers: You know the drill. I don't own Pokemon, but ya'll know that. It's owned by Game Freak and Nintendo in general. This story and plot are mine and yaddy yaddy yadda.
Onward to things Pokemon related!
Edited as of June 18th, 2018. Happy reading!
"Life seems sometimes like nothing more than a series of losses, from beginning to end. That's the given. How you respond to those losses, what you make of what's left, that's the part you have to make up as you go." - Katharine Weber
Chapter 5: Intensity's Aftermath
"Ash, wait!" Aurora called out.
The woman stopped where she was and looked around for the brown-eyed boy. He was nowhere to be seen. So, she decided to use her main method for tracking people. She looked around to make sure no one was near her. Then, she made her eyes completely yellow, with no whites in them.
Aurora decided to use her aura vision to view the world from the perception of aura. Everything looked distorted and had a bright array of colors. The corridor's lights were orange because of the heat they produced, but the floor had a rainbow of different colors from different people passing by. Aurora knew how to differentiate the different aura on the ground by looking for the recently added aura. She noticed that a dark blue aura had a distinct path and that it made up most of the coloration of the floor. She knew that Ash had recently passed by the area and decided to follow that aura.
"Ash!" Aurora called out again.
Aurora knew she reached the end of the path. The room she'd entered had its lights off. It looked like a dining room of some sort, but was oddly more eerie with the lights off. There was a large chandelier in the center, but it looked weird not being illuminated. It looked even weirder being a purple color instead of the normal orange color she was accustomed to seeing.
She was starting to get a nasty headache despite having amazing stamina with her aura. She knew it had to be because of Team Rocket, healing Pikachu and the untimely Zurui goon encounter. Aurora returned her eyes to normal and started to walk slowly to where Ash was. Ash could hear her every step; it was the only thing breaking the silence other than Aurora's voice.
"Ash… I know you're here…" Aurora said tenderly. Ash held his knees together even tighter. He was hoping she was bluffing.
"Please, Ash… I want to help you. Please come out." Aurora pleaded with an emotion rarely seen outside speaking with her Pokémon. She saw no moment from any of the chairs. She decided to walk over to the chair Ash was hiding. She saw Pikachu right near him, looking somber. She knew the electric mouse wanted to help, but he didn't know how to.
"(It's bad…)" Pikachu murmured once Aurora arrived beside him. Aurora started to pet behind his ear affectionately. Pikachu looked somewhat content, but was still concerned for his trainer.
"I can see that, Little Chu. No, I can feel that. I didn't want this to happen." Aurora said. She peered under the chair and saw Ash sulking about. His face was filled with dried tears and was hugging his knees to be able to fit into the confined space.
"Ash…" Aurora started quietly.
"Aurora? What are you doing here?" Ash said while looking down.
"I'm here to be at your side. You've suffered a pretty bad loss and I want to make sure that you're alright." Aurora made a small smile.
"Why should you care? You won the match!" Ash growled.
"Strange. This isn't like the Ash I knew. Did something similar to this happen to him before?" Aurora thought, bewildered of Ash's tone. She noticed that Ash was normally cheery and upbeat; that much she can tell from their battle. She wondered if there was another person who beat him with such a large deficit.
"What is to win a match without the gratification of both combatants? Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday." Aurora took the opportunity to sit down cross-legged in the dark room.
"What?" Ash looked up confused. He got the gist of what she was trying to say, but wasn't expecting her to respond in that way.
Aurora laughed softly, "That is part of a good quote I read somewhere. I just added a little mix of my own experience in the words. True enjoyment of a battle doesn't come from winning. It comes from the experience of the battle. Yeah, it stings when you lose, but you've got to shake it off. You learn more when you lose rather than if you win."
"You've been Champion for a long time. How are you supposed to know that if you win every single battle?" Ash asked angrily. Aurora could see the bitterness in his voice. It made her feel even more empathy towards the boy. She glanced at Ash. He was clearly taking the loss terribly. Aurora felt guilty for being the cause of it. Aurora looked at Ash with determination.
"Yes, I'll admit I haven't lost an official match in a long time." Aurora distanced her gaze to the side. However, in a few moments, she looked at Ash with a stronger gaze when she said, "However, in unofficial matches, I've lost sometimes since becoming Champion. I don't use the same Pokémon that I used against you. The Pokemon I used against you have a special bond with me as an aura guardian. When I don't use them, I like to change things up a lot. Those are my favorite battles because my opponents get to act natural around me. We all are still learning about Pokémon and that will never change. Besides, I was once like you, Ash."
"Why do you say that?" Ash gave Aurora his full attention. He wondered how someone like Aurora was just like him.
"I was a pretty good battler back when I was your age. As a result, I would always get so frustrated when I lost. Eventually, I learned how to deal with those losses as I grew older... losses other than battling. There was this one time when I was in my late twenties, I went against a really bad man, protecting something precious. You have so much promise and untapped potential... way more than you realize." Aurora said with a small smile. She tried to move Ash from his spot, but he was securely planted. He wasn't ready to move and she accepted that.
"A bad man? She is being awfully vague about it." He thought. Ash decided to test how far she would continue. "Who was he?"
"I gotta do this… I've gone on and started it now." Aurora took a deep breath. She didn't want to spit out his name. Aurora frowned, "That man's name was… Charles."
Aurora spat out 'Charles' with pure hatred. Ash could feel Aurora tense up as she thought about her past. It made him wonder how bad her encounter with Charles was. However, Ash stayed silent for Aurora to continue.
"At that time, I thought I was in my prime. I got a bit too complacent because I was pretty happy with my life. I was enjoying training with the same Pokemon with me now. I was enjoying the sights of the world with my loved one and I was battling in each new place I've been to. I've always been a nomad. My philosophy is to become a better guardian is to understand culture. I think I won about two hundred battles in a row though all that traveling. Also, I thought my guardian abilities were nearly at its peak."
"Wow! Two hundred!?" Ash said in his regularly enthusiastic voice. Aurora smiled. Him perking up is all she needed to continue.
"Yes. This resulted in me thinking that I could take on anyone." Aurora recounted. Her smile soon turned into a frown. She decided not to go into the details of the encounter. Aurora didn't feel like it was too important and she was still hesitant to say anything as it was.
"I was about to head to somewhere important, but I was intercepted by Charles and four of his cronies. Unfortunately, Charles took advantage of the unfair number of people. He crushed my hopes and ambitions. Although I am very prideful, I was so scared back then. The only thing I have left other than my mother and father are my partners."
Ash was silent. He didn't know how to respond to her. Even against all the villains he's gone against, they never broke him. He realized this was why she tensed up. It must not have been easy to admit this in front of him. He wanted to give some comforting words, but realized there wasn't that much he could say. He could tell that Aurora was more or less settled with what happened with her.
Aurora sighed uncomfortably. "For a long while, I was very conflicted. I didn't know what to do. I lost all my confidence. For years after that, I wandered around the world endlessly. I tried being different kinds of trainers, thinking that I was a failure as a regular trainer. I was a Coordinator for a couple of years. Some of the combinations I used against you stem from this. I decided to stop because although it was fun, it didn't feel like me. After that, I tried being a Pokémon Breeder. That didn't work out either."
Ash was still listening, but his gaze was towards the floor. Aurora decided to continue talking, if only to make Ash speak again.
"For three years, I moved around region to region aimlessly. I feel like I would still be doing that if my partners hadn't had gotten fed up with me. They wanted me to go back to the way I was. They encouraged me to try the Hokori Gym Challenge. At first, I declined, afraid to be a regular trainer again. They made me realize that as long as they were on my side, I could do anything. I won all eight badges and the Pokémon League. The road to being a Champion was hard, but I managed to squeeze out a win with Chari. Hokori is seriously no joke to beat. Ever since becoming Champion, I've always sought to have fun battles." Aurora explained.
"What does this have to do with me?" Ash wondered, somewhat bitter.
Aurora decided to break Ash's silence by answering his question. Aurora said with a devious smirk, "It does have a lot to do with you, young one."
"H-how-?"
"'Did you know what I was thinking?'" Aurora finished, laughing. She smiled playfully, "It's the same with you picking up Serena's thoughts in the match."
Ash didn't have a chance to say anything about that. He looked utterly bewildered. "Huh? I didn't say…"
"Doesn't matter. I'm a skilled aura guardian, Ash. I can read your aura. I knew you two were communicating with each other and from the way you was acting, it was your first time reading aura. It must have gone and went, yes?" Aurora eyed him curiously. Ash didn't know how to respond.
"Uh… Yeah." Ash was nervous that she was able to precisely sense that in the battle. He was frightened by how much she knew about the situation.
"See? You didn't have control over it. Don't worry, I didn't read into what you two were saying. That's beside the point. The point is, don't get discouraged. This may have been an important battle to you, but this is only the beginning. I don't want you to end up lost and conflicted because of one loss. Don't end up like how I was…" Aurora responded in a small voice. Aurora put a hand on Ash's shoulder. Ash felt compelled to look up at Aurora. She smiled warmly, "A Pokémon Master shouldn't be this down because of one battle."
"I'm not a Pokémon Master yet," Ash argued.
"'Yet' is the key word. You will be. I have faith in you. Now, come on out of this chair." Aurora commanded softly.
Ash still didn't feel like he was deserving of getting up. He felt guilty for just running off because he lost. He never normally felt this upset about losing a match, but the fact that this was the final match pushed him over the edge. Ash looked up. Aurora's smile was very inviting. With her, he oddly felt safe. It was a weird feeling.
"Please, Ashton… I don't want to see my… um… opponent down like this." Aurora choked up slightly but caught herself. Her eyes were full of compassion. "This isn't the end of the world. You gotta chin up, stand up straight and look the future. Your future is shining brightly. I can feel it. You just gotta get yourself together and pull through, Ashton."
Ash was slightly annoyed that she called him Ashton again, but he knew everything would be all right. He was still bummed out that he lost the battle, but it didn't hurt as much. "I wonder how a woman I barely know can able to help me out at an emotional low. It feels weird, but with Aurora, I can sense something familiar… I just don't know what…"
Aurora winced when he thought 'woman I barely know'. She had to stifle a sigh of sadness. Aurora thought, "Baby steps… He will remember you. Just give it time."
Aurora stood up and carefully removed the chair from Ash. Ash was exposed to the rest of the room. She walked over to the light switch and turned it on. Then, she offered her hand for Ash to grab. At first, Ash was hesitant to grab Aurora's hand, but after a few moments, he grabbed it. Aurora helped him up from the floor. Aurora grinned happily to see Ash come around somewhat. Ash was smiling back at Aurora for making him go back to his senses. Pikachu was happy that his partner was feeling better.
Aurora perked her head up. Her eyes faintly glowed yellow. She said as gently as she could, "Take some time to recuperate and to think about things. Now, if you'll excuse me, someone else is coming to you. That person should also have some private time with you, to be fair. You definitely have more… special support than you would think."
Aurora left the dining room, leaving Ash feeling better, but confused.
A few minutes later…
"Ash!" a feminine voice called out.
Ash, still deep in thought perked his head up when he heard someone call his name. Ash was sitting down on a chair with his head down just thinking about what Aurora said. It was Serena.
"Ash! Oh my Arceus, are you OK?" Serena asked. She looked around Ash as if she was a worried mother.
Ash chuckled softly. "I'm fine, Serena. Really, I am."
Serena narrowed her eyes. It was like she was looking for something wrong. Serena said while putting her hands on her hips. "You are not, Ash Ketchum. You're trying to be strong for me, but it isn't going to work."
"She is normally so sweet-tempered and kind and awesome and… why am I thinking this?" Ash thought, confused at his thoughts. Ash was shocked at seeing sassy Serena. Ash hoped Serena couldn't read what he'd thought. Fortunately, she didn't show any signs of hearing anything. He gave a small smile to let her know how he was faring. "I really am feeling better. Aurora came here a little earlier and helped me. She could… sympathize with how I was feeling, having gone through a similar loss. I'm OK that I lost now."
"If you were feeling better, why were your head down when I came in here?" Serena asked softly. She took the opportunity to sit right beside him and look directly into his eyes.
Ash looked off to the side. He wasn't sure what he was feeling. Even though Aurora helped him, she left him more confused. "Why do I have a sense of familiarity when I'm near her? I feel as if I met her, but I know I haven't seen her in person before last night. Did I see her before...?"
Ash pressed two fingers against his temple. He was starting to get a large headache. "Why do I feel this way?"
"Let me out! I'm going to continue to make your life miserable until you do!" He heard a second voice in his head. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Soon, his head started to hurt even more. The voice sounded just like him and yet it didn't. It sounded slightly deeper. Whatever it was, it frightened him. He wanted the pain to stop. Eventually, it began to dull down, but he could help but wonder why his head was hurting so badly.
Serena noticed how quiet Ash got when she asked the question. Ash was trembling slightly and this did not get unnoticed by her. She wasn't sure what Ash was going through, but she had a good feeling that it wasn't only about the battle anymore. "Tell me, Ash. What are you thinking about? I want to help you, too."
"I… I don't know," Ash responded, despondent of his surroundings.
"You don't… know?" Serena repeated incredulously.
"I said, I don't know!" Ash responded harshly, raising his voice. "Why don't you just get outta here and leave me alone!"
"(Ash!)" Pikachu called out, shocked. He didn't know Ash to yell at people, let alone Serena. Pikachu's fur started to bristle up slightly as he felt his trainer's unexpected anger. It made him cringe slightly.
Ash looked angry at the world. Angry at Pikachu. Angry at Serena. Just plain angry. He noticed the scared look on Serena's eyes and shook his head. His face immediately softened as he sighed. He tried to placate her by saying, "Sorry, Serena… It's just… I'm so conflicted. The worst part is… I don't know why I feel conflicted. It's like there's a side of me that trying to make me realize something and another part of me trying to suppress it. Does that even make sense?"
Serena didn't know how to respond to what he said. She could tell that he was frustrated, but she didn't know how to help.
"I wasn't feeling this way before the battle, but now, my mind has gotten weird. I heard another voice in my head telling me to let him out. I don't even know who 'he' is! He sounds like me and yet he doesn't seem like me. I feel like I'm fighting myself and it's making me confused." Ash admitted. He covered his face so Serena couldn't see him. He felt awful for acting this way to her.
Serena hesitated before taking a seat beside him. She didn't want to stand around and do nothing. She wanted to help. She would help. "Ash…"
"I'm sorry for making you go through this, but I feel like you're the only one I can trust to talk to." Ash confided. Serena had a small sparkle in her eyes and she felt happy that he felt that way about her.
"Really? He feels that way about me?" Serena thought excitedly.
Ash widened his eyes. He could feel Serena's elation and sense her thoughts again. Ash wanted to see how Serena would react when he said, "Yes, I do."
Serena had a large blush on her face. She wasn't expecting him to read that certain thought. "Ash! Don't read my mind! It's private!"
Ash chuckled slightly. "Now I see why Aurora laughed when I reacted the same way… Maybe I feel so weird because my guardian powers are starting to reawaken. Is this normal, though? This doesn't feel normal..."
"Sorry, Serena. The feeling comes and goes. I just wanted to see your reaction." Ash smiled for a short moment, but then looked distant again. Ash sighed. "Moping around here isn't going to help things at all. I gotta get my mind clear, but I know I'm struggling to."
Serena widened her eyes as she heard Ash's thought. She sighed in sadness. She wanted to show Ash that everyone cared about him. "I know you may be struggling, but you have your friends to help you along the way. You've also got… me…" Serena said with a small blush.
Ash didn't expect the answer, nor did he expect her to hear his thought. Serena didn't know how much her words truly touched him. He made a small smile in response. Seeing this as an invitation to continue, Serena moved closer to Ash.
Serena grasped his hands and looked him straight into his eyes. Ash blushed at the sudden contact. Serena passionately continued, "Ash, you are the most amazing person I've ever met in my life. You always inspire me to be my best every day and always have a smile about it. You are the epitome of kindness and friendship. You always give and give without ever looking to receive. It's one of the many traits I like about you. I know this loss is tough on you, but you yourself told me 'never give up until the end.' Ash… is this… the end for you?"
Ash was left speechless. She had a profound way in how she spoke, but it wasn't surprising to him. He was surprised of how much she valued him. He was blushing at Serena's complements, but could sense a hidden meaning in her tone. He couldn't quite see what else Serena was conveying. He did know that she asked him a question and he was going to give her an answer. Ash replied the best way he could, "Well, if I'm being honest… this is more a roadblock. One's journey can't end."
"Then why have you given up?" Serena responded. Ash was surprised by her choice of words. That didn't sound like him.
"Serena, what do you mean?" Ash looked confused.
"You are acting as if it's the end of the world. I know this isn't only about the battle, but from the way you're being, it seems you've lost your way. You've lost sight of yourself. " Serena elaborated.
"Serena…" Ash said softly.
"The Ash I l…l… love would never act like this." Serena said with a large blush on her face. She decided to continue, "Whatever you're going through, we can go through it together. Don't feel so alone."
"L-l-love? Did she just admit…?" Ash thought with a large blush. "Maybe the weird good feelings I have when she's near is this 'love'."
"I… I... Do… Do you really…?" Ash stuttered but couldn't find the words to express how he felt.
"Yes. I love you, Ash. From the moment I first met you at Professor Oak's summer camp to the day I decided I would start my journey, I've always loved you. You're always so strong and kind and sweet. It makes me feel so sad to see you like this. Please pull through… for yourself... and... for me…" Serena clasped her hands on her chest. She didn't know why she'd admitted her feelings to Ash right then and there, but it felt like it was the right thing to do.
Ash was stunned. He mentally slapped himself for not realizing it sooner. It made perfect sense. Serena was always nervous around Ash, but he took it for being naturally shy. She always tried her best to stay close by him, but he thought it was because she was trying to learn more from him. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, but at the moment, he was feeling Butterfrees in his stomach again.
Ash noticed that he usually got nervous around Serena too. One of the habits he had when he's nervous is when he rubs or scratches his nose. He only did that near Serena and he didn't know why. Now it all made sense.
Ash covered his eyes with his hat. Then, a small smile crept upon his face. He started to laugh suddenly. He felt so stupid for acting the way he did. He had forgotten what was most important: his friends. He didn't know why he was laughing, but it made him feel good. Serena had a surprised look on her face, but it morphed into a small smile. She was happy that Ash was feeling a lot better, but he still didn't respond to if he felt the same way about her. It didn't appear that Ash felt the same way about her.
Ash had enough laughing and quickly quieted down. There was an uncomfortable silence between the two of them. Ash could feel himself get nervous. He knew that he needed to properly respond to Serena. His eyes were still covered by his hat. Ash scratched his nose anxiously. "Why am feeling nervous? I mean, yeah, she's a girl and I'm a guy and… we're alone and… gah! Why does she make me feel like this? I feel as crazy as a Spinda using Teeter Dance on a Gyarados…."
"A Spinda and Gyarados…? That is crazy! I know I shouldn't be intruding in Ash's thoughts, but he's nervous around me? I would have never noticed. He's so outgoing and brave. I wouldn't expect it." Serena thought, surprised.
"Come on Ketchum. You've faced tougher challenges than this." Ash took a deep breath, "Serena… I… I think I feel the same way. I think I like you."
"Really? You like me?" Serena said, a bit disappointed. Ash grazed the top of her hand. Seeing the honey-blond teen not retract back gave him a surge of confidence. Ash then grabbed her hand completely, but held it delicately. She didn't expect this kind of softness from Ash. It caused her to blush. Ash shook his head and clarified himself.
"It feels more than that. I feel like I like like you. Whenever you get in trouble, a part of me is gone. I always felt better near you. More… complete. I didn't know what this meant during our journey, but I think I understand that now."
Serena had tears forming in her eyes. She felt touched that Ash felt this way about her. She didn't know she meant that much to him. Serena felt like the happiest person in the planet. After all the time she's traveled with him through the Kalos region, Ash Ketchum had finally confessed that he liked her.
Ash was concerned. Did he say anything to make her upset? "Serena, are you all right? Why are you crying?"
Serena suddenly hugged him. The force of the hug was enough to knock Ash and Serena off their chairs and onto the floor. Both their hats were knocked off from their heads. Ash was lying on his back on the floor. Serena was on top of him. They both had a furious blush on their faces at the sudden position. They got up from their position somewhat awkwardly. They both had extremely large blushes on their faces.
Serena waited a few moments before saying, "Ash, those were tears of joy. So… does that mean we're an official couple?"
"Seems like it," Ash responded with a smile. They both got up from the ground with a small blush on their face. Serena felt a large grin creep on her face. She gave him a large hug. it was the biggest hug he'd ever received from anyone, ever. Although Serena wanted to kiss him right then and there, she thought it was a bit too premature, considering they just became a couple. Ash didn't seem to mind the contact and that made her glad.
Pikachu looked at the sight in shock, but then smiled proudly. He chuckled to himself and thought, "Heh, looks like Ash is finally out of those dense woods. I should give them a little bit of space."
Pikachu decided to leave the room as quietly as he could so he could find Clemont, Bonnie, and Dedenne. Ash and Serena spent several minutes just enjoying each other's company. Ash held her lovingly and had his head on top of hers. Serena was just enjoying Ash's strong grip. It was a rare moment of just peace and quiet from Ash's regular life and he was appreciative of it. Serena eventually decided to break the silence.
"You know, whatever problem you have you can talk to me about it. We'll go through it… together." Serena said seriously. She really wanted to make sure that Ash was OK. Now that they were a couple, that would be a bit easier.
"Thank you. My mind still feels conflicted, but it feels less conflicted right now. Maybe as time passes, it will go away, but I don't know." Ash admitted.
"Hmm… maybe. For now, let's not worry about it. If it comes up again, then we'll see what we will do about it. Besides, maybe Aurora will know something about it. You didn't experience you fighting yourself until you found out you was an aura guardian, so maybe that's why." Serena suggested.
"But Serena… I can tell that you're a guardian, too, so why aren't you affected?" Ash noticed.
"Hmm… that's true. I'm not sure. This gives us more reason to seek Aurora out. Hopefully, we can see her again before she leaves." Serena said hopefully. Her eyes widened in regret. There was something that she'd forgotten. "Shoot! Ash, I promised everyone I'd come and get you by now! How long have we been in here?"
"I don't know. Where are our friends now?" Ash wondered. Ash looked around. Pikachu was nowhere to be found. "Where's Pikachu?"
"They said…" Serena racked her brain for memory. Her mind is still somewhat nebulous from the hug she and Ash shared. Serena grabbed Ash's hand as she led him out of the waiting room. "They said they'd be waiting by the pond. Pikachu will probably be there with them. We need to go. Now."
The employees of the Pokémon League forced everyone out of the stadium to allow for setup for the award ceremony. Ash's friends were standing right near the Kalosian Pond. From outside the stadium, the rest of Ash's friends were wondering what was taking Serena so long. She said she needed to talk to Ash... alone.
Shauna had an understanding look on her face because she had a feeling that Serena was going to confess to him, but everyone else didn't know that. At this point, Pikachu had reunited with Clemont and Bonnie, but refused to say anything about Ash's condition. After a few tries, Ash's friends decided to give up. Pikachu took a sigh of relief.
"Why is he so adamant about saying anything?" Clemont wondered about the mouse's stubbornness.
"What's taking her so long?" Bonnie said impatiently. "She said she'd be back by now!"
"I don't know, but he said she wanted to talk with Ash alone. We should respect her wishes." Clemont said with regard.
"I know, I know. But she's been in there for such a long time! I'm getting tired of waiting out here!" Bonnie said, annoyed.
"I agree with Bonnie, Clemont. We need to go in there and see what's up." Shauna said mischievously.
"You and Bonnie can go in there if you want. I'm staying out here." Clemont said.
"Me too." Tierno agreed.
"You know, I'll stay out here as well," Sawyer said.
"Fine. Come on, Bonnie. Let's see what our friends doing." Shauna said.
"Haha! Let's go!" Bonnie grabbed Shauna's arm and started to run back inside. However, before they could enter the building again, everyone saw Serena and Ash running towards them. There was something different about the two of them. Ash was clearly happier, even though Serena was dragging him. Everyone lowered their gaze to Ash's and Serena's hands. Their hands were interlocking. Could it be…?
"Hey guys! Sorry I took so long. I managed to get Ash to feel better." Serena explained. Everyone was still looking at Ash and Serena's hands. They looked at the both of them in silence.
"Better in what sense?" Trevor murmured.
"Um… guys? What's wrong?" Ash asked, concerned.
"Your hands…" Sawyer started slowly.
"They're touching!" Shauna squealed happily.
"Ooh! Does that mean that you two are a couple now?" Bonnie asked excitedly.
"So that's what this is about," The two thought at the same time. They both said simultaneously, "Yes."
"Oh, I'm so happy for you two! Ash gets to keep Serena!" Bonnie said happily.
"…K-Keep?" Ash sweatdropped in surprise. He knew that when Bonnie said "keep" she really means "marry". They just became a couple. It was way too soon to consider marriage, even though he could see himself together with her. Serena had a lot of qualities that would make her an amazing wife. Still, he felt a bit awkward talking about that. Serena giggled at her boyfriend's embarrassed face.
"I'm surprised she used that on you, Ash. She normally embarrasses me like that. And judging by how red your face just got, you are definitely considering it someday. Anyway, congratulations, Ash." Clemont commented with an amused smile. Ash looked at his blond friend, not amused.
"I knew you had it in you." Shauna congratulated and hugged Serena. "I told you he liked you back. You had nothing to fear."
Tierno patted Ash on the back harder than he intended to. Ash looked short-winded as he tried to control his breathing again. Tierno was too happy to notice Ash's distress. "Atta boy, Ash! You're not as dense as everyone thought!"
Ash frowned in annoyance, but knew that there was some truth to his words. He never really noticed girls before Serena. Maybe it had something to do with him being focused on his journey and not being old enough to understand love. Now that he was sixteen, he could understand love more, but was still dense for his age. The boy was glad that Serena confessed her feelings to him first. Otherwise, he didn't think he would have realized his budding feelings for Serena.
"I'm assuming this was the reason why you took so long, Serena. What were you doing in there with Ash?" Clemont observed. Serena and Ash's faces converted to red. They looked unwilling to say anything.
"You didn't do anything your parents wouldn't like… did you?" Bonnie asked with a sly grin. If it was possible for this faces to turn even redder, it happened. They started to shake their heads furiously.
"Bonnie!" Clemont had a small blush on his face. His glasses became steamy on the inside. He activated the Aipom arm on his backpack and lifted his sister up into the air. He made her face him. "Why would you say something like that?" Bonnie frowned and crossed her arms.
"What? Just because I'm ten, that doesn't mean I don't know about those kinds of things. They stayed in there for a good while!" Bonnie said, annoyed at her brother. She turned her head to face Serena and Ash. "So… did you?"
"No!" Ash and Serena said at the same time.
Bonnie merely laughed at their flustered expressions. "You two are so cute together!"
"Uh… anyway, let's head back inside and wait for the closing ceremony to start." Ash said, trying to change the subject. Everyone nodded. They went back inside to wait for the ceremony to begin.
Ash and his friends enjoyed their last few hours in the Kalos League. They looked at the different sights and things to do at the Pokemon League. Bonnie looked at and got a cute Pachirisu doll. Dedenne seemed to like the addition, too.
Clemont and Sawyer went to a few shops getting machine parts to build for future inventions. Although the green haired teen wasn't an inventor, he was always eager to learn new things. Clemont certainly didn't mind saying random facts. Eventually, they joined up with Bonnie again. The Summer Camp Trio and the newly formed couple visited the Kalosian Pond and gazed at its awe-inspiring beauty. Noticing the lovebirds gazing at each other lovingly, everyone left them to be together. By the time they left, it was sunset.
Ash and Serena spent the rest of the time gazing at the sunset. Serena subconsciously lied her head on Ash's shoulder. Ash blushed at the action, but welcomed it openly. Since he had never been in a relationship before, he did what he thought was natural. He had his arm wrapped around her lower back and they just enjoyed being together. They hated when night time came; they wanted to spend more time with each other. Ash had to say goodbye to Serena in order to take his spot among the other competitors. He reunited with Sawyer.
The closing ceremonies were starting soon. Normally, the ceremony would be held in the daytime, but in Kalos, the Pokemon League decided it would be more atmospheric to have it at night.
When the sun went down, the stadium was abuzz with different kinds of lights. It illuminated the area. There were different decorations everywhere in the shops and even on the seats. There was a festive atmosphere. All the previous competitors were also on the battlefield, surrounding the middle. The central of the battlefield had a large white platform surrounded by different types of flowers and lights. It was odd to see flowers and lights together, but they ended up complimenting each other well.
Everyone in the audience was excited to see this tournament ended. It was a bit of shock to see a Champion decide to compete in a tournament like this, but it is allowed. They got to see why she was considered a Champion. They got to see everyone battle their hearts out. Despite all of it, Ash was the audience's favorite through his well-fought battles and determination to overcome the odds.
Although he didn't win this league, he was one step closer to winning his first official one. It was the first time Ash managed to make it to finals. They hoped to see him pull through completely one day. The announcer stood in the middle of the battlefield with Mr. Goodshow and a couple of his employees in the middle of the battlefield. They were on either side of the platform looking very happy.
Mr. Goodshow took a step forward with a trophy in his hand. "Aurora, will you please step forward."
A lone person in a black hood slowly walked towards the old man and faced him. She had her face covered. The audience assumed she was a bit shy. Mr. Goodshow regarded her, "You have shown why you are truly a Champion and a master of Pokémon. Please, accept this trophy."
The person in the hood appeared hesitant to take the trophy. Mr. Goodshow noticed her hesitation. He encouraged, "Go on, you deserve it."
Aurora took off her hood. She didn't seem happy. The proprietor of the Pokémon League noticed this and wondered why. This was an amazing time that most trainers don't get to feel. Not many people could say they won a league while only losing one Pokémon in all the matches they competed in. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. Goodshow furrowed his eyebrows, "What's wrong, Aurora?"
Aurora took a moment to respond. "Nothing… nothing's wrong. I'm… grateful for this."
Aurora took the trophy and looked at it. For the tiniest of moments, her eyes glowed blue. No one noticed because of all of the festive lights and festivities. She forced a smile as she rose up her trophy. Aurora started to wave her hand slowly. She was used to having this much attention, but still felt somewhat bashful. She looked around and saw everyone happy for her. The audience went crazy with applause. All the competitors clapped for her as well. Fireworks shot into the sky.
Aurora looked at her trophy. She noticed its gold sheen and the light contrast with her reflection. She looked up to see the fireworks. Despite not wanting to beat Ash in the finals, she smiled at the fireworks. Aurora rose her trophy up again and the applause grew louder. She had a determined smirk on her face. Mr. Goodshow was glad to see she seemed better.
After the ceremony…
Ash and Sawyer met up with the rest of their friends after the ceremony. Now, it was getting late, and everyone was walking back to their rooms. Shauna, Sawyer, Tierno and Trevor already went to their rooms and wished Ash, Serena, Clemont and Bonnie good night. Now the traveling gang was standing outside with the full moon being the main object illuminating the night.
"Well, that was a hoot! Everything looked awesome." Bonnie said excitedly. She yawned, despite being happy.
"Looks like somebody is tired," Clemont said. "Let's go to bed, little sis."
"But big brother! I'm… not… tired…" Bonnie started to fall asleep while walking. She woke herself up once she realized she was falling. "Huh?"
"Yeah, you're not tired…" Clemont said sarcastically. He lifted her up into her into his arms in a cradle position. Before anyone knew it, Bonnie fell asleep in her brother's arms. Clemont was struggling to hold her, but Bonnie was still soundly asleep.
"Ugh, she's surprisingly heavy…" Clemont quietly complained. Clemont's eyes softened as he thought, "Anything for her. She always looks so innocent whenever she sleeps…"
"I'm surprised you're strong enough to lift her, Clemont." Ash joked. "You always got so tired whenever we had to run during our journey."
"I guess traveling with you made me a bit stronger," Clemont said with a smile. "I gotta get her to bed, though. See you tomorrow, lovebirds."
Clemont grunted as he walked over to his room with Bonnie in his hands. Even though he claimed he got stronger, they could tell he was struggling to carry her. Ash would have offered to help, but Clemont seemed to be able to handle himself.
"Well, today was definitely a busy one…" Ash sighed in exhaustion. He looked at Serena lovingly, "Wouldn't you agree?"
Serena poked Ash in the nose, "You said it, Ashy…"
"Ashy…?" Ash closed his eyes and flinched out of reflex from the poke. He laughed at the sound of the little name. He loved it.
"I thought it was a cute little nickname…" Serena pouted.
"It is," Ash said reassuringly. "I like it a lot. It will always remind me out how I love you."
"I love you too, Ashy." Serena kissed Ash on his nose. Ash had a small blush on his face. He still wasn't used to the idea of being a couple. Ash yawned somewhat loudly. Serena took notice in this. She decided to tease her boyfriend, "Looks like Bonnie isn't the only one that's tired."
Ash rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "Today was a pretty long day. I guess I'm tired. Just think... tomorrow will be the first full day of our relationship."
Serena smiled brightly. Serena gave a little peck on his cheek before entering her room with Bonnie, "Yup and I can't wait. Good night, Ashy."
Ash was a bit dazed after the kiss. It left a pleasant tingling sensation on his cheek. He grinned to himself. Ash thought giddily. "I can't help but be the luckiest person on the Earth right now. I'm dating someone beautiful, sweet and awesome! I can't wait for the new adventures I'll have with her."
He took one last look at Serena's door before entering his to fall asleep.
Somewhere in the forest, Aurora wore a black cloak with all six of her partners gathered around her. They all looked at what Aurora placed down in disgust. The trophy. It stood right at the base of Aurora's feet. She kicked it over in rage.
Aurora growled angrily, "That bastard think I'm stupid enough to fall for this?! This feels like a insult!"
Her partners winced at Aurora's harsh language. They knew she was upset. Chari placed a claw on her partner's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Aurora. You had no choice but to take it. It would have looked weird if you didn't."
"Yeah… No need to be upset." Suzie agreed.
"Oh, I'm not upset at you guys." Aurora responded somewhat softly to her partners. Red aura started to surround her. "I'm upset that they tried to pull the same crap again. When I lost my memory, I didn't lose the memory of the tracking device on the trophy I got when I first became a Champion! Did they really expect me not to be suspicious of them after the first time?"
"How do you know that there's a tracking device in this one, anyway?" Chi-Chi asked. "You didn't check it at all."
Aurora's angry gaze shifted to Chi-Chi. Chi-Chi shivered at the sight.
Aurora's eyes turned completely blue. "Oh, I'll check it, all right. I'll do more than that. You guys might want to cover your ears. This will sting quite a bit."
Chari, Chi-Chi, Suzie and Rio all covered their ears with their paws, and claws. Since Kairyu didn't have any appendages, he didn't know what to do. Happy decided to accommodate him by using her feelers to cover both his wing-like ears and her ears. Kairyu nodded to her in thanks while Kairyu just smiled and blushed slightly.
Aurora picked up the trophy and made the base of it be a few inches away from her mouth. "Happy that I got your little bug? No worries, I'm certainly happy. I'm happy that I'm going to squish the little pest you've given me. You've done this before and I won't fall for it again. Next time try something a little more… I don't know… innovative?"
Aurora took a deep breath and screamed out a high pitched scream, emulating Supersonic. Even though their ears were covered, Aurora's partners were struggling to take the screaming. All of them had sensitive hearing so the effect of the scream was stronger. At first, nothing happened to the trophy. Then, the trophy was starting to make weird electrical sounds as if it began to malfunction.
Her partners looked at it in shock. They honestly weren't expecting to see it short circuit. Everyone but Chari thought that Aurora was acting a bit delusional. Chari knew better than to doubt Aurora. Aurora could pick up on the tiniest of changes and Chari trusted that completely. Aurora's scream became much louder and high pitched. Aurora put the trophy down when it began to short circuit even more until it exploded. It looked like a weird mesh of gold and circuit on the ground. Trying to make sure that any remnants of the trophy were gone, Aurora summoned a line of fire to hit the trophy. It hit the trophy, but it looked unscratched.
"Hmm… Tough trophy. They anticipated me trying to burn it. Chari, use Fire Blast maximum power." Aurora turned to her oldest partner. Aurora set down the trophy by Chari's feet. Chari's tail flame started to grow and intensify. It grew to be as tall as the Charizard and maintained its blue color.
Chari took a deep breath as she shot a powerful line of blue fire at the trophy and it split into five different sections. The rest of Aurora's partners had to move away from Chari because Chari's Fire Blast had remarkable range, despite its accuracy being a bit lacking. The five expanding sections of the blast could seriously burn anyone if they weren't careful.
Aurora started to see the trophy melting, albeit slowly. "That trophy was made to take extremely high temperatures…I have a feeling this is a test… The Zurui are cold and calculating. I wonder if they've been working on something and that this is just a byproduct…" Aurora thought, slightly irritated.
"Kairyu and Suzie, can you help Chari out? Use Flamethrower on the trophy as well, but keep your distance. I'll add my own aura into the mix." Aurora commanded. Aurora turned around to regard the three Pokémon not attacking. "Happy, Rio and Chi-Chi, you might want to stand back a bit farther. I don't want you guys to get burned either."
Rio, Chi-Chi, and Kairyu stepped back a bit more than they were before. Suzie and Kairyu inhaled deeply and shot a linear blast of red-orange fire towards the trophy. Aurora made her hands glow red aura and shot said aura at the trophy. The trophy was melting at a much faster rate. Aurora and her partners continued to use their fire attacks until Aurora started to hear ticking.
Aurora gasped, "Everyone, get back!" Aurora's partners covered their eyes. Aurora brought forth his hands and surrounded the trophy in a force field. Within a few seconds of being contained, the trophy exploded. Aurora struggled to keep the explosion within her makeshift bubble. She grunted as she used the much of her aura to enclose the blast. There were no remnants of the trophy as a scorch mark on the forest floor now replaced it. There were medium sized cinders surrounding it.
Aurora's face was beaded with sweat and was heavily panting. She fell on the ground, lying back first, looking up at the starry sky. Aurora had used up a lot of her aura in the same day and she knew she needed to get some rest soon. Her partners looked at her in concern. She could see six faces standing before her. After a few moments, she got up from the ground, still looking fatigued. Chari was the first to speak up, "Are you alright?"
"I'm alright, friend. Just a bit drained… and shaken up." Aurora responded. She sat on the ground, with her head down, deep in thought. She said angrily, "I can't believe they implanted a bomb into it as a contingency and that I couldn't pick up on it. That was new. I nearly got all you guys killed trying to destroy it. That wasn't worth it."
"I have to disagree; that was quite prudent to destroy the bomb, Aurora. Having them know your constant location would definitely be disadvantageous." Rio said, putting a paw on his trainer's shoulder. "You did the right thing."
"I know you did the right thing, too. Though... they probably know where you are, don't they?" Kairyu interrupted.
"You've got it right on the money, friend. They're psychics. They'll still be able to track me even when I don't have my marks out, but they'll definitely have a harder time trying to find me." Aurora said. All of her partners started to have sullen expressions thinking about the Zurui. Their trainer had been pursued by them for many years, so they took anything she said about the band of psychics seriously.
He looked like he just thought of something. "You know… I just thought of how I want to evolve someday!"
Aurora perked her head up to regard her Dragon typed friend. "Really? What is it?"
"You've inspired me a lot in our journey, Mistress. It's taken me a while to figure this out, but I think I got it. When I evolve, I want to evolve protecting you from a threat that no one else can, not even Chari. As cliche as this sounds, if the Zurui comes and messes with you and Ash, I've got your back. You can count on me to evolve at the right time." Kairyu said happily.
The dragon type could evolve at any moment, but chooses not to. He wanted to evolve in his own right and he knew that if he could protect his trainer on his own terms, he would deserve to evolve.
"Oh? I'm glad you finally figured it out, friend. I'll count on you when we need it most." Aurora genuinely smiled. Kairyu had a small blush on his face.
"Hey! What about the rest of us?" Chi-Chi said annoyed.
"Didn't you hear what he said? He said a threat that no one else can protect the Mistress from!" Rio said, irritated.
"Right, heh heh. Sorry." Chi-Chi looked down slightly. Suzie sighed and shook her head.
Aurora laughed aloud. Her Pokémon wondered why. She gave a small smile when she said, "I wouldn't have you guys any other way… But please stop calling me that!"
All six of her partners laughed. They knew that Aurora considered them equals, but still decided to call her 'Mistress' from time to time just to mess with her. Aurora frowned, but knew it couldn't be helped. She noticed the small fire still on the ground. "Now, I need to douse these small cinders that remain."
Aurora's hands glowed green as she walked over to the muddy puddle. She submerged her hands into the mud. In a few moments, the muddy puddle started to glow. Then, the mud hardened slightly to create slightly soft soil. Afterward, Aurora opened her pouch and took out a towel to wipe her hands, and then she took out a Sitrus Berry and planted it. Before she knew it, it started to grow a small spout.
"I want to renew life in a spot that almost took life. So, I used some of my aura to restore this piece of land to a time when it was fertile. Hopefully, over time, this little Sitrus Berry will grow large enough provide food for the Pokémon in this forest." Aurora explained. She stretched out her arms and yawned, "I'm… getting tired. That last bit… finally did me in. Today… was definitely exhausting. Tomorrow's a new dawn and that dawn will lead to a bright path. You guys want to sleep near me, or go in your Poke Balls? The choice is yours."
A silent understanding passed between Aurora's Pokémon. Chari decided to speak for everyone, "We normally would want to sleep by you, but we think it's best for us to stay in our Poké Balls. They're less likely to strike if you are by the other competitors. Staying outside with us would endanger you more."
Aurora nodded. She returned all six Pokémon into their capsules and looked up into the sky. "Ashton… I'll make sure I'll protect you this time… I'm a lot stronger than I was back then," Aurora thought. She walked back into her room, brimming with determination and fatigue.
From an unknown location…
On a large military screen in a discreet location, a red dot suddenly went away. The area looked like a mix of a military conference room and a computer lab. In the middle of the room, there was a large ornate conference desk with multiple computers. An old man sat in at the base of the table and furthest away from the screen. All of his employees were in front of smaller computers that helped the larger screen to function. Chan's boss looked completely shocked at the red dot disappearing. "What? Is… is the screen malfunctioning?"
"Hey! What's with the tracking device?" The elder asked, annoyed.
A female employee stood up and said, "It appears the tracker has disconnected from the trophy."
"What? Are you sure?!"
The woman gave an 'Are you kidding me?' look at the old man. He may be a skilled psychic and a master manipulator, but his ability to see something obvious was sub-par. She said as professionally as she possibly could, "Yes, sir. It appears Aurora found out about the tracking device and destroyed it."
"What about the bomb?" The man asked.
The same woman typed some commands onto a computer. Nothing changed on the large screen. "It appears to have been put offline."
"Damn that woman!" The old man said angrily. He thought by installing the bomb and tracking device in the trophy before the Pokémon League gave it to her, he would destroy her. She caught on fast. He knew she destroyed the trophy completely if the bomb was destroyed. A little part of him hoped that Aurora wouldn't suspect him to try tracking her again. The old man noted Aurora's odd behavior from the discreet location. "That's why she was acting so reserved at the award ceremony. She knew even then…"
"So… what do you want us to do, sir?" Another man asked.
The experienced psychic stroked his beard, in thought. "I need to be more careful about the League catching on to my plans. I can worry about killing Aurora at a later time. I need to set my sights on Ashton again. We need him to come to the Hokori region as soon as possible and I know the perfect way to do it… But just in case…"
"Hey! Somebody contact one of our agents in the Kanto region. Make sure that person is well informed about what is happening to prepare for Ashton's arrival to the Kanto region. Make sure the person knows that Ashton must go to the Hokori region posthaste!" The mysterious man decided.
"Yes, sir!" All the employees said and saluted. They quickly went into work contacting the agent their boss was referring to.
"Set our target to Ashton, but we need to make sure he doesn't suspect a thing amiss. Keep a close watch on him, but not enough to get him suspicious." The old man continued. He smiled and stroked his beard. He chuckled to himself. "Ashton has finally proved himself by making it to the finals of the league. He's strong enough and old enough to fulfill our needs. It's just a matter of time before we strike."
A/N: Huzzah! The Kalos League is finally over! To put it in French: La Ligue de Kalos est enfin terminée. I gotta do something French related 'cause, you know, Kalos is based off France. I finally get to move onward and onto the start to the real plot in the NEXT chapter. Though... there was some foreshadowing in this chapter on what will happen. Kudos to you if you pick up on it.
The league dragged on for WAY too long. Thank you for baring with me.
I do apologize if them becoming a couple seems a bit rushed. If you don't watch the anime often, I can see it being a bit rushed in that perspective. In the perspective of Ash's journey, however, this would be the perfect time for them to become a couple as Ash did just finish the Kalos region. My story starts from the end of Ash's journey in the Kalos region.
Well, enough of my rambling. See you around soon~
Next Chapter: Goodbyes and Farewells! Spiritual Dispute?
~SPG123~