Ash's Realization

by SuperPokeGal123

AU. After the Kalos League, Ash learns things about himself and his abilities after finding out he is linked with someone of his past. Strangely, he doesn't remember her and aspires to figure out what's wrong with his life. Over time, his power increases and... so does his problems. Deviates from anime as lore is revealed. Read and you'll understand. Amourshipping. Aura Ash.

12. Pastry Provisions

A/N: Welcome to the latest update to the story. Ash and Aurora are both incredibly hungry, but no one knows why. Oh, and some brown haired chick left under everyone's noses. What could that spell for Ash and companions? Let's find out!

Certain things to note:

"..."- This denotes regular speech or thoughts in flashbacks.

"..." This denotes thoughts, flashback or telepathy when stated directly.

"..." This denotes a Pokemon's speech or Pokemon thoughts in flashbacks.

"..." This denotes a Pokemon's thoughts, telepathy or Pokemon speech in flashbacks when stated directly.

"(...)" (This denotes a Pokemon speaking, but only select characters like Ash or Aurora can understand it.)

Disclaimer: Pokemon is owned by Nintendo and... yeah, Game Freak. I guess they are the same thing in this case.

Onward to the story!

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"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." -Helen Keller

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Chapter 11: Pastry Provisions

Aurora stumbled into the kitchen, clutching her stomach in pain. She was trying to suppress her hunger.

"Why do I feel so hungry? I haven't felt this way since…" Aurora tried to remember the last time she had a desire to eat everything in sight. She snapped her fingers. "I haven't felt this way since being conflicted the first time! I'm going to eat the entire kitchen if I don't make some Poké Bars. Those things will fill me right up!" She took out some pots, pans and a weird device that had a specific flat shape in them.

Aurora murmured to herself, "I have the berries to make the different flavor fillings, but does the center have the right ingredients to make a more organic mixing?" She rummaged through some of the cabinets to search for the right ingredients. She widened her eyes in delight as she got the item she was searching for.

"Some seasonings and spices with the help of berries will make this treat healthy and delicious!" Aurora declared. A Poké Ball rumbled as it released itself. The pink eared Pokémon looked excited as she saw what her trainer was going to make.

"Poke Bars! Poke Bars!" The Pokémon in question squealed happily, wagging her tail.

"Happy, do you want to help me make some?" Aurora giggled at the Intertwining Pokémon's enthusiasm.

"Of course, Aurora! What can I do?" Out of all her partners, Happy loved Poké Bars the most.

"When I make the batter, you can mix it until it's smooth. I'll make the different flavored fillings. You like yours sweet, right?" Aurora asked her.

"I love mine sweet. Make it the pinkest as you can!" Happy wagged her tail even faster. She used three of her feelers to grab a bowl, a large spoon, and the organic mix. She opened the mix, poured it into the bowl and started to put it other ingredients and spices in the mix. Then, she jumped onto another counter and looked for a large cup. Once she found the cup, she walked over to the sink and poured water into it. She placed the cup right beside the bowl and was careful not to spill anything. She jumped back on the table with the bowl and poured it into the mix. Using three of her feelers, she started to stir the mix with the spoon.

"I'm always amazed at how skillful you are with your feelers, Happy," Aurora commented she worked on the sweet filling.

"It's like having four extra hands I never had as an Eevee. It's awesome!" Happy answered.

"Keep this up and I'll give you two of them instead of one." Aurora giggled again. Happy immediately began to frown.

"Aww… why only two?" Happy pouted and stopped wagging her tail.

"I want to make enough to carry a good amount with me. When Ash and I both enter the third stage of our conflict completely, I want to make sure we aren't as fatigued. I also want Ash and his friends to taste them to see if they like them. Let's see if Ash remembers the taste." Aurora continued her work. Happy's eyes widened with excitement and she began to wag her tail again.

"He used to love them! It was impossible to hide them from his nose. I wonder if he still likes them." Happy said.

"Not sure. I remember that he didn't have a favorite specific taste. He liked all five flavors melded into one granola bar." Aurora said in recollection. "I'll make that to see if he still enjoys it. Oh, and once you're done mixing the batter, let me know so I can put into the compressor."

"Right."

Happy continued to mix the batter with her feelers. Aurora focused on making the different flavored fillings. She decided to make sweet, bitter, dry, sour and spicy fillings based on the berries she had. She used several Cheri Berries for the spicy filling, Chesto for the dry filling, Aspear for the sour filling, Rawst for the bitter filling and Pecha for the sweet filling. She grounded up the berried in separate bowls until they were they were pasty, then added a few herbs and spices. She added a little water to each bowl and started to mix each of them until she could smell each taste.

"Happy, are you done yet?"

"Nearly. I wanna make sure the batter is really smooth!"

"Don't mix too much, otherwise, you may spill it."

"Of course, Aurora! I think I'm done." Happy stopped mixing and stepped back slightly to let Aurora view it. Aurora looked satisfied. She patted Happy on her head as she put her ears down to give Aurora better access. She looked elated at the contact.

"Oh, this is perfect, Happy. You've made enough for me to make at least thirty of them! I'll make five of each of different tastes." Aurora told her. Aurora poured the batter into the Portable Poké Bar Compressor. As there were five compartments, it was perfect for putting in the different fillings. Once the batter turned into several golden-brown pastry shapes, she stuffed in the spicy filling for the first five. She repeated this for the bitter, dry, sweet, sour and multi-flavored fillings. Soon, she had thirty granola bar-like treats made.

Happy and her trainer looked admirably at their work. Happy high-fived Aurora. She tried to sneak one of her feelers past her trainer, but Aurora caught onto it. Her eyes glowed slightly as she slapped Happy's feeler away and prevented it from moving. Happy sighed in defeat. Aurora felt her resist fading. Seeing that, her eyes returned to normal and Happy looked at her in mock disappointment.

"You do that almost every time, friend. I'll always be prepared." Aurora chuckled.

"I'll sneak away one of them one of these days, Aurora. Someday..." Happy declared with a bit of an echo. Aurora picked up the fairy type and placed her on her shoulder. They both giggled.

"But not today. Come on. Let's show Ash-" Aurora started but was interrupted by Ashton and his friends hastily entering the kitchen. Ashton looked at Aurora hungrily, drooling slightly. A few moments later, Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont came in, panting. Ashton had run too fast for them to keep up. Aurora sweat-dropped in surprise, then made a small toothless smile.

"Ah... I see that nose of yours hasn't changed, Ashton. You smelled the Poké Bars, right?" Aurora asked the boy. His stomach growled in response.

"Ruru… I gotta have one…" Ashton said weakly. He was rubbed his stomach. Aurora giggled and realized her stomach started to growl as well. She moaned slightly in hunger as she began to look at her own plate of pastries with starvation. She started to get the same look Ashton had on his face and licked her lips. Happy knew that look. She jumped off Aurora's shoulder and moved by Clemont and Bonnie.

"I'll admit, I'm really hungry too. Help yourself to one, young one." Aurora raised her hand and gestured to the plate of granola bars. Ashton looked like he was in crazed heaven as he sniffed the bars. Once he found the one he wanted, he ate it hungrily. Aurora took one of the spicy ones and scarfed it down just as fast. Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena looked at the sight in both horror and amazement. Neither of them had good table manners. They were eating as if they hadn't eaten anything in weeks and this was just to one bar each.

Ashton closed his eyes as his eyes turned brown again. He looked content from just eating one of them. Clemont and Serena blinked in shock. Bonnie was wide-eyed. It was slightly unnerving to see their friend change eye colors so easily. Usually, he closed his eyes and then opened them. Now, it was different. Ash turned to regard them, "Ah… that hit the spot. I'm not hungry anymore. You guys want any?"

"Uh…" All three of them were speechless. How in the world could one bar enough to quench their appetites? Ash had eaten enough breakfast for an entire week and yet one snack made him content. Ash no longer looked like he hadn't eaten in ages and Aurora looked satisfied.

Aurora chuckled, "I think that's my call to make, young one. You can each have one if you'd like. Clemont, I'd suggest you take a bitter one. Serena, you should take a dry one while Bonnie and Pikachu takes a spicy one. I have a feeling you like those the most based on your auras."

Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena still looked at them slightly weirded out. Aurora sighed as she found a sweet, dry and bitter Poke Bar to give to Ash's friends. Bonnie took one excitedly, Clemont took one hesitantly and Serena took hers politely. Ash gave a spicy bar to Pikachu and he nibbled on it happily.

They each took a bite of the bar and their faces instantly lit up. Bonnie ate hers very fast. She almost took another one, but one look from Aurora made her reconsider immediately. She waited to ask again. Clemont's face brightened as he ate his. Serena squealed slightly in delight. Aurora was extremely pleased by the reception.

"Aurora, this is amazing!" Bonnie chirped happily.

"Yeah, where did you learn how to make these?" Serena asked. Aurora smiled as she walked over to Happy and started to rub her back. She looked at her partner with a smile of remembrance.

"Similar to Poké Blocks in Hoenn, Poffins in Sinnoh and Poké Puffs here in Kalos, Hokori has its own specialized treat for Pokémon. I learned to make Poké Bars during my travels of the Hokori region. I learned to hone it perfectly during my tenure as a Coordinator." She explained.

"You were a Coordinator?" Serena asked in shock. She never expected a Champion to ever be a Coordinator.

"Yep, but only for about two years." Aurora elaborated. Clemont's eyes became covered by his glasses slightly as he began to observe Happy. The Sylveon suddenly felt a little self-conscious and anxious. She moved a little closer to Aurora.

"I can tell. The sheen on your Sylveon's fur is healthy. She's also cuter than most other Sylveon, too." Happy blushed slightly at Clemont's complement.

"Happy loves sweet food. Sweetness tends to raise one's cuteness, so I guess that's why. Happy used to be the main Pokémon I used when was a Coordinator. She dominated the competition back in the Hokori region. It's where I donned the title 'The Lady Who Shares the Hearts of Pokémon.'" Aurora remembered fondly.

"Yeah! Aurora used to show how deep a bond we have in contests all the time. Sometimes, she didn't really need to tell me a command because I knew what she wanted me to do. We tried out a whole bunch of wacky stuff. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. I had a blast anyway. If it wasn't for my feelers, I know I would have been finished in some contests. My feelers are stronger than the average Sylveon because of their constant use." Happy said jovially. She spread her feelers wide to pat Bonnie on the head. She smiled and tilted her head slightly when Bonnie shook her feeler as if it was a hand.

"Those combinations…" Ash said quietly. He remembered his battle with Happy. Some of the names Aurora used was odd, he had to admit, but felt the combinations themselves were pretty good.

"Yep. That's some of the leftover things we used to do in contests. The Moonblast wings are especially my favorite. I feel freer than when I ride on Chari." Happy wagged her tail.

"How are you able to do that, anyway?" Ash asked the Pokémon. She giggled slightly as she jumped on his right shoulder. Pikachu felt awkward at the sudden intrusion and wondered how much weight Ash could handle. Ash didn't seem bothered at all. Happy used two of her feelers to force Ash into raising his arms. She moved them from side to side with precision. Then, the Sylveon forced Ash to pick up a sweet Poké Bar to feed to her. She ate it happily. Once she was finished eating her treat, Happy jumped off his shoulder, but not without taking his hat. She put it on and squealed playfully. Ash looked at the Intertwining Pokémon, annoyed.

"Years and years of practice and annoyance, my boy. I used to be way more reckless than I am now," Happy said, giving Ash back his hat. Ash returned his beloved cap on his head. "When I wanted to be in the air, I often forced Chari to fly like I did with your arms just now. I got to learn the inner workings of how a flying type flies because of it. Aurora noticed this and used it in contests and in more serious battling."

"And I get a kick out of that every time someone is shocked that a Sylveon could ride of their Pokémon," Aurora smiled at the boy. She remembered seeing many trainers shocked, including Ash. Each time, she had an urge to laugh, but usually held it in. She loved the surprise factor Happy possessed.

"Aurora… can I have another one?" Ash asked. He wasn't hungry, but he knew he was fond of the bars. He didn't remember ever eating one before today and yet the taste resonated with him. He wanted, no…, needed more.

"By all means, Ash. Take one more. Save the rest for when we need it." Aurora granted. Ash's face instantly lit up in excitement as his took another multi-flavored bar and ate it. He felt his energy surging as his fist started to glow blue slightly. Aurora smiled while everyone looked amazed.

"Thanks, Aurora. Um… Aurora?" Ash started.

"Yes?" Aurora questioned.

"Can you make some more of my favorite…?" Ash asked the female guardian. He knew that he liked the meld of different tastes the most and knew he would want more than what she had made extra already. He also felt a bit awkward asking the question bluntly. Aurora chuckled and started to make another batch of the multi-flavored Poké Bars without another word. She made a solemn smile as she remembered doing this for him when he was a youngster. Tears started to line down her face as she remembered specifically one time where she made the bars.

---

"Ruru, you done, yet?!" The impatient boy paced around while waiting for his guardian to finish making the goods. They were in a wide open field full of lush grass and wild Pokémon. A Chelectsic sat in front of them, keeping watch. She yawned lazily as she looked from side to side. A Lucario was practicing his skills with aura by using Bone Rush into thin air. A Zoroark was sparring with a Dragonair in the immediate area. Ash could see a Charizard soaring in the air above him. She waved to him. He tried to run to the lizard, but she was much too fast for him to chase. Eventually, he gave up and looked up at the sky with a smile.

He tried his best to distract himself. He paced around the grassy field restlessly. He decided to distract himself further by taking off his shoes and letting the grass tickle his feet. He giggled at the feel of the grass. He laid back on the ground and started to look up at the sky. He loved seeing the clouds move in the sky. He felt like the sky wasn't as pretty as it was at night, but it was fun to try to guess which clouds looked like which Pokémon. One cloud looked like a Pikachu. Another looked like a Bulbasaur. One more looked like a Charizard moving on top of Chari. Other than those three clouds, nothing else seemed to have a shape. Eventually, he grew bored of this activity, too.

The grass continued to dance around the young boy. The breeze felt like a cool fan to him. He had not yet turned three years of age, but he was getting close to it. He wondered what his Ruru had in store for him once he turned three. It was a wondrous feeling just traveling around to different places with her. She always had a new place he could be whisked away to before he had to return home. Each day brought a new experience to him that he hoped never end. The places he's seen in such a short life made him always wanting to have adventures. He loved Ruru very much. Ruru was strict, but kind to him. That didn't help him in his restlessness, though. He was still just a toddler. He awaited her response to his question.

"Not yet, Ashton. Why don't you play with my partners until I'm done?" Aurora called out to him.

"But I'm dying, Ruru…" Ash whined. He sat up and looked at Aurora impatiently. He rubbed his stomach as he smelled the aroma of the pastry he so wanted to consume. Pokémon Bars always had an effect on him that he couldn't describe. Was it crazy hunger? Or was it a need to consume such a snack? He didn't know. He didn't care. All he knew is that he wanted to eat the treats now.

"Come now, young one. Can't you wait?" Aurora asked in a patient voice.

"No… I want Poké Bars now!" Ash continued to wine. He started to force some tears out of his eyes. Aurora sighed, stopped what she was doing and walked over to him. Her Sylveon continued to work on the treats. She gripped his shoulder firmly. It wasn't enough to harm the small boy, but it was enough for him to stop crying out of surprise.

"Ashton Ketchum, if you continue to whine, I am not letting you have a single bite!" Aurora said with a stern tone. Ashton immediately wiped away his tears and looked at his protector, somewhat alarmed. He didn't want to compromise not having any treats.

"Sorry Ruru…" Ash looked down.

"Look, I know you're hungry… but I'm almost done making your favorite treats. Can't you wait a little bit longer?" Aurora said in a significantly softer tone.

"I… try. I really hungry…" Ash said in a small voice and looked away from the female. Aurora smiled slightly, as she forced his chin up to look at her.

"Me too, Ashton. I'm so hungry, I can eat a Rapidash!" Aurora poked the youngster playfully on the nose. He giggled a little at the touch. She decided to pick him up and start to walk over to where she was cooking the bars. It made Ash drool with hunger. Aurora was getting hungry herself. She wanted to devour her scrumptious treats almost as much as the toddler, but wanted to set a good example. She saw the fairy type pouring in the mix within the compressor.

"Hello, Mistress! The Poké Bars are nearly done! You just need to add the fillings." The Sylveon said happily.

"Really? That's great! Ashton, be a dear and play with Happy. I'm sure she can show you a thing or two while I finish up." Aurora winked at the young boy. Happy started to wag her tail even harder. Aurora noted the mischievous glint in her eye. She knew that Happy was very carefree, but didn't want Ash to get hurt in the process. "Don't do something stupid, Happy. Ashton's only two."

"All right Mistress…" Happy pouted in disappointment.

"Don't call me that! You know I'm your friend and equal." Aurora said, annoyed.

"I know, but I always like to get a rise out of you. It's fun!" Happy chirped much to the dismay of her trainer.

"Well, at least you're honest. Have fun, young one. I'll tell you when I'm ready." Aurora said as she started to finalize the Poké Bars. Happy grabbed his hand with her feelers and started to run towards the open field. Ash tried to keep pace with the pixie-eyed Pokémon. Happy stopped once she reached the spot she wanted.

"Ashton… wanna see something cool?" Happy said with a playful tone. There was a hint of something else that Ash was too excited to pick up on.

"Yeah!" Ash nodded eagerly.

"Watch closely. When you get older, you'll be able to do this, too." Happy started to hop around the grassy field sporadically. The hops grew greater and greater in height. Eventually, she jumped high enough for Chari to be in her line of sight.

The draconian started to fly in place, confused as to how Happy managed to jump so high. Then, fright hit the fire-breathing dragon like a truck. She started to fly fast in the other direction. However, she was too late. Before she could turn around, Happy grabbed her neck with her feelers. Chari started to fly erratically as she tried to shake Happy off. However, she was used to such movements and used the momentum to climb completely on Chari's back. Happy wrapped her feelers around Chari's neck and wings. Chari no longer had control of her flight patterns after a small scuffle. Ash clapped his hands playfully as he watched Happy and Chari flying through the sky. He didn't notice Chari's look of terror.

"Let's have some fun, shall we?" Happy said gleefully.

"I hate your definition of fun, you annoying pixie!" Chari wanted to knock the Intertwining Pokémon off her back, but she knew who was really in control. She could feel the devious smirk of the surprisingly wicked pixie.

"I know... and that's what makes the game more fun!" Happy whispered in a chillingly excited voice. Chari shivered in fear at the fairy type's voice. She didn't like the way Happy said 'game'.

"I hate this GAAAMMMMEEEE!" Chari screamed as Happy made Chari perform an intense nose dive towards the ground at high speed. Chari's body began to spin around in resistance to the whipping wind. Happy looked like she was having the time of her life while Chari closed her eyes, hoping they wouldn't die. They were getting closer and closer to the ground. Happy wasn't letting up an inch. She winked as she raised Chari's head up a few feet above the ground. Chari flew past Ash at a supersonic speed. Happy waved to him with her remaining feeler and Ash waved back. Ash looked at the speeding Charizard wide-eyed. He was gonna do stuff like that when he got older? That's awesome!

"You're an evil little troll, you know that?" Chari panted as she landed on the ground. Happy snickered at Chari's plight. Chari would have burned the Aspect of Emotion with Flamethrower if Ash wasn't there. Aurora would have her head if she accidentally harmed Ash in the process of getting back at Happy. So, she stifled her pride and tried to ignore the wounding titters. Happy jumped off of her and rejoined the running Ash. He looked up at the lizard in admiration, but noticed she didn't look too thrilled.

"Chari, you no like that?" Ash tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"Oh, I love to fly fast, Ashton. Just… not against my will." Chari spread her wings out wide. She decided not to fly again while Happy was around. Flying was a part of her everyday thrills. When Happy was involved, it was also a part of her everyday chills.

"Against your will? What's a will?" Ash asked in an innocent voice.

"Never mind, young master." Chari sighed at the boy's naivety. It wasn't his fault, but after Happy's joy ride, she was less than excited to answer trivial questions.

"Everyone! I'm done making the treats!" Chari was glad to hear her trainer's voice. Aurora approached all of them at a brisk pace. She looked slightly muddled at Happy smirking, Chari shivering and Ash looking just as confused as she was. It didn't take long to put two and two together. She sighed and pressed her fingers against her temples. Happy suddenly felt a lot lighter until she realized she was hovering above the ground in a yellow outline. She laughed nervously at the irritated aura guardian.

"Happy rode on you again… didn't she?" Aurora asked Chari while concentrating on the fairy type. From the corner of her eye, she could see that Chari nodded.

"Happy!" Aurora said, annoyed. She clenched her teeth in rage. Happy flinched slightly through the grip.

"What?" Happy defended. "I thought you wanted me to show Ashton a thing or two?"

"Not like that! I told you not to do that to Chari anymore. You know she hates when someone forces her to fly." Aurora forced the fairy type to float in front of her. She made her look at her eye to eye. Happy wanted to look away, but found that she couldn't. "You cannot just be so happy-go-lucky with a two-year-old!"

"I know… but…"

"But what?"

"What happened to the Aurora I used to know?" Happy said in a small voice. She missed some of the fun she used to do with her trainer. With Ash in the picture, she didn't do those things anymore. She wondered what about the boy made her so mellow.

Aurora sighed as her expression softened. She gently placed Happy back on the ground and looked down at her with glistening eyes. "Children… They change your perspective around, friend. I'm not as reckless as I was before with Ashton with me. Please understand that there are many fun things I would like to do again, but can't now that Ashton is here with me. I won't be irresponsible again. I can't lose him, too…"

The bow-like sensor on Happy's head glowed slightly as she realized what Aurora was feeling. Being her Aspect of Emotion, Happy could feel what her trainer feels whenever she feels a deep emotion. Aurora only felt that that way when she was thinking about… "I'm… sorry Aurora. I didn't mean…"

"Don't… don't worry about it. I'll make my parents proud raising in Ashton. I'll keep Mew's loyalty alive. This little one will grow to be the best guardian he could be... if not the best one ever." Aurora said with a small frown.

"Ruru… you talking 'bout…?" Ash started knowingly.

"Yes. Don't worry. I'm fine. I'm not sad… not anymore." Aurora picked Ash up from the ground and let him rest on her hip for extra support. He looked at Aurora, concerned. Even though he was very young, he could still see that she was hurting, thinking about someone he knew she cared about. She walked him and Happy over to the prepared treats and gave him his favorite. His face immediately lit up at the sight of the snack. He ate it hungrily. The sight made her smile slightly.

"Can I have more of my favorite, please?"

"By all means Ashton. Take one more." Aurora gave the hungry lad another Poké Bar. It was enough for him to completely forget about everything else. Now that he received his precious treats, nothing else mattered. He became less cognizant of his protector and everyone else around him. Aurora was glad to distract the little boy. She would gladly do anything for him.

---

"Auru, you're thinking about him… aren't you?" Happy spoke to her trainer telepathically. She looked up at her with worried eyes. Aurora made a humorless chuckle at the fairy type's observation. She decided not to hide what she was feeling to her partner. One reason was because she trusted her companions completely. The other? Happy had the uncanny ability to see through lies based on the changes of emotion in an individual. Aurora loved yet hated that ability. She always felt exposed around the fairy type as a result.

"Am I that transparent? I miss him so much…" Aurora wiped a tear off her face.

"I can tell. Are you thinking about the time I made the young master involved with a joyride with Chari?" Happy asked.

"Jeez, you're scaring me with your accuracy, bud. How'd you know?" Aurora gasped at Happy's inquisitiveness. She felt a shiver down her spine at her Pokémon's ability to read her like a book.

"I remember it, too. You had the same deep emotion then as you do now. I never forget those types of emotions. Ash is reminding you of him, isn't he? Both of them are gluttonous. Poor child doesn't even realize how similar the situation is. He's blissfully eating your treats just as he did as a kid." Happy pressed further.

"Aurora…? Is there anything wrong?" Ash noticed she was quiet for a while. He looked concerned.

"Nothing's wrong. Just… thinking." Aurora continued to stir the batter as she talked. As she started to pour the batter in the compressor, she continued, "Your request reminded me of how you always wanted your hands on a snack and Happy controlling your arms reminded me of her carefree days flying on Chari."

Ash tried to concentrate. He closed his eyes and pressed his fingers against his temple. Eventually, he found what he was looking for. He tried speaking to his counterbalance, "Ashton? Do you remember what's she's talking about?"

"A little. We were only two, so it's a bit fuzzy, but yes… I remember. We were in a grassy field. I remember you being bored waiting for Ruru to finish making the Poké Bars. She decided to let Happy play with us and she flew with Chari super-fast. You were captivated seeing it, but then, Ruru started to feel somber like she's feeling now. Since you were two, you didn't know why completely. Thinking about it now, maybe she might have just lost someone. I don't know. She only acted that way when she thought about it," Ashton explained.

"That's sad…" Ash felt sympathy for the elder guardian.

"And then, five years later, she got separated from us. So you can kinda see why she doesn't want to let us go anymore," Ashton explained further.

"What caused us to be separated?" Seizing the opportunity, Ash decided to ask the million dollar question.

"That I cannot say, Ash. I know how you'd react if I told you now. Besides, she had her reasons for not telling you. I'll respect her reasons," Ashton said in finality.

"Why?! Why won't you say it?!" Ash could feel himself getting angry because of the secretive nature of Ashton and Aurora.

"You're still too dense, Ash. Don't you get it?! She's afraid of losing us, and this time for good," Ashton told his balance with a slightly annoyed voice. He didn't understand how a part of him could be so dense. Ash could feel Ashton's presence becoming dormant once again. He stood there tonelessly with an absent expression. He stopped pressing his fingers against his temple and opened his eyes. He looked at Aurora with an indescribable expression.

"Talking with your counterbalance, I see?" Aurora anticipated. He looked just as she did and wondered what was wrong.

"Aurora… I didn't realize how important I am to you. I don't want you to suffer any more than you have already," Ash said, looking away from her. Aurora sweat-dropped in surprise and tapped her fingers together worriedly. She wondered how much Ashton told him. Ash suddenly gave her a hug. Aurora looked completely flabbergasted.

"What…? Ash what are you...?" Aurora was completely caught off guard and she did not like the feeling. However, she secretly was elated that Ash was hugging her at his own fruition.

"You're not going to lose me again. You can get rid of that fear." Ash said as soothingly as he could.

"Ash…I… Thank you. Ash…. Did he tell you…?" Aurora asked nervously unfinished. She wiped away some of the tears in her eyes. She wondered how he'd take the news.

"No. He's respectful of your wishes." Ash told her. It irritated him that Ashton would tell him a little more about Aurora, but not enough. They broke apart from the hug. "All I know is that we were separated when I was seven and I used to call you Ruru. Aurora, you have to be related to me. You are related to me in some way, right?"

"Well…" Aurora darted her eyesight in anxiety. She felt a cold shiver down her spine. She decided to stay silent. She felt like she was getting backed into a corner by the curious Ash.

"Well, you are... right?" Ash pressed on further. His eyes were so piercing. She could feel them looking into her soul, desperate to discover some of her past. She tried to look away, but Ash's gaze followed her heart. She whimpered slightly and sighed. Aurora eventually gave in.

"You have many of the Ketchum trademark characteristics, young one… and… so do I." Aurora undid her braid and revealed that it is naturally just as wild as Ash's. It was nowhere near as unkempt, but it very was similar. Bonnie and Serena looked in shock while Clemont tipped his glasses in observation. Aurora flicked her hair a few times before it fell completely up to her knees. It was very thick and looked like it was never in a braid at all. She stood beside Ash with a nervous smile. Bonnie, Serena, and Clemont looked at Ash, then looked at Aurora. The resemblance between them was uncanny. How they didn't notice, they didn't know.

Aurora continued, "I usually keep my hair in a braid or ponytail so it isn't this wild. I usually cut it every few years, but I decided to keep it long. The longer it grew, the spikier it became. Looks familiar…?"

"Yeah, it does. So you are related to me… are you like my cousin or something?" Ash asked eagerly. Aurora sweat-dropped at the question and laughed nervously.

"Uh…"

"Sister?"

"Um…"

"Aunt?"

"Um… Well…"

"Mother?"

"Wha?"

"Grandmother?"

"Ash…" Serena said in a warning tone. She knew that no lady liked to be called or even implied old. She noticed Aurora's eyes twitching slightly in annoyance and backed away from the enraged guardian. Her boyfriend was too dense to notice the older female's anger.

"Whoa…what?! No! You will find out in due time, Ash! You'll most likely know by the time we see Delia." She roared with anger. Her fists were glowing slightly red. Ash visibly flinched. She sighed and made her hands go back to normal. She said in a softer tone, "We will see together what happened. Then, you'll know how I'm related to you. Just know that I am, alright?"

"You know my mom?" Ash expressed shock in his features. Aurora nodded.

"If I'm related to you, then I'm related to her. We are in the same family. It's only natural I know her. Now, please stop asking questions. I'm not answering any more for now." Aurora crossed her arms in irritation.

"Fine. I am one step closer to you to opening up, Aurora." Ash said triumphantly. Aurora shook her head at his eagerness.

"Humph… it's hard not to open up to someone like you." Aurora said with a hint of irritation. She didn't know why the boy was able to disarm her so easily. It felt odd dealing with a person like Ash. Something about him made her want to let out all that she'd been repressing, but she resisted her temptation. She decided to distract herself from her thoughts.

She mixed together the rest of the fillings to create the multi-flavored Poké Bars Ash so craved. She made about ten of them. Then, she added the filling to the golden-brown treats. It seemingly had an intoxicating effect on the boy, to the point where he moved lazily towards the plate on Aurora's hand.

"Aurora… I'm dying…" Ash started to salivate once again. Aurora chuckled slightly. Some things cannot be forgotten. She was about to give the voracious boy one of the treats on the plate, but kept it tantalizingly a few inches away. Since she was slightly taller, it was easier to keep it away.

"Come on, Aurora…" Ash tried to reach the snacks in her hands, but Aurora gently pushed him back slightly. With a small smirk, she kept the treats in one hand and Ash back with another. Admittedly, she knew she shouldn't be doing this to him, but she was still somewhat peeved.

"Do I look like I'm an old lady to you, Ash?" Aurora asked with a testy voice.

"No…" Ash said quietly.

"Then why did you ask that, then?" Aurora's eyes seemingly glowed yellow in warning.

"Caught in the moment. Can I have one now?" Ash said bluntly.

Aurora sighed and chuckled. She shook her head and relented. She softened up a little, "You really haven't changed a bit from when you were little. Here, but take only one. We are going to need the rest for the road ahead." Aurora stopped pushing Ash back and placed the bars on the table beside her. Ash happily took another one and ate it ravenously. In the while, Aurora took another sweet bar and gave it to Happy. Her tail thumped happily on the table in getting another of her favorite snack.

Serena asked in wonder, "What about these bars makes it so irresistible to you, Ash and Happy?"

"It's quite simple, really. The bars magnify the properties of the berries used to make them. The Ketchum family uses this to their advantage by using it to replenish our aura. We lived on berries when the world was first created and the bars helps to bring back that feeling. This is the perfect treat for aura guardians because it uses organic materials. This is something we will need very soon." Aurora replied.

"Why?" Serena asked slowly.

"Once Aru rages out of control, Ash and I will reach the final stage in the conflict completely: aura drainage. Our aura will continue to be drained until…" Aurora took a deep breath, but left it incomplete.

"Until what?" Serena questioned her. Aurora didn't want to say anything. Luckily, Ash said it for her.

"We die." Ash finished for her after finishing his treat. His face was completely serious and had a bit of sadness. Serena subconsciously held his hand as she tried to process what she just heard. She checked his face to make sure he wasn't joking.

"Wha…?" Bonnie stepped back slightly in shock. Clemont's eyes were wide and Serena was shaking. She looked at Ash slightly agitated.

"We're going to lose you two if nothing is done?" Serena was mortified at the thought.

"You aren't going to lose us because it's not going to happen." Ash wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. She looked up at him. Ash gave her a reassuring nod. Serena still looked unsure, but somewhat comforted by her boyfriend's voice. She felt safe in his arms, but didn't want to lose the one person she loves.

"He's right. We're not going anywhere. We aren't completely in the final part of the conflict. We're merely in a transitional stage… of sorts. Since Aru has not completely attacked yet, but has come out, it hasn't manifested completely. I think that's why Ash and I are hungrier than we are normally, but our aura doesn't feel much different." Aurora clenched her fist slightly and made it glow yellow. She made it go back to normal immediately afterward.

"Aru said that she wouldn't attack near civilization… Do you think we can take advantage of it to prolong the symptoms?" Clemont asked.

"Er… Theoretically." Aurora sounded unsure of herself. She tapped her fingers nervously.

"Flying?" Bonnie suggested.

Aurora's eyes twitched and her eyes suddenly turned red. Everyone backed away slightly while Happy barred her teeth at her. The raven haired woman gave a very amused smirk at their anxiety. "Flying can only do so much, my dear. What happens if..., I don't know, someone hits the flying Pokémon? Like an accidental slam on the wing or unintentional fatal neck twist? We wouldn't be near civilization at that point, so she'd be free to do very fun things to you all."

"Aru!" Happy snarled at the red eyed guardian.

"Happy to see you, too, Happy." Aru continued to smile at the unwelcome attention. She turned to regard the traveling teens. "You did forget a couple of eensy teensy little bits worth mentioning." She began to list out the flaws in their plan finger by finger, "Aurora and I are one in the same in physical strength. I can do everything she does but with much more deadly accuracy and less sympathy. Flying isn't going to protect you from me. I can kill all of you from the sky and land safely on the ground. Considering I love using fire and flying type attributes, you'd be foolish try flying. I suppose you could try teleportation, but if one person is able to resist enough, I do wonder what will happen to the process…? Oh, I don't know, too much strain on the teleportation user? Maybe death? Just a possibility. You could have your Pokémon out to restrain me, but I will make them go to sleep the painful way. I'm giving you no choice but to travel by foot otherwise you will face my fury ten times as worse."

"You can't stop us from trying!" Serena argued in a sassy tone. Aru was once again amused and shifted her attention towards the honey blond teen. She smirked at the honey-blond teen.

"Maybe I can't, maybe I can. You haven't seen Aurora in full swing so you have no idea what I'm capable of. Can you afford to actually call my bluff? I don't think so. You have everything to lose, but nothing to gain should you try to oppose me. None of my threats are hollow. Isn't that right, cutie?" Aru looked at Happy with an amused smirk. She bared her teeth even more, but eventually looked away. It made Ash wonder what Aru was capable of to get a response like that from Happy.

"She's… she's… right." Happy looked down, suddenly subdued. "You shouldn't underestimate my Mistress's counterbalance. I don't want you kids getting hurt."

"Yes… listen to the little pixie. She and all my other partners know how strong I am. How ruthless I will become. Do not try to prevent the inevitable." Aru said seriously as she closed her eyes. When she opened them, they were back to being amber, shifting control back into Aurora. Aurora looked grim.

Aurora gave a deep sigh. She could see the concerned faces of the teens and looked away shamefully. Ash looked at her with an indescribable expression. He put a hand on her shoulder. Aurora responded to his touch to regard him, "Aurora… you think we should go on foot as well, don't you?"

"I do." Aurora nodded. She had a sense of melancholy as she remembered some of the things Aru's done while in control. She shook off those thoughts. She regarded the rest of the group, "Listen… If I do anything to you guys… know that I'm sorry.I will try to fight her, but I have to let her rage carry out in order not to complicate things. The minute Aru takes control… be on guard and don't give in to your fear. She'll feed on it. She'll make it grow and use it as a battle tactic."

"How can Aru be like you? You don't do that at all." Serena asked.

"Aru's actually a lot like me… when she's calm. She can be really nice and thoughtful. However, she acts the same way as me when I'm facing… well, an enemy I despise." Aurora shrugged her shoulders. Happy was nodding her head.

"Aurora's telling the truth. When she isn't in her rage, she's really nice to us. When she's mad… that's something not to think about. Aurora loves and cares about us, but Aru only cares about us. It's a care that I can't really explain." Happy said sadly and looked away from everyone. Aurora went beside her and started to rub her head again. Happy lowered her ears to allow her trainer better access.

"What's love got to do with it?" Ash asked.

"A counterbalance will continue to attack unless encountered by someone they love. However, some counterbalances may still attack… just not hurt the person they love directly or as much. And it has to be a strong love… like the one you and Serena has. Or the one you have with Aurora." Happy explained. Aurora looked slightly surprised and Serena blushed a little. Serena felt happy that Ash loved her and she loved him back. She wondered how Ash could love Aurora in a short time, though.

"What?" Ash said with a slight blush.

"Love never truly dies, young master. I sense a part of you that loves Aurora still. It's the type of love you would expect from family. Don't lie. I can tell when people are lying," Happy warned the boy with narrowed eyes. "Your love is strong… at least… the part of you that still remembers Aurora. You may have forgotten your relative, the emotion is still there."

"Ashton… He stopped attacking when he saw Aurora… but do I really love Aurora? I just saw her for the first time in I don't know how long? I don't know how I should feel about her, yet. I do care about her in ways that I can't explain, but I don't know. Is… is Happy right?" Ash was in deep thought.

"No need to ponder on what I observed. I am one Aurora's Aspects, and my ability is to read emotions," Happy told the boy.

"What are Aspects, anyway?" Ash questioned. He knew that Aurora mentioned it before, but never really knew what they were.

"They are Pokémon that fit their trainer best. They are the Pokémon who bond transcends those of a regular person. When working together well, we are at one with our aspects. The maximum amount of aspects a guardian can have is six. This is where the maximum of a party of six comes from. The more aspects you discover, the stronger you will become. Some guardians only have one, others three, and some even zero. It depends on the person and their lineage." Aurora explained.

Aurora stopped rubbing on Happy's head and placed her hand against her chest. She touched Ash's forehead with the other hand and it started to glow a deep blue glow. She closed her eyes. Her hair started to glow slightly as it rose to be higher than normal. It grew spikier and moved freely without any prompt.

There was a hint of multiple tones as she continued, "The Ketchum family typically have four aspects or more because our aura is one of the most ancient out of all guardians. As a result, our aura is more powerful than most. I sense that you will have six aspects like I do. I also feel you've met all of them already, but the lost memory is blocking you from a true connection with your partners. Pikachu is definitely one of them. I wasn't sure before, but now… I know it. Your connection with him is too strong for it to be otherwise."

Ash and Pikachu looked at each other with a newfound respect. They both knew that they were incredibly close than most, but oddly knew that their connection was stronger than most people said. They knew how the other was feeling, worked together extremely well and would do anything for the other. In some ways, finding out Pikachu was one of his guardian partners didn't surprise him. If anything, it strengthened their bond even more. They could reach to even greater heights together. Ash and Pikachu both looked at each with admiration. They seemed to be in silent agreement. Then, they gave each other a high five. Serena giggled a little at the two while Clemont and Bonnie looked at the two, puzzled.

Aurora stopped glowing as her hair fell back down into place. It looked like nothing had happened to it. She resumed rubbing Happy on her head. She spoke again, "I cannot determine what Aspect Pikachu is until you fully accept your past. You will progress from there."

"Woah… So I get to bond with Pokémon even more than I could dream of? That's amazing! Makes me happy to be a Pokémon Trainer." Ash gleamed with excitement. His gaze shifted from Aurora to his girlfriend. She looked happy for him. That made him wonder about something, "Wait… what about Serena? Can you figure something out about Serena's Aspects?" Ash pondered.

"Sorry, Ash. I can only tell you an idea about your Aspects because you are my kin. I have no idea how many Aspects she'll have. Only time will tell." Aurora told him.

"Are you sure you should be saying all of this with…" Clemont looked behind him only to realize she was gone. "Hey, where's Shelia?"

"Shelia?" Ash furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

Aurora's face darkened drastically. With her hair out, she looked way more intimidating than normal. All the teens felt a shiver down their spines. Aurora said in a strained voice, "Did you say Shelia? A person with curly brown hair, striking green eyes, freckles and in a nursing uniform?"

That was an oddly accurate description of the person. Clemont nodded his head slowly and started to look at Aurora, concerned. He wondered if she really was the one who tied Shelia up. "Yeah… how did you know that?"

"Oh dear. She escaped. Did you have something to do with it?" Aurora sighed, somewhat annoyed.

"Escaped?" Ash furrowed his eyebrows.

"Bonnie and I found her tied up in your room. Bonnie had Dedenne cut her free." The blond boy explained. Clemont then asked in an accusatory voice, "Aurora, did you do that to her?" Aurora didn't look amused at all.

"Oh, your naivety! I will admit I did it, but I would never attempt anything like that without being provoked. Shelia impersonated as Joy and had her locked up in a freezer. I rescued her and she called Officer Jenny. I tied Shelia up and made her sleep so Jenny could come and arrest her without much fuss. I thought no one would go into your room. In retrospect, it was a stupid decision. I'd imagine she's long gone, now." Aurora informed them.

"What?!" Everyone said at the same time.

"We helped out a criminal?" Clemont and Bonnie said simultaneously with a slight jolt of unease.

"No need to feel regret now. " Aurora tried to placate their rising feelings. She pointed to the door. "Nurse Joy needs to know and so does Officer Jenny when she comes in. Let's tell Joy now."

Aurora started to pack up all the Pokémon granola bars neatly into six piles. The sweet pile wasn't much of a pile, but she made sure she save the rest of what she had. Once they were all neat, she placed them all in her pouch nearly effortlessly. She cleaned the workspace she used for the next person she used. Ash and his friends helped with the effort so it could go by faster. Once the kitchen looked presentable again, Aurora returned Happy within her capsule and everyone left the kitchen.

---

Nurse Joy was standing behind the counter in the front lobby twirling her fingers slightly nervously. She anxiously awaited Jenny's arrival so her captor could be gone from her life for good. She reflected on how she got subdued and trapped in the first place. She found that she couldn't remember anything. It all happened in a blur. She wondered why she couldn't remember.

She also thought about the woman who saved her. Aurora seemed to know a lot about who she was dealing with. The Zurui or whoever they were called had to be stopped. She wondered why they were targeting Aurora in particular. What did she do to them? Her face contorted with slight confusion. She started to get a minor migraine thinking about what had happened in the last twenty-four hours. She wasn't looking at anything in particular when a random trainer came up to her to ask her something.

"Nurse Joy? Is my Pokémon healed?" The trainer asked.

"Oh, of course. Are you Snubbull's trainer, Neil?" Joy asked the boy.

"Yep." He nodded his head.

"I just checked on the Pokémon about a half hour ago. It made a perfect recovery. I'll go get it for you." Nurse Joy left the front desk and headed towards the recuperation chamber. She saw Snubbull sleeping soundly in a small bed. She smiled as she slightly nudged the sleeping fairy type awake.

He woke up fairly quickly and sat up on the bed. He made a large yawn as its vision adjusted itself to be clearer. He looked at Joy with a smile. Nurse Joy gestured Snubbull to come with her and he happily complied. He jumped on the floor to follow Joy of the healing room. Upon seeing Neil, the fairy type's face lit up with happiness. He ran even faster to tackle its trainer down on the ground and chomp on his head. Neil appeared to have been used to the gesture and laughed upon seeing Snubbull. Nurse Joy looked at Neil with concern.

"Are you alright?" She asked worriedly.

"This? I've gotten used to it." Neil said indifferently as his Snubbull continued to nibble on his head. He laughed as he left the Pokémon Center with the Pokémon still biting him. They seemed to be happy together. Nurse Joy sweat-dropped lightly. She'd seen many trainers, but sometimes, she'd meet someone somewhat quirky. She started to resume her duties once more. She was putting some papers into a pile and working on some things she's been working on in the previous day.

---

"Joy!" She heard a woman cry. She noticed that it was Aurora looking very annoyed and a group of teens and a little girl right behind her. She wondered why everyone was at unease. Nothing seemed to have changed except for her hair being out.

"Yes, Aurora?" Joy asked in a shaky voice. She knew something was wrong, but wasn't sure what it was.

"You managed to call Jenny, right?" Aurora asked urgently.

"Yes. She should be coming at any moment." Nurse Joy told her.

"Shelia woke up and managed to escape. I checked the room, but she was gone. The only thing I saw was a chewed up Escape Rope." The color visibly drained from Joy's face as she backed up slightly. She quivered in fear. Aurora looked at her with a somber expression. She rubbed her back with her hand and tried to soothe her. Ash and his friends looked at her with just as much worry. They hadn't been sure if Aurora was telling the truth, but based on Nurse Joy's expression, they knew it to be true. Clemont and Bonnie felt extremely guilty. They thought they were just helping out someone who was trapped. They had no idea that they were helping out a criminal.

"It is okay, Joy. She may be gone, but you are still here. She's not going to hurt you again. It's likely that she left to report on something… or not for me or you not to see her. Maybe both. If I had saw her before she left…" Aurora curled her fist tightly in anger. She hated for Joy to be scared. She hated that it had been her fault. If she wasn't in the area, Joy wouldn't have been locked up. She didn't know what she would do if she had seen the brunette again, but she knew the confrontation wouldn't have been pretty.

"How can you be sure?" Nurse Joy asked anxiously.

"It's like I said… I've seen all of this before. A grunt blends into the environment well to spy on me. They take advantage to those around them to spy on me to see if they can find out anything new. I pick up on it and subdue them, but by the time Officer Jenny comes, they disappear. I never know where they disappear to. That's what I'm investigating at the moment." Aurora explained her certainty.

"Are you a part of the G-Men?" Nurse Joy asked.

"No. I'm not affiliated with anything. I prefer not be confined to the regulations of organizations run by the Pokémon League." Aurora said to her. Nurse Joy wondered what her motives were, then. Seemingly reading her thoughts, Aurora continued, "Trust me, Joy. The G-Men aren't that good. They've been corrupted for a long time. Aesthetically, we have the same goal, but I'm not sure about the G-Men's real intentions. My investigations help out with my region, being its Champion."

"You're a Champion?" Nurse Joy said in surprise. She figured that's how she had a large sum of money. Aurora nodded.

"I normally wouldn't say that so easily, but yes… I am the Champion of the Hokori region. I'm only a Champion because I want to do what I can for my home, not because I care about the League. I try to keep my people safe, but without the interference of the G-Men. I feel they are too overbearing and has strayed too far from its beneficial intentions, but enough about that. Has Jenny come in yet?" Aurora explained.

"No. When I called, she said she'd be on her way." Nurse Joy voiced what happened with her chat with Jenny. Just as she said those words, Jenny walked in with a guarded expression. The other trainers in the room wondered why Officer Jenny was in the Pokémon Center, but decided it wasn't any of their business. They decided to continue what they were doing before she entered the room. Jenny looked at Joy urgently.

"Joy… can we speak in private…?" Jenny wanted to ask her alone. Joy was about to walk with Jenny, but Aurora blocked her. She looked at Jenny with narrowed eyes. Ash and his friends could sense an increasingly hostile atmosphere between the two women. They wondered if it had something to do with Aurora dislike of the G-Men.

"No need to be secretive, Jenny. You are referring to Shelia, correct?" Aurora cut her off.

"Uh… yes." Jenny was put off by Aurora's formal tone. She wondered how Aurora knew about her and why she was so open around the kids near her. She assumed the teens knew about Shelia, basing it off of the golden blond siblings' anxious expressions.

"If you are probing around, the perpetrator is no longer here. She escaped before you could arrive," Aurora explained. She gestured towards the hallway. "Shall we all go in the recuperation chamber to discuss more? I'd imagine you'd appreciate that, wouldn't you, Jenny?"

Jenny sweat-dropped slightly. She nodded her head, but glared at the woman. Aurora left a bad taste in her mouth. The feeling was mutual. Aurora didn't trust this Jenny in the slightest. She was still somewhat wary about the encounter with Shelia. She didn't want to find out that there was another impostor within their midst. Gesturing with her hands, Nurse Joy led everyone to the recuperation room. She could feel the tense air and wanted to get out of it.

---

Everyone situated themselves in the room. Ash, Serena, and Aurora sat opposite to Officer Jenny. Bonnie sat between Clemont and Nurse Joy. They all looked at Nurse Joy or Aurora to talk about what happened. Nurse Joy looked like she was too scared to describe anything, so Aurora took the initiative.

Aurora explained what happened to Joy and how she helped her out. She explained how she disarmed Shelia, but didn't mention the use of her aura. She talked the damages to some of the rooms and told the officer that she was the one who made them. Ash was about to make an objection, but an icy glare from Aurora kept him silent. He felt guilty for what Ashton did. He didn't want Aurora to take the blame, but Aurora seemed too adamant to change her mind. He appreciated it, but still didn't feel any less guilty. Aurora explained that she gave a large donation to the Pokémon Center and apologized for what she did. Jenny listened intently to all the information. She was trying to decide the best course of action.

Aurora continued, "I deeply express the utmost remorse for my actions and will pay supplementary restitution if needed."

"Aurora, why are you speaking all fancy?" Ash wondered. Aurora continued to glare at Jenny. She could feel herself getting nervous. That normally never happened to her, especially with her job. Maybe it was the situation or maybe it was Aurora's wolf-like stare. Her yellow eyes were unnerving to look at directly. She wanted to look away, but she didn't want to seem weak at the same time. So, she matched her glare. Aurora smirked slightly at Jenny's stubbornness. She liked it.

"All Jennys are a part of the G-Men, young one. I don't trust the ones outside of a portion of Hokori region... but that's just me." Aurora didn't stray her gaze away. Jenny scowled slightly. She didn't like how brazen Aurora was. To outright say she didn't trust her was an insult.

"The Hokori region isn't supposed to be mentioned outside of it. How do you know about it?" Jenny asked in an accusatory voice.

"Well, I don't know… maybe it's because I live there?" Aurora said sarcastically, "Of course I'd know my own home! If you heard of it, you should know who I am." Jenny racked her brain for any people with Aurora's features from the Hokori region. Then, it hit her. The only person that came to mind was…

"The Lady Who Shares the Hearts of Pokémon? Aurora Ketchum, Champion of the Hokori region?" Jenny realized.

"You're talking to her. How do you do?" Aurora snorted satirically. Jenny widened her eyes and looked slightly remorseful for implying she'd done something wrong. She never tried to disrespect Champions. Considering Lance was the leader of the G-Men, she found it extremely important to respect Champions. She wondered if she offended the ebony haired adult. It looked like she didn't. Aurora seemed rather indifferent about her.

"I'm fine. I've heard mixed things about you. Some of my sisters love you to death while others don't know what to think of you. They seemed confused." Jenny said in recollection.

"Yes. I figured as much. It depends on where in Hokori you are. If you're in the Green Zone, you'll hear nothing but praise. If you're in the Death Zone, however, they'll hate my guts. I'm the Champion of a divided region," Aurora made a humorless chuckle. Ash looked at her with some confusion. He never heard of a divided region. Although he wanted to go to the Hokori region next, he wondered what divided it in the first place. Jenny didn't know which side to believe based on her encounter. She decided to change the subject.

"I also heard you're skilled at direct combat," Jenny noted.

"That I am," Aurora crossed her arms and looked at the officer wearily. She hated talking about her strength, especially to an Officer Jenny. She didn't mind using her aura, but still felt self-conscious about her powers from time to time. After all, she was still human.

"Is that how you managed to subdue her?" Jenny pressed further.

Aurora stood up from her seat and continued to fold her arms, "Look. The person you are looking for is gone. There really is no reason for you to still be here. You can try to investigate further, but it's not going to do you any good. The regional team of Hokori is like shadows. One minute they're here. The next minute, they vanish."

"I think I will need to investigate further. You can't be that certain that nothing's going to be done." Jenny told her. Aurora snorted indifferently.

"Trust me, I can be that certain. I know them more than anyone outside their team. This will be swept under the rug like nothing happened because they have powerful connections. With who, I won't say, because again: I don't trust you. I'm sure you're a good officer and your intentions are pure, but Hokori has been divided for so many years… it's hard to trust any legal figure. To the Zurui, you're just another pretty face ready to get replaced once you know too much." Aurora frowned.

"What?" Jenny didn't know how to respond.

"Aurora! That's harsh!" Nurse Joy remarked.

"Humph. Frankly, I could care less how you feel about me. This is how I talk to the Jennies from the Death Zone. Prove to me you're different and I'll show you more respect. Sorry, but's that's how the cookie crumbles in Hokori. Is that the reason why you mentioned it can't be said in other regions? Its conflict? Be careful in how you answer because when you told me that, you managed to irritate me." Aurora narrowed her eyes at the blue haired female. Ash and his friends were speechless. They didn't expect Aurora to be this negatively candid to Officer Jenny. They wondered why she had so much contempt against Jenny despite only just meeting her.

"I… I… I'm just following orders," Jenny said in a shaky voice. The combination of Aurora's eyes and tone were starting to do a number on the blue haired officer. Officer Jenny couldn't keep her ground and they both knew it. She knew that the Hokori region was a tough region, but didn't expect the Champion of it to have so much animosity for the law. From the way she spoke, Jenny could tell that she'd never been in legal trouble, so she deduced it was because of something else.

"Yes… like a good little Lillipup, sadly. I understand why the Hokori region shouldn't be mentioned outside of it, but it doesn't make my blood boil any less. The Zurui ruins Hokori's image. You have specific orders to prevent the spread of Hokori to other regions most likely to keep the peace, correct?" Aurora asked. The way she asked left no room for Jenny not to answer.

"H-how?" Jenny said with a shaky voice.

"'Am I reading you so well?' Years of practice. Combat isn't my only experience, Jenny." Aurora said in a low voice. Everyone looked at Jenny and was surprised to see her quivering in her spot.

Aurora sighed. She looked at Jenny's face and knew that her point was made. The blue haired woman was struggling not to shake in fear. Aurora had that effect on people when she was annoyed or angry. She didn't mean for it to manifest so completely. Her eyes softened up and she looked more inviting. Happy came out of her Poké Ball and jumped on Jenny's lap. She yelped in surprise, but then the pixie snuggled up against her and made herself comfortable. Aurora chuckled and smiled.

She said in a significantly softer tone, "Sorry… I haven't spoken directly with a decent Jenny in a long while. Some of my frustrations were taken out on you and that was wrong of me."

"(I'll help you…)" Happy told the officer knowing that she wouldn't be able to understand her. Aurora made it so that Happy couldn't speak in the human tongue because she wasn't sure if Jenny knew the real reason why she was called 'The Lady Who Shares the Hearts of Pokémon'. Still, the Pokémon seemed to have a pacifying effect on her. The bow-like sensors on Happy's neck and head started to glow a white color. Jenny could feel herself getting calmer and calmer. She assumed it was because of the Sylveon. Once she was done, Happy jumped and licked Jenny on the face. Afterward, she sat right beside her trainer. Aurora happily accepted Happy, picked her up in her arms and started to rub her back. Jenny looked completely flabbergasted at the fairy type.

"You're a sweetheart, you know that? I see what you did there. Jenny… how are you feeling?" Aurora asked Jenny. She was confused at the significant change in tone. Jenny was confused about Aurora and how she felt in general. Nearly all traces of fear vanished and she felt significantly better.

"I… I feel oddly tranquil. What did your Sylveon do to me?" Jenny looked downward at Happy. Happy squealed slightly as she played coy.

Aurora's mouth curled downward slightly, but only for a moment. She resumed smiling. "This Sylveon has the ability to read another's emotions. She must have sensed your distress and came out to calm you down. It's weird. She never normally does that. Why did you come out, Happy?" Aurora asked the fairy type.

"(You were being too hard on her. I just had to help!)" Happy told her trainer. Aurora found herself laughing at herself.

"You know, I definitely was. I was too harsh. Thank you for helping her feel better." Aurora scratched behind Happy's ear. She melted to her trainer's touch as she subconsciously moved her head closer to Aurora's hand. She closed her eyes in ecstasy.

"I didn't think I'd see you in action with understanding Pokémon," Jenny said. She noted that the raven-haired lady's temperament completely changed when Happy came out. She was nicer… more like some of the things she heard from the Jennies from the Green Zone. She knew that Aurora couldn't be a bad person if she treated her Pokémon as nicely as she was to Happy.

"You think it's just a title? My partners share their feelings with others just as much as others share their feelings with them," Aurora said proudly. She started to pet Happy's head subconsciously again. She looked down with remorse, "I must have been a lot tougher than I intended if it was enough for Happy came out from her ball. I really am sorry for being cold to you just now. It was just a test to see if they'd gotten to you yet."

"A test…? What?" Jenny looked confused.

"Never mind me, Jenny. So… am I in trouble?" Aurora asked nervously.

"Actually, you didn't do anything illegal. You didn't harm Shelia and she's the one who impersonated Nurse Joy. All you did was subdue her in a struggle. You fought her in a matter of self-defense because you did say she took out a weapon against you, right?" Aurora nodded. Jenny continued, "You would have been in trouble if you had refused to pay for the damages. How much did she pay?" Jenny turned to Joy.

"500,000 Poké," Joy answered.

"Wow! That much that easily? We wouldn't have ordered you to pay that much." Jenny knew that really good trainers typically made a lot of money, but Aurora was acting so casual about it. She noticed that Joy was nodding in the background. Clemont and Bonnie looked at Aurora wide-eyed while Ash and Serena wondered how much money Aurora had with her.

"It's not that much of a bother. Joy, do you need more? I don't need the money. I really don't mind giving you what you need," Aurora went into her pouch to take out more money, but Joy stood up and stopped her. Aurora looked slightly bemused. She giggled at her generosity.

"You've given me way more than I need. Thank you," Joy told her. Aurora looked slightly bashful. Jenny looked thoughtful.

"Now I can see what some of my relatives mean. She's actually pretty nice when she's not being cold. I knew that there was someone who donates a lot of their money to the centers in Hokori, but I didn't expect it to be her. I hope I'm not on her bad side, ever. She seems she'd be a dangerous adversary," Unbeknownst to her, Aurora had read Jenny's aura and made a hidden smile. She was flattered, but admitted she could be too harsh on other people. Happy knew what that smile meant. Happy looked at Aurora and she quietly laughed.

"Now… It seems like you really don't need me here. All I need to do is to write a report about this. Otherwise, everyone is free to go." Jenny stated.

"Thank you so much, Officer Jenny!" Bonnie said.

"Honestly, I don't think I did that much." Jenny scratched her head, "Aurora did nothing wrong that I know of. Now I need to track down this Shelia person. How did she look again?"

"She looked around Ash's age. She has large green eyes, fair skin, and long curly brown hair. She was also wearing the exact same version of Nurse Joy's uniform." Aurora described. It made her sad to see someone so young become corrupted by the team she so very despised. She hoped that if Officer Jenny caught her, she's put in a better place. As much as she loathed the Zurui, she also had a lot of sympathy for many of the members.

"Thank you for the information. You are all free to go." Jenny announced.

"Oh and Jenny?" Aurora called out to her.

"Yes?" Jenny questioned.

"Please… be careful from here on out. The Zurui knows no names. If you know too much, you will get confused and you will lose yourself. Don't end up like some of your family in the Death Zone. Search… but be as discreet as you possibly can." Aurora said with a dangerously serious tone. Jenny didn't know what she meant, but regarded her with a smile. Aurora looked at the blue-haired woman sadly. As she wasn't an aura guardian or psychic, she couldn't resist them like Aurora could. The raven haired woman could only hope for the best. Jenny gave a courteous nod as she left the recuperation chamber.

"Aurora… thank you for what you've donated. It's going to go towards a lot of things here in the center." Joy bowed slightly.

"I'm happy about that, Joy. I wish for the best." Aurora respectfully bowed to the pink-haired lady. Joy nodded as she left the room. Now it was just Ash, Serena, Bonnie, Clemont and Aurora left. They were left speechless.

Ash decided to speak up for them, "Aurora… how much money do you have?"

Aurora chuckled and made a coy smile, "It's a secret."

"Who are the Zurui...?" Serena asked what the others had been really thinking.

"It's like Team Rocket was to Kanto or Team Plasma was to Unova. They are the villainous team of the Hokori region. They've been the bane of my existence since they first found out about me." Aurora said with clenched teeth. She spoke with a mix of two tones, "If there is anything I loathe in the world… it's them. It's the only thing I'd say we can agree on at the moment." With fists blazing, she punched the air out of pure rage. Ash stepped back with a guarded expression. He could feel Ashton getting angry, but he didn't understand why. The anger wasn't directed towards him, though.

"I know they're pursuing us. Shelia being here was no coincident." Ashton stated grimly in their mind.

"Pursuing?" Ash furrowed his eyebrows.

"Yes… I remember… never mind. Try not to worry about them for now. I understand Ruru's feelings about them somewhat. You don't know what they did to us." Ashton spat out with disgust.

"I can tell they caused our separation. My question is what did Aurora do to make them want to go after her?" Ash wondered. He knew that Aurora cared for him a lot. The fact she was reacting this badly to the mention of the Zurui's name led him to believe they had something to do with the separation.

"Wish I knew, Ash. I don't think it's what she did, but rather, what she has."

"You're on the right track, boys. I found out the Zurui is after our power to use for their own gain. Though… I'm not sure what the purpose of this is yet. I have to keep investigating their affairs… after I make sure you remember everything." Aurora answered Ash's thoughts. He gasped slightly in surprise.

"What did you do to them?" Ash asked.

"Well, other than existing, I rebelled against them." Aurora stated simply. "The Zurui controls the middle of Hokori under an iron fist. The outer circle isn't under any rule, but is more receptive to change. They still respect me as their Champion. I'm trying to do everything I can for my region, but I've been taking it only one step at a time. I know that if they are after me, they will be after you, especially now that you are sixteen. A guardian's powers begin to peak between your age and twenty-one. That's one of the reasons why I decided to go Kalos; I'm trying to protect both things I care about under one shot."

"How bad is Hokori's situation?" He asked.

"It's none of your concern... at least… not yet. Try not to worry about it, Ash. Should you head to Hokori at your current strength, you would be a sitting duck for the Zurui to get what they want. I don't to make that risk… at least, until I know you can handle yourself." Aurora told him as gently as she could.

"But I can handle myself now," Ash argued. Aurora shook her head.

"Not at Hokori's level. Trust me, Ash. I know you're the type of person who wants to help everyone he sees, but this is something you aren't ready to help with. Your powers need to develop more. You need to meet each of your aspects and train more by the time you consider challenging the first gym. Igor is no slouch in battle, despite being the first gym leader." Aurora continued matter-of-factly. "I don't think you need to be worrying about Hokori. That's my job."

She looked directly into Ash's eyes with a grim face. She narrowed her eyes and spoke to her younger relative telepathically, "Young one, please see me when everyone is later tonight. Bring only Pikachu. What I tell you should only be known to the Ketchum name and their guardian partners. Do not say anything about it, not even to Serena. At least, not yet. Wait until Ashton is ready to say something as well."

Ash made a slight nod. He didn't know what was so important that her entire demeanor changed, but decided not to question it. He wanted to find out why she was acting so weird. A little part of him was also curious of what she may show him as well. He wanted to tell Serena, but if it was important, he would withhold it… at least, until he knew it wasn't necessary to anymore.

"I don't know about you, but I wanna go shopping when we leave!" Bonnie completely broke the ice. Aurora blinked her eyes in surprise, Clemont and Ash groaned and Serena looked excited. Serena had sparkles in her eyes, Aurora looked confused and Ash and Clemont looked at each other with dread. The boys knew exactly where this was going and they knew they weren't going to like it. They both looked at Bonnie with annoyance while Aurora shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know why the males were acting this way, but was curious to find out.

---

A brown haired girl teleported to be right in front of a tall building. Her Pokémon was right beside her, looking at her confidently. The girl gave her Pokémon a hug. The Pokémon immediately returned it. The Pokémon looked up at her confidently.

"Thank you. You're my only true friend, Gardevoir. Return and take a good rest." A green eyed girl said as she returned her Pokémon in its capsule. She gazed at the landscape. She was in a large metropolitan area. The city was heavily populated and very polluted. Everywhere she looked, she saw buildings and skyscrapers. She barely saw any trees, grasses or plants in general. The young girl stared upward at the building she was standing under. It was the tallest skyscraper of them all and the one producing the most smoke in general. Despite that, it looked the most renovated out of all the buildings. With a nervous sigh, she went inside.

Immediately upon entering, she received dirty glares from customers and workers alike. She didn't really care as it was to be expected in the building. It lived up to the poisonous attitude of the area. When she reached the elevator, someone stopped her. A large burly man with short brown hair and blue eyes stopped her from entering. He was at least a foot taller than her and he didn't look too friendly. He looked down at her quizzically.

"Where do you think you going, little lady?" He flashed an ugly grin.

"That's nothing of your concern. Get out of my way!" She tried to push through, but the man didn't budge. The man snickered and pushed her on the ground.

"I could do that…" The man yanked her by the arms and lifted her up in the air. She screamed at the man's grip grew tighter. "Or I can crush you to death. It'll be pretty easy for a little wimp like you. Answer my question. Why do you want to go up?"

"Seriously, Joe? Fine. I wish to speak with the head of the Poison Toxx Company and the Zurui boss." She yanked herself off of Joe's grip and glared at him. He snorted in response.

"Who gave you clearance, Shelia?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Are we really going to go through this or are you going to let me up already? Unless you know what's good for you, you'll let me up. If you don't, I wonder what Doku will do to you for forcing info to be lost on that Champion. People like you disappear all the time here in Doki Doki City." Shelia pointed at Joe's nose and narrowed her eyes. Joe looked spooked and immediately conceded by her wishes.

Joe visibly got a shiver down his spine and moved out the way. He gestured towards the elevator door, "O-o-of course. Right this way…."

"Thank you. Which floor are the bosses on?"

"They should be on the top floor. Let's… not talk about this encounter alright? This is my only job." Joe tapped his fingers together nervously. Shelia rolled her eyes, but didn't say a word. Shelia shook her head apathetically and entered the elevator. Somewhat catchy elevator music played in the sanitized elevator. Shelia found herself humming to the music as the elevator brought her up to her desired floor.

She left the elevator and found herself in an expansive, long hallway. It was decorated with a lilac tiled floor and purple paint in the wall. Every door she passed at a couple of violet flowers on either side of its entrance. She thought of it as a nice touch. Eventually, after traversing the long hallway, she reached the last door. It had a large 'Z' in the shape of a dragon in the middle of it and she knew she was in the right place. She knocked on the door and waited.

"Come on in!" A strong voice bellowed from the other side. With a nervous sigh, she went into the room.

When she entered the room, she was greeted by two men. The room itself had a bright atmosphere, being painted with white and beige. There was a large 'Z' shaped dragon in the middle of the tiled floor. There was a large brown wooden desk in the middle in the room with the Zurui logo. An old man sat on the table while a somewhat middle-aged was sitting on a regal chair. The old man had piercing blue eyes while the middle-aged man had strong hazel eyes. The middle-aged man had short, wavy, blond hair. He had a white lab coat on with a purple shirt and beige pants. The old man was wearing a simple yellow hoodie and denim jeans. They both looked intimidating to look at, but the old man seemed more amicable. Shelia was trembling in her spot.

"What's wrong? Step forward, gal!" The old man gestured.

"Yes, sir…" Shelia nodded timidly.

"Shelia… you're back very soon. I'm assuming you have information on the Champion?" The middle-aged man asked.

"Yes, Mr. Doku and Mr. Charles, sir." Shelia nodded her head. Doku looked amused while the Charles just shrugged his shoulders.

"Just call me Doku, lass. And this old fart? Call him Charles. Here, have a seat." Doku raised his hand in the air and pulled a chair out with his power. Shelia yelped as she lost control of her body and was raised into the air. Doku pulled out a chair with his other hand and forced Shelia to sit down. He slid the chair so that they were sitting face to face while Charles was still sitting on the table. They looked like they were discussing something prior to when she entered, but they had left their undivided attention to her.

"So… tell us what you know. Was the mission a success?" Doku asked with an intrigued smile.

"Uh… yes and no." Shelia tapped her fingers nervously. Both of their expressions visibly darkened. Shelia gulped and shivered in response.

"Give us the good news first." Charles offered first in a sweet voice.

"I was able to find out a few things. Aurora, Ash, and their companions reached Santalune City yesterday. I was spying on them and I noticed Aurora teaching Ash an aura technique. It looked like they were levitating a sleeping girl from off the ground. Ash was able to hold her up for a few moments before his concentration slipped." Shelia told them.

"That was the aura grip, most likely. So, Aurora is trying to train the runt? It doesn't surprise us. All Ketchums love to train… whether it be through battling or via aura. Also…, that sleeping girl… what did she look like?" Charles asked.

"She had short honey-blond hair, but it was hard to make out from a distance. It was pretty dark, so I don't know what else." Shelia admitted. Doku looked like he had a thoughtful expression, but he shrugged off whatever he was thinking. Charles looked amused.

"Hmm… it seems Ketchum finally has a girl. That girl was most likely the one who hugged him before Ash continued the battle. Aww... he's growing up so fast." Charles chuckled. He frowned immediately after and said, "It makes me sick. Did you find out something else?"

"Yes… the next morning, when I encountered Ash and his friends directly, I noticed Ash could change his eye color just like Aurora could. His eyes were just as a piercing red as Aurora's when her eyes are like that." Shelia continued. Charles and Doku's eyes sparkled with interest.

"Really now? Does he have the same bloodlust as Aurora when his eyes are red?" Doku asked.

"Not… really sure. I had to leave before I could find out more." Shelia said, looking down.

"Now why was that?" He implored.

"This is the bad news. Aurora caught onto my disguise. She noticed I wasn't really a Nurse Joy. She knocked me out and tied me up, but she didn't do anything else. I awoke and saw the Lumiose Gym Leader and his sister. Once they freed me from the rope, I knew I had to make my leave before Aurora spotted me again. I'm surprised she didn't kill me, to be honest." Shelia subconsciously held onto her neck.

"Aurora, although she's been a thorn in our side for quite a bit, is not one to kill anyone… when she has her regular yellow eyes. When she has red eyes, it's a different story. We've lost many members because of her counterbalance." Doku noted.

"Another tidbit I think you'd like to know is that it seemed someone caused a lot of damages to the center. Aurora was covering up for whatever reason when she thought I was the nurse." Shelia noted.

"How bad were the damages?" Doku asked.

"It was crazy. In one of the guest rooms, there were multiple holes in the wall. Everything was in disarray. It was terrible to see." Shelia recounted.

"And… that's how I know it wasn't Aurora who did it." Charles spoke up. He spoke with a force and a hidden scorn neither of them expected. "I know that upstart well. She is very meticulous when it comes to damage control. She never leaves too much behind her trail. Something tells me the red-eyed Ash did the damages in the center, but Aurora was trying to cover for him. Since Ash has more devastating power than Aurora, he could spell doom for our organization should he get trained under her. I don't need another thorn in my side... especially a Ketchum."

"What are you going to do, sir?" Shelia asked.

"You still have some usefulness in you yet, girl. Stand." Charles commanded. Shelia had no control over her body as she was forced to stand up. She looked highly nervous. Charles got off the table and regarded her, "You've done a good thing for us, my gal. So… I will reward you… with training."

"Training, sir?" Shelia blinked in surprise.

"Yes. Should Aurora see you again, you will need to learn to defend yourself. You were lucky she let you live." Charles started. Shelia once again held her neck slightly. Charles took notice, "She nearly choked you to death, didn't she?"

"Yes." Shelia admitted in a small voice.

"How did that make you feel?" Charles pushed a little further.

"I-it made me feel angry and scared, but I shrugged it off. I won't let things like that affect me." Shelia's gaze distanced itself from Charles and Doku. She was trying not to look into both their eyes.

"That's a shame… with anger... comes progress. Throughout history, anger has been a catalyst for the world moving forward. Anger is the catalyst for wars, but those wars teach people to move on. You will use your anger for our cause." Charles's voice shifted to being slightly heavier and nebulous. Shelia's head started to shift from left to right as her eyes also became clouded. Doku simply continued to sit down and watch them in mock boredom. He took a sip of coffee.

"I will use my anger for our cause…"

"You will use your anger to fight all aura guardians."

"I will use my anger to fight all aura guardians…"

"You will train your body and mind for five years to prepare."

"I will train my body and mind for five years to prepare…"

"And you will do everything in your power to revive Nyxcipher."

"I will do everything in my power… to revive Nyxcipher."

"Teleport to the Zurui Training grounds on Midnight Lane with your Gardevoir and train! Train your body and mind. If you are exceptional, I may just aid you further with a little prototype we're working on. Now… you are dismissed." Charles finished with a smirk. Shelia saluted before leaving Doku's office. Charles laughed while Doku shook his head.

"You are possibly the coldest evil genius I've ever known. No regular human has ever survived our training regimen. You're basically sending her on a death sentence." Doku stated. Charles sat down on the chair, but put his hands behind his head and placed his legs on the table.

"I could be killing her… or she could come out stronger. I sense potential in the kid. Either way, it's a win-win for me. She lives and we have a superhuman in our hands in the next few years. She dies and we have one less grunt to worry about. I honestly don't care, but I am curious to see the final result. She'll make a wonderful test Mankey for our exosuit when we finish developing it for regular humans." Charles shrugged his shoulders.

"What will you do about the Champion?" The younger man asked.

"I have a plan, but it requires me to directly intervene. I'll need to wait for her to separate from him. I'm pretty sure there will be some opportunity… Aurora can't be with Ash all the time. While they're separate, I'll deal with the Champion myself. Take out the bigger threat and the smaller one will be easier to handle." Charles stated.

"What about the boy?"

"Don't worry… after I kill Aurora, taking Ash will be a breeze. We'll find out more about a Ketchum's counterbalance through him. Wait…" Charles closed his eyes and concentrated. He had a large smile on his face, "I sense they're starting to separate now. Aurora's life signature is eluding me at the moment, but Ash's is still in Kalos. It's just like I said. Today is the perfect time to strike."

"You can sense them all the way from over here? Kalos and Hokori are very far from each other." Doku blinked in rare surprise.

"Please. Ketchums have been a thorn in the Malladus family's side for millennia. We know each other's life signatures, being the first primordial aura guardians and psychics. This is a good time to strike while we have the element of surprise on our side. I'll end her life here and now before she has a chance to properly train Ash." Charles shrugged his shoulders.

"You're planning to kill her yourself? Such a bold move…, but I respect it. If you're successful, this will be huge. Things will go much more smoothly. With the Champion gone… the rest of the region will be demoralized and fall under our control. Tread carefully… Aurora is no pushover." Doku noted.

"I know. I have to respect that blasted guardian's strength… so I'll have to attack her when her guard is lowered and when I'm properly prepared. I'll need every advantage I can get. Later in the day may be the most beneficial time, but we'll see." Charles stated.

"Charles, do you need one of the endosuits? Are you sure you'll be able to take her on by yourself?" Doku asked, somewhat concerned. He was surprised about how much he cared for the old man, but he didn't need Charles to die.

"I'll use the suit, but I don't think I'll need it too much. Playing on her fears will be more than enough." Charles assured him. He had a large grin on his face. "I think it's time for me to put the Champion in her place."

---

A/N: This was a pretty long chapter, I'll admit, but hey, a lot of things happened. Some things revealed, others... more discreetly. I think there are multiple things that could happen, be a possibility or become a reality. Who knows?

Chapters 12, 13 and 14 will happen concurrently with one another. Chapter 15 will combine both Ash and his friends' day with Aurora's day as they reunite.

Until then...

Next Chapter: Shop Or Will You Drop?

~SPG123~