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.

34. HP: The Good, The Bad and the Dastardly

A/N: Hello my lovely readers. Well... I made the deadline... in the Continental United States. My apologies for my European and Asia readers for being a day late. Anyhoo... like I said in the preview, this chapter will be a doozie. I hope it doesn't feel rushed... and I hope you will enjoy. I feel it necessary to give out a very long chapter considering the five month wait.

And now... here it is. Serena's final day with Ash and Aurora asleep. Let's see how it plays out...

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

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Chapter 34: The Good, The Bad and the Dastardly

Day 6

I woke up early in the morning and take a deep breath. I begin to wonder what happened yesterday and then it hits me. Mew wants to challenge me to a battle and apparently, my father is a dangerous guy. That much I could figure out since my mom never talks about him, but hearing it from other people? It stings a bit. Part of me wishes that I had a father I could talk about to other people. Instead, I can talk about how good at racing my mom is. That's still great, but I feel like a part of me is missing whenever I become too reflective about my father.

I shake my head. Gotta get my mind away from him. I decide the best thing for me to do is to go and get breakfast and then begin to try the psychic grip again. I change into my regular attire and head to the kitchen. Then, I gasp.

For the first time in several days, I see both Clemont and Bonnie in the house eating breakfast with their father. I'm frozen with surprise and happiness. Meyer, Clemont and Bonnie notices me almost immediately.

"What are you doing standing over there, Serena? Have a seat with us!" Meyer hollers at me and gestures me to come. I oblige and sit down. I noticed that there was an extra plate specifically for me with eggs, bacon, a cup of grapes and some orange juice. The plate is neatly prepared and I'm grateful for the food. I begin to eat, but something has been on my mind.

After a few moments of eating, I turn and ask Clemont, "Are you alright from yesterday?"

Clemont nods, "At first, when my invention combusted in front of my eyes, I was heartbroken. However, I'm realizing that since Mew was the one who caused it to be destroyed and she doesn't want us to bother Ash and Aurora, I figured the best thing is to leave them be. I know she broke it based on how weirdly you were acting."

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't know how to act with Mew in my head." I admitted.

"Hey, it's fine. Considering you've been trying your hardest to help everyone in the past week, I'd say you might need some space." Clemont continued.

"I don't think I need space. Thank you for your concern, though." I respond with a hesitant smile.

"I think he's right, Serena." Meyer jumps into the conversation. "I can't thank you enough for helping Clemont and Bonnie, but I think you might be focusing too much time on them. Maybe you should go out and take a walk. Focus on yourself for once."

"But-"

"Trust me, it good to help others, but it's also good to treat yourself for once." Meyer interrupts me with a wink. I nod, finish eating my food, and decide to go into the backyard. I notice Bonnie and Clemont looking at me as I do with a small smile.

The first thing I decide to do is take out the money Mirabelle gave me earlier and try the psychic grip again. I'm not sure if I will perform better without anyone here, but I'll try anyway. I squint my eyes and concentrate. I try to think about having complete control over the money. I'm not exactly sure what to do. I decide to place it on the ground and concentrate. I close my eyes and feel a tingling sensation in my hands.

I hum softly to myself and bring out my hands. I can feel my hair raising up, too. I have only one thing in my mind and that is to control the money in front of me.

I open my eyes and notice that the money is surrounded in my pink aura. However, it isn't moving. Somewhat frustrated, I pour more of my energy into the cash. The money flares up even more, but it is not moving. I sigh and decide that it is pointless to continue. The money stops glowing pink. I pick up the 3000 Poke and stare into it. I sigh. Why can't I do this? I know that Raven and Mirabelle said that I would struggle because of my empathy, but why is that hindering me? Maybe it has something to do with how Mom raised me. This brings up another question. I wonder how I would have been like if I had known Dad.

Oh Arceus. I feel like every day since I visited Midnight City, I been thinking about my father. I get this sense of foreboding and a sense of longing. I wonder what he looks like. I can at least ask Raven once she comes back. I decide to take my mind off this and head back inside.

When I enter the house again, I walk into listening to a conversation. Sounds like Bonnie is the speaker. I hear her say, "What if Ash and Aurora don't ever wake up?"

"Bonnie…" I hear Clemont say in a heavy breath. At this point, I don't want to disturb them, so I stay behind a wall and keep listening.

"I mean, they've been sleeping for six days! I'm super worried!" Bonnie exclaims.

"I'm worried, too, but I think everything will be alright." Clemont says to her. He continues, "I… heard Serena say yesterday that they are being taught a lesson by the mythical Pokémon Mew. They are only asleep to help make them stronger apparently."

"Aurora did mention finishing a trial yesterday..." Bonnie says in a pensive tone. I can hear Clemont's surprised gasp. I'm tempted to look to see their reactions, but I can't bring myself to do it. I also don't want to alarm them of my presence.

"Aurora spoke to you?! How?" Clemont sounds understandably shocked.

Now I hear Bonnie explain what happened while he was in the lab yesterday. She talks about how when she touched Aurora's hand, Aurora could communicate with us for a brief time. She also explains how Aurora is in the Tree of Beginning. I turn my head around the corner to see Clemont's face. He seems incredulous. When I notice Clemont looking toward my direction, I immediately yelp quietly and hide myself again. I don't know if he saw me.

I don't hear anything for a few moments. Then I hear Clemont say, "…The Tree of Beginning, you say? I read a good deal about that while in my lab. Something tells me with what everything Serena told me, everything will be alright. They will wake up when they will wake up."

Bonnie says, "How can you be so sure?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure at all. I hate not being certain of anything. However, it's all that I can hope for. There isn't much else we can do." Clemont sighs.

"Clemont…" Bonnie responds in a low, sad voice.

"Come on. How about you brush Luxray's hair? I know you like to care for Pokémon." Clemont redirects the conversation with a chuckle. As expected, it works on his sister, but I'm pretty sure she's humoring him.

"Ooh! That would be nice. Let me get my brush and we can head outside and meet Serena! She might be getting a bit lonely!" Bonnie responds. I hear her walk away from Clemont. I widen my eyes and quickly head back outside. However, as I head back outside, I feel like Clemont watched me as I closed the door.

Once I'm back, I decide to try the psychic grip again. However, this time I decide to try it on the ribbon Ash gave me. I sigh in melancholy, but then clap my hands to snap myself out of it. It's just one more day. One more day… and he'll be awake. The thought makes my heart flutter in excitement. I become even more determined to get better at the grip.

I become more serious and stare into the ribbon. I feel my hands tingling with power as they begin to glow pink and I also feel my eyes beginning to glow pink. I try to detach myself from the ribbon to seize control of it. Like before, nothing is happening to it. I concentrate harder. I grind my teeth harder. I begin to see the ribbon surrounded in my pink aura. I concentrate even harder. The ribbon eventually begins to rise from the ground. I smile in triumph. However, I know something is wrong.

I haven't completely detached myself from the ribbon.

I'm not sure how I know this, but I'm positive this is the case. I have a good feeling I'm not supposed to have my aura surrounding the ribbon. At the same time, I know this isn't the aura grip, either. After all, I know I didn't pour my heart into lifting it. I feel like this is some sort of weird hybrid technique between the aura and psychic grips. All I'm doing is lifting up the ribbon the same way I lifted up the Oran Berry three days ago.

I hear two gasps in shock. I turn around and notice Clemont, Bonnie and Luxray starring into the ribbon. Then, they stare at me. I suddenly become very subconscious and stop what I'm doing. The ribbon gently falls to the ground. I then tie it back on my shirt. Clemont looks a bit surprised while Bonnie seems a bit more excited. Luxray is staring at me with a neutral expression. We all awkwardly look at each other.

After several moments of silence, Bonnie asks, "Serena, what were you doing? I didn't know you can do that!"

"Uh… I was just practicing my powers. Usually during the night, I practice techniques like this." I respond.

"Can you do that again? I didn't know that you can lift up regular things like that. I've only observed this technique used on living things." Clemont says while lifting up his glasses in curiosity.

I decide to try and humor him. I hum to myself and begin to channel into my power again. Soon my hands and eyes begin to glow pink again. Bonnie's eyes widen in wonder while Clemont gasps. I notice their expressions change when I make the ribbon untie from my chest and suspend in the air. Now that I've done it one time, it feels a lot easier.

"It feels so weird seeing you embrace your power like this." Clemont admits.

"It feels weird to me, too, Clemont. Trust me, I've learned and found out a lot of things about myself." I respond. My expression gets a bit heavier, "However, I'm embracing my power so I can help Ash out in the future. I want to be there for him and I don't want to stay weak. I felt like I was powerless when I couldn't directly help Ash contain Aru… and I have powers. I should have made more of a difference. I don't want a situation like that to happen again where I fail my friends… and my love."

"Serena, you did what you could at the time. We don't think you failed. If anything, we both failed with how we acted afterward." Bonnie said. Clemont nodded his head in agreement. She continued, "I think I can say for the both of us that we more or less accepted what happened. Don't feel so pressured like that. We don't want you to be worrying so much, right, Clemont?"

"Of course. We're sorry if we added onto your worries. We're also sorry about not thinking about you and how you were affected by this. We acted pretty selfishly." Clemont continued for his sister. My eyes soften.

"Thanks for that. I do feel better, but I'm still going to work hard to get stronger." I said with a determined grin. Bonnie and Clemont laughed.

"Jeez, Serena. If I didn't know any better, I'd think I would be talking to Ash." Bonnie says with a smile. I think about it for a moment and laugh. I begin to get a bit drained doing this hybrid technique and my eyes and hands stop glowing. The ribbon gently falls to my hand and I tie it back on my chest. Bonnie looks at the sight in wonder. She then asks, "Do you want to help me groom Luxray's hair? I can even groom your Delphox, Pancham and Sylveon, too."

I yawn slightly in fatigue. Wow, that technique took way more out of me than I thought. Is it because I used it on an inanimate object? I need to ask Raven later about this. Bonnie seems slightly confused that I would yawn after she asked me her question. I quickly mention how tired I am after trying my technique. Clemont suggests I take a nap.

"Clemont, I can't take a nap. I need to keep getting strong-" I begin.

"Yes, you should take a nap. We have all the time in the world and you seem to have been pushing yourself recently. Rest and try again when you are feeling better." Clemont interrupts me.

"Jeez, now I know that you're Ash's girlfriend." Bonnie giggles. I hide a bit of a blush. "Big Brother is right, though. Take a break and try again later. If there's anything you need from us, we'll be there. We'll likely still be out here. Still… can I groom your Pokémon's fur?"

"Oh, of course." I dig into my bag and take out Delphox, Pancham and Sylveon. They seem to be happy to be out after so long. Bonnie, with her eyes sparkling, immediately prances over to Delphox and begins to brush her ear fur. With a bit of a stretch and a yawn, I slowly saunter inside to take a nap. I fall asleep nearly instantly.

---

I wake up with a bit of a yawn. I feel great. I'm glad I followed the siblings' advice, but now I'm curious about what they're doing. I'm also wondering how long have I been sleeping for. I get up from the bed and head to where I saw Bonnie and Clemont last.

When I go back outside, I noticed Meyer outside with Clemont helping to cook what I'm assuming to be lunch for everyone. I see several empty bowls out for all the Pokémon, too. I also see Bonnie grooming Delphox's ear fur while the rest of the Pokémon are either playing, relaxing or training with each other. In fact, I see Meyer's Blaziken moving swiftly with Clemont's Luxray. I can tell they will be great training partners. However, Pikachu, Happy and Chari are noticeably missing. I narrow my eyes in suspicion.

It warms my heart to see everyone like this. I haven't seen something like this since Aurora cooked breakfast for us. I noticed Bonnie waving at me and I wave back. Even though my mind is on the missing Pokémon, I decide the best thing I can do is to eat and then search for them. I walk up behind Clemont and Meyer as they are finishing creating lunch for everyone. I'm not gonna lie… the food smells amazing. I can feel my stomach stirring.

A few moments later, Clemont begins to fill all the bowls with Pokémon food and calls all the Pokémon over to eat. Everyone immediately complies and starts to chow down. Bonnie stops brushing Delphox and reunites with her brother. While Clemont had been giving the Pokémon food, Meyer prepares plates for the humans to eat. My eyes marvel at what Meyer made for us. Several fruits and vegetables are in each person's plate, but there is also a good about of rice and chicken as well. I love the variety and wonder how Meyer managed to fit all of this together.

I say my thanks to Meyer. He replies by saying, "It's fine. I always tried to learn how to cook meals in my spare time. Now, eat up!"

Without hesitation, I begin to eat what is on my plate. I savor the feast I was given and eat rather ravenously, though not to Ash's level. Bonnie and Clemont gaze at me in surprise, but then shrug their shoulders and begin eating themselves. I'm not sure why I'm this hungry, but I can't help it. Still, I know it isn't as bad as when Ash and Aurora were super hungry at the Pokémon Center. Honestly, I thought Ash was going to eat the entire food supply.

Meyer chuckles and begins to eat himself. After he finishes, he looks around and scratches his head in confusion. He comments, "How odd. Didn't we have two Charizards here? And where is Pikachu? I don't want to see their food go to waste."

"Happy is also missing…" Bonnie notices after Meyer makes his point.

I frown and begin to get worried. I know why they disappeared and that Pikachu told me not to look into it, but I can't help but fear his safety. I don't know too much about this Dastardly Dancing Dancers he mentioned, but this can't be too bad, right? I know I shouldn't assume that, but the thought still doesn't ease me completely. I don't feel like saying what Pikachu and the rest are doing is the best, so I decide to suggest looking for them myself. All three Lucios look at me with doubtful expressions.

"Serena, why not all of us go? Papa is super strong and we'd be much better protected this way." Bonnie suggests.

"Under most circumstances, I would agree, but..." I'm not exactly sure how I should explain this.

"But what?"

"…"

"You can't answer. You aren't secretive or weird normally. Oh boy..." Bonnie sighed.

"This… is a guardian related thing, isn't it? You wouldn't be this adamant otherwise." Clemont deduced. I nod my head sadly. Clemont frowns, then sighs. Aurora's Pokémon grows deadly serious hearing our conversation and stops eating. Rio and Suzie and approach us.

"I suggest you take the hybrid's word, humans." Rio states.

"The DDD is a serious threat. They will bend you to their will and force you to attack your friends. The mind of a human is no match for the mind of a psychic. Serena will likely be able to resist them naturally as a hybrid, but it is still much too dangerous for any one of you to go." Suzie explains.

"What? Suzie, what if Pikachu, Chari and Happy get hurt and we don't do anything about it? I can't stand here and do nothing!" I argue. Suzie sighs and shakes her head.

"Chari is the strongest member of Aurora's team. Pikachu is the strongest member of Ash's team. Happy is deceptively powerful in her own right. I daresay she's almost as powerful as Chari. They should be fine to deal with the DDD. I wish Pikachu never told you about them, but it seems you're just as stubborn as your mate. You need to stay here." Suzie shrugged her shoulders.

"I agree with Suzie. Stay here, where it's safe." Rio complemented the fox by agreeing with her.

"I don't condone staying here knowing that our friends are rising their lives for us." I clench my fist tightly. Pink aura is forming from it. Suzie and Rio look at me guarded. I frown as I say, "That's cowardly and I'm not going to stand for it."

"It's not cowardly to be sensible about Ash's, yours and Aurora's safety. Do you know what they will do if you find them? They'll likely kill because you are a hybrid." Rio tells me. Although my heart is pounding from hearing that, I ignore it and begin to walk away. Rio grabs my arm to stop me. He says in a harsher tone, "Hybrid, you will stay here."

"You can't stop me." I shake my arm out from his grip, but he regrabs me. I make him let go once again. Annoyed, Rio puts me in his aura grip. I gasp in shock and look at the jackal with annoyance.

"I can and I will. I will not allow you to recklessly head into the city and get captured. This is for your own good." Rio says with his eyes glowing blue.

"Rio, I know that it's dangerous, but… I can't help shake the feeling that something is off. I don't think they usually miss lunch because otherwise, we would have known that they've been going off somewhere else to do who knows what for the past few days." I argue.

"Are you sure you aren't making that up so you can go? I… hmm…" Rio suddenly looks despondent. Suzie looks at Rio with concern.

"What is it, love?" Suzie asks.

"I… can't sense Happy. Her aura is always the most visible since she's the most in tune with it. In fact… I can't sense Chari or Pikachu either. This is most strange. I never feel this detached from any of our partners." Rio has a spooked face. I knew that my gut was right. My resolve to help grows.

"Do you see my point? I'm not trying to be reckless. I'm trying to see what's up with them." I continue my case.

"…" Rio stares down on the ground, seemingly in thought. Suzie looks at her partner with concern. I do, too.

"Rio…" I say.

"Hybrid… as much as I don't want to do this for fear of your safety, I will accompany you to aid you, but you have to be vigilant. The DDD can disguise themselves as other people on a similar vein to Suzie's illusions. I can't sense nearly as well as Aurora or Happy, so I'm nervous that I would get you hurt." Rio explains in a sad tone.

"Rio, I trust you." I smile at him.

"Now hold on a second." Meyer says. We all turn to him. He continues, "I'm not going to allow to go out there and danger yourself Serena, guardian or not. At least bring Blaziken with you. He's sure to be helpful."

"With all due respect, sir, I do not believe that is the soundest choice. I sense that your partner is powerful, but if what I suspect is correct, the DDD has some sort of device to trap Pokémon and cover up their auras. Psychics are known to be fantastic mechanics, after all. I rather not risk anyone else." Rio explains and shakes his head. Meyer looks disappointed and seems to be at a loss of what to do.

"Rio, I'm going, too." Suzie suddenly begins to glow aquamarine. Her shape changes before our eyes. She grows taller with full black hair and fair skin. Before I know it, I see Suzie look like and talk like Aurora. The illusion looks flawless. She says, "I can at least pose as Aurora. She's the only guardian who intimidates them upon sight. Assuming they've been spying on us, they're going to be frightened to see her awake and out for vengeance. I can even make my eyes appear red since they are even more terrified of Aru. Hopefully, they don't think to sense my brain waves, because that will be the way they tell I'm really a Zoroark."

"Suzie… it's too-" Rio begins, but Suzie's eyes turn red and he gasps in shock. I shiver slightly. She really looks like an angry Aru right now.

"I don't want to hear it. I may normally be bashful, but I'm not going to sit here and watch you possibly get captured. You're too important to me." Suzie grabs Rio's paws earnestly. For the first time ever, I see Rio stifle a blush. Wow… I think either Suzie and Rio are in a relationship with one another or Rio has a crush on her. It's odd thinking about it, but I decide I should ask once everyone is safe.

"Su Su… it's rare to see you like this. I respect it. I can't stop you when you're this determined." Rio says with a solemn smile. Suzie laughs and gives him a hug. Her eyes turn back to yellow. They hug and Rio even has a nickname for her? Oh my Arceus, they are totally in a relationship. For some reason, that makes me excited to learn. He turns toward Kairyu and Chi-Chi. At this point, both of them are finished eating and looks toward us with deadly serious expressions. He tells them, "You two need stay here and protect the house. Despite everything, Aurora and Ash are our number one priority to protect. Make sure they still can't get close to the house… and if anything happens…"

"Find Raven and Mirabelle… got it. Now go." Kairyu finishes his statement and gestures us to leave. Bonnie, Clemont and Meyer looks at us with concerned expressions. I try to make my best smile to ease their worries, but I know it's for naught. With a nod, Suzie, Rio and I leave the backyard and go towards the city.

---

Once we begin to walk in the depth of Lumiose, I begin to wonder how we are going to find whoever the DDD are. I mean, they are only a few people in a city with thousands. Suzie gives the suggestion of focusing on people with spikes of aura. She tells me that people with spikes of aura tend to be aura guardians or psychics. Since we're looking for psychics, that's a good place to start. However, I'm not sure how good my sensing abilities are.

The two of them look to me to be able to sense the DDD as we're walking. I widen my eyes and shake my head. I'm not Aurora or Ash. I can't sense people nearly as well as they can. Rio and Suzie looks down in slight remorse for the added pressure.

"Our apologies, Serena. I guess we're really used to Aurora sensing who we need to find." Suzie says with a sheepish smile. She's really good at speaking with Aurora's voice, my word. It's hard to tell that I'm really walking beside a Zoroark. Rio nods in agreement.

"Why can't you two sense the DDD?" I ask.

"If we tried… they would detect us before we'd detect them. You… are the wildcard here. They don't know you or your psychic energy. I think we can find them faster than they can find us if we tap into your latent power. There's a good chance they want to bait us out, but we don't too many options." Suzie explains.

"Lucar…" Rio is speaking with his Pokelanguage. I tilt my head in confusion.

"I can't understand you." I say in sadness. Rio groans with slight annoyance and looks at Suzie.

"Cario. Lu Lu, Lucar…." He says.

"Rio says he can't afford to speak with telepathy because of all the humans near us and he's asking me to translate. He's suggesting that we go to a place where no one else is around. He has an interesting idea." Suzie translates. I nod and decide to go along with it.

We look around for an area in Lumiose without any other people. It's hard to do that due to how populous this city is, but we try anyway. After a bit of searching, I notice Rio's eyes light up and he tugs at my blouse. Rio directs us in an alleyway out of sight and gestures me to close my eyes. Although I'm feeling a bit uneasy about all of this, I comply. Then, I feel a paw on my left cheek. Suddenly, I'm feeling very warm inside.

Clenching my fingers tightly and concentrating, I begin having a heightened sense of feeling. This is so weird… I feel like I can see everyone in the city. I can even see where Bonne, Clemont and Meyer are. I never expected Rio to help give me this effect. Actually, scratch that. I don't think I feel Rio's paw on my cheek anymore, but I don't want to risk opening my eyes and losing what I sense. This is an amazing feeling. However, I know I shouldn't let my thoughts sway too far away. After all, we need to find three missing Pokémon.

I begin to focus a bit more on trying to find something strange. After a bit of internal searching, I notice three particularly odd auras. They aren't like the other auras I perceive to be regular people. They seem to be more powerful than the other auras in the area. I wonder if these are the goons Aurora's Pokémon mentioned. However, I think I sense some other energy by them, too. It's not sentient aura… more like some other energy is suppressing the aura inside. I have a feeling that the Pokémon are trapped.

I release that the three powerful auras and the Pokémon are in the outskirts of a forest southwest from here. Seems like they are in Route 5. I open my eyes with a newfound resolve. Suzie and Rio look at me expectantly. I tell them what I found and they seem elated. However, Suzie says, "Serena… you need to get rid of your mark. The DDD will recognize it."

"My mark…?" I look down and notice the four-pointed star. I gasp and cover my cheek with my hand. I must have created it when my eyes were closed. I have no idea to get rid of it. I feel like I have an itch that I can't scratch away. I say, "I… don't know how to get rid of it. Is that normal? Can't I just cover it up with makeup?"

"No. People can sense you easier with a mark out, even when physically covered. Besides, it's perfectly normal as a novice not to know how to make it disappear." Suzie tells me. She places a hand on her chin. Rio looks at the two of us, then closes his eyes in thought. The he whispers something in Suzie's ears. Suzie widened her eyes and nodded.

Suzie says, "Rio suggested that you should stay calm so your mark will disappear naturally. That is what he remembers happening when Aurora first showcased your marks."

I'll try to calm down, but when thinking about the reactions I've seen from Raven and Mirabelle, it makes me less than thrilled to see it just there. I breath in and out and try to get my mind away from that. After a few moments, my mark does disappear. I sigh in relief. I give my thanks to the jackal. He makes a small smile in appreciation.

Now that my mind has been cleared and we know where Pikachu and the others are, Suzie grabs my hand and we quickly head to the Route 5 gate. I make a note at how soft her hand feels and feel confused about it. Should I be feeling fur instead?

As we begin to hurry, I can't help shake the feeling that we were being watched.

---

Rio, Suzie and I hurry to the Route 5 gate. Once we enter Route 5, like I suspected would happen, Suzie and Rio stops me from going any further. I cross my arms. Suzie says, "We don't want you to get hurt. We thank you for your help, but we think you should go back into the house."

"I think I've shown that I care too much about the Pokémon to just back off. I'm not sure what I can do to help, but I know I can be useful with my abilities." I argue. They both shake their heads. Before they can respond, I say, "Do you even have a plan once you find them?! I don't want you two to get captured, either."

Rio whispers something into Suzie's ear. Suzie nods, then translates, "We're going to use Aurora's likeness to intimidate them into releasing the Pokémon. Trust me, they nearly died by Aurora's and Aru's hand when Aurora and Ash got separated. I doubt they would want a direct conflict with her."

"And if your intimidation ploy fails? Then what?" I frown. Suzie looks at Rio to come up with a response. Rio seems to be at a loss himself. I growl, "I thought so. I have another plan that we can do first… then if anything happens we can try your idea. Deal?"

Rio and Suzie look at each other. Then, they nod.

"Alright. I'm going to disguise myself as a lost traveler trying to find her way into Lumiose City. Raven said that DDD stands for Dastardly Dashing Dancers. I would assume that the best way to distract them is by asking them to dance. I'll keep them busy as long as I can while you both free Pikachu, Happy and Chari. I'll try my hardest to lure them away. If that fails… and they find out I'm a hybrid… Suzie reveals herself in Aurora's shape and tries to scare them. Suzie, I would expect you to act just like Aru in that situation." I suggest.

"There are too many holes that can happen here." Suzie says after translating Rio again.

"Same with your plan, but we don't have much of a choice. Aurora and Ash are knocked out still, Raven and Mirabelle are likely in the Hokori region and the strongest Pokémon in the house are missing. Besides, two plans are better than one." I continue.

"…We still don't like putting you in danger like that, Serena. It seems like you're quite like the Mistress… always putting your nose where it doesn't belong." Suzie chuckles. She looks at Rio again. It seems that he nods in approval. He whispers in her ear again. She translates, "You have something in mind to disguise yourself as, yes?"

I smirk. I'm happy they are letting me join in and help. I'm happy that this is how I can help. I know the perfect response to her question, "Kalos is the region of fashion and I recently brought a lot of clothes, accessories and wigs. Give me about fifteen minutes to change and please… come with me to a Pokémon Center. I don't want you two to possible get sensed."

Suzie and Rio nod once more and follow me back the house to get the clothes. We greet Meyer, Bonnie and Clemont while there, vowing to find the missing Pokémon. We also tell them what we are planning to do. They all look at me uneasily, but Meyer tells me to be careful. After we leave the house, we head into a Pokémon Center and I go into a changing room to change into another outfit.

---

About 15 minutes later…

I walk out of the changing room with my hands clasped behind my back. Suzie and Rio patiently waited for me to finish and when I did come out, it seemed like they didn't recognize me at first. I had to tap on Suzie's shoulder and talk for her to realize it was me. That's a good sign. Suzie checks me out and give a small smile and thumbs up. Rio makes a small nod in approval.

I'm wearing a long auburn wig and have green contacts on. I tied the long hair into a couple of pigtails. With some makeup, I made my cheeks have a bit of a reddish blush to them and tried to make me look like I have freckles. I'm also wearing simple buttoned red plaid short-sleeved T-shirt and long blue jeans. I'm making sure I'm not wearing my hat, but I am wearing my bag. I make a sweet smile and wink at the two of them.

"You think this is going to work?" I say with a bit of a country accent.

"Oh definitely. You look even more innocent than you do in your normal clothes. Tricking the DDD will be a cinch. Just… watch out for Xander." Suzie warns me.

"Xander?" I tilt my head to the side in confusion. Suzie nods.

"He's the smartest of the three. Do not listen to what he asks or tells you to do, even if it seems harmless. Despite his flamboyant appearance, he's always analyzing a situation and will be suspicious of you." She continues. Rio whispers something in her ear. She translates, "Are you ready to go, hybrid?

"Yes." I respond. Without another word, the three of us went back into Route 5. As we leave the center, I once again have the oddest feeling that I'm being watched. I'm not sure why I'm feeling this way.

---

The three of us hurries once again to Route 5's gate. Once we pass through it, I notice the bustling skate park. I see so many aspiring skaters. It makes me feel happy, at least for a split second. I realize how much in danger everyone in this area is because of the DDD. I'm concerned. I never fought real psychics before. Every guardian and psychic I know about is nice to some extent. It's hard not to feel nervous.

Suzie perks her head up and looks at me as we walk. I wonder if she is sensing the negative feelings rising in me. I wouldn't be too surprised. Before we leave the skate park completely, Suzie places her hands on my shoulders and asks, "Are you sure you want to do this, Serena? I sense some indecision from you."

"I'm positive. I may be nervous, but I want to help more than anything." I respond. Suzie's face lightens up and grins.

"… If your conviction is this strong, I have no doubt you will grow to do amazing things." Suzie says. She then grows serious again. "The DDD is a few minutes into the forest. They've hidden our comrades from a regular human's sight, but you should be able to see it clearly, being a hybrid. Make sure you act like you don't see them and you will be alright. We should part ways here lest we risk getting spotted. We will keep close watch on you. All you need to do is distract them long enough for us to free our comrades. Best of luck, Serena."

With that, Suzie and Rio walk away from me and I look toward the beginning of the forest. I gulp, then clench my fingers. With a deep breath, I begin to walk into the forest with a determined expression. I'm not exactly sure how the DDD looks, but something tells me the answer will be obvious the minute I see them.

As I stroll along the forest path, I make a note on how beautiful the day is. It's kind of hard to imagine how tense the situation actually is. It's kind of unnerving, if I'm being honest. I continue my terse trek in the forest, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Tree after tree, I continue walking, desperate to see if I can find Pikachu or anyone else. I then widen my eyes when I see a few odd white capsules a huge distance away from me.

I quicken my pace to see what those white capsules actually are. After a few minutes of jogging, I notice that there are three of them and I see things trapped inside. I gasp and cover my mouth. Pikachu, Happy and Chari really are in those capsules, trying their hardest to escape. I then shake my head and look neutral again. I can't make it seem like I can see the trapped Pokémon. I quickly recover my bearings completely and continue walking. I begin to look for a few shady characters.

I can see how tired all three of them are from trying to escape. I don't see any other people near them, but I begin to take a closer look at the capsule. They are white capsules of varying sizes, all accommodating for the respective trapped Pokémon. They give the trapped Pokémon enough space to breathe, but they don't seem too comfortable, either. I don't see any sort of lock on any of them and the capsules seem to be giving off some plasma energy. Pikachu, Chari and Happy are looking more and more drained by the moment.

I wonder if the plasma energy is draining their energy.

I hold in a scowl. No wonder why they look so drained. I want to help them out directly, but I know that's not smart. I just have to stick to the plan. I'm getting very close to the capsules. I need to get my best innocent face on. Now that I'm so close, I see a group of three people on the ground discussing something. Two of them are guys and one of them is a girl. The woman has short platinum blond hair and grey eyes. She has an air about her that is super serious and she looks like the type of person that will kill you if you messed with her.

One of the guys is tall with shaggy brown hair and a large brown beard. He looks like he could be a large lumberjack, or even a friendly Ursaring. It's weird, but he seems a bit out of place compared to the other two. The other guy looks really… unique. He has a rainbow-colored Mohawk and ever-changing eyes. They looked hazel at first, but it changed to blue in an instant. Despite looking colorful, this guy seems to have an air of seriousness just like the woman, but he definitely keeps it more hidden. If I were to guess, this is the Xander Suzie was talking about. They all are wearing civilian clothes, with jeans and a simple shirt.

"I still can't believe we captured two of the Champion's Pokémon! We even got the brat's strongest Pokémon to boot! What a good start to the day!" The brown haired man says in delight.

"We just needed time to adapt to their attacking patterns, Daniel. It was simple once Xander constructed those energy capsules and lured them too close. Father will appreciate them for his own use as well." The woman said matter of factly. The brown-haired man nodded in response.

I narrow my eyes when they mentioned their father. I wonder if their father is the boss of the Zurui, that Malladus guy. I need to prevent them from being able to give their father the idea to create devices like these. I'm not sure how, but I need to try. All of these is going those my mind as I get closer to the trio. I need to clear my mind. I take a deep breath and begin approaching them. I look as frantic as possible.

"Um… excuse me?" I ask in a timid voice. The three looks at me to regard me. I instantly feel all of three of them try to seep themselves into my mind. I try my hardest to clear my mind. All of them seemingly relax after that. In the corner of my eye, I see the Pokémon frantically try to get my attention. However, I ignore them and keep my attention on the three psychics. It's so hard to do that, but I have to for their sakes.

"Hmm… what is it, miss?" The man who I presume to be Daniel asks.

"I'm new to Kalos and I don't know where anything is. Can you show me where Santalune City is?"

"Santalune? Perhaps may I ask you why you are heading there in particular?" The man I presume to be Xander asks.

"I… traveled to Kalos trying to go to all the different cafes and boutiques. I recently landed from the Johto region because I want to pursue fashion and culture. I was already when in Lumiose City and went into as many boutiques and cafes as I could, but I'm not sure if I went through the right gate, though. I'm sorry if I'm impeding your time." I explain and look down in sadness. I wonder if that story is believable enough for them.

"Making a new life for yourself, eh?" Xander says.

I nod eagerly. I continue, "Yes. I moved here from Cianwood and I hated being in the country. I'll admit that the city has been a bit overwhelming, but I want to get more accustomed to this region. Please tell me if I went through the right gate."

"You didn't go through the right gate. Turn around and head south once you go back to Lumiose City. Then, be on your merry way, girl." The woman says in an uninterested tone. Daniel looks at me and sighs. He seems apologetic of his teammate's attitude. Xander is still staring at me with those kaleidoscope eyes. They seem just as unnerving as Aurora's eyes, but I don't dare let that show on my face. Xander shrugs his shoulders and his face doesn't look as cold anymore.

"Christa, there is no need to be so cold to this traveler. I like her backstory. Makes me want to learn more about her." Xander says with a smile toward her. Christa looks at him with a slight twinkle in her eyes, then shrugs. I wonder what that meant. Xander grabs my hands earnestly with a sweet smile. I immediately blush and jerk my hand away gently. Xander raises an eyebrow in response. I wonder if I shouldn't have done that, but my reaction was instinctive. I would never allow another man to touch my hand so randomly.

It seems like Xander picks up on that because he says, "Seems like you're the shy defensive type. I can dig that."

I blink my eyes in slight disgust. I scowl and say, "Excuse me?"

"Oh boy…" Daniel facepalms.

"Pardon my forwardness… hmmm, seems like we don't know your name yet, actually. Care to share?" Xander asks me. I let myself relax and I show no sign of distress on my features. I quickly think of a name for myself.

"My name is Sienna. Nice to meet you." I say with a sweet smile.

"Sienna is quite a pretty name. I don't see too many of those." Xander chuckles. Then he regards himself and his teammates. He points to himself, "My name is Xantheros, but most people call me Xander. The gentle giant is Daniel and the cold-hearted woman is Christiana. However, most people called them Dan and Christa respectively."

"Nice to meet you, Sienna." Dan comes over and shakes my hand. I struggle to keep my composure from his strength. He's not paying attention to how hard he is squeezing me. Xander has to tap his on his shoulder to let him know. Dan immediately widens his eyes and let go. He then kisses my hand in a chivalrous, though awkward way. I hold in the urge to retract my hand again and just take it.

"Hmm… pleasure to make your acquaintance." Christa says with a monotone voice. I'm beginning to wonder if this woman has any other emotions beside apathy.

"Alright Sienna. What my sister says is true. If you want to head to Santalune, you're going to need to head back to Lumiose and then head to the southernmost gate. I can help lead you there if you prefer." Xander offers. I remember what Suzie warned me about him and try to think of a way to get out of his request.

"Um… actually, can I ask about something else?" I ask with as innocent a voice as I can. I begin to see slight ruffles in the leaves behind the DDD. Then, I see blue spiky ears and long black hair in the bushes. I force myself to hold in a gasp and continue focusing my attention on the trio. My resolve to keep the three distracted grows even stronger. It seems like everything is going well, but I can't celebrate just yet.

"What is it?" Xander asks.

"See, I do want to know all about the fashion and culture of each region I visit, at least until I'm able to think of a more concrete goal. Can you three tell me of some Kalos specific things you've experienced? You seem to know what you're talking about considering you guys easily gave me directions earlier." I explain.

"Observant, too. Alright Sienna, you got us. I was hoping you'd ask that sort of question based on what you told us about yourself. I always love showing off to any audience." Xander's eyes sparkle with enthusiasm. Jeez, it's nearly hypotonic with how he's staring into me. Actually, considering he's a psychic, I know that's exactly what he's trying to do. I don't know how to respond to his question or how to show that I'm under his spell.

I take a risk and decide to respond naturally under this persona. I say, "You like to show off?"

"Of course. We may look like ordinary travelers taking a rest, but we're actually a group of dancers. We make lots of people happy with our performances in our home region, but I'm sure the three of us can dance with a bit of Kalos flair." Xander is showing no signs of being suspicious of me or my response. That unnerves me more than if he showed suspicion. Am I just overthinking things?

I have a bad feeling about letting the three dance, but I'm not sure why. I can't backpedal at this point. It would make my disguise apparent. With the corner of my vision, I can see Suzie and Rio trying to figure out a way to break the Pokémon free. I decide to continue rolling along with it to give them as much time as possible.

I say with an excited tone, "Really? That would be amazing, but I wouldn't ask you to do something so soon."

"Nonsense! I think it would be to our benefit to try our dance in front of a fresh perspective. See how good it really is. I would love to see what you think about it, Sienna." Xander says in an almost irresistible way.

He's trapping me into his suggestion from how's he's phrasing it. I'm not sure how I'm certain of this, but I felt the same way when Aru spoke to Bonnie in her rampage. Once again, I can't say no, otherwise I will get caught. I internally gasp. Xander is completely suspicious of me, but it looks like he's hesitating on calling out his hunch. Seems like he needs some sort of concrete proof first. I refuse to give it to him easily. I must be careful on not to make any mistakes from this point forward.

"Well, if you do not mind, then I would love to see your Kalos dance." I say in response.

"Awesome." Xander chuckles and looks at his teammates. Dan looks excited to show me his moves while Christa rolls her eyes. She doesn't want to dance, but is willing to humor Xander. Neither of them is aware of Xander's and my internal battle from what it looks like. Xander continues, "Let's get into proper position and say our motto."

"Motto?" Oh Arceus, I was hoping that I wouldn't need to deal with people like Team Rocket again.

"Of course. It helps us get into the mood to dance. Makes the effect that much more potent to the audience from hearing our charisma!" Xander says while flaunting off his chest. It's hard to ignore how fit Xander is, but I don't give it too much thought. Christa shrugs her shoulders while Dan seems a bit too giddy. They both stand on either side of Xander. They all cleared their throats.

"Leap through the air and dance with steely passion! Christa!" Christa started.

"Stand firm on the ground with lustful passion! Xander!" Xander wiggled his eyebrows.

"Showing an infallible will with watery passion! Dan!" Dan said with a thumbs-up.

"We are the one and only Dastardly Dashing Dancers! None can oppose our moves!" All three of them finished together.

Although I'm not too fond on the motto, I must show surprise to finding out who they are to keep up my act. I say, "Dastardly Dashing Dancers, huh? Kind of rolls of the tongue well."

"Glad to see someone else think the same way." Xander chuckles. He then says to his teammates, "Ready to entertain?"

"Of course!" Dan says eagerly.

"Let's just get this over with." Christa says with a light yawn.

Xander goes into his pocket and reveals that he has an MP3 player. He then begins to play a theme I would imagine Professor Syncamore to have. All of three of them clap simultaneously.

The three shows admittedly very impressive synchronized movements. To be honest, I thought that the name 'Dastardly Dashing Dancers' was just a pompous stage name, but they have clearly proved me wrong. I find myself clapping to the beat of the song and I'm enjoying them dance. I can see through their choreography a French inspired story and I didn't expect that at all. They really know what they are doing. Xander smirks at my surprise.

"Sienna… how are you enjoying our dance so far?" Xander says while continuing dancing with his partners. His eyes have begun to glow and I have no idea how to respond to this. I know he's doing this to goad some sort of reaction from me. I'm not sure if a regular human being would be able to see the glowing or not. Should I just keep up the façade or do I act like I'm getting effected? I'm almost tempted to look over to where Suzie and Rio are for guidance.

Xander is staring intently into me. I can't show too much hesitation, but I have no idea what to do. I'm just going to have to make a choice here and now. I feel like my best option is to submit to him, at least to buy more time. I think about how I would show this in a split second. An idea pops into my mind. I dilate my eyes and make a drunken smile. I think about how hypnotized people would act in a movie and hope it works.

I respond, "How am I enjoying your dance so far…?"

"Perfect. She's under my spell." Xander cackles. Dan looks slightly disappointed while Christa looks surprised.

"Huh. I didn't expect you to actually use your powers on this girl. You were that suspicious?" Christa says.

"Yes. Sienna doesn't seem too outstanding to me, but I naturally would question some random girl appearing right after we captured Aurora's and Ash's Pokémon. I would expect them to try something fishy. Actually, speaking of fishy…" Xander raises his hand up and smiles darkly. I hear two gasps, then a choking sound. I force myself not to show any reaction when I see Xander propel Rio forward like a ragdoll. Rio is holding his neck as if Xander's hold is choking him. Suzie reveals herself behind the capsules and growls at the trio. She's still in Aurora's shape.

"What the-? How did you know she was here?" Dan says in shock. Christa seems to share the same thoughts.

"Serena herself." Xander says toward me. I don't dare show my horror to how he knows my name. He continues, "I will admit that you responded well to me, but you not showing any immediate reaction to my mind control made who you were apparent. Nice work as a novice psychic."

Xander thinks I'm a psychic? That's good. Maybe my aura is helping my aura side not be obvious to him. I don't need him to find out I'm a hybrid. I keep up my brainwashed persona and don't make a response. Xander walks up to me, hold my cheek tenderly and kisses it. As much as I would like to slap him for that, I need to act like I'm still under his control. I'm not sure how much of my mind he's read, but I will only show any change if he confirms what he knows about me. Xander shows some surprise when I don't respond to his advance, then looks at me in thought.

"No response this time. Very well. Even though you resisted my effect, you still fell victim to it. Funny how a girl who thought she can help ended up being a liability. I think I can use that to our advantage later." Xander cackles viciously. Christa and Dan looks at him with devious expressions. Xander looks at Suzie with the same expression as his teammates.

"I'm very surprised that you would send out Serena to try and trick us, Aurora. You're not one to risk anyone but yourself." Xander says to Suzie with a smirk.

When he says that, that's how I know he doesn't know that Suzie is in Aurora's shape. He didn't look into my mind too deeply. With that comforting thought, I keep up my brainwashed persona. They haven't won… not by a longshot.

"The circumstance called for it, but I was prepared for you to find me out." Suzie makes Aurora appear to clench her teeth and create a bone club of aura. She gets into a fighting stance and her eyes turns red. The DDD all gulp and sweatdrop. Just like Suzie predicted, they all are afraid of her. Suzie matches her voice to Aru's, "Serena volunteered herself. Even though I was vehemently against it, she insisted on being able to do something to help. She gave me enough time to figure out how to free everyone. Now that I know, I'll make you pay for what you've done to my partners."

"You made a fatal mistake by allowing Serena to come. Since she's under my control... I wonder how you will deal with fighting your young one's girlfriend?" Xander snapped his fingers. I decide to continue my act. I growl and raise my fists up, even though I have no idea what I'm doing. Suzie gasps and doesn't seem like she knows what to do. I wish there was something I can do to tell her that I'm still me. Xander seems to be highly amused of the situation. He laughs, "Go on, my beauty. Kill her!"

Suze is looking at me with horror. She clearly doesn't want to hurt me. I internally take a deep breath and lunge at her. Suzie blocks my strike. My eyes glow pink and I force her to look into my eyes. I try my hardest to convey that I'm not under his control. C'mon, Suzie… read my aura. Rio makes a gasp in surprise. I'm not sure if he thinks I'm under Xander's control or if he thought that I wasn't in control but has now fallen under Xander's spell. It's kind of hard to tell.

Suzie closes her eyes and pushes me back. She seems slightly dejected. She then says, "Do whatever you want to me, but keep Serena out of it. I'll turn myself in if you forgo your control on her."

Xander widens his eyes in surprise, then remarks, "I'm surprised you didn't try to use your potent aura to break her spell by now. Something is off about you…."

Suzie growls and makes her eyes glow red. Christa and Dan shudder with fear, but Xander becomes bold. He stands right in front of Suzie with a glowing white hand. Suzie stacks him by swinging her bone club at him. She lands a direct hit, but I let out a small breath when I notice that Xander had deep claw wounds on his chest. I widen my eyes for a split second. Xander broke through the illusion and shows it to everyone. He holds his chest tightly in pain, then smirks. Then, he touches Suzie's head with his white hand. Suzie hisses as she is forcibly changed back into her Zoroark form.

Dan gasps in shock while Christa shakes her head in expectancy. Then, she throws a compact cube toward Suzie and another toward Rio. Almost instantly, Rio and Suzie are trapped in the same white capsules Pikachu, Chari and Happy are in. Xander shakes his head and turns to the fox. She immediately snaps at him viciously, trying to bite toward his nose. Wow. I've never seen Suzie like that before. Rio seems defeated and is just sitting there. His eyes don't have any spark to them. Has he given up?

"Make sense for you to try and trick me with your illusions, but you did something Aurora would never do. She would never offer herself for a sacrifice unless all options have been exhausted. I was wondering if you were the real thing because the real one would have never allowed someone else to get in danger to extend her goal. You have a lot to learn about your trainer's subconscious habits." Xander says to the fox. Suzie once again snaps at him. The wound on Xander's chest heals immediately afterward.

"You had the situation under complete control, Xander. This is amazing results." Christa says in a somewhat complimenting tone. Xander looks at his teammate in surprise, then smiles warmly at her.

"This is working out greater than I could have hoped. We have four of the Champion's partners and one of Ash's. We also have his girlfriend under our spell, too. Father is going to love this. I would assume that the remaining two is guarding the real Aurora and Ash. I'd say now is an appropriate time to strike the rest of them down." Xander says with a grin.

"Let's capture the boy and brainwash him to our cause, just like his father." Dan says.

I make a nearly inaudible sound and hold in my urge to gasp. The Zurui has control over Ash's father? How? Ash obviously doesn't know about it, but I need to tell him this once he wakes up. I wouldn't even know how to begin telling him everything that's happening right now, but first, I must keep my composure until I can think of a way out of this. For his sake. Xander entertains at the idea internally, then grins.

"Ah… I like the way you think. I would love to see Aurora broken down by her two main boys on our side." Xander laughs deviously. He turns his attention to me and caresses my cheek again. I look at him with lifeless eyes, but the fire in me is burning brightly. I will find a way out of this. I just have to think of a way to separate myself from the trio. "As for this delight, I'd say the first thing we do is teleport her to Hokori with us so she can reunite with her father and join us. It may be a bit overdue, but it's better late than never. We can give the captured Pokémon to Father as well."

I have so many thoughts running through my mind right now about what they plan on doing with me, but I need to push them aside. At this point, I'm aware that acting like I'm a puppet may be a bit pointless if everyone has been captured, but I need it maintain my guise so I don't get captured myself. As long as I can do something, I will do something. Still, I know I'm putting myself in a bigger hole.

I'm not sure what to do at this point. Continuing to act like I'm brainwashed isn't the greatest crutch to reply on. The minute Xander finds me out, he might place a stronger spell on me or worse. I shudder to think about it. I internally shake my head and decide to stop thinking so much. I come to a decision. Though this may not be the smartest plan, it's something that I will stick to. I will only reveal myself if the trio decides to head to Clemont's house to directly try to get Ash or Aurora. Rio and Suzie mentioned how they are the top priority to protect and I will respect their wish. After all, Ash is my top priority to protect as well.

I make a solemn sigh to myself as quietly as I can. I hope none of them heard me.

Xander says, "I'd say we should begin transport of the Pokémon immediately, then we can deal with the sleeping Ketchums. The best thing we can do is weaken Aurora so she is no longer a threat to us. After nine long years, I think Father's goal is beginning to become a reality. Now then… let's…"

Before Xander can properly finish his statement, Dan gets struck in the back of his neck and crumples to the ground, unconscious. As much as I am surprised, I show no signs of emotion. Xander and Christa looks alarmed and immediately goes over to him to see what is up with him. They check his vitals and see if he is still breathing. I'm tempted to try and sneak away, but I know they would track me and still send over the captured Pokémon to their HQ.

I don't like this waiting game, but I feel like I need to wait until the perfect opportunity to act.

Christa's gaze suddenly turns sharp as she turns toward my direction. From what I can tell in her eyes, she seems to blame me for Dan's collapse. She quickly lunges at me, but her attempt to strike me down is matched by a mysterious figure who seemingly comes out of nowhere. I can't tell what I'm looking at. It looks like dark grey aura is physically holding Christa back from coming any closer to me. The dark aura then enters Christa's body, forces her eyes to roll upward and turn completely white. Her body convulses uncomfortably until she begs for the pain to stop. Once Christa says this, she stops in place, then also collapses in the same way as Dan.

That was super disturbing to watch. I'm appreciative of what Raven is doing, but that wasn't right. At this point, Xander is visibly freaked out. He coarsely grabs on to my neck and begins to choke me. I can barely breathe under his hold. He demands, "What the hell did you do to my siblings?! Drop the innocent act."

"Oh, my handiwork wasn't the girl's. It was more of a warning to let her and the other Pokémon go." An eerily creepy witch-like voices cackles in the forest. I recognize this voice and I immediately feel relieved. Xander scowls and sweatdrops. For the first time since meeting him, I notice Xander is nervous.

"Serena is clearly important to you in some way if you want me to let her go. I can and will choke her to death. I can also teleport all the Pokémon at any time as well. In fact, let's do that right now…" Xander smirks while tightening his grip on me. I gasp and hold my neck. This seemed to evoke a low, bloodcurdling growl. I'm feeling nervous. Xander just stands there for a few moments. Confused, he says, "W-why can't I teleport anything?"

"IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU… YOU WOULD UNHAND THE GIRL…" The creepy witch-like voice escalates into a voice that is outright demonic. I don't know what Raven is planning.

"I don't need to listen to you. I…. I…. " Xander is stammering and is completely spooked. I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid right now.

"WHILE THE MARK OF THE BLOOD MOON IS IN MY EYES, YOU CANNOT ESCAPE MY SIGHT. UNHAND THE GIRL…" Raven repeats in the same demonic voice.

"Mark of the Blood Moon? N-no way… I thought we killed all the dark aura masters in the Hybrid Purge!" Xander now looks terrified. He's looking around himself wildly. "S-stay a-a-away from me…."

"YOUR SKULL WILL BE ON A PLATTER… AND SO WILL THE OTHER TWO IF YOU DO NOT UNHAND THE GIRL…" Raven growls.

"Al-alright… I'm letting her go. See…?" Xander lets go of me, knocks me on the ground and walks toward the other two fallen psychics. Once he does, I see a look of terror on his face once he notices the shadowy figure behind him. Before he could retaliate, the figure knocks out him the same way that was done to Christa. Now, every psychic is down. All of the Pokémon are looking at the figure in fear. I… am not sure if I should be thankful to Raven or if I should be terrified that I'm probably next.

From the shadowy of depth of the aura, Raven emerges. Oh my Mew… she's looking at me with some daunting eyes. Her normally grey eyes are soaked in red, but the red in is the shape of crescent moons. She still has the dark aura surrounding her and she's looking at me as if she doesn't know me.

"…" Raven stares into my eyes and is growling. She creates a pure bone club of energy and points it at me. The raven-haired woman narrows her eyes. I grow alarmed.

"Raven?" I get up and step away from her until a tree prevents me from moving. Each step I took, she took. All of the Pokémon are desperately trying to escape to help me, but they are failing. The capsules prevent them from doing anything. I'm beginning to shake in terror. I never thought I'd be so afraid of… no… I'm not afraid of her. It's those marks. There are to be some way for her to get rid of those marks. Eventually, she places the bone club at my neck and she begins to crush my neck. I can hardly breathe. I wish there was some way for me to get through to her. An idea pops in my mind. It's my only shot.

"Ra…ven…, I… thought… you… would… always… protect… your… little… prin…cess…" I say the best way I can. She's still staring at me with those creepy eyes and is pressing the bone club even harder. It's no good. Blackness is beginning to dance in my eyes and I'm not sure how much longer I can take this. My eyes are beginning to flutter shut. I make one last look at Raven and start to cry. I just wish I got to know her better… and to know why she would do this…

"Serena?" Raven says with a hoarse voice. Before my eyes completely close from the suffocation, I notice the red moons in her eyes are faltering. Her bone club disappears and she catches me before I fall on the ground. Before I know it, her eyes return to normal. The two moons that were in her eyes are back on her hands. A few moments later, the moon-like marks appear to look like horns again. She closes her eyes and holds her head slightly with her free hand. It seems like she has a bit of a headache. Then the woman opens her eyes and notices me properly.

"Serena…" Raven's eyes begin to tear up until she cries on my shoulder. I didn't expect this sort of response and is unsure about what to do. I sit there and pat her back with one hand and hold my neck with the other. I'm still trying to get used to breathing again. She says while stuttering, "I'm… so happy that you're alright. I'm so sorry for what I was about to do to you. That wasn't me."

"It… was those marks, wasn't it?" I guess. She wipes her eyes and nods.

"The Mark of the Blood Moon is a telltale sign of being a person gifted with dark aura. I think I should tell you something about dark aura users and hybrids. But first…" Raven moves away from me and toward the Pokémon cages. She cracks her knuckles and immerses her hands in dark grey aura. With a single swipe every time, she destroys each of the Pokémon's containment units. All of the Pokémon, except for Rio crowds around her and gives her licks in appreciation. Once Raven breaks out of it, Rio gives her a grin and a thumbs up. Raven laughs. I smile seeing how warm everyone is to her. Raven then approaches me again. She seems a bit uneasy.

Raven begins, "I am the last survivor of the dark aura guardians after the Zurui went after all the hybrids and dark aura masters in the Hybrid Purge thirty years ago. They wanted to be rid of any and all possible threats to their boss, Charles Malladus."

"Wait… is this Charles guy the same person Aurora said broke her?" I ask because I recognize the name.

"Yes… but I don't have the chivalry to call that dirt bag by his first name." Raven closes her eyes, crosses her arms and says in pure hatred. She opens her eyes and continues, "Being a dark aura guardian or a hybrid was rare because dark aura guardians were only found in Hokori and the marks needed to be a dark guardian was inheritable by a slim chance. Hybrids were not created after the Guardian-Psychic War over three hundred years ago… or so we thought. That's a bit of a history lesson I'll wait for Aurora to explain. She's a bit of a nerd when it comes to history and aura."

"Anyway, dark aura guardians have the ability to suppress a regular psychic's power while they have the Mark of the Blood Moon in their eyes. It doesn't matter the number. Having that sort of power comes at a price, though." Raven looks down at her hands and sighs sadly. "Any time you use the mark in your eyes, you lower your overall life energy, so I will die much earlier than normal. The other price is a lack of control. You must hold on to your conviction because if you don't… you will go on a bloodlust. A Blood Moon mark user can control themselves until their goal is finished, but the aftermath often isn't pretty. I'd say you got lucky reminding me who you were because I honestly did not recognize you after I knocked out Xander. I only had the thoughts of killing afterward."

Wow. I can see why the Zurui would want to get rid of people like Raven. Suppressing your counterpart's abilities outright? Her special power sounds terrifying to say the least. Part of me feels touched that she would sacrifice so much just to use her power for me, but I shudder at what might have happened after Raven killed me. Would she have killed the Pokémon? The knocked out psychics? I rather not think about it. Still, I have a question in my mind. Why would Malladus want to kill the hybrids, too?

Almost as if she read my mind, Raven says, "As for the hybrids, Malladus hates hybrids, but no one knows why. Since hybrids are so far in between, no one knows their true potential. I think that fear scared him into acting before he was acted against. He killed any remaining hybrids and made sure everyone would be appalled to mate with their counterpart. That second part isn't too hard to do as it is forbidden by Hokorian law for a psychic and a guardian to be together. People are raised to hate the other side."

"What?! That's absurd!" I growl. I can't imagine not being with Ash just because I'm partly psychic. It doesn't feel right. Raven nods in agreement.

"I know. That's why Aurora has been making strides to fix the rampant racism both sides have. She's already influenced the law being reversed in the Green Zone with constant pressuring about a year ago. It's been hard to erase three hundred years of animosity, but Aurora is helping everyone to be more open." Raven continues with a bit of a smile.

"One more question… if you're comfortable enough to tell me, that is." I say and look at the master guardian pleadingly. She raises an eyebrow. I say, "How did you manage to escape the persecution of dark aura masters and hybrids thirty years ago? I'm not sure how old you were, but you had to had to have been young."

Raven closes her eyes in thought. For several moments, she stayed in that meditative state. Then, she opened her eyes and had tears formed in them, "I'm sorry Serena. I rather not say anything until I grow more accustomed to seeing you again. Just know that this is the reason why I became an orphaned bandit in the first place and that I was too young to show any signs that I was a dark aura user at the time. To be honest, I was unfortunate. I grew up lonely, selfish and lost. I could have been spared all that if I just died all those years ago with the rest of them…"

"Raven don't say that-" I try and say, but she cuts me off.

"You cannot change how I feel, child. I have the burden knowing that once I die, there are no more hard counters to psychics, especially since I don't have any children. I also have the burden of having a large target on my back because of my status. I have to maintain the façade of being a regular guardian and have been doing just that. I haven't used my marks like that in over a decade and I intend not to use it again after today. Know that I only sunk back in the dark side temporarily to protect you, but I don't want to go back. I don't want to be a monster again." Raven says while shivering and clutching either side of her shoulders.

"You won't be a monster. You never were." I tell her confidently. Raven simply snorts and shakes her head.

"Hmm… what an innocent child. How wrong you can be. You've haven't seen my bad side and I hope you never will." Raven frowns. She regards the psychics once again. She says as her voice slowly turns demonic, "Now to do something I hope I wouldn't need to ever do again. THEY MUST NEVER KNOW… LEST I RIP THEIR SOULS IN TWO."

I look at her and notice that her eyes have the blood moon marks in them again. I gasp and back away from her. Chari stands in front of me and looks at Raven wearily. She has her wings widened to protect all of us from Raven's possible wrath. Raven brings out her hand and frowns. All three of the fallen psychics begin to be immersed in a dark aura. The moons in Raven's eyes begin to glow red as all the psychics visibly shudder in their dreams.

With a bit of an oddly sadistic grin from Raven, she closes her hand. All of the psychics seem to be in immense pain from being in the dark aura and there's nothing they can do about it. Raven seems to be relishing in this fact. I can hear groans of agony from all three of them. This… doesn't seem right at all. However, my instinct is not to challenge it. I cross my arms. I can't do anything to stop her, but I have to trust that she still knows what she's doing under the influence.

Eventually, Raven snaps her fingers. The dark aura visibly and painfully leaves the unconscious trio and goes into Raven's hand. She stares at her hand with a blank expression, then grins and makes the aura disappear. Chari gets more guarded and plants her feet into the ground. Raven then looks at us with an indescribable expression. I shudder in fear. She has that same look in her eyes. She doesn't recognize us.

The Pokémon and I engage in a bit of a staredown with Raven. Pikachu jumps on my shoulder and look at her, somewhat concerned. Raven narrows her eyes and creates a bone club. Before she does anything else, I yell, "Raven! Don't give in to it! Please… you came here to protect us!"

"Pr-protect…? I see nothing but corpses in front of me. Everything must die. My aura wills it…" Raven is not speaking in that demonic voice anymore. That's a good sign. The last two sentences unnerves me, so I try harder.

"Raven… come back to us like you were. Stay true to yourself!" I continue. Raven closes her eyes tightly and shakes her head. The bone club in her hands disappear.

"Hmm… come back, you say? Your voice… is so pretty. Why?! Why does it seem so familiar to me?" Raven questions me with a deadly voice.

"Raven, you're being influenced by your mark. You gotta stay true to yourself. You brought out your marks to protect us… to protect me!" I continue. A look of recognition washes through her face and she seems so confused. She's clenching her teeth tightly now.

"Must… stay true to myself. Protect… protect… protect… them. Protect… her…" At this point, that is only thing Raven is saying. I can feel how much she's fighting the influence.

"C'mon Raven! I know you can do it! Please…" I say with as much energy as I can muster. Raven is breathing in and out deeply.

"Stay… true to… yourself. Do… not… harm… them. They are… friends…" Raven says to herself with her eyes closed. Raven is clenching her teeth tightly and she's holding her head with her hand. After a few moments, she relaxes and opens her eyes. We're all elated to see her eyes back to normal. She makes a sheepish grin and a sigh of relief. However, she frowns when she notices I'm behind Chari. Oh boy. I need to let her know that I'm not afraid, but the damage has been done. Arceus, I feel like such a jerk!

It seems she read my thoughts because she said, "I don't hold it against you. I expected that sort of reaction after what happened earlier. It's better to be safe than sorry around me."

"Wh-what did you do to them?" I ask.

"Dark aura guardians have the ability to wipe away negative memories naturally, unlike regular guardians who have to find ways around their limitation. All I did was make them forget their fear of me and my dark power. They will wake up not knowing who helped you or my use of my mark." Raven responds. "Now that I see everyone safe, there's no reason for me to be here. I will see you later tonight with Mirabelle. You need to get stronger so you can defend yourself against goons like the DDD."

"Wait!" I call out before she goes. Raven gives me her undivided attention. I ask, "How did you know I was going to be in trouble today? I always had the feeling someone was watching me. Were you following me?"

"I had a hunch that you would help Pikachu despite his warnings, so yes, I did follow you to make sure you were alright. I wasn't going to show myself until I saw Xander almost kill you. That was the last straw. No one messes with you." Raven says in a low growl. This really makes me wonder how well she knows me, but I know she's not ready to tell or show me everything. I'll take all the info I can get bit by bit. Raven smiles and gives me a hug. She says in my ear, "Later Serena. May you rest up for the rest of today and not hate me because of what I almost did to you…"

Before I can say that I don't hate her and that I'm thankful to her, she vanishes from my arms into dark grey aura. I look up at the sky and see a woman on a Hydreigon flying away a few moments later. I look down in thought. So many emotions are running through my mind right now. All of the Pokémon are looking at me with serious expressions. I create the best smile I can muster and gesture everyone to head back. They all oblige and we all begin walking back to the house.

---

When we returned, I see Bonnie's face light up when she sees Pikachu on my shoulder. Pikachu jumps from of my shoulder and into Bonnie's arms. Then, she cuddles with him happily. Rio, Suzie and Happy all enter the house with relieved faces, but Chari was forced to stay outside because of how big she is. She waves at everyone from outside, then flies to be in the backyard.

After everyone reacquainted with each other, Meyer got each of the Pokémon some food. He then goes outside with a bowl of food, gives it to Chari and heads back inside. He says, "You must be hungry after everything. Please, eat up."

"Our thanks for the nourishment." Rio responds and begins eating. Pikachu and the rest of the Pokémon follows suit.

Mayer turns to me and says, "I'm happy you made it back safely. I was beginning to get worried about you."

"We… got lucky." I say while looking down. The Lucios are naturally confused when I say this. I continue, "The DDD caught us and captured everyone. I was trapped because I needed to act like I was mind controlled to help prolong them from taking me to Hokori. We only got out of it because Raven was following me all day and she took them out without being seen herself."

"Serena…." Bonnie says in sadness.

I turn to Pikachu, "I'm going to take another nap to help clear my mind from what I saw and heard. Please take care."

"Pika, Pikachu." Pikachu nods. He turns to Rio and says, "Pikachu, Pika."

"Of course. Enjoy the rest." Rio responds and translates.

"Thank you, Rio. If you see Raven here and I'm still sleeping, please wake me up. I have quite a few questions to ask and I do want to get stronger. I'll see everyone later." I say and head to the guest room to fall asleep. I have a lot I don't want to think about and hopefully sleep with help with that.

---

I wake up to something licking my cheeks. I feel like I'm getting fanned by something as well. Once my vision clears, I notice Happy and Pikachu licking me on either side of my cheek while Happy's tail is wagging and fanning profusely. They seem pretty excited to get me up for some reason. Once they see that I'm awake, they jump off me and sit of the foot of the bed. I giggle slightly.

"Good evening, Serena. Like you requested, we woke you up when Raven and Mirabelle got here. They are both waiting for you outside." Happy tell me. I give her my thanks and immediately gets ready to head outside. I change from my disguise to my regular clothing because I realized that I fell asleep with the red wig on. The two Pokémon give me piracy to change and I appreciate that.

Once I change into my regular clothes and leave the room, I notice Happy and Pikachu were standing outside as if they were guarding me. Then, their faces lighten up as they see me. They jump on either side of my shoulder and we all head outside to meet up with Raven and Mirabelle.

Once we go outside, I notice that all of Aurora's Pokémon is outside and with Raven and Mirabelle. They all seemed to be waiting for my arrival as they stop what they are doing once I get here. Happy jumps off my shoulder to reunite with the rest of the Pokémon. Pikachu stays on my shoulder. I notice the sun setting on the horizon. It seems like everyone is in better spirits, though they may be trying to hide how they really feel. The positivity in the atmosphere unnerves me.

Mirabelle lightly waves to me while Raven seems to be avoiding my gaze. I wave back at Mirabelle, though.

Chari moves from the group of Pokémon and stand in front of me. The atmosphere suddenly feels more intense as Chari stares into me with narrowed draconic eyes. She's frowning at me as she inspects me. She then says, "Serena…"

"…" I gulp because of how intense her eyes are. If I didn't know this Charizard, I would think she is livid, but she clearly isn't angry. She's more reflective than anything. I notice that her tail flame isn't burning as fiercely either, but it is still blue.

"Serena… on behalf of all of my Mistress's partners, we express deep gratitude for what you did to aid us today. Because of you and Raven, we all can still be by Aurora and I am ever so grateful. With that being said, I understand what you did when cornered by the DDD. You acted like you were under their spell, when you really weren't, didn't you? You attacked Suzie trying to maintain that guise?" Chari surmised.

"Yes." I say in a small voice. I can't lie because Happy will sense it. Now that it's being said, I feel awful. It sounds very selfish of me now that I say it out loud, but the reason was anything but. Suzie looks at me as if she is betrayed while Rio scowls at me. I quickly begin to explain myself, but Chari shakes her head.

"Tell me. Did you do that with the intention of helping us out at any point?" Chari's eyes seem to be seething.

"Yes. I was going to expose myself when the DDD made way to the house. At the point before Raven came, I knew I was out of options and I would be useless if they just sent me to Hokori. I figured we had a better fighting chance with Meyer, Kairyu and Chi-Chi. I thought about the long run instead of acting impulsively. If that seems foolish to you, then I'm sorry, but I did what I had to do." I explain, getting slightly testy with how she's implying that I abandoned them to save myself.

Chari stares at me with her intimidating eyes. She then nods to herself. Her eyes go back to normal. The Charizard says with a huge grin, "You… will make for a wonderful addition to the family someday, Serena. Nice one not getting intimidated by me and sticking to your guns. You're ready."

"Wha…?" I say with a blush because of the first part.

"Mirabelle wanted me to test to see if you had the capability to learn psychic techniques after seeing you struggle with the psychic grip yesterday. She wanted to see or hear the colder and more calculated side of you. I'm proud to say with how you acted and responded to Xander's questions earlier as well as how you responded to me just now, you are more than capable to tap into your psychic energy." Chari tells me.

"Really? I'm not sure if that's a good thing. It shows how I can be like my father." I say while looking down.

"Serena, I may not know who your father is, but I can tell that you aren't like him. You haven't been corrupted by Hokori's vicious ways and that is a good thing. Don't worry. I sensed the strength you had when under Xander's whim. I saw the blazing flame searing within you. Unfortunately, the rest of my compatriots, barring Happy, couldn't see through your intentions until I explained it to them when you fell asleep." Chari continues.

Rio steps in the conversation as well. He says, "I'll be perfectly frank. I thought you were under Xander's spell and I did give up and resigned myself. When I heard Chari defend you, I was livid. I really did think you were fending for yourself and abandoning us. I'm sorry, human." Rio says in remorse.

"Rio, it's…" I begin, but Rio cuts me off.

"It's not fine, girl. All of us... have been scarred with experiences in the past due to the Zurui. Aurora may be more trusting with psychics, but none of us likes them. No offense to Mirabelle." Rio gestures to Mirabelle in an apologetic manner.

"Eh, none taken." Mirabelle shrugs her shoulders while Raven giggles slightly at the Lucario's bluntness.

"I shouldn't judge you on the basis of you being a half psychic, but I can't help it. I do apologize from the bottom of my heart. I know you are different from previous psychics my partners have fought. Even still, I cannot bring myself to call you by your actual name." Rio admits to me. I feel slightly disappointed, but I am not surprised.

"Aww… why not?" I say with a small pout.

"I…. am sorry. Every time I see you, I think of the spark I saw Aurora have with her mate. I see how close you and the young master are and your actions have shown me you are just as trustworthy as he was. I do not want to grow attached and see the same fate happen to you…" Rio closes his eyes and shakes his head.

Raven and Mirabelle both widen their eyes upon hearing that. Everyone grows depressed thinking about Aurora's husband. I want to know what happened to him but I doubt any of them will tell me, especially since Ash doesn't know about it either.

"Charlie…" Chari closes her eyes and tears up slightly. Happy's ribbons glows slightly pink and she grows even sadder than before. She suddenly gives Chari a huge hug with her feelers. Chari smiles and lightly snuggles against Happy's cheek as thanks. Rio looks away from the fire type.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Chari. I didn't mean to remind you of…" Rio says, but Chari shakes her head.

"We all feel a bit sore thinking about Redrick. Charlie is still searching for his partner. We just have to keep hope alive, is all. At least the search got a bit narrower…" Chari glances at me and shakes her head. She stops speaking when she remembers I'm there.

"So both Ash's uncle and father are missing?" I inquire. I feel like this is my best time to figure it out, especially since I heard the Zurui mention Ash's father earlier. I have a deep suspicion of Ash's family. I'm not sure if I'm right, though. No Pokémon responded at first, but Chi-Chi tilts her head in slight confusion.

"What… do you mean? Ash does not have an uncle." Chi-Chi says in slight confusion. Chari facepalms and hits Chi-Chi in the head with her tail. Chi-Chi immediately covers her mouth after getting hit. I widen my eyes at that. It seems my suspicion has some substance. I decide to press further and see what I can figure out.

"Wait… is Aurora's husband… Ash's father? Did he cheat with Mrs. Ketchum or… am I asking a bit too much from you guys?" I ask.

"Don't you dare accuse Redrick of doing such a thing! He would never do something so indecent!" Chi-Chi snarls at me. She attempts to lunge at me, but Raven puts out her hand and stops her cold in her aura grip. She gives the cat a deadly look while she's trapped. Chi-Chi is suddenly deeply disturbed, but calms down. Raven frowns, but nods and releases Chi-Chi. Raven returns to normal, but her expression is still serious.

"Based on how you responded to that, I know Aurora's husband is his father. If this Redrick guy didn't cheat on her, the only other logical conclusion is that Aurora is Ash's true mother and that the Mrs. Ketchum I spoke to had something to do with Aurora's separation. That sounds a bit absurd, though. Or… am I right?" I ask.

There are no responses from anyone. There are no denials nor are there confirmations. The silence is confirmation enough. A look of confusion is etched on my face at first, then I gasp and cover my mouth. I made the right conclusion.

Oh. My. Mew. Aurora is Ash's mother.

I repeat that statement in my head. Aurora is Ash's mother. So… who is Mrs. Ketchum then? I thought they looked alike because she has the same eyes as Ash. She has to be in the Zurui, but how did all of this happen? Raven mentioned Aurora had a sister as well, but it can't be Mrs. Ketchum if she is in the Zurui. I have so many questions in my mind, but I am deterred from asking because of how serious everyone is. It feels like everyone is glaring at me.

My mind beings to stray to Redrick. Raven mentioned yesterday how people compared Aurora's power with Redrick. This can't be the same Red I've heard legends about, right? I heard that he died like fifteen years ago... and then it hits me. This is the same guy. No wonder why Ash's aura is so potent. Two Champions for parents? One of them happens to be one of the most powerful guardians on the planet while the other is one of the most powerful trainers of all time. That's a little insane to think about.

Mirabelle is looking at me with a horrified expression while Raven has her eyes closed, almost seemingly accepting that I know. Pikachu's ears are perked up and is looking at the Pokémon in complete shock. He's looking for someone to say something in denial, but nothing came. I can't imagine how this feels for Pikachu.

"Chi-Chi, you are the biggest idiot I've ever seen. You broke our promise to Aurora." Chari stares into Chi-Chi with dragon-like slits for eyes. She snarls at the cat and seems intent on attacking her with her flames. I immediately step in front of Chi-Chi, widen my arms out and narrow my eyes. Chi-Chi looks at me in confusion.

"She didn't tell me. I figured it out." I say in defense of Chi-Chi. Chari is growling at me and shakes her head.

"Chi-Chi still unwittingly helped you figure it out. Serena… you have no idea how important it is for us to keep this secret. We already messed up with Aurora once before… and we won't do it again." Chari looks away from me with a soft expression. I… don't know how to respond to that. She says to Mirabelle, "Mira Mira… we need you to erase this from Serena's mind. I don't want Aurora to withdraw herself from us again because of what we did."

"I… understand… and will follow through with your request." Mirabelle says. She looks at me with a sad expression. I gasp as I'm lifted into the air against my will. Pikachu widens his eyes and forms electricity in his cheeks. He stands in front of me in my defense. However, all of Aurora's Pokémon surrounds us both. Mirabelle steps through them with her eyes glowing lavender. She seems so sad. "Sorry, Serena. I need to make you forget about this. Don't worry, though. This will be painless and instant."

"No, you don't. Do not make her forget this. You all are overreacting." Raven suddenly cracks her fingers and immerses everyone in a dark aura. Her eyes are glowing red, but I don't see her mark in them. I immediately am released from Mirabelle's grip once Raven takes control. I look at her in awe. It feels nice to see someone strong so protective over me. Raven says, "Don't you see? Hiding the truth will only hurt us in the long run. You guys are making the same mistake that caused Aurora to withdraw from us in the first place!"

"Raven…" Mirabelle says with a soft tone.

"Aurora refused to speak with us because we hid the fact that Ash is her son. I don't think she would appreciate us wiping Serena's memory because we would be doing the same thing to Serena that we did to her: keep her from the truth. I know that we are still upset over Redrick and how he is under Zurui control, but that doesn't excuse us to do something we would regret." Raven continues. All the Pokémon suddenly look at me guiltily. Mirabelle does as well.

"Now… have you all come to reason?" Raven asks earnestly.

"Yes. We're sorry, Serena. Our emptions are still a bit high with everything that has transpired recently." Chari says on behalf of everyone. Raven smiles in acceptance and releases everyone from her hold. None of the Pokémon can look at me directly. Neither can Mirabelle.

It unnerves me how easy they were going to turn against me. I can feel how everyone is hurting and it makes my heart heavy. I can only imagine what everyone has been through, but I'm glad Raven stepped in on my behalf. It feels like Raven is a second mother I never had. It's a weird feeling.

"It's alright. I may not know what happened in the past, but know that I will keep this secret. You have my word. However, once Aurora wakes up tomorrow, I will let her know that I know. That sounds reasonable?" I say. Everyone nods. I continue with a hand on my chest, "Thank you for trusting me."

"No, thank you for accepting our brash idiocy. With this settled, I'd say it's time to begin your training. Can everyone return in their Poke Balls?" Mirabelle asks the Pokémon. Everyone but Rio eagerly nods.

"I'll return everyone but myself. I still want to watch out if Mew returns Aurora from the tree. Maybe I can aid her from here…" Rio says as she returns all of his partners in their respective capsules. He then nods to us and leaves us to our own devices. Pikachu decides to jump on Raven's shoulder and Ravens once again sits on the side of the house. She sits in a pretzel shape and watches us intently. Pikachu is looking at me with a grin.

Mirabelle takes a deep breath and looks at me with determined eyes. She lifts her hand slightly and gestures me to come toward her with a beckoning motion. At first, I am confused by this, but I realize that she did that to take control of the money in my pocket. The 3000 Poké pops out of my pocket and into the air. The paper and coins spins between us in a circular fashion. I have a feeling I know what she wants to me do, but before I try I need to tell her this.

"Mirabelle, when I was trying to practice, I noticed I could do this…" I untie the ribbon on my chest. Then, my eyes begin to glow pink. The ribbon responds to my aura and glows pink as well. Then, it is lifted in the air without my help. Raven widens her eyes in surprise while Pikachu nods. I wonder if he expected me to do that. Mirabelle seems intrigued. She walks toward the ribbon and inspects it. Then, she nods to herself.

"I've heard about this before, but I never thought I'd see it for myself. What you are doing is the hybrid grip. As the name implies, you use your aura to lift any object. Usually, aura guardians lift living things with their aura and psychics lift anything with their mind. The hybrid grip is the most powerful version of the three grips." Mirabelle explains. She touches the ribbon and immediately gets immersed in my aura. She shudders and immediately retract her hand back.

"Jeez, I hate it when I feel another's emotion in my mind. Feels a bit too unnerving." Mirabelle shakes her head and sighs. She continues, "That's amazing that you learned the hybrid grip on your own, but I feel you should learn the aura and psychics grips properly. What say you Raven?"

"Hmm… I'm not sure. There may be more techniques that hybrids exclusively learn, but because of the Hybrid Purge, we have no idea what those techniques are. We don't want to show you things that are too hard on you, but we also don't want to make things too easy. I wish Aurora was awake. She'd have a better plan because of how much she reads about anything aura related." Raven says while putting her hand on her chin.

Mirabelle sighs, but nods. She tells me, "I think we should wait until Aurora wakes up to properly begin your training, Serena. However, I do think we should begin to help you refine your hybrid grip since that is the major technique you managed to pick up. Sounds alright with you?"

"Yes." I nod.

"Good. I want you to try and move a person with your aura. Try lifting up Raven from where she's sitting." Mirabelle requests. I nod once more.

Raven seems slightly intrigued by the request, but happily goes along with it. She gently gestures Pikachu to jump off her shoulder so I can try my technique on her. Pikachu obliges and sits right beside her. Ravens sits in a pretzel shape and waits for me to try the technique on her.

I crack my knuckles and concentrate. I bring out my hands and begin to pour my aura into them. My hands are now glowing pink. Raven is watching me intently, almost as if she's studying my every move. I take a deep breath and focus on my desire at the moment. I want to lift up Raven with my aura and I want to get stronger. My hands begin to respond to my feelings by glowing even more intensely. My eyes turn completely pink.

Raven gasps when she is surrounded by my aura. Mirabelle widens her eyes in anticipation. I send my hand skyward. Raven goes up, too. Raven is smiling and laughing while in my grip. She probably feels my excitement that I'm actually doing this. Pikachu seems to be happy for me, too.

The aura around Raven begins to falter and I'm quickly losing steam. Although I'm happy that I'm able to lift her up, I don't want to drop her. Raven understands this and breaks out on her own, gently floating. I smile at what I can do, but I find myself lightheaded after doing that. Lifting up a human is a lot harder than lifting up a measly ribbon.

I hold my head as the world appears a bit shaky to me. I focus on one spot on the ground to get my eyes to focus one spot. Once I do, I breathe a sigh of relief. Raven and Mirabelle come at either side of me when they notice something off. I give them a sheepish grin, trying to let them know that I'm alright, but in truth, I'm exhausted. I'm not sure if that means I have terrible endurance or that the hybrid grip takes more energy. It's hard to tell without any knowledge of the technique.

Raven says with a concerned voice, "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Just felt a bit dizzy, is all." I tell them. Mirabelle and Raven look at me with a bit of unease.

"Dizziness? How strange." Raven notes.

"Normally, when people first begin learning the aura or psychic grips, they may get a bit tired, but never dizzy. I wonder if this is the drawback to the hybrid grip." Mirabelle muses. She frowns as she says, "If you feel dizziness, it's probably a good thing for you to practice this technique on lighter things and slowly increase the weight as you go. Did you feel dizzy when you first did the hybrid grip on the ribbon?"

"I didn't feel dizzy, but I noticed that I used a lot of energy and felt the urge to take a nap afterward. Once I woke up, I felt fine." I reply.

"Do you feel dizzy whenever you use other techniques?" Mirabelle asks. I think about it for a bit, before responding.

"Not usually. I did feel a bit lightheaded after I transferred my aura to Ash during Aru's rampage." I respond. Mirabelle nods.

"I see. Raven?" Mirabelle looks at the grey-eyed lady.

"Yeah, I have the same thoughts. We need to work on her overall endurance. I'll give Serena a few minutes to change into more fitting attire for a nightly run." Raven says with a wink. I blink my eyes in surprise. Raven looks at me with a devilish grin. I'm suddenly surrounded in her aura and forced to be by the door. She says in her witch-like voice, "Go on. Change. We won't leave until ya do…"

I shake the unsettled feeling in my stomach and oblige immediately. Raven's change in voices strikes a fear in me I can't explain. I change into a simple pink short-sleeved shirt and black shorts that go up to my thighs. I'm so glad I brought all these clothes at the shopping excursion I had last week. The outfits are coming in handy, though… I would have loved to see Ash's reaction to this outfit. The shorts are a bit tighter than my normal leggings, too.

I chuckle to myself thinking about Ash. He's going to be awake tomorrow. Just have to wait until then.

I walk back outside changed. Raven crosses her arms and narrows her eyes. She says in a strict voice, "Change into looser plants. We're not running with you looking like that."

"What? Raven…"

"Your mother may not be here, but that doesn't make it right for you something a bit… tasteless. Pokémon performer or not."

"But Raven…."

"I don't think I made myself clear. Change into loose, comfortable clothing." Raven was about to snap her fingers, but Mirabelle snapped hers first. Raven was caught off guard by not being able to move. I widened my eyes myself. Raven hasn't decided to resist her and is waiting for some sort of explanation.

"Hey Raven, you don't need to be that strict to her. I have an idea." Mirabelle snaps her fingers. The pants suddenly feel a lot looser, but not unbearable so. Interesting. I never knew psychic power can control the very fabric of clothes. The pants feel a bit more like basketball shorts than yoga shorts.

"Oh?" Raven blinked her eyes.

"I made the pants match the level of comfortability that you'd prefer, Raven. She's still a teen, so expect things like this from time to time. Don't give her too little liberty… and her shorts wasn't too tasteless. It more accentuated her shape than revealed much. It was the kind of shorts I'd wear if I was trying to get Will's attention." Mirabelle winks.

"Will?" I repeat.

"Will was my husband." Mirabelle replies in a curt tone. Was? I won't ask further considering what happened earlier in the night. Meanwhile, Raven has a new look of understanding. She nods to herself, then looks at me.

"My apologies, Serena. The people of Midnight Forest were raised to dress modestly, so I guess you can say we are a bit old fashioned. It's weird seeing you like this considering how your mother was born in Midnight City. Shows the difference between Midnight City and Kalos. Well then, shall we get going?" Raven says.

"I'm going to stay here. I won't want to get all hot and bothered wearing my suit. I'll check in on Aurora and Ash in the meantime."

"Mirabelle, Meyer doesn't know you. Shouldn't you be a bit more-" I begin, but Mirabelle disappears in front of my eyes.

"Don't worry. Go on with Raven. Mira Mira loves to perform a disappearing act!" She giggles as I see the door open and close. With no one else here, the two of us silently leave the backyard and go to the southern end of Lumiose City with Drei's assistance.

---

Ravens suggests that as a running exercise, we run around the entirety of Lumiose City without stopping. When I ask about her poncho, she laughs it off and tells me that she's used to running in one. She then begins to jog ahead of me. Drei is floating right beside me, giving me a devilish grin. He seems to want me to start going. I begin to jog as well. Drei lightly floats behind me. He forces me to keep going.

People begin to look at Raven, Drei and I oddly. It makes sense. I mean, a scary Pokémon is following us, but no one is saying or doing anything to us. Maybe it's because Drei isn't threatening anyone. I'm not sure. I've read stories of how certain trainers like the legendary trainer Gold often had powerful Pokémon following them, but that was about twenty years ago. I didn't expect people to still be open to it.

At first, the nighty run feels a bit refreshing. It is nice to feel the wind in my face. However, I realize that I have awful endurance by the time I started to jog along the fourth corner of the city. I'm panting like crazy. I'm not sure if I can keep going. Drei begins to pick up his pace upon hearing my pants. He then slides his main head right under me and forces me to ride him for the rest of the run. I look at the dragon in shock. I can hear Drei laughing.

Raven looks back at me and nods her head. We eventually reach the beginning of the city again. She pats Drei on each of his heads before turning back to me. I'm expecting her to be disappointed, but I see a look of patience instead. I'm a bit surprised.

"When were you unable to keep up your pace?" Raven says. I tell her. She replies, "I'm not surprised. I was wondering when you were going to slow down because my pace is clearly not your pace."

"What…?" I blink my eyes. Raven laughs.

"See… the point of this exercise is not only to help your endurance improve, but also to showcase how similar running is to your gift. You must pace yourself when running a long distance… similar when you use your techniques for a long time. I noticed you had the problem of not pacing yourself when using your gift. Understand, child?"

"Yes." I nod.

"Here." Raven quickly runs into the city, buys a water bottle, comes back and throws it to me. I barely am able to catch it. She gestures me to drink up. I do. The raven-haired woman then says, "I want you to do this again, but please, jog at your comfortable speed, even if it's slow at first. You will improve your speed with time. Drei, please assist her if necessary."

Drei nods and gestures me to get off him. I finish drinking the water. When I feel up to running again, Raven begins to jog in front of us again. I take a deep breath before going again. Drei is following me closely.

I think about what Raven advised just now and apply it. I notice Raven breaking away from us quickly. I didn't realize that her pace was so fast. Even though I want to keep up with her, I decide to stick to my speed and hope it plays out. Even though it takes me much longer to run around the entirety of Lumiose, I eventually reach the southern end of it again without stopping. By the time I come back, I see Raven meditating at the entrance.

Drei laughs and licks his trainer with each of his heads. Raven smiles and opens her eyes. She inspects me and nods to herself.

Raven says, "Nice improvement. You aren't panting as badly as before. I would ask you to keep doing this, but I am aware that you are still drained from earlier. Let's head back to your friend's house and discuss this more. I can't exactly say too much because of the presence of people and I do prefer piracy. Come now, Drei."

Drei nods and scoops me up. Raven jumps on top of her dragon and the three of us heads back to Clemont's house.

---

Mirabelle is waiting for us to return. She has her Grumpig out as well as her Gardevoir. It seems like she was training while we were gone. Raven rolls her eyes and throws a Poke Ball out herself. A dog-like Pokémon with large horns and an intimidating gaze came out. I recognize the Pokémon as Houndoom. The Pokémon immediately head toward the Gardevoir and snuggles against her. She seems a bit timid and lightly pats his head.

Both Mirabelle and Raven laugh at the exchange.

Mirabelle asks, "So… how was it?"

"Serena's endurance isn't too bad, but her pacing is awful. Before we teach her anything, we need to help her pace herself better. Otherwise, her technique is solid… at least with the hybrid grip and aura sparks. Unfortunately, we can't continue to help her tomorrow since Aurora and Ash will be waking up tomorrow." Raven explains.

I suddenly feel sad. I won't see them tomorrow. I feel like I've gotten closer to both of them, especially Raven. I just have to ask, "When will I be able to see you two again?"

"Probably when Aurora begins to train Ash and when he knows that she is his mother. We're going to help train Ash as well… er… at least Raven will. We're probably going to wait until Ash accepts the truth completely. In the meantime, we will tell Aurora what we observed about you to give her a better basis to train you as well." Mirabelle replies.

"Hey kiddo… you're actually sad to not see us for a while?" Raven asks in her creepy witch voice. I shudder slightly, but nod. She laughs and nod to herself. Raven says in her normal voice, "I'm glad we made that much of an impact on you this last week. I guess this is a temporary goodbye."

"Wait… I have a few more questions for you, Raven." I tell her. Raven raises an eyebrow. I ask her, "If you were in the Zurui, how come they never picked up on the fact that you were a dark aura master?"

"Simple. I never used dark aura while I was in the Zurui. I only dabbled in it in my early twenties because that was when my power was more apparent. I didn't even know I was a dark aura master until the elder of Midnight City told me." She replies almost instantly.

"How come Xander could only pick up on the fact that I am a novice psychic, even though I'm a novice psychic guardian?" Raven seems a bit surprised I picked up on that and laughs nervously.

"I… I decided to cloud your aura and cancel it out, sort to speak." She reveals. I tilt my head in confusion. Raven continues, "Your mother has the aura of a pure regular guardian. I am a dark guardian. The two auras canceled each other out in terms of being sensed and would have left nothing usually. However, since you are also partly psychic, the psychic remnant stood out enough to Xander. I wasn't sure if it would work, especially since you were in a huge bind, but it paid off. They don't know about your hybrid status… at least not yet."

"Thank you for everything you've done for me, Raven." I express my gratitude and bow to her. Raven responds by ruffling my hair and giving me a warm smile.

"Of course, little princess. Mirabelle, shall we be off?" Raven turns to her.

"Yes." Mirabelle says. She winks at me, "Give Aurora our regards, ya hear?"

"Of course." I nod.

Mirabelle and Raven returns all their Pokémon. Mirabelle grabs Raven's hand and waves at me with her other hand. I wave back. Within a blink of an eye, the two of them disappear. When they vanish, I hold by hand in the air. They are really gone. I sigh slightly in melancholy. I was getting used to seeing them constantly.

I see that Pikachu is back inside with everyone else. There is no reason for me to stay out here any longer. I go back inside myself.

---

Once I am back inside, I see Rio checking on Aurora. He seems to be contemplating on something, but shakes his head. He perks his head toward me when he hears the back-door closing. I ask the jackal, "Is the real Aurora back?"

"No. I'm not sure why Mew still has her at the Tree, but we can't do much about it. I've been trying to see if I can get her to talk to me like she did with you and the smaller human, but there hasn't been any response. I'm really getting worried." Rio tells me.

"What about her aura? Is it stable?" I ask.

"I-" Rio is about to respond to me, but suddenly the substitute Aurora disappears in front of our eyes. Rio looks horrified at first, but I assure him that this happened to Ash in the same exact way. All we need to do is wait for the real one to come back.

Within a few moments, the real Aurora gently floats back on the couch. She's still sleeping, but she doesn't look as distressed as earlier in the week. Rio's eyes widened with excitement.

"She's back! Thank Mew and the stars!" Rio says happily.

"Hmm… how odd that she and Ash both came back when I was in the room. You think this was a coincidence?" I cross my arms with a slight frown upon noticing this. Rio suddenly looks at the ground with a pensive glare.

"Anything relating to Mew is never a coincidence, psychic guardian. Interesting observation. I wonder why this is... oh?" Rio inspects Aurora a bit more closely. His eyes are suddenly as large as red moons. I notice his tail wagging fiercely. Wow. I never imagined I would see that. He says excitedly, "I think we can finally get her aura completely stable again. Whatever she went through isn't draining her too much anymore."

"That's awesome news. Let's do this, then." I cracked my fingers and we began our work. Rio's paws glow blue while my hands glow pink. We both begin to transfer our energy over to her. Aurora subconsciously smiles at our efforts. Once we are done, Aurora seems to be sleeping normally. She's not shivering at all. I make a huge grin. Part of me can't wait for tomorrow to happen. Things are beginning to look up for everyone. Rio bows to me in gratitude.

"Young pup… thank you for helping my Mistress. I will always appreciate this kindness. Is there anything I can do to repay you?" Rio asks earnestly.

"You can call me 'Serena'." I say with a hopeful smile. Rio frowns, but the frown slowly turns into a sideways smile.

"If you continue being a good person by the time we begin training you, I might consider saying that you earned it. I'm sorry. Six days of interaction doesn't automatically warrant me to consider you earning your name." Rio replies. The fact that he is considering it is a mini victory for me. I begin to feel drained after transferring my energy. I really feel tuckered out and yawn softly to myself. Rio gestures me to go to bed and I do not contest him.

The last thing I think about is how tomorrow is going to be a big day.

---

A/N: With this, all of 'coma days' have been addressed with Ash, Aurora and Serena. Things will begin moving again next chapter. Makes me so excited to finally type this. If you guys notice a lot of mistakes, I apologize in advance. I really wanted to get this chapter uploaded by the date I intended. I like to keep my word.

So... Serena knows Aurora's secret. How will Aurora react? How will everyone be like once Ash and Aurora wakes up? How will everyone react to each other's news? I like provoking questions... and eventually, they all will be answered.

Small note: Since Serena's chapters are done, I will be heading back to third person and the tense will be in the past tense as it was before. Do you guys prefer the first tense perspective or the third tense? Please let me know!

Small edit (As of 1/9/18): There are significantly less mistakes than when I first released this. I didn't realize how many mistakes were present until I looked at this again.

Next Chapter: Refreshing Awakening! Back to Normal?

Until next time...

~SPG123~