A/N: I was unable to finish a chapter (though I am nearly done with one). As promised, should I be unable to finish a chapter, I upload the next one I have in reserve two weeks afterward. As it is the end of August, school is going to start for me in the next week or so. I'll see if I can get the next chapter out between now and then. Once school starts, I'll need to focus on standardized testing and college applications. Yay...

Welcome to the latest update in the story. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Onward to the story!

Edited as of July 13th, 2018. Happy reading!

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." -Marilyn Monroe

Chapter 8: Guardian Conflict: Battle of Wills

"Haha! Ruru, when are we going to get to the huge surprise?" A young raven-haired boy asked.

The brown eyed child was wearing beige linen shorts and a sleeveless yellow top. From the looks of it, he was feeling hot despite being happy. Aurora chuckled as she lifted the younger boy on her back. She looked like she was vibrant. She had a large blue flower on the of her head with a mega stone in the middle. She was wearing a simple spaghetti-strapped beige sundress and black flats. Her elbow-length dark hair cascaded around her shoulders. Aurora was elated to be strolling the forest with the young boy.

"Very soon, young one. We just have to get past this forest and Pewter City to see the surprise." The young adult said patiently. The small child nodded and grabbed Aurora's hand. She beamed as they continued through the forest.

Suddenly, the sky grew very dark and clouds become omnipresent. The wind started to intensify as leaves started to blow off the trees. Aurora grabbed the young boy tightly. He looked up at her in concern.

"Hold on to me," Aurora ordered. Ash didn't need to be told twice. He made sure he was secure. She held on to his legs as she started to run at a brisk pace. She was fighting the wind, but it seemed to be a nigh impossible task. The ground started to become harder and harder to traverse. Ash noticed that the ground was slowly turning into mud.

"Ruru…? W-what's happening?" Ash asked in a panicked voice.

"I don't know, but I'll do whatever it takes to protect you, young one," Aurora said, struggling to keep her eyes open from the sheer force of the wind. She tried to move, but couldn't. Her legs became as stiff as stone. She trudged a bit farther, but couldn't balance herself any longer. She fell face first on the ground. The boy was sitting on top on her, horrified. He immediately got off. The auburn eyed-lad had tears in his eyes as he tried to help Aurora up. She couldn't budge. He decided to try something else. He rolled her over and wiped some of the mud from her eyes, nose, and mouth. She coughed up some mud.

"Th-thank you, young one." Aurora coughed up some mud in appreciation. The wind intensified, the trees looked like they were going to be uprooted. The young boy screamed as he held on to his protector as tightly as he could. She tried to move her arms, but found that she couldn't no matter how hard she tried. All she could do is cuddle up slightly to the young boy's touch.

"It seems I trapped two little guardians in one hole." A surprisingly deep voice said.

"Wh-who was that?" The young boy looked up slightly, but was struggling to due to the whipping winds. He could see a silhouette of a bearded man, but he couldn't see him well. His shadow was eerily augmented by the lack of light. He heard no response. Then, a bony hand touched his shoulder. The young lad shivered at the touch, but did not turn around to look. He was too petrified to move. Aurora's entire body became submerged in the mud until she could not be seen.

"Ruru!" The young boy dug through the mud to try to find her. His search was fruitless. She was gone.

"This is just the beginning, boy, in more ways than one. It's your choice… join me!" The voice behind him said.

The young boy gathered enough courage to look behind him and see the scary man… but only for a second. The bearded man looked at the child with scornful eyes, full of jealousy. The young boy wondered how he wasn't affected by the wind. The eerie chap continued and forced the boy to look at him eye to eye. He cackled as he said, "Or don't... it won't matter. Your path has always been predetermined. You've always had no choice."

"Stop it!"

"You have no choice…"

"Stop it!"

"Follow your destiny of carnage…"

"Stop it!"

"Little one… when the time comes, I'll count on you to make the right choice… the choice for annihilation."

"STOP IT!" The young boy screamed on top of his lungs. His eyes turned a bloody red as his instincts took over. He tried to claw out the older males' eyes, but the older male dissipated and rematerialized a few feet away from the distraught boy. The boy grunted an almost inhuman sound as she began to cover his ears from the older male's singing.

The man started to chant almost as if he was singing, "Two guardians bound by a memory lost. Brings the end of the world at a cost. Destruction is a bloomin' and nothin' can stop the ruinin'..."

The creepy older male's voice continued to echo in the destroyed forest. The wind uprooted all the trees around the boy. He was utterly alone in a world full of chaos. No Aurora. No Pokémon. Just himself. He curled up into a ball and tried to cover his ears. It was futile. He could still hear the man's terrible voice. The distraught youngster covered his ears harder and screamed as loud as he possibly could.

"Please… please… leave me alone…" The boy thought in distress.

A Pokémon of massive height suddenly appeared towered over him. It was purple and draconic, having extremely sharp scales and teeth. Its long tail looked like it could sweep trees from their trunks. The Pokemon stood as if it was a raptor of some kind. It had small craters on its back emitting a strange smelling gas. The mysterious creature had large piercing yellow eyes and a long gruesome snout. The young boy could tell this isn't its full form; it only looked like a husk of its true self. The thought frightened him since the Pokémon looked scary as it was.

"Little human, I cannot wait for us to properly meet. You are the most powerful aura guardian of your lifetime. You will aid in my revival soon enough. Humans will always succumb to temptation. Your dreams are no longer safe. Ashton Cornelius Ketchum… rise to greet your new master." The purple dragon commanded.

The lad thought of its voice as soothing, but forceful. The voice was highly persuasive. Just hearing it made him want to do what the Pokemon said. He felt the urge to just stand and bow to it. Every fiber of his being was trying to resist its effects. His body was shaking and he closed his eyes even tighter. He shook his head vigorously in defiance.

"Leave… me… alone…." The child said with a low growl. The Pokémon expressed surprise at the young one's resistance to his temptation. He smirked at the boy's stubbornness.

"You dare defy me, young whelp? Very well. Your will is strong… but that will make all the more satisfying when I break it completely. When we meet, I will make sure you are the first life I end. You cannot prevent your destiny to revive me." The purple dragon continued to pressure.

"Leave me alone!" The youngster said more forcefully, but the draconian creature was not shaken in the slightest. In fact, it was laughing at the futile effort.

"You were born for the sole purpose of reviving me and bringing Armageddon to the world. You will not escape your fate." The Pokémon continue to laugh arrogantly at the petrified boy. The laugh echoed in his head. The young boy clutched his hair wildly and tried to block off their laughter. He couldn't look at the dragon and just wanted the laughing to stop. The old man was riding atop the dragon, joining in on the laughter. The boy couldn't take it any longer.

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Ash woke up screaming and his eyes wide. He held his chest. He looked around and noticed that he was in his room. Ash made sure he was in his room by slapping himself. When he realized he was no longer in a dream, he sighed in relief. It was enough to get up both Clemont and Pikachu. Ash was beaded with sweat and his bed was completely drenched in it. His covers were disheveled as though he was moving around restlessly and he looked visibly disturbed.

"Ash…? What's wrong?" Clemont said in concern.

"…" Ash remained silent as he was transfixed with a certain area on the wall. He was looking at nothing in particular. He was also shivering slightly. Pikachu approached his trainer and jumped on his shoulder, but Ash made no movement of acknowledgment. He stayed frozen, staring at the wall. He was breathing in and out deeply. He mustered up enough strength to say barely above a whisper, "Please... Don't come near me…"

"Ash?" Clemont tried again. He hadn't heard what Ash said. He was getting increasingly nervous for his friend.

"It… it seemed so real…" Ash mumbled in a toneless trance. He closed his eyes in fear and moved his head away from his friend. Clemont was confused by the action.

"What did?"

"It seemed so real…"

"Ash? You're not making much sense."

"So real…"

Clemont didn't know what to say. It seemed that Ash would keep repeating the same thing, but Clemont didn't know why. Ash was scaring him. Clemont thought, " I don't know what to do for him. I have never dealt with anything like this before. I don't know how deeply that dream is affecting him."

Without warning, Ash grabbed Clemont by his shoulders and roughly shook him. His grip was as tight as a Machamp wrestling another Machamp. Clemont hissed in pain and held onto a table to keep himself up. Ash showed no emotion. "It's not only affecting me deeply. It's affecting my spirit. I feel stricken to the core…"

"(A…As…Ash!)" Pikachu tried to say, but was struggling to hold on to Ash's shoulder. Ash was fidgeting too much.

"A…Ash… s-stop… shaking… me…!" Clemont pleaded. He was shocked that he heard his thought, but was more occupied at the sheer strength of his friend. He never knew Ash to be so strong. This wasn't normal. Ash ignored his friend.

"Sorry, buddy, but you need a bit of a shock." Pikachu thought. He had enough of this.

Pikachu closed his eyes and released his legendary Thunderbolt attack against his trainer. Ash stopped shaking Clemont and knocked him down on the floor. His disheveled hair covered much of his face and eyes. He stood there and took the hit with no expression. He didn't even seem to feel it. Pikachu then stopped his attack and tended to Clemont. He looked up at the blond boy with concern.

"(Are you alright?)" Pikachu asked.

"I'm fine. Thanks, Pikachu." Clemont replied. Clemont didn't understand Pokémon but he got the message. The blond inventor looked up at Ash, somewhat confused, but mostly sympathetic.

Ash was clutching his head in pain, as if he was fighting something. He warned, "Pl…ple…please… G…get… away…."

"No! We want to help you!" Clemont argued. Pikachu nodded in agreement.

Ash's eyes twitched as they were turning from their regular brown color to a bloody hue. He closed his eyes, clutched his head and went against the wall. He shut his eyes as tightly as he could. He started to ignore everything. "N-n-no…I… can feel myself slipping away…"

"You have no choice… it was never your choice… accept your fate and unleash your rage. Unleash my rage!" A second voice bellowed in his mind.

"N-no…" Ash murmured aloud.

"Ash?" Clemont asked.

When Clemont tried to touch Ash, he felt a painful electrical shock. Clemont winced and he jerked his hand away. Ash's body became crackled with electricity. It didn't seem to be hurting him, though. Pikachu looked at the sight in wonder. Ash never did that before. His body was shaking violently and he was clenching his teeth. Pikachu didn't know what else to do and used Thunderbolt on his friend. Ash looked as if he took nothing from the attack again. He ignored it and continued to grip his head in pain. Pikachu stopped, seeing his efforts being futile. He didn't know any way to help out his friend and it crushed him.

"Unleash your rage…" The second voice persisted. He was relentless.

"P-please stop…" Ash said in a pleading tone.

"All your pain will go away once you rampage. Give in to yourself. Do it…" The second voice urged.

"I…" Ash didn't know what to say or do.

"Give in… you cannot resist yourself that much longer. Whatever defense you had against me shattered in your nightmare and you can't fight me. I'm done messing with you. I will be in control!" The second voice roared.

"..." Ash stopped clutching his head. He visibly relaxed. His breathing slowed. He stood up straight, but kept his eyes closed. His hair was wilder than it normally was. He was surrounded by a dark blue aura and he had his fists clenched tightly. The atmosphere suddenly felt a bit unnatural and it was highly uncomfortable to Clemont and Pikachu. Ash made no movement at all. They were waiting in anticipation. Ash's distressed frown suddenly turned into a disturbing grin.

"Ash?" Clemont asked in a shaky voice. Ash opened his eyes to acknowledge Clemont. They were a strikingly disconcerting red. Clemont backed away in surprise. "Ash?!"

Ash stood there, looking somewhat humored. He murmured in a sarcastic tone unlike himself, "Someone must be scared out of their wits."

Clemont noticed that his voice sounded deeper. Ash raised his hand and it glowed blue. Clemont became immersed in a blue outline. As Ash's hand rose, Clemont's body also rose. Clemont never thought Ash could do this. He was already a bit iffy about aura guardians in general, but the fact that Ash was using his power against him confused him. He didn't know Ash could do any of this at all.

"A-Ash! Put me down! Why are you acting this way?" Clemont questioned the boy's motives. The boy widened his now gleaming red eyes and began to laugh somewhat arrogantly.

"Ash? Oh, you think I'm my balance? That's rich." He continued to titter. He shook his head and made a malicious grin. He laughed, putting his fingers in quotations,"We may be one in the same, but I am definitely not the 'Ash' you're used to, Clemont."

"Your… balance? Who are you, then?" Clemont demanded. He didn't know what was going on, only that Ash had him in the same way Aurora had him when he was freaking out about aura guardians. However, Ash's aura felt a lot more hostile than Aurora's did. It felt suffocating.

"Ashton Cornelius Ketchum at your service. Enraged counterbalance of Ash and berserker to all those around me." Ashton did a mock bow of respect. "I am the manifestation of Ash's… more vicious side when I'm pissed off. It feels so good to finally see some light after nine years." Ashton finished the sentence with a grin. Clemont was promptly slammed into the wall… hard. The force was enough to knock off a few Poké Balls from the nightstand. Clemont wanted to clutch his side, but found that he couldn't. His glasses fell on the floor beside him.

"How do you like that, friend?" Ashton sneered as he said the word 'friend'. "That feeling of helplessness? That feeling of agony. That feeling of not being able to do anything?"

Clemont glared at his friend. He didn't like to be mocked. He wouldn't give Ashton the satisfaction of responding. Ashton chuckled, "Oh, you don't? That's such a shame… At least, you can sympathize with me a little, right...?"

"What do you mean?" Clemont asked confused, but in a guarded voice.

Ashton chuckled darkly and looked into Clemont's eyes. They seemed clouded and crazed. Clemont was slowly becoming more and more fearful of his friend. He was surprised that Ash had such a ruthless side to him. Ashton said, "I was hoping you'd asked that, Clemont. I've been trapped inside for nine years against my will. I've seen all of what Ash has seen. I know his battle style, habits, Pokémon, and friends. I could do nothing but watch. Watching him live a living lie of a life. The illusion sickens me. This same illusion almost faded me away permanently. As a result... it's made me very CRANKY!"

Ashton brought his hands closer to move the petrified blond teen. Clemont corresponded in Ashton's movement by being trapped a few inches from his face. Before Clemont could process on what Ashton had said, Ashton slapped him repeatedly in the face.

"You have… no idea… of the… torment… I've… endured! To nearly... lose yourself... in your own body!" Ashton's voice rose as he slapped Clemont every few words. Clemont grunted in pain, but couldn't do anything. Ashton then proceeded to punch him in the stomach. The blond teen screamed in agony. He wanted to clutch his stomach so badly, but Ashton was firm in his aura grip. His face was littered with bruises from how hard Ashton hit him. Ashton showed no emotion other than crazed. "You'll feel what I feel!"

"W-w-w-hy…? W-w-why are you doing this, Ashton?" Clemont said with tears in his eyes. He didn't understand why there was a side of Ash willing to harm him. It felt wrong. Ash was always someone he would look up to. Ash would never hurt anyone… but Ashton didn't seem to care. It hurt even worse considering that Ash felt like a slightly older brother to him. It made him helpless, confused and petrified beyond belief. He could barely utter more words out from the trauma.

"That little display of emotion would normally get to Ash. Even now, I feel him stirring… trying… to fight me. He must care for you a lot." Ashton admitted with disgust. Clemont's eyes brightened. Maybe there was a way to bring Ash back in control.

"Ash! If you can hear this, fight him!" Clemont said as strongly as he could. Ashton's red eyes glowered at him.

"He may care for you, but that doesn't mean he's strong enough to escape my control." Ashton held Clemont's chin tauntingly. "And there isn't a single thing you can do about it."

"Maybe not him, but I can!" An electric rodent said with anger in his voice. He had electric sparks forming from his cheeks, ready to attack. Clemont was relieved that Pikachu was awake. There was no way Ash could stop a Pokémon. Ashton, on the other hand, the blond inventor wasn't sure about. Still, he was shocked about Pikachu actually speaking. Everyone was shocked about it, including the electric mouse.

"P-Pikachu can talk?!" Clemont and Ashton said at the same time.

"Woah... I must be subconsciously releasing my aura. I see that enough accumulated into you. But now you're talking because of it?" Ashton looked at his hand in curiosity. It was the first time he had a look of shock on his face. He had an astonished grin on his face. For a moment, his voice sounded almost like Ash's normally. If they weren't paying attention, they would think it was Ash. He mumbled to himself, "I gotta admit, that's pretty cool…"

"Let him go, Ashton! Now!" Pikachu continued to emit electrical sparks. With the initial surprise now fleeting him, Ashton smirked arrogantly. His voice and demeanor changed back to the way it was before.

"And what are you going to do about it, Pikachu? You aren't in a position to demand anything. Shock me and I'll fry him ten times worse. And believe me, my shocks are a lot more powerful than yours." With a malicious glint in his eyes, Ashton had electricity crackling in two of his fingers.

Pikachu immediately sweat-dropped when he said that. He didn't want to test out Ashton's bluff. He wanted to help out Clemont, but he didn't want him to get hurt in the process. Pikachu stopped emitting electricity from his cheeks. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. Ashton smirked in satisfaction. "That's a good little Pokémon."

He was not going to stand for it, though. Pikachu decided to act while Ashton's guard was down. He hated to do this, but he ignored the fact that Ashton had Ash's face. He envisioned Ash as someone he had no qualms about attacking. Team Rocket was a good place to start. Not looking directly at Ash, Pikachu's tail suddenly glowed a steely light. He jumped up and struck Ashton in the stomach. Pikachu knocked Ashton against the wall. It was enough to break Ashton's concentration and free Clemont from the aura grip. The impact was enough to knock the wind out of him, but only for a few moments.

Clemont used those precious seconds the best way he could. Clemont immediately moved to the door, staring at what he was witnessing in awe. He had never imagined Pikachu fighting Ash willingly. Everything seemed completely screwed up in his eyes. He was wondering if this was some sick dream he was having. He had to pinch himself in order to realize that he wasn't in a nightmare.

Pikachu called out, "Clemont! Get away! Get help!"

"Pikachu, weaken… me as much as you can. Show me… no mercy…." Ashton's eyes suddenly turned back into their chocolate gems. Pikachu looked surprised to hear Ash's real voice again. When he saw his eyes, he knew his friend was back. He was so confused, though. Ash couldn't change his eyes color before. He panted heavily and tried to keep himself down. Pikachu could see he was in visible pain and held his hand to support him. Ash roughly took his hand away and tried to move away from his oldest Pokémon.

"Ash?" Pikachu asked.

"I… don't want to hurt you. I…I… love you so much, but I can't help what I do. Stay… away… from… me… please…" Ash struggled to say. His eyes were changing between brown and red as he spoke. Ash stood up and tried to move away from Pikachu, but his body wouldn't listen to him. Pikachu remembered the story his Meema told him and understood what was happening with his best pal. It broke the mouse's heart to see Ash struggle internally, but there was little he could do to stop it. That didn't mean to say he would abandon him. Pikachu made the resolve that he would help his trainer fight himself.

"I'm not going to stay away. I will help you! Sorry, but I have to knock you out. It's for your own good." Pikachu knew the only way to deal with a counterbalance was to knock them out or calm them down. If Ash's eyes were alternating between colors, Pikachu knew that calming him down was not an option. Ashton was too mad to listen to reason. So, he decided to try to knock Ash out while he was keeping his other side occupied.

"I…. understand. Do… your… worst… to… me, buddy…" Ash screamed in pain as he forced himself to spit out the words.

Ash closed his eyes and looked away from the electric type. Seeing as his electricity didn't do much the first time, Pikachu decided his tail would do the trick. Concentrating, Pikachu's tail turned into steel. With a scream, he hit Ash's head with his tail. However, the boy caught the tail before it could hit his head properly, but his hand only cushioned the blow. He screamed at the force of the boy had a massive headache, but it took him a while to adjust to it. Eventually, he couldn't feel any pain at all. When Ash opened his eyes, they were a bloody red. Pikachu stood back in shock and in fear. How in the world had he taken that Iron Tail without having so much pain? Ashton's body became surrounded in pure red aura as he gave in to his rage.

Ashton looked at his partner in a murderous glare. Even though he managed to shrug off most of the pain in his head, there was still a dulling sensation of pain left. His body was actively fighting the effects of the concussion. The enraged teen growled, "Ash isn't here anymore, buddy. A guardian's natural durability and our accelerated healing go a long way. You will pay for that!"

Ashton's hand began to crackle with pure electricity as it began to condense into a ball-like shape. As fast as he created it, he shot it at the electric mouse. Pikachu barely leaped out of the way. He saw that it created a large hole in the wall. They could see Bonnie and Serena on the other side. The commotion was enough to wake up Serena, but not Bonnie.

Serena's vision was somewhat hazy as she remembered the euphoric feeling she had from Ash's aura last night. However, it became completely clear when she saw the gaping hole in the wall. She was shocked. From it, she could see Pikachu glaring at Ash and that Ash's eyes were red. He looked enraged and at the ghost of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Clemont by the door, petrified.

"What's happening in there?" Serena asked anxiously. Not wanting to waste any more time, Serena promptly left her bed and entered Ash's room. She politely moved past Clemont to see that Ashton and Pikachu had engaged in a Pokémon battle… of sorts.

As soon as Serena entered, Pikachu used Thunderbolt on his trainer. Ashton's eyes glistened as he crossed his arms in an 'X' shape, and took the brunt of the attack. Ashton smiled as his hands crackled with electricity stronger in intensity. He shot a line of electricity at Pikachu. Pikachu had no time to react. Pikachu took the shock a lot worse than Ashton took his. Pikachu screamed in agony as the intensity of the move increased. Ashton had a cruel look in his eyes as he raised the potency of his aura to strengthen the attack. It was horrible to watch Pikachu getting tortured like that, but the enraged counterbalance didn't seem to care.

"STOP IT!" Serena screamed at the top of her lungs. Ashton stopped his attack. Pikachu fell on the ground, unconscious with charred marks all over his body. Ashton cocked his head around to acknowledge her. Serena was scowling at him. "Ash, what has gotten into you?"

Ashton smirked and slowly approached Serena. Serena gasped. Serena thought that Ash had red eyes because they were bloodshot from the low light. Clemont moved away from Ashton to the opposite side of the room and looked at him with fearful eyes. Serena was increasingly becoming concerned. "Ash? Were you crying?"

"Why desecrate such a pretty little rose such trivial answers?" Ashton answered with a question of his own. He kissed her hand and looked up at her. Serena gasped. She never heard Ash speak that way before. It sounded deeper, sophisticated and suave. It also made her heart flutter and dance inside. She was wondering why she felt like this despite the current situation. It intrigued her, but it also made her very confused.

"W-what?" Serena could barely choke out.

Ashton laughed and smiled. There was something in his eyes… like a predator stalking prey. Serena didn't notice because she was transfixed with Ash's change in tone. Ashton caressed her cheek softly. Serena slightly moaned at the touch and her face slid into his hand. He gave a light kiss on her lips. "I wouldn't want to trouble you, Serena. You should go back to bed. Nothing's happening where you need to concern yourself."

"Serena, don't fall for it! That's not our Ash! That's Ash-" Clemont called out. Clemont was going to say more, but one glare from Ashton stopped him from saying anything else. He quickly shut his mouth, fearful of what the raven haired teen might do. Serena noticed the silent exchange and grew more confused and suspicious. She didn't know Ash to intimidate anyone, especially his friends.

"Huh…? This isn't Ash? He looks just like him." Serena said, confused.

"Oh, I am Ash, Serena. I don't know why Clemont would say something like that…" Ashton defended himself. It sounded so sincere. Serena found it hard-pressed not to believe Ashton until she noticed how badly bruised Clemont's face was and the fact his glasses were on the floor. Pikachu was knocked out with charred marks as she entered the room. Serena stepped away from Ashton suddenly. She stepped back until she was against the wall. Ashton matched every single step she took. It was only now that Serena noticed the predation within Ashton's red eyes. It made her uncomfortable.

Ashton furrowed his eyebrows in mock surprise. His face gave the look of worry. "What's wrong, Serena?"

"You're not Ash…" Serena said in a low voice.

"I am Ash. Why don't you believe me?" Ashton asked.

"The real Ash would never hurt Clemont and Pikachu. The real Ash wouldn't know how to use his aura as good as I saw you use it. The real Ash wouldn't make me feel this uncomfortable. Who are you and why you look like Ash?" Serena hissed.

Ashton tittered deviously. Ashton said with a chuckle, "Oh, my sweet little rose… I really am Ash. How about I give you a demonstration?"

Ashton snapped his fingers. Clemont because outlined in a blue glow. He found that he couldn't move. Soon after that, Ashton moved in to give Serena a more passionate kiss. Serena felt her entire body heat up. She started to melt into the kiss. After a few moments, she remembered something was wrong. Ash wouldn't be so forward about kissing, especially since they recently became a couple. She knew she needed to get away. Serena tried to pull away, but Ashton got a firm grip on her waist. There was no escape. Meanwhile, Clemont was still stuck at his spot. Ashton had him trapped in the aura grip once more. He hated feeling useless, but was powerless to do anything to help her.

"A-Ash! Let go of me!" Serena said, struggling to get away from his tongue. She never knew Ash had so much strength. He was becoming more and rougher kissing her and trying to keep her down. Serena had enough of this. She slapped Ashton right across the face. Ashton loosened his grip and held his the spot where she slapped him in shock. He was wide-eyed. Serena was extremely pissed that he would do that to her. Serena said, now fed up, "What the heck, man? Why would you do that? Who the hell are you?"

Ashton recovered after a few moments. He looked at her with a mix of lust and admiration, "I didn't know you to be so... feisty, Serena. It's made me want you even more."

Serena sweat-dropped anxiously, but kept a firm stance. She had to stifle a blush when she heard the last part of Ashton's sentence. She knew that wasn't her Ash saying that.

"Answer my question. Who. Are. You?!" Serena said even more intensely.

"Ashton Ketchum at your service. Counterbalance to Ash and the love of your life. I wasn't lying when I said I was Ash, Serena. That used to be my preferred name before Ash lost his memory. Though… it was a little fun messing with your head. Hope you enjoyed our first kiss." Ashton said with a sarcastic glint in his eye. Serena knew when she was getting teased and became even more irate. She normally didn't get angry, but Ashton pushed her to the extreme. Serena attempted to slap him again, but Ashton caught her hand and tightened his grip. Serena yelped in surprise, then screamed in pain. She struggled to endure the agony.

"You despicable little per-!" Serena started. Ashton put a finger to her lips and shushed her.

"You know, if I really wanted to, I could do unto you a lot worse than I have already." Ashton interrupted bluntly. Ashton looked at every inch of Serena. He licked his lips hungrily. He whispered in her ear, "Consider yourself lucky I didn't continue. Ash's restraint is what saved you. Hell… he's the only reason you aren't bruised like Clemont... at least not yet."

"How dare you do that to her! To Pikachu and Clemont, too!" Ash's voice echoed in their mind.

"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy hearing the small whimpers she made before she realized who I was. She was totally into it, even though she thought it was you." Ashton sneered back in their head.

"I would never do that to her. It isn't right!" Ash screamed.

"And yet you didn't try to resist too much until just now, did you?" Ashton snickered.

"I am trying to resist! You're overpowering me!" Ash hissed.

"You wanna do it with her. I sure as hell want to." Ashton said, unusually casual. It irritated Ash to be ignored by his own self.

"I'm not you! I wouldn't so disrespectful to her. I wouldn't force myself on her. It's indecent!" Ash roared at his counterbalance. He could hear Ashton laughing in their head. Ash was getting more and more upset.

"You're not denying what I said, either. See? Deep inside you, you know you want to and yet you hold back. You may not be me exactly, but we are the same person, Ash. We have the same urges and desires. The sooner you realize that, the sooner we may be able to work together." Ashton responded. There was a hint of longing in his tone that Ash couldn't pick up at first.

Before he could respond further, Ash could feel Ashton leaving their thoughts. "W-wait! Get back here!"

It was too late. Ashton shut himself off from Ash and started to focus of Serena again.

Ashton shook his head to try to be rid of Ash's influence. He could feel it fading away. Ashton put his hand against the wall and attempted to kiss Serena again. However, Serena immediately slapped him in the face again. Ashton had his face down as he held his face.

Unlike the first time, Ashton was enraged. He tried to punch her, but she narrowly avoided the strike. The punch was strong enough to cause another hole in the wall. This time, the hole was opposite to the beds. They could see from outside the room. He pushed her against the wall roughly adjacent to said hole. He had her wrists above her as she was completely trapped. In the places where he grabbed her, horrible red welts formed, especially at her wrists. She looked at her boyfriend with fearful eyes.

"Slap me once… shame on me. Slap me twice… shame on you!" Ashton growled as he punched Serena in the face. He would have... if he wasn't shaking violently. Serena took the opportunity to grab Pikachu from the ground and move toward the door with him.

"S-S-Serena…" Ashton said in a much softer tone than he'd been talking. It sounded like Ash's regular voice.

She'd recognize that tone anywhere. "A-ash? Is that really you?"

Ash's body was twitching and shaking as Ash and Ashton fought for authority over their own body. Ash was winning by a hair, though he was struggling to maintain his dominance. He was talking to himself. He said in a low growl, "D-don't touch her! Don't ever hurt her!" Serena was relieved to see her boyfriend fight his counterbalance. She was touched that he cared so much about her, but he was visibly in pain. He was moving away from her. His mind and body were preoccupied with fighting itself.

"I'll do whatever I please with her!" Ashton snarled. Ash kept shifting between his real self and his counterbalance. His eyes kept on shifting from brown to red as he backed up against a wall, wailing in pain. His eyes were hurting from constantly shifting colors and he had a massive headache. His body was violently twitching as it was trying to decide the dominant one.

"Ash! You can do it! Keep fighting!" Serena called out.

"Serena…" Ash responded to her voice. "Serena… Clemont… Pikachu…"

"I know you will win! Fight him!"

Ash's head titled to a very uncomfortable angle to the left. It then did the same thing to the right. Finally, it centered itself. "I'm… I'm… trying. I… I… I… I feel like I'm losing…"

"You have the strongest will I've ever seen, Ash. Follow the sound of my voice…" Serena said as soothingly as she could in the current situation. For a moment, it looked like it was working. Ash's body stopped twitching as violently as he walked towards her. His teeth and fists were still clenched, but he wasn't shaking as badly as before. Serena was hoping to Arceus that he was going win.

"Oh no you don't! You will not use her to suppress me again!" Ashton regained control once again out of pure abhor. He looked at her with hateful eyes. "You need to be silenced!" Ashton tried to slap Serena like she did him. Serena flinched and looked away from the impending blow. Before he could strike Serena, his hand stopped in the middle of the air. Serena opened her eyes to realize that his hand was shaking and he was moving away.

His body started to twitch again in agony. "I… won't… let… you… harm… her…" Ash opened his eyes and Serena could see the pain he was suffering trying not to hurt her. She could feel how bad their conflict was. It broke her heart seeing his chestnut eyes in misery. "S-Serena… Please… get… away…"

"No! I want to stay by your side…" Serena didn't abide by his wishes. He looked directly into her eyes and could see her compassion. He tried to move away, but Serena kept on moving closer. She was convinced she could help him and would do anything to get him through it.

"I… I… will… hurt… you. He's… he's… almost… through…" Ash continued in a pained voice. His counterbalance wanted to do so much, and he could feel the last of his strength being sapped away. He wasn't sure how long it was until he couldn't prevent Ashton from hurting Serena, Clemont or any other person he cared about.

"I don't care! I told you whatever you'd go through, we go through together. I meant it. We will find a way." Serena said with conviction in her voice. She grabbed his hand and looked at him worriedly. Ash felt a thunderous jolt go through him. Serena felt the shock and jerked her hand away in surprise.

"I'm done playing tug of war, Ash. Give in to me!" Ashton roared in their mind.

"Never!" Ash responded with just as much intensity. Neither side was giving each other an inch.

"Then that will be the death of us because I won't give up until restitution is made. Until what's wrong is right." Ashton retorted.

"Why are you so angry, Ashton? What did I do that has made you upset?" Ash asked, confused.

"It's what you didn't do… or rather, can't remember. I'm angry because of your ignorance. You absolutely have no idea how screwed up a life you're really living. The life of an illusion. Ruru means more to us than you realize. I'm only trying to make you see that so we can stop being conflicted!" Ashton replied furiously.

"What about Aurora makes her so important to us?" Ash defended.

"Denial is a real thing, Ash. I know you. You wouldn't understand yet. If anything, I'll make things worse for myself if you don't believe yourself. I don't want to fade away completely." Ashton snorted.

"First Aurora and now you? What won't I understand? According to you, I'm you! Why won't you outright say it?!" Ash responded angrily.

"I don't have to respond to you any further. All I need to do is force you to realize everything. Force you to go back. I don't care how much aura I use to achieve that goal. I will do this until we could be whole again…" Ashton finished quietly.

"To where? Are you talking about Viridian Forest?" Ash inquired.

"What else could I be talking about, Captain Obvious? Your friends are a hindrance to that. Therefore, all hindrances must be destroyed and that includes your so called apple of your eye." Ashton said, now enraged. "I'm not going to let your restraint stop me anymore, Ash. I will force you to go!"

"You don't have to it this way! If you use up too much of our aura, we will die. Don't you see that?" Ash said with conviction.

"I rather die than to live in a world of torment. Logic is but a fleeting afterthought from the emptiness I feel now. I'm… just trying to relieve that torment," Ashton responded barely above a whisper. Ash wouldn't have heard it if it wasn't them sharing the same head. Before Ash could ponder on what he said, Ashton suddenly turned hostile once again. "Time's up Ash. No more control. I'm in control and I'm going to be rid of any distractions as I see fit!"

Serena noticed that Ash was silent for a long time. She wondered if he was winning his internal conflict. She knew she couldn't do anything, but just watch. Watch and hope. Finally, she started to see Ash stir again. His eyes looked sunken in as if he hadn't eaten in a long time, but they were gradually shifting from brown to red.

"Ash! Keep going! Only you can fight him!" Serena spurred him on.

"Serena… go… go… to… Aurora…" Ash told her shakily.

"What? Aurora? Why?" Serena asked. Why would he want to see Aurora in a time like this?

"Ashton's memory… of her … is strong. I… don't know why. She… may… be able… to help. She… will know… what to do. Get… away…. from me… He's… he's… he's… coming out...G-g-go… please…" Ash said in a strained voice. His head moved to the side as he tried to hold out for a little bit longer. He knew he would lose control in the next few seconds. Ash screamed as his body writhed as far away from her as he could muster. He was only able to go a few feet.

"Ash!" Serena looked concerned. She held his hand to comfort him. "I'll do what you asked. I'll go outside and seek out Aurora."

Ash's body visibly relaxed as his breathing slowed. Serena looked at him with a guarded expression. He suddenly grabbed her with his right hand and pushed against the wall hard. Serena gasped in both pain and surprise as Ashton's now glowering red eyes peered into her soul. Serena tried to move about, but Ashton had her in a firm grip. She'd never imagined Ash's face harboring so much animosity… and his loathing was geared towards her.

"You should have listened to him immediately, Serena." All signs of Ash dissipated with that one sentence. Ashton's free hand began to crackle with pure electricity. Serena began to fidget even more, but Ashton was too strong. He flashed a soothing smile. "Good night, my little rose. Permanently."

"I'm sorry, Ash," Serena apologized in her thoughts.

"Well, this rose has thorns!" Serena took the opportunity to kick Ashton in his private area. He howled in pain as he let go of Serena from the wall and released Clemont form his aura grip. Ashton fell on the floor with angry tears in his eyes. The floor became his temporary prison. He looked at Serena with a mix of betrayal and fury.

"Run away… for when I recover, your pretty little head is mine!" Ashton swore to himself.

"Clemont, let's hurry while he's dazed!" Serena grabbed Pikachu from the floor as she left the room for outside. Clemont didn't know he could move. Much to his surprise, he was able to move his fingers. He just realized Ashton had let him go unwittingly. With this knowledge, he took one last look at Ashton and left outside to follow Serena and Pikachu.

"Serena, why do… we have… to go to Aurora?" Clemont wheezed in between words. He could barely keep up with her.

"It's what Ash wanted. I don't know how Aurora will help bring him back, but I know she can do something if he mentioned her. We have to save him." Serena explained without looking at him. They both managed to exit the Pokémon Center out into the battlefield. It looked bizarre at night without any lights on or the sun up. Even though they could see the remnants of the sun on the horizon, it wasn't nearly enough for daytime. Serena quickly looked around for a tree with a woman lying on top. She saw no one. Serena started to panic with Clemont tried to stay calm.

"W-where is she?" Serena asked in a small voice. She ran by the tree she and Ash had sat under because she knew that was where Aurora decided to sleep. Much to her own dismay, she really wasn't there. Serena began to shake slightly in fear. She was afraid that Ash would stay the way he was forever. The thought of it made her hair stand on end. She would search the ends of the Earth for Aurora if that would bring back the man she loves.

"She must be around here somewhere. We have to start looking." Clemont said, somewhat composed. He surprised himself in how confident he sounded. He believed himself and hoped Serena would feel better, too. He was glad that Ashton completely ignored Bonnie in his attack because he couldn't take if something happened to his little sister. He caught up to where Serena was standing and looked up at the tree as well.

"Where do you think you're going? You two will pay!" A third voice chimed in. They both turned around to see Ashton's red eyes glaring at them from the Pokémon Center. They had an eerie glow to them. They could both tell that he was really pissed off. He hadn't looked like that since he was possessed by the Prison Bottle. It scared them to see the similarity between what they had dubbed 'Dark Ash'. Unlike Dark Ash, Ashton looked intent on killing them.

They both stepped back from him, leaning against the tree. They were paralyzed from moving. Ashton made a mad dash towards them. They had never seen anyone move that fast, except for Aurora. His arms were popping with electrical sparks. Channeling his aura to his fingertips, he shot a powerful electric blast at the two scared teens. Clemont and Serena flinched as they waited for the blast to strike them. They were petrified from moving. The electricity never struck them. A dark blue force field appeared right in front of them, protecting them from the blast. From deeper in the woods, a person wearing a thick black cloak emerged. The mysterious person's face was covered and it was enough to conceal their identity.

"Humph. Leave them alone, young guardian. They have done no harm to you." The being spoke in a commanding voice. The hooded individual slowly walked towards the frightened duo until they were right in front of Clemont and Serena. The person had their arms out wide as if protecting them. Ashton snorted and approached Serena and Clemont, but the figure blocked him. The figure growled at the raging guardian and stood imposingly over him. The anonymous person's fists were clenched tightly and fire was protruding from their knuckles.

Ashton looked even more enraged than he did before. He threw a punch towards the mysterious person, but the chap caught it very easily. Clemont and Serena could hear the impact between their hands. That punch would have hurt anyone. Who was this person and how could they take such a powerful punch? Ashton tried punching with his other hand, but the hooded person caught it just as easily. They both were trying to push the other back. The hooded stranger was winning, but seemed indifferent.

"Why are you helping them? You don't even know them!" Ashton roared. He struggled to keep his ground against the more experienced guardian.

"It is my duty to protect those that are in danger, whether it be people or Pokémon. I go wherever I'm needed." The mysterious stranger responded coolly.

"You aren't needed here. Get out of my way!" Ashton continued to try to push the person back. He wasn't having much success. He had to dig in his heels to prevent the enigmatic person from pushing him back. It didn't even look like the other person was trying to push him.

"Make me." The mysterious person responded with challenge in their voice.

"Fine. Enjoy being fried to death, then." Ashton's body became fizzling with electricity.

Because they were already touching each other, the mysterious person grunted. The cloaked person took the brunt of the attack. Clemont and Serena looked horrified. They couldn't believe Ash's body was doing something so cold. Ashton smiled in satisfaction at the direct hit. For a few moments, the mysterious stranger was sizzling from being shocked, but then, the person's grip grew stronger. Ashton could see the person's eyes glowing red through the hood. Immediately after the shadowy chap's eyes glowed red, they both became surrounded by a torrent of flames. Ashton suddenly became a lot more nervous. The hooded person tightened their grip even more and started to push Ashton near the edge of the fire. Ashton didn't know where this strength came from, but he feared for his life. He was only a few centimeters from being burned.

"W-what? Impossible!" Ashton asked in shock. He was wondering how his electrical shock didn't do much. If anything, it spurred the mysterious being to want to burn him to a crisp.

"You need to be taught proper control of your aura, rebellious one. Powerful guardian or not, your aura is unfocused. A thin aura barrier surrounding oneself is not only invaluable for overall defense, but it is excellent against those who use too much aura all over the place. At worse, that felt like hot water being poured all over my body." The hooded person responded indifferently.

The anonymous being clutched Ashton's hands hard, flipped him over and knocked him to the middle of the circle. Ashton tried to get up, but was met with an aura bone club pushing him down by the chest. Ashton clenched his teeth with ire. Even though he was on the ground, he still couldn't see the mysterious individual's face.

Meanwhile, Serena and Clemont looked at the sight in awe. They didn't know who was helping them, but was very appreciative of it. Still, they wondered where this person came from to help them out the first place. Somehow, Serena knew that this person didn't mean to hurt Ashton, otherwise, it would have been done by now. She was glad. Although Ashton caused them a lot of trouble, she didn't want to see Ash get hurt.

"Stand down, little guardian. I do not wish to fight you." The unknown being pressed the bone club slightly harder on Ashton so that he couldn't get up.

"You've managed to pick a fight with me. Own up to it then!" Ashton looked away with angry tears in his eyes. The mysterious person sighed. The bone club started to glow in a yellow light and Ashton looked up in awe. His body visibly relaxed. He started to feel calmer than he was before, but he didn't know why.

"A life of torment is no subject to an afterlife of misery. As a counterbalance, you must be able to handle all sorts of trials. Your first one is almost over, if you just wait. Being rash never solves anything, young one." The mysterious person's voice changed to be more soft and soothing. The bone club continued to glow until Ashton's body completely relaxed.

"Wait… how did you know…?" Ashton asked, confused. There was no way this person should know that he was Ash's counterbalance if this person didn't know him.

"Because…" The mysterious person took off their hood and revealed a feminine face. Her hair was tied up in a braided bun and her yellow eyes looked sharp. Her face looked grim. "I have one, too, and I get those same crazed red eyes when mine takes control like you did just now."

"It can't be… Ruru?!" Ashton exclaimed in surprise. He looked more scared than he ever did. He couldn't believe he attacked her. She undid her bun and let her braid tumble along her shoulder. Her light amber eyes were surveying Ashton's every move, but they looked concerned. She helped Ashton up off the ground and looked at him with a mix of emotions. There were sadness, happiness, and surprise blended together. She gave him a large hug and looked like she didn't want to let go. She looked at him like he was an illusion and that one touch would make him vanish.

Aurora looked at him with a thoughtful expression. She seemed incredibly spooked... just as spooked as Ash when he woke up from his nightmare. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot and she was shivering slightly. She couldn't help but hold him tighter, both to comfort him and comfort herself. It made Ashton wondered if she had a nightmare like Ash did.

"I… I can't believe it. You… actually remember me. I'm so glad to see you again, Ashton. I didn't think Ash had a side who remembers me. Too bad half of you doesn't… and it's making you feel off, isn't it?" Aurora whispered in his ear with a sad smile.

"Not completely... but I'm glad you're safe. I'm so sorry for what I just tried to do to you. If I had known..." Ashton said with tears in his eyes. Aurora began to rub his back subconsciously. She began to hum a small melody that Ashton almost immediately recognized. His head was swaying back and forward in happiness. Aurora chuckled. She used to hum the same melody whenever he got sad and it had the same effect.

"I guess some things don't change. Don't worry about it, Ashton. I don't hold it against you. Trust me, I've been through worse shocks." Aurora said soothingly. She had a smile on her face, but Ashton couldn't see it. She continued in a euphoric tone, "I'm just glad... they didn't completely wipe your memory. Some part of you made it through. You didn't fade away. You have no idea how happy that makes me..."

"You will always be my true guardian, Ruru... no one else." Ashton hugged her tighter and closed his eyes. They just enjoyed being in each other's arms.

A/N: An eventful chapter, yes? I'm certain everyone got a bit of a scare... well... except for Bonnie (for now...). I'm inexperienced in writing violent scenes, so please, tell me how I can improve. Have a lovely day, everyone and please, rate and review!

Happy reading~

~SPG123~