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.

17. Trust

A/N: Dreams are a thing for about a third of the chapter. For dreams only:

"..." Thoughts/telepathy

'...' Regular speech

"..." Pokemon thoughts/telepathy

"..." Pokemon speech

Every normal convention of speech from earlier chapters is applied outside the dream.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

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"Suffering has been stronger than all other teachings and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape." -Charles Dickens

---

Chapter 16: Trust

The next morning, the gang woke up relatively late and with high spirits. Aurora had woken up early and used the kitchen to make more Poke Bars. She also graced Ash and his friends with a large breakfast; they certainly hadn't expected it. In the dining room table, there was a smorgasbord of delectable breakfast eateries ranging from eggs, bacon, sausages and pancakes. There was a bowl of assorted fruits and another bowl full of salad. She had poured four cups of orange juice for each of the young people. She even had plates of Pokémon food for everyone's Pokémon. They could tell she worked all morning trying to make the feast. Aurora looked at everyone nervously.

"Whoa…" Everyone murmured in awe. They didn't expect to see such a buffet being laid before them. All of them were speechless.

"I wanted to thank you for letting me travel with you. To show my thanks and my appreciation, I made this breakfast for you. I hope you'll like it." Aurora winked.

After she said that, everyone took out their Pokémon. Ash wasted no time scurrying to the plethora of food waiting to be eaten. Aurora went outside and placed six plates of Pokémon food on the ground. Then, she took out her party.

"You guys OK out here by yourselves?" Aurora asked. Aurora heard her stomach rumble and her entire party started to laugh at her expense. Aurora grew more embarrassed as her cheeks turned red. Every Pokémon outside nodded before going back to eating their food. Aurora took this as a sign to go back inside and eat herself.

By the time she went back inside, she saw everyone enjoying themselves and the food. Everyone's Pokémon liked the food as well. She sighed in relief. She was a bit afraid that they wouldn't like what she made. She sat down at the base of the table and began eating herself. Ash was hastily eating everything in sight which led to Serena sighing. Aurora looked a bit uncomfortable watching the young teen eat, but was also astonished.

"This food is delicious! Thanks, Aurora!" Ash complimented with food in his mouth. Aurora started to look down and forlorn with memory.

"Thank you, Ash," Aurora softly replied with appreciation. She was happy he still liked her food outside of her granola bars. Her eyes turned more tender than normal. She murmured and sighed, "You have no idea how similar you are to..."

"What was that?" Ash asked while eating. Aurora widened her eyes and shook her head.

"N-nothing." Aurora shook her head.

Bonnie noticed Aurora's reaction to the boy and said, "Don't worry about Ash, Aurora. He's always had bad table manners."

"I… noticed." Aurora was slightly disgusted at the young boy's eating habits. When Ash was still with her, he had bad eating habits, but she didn't expect it to worsen. She eventually started to eat herself. Meanwhile, Serena looked concerned.

"Ash, don't you think you're going to choke?" Serena asked.

"Mon't moory 'bout meh," Ash said with food in his mouth. Ash realized how weird he sounded and decided to eat what he had in his mouth. He quickly ate what he had, but just as Serena predicted, he began to choke on his food. Serena looked scared, Clemont and Bonnie didn't know what to think and Aurora was looking on in quiet amusement. Ash eventually recovered on his own and took a few minutes to catch his breath.

"Don't… worry about… me." Ash repeated. Serena frowned.

"It's hard not to if you do stupid things like that. We have all the time in the world to travel again." Serena chided. Ash rubbed behind his head bashfully.

"You know your little mantra? The end always justifies the means? I sure don't like the means you're taking. Ash could have remembered himself already if you stop being so hesitant. You've seen Charles. Screw his friends." Aru growled in Aurora's mind suddenly.

"Don't say that. There was a time where I was traveling with other people. He needs to treasure his friends." Aurora said somberly.

"You always get too attached to the point where people use you! I always try warning you, but you ignore me every time." Aru huffed with annoyance.

"I've met good people as well. These kids… they've got good hearts." Aurora pointed out with a sigh.

"I don't care. You are way too cautious. You need to move this along. When I attack, I hope that will scare you to focus more. Enjoy being the trapped one when that time comes. Maybe then you'll take Charles's ambush more seriously." Aru said coldly. Aurora fought off her influence and ended up getting a headache. Aru laughed at Aurora's feeble attempt.

"If I don't have the heart to kill him, I don't! And I am taking it seriously!" Aurora blurted out. Aru simply laughed and made the headache worse. Aurora was struggling not to wail from the pain. Aurora felt like she was being back into a corner, but she didn't know why.

"Seems like I hit a nerve. You really are weak." Aru mumbled harshly.

"Enough! I don't want to hear you anymore!" Aurora growled aloud with her fists on fire. She accidentally burned and broke off a part of the table. They looked at her and stopped eating. Aurora looked down at her hands, ashamed. She excused herself, cooled down her hands, and walked outside without warning. Bonnie and Clemont looked concerned, but they didn't know how to help. They also knew they would probably make it worse.

Even Ash stopped eating and noticed her unrest. He was about to get up, but Serena stopped him. She whispered in his ear, "Sometimes, people need a bit of space. Don't worry about her. Just enjoy the food for now. I'm sure she'll feel better soon."

Ash felt reluctant to stay, but eventually decided to abide by Serena's wishes. He ate some more food, but was eating noticeably slower. Clemont and Bonnie thought that Ash had settled down from nearly choking, but Serena knew what was really bothering him.

Serena decided to mention something to help him clear his mind. She asked, "Ash… when we reach Kanto and end your conflict, what are you planning on doing?"

Ash perked up upon hearing the question, "Well, I'm planning on heading over to the Hokori region. I can tell from Aurora's strength that the Hokori region is super strong. It would be awesome to go there and win the League and take the Championship from her."

"You think there might be some places where I can still do Pokémon Performances?"

"I'm pretty sure Hokori should have Pokémon Performances. If you travel through a region many times, you may find the place you want. When I went through Kanto a second time, I had no idea they had contests until one of my old friends, May, competed in them. She did pretty well in them, too." Ash remembered fondly.

"No way… May? Like the Princess of Hoenn's May Maple?"

"Yeah."

"I loved watching her contests when I was younger. She became really big like a couple of years ago. You traveled with her?" Serena sounded incredulous.

"Yeah. I don't know why that's so surprising." Ash frowned.

"Sorry Ash. It's just… she's like a celebrity. I didn't start my Pokémon Journey until I was fifteen, so I spent most of my time either practicing Rhyhorn racing or watching TV. I used to watch contests from time to time. May just like Dawn Berlitz." Serena said with sparkles in her eyes.

"Oh, Dawn? Dawn is an awesome coordinator. I traveled with her, too." Ash noted casually. He loved traveling with both of them and felt like they both are powerful trainers. He felt like a mentor to both of them, so it pleased him to see that they both were doing well. Ash hadn't seen May since Sinnoh and Dawn since Unova. He wondered how they were doing and hoped they were doing alright. He wanted to see them again and knew he would eventually. Serena looked like him as if he was a ghost.

"Seriously? You traveled with her, too?"

"Yeah."

"Are there any other famous coordinators you've traveled with?"

"Nope," Ash answered. "I mean, I have traveled with other gym leaders, a rising dragon master, water master, and even a rising Pokémon Breeder turned doctor. I love them all so much, but I also miss them."

"Wow… That's awesome!" Serena said in shock. Based on how Ash battled in the Kalos region, she could tell that he was an experienced battler. She could see how where he got all that experience from. She felt blessed that Ash decided to head to the Kalos region the same time she started her journey. She was glad that she caught up with him in Santalune City and gave him back his handkerchief. If she hadn't of done that, they wouldn't have been in a relationship now. She made a small smile, reflecting about yesterday and her journey with Ash.

"I didn't know you were so well-traveled, Ash." Clemont also echoed in shock.

"I don't feel well-traveled. I know I haven't visited every region yet. There is always a new place to discover and a new place to explore. As long as I'm a trainer, I'll always keep traveling… and I hope you'll always be at my side, Serena." Ash gave her a small peck on her cheek. She blushed in response, still not used to the idea of being a couple.

"Aww…" Serena lightly kissed him on the lips.

"Oh, get a room, you two." Bonnie blurted. Both Ash and Serena both widened their eyes upon hearing that and blushed.

"Bonnie!" Clemont said, slightly exasperated.

"What? Just because I'm ten, that doesn't mean I don't know about these kinds of things. Besides, you're just as dense as Ash." Bonnie said, shrugging her shoulders. Serena chuckled and nodded with agreement.

"Hey!" Clemont and Ash said, both slightly offended. Both girls giggled at their expense. All of their Pokémon also started to laugh as well. Eventually, Clemont and Ash began to laugh at themselves. When they thought about it, they knew they were pretty dense. They all began to eat the rest of the food. Even though he was eating, he couldn't help but think about the older Ketchum in concern. He could feel Ashton scowling at him, but chose to ignore him.

---

Aurora sat down on the ground with her arms wrapped around her knees, deep in thought. She had her face hidden from view. She thought about how yesterday went. Aurora felt weak and spineless. Her partners noticed her brooding, but Chari stopped them from approaching her. She shook her head and told them it was something Aurora would need to come to terms with.

Aurora looked up at the sky and sighed. A small wind blew past her. She shivered upon feeling the wind, despite loving the breeze normally. She noticed that there were relatively few clouds in the sky. It made her think about the emptiness she felt in her heart when regarding Charles.

"Aurora, you need to stop being such a scared Azurill. You need to get rid of this man from the world. He's an abomination to us all!" Aru hissed in their mind.

"There's still some good in him. Charlie is suffering. I can't stand to see him like that." Aurora covered her eyes again. Aru growled and made their head hurt again. Aurora wailed in agony and begged her to stop. Aru ignored her and continued to cause a monumental headache.

"I don't care if he has some good in him; the bad outweighs the good. You were in a good shape yesterday to end him. You trained constantly just to face him again. Now that received the opportunity to kill him, what do you do? You freeze like a scared sissy and nearly got both of us killed! Why the hell did you freeze?" Aru yelled. Aurora flinched slightly and sighed.

"I heard his voice… It was urging me to do it, but then, my moral judgment stopped me. If I was hearing his voice, I knew it was wrong. It disrupted our allegiance and…" Aurora sighed, but couldn't continue.

"His... voice?" Aru shuddered. She quickly shook it off, "Aurora, you need to give that a rest. Our defense was lowered, but we could have ended him before he took advantage of it! You let the enemy know that you're afraid of them."

"I'm not afraid of Nyxcipher!"

"I never mentioned the dragon, Aurora."

"I…"

"That's what I thought. The dreams you've had since meeting Ash... are they really that potent to start affecting you now? You didn't go through trying to help Hokori only to give up and let some stupid dragon get to you! I thought you were a lot stronger than that!" Aru hissed.

"I don't even know what I am anymore…. Am I strong? Am I weak? I really don't know. I can't take much more of these nightmares..." Aurora shook her head.

"Nyxcipher is the embodiment of despair and corruption in the world. You can't let him have that effect to the point where it harms you. You have to remain strong… what would happen if the people saw you break down like this? You are the symbol of Hokori's pride and hope." Aru expressed with deep passion. Aurora widened her eyes and nodded slightly. She still had her face covered, but her eyes were cloudy.

Seeing her balance being more receptive, she decided to continue. "The worst thing you can do is become selfish of the people around you. Hokori needs you. Your partners need you. Ash needs you... I don't want to share a body with someone weak. Stop being so stubborn and do something! I'm not saying to not be scared. What I am saying is don't let your emotions get the better of you."

"Why are you giving me a pep talk? I would expect you to kick me while I'm down." Aurora admitted.

"No matter how much I may like to taunt you, I can't stand to see you like this. Despite what you've seen in Doki Doki City, Erudite City and everything else in the Death Zone, I wouldn't expect to see you give up because of one Pokémon." Aru continued.

"I haven't given up! I would never give up on Hokori or Ash." Aurora said in a determined voice. She could feel Aru's excitement.

"It seems like you have. Get your head back into gear, Aurora! Shake off what happened yesterday and learn from it." Aru said matter-of-factly.

"You know… you're right. Thank you, Aru." Aurora said with appreciation.

Aurora made a small smile and chuckled to herself. She placed her head on her knees. The amber eyed lady then looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. She slowly stood back up, but still seemed reflective. She looked down and observed all of her Pokémon glancing at her worriedly. She made a small encouraging smile and waved at them.

Seeing their trainer stand up perked up all of them instantly. All of her Pokémon approached her and knocked her over. Only Rio and Suzie wasn't on top of her, but they both were smiling. Happy and Chi-Chi were licking her face and Kairyu and Chari were nuzzling her. It looked odd seeing several evolved Pokémon gang up on one person, but they didn't care. Aurora quickly became overwhelmed by the combined force of her partners. She couldn't stop herself from laughing at the contact.

"H-hey! Hahahahaha! S-stop! Stop!" Aurora laughed, trying to push her partners off of her. They ignored her pleas. Eventually, Aru got sick of it. She took control abruptly and knocked them all back. She levitated off the ground slightly and snorted. Her partners still looked happy to see her.

"Aurora appreciates the gesture, but I don't. I know you mean well, but knock it off." Aru crossed her arms. Happy walked up to her and gave her a hug with her feelers. The counterbalance was caught off guard. She stopped levitating, looked away, and rubbed the Sylveon behind the ear. Aru's eyes slowly turned more amicable as they changed back to their original color. Aurora had a small smile on her face as she continued to rub Happy's ear. Eventually, Happy couldn't resist the temptation to lie on her back and wag her tail rapidly. Aurora giggled and started to tickle her belly.

"Just like old times, eh, Happy?" Aurora smiled as she sat in a pretzel shape to make it easier. Happy's tail wagged even harder.

"Right…" Happy drawled absently.

"I can't believe it's been twenty-five years since I've met you and Chari. I guess some habits don't die." Aurora smiled as she stopped tickling the fairy type's belly. She picked her up off from the ground and placed her on her lap. The rest of her partners sat down with her, just enjoying her company. Aurora caressed Chari's snout and petted Chi-Chi's head. She said with a shrill voice unlike herself, "…I would be nothing without you guys."

"That's not true, but you need to stop being so mopey," Chi-Chi said.

"Chi-Chi, you don't know what she's dreaming about." Chari had a shiver down her back.

"You slept near the Mistress last night?" Rio chimed in with surprise.

"What did you see?" Kairyu asked with an anxious, but firm voice. Aurora looked at the fire type with pleading eyes and lightly shook her head. Chari didn't want to, but she decided to ignore her trainer.

"At first, things are happy. Aurora and I are cruising through the sky. She spends time with us like she always does. It makes me happy you think about us so much." Chari nudged her on her shoulder, but Aurora's expression didn't change. The only difference was the level of despondency. She continued to look gloomy, as though she didn't want to hear the good part of the dream. Chari noticed this, sighed and decided to continue.

"As her dream progresses, everything she loves disappears due a poisonous purple gas... except for me. I decide to let Aurora climb on my back and fly, thinking that it is a safe option. However, at this point, the dream begins to distort and we're flying into nothingness. The Reptile Reaper's face is everywhere, taunting us. He reminds us of our past, like how I used to disobey Aurora as a Charmander. However…,"

"Our bond… is way too infallible. We're soul sisters." Aurora finished Chari's statement. Chari smiled upon hearing that. She looked at Chari grimly and gestured her to continue. Chari nodded.

"Noticing that our relationship couldn't be broken, he settled on using Ash." Chari continued, "Turning into Ash's shape, he played on Aurora's insecurities about Ash, spouting out things I know hurt. Eventually, I woke us both up by using Flamethrower on him. The illusion was gone, but the damage had been done. We woke up pretty early and Aurora was pretty frightened again. It took her some time to recover… so she decided to do something to help her forget about the dream. The huge breakfast was just that."

"I suppose…" Aurora shrugged her shoulders. "I planned to make the breakfast even if I didn't have the nightmare."

"Aurora… how can you stand those dreams?" Kairyu asked in a soothing voice.

"It's getting hard to ignore them, especially after seeing Charles and Charlie. Charles is just as strong as ever and Charlie looks like he's given up on life." Aurora said, looking down.

"Do you think Nyxcipher is going to keep tormenting you?" Happy frowned.

"Yes. I just don't know how long I can keep dealing with it. I know he wants to kill me and the sickest way to do that is within your own dream. That's why I'm trying not to be fully conscious." Aurora stated.

"Aren't you at your most powerful fully conscious?" Chi-Chi echoed with confusion.

"Complete consciousness for a Ketchum in dreams is much different than in real life. If both Aru and myself appear in the same dream simultaneously, but separately, that's when I'm fully conscious. If the balance of a Ketchum or Malladus is fully conscious in a dream and get killed in said dream, they die for real. If the counterbalance is killed, they lose their ability to use their aura or psychic powers." Aurora told them. Chi-Chi widened her eyes.

"Have you been fully conscious yet?" Chi-Chi asked with a bit of urgency.

"No. Thankfully, Aru and I have been sharing our dream rather than experiencing it separately," Aurora assured her.

"But… she came close last night." Chari said. "You literally struggled to keep yourself together until I was able to wake us both up."

Aurora made a gesture of exasperation. She shook her head and closed her eyes, "Look… I don't want you guys to start worrying about me any more than you have. I just have to brave it through like I've been doing before."

"For now, I think you should focus on strengthening Ash up so he can properly help. It was his home." Rio said.

"Ash is nowhere ready to even consider heading back to the Hokori region. I'm not that concerned about him challenging the gym leaders; they'd love to give him a run for his money. I'm concerned about the cloud of gas that shrouds the Death Zone except for Midnight City, where the eternal darkness helps protect it. If he can't resist the gas, I don't want to see how maroon his eyes would become if both sides go out of control." Aurora noted.

"I feel Rio is right. You can't focus on two things at once. I think that you should continue to focus on Ash. If you manage to train him and his partners, things will be easier on you. Even focus on Serena. I don't like to see you stressed out. It makes me feel stressed out." Happy said with a shiver.

"Speaking of Serena… Hey, guys?" Aurora called out. All of them perked up to give her their attention. "Have you seen a psychic or aura guardian with a four-pointed star on his or her left cheek?"

"No. We don't remember someone like that. Why?" Chari questioned. Aurora looked slightly disappointed.

"One of Serena's marks is a four-pointed star and I get the feeling I know it from somewhere. It unnerves me..." Aurora said. She closed her eyes and concentrated on contacting her counterbalance.

"Aru? Do you remember anything?" She asked.

"Nope. I'm in the same boat as you. Perhaps the person you sensed didn't reveal his or her mark and you only sensed the shape?" Aru suggested.

"Maybe… whoever the person is with the mark, he or she is a bit... iffy." Aurora continued to express her discomfort.

"I trust our gut. When you're near the person again, you will definitely sense his or her marks." Aru assured.

"I guess you're right. Thanks, Aru." Aurora thanked.

"Whatever. Oh yeah, one more thing." Aru sounded as though she just thought of something.

"What is it?" Aurora asked.

"You should contact Mirabelle and Serena's mother about training Serena. Since Serena is a Pokémon Performer, I'm sure you'll find out who exactly her mother is by looking it up. Hopefully, she'll say yes. I'm sure Mira Mira wouldn't mind training her either. Also… be prepared for the inevitable, OK?" Aru stated somberly.

"Noted. Cya around, Aru." Aurora replied with a shaky voice. She looked down at her hands. She wasn't looking forward to using her hands for attacking. Wordlessly, Aru's presence diminished from Aurora mind. She sighed.

"You alright, Aurora?" Kairyu asked.

"Well, I have a more specific game plan now. Do you guys want to return to your Poké Balls or stay out here?" Aurora proposed.

"We want to stay outside." They all said at once.

"Fair enough. I gotta make some important calls, but I'll come back to you as soon as I can. Enjoy the fresh air, guys!" Aurora kissed each of her Pokémon on their forehead. Happy, Chari, Chi-Chi and Kairyu welcomed it. Suzie bashfully blushed and Rio snarled slightly and rubbed off the kiss. In response, Aurora gave the jackal a hug, but Rio tried to push her off of him. He found himself quickly overwhelmed by his trainer's strength. Respectful of his space, Aurora decided to stop, but not before winking at him. Rio turned his nose up in the air in response.

"Good luck, Aurora," Chari spoke up for all of her partners. Aurora nodded as she entered the Pokémon Center, feeling better and determined.

---

Aurora went by the computers and looked up Serena on the internet. Since she did not know Serena's last name, she hoped that she could find a picture of her from one of her Performances and find her name from there. Pokémon Performances never interested too much her because she enjoyed battling more.

The performances reminded her of her contest days. Mr. Contesta would often ask her to be a guest judge, but she declined him every time. She didn't like to judge others openly. While in Hokori, she was either battling someone who thought they could usurp her place as Champion, finding out more about the Zurui or donating the money she earned to different intuitions that needed it. Knowledge was power in the Hokori region and knowledge helped to keep the power in power. Being a Champion was no different.

Eventually, Aurora did find a picture of Serena from her second Pokémon Performance. Aurora's eyes sparkled with admiration as she loved the Johto and Kalos inspired outfit Serena and the costumes her Pokémon were wearing. She thought of the furisode dress's design as clever and cute simultaneously. She wasn't surprised to read that she won that Pokémon Performance and saw promise in Serena's capabilities to be an entertainer.

She stopped browsing at pictures of Serena and began to search for her mother's name. Since Serena mentioned she only knew her mother, she figured that the girl only lived with her mom. This made her curious as to what happened to Serena's father. She decided it wasn't her business and didn't ponder on it anymore. Eventually, after browsing on the internet, she indeed found Serena's last name: Paschall.

Aurora gasped in surprise at the discovery. She had a feeling she knew who Serena's mother was, but just to make sure, she left her seat to find a yellow book. Aurora remembered Serena's mother's first name because the girl had mentioned it earlier. She assumed that Serena had the same surname as her mom.

She went to the front desk and asked Nurse Joy if there were any yellow books in the center. When the nurse asked why she wanted a yellow book, Aurora explained that she wanted to speak with Grace Paschall. The nurse expressed surprise and then gave her a yellow book from under her desk. She directed her to Grace's number and asked her why she wanted to speak with the former Rhyhorn racer in the first place. Aurora explained there was something important she wanted to ask the middle aged lady, but kept it at that. Thanking her, Aurora went right to the phones, but saved the page with her hand.

Placing the book right in front of her, Aurora dialed the number presented. She used the video phone, so they both could see each other's faces. For a few moments, she saw nothing but a blank screen. Then, she saw the lady she had been seeking.

Grace was wearing the same clothes as she was normally seen in. She had short brown somewhat wavy brown hair and striking blue eyes. She wore a plain navy blue tee-shirt and had a pale green hoodie tied around her waist. Aurora couldn't see any more as she was sitting, but Grace looked shocked to see the raven haired lady. Her hand covered her gaping mouth slightly and Aurora sweat-dropped.

"Au-Aurora Ketchum of the Hokori region?" Grace blinked her eyes.

"Uh… hi." Aurora was somewhat reserved and waved her hand invitingly. Grace received her confirmation.

"Whatever do I owe the pleasure to speaking with you? Why are you in Kalos? Are you in Kalos trying to take a vacation? Being the Hokori Champion is never easy, especially with the situation of the two zones." Grace said. It was Aurora's turn to blink her eyes in shock.

"I'm impressed that you know about Hokori, Grace. I also appreciate your kind words. I'm not in Kalos to take a vacation, but rather, there's something here I need to take care of." Aurora closed her eyes and clutched her heart.

"I see. Still, how did you get my number?" Grace asked skeptically.

"I found your name in this yellow book." Aurora held up the book to show Grace and pointed to her number. "I called to ask about your daughter, Serena Paschall?" Aurora told her. Grace's face darkened and her expression became more guarded.

"What about her? You want to find out more about her performances, right?" Grace questioned.

"I'm much more curious about how much you know about Hokori, Grace." Aurora looked for any change of expression from Grace. She noticed a small grimace. Then, a frown.

"I… don't know much about it. Since you're calling, I can tell you more about Serena as a performer." Grace offered. Aurora wasn't surprised to hear her response. She surmised that the brunette would answer like that after a pause, so she decided to be a little more direct.

"I can find that out from Serena herself." Aurora folded her arms. Grace inwardly scowled. She didn't take the bait. Aurora continued, "Grace… I know your daughter is a guardian-psychic hybrid. You don't need to play the ignorant card."

"You didn't tell Serena, did you?" Grace suddenly looked incredibly frightened.

"Well…, it's kind of hard to hide that fact if she's traveling with two aura guardians. She's already displayed a remarkable ability to heal others." Aurora said with a slanted smile. Grace didn't hide how impressed she was, nor did she hide her fright.

"That's so dangerous traveling in a group! Why are you traveling with her so suddenly?" Grace narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Serena happened to be traveling with the one person I was searching for. I never expected her to meet with him." Aurora admitted.

"Ash… right?" Grace assumed. Aurora nodded her head.

"Yes, but how do you know-?" Aurora started, but Grace interrupted her.

"So… you've finally found your long lost son. And he's traveling with my daughter. What are the odds? I've known about Ash for a long time, but to think… he's your kid. I… don't know how to feel about that." Grace admitted with a small smile and shook her head. Aurora's eyes widened.

"…What?" Aurora could barely speak; her thoughts were too muddled.

"Rumors spread in the Hokori region over time. People say you'd been searching for someone precious for… maybe your son… maybe your nephew… maybe your husband? They say you lost your memory of someone in a fight and that you eventually gained it back. I wouldn't be surprised if Ash was actually your son. He looks like he could be either your son or nephew, to be perfectly honest."

"I…" Aurora didn't know how to respond.

"No immediate denial means you're either shocked from hearing someone say the truth aloud or you reluctantly admit it. I can't believe that he's actually your boy, Aurora. " Grace folded her arms and shook her head. "I noticed a spark between them when they were at the Skiddo Ranch. Tell me… are they official?"Aurora took a few moments to recover and nodded her head slightly. Grace's face grew grimmer.

"Oh boy…, that makes things more complicated. It would have been impossible trying to hide her powers." The brunette sighed.

"Grace… I understand you knowing a little about Hokori, but you know too much. I'm curious as to how you got your knowledge." Aurora's eyes glowed completely yellow. Grace's face became more guarded. Aurora said in a slightly clouded voice, "Show me how much you know."

Aurora stared deeply into Grace. Graced tried to look away, Aurora's scrutiny was too much to bare. She became immersed in Aurora's aura and visibly looked like she was in distress. Grace began to fight off Aurora's influence. She shifted her thoughts to waves in an attempt to block Aurora from what she was thinking, but they both knew that it was a lost cause.

Aurora growled as she found out what she needed to find out. The yellow aura disappeared from Grace. Aurora's expression became slightly more hostile. She said with a toothless grin. "Trying to block me from your thoughts, huh? You're dealing with the most technical of the Ketchums. As long I can see you, I can interact with you with my aura. You thought that extent with me was just through my eyes. You can't block yourself from me that easily… fellow guardian."

"I can't hide how impressed I am, Aurora. I also won't hide how I annoyed I am." Grace stated candidly.

Aurora inched closer to the video screen with narrowed eyes, "You have connections somewhere in Hokori and that's how you're able to update yourself on Hokori's affairs. Maybe… your lover or husband or whoever this guy is, he is a part of the Zurui, right?"

"I don't have to answer that." Grace snorted immediately.

"Don't worry, you just did. Instantaneous denial often indicates how uncomfortable someone is towards a situation. It's also a good way to gauge if someone is lying… especially if they answer too quickly." Aurora smiled and folded her arms. Grace scowled at the observant woman. Aurora pointed to her cheek. "He has a four-pointed star on his left cheek for his mark. An actually powerful psychic in the Zurui. What are the chances of that outside of Charles and his adopted children?"

"Please don't tell Serena anything about her father. I beg of you! I moved here to get away from all that. I-" Grace scrambled to plead with Aurora, but Aurora shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't worry. I'm clueless about who her father is. I didn't pry into her or your aura too deeply because it's none of my business… well, unless her father does something that makes it my business." Aurora stopped her. Grace's eyes began to look softer and her body relaxed. Aurora noticed this and said in a sweet voice, "Look, I didn't call to try to fluster you and you didn't respond the way you have to fluster me. I called about her safety. The longer she says by Ash, the more she's going to find out more about her powers and the more danger she will be in. A Ketchum is a beacon for trouble, I hate to admit."

"I can always force them to break up," Grace stated hastily. Aurora looked slightly irritated and shook her head.

"By that logic, so can I. Why sacrifice her happiness because you want to keep her dad a secret? Shouldn't you think about the welfare of your child before your very own? That's something I live by when I'm with my son. He deserves to be happy. They both deserve to be happy." Aurora argued.

"I am thinking about her safety. Do you know how dangerous it is to be a guardian or a psychic? I didn't want her involved with any of that. That's why I moved away from Hokori. I never wanted her to find out about her powers. I need her safe." Grace said in a small voice. Aurora had a shiver down her spine and a look of understanding danced on her features.

"That fear that something will happen to your child... I have that as well." Aurora started with closed eyes. She then opened her eyes with an intensity that made Grace shudder slightly. Aurora looked determined and said fervently, "However, I firmly believe that a child needs to experience life for it is. You can't shelter her forever, Grace. If you do it for too long, she will resent you."

"I understand that, but…" Grace's eyes distanced themselves from Aurora's amber ones. Despite the inviting look, Grace felt reluctant to continue.

"But what?" Aurora gestured the brunette to continue.

"What happens if… er… never mind." Grace stopped herself from speaking further.

"What happened if Serena's dad finds out the aptitude of her power and takes her away to brainwash her, right?" Aurora guessed.

"How do you-" Grace stuttered, but Aurora interrupted her.

"I would have the same fear if I was in a similar situation. You and me… we are very similar. We both are worrywarts in a way." Aurora tried to turn the conversation into a lighter spin. Grace had a small smile in agreement. Then, they both began to laugh together.

"I'm still worried about my little girl… but I'm assuming you called to have permission to train her?" Grace guessed. Aurora confirmed this with a nod. Grace said with a bit of appreciation, "How polite of you."

"I have no right to whisk your child away. If you say yes, I will be taking her and Ash to the Tree of Beginning." Aurora explained. Grace grew wide-eyed.

Grace didn't know how to respond. She stammered, "T-there? If I what I heard is right, that sacred place…."

"'... is only for Ketchums to train their power?'" Aurora finished. She laughed a little bit at the assumption. "A common misconception. Anyone can enter as long as Mew or a Ketchum allows it. Besides, I don't plan on only training her myself. I plan on training the guardian aspects of herself. I don't know too much about a psychic's training methods, so… I'm about to ask a close friend for her help, provided you give me permission of course."

"I'm a bit apprehensive about allowing you to train her. It makes me feel flattered that you see so much potential in Serena. I may have a connection to that wretched team, but I do not want her near them… and I know of your uncanny sensing ability. The Zurui constantly try to track you and I don't want Serena involved with that." Grace expressed her concern. Aurora sighed sadly.

"That's something I can't control, sadly. All I can do try my hardest to protect Serena. Serena needs to be able to defend herself. The sooner I train her, the lessened your worries will be. So… what will it be?"

"Where is she now?" Grace asked suddenly. Aurora gestured to the lobby behind her.

"Serena is eating some breakfast at the moment. I wanted to call while they all were distracted. I did make a lot of food, so we should be good." Aurora told her.

"OK… Aurora, you've made some good points and I've made up my mind. I'll let you train her on one condition. Promise me you'll keep my precious little angel safe. Make sure nothing happens to her and we will be good." Grace decided.

Aurora closed her eyes and concentrated. Grace yelped when a yellow mist-like aura began to form right in front of her. The misty-like aura slowly began to have a physical shape. It looked like a hand. Aurora held out her hand and the aura corresponded to her movements. Grace understood what Aurora did and shook the aura hand the best she could. When she touched the aura, she could sense Aurora's real intentions.

Immediately when the middle-aged brunette touched it, she heard Aurora's voice in her head, "You have my word. I will try my hardest to protect Serena almost as if she was my own child. However, should anything happen to her for any reason, my fault or otherwise, I will try my best to fix it..."

The yellow aura shimmered slightly before disappearing. Grace found herself in awe. She had heard that the yellow-eyed guardian was skilled, but she found out to what extent when she interacted with her aura. She grew nervous about the amber-eyed guardian.

"Thank you, Aurora. That's all that I ask." Grace said in a soft voice once she recovered from feeling Aurora's aura.

"No, thank you. You just helped to keep my young one happy." Aurora once again touched her heart. "Trust is key. You can trust me with Serena."

"Try to keep a secret that I'm an aura guardian until I'm ready to tell Serena, especially about Hokori and her father and both our connections to the Zurui," Grace said.

"Of course. I hope you can keep the secret that Ash is my boy until I'm ready to show him how we both got amnesia. The last thing I want is for him to feel awkward about traveling with his real mom." Aurora responded.

"The stories of our lives, eh?" They both said. They giggled at their unintended synchronized speech.

"It was nice meeting you, o Champion of the Hokori region. You know… you aren't as scary as I thought you might be." Grace noted.

"Scary?" Aurora tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"My… informant… and the rest of them are absolutely terrified of you. I kind of expected to be the same after this call." Grace admitted in a quiet tone.

"Really? I guess that means I'm doing something right. Take care, Grace Paschall." Aurora smiled.

"You too, Aurora Ketchum." With those words, Grace hung up the phone. Her image disappeared and Aurora felt very excited. She was happy she managed to convince Grace to let her train Serena. She was also suspicious of how much the brunette knew about her and Hokori. She decided to keep a close watch on Grace. However, she didn't mind telling Grace of her intentions because Aurora knew how predictable she was being. It was tradition to train a Ketchum in the Tree of Beginning... and Aurora was beginning to warm up to the idea of Serena becoming a Ketchum one day.

She looked back towards the lobby and noticed that Ash and his friends were still eating. She decided to quickly call the next person on her agenda. She knew this person's number by heart and had a good feeling where she would be. She dialed the number. Moments passed with any answer.

Eventually, a middle-aged woman with curly shoulder-length lilac hair and sharp brown eyes answered. She wore a sleeveless lavender striped vest with an open collar white long sleeved shirt under it. She also wore long black pants and open toed black shoes. The person in front of her had a large grin on her face, almost as if she was expecting Aurora to call her.

"Right on cue. Ay Auru! What's poppin'?" She warmly greeted Aurora. Aurora giggled slightly.

"Hey, Mirabelle! Everything's cool. I-" Aurora started, but the lavender-haired lady stopped her.

"I'll be the judge of that, girl. Ready or not, here I come!" Mirabelle winked. Before Aurora can object, Mirabelle disappeared from the screen. Having a chill down her back, Aurora felt Mirabelle's presence, but she couldn't see it. She could hear her friend's laughter.

"I was most certainly not ready, Mira. Make yourself visible!" Aurora giggled. She followed the laughter until she saw the Pokémon Center door open on its own. She hung up the phone and followed her invisible friend outside. Aurora's partners were surprised to see Aurora back outside so soon, but then realized why when they heard giggling.

"Mira Mira having a blast, open your mind and look at your past. Turbulent emotions make your mind unclear, decide your path and let go of your fear." Mirabelle appeared right behind Aurora and gripped her shoulders with a reassuring squeeze. Aurora slightly shivered at her touch.

"Mirabelle?" Aurora felt a little uncomfortable.

"I'm a fortune teller, Auru. I predicted you would need my help today. I can sense you've been through some messed up crap lately and I want you to talk about it." Mirabelle said more seriously.

"I…" Aurora didn't know how to respond. The purple haired lady giggled slightly.

"It's good to let everything out. Besides, you how persistent I am." Mirabelle said with a grin. Mirabelle sat down and was levitating right above the ground. Her hair was flowing on its own and her eyes glowed a light purple. "Sit down and tell Mira Mira what's up."

"Mira…" Aurora said in a pleading voice.

"Non! You know I don't take 'no' for an answer." Mirabelle crossed her arms. "In fact, this is girl talk. No Pokémon allowed." Mirabelle spread her arms out wide and quickly forced all of Aurora's Pokémon in their Poke Balls except for Chari and Happy. Mirabelle was surprised at the development and quickly grew more surprised when they stood in front of Aurora and growled at the psychic. Chari was about to use Fire Blast on her, but Aurora created a forcefield surrounding both of them. She narrowed her eyes in warning. Chari immediately backed down upon seeing her trainer's reaction.

"Screw this 'girl talk' if you feel the need to force me in my ball. I'm not letting anyone force me inside again." Chari continued to growl.

"And I won't let Aurora out of my sight. I don't want to separate from her and later see her upset a third time." Happy said with just as much fervor. However, she was significantly less harsh than Chari. She spoke in a more concerned tone than anything else.

Mirabelle sweat-dropped and waved her hands harmlessly. She said with a nervous laugh, "Easy there, girls. You know I mean your trainer no harm. I'm sorry if I invoked some nasty emotions. Nous allons bien, oui?"

"Yeah, we're cool. Just don't do that... ever… again. I don't want to see Aurora hurt by you again." Chari frowned. She stopped growling, but her expression was still guarded. Mirabelle was alarmed at the change in attitude from the fire type. Mirabelle looked away from the lizard in guilt. They all knew exactly what the fire type was talking about. Aurora sweat-dropped herself and sighed with longing.

"I promised myself I would never to give in to my jealousy again and I've stayed true to it. Can you let me speak with Aurora alone? I don't want to make you guys uncomfortable… or untrusting of me… but if you're acting this hostile, I want to help." The lilac-haired woman pleaded. "Please…, just let me speak with my friend."

"Aurora… it's your call." Happy said with a reassuring smile. Aurora smiled and nodded at the fairy type. That nod was all that Happy needed. Happy sat down and began to wail her tail moderately. She smiled, "Very well, then. Come on, Chari. Give them some space."

"Wait, what?! Are you just gonna back down? Since when? Especially after she...!" Chari argued and would have continued, but Happy shot a Moonblast a few inches away from Chari's feet.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. If Aurora forgave her, so can we. Don't let yesterday's encounter cloud your view of all psychics." Happy grabbed Chari's ball from Aurora's bag. Before she could object, Happy returned the lizard in her Poké Ball. Happy threw the ball back to Aurora. Aurora caught the ball in her hands and giggled slightly at her Sylveon's assertiveness. Happy grabbed her own ball. Suddenly, Happy glared at the lavender-haired lady with just as much malice as Chari moments before, "I'm warning you, Mirabelle. If I find Aurora even more in disarray... let's just say you'll be wishing that only Chari attacked you."

Happy tapped herself on the head returned herself in her own ball. The red light sucked her inside like a vacuum. Automatically, the ball gravitated to Aurora's hands. They both seemed to have a gleam to them. She blinked in surprise, then smiled. She kissed the top of both balls and put them away.

Mirabelle gulped slightly upon hearing the fairy type's message. She'd only seen Happy this abrasive towards her one other time and was determined to keep it that way. Her resolve to help Aurora and appease her friend's aspects grew stronger. The psychic whistled, "Damn. I'm not sure if I could ever achieve the bond you have with your Aspects. I can feel how close you are with Happy and Chari."

"I feel blessed each day I travel with them." Aurora sat down in a pretzel shape and began to float right beside her friend. "Sorry about Chari and Happy. After yesterday, they both grew more distrusting of psychics."

"It's no sweat. The Zurui will do that…. at least… I'm assuming what's why Chari nearly attacked me just now." Mirabelle sighed.

Aurora rubbed behind her head in shame. "I-"

"Don't say another apology because I've already accepted it." Mirabelle held her hand in the air, anticipating Aurora's response. "Now… we're in this meditative pose because I want you to clear your mind. Let me peer into your thoughts to see what's really up. Although I'm a master psychic, you still managed to block off most of my attempt to look into your mind. Something… isn't right in your noggin. I gotta find out what it is."

"Mira…"

"Relax… and let me see what's up. I'm going to go through your memories to see if that helps you." Mirabelle said with a little bit of force. She crossed her arms and gave her an annoyed look. Aurora sighed and conceded to her persistent friend.

She laid down for her psychic friend while still hovering. Mirabelle smiled, cracked her fingers, and quickly went to work. Aurora closed her eyes and relaxed her body the best way she could. Mirabelle helped to calm her tense friend by touching her forehead. Upon Mirabelle's touch, Aurora calmed down enough for her psychic friend to peer into her mind. She noticed that Aurora fell asleep under her touch. The lilac-haired woman didn't intend the pacifying effect to cause her friend fall into a deep slumber, but all she needed was Aurora to stay calm.

She noticed that immediately when the darker haired woman closed her eyes, she grimaced. Her body was shivering and she grew restless. Mirabelle blinked in surprise, then narrowed her eyes. She decided to see what was going on. Mirabelle closed her eyes and looked into Aurora's mind.

---

At first, the dream was completely white. They were standing in absolute nothingness. Mirabelle used her power to locate Aurora. She sensed something off with the area and with her friend. The ebony haired guardian writhed in agony. Mirabelle was frozen in her spot. When she tried to move to aid her friend, a malevolent force prevented her movement. She could do nothing but watch as she saw Aurora suffer.

Aurora clenched her teeth. Mirabelle tried to call out words of encouragement to her friend, but she couldn't speak either. She was an entirely new entity, completely useless. Eventually, after a few minutes of struggling, Aurora's body grew limp and her bang covered her eyes. Something else was taking the helm of her dreams. It demoralized Mirabelle to sense that the same presence who blocked Mirabelle from the real world had a firmer hold on Aurora in the dream world.

The dreamscape suddenly changed. Aurora herself disappeared. Mirabelle stayed at her spot, but she couldn't move. The dream grew lush. Grass hugged Mirabelle's shoes, but she couldn't feel anything as an onlooker. She noticed a medium sized house out in the distance, but she was amazed at house much space the outskirts had. She then got a shiver down her spine when she realized how familiar the landscape was. It looked familiar… too familiar.

She noticed someone leaving that house… a teenage girl. The teenager had long spiky raven-dark hair that flowed up to her ankles. She was wearing short sleeved pleated yellow and pink dress that went a little past her knees. She wore a small bow on the side of her head, a Mew necklace around her neck and had a basket in her arms. She was seeing her parents off. She summoned her Charizard and flew off.

Mirabelle realized she was witnessing Aurora at her happiest.

Mirabelle shuddered and shook her head. Aurora would only wear that sort of frilly dress when she was visiting someone in particular.

The dream suddenly shifted to being in a cave. They looked like they were in at the entrance of a cave with a beautiful crystal lake gracing its presence. The lilac-haired psychic noticed a boy sitting by the lakebed. He wore a red sleeveless jacket, a black short sleeved undershirt, and blue pants. His messy brown hair was graced with a red Poke Ball cap. His eyes were closed, but he seemed so serene. He was just listening to the waves and embracing the cave's beauty.

Aurora sat right beside the boy and placed the basket beside her. She chuckled, "You're that immersed, huh?"

The boy's eyes opened suddenly and revealed large brown gems. His eyes automatically scanned Aurora before chuckling, "Oh, I'm immersed in more ways than one."

Mirabelle observed them talking for a little bit before the boy began to eat what was in the basket. He seemed to enjoy it so much that he forgot to share. Aurora was laughing and was clearly used to this. She ate a Tamato Berry herself, but let the boy eat the rest. She enjoyed the fact that he liked what she made. After eating all that he wanted, the boy then suddenly pinned her down and began kissing her. Mirabelle felt like she was invading a bit too far. She wanted to find the present-day Aurora.

---

The dream shifted once again and Mirabelle was in another lush grassland, but it was much different than the grassland she was in earlier. This land was much sparse in comparison and had a tall tree in the distance. The grass slowly ended and led into a set of cave formations. Mirabelle couldn't see a sign of human settlement for miles. She suddenly felt a strong surge of wind. She gasped as the cold air whipped her into shivering.

"I shouldn't be able to feel the wind if I'm just probing her mind. Are... we actually sharing the dream?" Mirabelle pondered in her thoughts. Mirabelle decided to try to wake up. She closed her eyes and imagined Aurora still floating in front of her and that they were in the back of the Pokémon Center. When she opened her eyes, she was still in the same cold place. She shuddered in horror when a misty purple dragon-like aura suddenly appeared in front of her.

"You want to help, psychic?" The aura laughed and began to glow. It expanded to be roughly the size of Mirabelle and began to enter her through her nose and mouth. It purred, "I wonder how Aurora would react if I coaxed you into doing something you vowed never to do again in the exact same way…"

Mirabelle growled as her eyes began to glow white in an effort to prevent the aura from going in her. However, the aura was too potent and entered Mirabelle. She convulsed heavily, trying to resist the effect of the aura. She could feel herself losing control of her body. Mirabelle's body twitched, trying to reject the invader, but after a few moments of struggling, her body finally relaxed. Her breath grew slow. Her brown eyes became gold for a split moment before turning brown again.

Mirabelle cruised down the grassland and went toward a large berry tree. Once at the tree, the lilac psychic noticed the boy from earlier had climbed up the tree, sitting on a branch. He was preoccupied picking Sitrus Berries from the tree. With her psychic power, Mirabelle made her appearance younger than she actually was. She looked around the same age as the boy. Mirabelle cupped her hands and called out, "Hey, Red…"

The boy looked down and turned his head to the source of the sound. His eyes flashed with recognition. He amicably waved to her before continuing to pick berries. Mirabelle chuckled and rolled her eyes. She knew how to get him down. She 'tripped' while taking a step and screamed when she fell. Red immediately looked down again and noticed her distress. He jumped off the tree and helped her up.

"Are you alright?" Red's voice droned deeply.

"You've always been quite the gentleman. Thank you." Mirabelle said with a smile.

Red looked at the psychic in confusion, "I'm happy you're alright, but… what are you doing here? I thought Aurora was only here."

"Do you know where she is by any chance?" Mirabelle looked around for the amber-eyed guardian.

Red shrugged his shoulders. He pointed to the much grander tree in the distance. Mirabelle was impressed with the landscape. She knew she was on the outskirts of the Tree of Beginning. He answered, "She should be over there with Mew. She said she was coming to meet me here. I want to do something special by giving her these Sitrus Berries. Since you're here, do you mind helping me?"

"You're always thinking about her, aren't you?" Mirabelle shook her head and sighed. Red can hear the bitterness in her tone.

He frowned, "I'm sorry. I forgot about…"

"It's alright. I won't be sad for too much longer…" She made a small smile. Red was confused by the response, but chose to ignore it.

"Is there something I can do to help you? I don't like seeing you down." Red asked her. The brunette didn't realize how fatal his invitation was.

"Don't worry about it, Red. There is something you can do…" Mirabelle slowly approached the male and placed her hands on his chest. He felt uneasy and started to back away from her. The psychic's expression became predatory. She stalked her prey until the Sitrus tree prevented his escape. She placed her hands on his chest and looked up at him pleadingly. "You could kiss me to make me feel better…"

"Mirabelle, are you crazy? I like you, but not in that way." Red shook his head. He tried to move away, but Mirabelle's eyes glowed white. He couldn't move his body.

"Oh, don't you worry. That will change soon enough…" Mirabelle said with a cloudy voice. Red closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. He became immersed in a dark blue aura, trying to resist her effect. Mirabelle looked amused at the effort. "You can't resist my mind control for long, Redrick."

"Mirabelle… why are you… doing this?" He struggled to say. He didn't want to harm the psychic, but at the same time, he couldn't see why she would suddenly change.

"I've been holding in my feelings for too long. I'm only trying to make you see what you've been blind to." She smiled sweetly. Red could feel himself succumbing to Mirabelle's mind control.

"I'm never… going to… betray… my sweet dawn." Red growled. His fists began to flare up in flames. He covered his eyes and shot a burst of flames at her. Mirabelle anticipated the retaliation. With a flick of her hand, she redirected the fire to the air. She magnified the strength of her telekinetic hold on the brown eyed guardian. Red looked at her with disbelief and disgust. He was at the mercy of the female's psychic's power.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you'll become my red hot flame." Mirabelle stared into his eyes and made them cloudy. Red closed his eyes and turned his head despite being trapped. She snapped her fingers and forced Red to open his eyes. She stared deeply into his eyes and droned, "You love me. You want to be with me…"

"No. I love Aurora. I want to be with her…" Red shook his head in resistance.

"No… you love me," She said more forcefully.

"I l-love... y..." Red bit his tongue to prevent himself from speaking.

"You love me and not Aurora." The psychic continued persistently.

"I l-l-love… Aurora…" Red looked like a lot of energy was drained just saying those three words. He was breathing heavily and his face was beaded with sweat. Mirabelle narrowed her eyes in observation. Red continued with a lot more conviction, "I love my precious dawn! You will never take her place in my heart!"

"That's very heartwarming, lover boy." Mirabelle snorted sarcastically. "If you love her so much, I'll give you what you want."

Mirabelle's hands began to glow a white energy. She knocked off his cap and clutched his hair roughly. She laughed deviously as the white energy spread to Red's head. He groaned in agony as his vision became hazy. His head wobbled from side to side in a hypnotic trance. His image of Mirabelle shifted until she was no longer there. It was Aurora.

Mirabelle made sure his eyes were completely cloudy. Once she noticed the process was complete, Mirabelle's released her hold on Red and he was left slumped against the tree. He looked up and noticed a hand trying to help him up. He saw Aurora's warming smile and her soft hand beckoning him to get up. He accepted the invitation gladly.

"Aurora… you're here." He said in relief and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He scrambled to present his forged berries, "I got these berries for you. I know you like to use Sitrus Berries for healing and I thought I should get some for the future, you know?"

"Thank you for the berries..." She gasped at feeling his lips graze her skin so easily. Mirabelle smiled at the illusion's potency. She rubbed her arm bashfully, "You'll always love me… right?"

"Why even ask? I love you more than you ever realize," Red caressed her cheek. She swooned at his touch. He looked around, "Aurora, do you know what happened to Mirabelle? She started to act a bit… unhinged."

"Don't worry about Mira Mira. Just focus on me. We'll deal with her later." Mirabelle suggested. She had to force herself not to frown. She continued, "How about we just enjoy our time together?"

"As much as I want to spend time with you, we should train first…," Red chuckled and whispered in her ear seductively, "…then we can get to the fun stuff."

Mirabelle shook her head vigorously. She didn't want to be exposed via aura training. She pleaded, "Aww… can't we do something a little fun first?"

"Hmm… I suppose a preview wouldn't hurt." Red wrapped his arms around her waist, brought her close and brought his lips against hers. Mirabelle's hands traveled up to Red's hair and played with it. Mirabelle enjoyed the contact and fully reciprocated the kiss. They spend several minutes like this.

They both heard a bag fall on the ground. It was enough to make them stop. They both noticed a black haired girl with a horrified expression, staring at them. Her fists were clenched tightly and she was surrounded by an intense yellow aura.

"What… are you DOING?!" Aurora was trembling so much in anger than she couldn't think straight. All she could see was bloody red.

Red was bewildered at seeing two Auroras. He kept looking back and forth between the two of them and rubbed his eyes. He looked closely and noticed that one Aurora was wearing a small Mew necklace he gave her while the Aurora beside him was not. Aurora was never seen without her Mew necklace when she was with Red. He looked terribly bemused and his head felt groggy. Eventually, the clouds in his vision dispersed and he realized he was beside Mirabelle.

Red instantly put two and two together and was aghast. He immediately tried to approach her and scrambled to explain himself, "A-Aurora, it's not what it looks like. I was tri-"

When Red got too close, she smacked his face. The force was so strong that he fell on the ground. Red noticed water falling on the ground. He looked up and noticed Aurora looking at him with heartbroken eyes. He got back up and tried to touch her, but Aurora slapped his hand away.

"Stay away from me…" She growled.

"Aurora…" Red pleaded and tried to come near her again.

"I said get away from me! Don't you ever touch me again, you filthy cheater!" She hit him with a flurry of blue flames. Red was knocked down on the ground again. Red didn't know how to respond to her hostility. She'd never been this way with him before. Her hands became ignited in blue flames. Red had never seen her so angry… and that anger was directed at him.

"How could you…?" Aurora said with tears freely falling down her face. "I trusted you. I… cared about you. You were the first person I actually felt… something special. You're the only person that made me feel unique... and you yet did this?"

"Aurora, can you please listen? This is a huge misunderstanding! Mirabelle tri-" Red tried to tell her, but the raven-haired guardian was so beside herself with rage that she didn't listen.

"A huge misunderstanding? I wish I could believe you, but I saw where your lips were. I don't want to ever see you again. I'm giving you five minutes to leave the tree and never come back. If you come near me, I'll make sure Dad will stay true to his death threats…" Aurora said with narrowed eyes. Red gulped. He knew how protective Gordo was of his daughter and he didn't want their relationship to be ruined.

Aurora turned to the lilac haired psychic and screeched, "And you… I thought we were friends!"

"Doesn't seem like it anymore, does it?" Mirabelle sneered with a bit of arrogance. Aurora, disturbed by the response, didn't know how to answer. One moment after fully registering what Mirabelle said, her entire expression turned pensive.

"No, it doesn't." Aurora coldly replied in finality. She turned to Red. She wiped her eyes and made a feeble attempt at a smile, "I… I really hope… you're happier with her, Redrick. If I can't be happy, I hope you can be." With that, Aurora flew off with a streak of tears behind her.

"Aurora, wait! Please! Let me talk to you!" Red, now completely distraught, immediately followed her to try to make things right.

Meanwhile, Mirabelle watched the interaction with little remorse. She simply smirked that Red was now available and she could work toward making him hers. She laughed as she teleported away.

---

The dream once again began to shift. The dream shifted to be in Viridian Forest. The present-day Aurora had watched the memory with just as much anger as she had in the past. She noticed how Mirabelle inserted her present self into the memory and showed it to her just to spite her. She snarled when she noticed Mirabelle reappear in front of her with a smug smirk.

"Aurora, I'm not in control of my actions!" Mirabelle felt so guilty for reopening old wounds. The aura was too influential inside her. She was a prisoner in her own body, but Aurora had no way of knowing. She tried to relay the message to her, but she couldn't. Her voice was being blocked off. Her body ignored her every command. Instead, she said, "Did you enjoy seeing all that? I certainly enjoyed showing you."

"You…" Aurora hissed and created her bone club of aura. Aurora was so angry that one of her eyes were twitching slightly, "After that altercation, you eventually gained remorse when you saw Red hurting just as much as me and realized he would never be with you. When you apologized, I thought you got over your jealousy! We both forgave you and you dare do this? You really are like a mirror: two-sided!"

"You hit the nail on the head. I know much you care about Red. I want to make you suffer. He should have been with me, after all." She said bitterly. Internally, Mirabelle was shaking her head, trying to prevent her mouth from moving.

"What about Will and Annabeth?! It's a disgrace you're saying this after he's dead! Anabel loves her father. After you got over Red, I thought you loved him, too." Aurora growled.

"He was always… second… in... my heart..." Mirabelle's body visibly shuddered when she said this. She prevented herself from saying more. Aurora noticed the abrupt change and looked puzzled. She knew the psychic didn't believe her own words.

"Mirabelle... are you alright?" Although the amber-eyed guardian was peeved, she still cared about the psychic. Aurora's body suddenly glowed white and split into two. Another woman of the same size, red eyes and paler skin appeared right beside her. Aurora looked terrified, "Aru, are you insane?"

"No," She answered flatly. She slapped Aurora across the face. Aurora flinched at the stinging blow and held her cheek sorely. Aurora grew annoyed at her counterbalance. Aru growled, "I'm getting tired of your compassion. She's clearly not your friend… and I'm not going to sit around and let you get hurt by another so-called pal again. I don't care that we are fully conscious. I only care about our… guest leaving."

"Aru… no! I know what I did in the past. I did change! I'm not in control, you gotta believe me!" Mirabelle once again tried to speak, but her voice was cut off by the invading aura. The aura influenced her to actually say, "Aru, Aru, Aru. How disappointing I coaxed you into coming out so easily."

"You… wanted this to happen?" Aurora and Aru said in disbelief.

"What do you think, Pokémon Professors?" Mirabelle chuckled dryly. "I know your best sour spot: Red himself. I know where he is, but I'm going to make sure you both die before you can find out."

Aru suddenly lunged at the psychic, grabbed her, and pinned her down. She clutched her by the throat and began to choke her as hard as she could. Aru kept banging her head against the ground harshly in tandem with constricting her airways in an effort to make her sure she was dead. She would have succeeded if it wasn't for Aurora. Aurora quickly broke them apart. Aurora had to hold Aru back from retaliating further. Mirabelle took several short breaths and coughed roughly.

"Aru, calm down!" Aurora struggled to hold Aru back. Aru kept on trying to charge at Mirabelle with all her might. Internally, Mirabelle was crushed that Aru would snap at her so quickly. She wished she could let the counterbalance know that she didn't mean to say that. At the same time, she knew if anyone mentioned something bad about Red… Aru would be the side to manifest Aurora's anger completely. She just didn't expect her rage to be so lethal.

"Let go of me! Our red hot flame… she knows where he is!" Aru continued to claw her way toward Mirabelle.

"Getting this worked up isn't going to solve anything!" Aurora tried to reason with Aru, but it was for naught.

"I don't care if I'm in a frenzy! Let go NOW!" Aru forced herself of Aurora's grasp and pushed her. Aurora grunted when she landed on the ground. Aru didn't mean to use so much force, but her anger was at an all-time high. She turned to the lilac-haired psychic.

"Aurora has been searching for fourteen years and you knew where he was this entire time?! Do you know how much she cried over him when she thought Red cheated willingly? Do you know how much pain she's endured because she wasn't able to save him? She... hasn't been able to find anyone else because she clings on to the hope that Red is still alive…" Aru was beginning to break down into tears. She continued in a hoarse voice, " Aurora lives with the constant guilt that she was a young mother scrambling to raise a child without a father! At least death for Will was final and Anabel got to know him. Red is probably suffering as we speak and yet… you don't seem to care!"

"Aru… please..." Aurora tried to talk, but Aru slapped her once again. Aurora flinched from the contact.

"Stop taking crap from people who uses you!" Aru barked. "You did that with Delilah, you did that with Charles, but I'm not allowing you do that with Mirabelle! I don't care how I'll have to beat the information out of her, but we will finally find out where Red is."

"Oh, you've done it now…" Mirabelle snarled in a low voice once she recovered her breath. "As soon as I'll deal with you, I'll savor every moment of Aurora's death."

Aru created her own bone club and narrowed her eyes, "Aurora should have listened to Mother and Father about psychics. She forgave you… but I'm never going to forgive again."

"Aurora! Please! Stop Aru! Help me..."

Aurora gasped at the sudden intrusion of her thoughts and whipped her head toward Mirabelle. Aru immediately rushed down the brown-eyed psychic. Mirabelle retaliated by dodging all her strikes with almost arrogant ease. She was predicted every attack Aru would make. It also helped that Aru wasn't strategically attacking. Aurora narrowed her eyes and observed them both.

"Please… I don't want to hurt you or Aru… You gotta believe me… I'm not in control of my body!"

Aurora was no stranger to people and Pokémon invading her head, but she wasn't sure if she was hallucinating. Aurora decided to see if she was actually hearing Mirabelle. Aurora took a deep breath and created a whip of air to separate the two women in conflict. Aru hissed in surprise while Mirabelle looked at her with a sparkle in her eyes. The sparkle lasted a few moments before it dimmed.

After witnessing that small change, she knew something was wrong. Aurora trapped Aru in her aura grip. Aru glared at her balance irately, demanding an explanation. Aurora's eyes pleaded with Aru to go along with it. Aru looked at her with an indescribable expression and made no sign of respecting Aurora's request. Mirabelle laughed darkly.

"Have you really lost enough of your sanity to detain your own counterbalance?" The lilac-haired woman taunted.

"I trust you, Mirabelle." Aurora looked at her directly in her eyes. Aru was confused by the response and struggled to escape from Aurora's grasp.

"You actually trust me… despite what I've done to you? You really must be a loon." Mirabelle snorted.

"I still think you are an amazing friend." She continued to stare into Mirabelle's eyes. She was searching for anything… a light, a grimace… just anything. For the tiniest moments, she noticed Mirabelle's eyes flicker gold.

Mirabelle turned hostile as she trapped Aurora in her psychic grip and closed her hand. Aurora screamed in agony at the intense pressure. Mirabelle shocked her from the inside out. Aru shuddered in horror and growled inhumanly. Aru was seeing only red. Any remnant of the friend she cared about vanished in her eyes. She broke from Aurora's aura grip and tackled Mirabelle to the ground. Aru pinned her down and began to punch her face repeatedly. Aurora also fell on the ground, but her movements were stunted. She resisted the paralysis enough to stand back up.

"Aru… stop. I... got... this..." Aurora confidently said while resisting her body's urge to contract. Aru got up and snuggly held Mirabelle's neck in her right arm. One sudden movement would result in Aru snapping her head in two and they both knew it. Mirabelle tried to escape, but Aru engrossed her in pure dark type energy. Aurora shook her head in warning. Aru stopped producing the aura, but still had her in a chokehold. Aurora slowly approached the restrained psychic while shaking from the paralysis and yet… she had a smile on her face.

"I know I can trust you… because… I know... you are genuine. You still have the same spark in your eyes as you did when I first met you." Aurora said with conviction. "I think I can speak for both Aru and myself when I say it's hard being trapped in your own body. Mira Mira wouldn't have changed so suddenly… isn't that right, Nyxcipher?"

"Wait... him?" Aru widened her eyes in surprise. Suddenly, Mirabelle's mouth opened and she coughed up a large sun of purple gas. The gas adopted startling yellow dragon slits and hissed. Mirabelle struggled to stay awake. However, she was smiling, finally being free. Meanwhile, Aru felt so bad and kicked herself for letting her anger get to her like that.

"Human compassion… is both a virus and a cure. I despise your empathy. Your will has always been an impedance, human." The semi-solid Pokémon growled at Aurora.

Despite shivering at hearing the reptile's voice, she stood her ground. She snidely remarked, "I always love being an obstacle, reptile."

The gas observed the three women more closely. Narrowing those dragon-like eyes, he began to disappear, but not before saying, "Hmm... It appears the presence of a friend cushions your anxiety. No matter. The next time you are without your friend and your physical body is weakened, I'll end you."

When the legendary's presence vanished completely, Aurora's legs gave out and she collapsed. Her body began to spasm wildly. Aru looked terrified while Mirabelle stayed calm. Mirabelle wriggled herself out of Aru's grip and moved toward Aurora. With her hands glowing white, she reversed the effect of the paralysis by returning Aurora's neurons to normal. Aurora sat up and looked at Mirabelle with a cloudy expression.

Aurora suddenly hugged her friend tightly. Mirabelle, though surprised at the contact, returned it dearly. Aru came in and joined in on the hug. It felt a bit awkward for three people to hug at once, but they enjoyed being in each other's arms. Both Auroras murmured, "Thank you…"

"Why… are you two thanking me? I made things worse. I nearly paralyzed you and tried to kill you in your own dream. I-" Mirabelle started to have tears line her face as she began to ramble on. She told them of everything she saw while she was under Nyxcipher's influence and couldn't even keep her eyes open to regard them. She thought Aurora would hate her just as much as Aru.

Aurora shook her head, "Neither of us hates you. Let's continue this conversation in the regular world. I don't want to take the chance of Nyxcipher coming back."

The dreamscape started to become a blur to the psychic. Aurora and Aru closed their eyes and became nebulous until Mirabelle saw them both merge together. When Aurora opened her eyes, they both were yellow, with a slight red gleam. They both began to stir in the physical world and soon found themselves back.

---

Aurora and Mirabelle were still floating above the ground when they woke up from their shared dream. Mirabelle subconsciously looked around for Aru, but noticed she wasn't there. She saw only one Aurora and knew everything was back to normal. Aurora stood on her feet, while Mirabelle stayed levitating in a pretzel shape. She couldn't look at Aurora.

"Mirabelle… was Nyxcipher lying when he claimed you knew where Red was?" Aurora asked in a small voice. Mirabelle confirmed her innocence by nodding her head and told Aurora she wished she knew. Aurora sighed and had a single tear drop down her face. She lost all the hope in her voice, "I guess the search continues..."

"Aurora, I'm... so... sorry…." Mirabelle stopped levitating and started to cry on Aurora's feet. Aurora was surprised at her behavior and didn't move. "I'm so sorry for showing you that memory. I didn't have the balls to fight the Reptile Reaper once he entered himself in me. I know I said many hurtful things to you as the lizard, but it's my fault for not being able to resist him. I really do want to help you, but I'm not strong enough… I…"

"It's alright." Aurora lifted Mirabelle's head up and made her look at her. Aurora's eyes turned red. Mirabelle once again tried to turn her head away, but Aru prevented her from doing so. She said in a small voice, "I can't believe I went ballistic and nearly killed you. I… don't know what came over me... and I almost did something I would regret. I do have some guilt in us mentioning Will. We had no right to do that especially since..."

"I totally understand. I've more or less accepted Will's killing for a couple of years now." Mirabelle cut her off and looked off to the side. Mirabelle sighed, "I can't believe Nyxcipher has gotten potent enough to take control of real people in dreams. He turned my attempt to comfort you into a living nightmare… and caused both of you to come out. Will you be alright…?"

"You can't change what happened." Aru's eyes turned back to yellow. "However… you did help us. You helped us release some of our bottled up emotions and we do feel freer. I can sense some of the dragon's presence is gone. I'm glad I trusted you…"

"I don't know how you can say that. You're too nice for your own good." Mirabelle pointed out. Aurora laughed, but didn't respond. Mirabelle looked into Aurora's mind, "Are you alright from yesterday? I saw Charles and…"

"Yes. I'm feeling better about the ambush. I'm just going to learn from my mistakes…" Aurora declared with clenched fists brimming with determination. Her expression then turned to one of annoyance, "Now that you've been super nosy, can I ask you what I really want?"

"What did you need me for?" Mirabelle asked. Mirabelle completely forgot that Aurora called to request something.

"I sense promise in a potential student and I want you to teach her how to control her psychic powers."

"What's the catch?"

"Catch?" Aurora was confused with her friend's response.

"You wouldn't ask me to train just anyone. What's so special about this chick?" Mirabelle asked suspiciously. Aurora grabbed her hand and began to drag her into the Pokémon Center. Mirabelle grew slightly uncomfortable, but couldn't stop her friend.

"Well, see for yourself. C'mon. We've got some kids to meet." Aurora stated.

"Wait, what?! No! I hate meeting new people. Have you seen the tramps of Doki Doki?" Mirabelle tried to be rid of Aurora's grip, but they both knew she wouldn't never overpower the ebony haired guardian when she put her mind to something. Aurora groaned slightly at Mirabelle's resistance, but still moved her relatively easily.

"Give them a chance. They're really nice." Aurora pulled Mirabelle to the back door of the center. Mirabelle stopped struggling and grumbled. She followed Aurora inside to the center. Aurora beamed with excitement when she felt her tugging die down.

---

A/N: I'm currently going through a bit of depression (My mother confessed something that was... very... life changing... to say the least). As the next three chapters are already pre-written, this shouldn't hamper updates, but I do apologize if my quality declines in any way.

This chapter was pretty long, but I felt this was necessary to explore the characters' relationships with one another. For those who guessed Aurora's status as Ash's mother, good job (though it was kind of obvious if you paid close attention). Before someone says I went the predictable route in making Red Ash's father, I added my own twist. Who knows where he is and what's happening to him?

In an effort to experiment with my writing style, I wrote a two chapter story involving what actually happened to Aurora and Red while they were sitting by the waterfall in the happy part of Aurora's dream. If you want to find out more about it, head to my profile and check it out. You'll get more background on Aurora's and Red's relationship than you will in this story, but it is rated 'M'. The first chapter is more teen-esque, but I can't say the same for the second chapter...

One more thing for those who doesn't know French: 'Nous allons bien, oui?' can mean 'We're cool, yes?'

Please rate and review. Remember, always appreciate what you have and never take things for granted. You never know as much as you think you know.

Next Chapter: Time to Talk

~SPG123~