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.

35. Refreshing Awakening! Back to Normal?

A/N: Hello my lovely readers. I actually rewrote this chapter over the course of the last two weeks and finished it on Wednesday. I felt unsatisfied at what I had before so I decided to expand some character interactions... and even included two that I didn't plan on doing initially. My writer's block is gone, so rewriting everything was easier than anticipated. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Well, I won't keep you. Go on! Read the chapter!

Disclamer: I do not own Pokemon, but I own the story and its ideas.

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"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends."
―J.K Rowling

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Chapter 35: Refreshing Awakening! Back to Normal?

Early in the morning before the sun was out, an amber eyed woman awoke from her deep slumber. Despite feeling sluggish, she quickly stretched herself and looked around in confusion. She did not know what to expect, but at least her bag was in arm's length. She noticed she had been sleeping on a couch. Her first thought was, "Where am I?"

Upon closer inspection, she realized she was in a house. The lady decided to explore the house for a bit. The first thing she noticed when she went upstairs was the abundance of rooms present. She peered into one of them. Her eyes widened at what she saw. She saw Ash light moving about in his slumber, switching between himself. His hair was a disheveled mess, but he was alright otherwise. Her eyes softened and she went over to kiss the boy on his cheek.

"Serena…" Ash mumbled in his sleep. He had a little drool on his face as he continued to whisper, "We'll… be… happy… forever…" The woman smiled. She could see him visibly smiling and laughing in his slumber.

"I'm happy you've found your special one, young one. I can feel how much you care for her. I'll make sure nothing will ever happen to her. That way, you won't ever feel the pain I feel with my special one's disappearance…" The woman promised to herself. She had to prevent herself from choking up slightly thinking about Red. She shook her head and gained a determined look.

"Train… together with Ruru…," Ash continued to mumble. His voice sounded slightly deeper than it did before. The lady recognized it as Ashton's voice. Aurora widened her eyes slightly and chuckled to herself. She didn't expect Ashton to be dreaming about training. It seemed like he really wanted to get stronger. She was happy about that and her excitement almost woke the boy up. Aurora knew that she should wake him up, but she figured he could sleep a bit more before she spoke with him.

Aurora decided to leave the room before she disturbed him. She decided to check out the other rooms. She noticed Bonnie soundly sleeping in her own bed. Aurora also noticed Dedenne sleeping on top of her, curled up in a ball. However, she noticed signs of uncleanliness in the dim light. Aurora tilted her head. Bonnie didn't seem like a messy child, but she didn't put too much thought into it. Aru abruptly said, "Aurora, you know I hurt this child badly. I… think I caused her to do this."

"I don't think…" Aurora tried to tell her, but Aru took control again.

"I'm not sure what happened after we were knocked unconscious, but I do know that I mentally scared her. I know myself when I'm angry. I will make sure that you are hurting and play on it hard. The images I showed her was nightmare fuel. I wouldn't be surprised if she broke down a little when she was by her lonesome. I feel so bad about that. I hope she's feeling better." Aru said with the bottom of her heart.

"You should apologize to her properly, then." Aurora suggested.

"Aurora… I want to, but I don't want to invoke any possible bad thoughts of you from her. She might resent all guardians and seeing me in the fresh again may solidify that. Depending on how she is and what I sense once you talk to her, then I will apologize directly. Otherwise, can you do it in my stead?" Aru pleaded.

"You're… being very serious. Alright. I'll do what you want, but you have to let me know if you will apologize. I'm not going to do it for you too early." Aurora warned.

"Got it. Also… why wouldn't I be serious?" Aru questioned her balance in a suspicious tone. Aurora internally sweatdropped.

"I'm sorry. I got used to how eerily cheerful you were before the attack. I kind of expected the same here." Aurora admitted with a guilty smile. She could feel Aru's annoyance.

"… Aurora, just continue snooping and don't talk to me." Aru cut herself off before allowing Aurora to properly retort. Aurora shook her head at herself and sighed. She knew she deserved that. However, she knew that her curiosity would continue to get the better of her, so she decided to continue.

A few moments later, she peered into Clemont's room. Aurora noted the different blueprints and inventions scatter all over the room. She also noticed a few books about aura guardians, psychics and the history of their conflicts. Aurora raised an eyebrow in surprise. She never expected Clemont to read up about guardians while she was asleep. She was tempted to ask him about what he knew once he woke up.

Aurora noticed there was two more rooms remaining. One that seemed like a guest room while the other seemed like a master bedroom. She assumed the master bedroom would be for Bonnie and Clemont's parents. So, she decided to peer into the room she thought Serena would be in. She noticed the girl sleeping soundly in her bed, but she could tell that Serena was anxious. About what she wasn't sure.

Serena definitely appeared stronger, aura wise. She could feel her aura and psychic sides melding together well, though it was obvious to her that her aura side had way more dominance. She figured it was because of high empathy, but she wasn't sure. She would ask Raven because she sensed her in the house a few days ago. Aurora knew Raven would take this chance to see what was going on.

After checking on Serena, she decided to go back downstairs and head outside. She made sure to make sure aura as discreet as possible because her partners could sense her quite easily. She didn't want to be disturbed by them. Aurora closed her eyes and contacted Aru again.

"Aru…" Aurora began, but Aru cut her off.

"I said not to talk to me." Aru growled in annoyance.

"I know, but I want to train before everyone wake up." Aurora explained to her. Aru seemed slightly indifferent.

"Jeez the first thing you want to do after being in a six-day coma is train. Honestly, that doesn't surprise me…" Aru sighed.

"Yes. I want to try that technique Mew taught us yesterday. With Suzie being able to make herself appear to look like us, I want to see if it is possible for there to be three Auroras out at once, sort of speak." Aurora said excitedly.

"You do realize that I don't have human skin when we are separated, right?" Aru groaned.

"But that prevents you from being able to try on clothes?" Aurora retorted. She could feel Aru raising an eyebrow internally. Aurora continued, "Please… I want to see if this can work out to our favor in the future. You never know when we need to spilt up and infiltrate a Zurui base. Double ground would be covered."

"Ugh… I hate when you have a valid point. Fine." Aru grumbled, but truth be told, she was actually excited to try the technique again.

With Aru's consent, Aurora focused her mind on separating. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The amber eyes lady then became surrounded in a deep yellow aura. Her only thought was to separate from herself. Her eyes turned red and yellow while closed. Then, they turned orange. Before long, Aurora and Aru were separated from each other. Aru felt a little dizzy at first, but it wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday. They both felt like someone helped them out last night and they both were appreciative.

Aurora smiled at her now yellow and transparent counterbalance. She said, "Aru, you alright?"

"Yeah. It feels weird to constantly have aura vision on without you. It's a little disconcerting, but I'll manage. Now… you wanted me to see if I can wear clothes like this?" Aru asked.

"Yes. Give me a few moments to get my hood. That should be a good enough test." Aurora quickly went back inside the house to go inside her bag. Once again, she made sure to make her aura as discreet as possible so her partners wouldn't sense her awake. She placed a bubble around her bag afterward so they couldn't sense her while she trained with her aura. Then, she got her black cloak and went back outside.

Aurora gave Aru the cloak and she put it on. Much to her surprise, the cloak stayed on her, but Aru did not change physically. Part of her was hoping that physical objects would give Aru a more physical appearance, but then again, it was just a hope. The next time she saw Mew, she wondered if she could ask the primordial Pokémon if there was some way for Aru to have a physical body of her own. She would gladly give up her aura if it meant Aru was happier.

Aru checked herself out. She grinned, "Neat. I can wear stuff and use our alias as the Masked Master to cover my aura face. This is pretty cool to discover."

Aurora nodded in agreement. She then said, "Aru… would you like to do some actual training? I've never spared with you before… er… at least… not like this."

"Aurora, don't you think this is a bit weird sparing with yourself? Do you really want me to show you why I'm the better half?" Aru said with a cheeky smile. Aurora growled and formed a bone club in response. Aru could see the intensity seething in Aurora's eyes rivaling that of Chari and knew Aurora would give it her all. The thought made her excited. Aru chuckled and formed a bone club of her own. She grinned, "I suppose I'll have to show you why…"

With that, the two clashed their weapons, creating a radiation of power. They both looked determined to beat the other out.

---

The radiation of power was enough to wake up Serena. She gasped as she felt an explosion of energy wash through her, but she did not know why. The girl looked around herself in alarm and wondered if something was wrong. Serena's first instinct was to go outside and check outside. Indeed, that exactly what she did.

She changed into her regular clothing and quickly checked the backyard. As she approached the backyard, she noticed that Aurora was missing and that there was a yellow bubble around her bag. Serena blinked her eyes in surprise and gasped. She sped up her approach to the back door and looked outside. She noticed two incredibly fast objects smacking into each other, grunting. Serena felt their power colliding hit after hit and it unnerved her.

After a few moments, the two clashed and bounced off each other. Aurora was panting with a grin. On her opposite side, she saw yellow aura in Aurora's shape panting just as much, but the yellow aura had a cloak on. Serena didn't know what Aurora was fighting, but it was clear that the aura was non-threatening.

"What's the matter? Scared to continue?" The yellow aura said in a coarse, but taunting tone. Serena gasped and instantly recognized the voice as Aru's. Serena was so confused. That aura was Aru? She couldn't believe it and yet it made sense. She didn't want to disturb the two duking it out, especially when they both were this intense, but she decided to continue watching.

"Never! I'll continue to trounce you!" Aurora snarled.

"Bring it!" Aru retorted in kind.

The two began to clash again as they seemed nearly invisible in their strikes. They both were moving so quickly that it was hard to keep track of them. Serena kept shuddering every time they hit each other. Their power was that potent. She hadn't felt Aurora's aura this closely or intensely in about a week and because she got stronger over the week, it became more apparent. Aurora and Aru continued to go at it for another thirty minutes before pausing and taking a break.

Serena found herself watching in awe. She never imagined how a sparring session with two guardians would be like, especially with master guardians. She felt like that demonstration with Chi-Chi was also a fraction of what Aurora was like while training. Watching Aurora made Serena feel a bit nosy, but she found herself enthralled by the action.

Aurora laughed and wrapped her arm around Aru's aura shoulder in delight. Aru growled and tried pushing her off, but Aurora was much too strong and laughing too much to care. Defeated, Aru pouted in Aurora's arm. Serena had never seen Aurora this happy before. This was the first time she didn't see any melancholy in her eyes. The blue-eyed girl could really see how much Aurora cared for her twin.

"Aurora… stop… please. Can't… move… somehow…." Aru was confused that she couldn't get out of Aurora's hold as aura. She wondered if Aurora was doing some sort of aura grip on her, but that clearly wasn't the case. Aurora heard her and let go. Aru took a moment to breathe again.

"I'm sorry if that made you a bit uncomfortable, but I'm just so excited! It's been a while since I could spar like that. It's… been a while since we've been able to see eye to eye and I'll always treasure this moment." Aurora said from the bottom of her heart. Aru softened up and shook her head.

"Aw man… now you've gotten me all sappy from your realization. Gah! I hate you sometimes." Aru crossed her arms. Aurora chuckled and smiled warmly.

"Love you too." Aurora winked. Aru would roll her eyes if she had some. She suddenly moved closer to the door.

"So… do you want to keep going or let Serena come and watch us properly?" Aru giggled. Serena gasped and immediately hid. Aurora opened the door and noticed her right at the foot of it. Serena sweatdropped and got up. Aurora laughed and warmly regarded the girl. Serena didn't know how to talk to Aurora, but she decided to wave to her with a small smile. Aurora did the same thing back.

"Just as awkward as Ash, I see." Aurora laughed. "That's fine, I guess."

"I'm happy to see you doing well. Your partners really missed you. They kept talking about you." Serena said.

"Not surprising. I know how much they love me. They also can be a bit overbearing at times if they grow too fond of you." Aurora responded. "Now… may I ask why you are up at this time? The sun isn't even up yet."

"I… felt a collision of power when I woke up and got curious." Serena explained. Aurora and Aru looked at each other.

"Oh dear… remind me to create an aura barrier the next time I spar with Aru. I didn't mean to disturb you." Aurora bowed to apologize. Serena told her it was alright.

"Actually, Aurora… I need to tell you something very important." Serena said. Aurora and Aru gave her their undivided attention. Serena got a bit nervous, but decided it needed to be done. "Aurora… I know your secret. I know that Ash is your son and that you've been trying to find your husband, Redrick Ketchum, ever since Ash was young."

Aurora gasped and stepped back from Serena shaking slightly. She looked at Serena like she'd seen a ghost. Aurora didn't know what to say or do so she just froze. Aru felt Aurora plight and frowned. Aru turned toward Serena and back at Aurora. The counterbalance took a deep breath and formed a yellow bone club of aura, but didn't point it at Serena. Serena gulped, but was surprised she wasn't doing anything else. It felt like a warning instead.

Aru asked in a calm voice, "Who told you?"

"I… figured it out based on little things everyone was telling me. Before I explain, I want to let you know what you missed this past week. I feel that is fair." Serena began to explain what happened in the six days Aurora was in a coma.

She explained how Raven visited her and later Mirabelle to help get her to be a bit stronger. She talked about her lessons with Raven and Mirabelle, what she found out from Raven regarding her past and her status as the last dark aura master. Serena explained how she figured it out last night. She made sure not to leave anything out, especially how she encountered the DDD and the fact that the Zurui has Red.

Aru listened intently. She got rid of her bone club and seemed to be depressed. Aurora stopped shaking and took in all the information. Then, she approached Serena and gave her the largest hug she could muster. Serena struggled to breathe. All Aurora could say in a small, cracked voice was, "Thank you…"

"H-h-help…. Can't… breathe…." Serena could barely say. Aru gasped. Aurora might suffocate Serena while being succumbed to her mix of emotions without realizing it.

"Aurora. Let her go." Aru said softly. Aurora recovered her bearings and obliged, but she still held on to Serena's hands.

"I'm… I'm sorry. I just…" Aurora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She suddenly closed her eyes tighter, and fell on her knees. Serena could feel her shaking as she said, "You have no idea how hard I've been searching… how long I've been holding on to hope that my precious one is alive. I've been holding all of this in so people don't worry about me, but the fact of the matter is… I've been broken for fourteen years. The memories are resurfacing and it hurts seeing his face in my head…"

"Aurora…" Aru and Serena said in sadness. Serena was surprised she hadn't reacted to her finding out that she was Ash's mother yet.

"Are you positive that the Zurui has Red? Please…" Aurora asked in a begging tone. She seemed slightly incredulous.

"Yes. Daniel mentioned how he was under their control when they were talking about taking Ash in his coma. They wanted you to be broken down further." Serena recalled.

Aurora sighed and got up from the ground. She opened her eyes and revealed that they were teary. She quickly wiped her eyes and took another deep breath. She clenched her fists tightly and flames spurred from them. Serena stepped back in surprise. Aurora said with glowing eyes, "Those bastards will get their debt paid in full. Now that I know he's alive… I will find him. I'll make sure… he will get to know his son…."

"Aurora… you seem close to breaking your pacifist tendencies with how intense that first sentence was. Stay true to yourself." Aru warned.

"I'm beginning to lean to the possibility that killing can necessary. If I see how Red has been suffering by their hands, I'll…" Aurora growled and waved her hand toward the ground. She created fire from her palm and burned the ground. Aru and Serena seemed alarmed, Aru more than Serena. She said while seething, "… make sure not a single person remains standing…"

Aru gulped internally, but shook her head. She wondered if the strength trial with Mew brought about this change. Mew did teach them how it was important to take charge if necessary. However, Aru was afraid that Aurora might have taken it the wrong way. She hadn't seen Aurora like this since that trial and she had the same feeling of fear rising.

"Still, I would prefer that I don't run into anyone but Red. I will try to avoid a fight if necessary." Aurora continued while a smile. Her eyes and hands returned to normal and she recovered her sense of self. Aru was glad. Serena didn't know what to think about all this.

"Aren't you…?" Serena started.

"Surprised that you know that I'm Ash's mother? Of course. I'm not surprised Chi-Chi gave you too much info, though, heh." Aurora read her aura and responded.

"Won't you…?" Serena began again, but Aurora read her aura again.

"Acknowledge it properly? I already accepted that you would find out sooner or later, but this is earlier than anticipated. I'm happy you found out early. Less on me to worry about." Aurora said with relief. Serena was baffled by the response.

"Why is it so important that you keep this from Ash? He has a right to know." Serena demanded. Aurora made a sad sideways smile.

"I keep it secret to prolong him from the pain of remembering what happened. I… don't want him to go through the pain I went through, but I know I can't do that for much longer. I know my young one has a right to know the truth and I will tell him properly when we reach Viridian Forest. If he ever asked me the question directly before then, I would not lie to him. It seems like you don't know the full story of how we separated, so I'll leave it like that. You wouldn't ask this question otherwise. Do not ask about the separation directly." Aurora frowned and ended with a deadly serious tone.

"That's fair. Also… do I call you Mrs. Ketchum now? I thought I met Ash's mom already, but I met her before I even knew that I met her and… I want to respectfully regard you." Serena said while slightly stammering. Aurora chuckled at the girl's nervousness.

"Ah… the ol' 'trying to impress my date's parent' stick'. Don't bother. I've been by you kids long enough to warrant you to keep calling me 'Aurora'. I also like you enough for that. However, once Ash gets his memory back, it would be nice to be called 'Mrs. Ketchum' by my son's girlfriend. Kind of feel neat, even if it makes me feel a bit old." Aurora giggled. Aru groaned. Serena blushed at Aurora liking her and nodded.

"Don't ever call me Mrs. Ketchum. Continue to call me Aru, kid." Aru snorted.

"Aren't you surprised that I know, too?" Serena asked. Aru shook her head.

"Yeah, but it's not like it matters at this point. I have the same thoughts as Aurora overall. I think we should tell Ash already, to be fair, but I know that Aurora is looking out in Ash's interest, so I don't mind her withholding this long. I don't want to see him hurting, either." Aru responded.

"I'm assuming when everyone tried to wipe your memory, they thought I would overreact when I found out you knew. I'm past that stage of sensitivity. I can easily get rid of it from your mind, but I won't. There's no point. Whether you guys like it or not, this is the last day Ash and I will be in Lumiose. We're going to Viridian Forest the minute Ash says goodbye to you and the blond siblings. I'll fly you home to your mother and pick you up once Ash knows the truth." Aurora told her, but Serena cut her off.

"No!" Serena shook her head. Aurora raised an eyebrow, "With all due respect, Mrs. Ketchum, I want to stay by Ash. I want to help him through whatever happened and make sure he'll be alright after learning of how you two separated."

"Girl, this is an intimate memory. I don't think you should be there." Aru said. Aurora listened passively. She seemed to be withholding a response.

"I know that this is a sensitive topic for you, but I'm not going back home because of that. I want to be by Ash's side. I would find some way to get there, even if I had to sneak from home. I know I probably shouldn't be there, but I want to help Ash in any way I can. That's also the reason why I've been getting stronger. Ash is the love of my life… I have to support him no matter what." Serena said passionately. Aru blinked her eyes in surprise. Aurora nodded, but she seemed slightly sad.

"I see so much of Red in you. It hurts… because I know how stubborn he could be." Aurora made a toneless laugh. Aurora looked at the girl with determined eyes. "Game on, girl. I'll allow you to come with us. I needed to see your conviction before I made up my mind. However, promise me this."

"What is it?" Serena asked.

"Do not let Ash know that I'm his mother… at least until he finds out the truth in the vision. It's bad enough he doesn't remember me completely, but he always had questions about his father when he was young… questions that I could never answer. It's alright that you tell him about Red, but make sure he'll be alright after he finds out." Aurora requested.

"You have my word." Serena said. Aurora relaxed and smiled.

"Serena… you make sure to hold true to that." Aurora told her with a small smile. There was a subtle hesitance in her tone, but Serena could tell that Aurora was trusting her. She would honor that. Now that she let Aurora know, she wondered how Aru was interacting with her directly.

"Aru… how are you out like this?" Serena asked.

"Oh?" Aru said in slight confusion. Then she realized she was still outside in her aura form. "Right… this was what Mew taught Aurora in her trials. Aurora can project me for an unlimited amount of time, similar to Mew letting Arceus out for an unlimited time. The main exchange is that we're both slightly weaker without the other, but we can act independently of one another. Once we master this, we will teach it to Ash."

"Wait… Mew is Arceus's balance?!" Serena blinked her eyes.

"Aurora… explain." Aru sighed. Aurora explained what happened in her trials and part of what Ash learned in his trial. She didn't go too deeply in the history of the universe, but she gave enough to where she thought Serena would understand. Serena nodded. Aru continued, "So we decided to do some training before everyone woke up. I want to get used to being in this form. Who knows? Maybe there are some things I can do exclusively like this, but it's all up to experimentation."

"I never expect you to be able to keep learning new techniques as a master guardian, Aurora and Aru. I thought you knew basically everything already." Serena admitted.

"Aurora's a huge nerd. She knows basically everything about aura because of how much she reads, but that doesn't mean she can do every technique. I don't know as much as she does because I usually cut myself off when she's doing her study sessions." Aru said. Aurora frowned.

"That explains so much! I always wondered why you don't know as much as me. Man, you gotta do some reading…" Aurora turned to Aru with a frown.

"Hate to read… and you gushing over something uninteresting when we were kids helped to cement that." Aru responded. Aurora seemed slightly sad. Serena never imagined she would see Aurora and Aru interacting like this. Whatever conflict that was between them was behind them and she was glad. She made a slight yawn. This was not unnoticed by the two women. Aru laughed, "You should probably head back to sleep. Seems like you stayed up late last night."

"We'll properly see everyone later. Go back to bed." Aurora told her softly. Serena nodded and waved them off. She then went back inside.

"Part of me wants to head to Santalune Forest to train, but I don't want them to worry about us disappearing, especially with the DDD scare yesterday. I'm thankful Raven's sixth sense went off to help protect Serena. I remember Raven being very fond of a girl, but I didn't expect it to be her. Small world, huh?" Aurora said.

"Yep. Shall we continue after eating some Poke Bars?" Aru asked.

"You know it." Aurora said as she went inside to get her bag. She was very careful not to make herself known to her partners as she got two spicy bars. She placed her bag at the side of the house. Aurora and Aru ate them before looking at each other competitively. Then, they began to spar as intensely as before, but kept up an aura barrier around the house this time.

---

A couple of hours later…

The sun began to shine through the window of Meyer's room. He always used the sun to wake himself up and then did some training before Clemont or Bonnie woke up when they were little. Besides, his partner Pokémon, Blaziken, loved early rises. He always had an urge to yell out when the sun came out, but the rooster-like Pokémon didn't understand why.

Meyer took a deep breath and got himself ready for the day. He had no idea how much longer Ash and this Aurora person would be unconscious, but he was glad that Clemont and Bonnie seemed to be in better spirits, especially Bonnie. He was proud to see how much she had come when she fell asleep by Aurora two days ago. Although he knew her fear wasn't completely gone, she knew that she was getting better. That's all he cared about.

Meyer decided to get some coffee before going outside and getting his newspaper. Once he got he got his paper, he looked at the couch and noticed that Aurora was gone. He figured she woke up, but he had no idea where she could have gone. His question was soon answered when he noticed the long ebony haired lady landing in front of the back door, but she looked exhausted from something.

He tilted his head in confusion when he noticed the lady accepting some yellow aura of sorts in her. She grabbed her bag and headed back inside with her bag at hand. She seemed surprised to see someone else awake with her.

Meyer wasn't going to lie to himself. She looked intimidating, especially with those yellow eyes and long spiky hair of hers. The woman looked like she could be one of the kindest people in the world and yet one of the most ruthless. It was odd. She also looked beautiful with a wild sense of adventure to him, but he shook his head. Meyer promised himself not to look at women again when his wife passed and he was going to stay true to that.

Besides, this woman attacked his kids. He couldn't look at her in that way.

Aurora looked at the man, slightly puzzled. She noticed he was staring at her, but she didn't know why. She did know that things were getting increasingly awkward between them and sought to break the weird atmosphere. When Aurora heard Aru make a sigh, she was slightly confused as to why. Aru knew that Aurora can be quite book-smart, but was very dense when it came to romantic matters pertaining to her.

Aurora said with a smile, "Hello there. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

Her voice was serious, but not too deep. Meyer kind of expected a harsh tone with how her eyes were. Meyer responded with, "You're not. You're the Aurora I've been hearing about?"

"Yes. You're Clemont and Bonnie's father, I presume?"

"Yes. My name is Meyer Lucio. Pleasure to meet you." Meyer said. Aurora smiled slightly and brought out her hand for Meyer to shake. Meyer noted that her grip was stronger than any man he shook hands with. Dangerously stronger. He knew that she was an aura guardian and trained guardians tended to have enhanced strength, but it still baffled him for his hand to get crushed by a woman. Aurora didn't seem to notice the amount of force she was using. Meyer struggled to maintain his composure.

"Ah… That hurts…" Meyer managed to break his hand away from her. He shook it fiercely as he tried to get feeling back into it. She looked at him, slightly remorseful and bashful. She moved her hand away and put it behind her. Meyer continued, "You looked pretty messed up when you first got here. I'm glad that you're awake and well."

"Thank you. I also want to thank you for allowing me to stay here as I slept, despite what I did to your kids. That was very sweet of you." Aurora bowed in thanks. Meyer chuckled.

"No problem. However, I know that you actually didn't do it. It was your counterbalance, Aru." Meyer said. Aurora blinked in surprise and had a shiver down her back. Aru was intrigued by the man.

"How much did your kids tell you?" Aurora asked.

"They told me about the conflict you and your counterbalance have and why everyone seemed so shaken when they got here a week ago." Meyer replied.

"I see. Well…" Aurora's eyes immediately turned red. Meyer stepped back in surprise. Meyer thought Aurora with red eyes was just as intimidating as Aurora with yellow eyes. Aru said, "That makes things bit easier for us."

Meyer noted her lighter tone under this persona. He found himself confused because he noticed Ashton had a deeper voice than Ash, but he didn't think that was too important. Meyer said with narrowed eyes, "I have to wonder… what did you do? Bonnie, Clemont and Ashton refused to tell me."

"I'll be completely honest. I… hesitated to do anything to your children for a bit of time. I didn't have much choice in the matter, odd to say, but I can't tell you why because you aren't a guardian and I don't know you. However, you… deserve to know about your kids, so I'll say this. When I did do something to them, it was much milder than what I'm capable of. I could have killed them easily, but I didn't." Aru said in a cold voice.

Meyer was getting shivers just like when Ashton spoke like this. He was annoyed that she wouldn't say why she attacked them, but was thankful she held back. He wouldn't know what to do without Clemont or Bonnie. The reason much have very important if she couldn't tell him and he respected that. Still, he didn't like how she was implying that she spared him grief by not killing Clemont or Bonnie and attacking them instead. He growled at the woman.

Aru continued, "For Bonnie, I gave her a bit of nightmare fuel of showing images that would get a child to wet their pants, but I never once hit her. I made sure she became fearful of me in my blind rage. I did lightly burn her, but it was more like slightly hot water than burning fire. As for Clemont, I got much more physical because he tried attacking me in Bonnie's defense. So, in my own defense, I numbed his body before attacking him harshly. I didn't want him to feel too much pain, but I wanted to make sure he knew who he was dealing with."

"That… is sick attacking innocent children. I hope you know that." Meyer had a feeling of disgust rising in him. He couldn't find himself liking Aru after that. Aru expected as much and seemed indifferent.

"Yes… but then again, the one thing causing the conflict is sicker than I am." Aru retorted with a shrug. Meyer was confused by the phrasing, but didn't say anything. Aru continued, "Meyer, I know what I did was horrible. I can't take it back and I'm not asking for forgiveness. I am saying that we will never see each other again after today, so feel free to hate me as much as you like. I honestly don't care. All I can do is offer my condolences to Bonnie and Clemont for anything I caused to them. I do feel… awful. They didn't deserve it…, but it is the nature of counterbalances to be colder than their balance. I'm not saying it's right, but that is just the way it is. Take in that information with a grain of salt."

"…" Meyer just looked at the woman, stunned and disgusted. Aru still seemed indifferent.

"Now that you know what I did to your kids, I hope we never have to speak again… well, until my young one says goodbye to his friends. Then you can be off with your life." Aru's eyes slowly changed back into yellow. Meyer looked at the woman with an indescribable expression. Aurora seemed remorseful.

Aurora said, "I'm sorry about Aru. She really does feel sorry about what she did… and I did try my hardest to stop her. She's not one to show her feelings overtly to people she doesn't know or care about."

"I… can see that." Meyer said with a cold voice. Aurora sweatdropped at the change, but expected it. Aru had that effect on people.

"If there is anything I can do to help you, I will." Aurora offered. Meyer turned away from Aurora.

"When Ash and the rest of the kids wake up, I want you to leave." Meyer said in a low voice. Aurora frowned and narrowed her eyes.

"I may appreciate your hospitality, but I will leave only when Ash says goodbye to Clemont and Bonnie. That's the reason why we're even here in the first place. You think I wanted to still be in Kalos? If I had my way, we would have never come here." Aurora said with a stern tone. Meyer was surprised in the shift in tone. She continued, "I will respect your wishes. I'll make sure you'll never see me again after today. Now… if you'll excuse, I'm going to meditate."

Aurora sat at the base of the couch she slept in with her legs in a pretzel shape and closed her eyes. She started to lightly levitate in place. Meyer sighed. He didn't know what to think about Aurora. She didn't seem as evil as he thought she might be, but she's also not that nice… well, her counterbalance, anyway.

Meyer knew about his crabbiness and knew she responded in kind. It's hard to feel happy about the woman who scarred his children being awake. He was surprised that he wasn't more upset at her. Maybe it's because he heard Ashton's plight.

Meyer decided not to disturb Aurora for the rest of the morning. He decided to take his mind off the somewhat wayward lady by getting his newspaper and reading it.

---

A couple of hours later…

Serena once again woke up, but she felt much more relaxed than earlier. She figured it was because of the extra sleep. She quickly got herself dressed and ready for the day. The girl wondered if Aurora was still training, but her question was answered when she went downstairs. She noticed Aurora meditating while Meyer was reading the news. However, she noticed him stealing awkward glances at Aurora, seemingly not sure what to think about her.

Serena wouldn't be surprised, but she wasn't focused on that. She asked Meyer, "Do you know if Clemont and Bonnie are awake yet?"

"Clemont woke up about an hour ago and he's at his gym, though he said he would come back soon for breakfast. Bonnie is outside with some of Clemont's Pokémon, grooming them. She seems to be fond of his Luxray."

"Did they notice Aurora-" Serena began, but Meyer cut her off and nodded.

"Yes. Clemont was surprised, but he still went to his gym. He didn't say much to me. Bonnie seemed to be feeling a mix of emotions. She seemed happy that Aurora was awake, but afraid to see Aru. I don't blame her if Aurora is the source of her nightmares." Meyer said with closed eyes.

Just as he said that, Clemont came back clutching his backpack. He seemed to be at work at something, but Serena didn't see anything else on him. He smiled at them. He said, "Hey Dad. Is breakfast ready?"

"I was about to begin, actually. I just finished reading my paper when Serena came in." Meyer said.

"May I help you prepare, Mr. Lucio?" Aurora suddenly opened her eyes. Despite meditating, she was listening to the conversation. She continued to float with her legs in a pretzel shape.

"You don't have to be formal to me, Aurora." Meyer told her.

"I suppose you're right, but I figure I regard you with respect. After all, you did allow me to stay in your house. You also seem to not know what to think of me, so I'll adjust how I'll treat you to this. If this appears rude, I apologize, but at least I won't in your hair for much longer." Aurora said.

"…" Meyer looked away. He didn't know how to respond and felt a bit guilty. Still, he couldn't help how he felt.

"You still haven't responded to my inquiry, Mr. Lucio." Aurora said in a deadpan voice.

"If you want to." Meyer shrugged. Aurora clasped her hands together.

"Splendid! I shall cook breakfast for you all as a goodbye present of sorts. Mr. Lucio, I do not want you to assist whatsoever." Aurora said. Meyer blinked his eyes.

"What? I usually-" Meyer began, but Aurora shook her head.

"It's fine. I want to show that I appreciate everything you and your kids have done for me. Why not have a battle with your son while I prepare the food? I wouldn't be surprised if you guys didn't do much in the week I've been unconscious because you were worrying about Ash." Aurora offered. Meyer and Clemont looked at each other.

"Would you be up for it, Clemont? It has been a while." Meyer said.

"I don't mind it. Actually, it would be nice for Ash to wake up to us battling. He loves to battle." Clemont said with a smile. Aurora had hidden a smile of her own. Serena took notice, but she noticed that this smile seemed a bit more mischievous than normal.

"Well, let's do it in the backyard. Bonnie should have been grooming your Pokémon so you should choose one." Meyer told him. Clemont nodded. Aurora got up from her spot and began to inspect the kitchen a bit more. Her hands started to glow as several berries began to surround her. Meyer and Clemont and Serena all blinked their eyes. Aurora looked back at them with a wink. Not knowing how to respond to seeing her like this, the father-son duo went outside.

Serena went to Aurora and asked, "Why did you want them to battle?"

"To spur Ash away his experiences in his trial since he seemed to be pretty hung up about everything he found out. All Ketchums love to battle, so I thought it would be nice for him to wake up to seeing one." Aurora said as she began to grind up the berries into several cups from the air. Serena widened her eyes in understanding. Aurora added with a bit of a twinkle in her eyes. "I also want to battle him after we eat. I've been wanting to honor the promise I made to him about battling him. After sparing so intensely with Aru… I have an itch to fight Ash at my best."

As she said that last statement, Serena noticed she was surrounded in yellow aura. She widened her eyes at Aurora's excitement and felt somewhat fearful for Ash. Serena remembered him losing badly to Aurora when she was holding back. She knew Ash and Aurora got stronger in their trials. The girl wondered if anything would change. Aurora caught herself and stopped producing the aura. She felt slightly woozy and she remembered she was in the conflict still.

As Aurora continued preparing breakfast for everyone, she ate some Poke Bars to help alleviate some of the conflict's effect. Aurora turned to her. "Serena, can you be a dear and wake him up? It is getting a bit late for him to be sleeping. He should be receptive to your attempts now that we are out of our trials."

Serena nodded and immediately went upstairs. Aurora began going into the fridge to see what she can prepare the food with.

---

Serena went into Ash's room and noticed he was drooling slightly. His hair seemed more disheveled than normal, but he seemed to be happy in his sleep. Pikachu was sleeping on top of his head, curled up into a little ball. Serena thought the two looked cute near each other.

She tapped on Pikachu lightly and it was enough to put him on high alert. He immediately relaxed when he noticed it only Serena and stretched himself out. He then jumped on her shoulder and nuzzled her slightly. Serena smiled at the little mouse's affection.

Serena then decided to lightly shake Ash. The boy seemed to be stubborn as he showed no signs of waking up. Serena got a little afraid that he was in his coma still, but relaxed when she heard his groggy voice.

"Ruru… five more minutes…" Ash spoke with a mix of two tones. Serena knew she heard a combination of the two of them. It sounded weird, yet oddly attractive at the same time. Still, she need him to awaken.

She shook him a little more vigorously. "Ash! Wake up!"

"Serena… just a little… more… sleep," She heard Ash's voice solely. She knew she was almost through if he recognized her voice. She sighed and shook her head. Serena whispered something in Pikachu's ear. Pikachu perked up to the idea and laughed. His cheeks began to spark wildly.

Pikachu used his signature attack on his friend. Ash fell off the bed, slightly sizzling. Serena looked over him to make sure he was alright. He was sizzling slightly, but he didn't take damage from the attack. Ash looked at the mouse in annoyance.

"Ugh… you could have woken me up like a normal Pokémon would, buddy." Ash groaned as he sat up.

"(Ash!)" Pikachu jumped off Serena's shoulder and tackled his trainer to the ground. He immediately began to lick his trainer affectionately. Ash couldn't stop laughing at the contact. They both were happy to see each other. Serena herself couldn't suppress a giggle. When the two settled, Pikachu got off him and allowed him to stand. Once he stood up, he approached Serena with a smile.

Serena suddenly had tears welling up in her eyes as she lunged at him for a hug. Ash was surprised at the force of her approach and fell on the bed with her. He felt her crying on his shoulder. His eyes grew soft as he accepted the embrace. Ash made them both sit up. Serena snuggled on him in his arms. Pikachu glanced at the two and shook his head. He nodded and went downstairs in mingle with everyone else.

"Serena…" Ash said softly.

"I'm… so happy right now. You have no idea…" Serena said on his shoulder. Ash widened his eyes. She continued, "I felt lost without you. Everything seemed bleak with you and Aurora unconscious. A lot of the time, I felt so empty without you here."

"Well, I may not have been able to control how long I slept, I'm back now. I don't want you to ever worry about me like that again." Ash broke apart their embrace slightly to wipe her tears. He lightly smiled at her. Serena looked at him with an indescribable expression.

Serena suddenly brought him close, held his cheek and kissed him. Ash widened his eyes at first, but quickly relaxed under her touch and kissed her with just as much fervor. He soon cupped her hand with his as the two shared their passion. Both of their aura flared up as they began to glow blue and pink respectively. Serena eventually broke off the kiss and giggled slightly. Although she would love to continue, she knew she had raunchy feelings rising in her. Ash and Serena being in a bedroom didn't help the thoughts, either.

Serena knew Aurora would have her head if she did anything inappropriate to Ash, especially since Aurora trusted her with her secret.

Ash smiled back at her. He noticed her face was still somewhat wet from her tears, so he continued wiping her face with his thumb. Serena was appreciative of his efforts and blushed at the contact. Serena laid her head on his shoulder and sigh wistfully.

"I missed being like this with you." Serena said.

"I did, too." Ash said.

"Ash, can you tell me what happened in your dreams? I often heard you and Aurora whispering to yourselves in your sleep, but you both seemed distressed." Serena asked earnestly.

Ash looked away from her and sighed. When she asked that question, Ash got a shiver because he was reminded of the nightmare involving Serena. He can see the softness in this Serena's eyes and was thankful for them. He never wanted her to regard him so coldly or harshly. He wondered if this is how Aurora and Aru felt about him in her nightmare. Ash decided not to think about it too much.

Ash explained what happened in each of his trials and the nightmare he had before starting them. He explained what Mew told him about the history of the universe and how she treated him throughout the six days. Ash talked about how they both grew and learned a lot throughout the week. Ashton came out and talked about his experiences as well. Serena was surprised to see the counterbalance, but was happy to see him. He seemed to be a lot less cold than he was before the coma. She liked this change.

However, both Ashes made sure not to tell Serena about the aura allegiance part of his sixth day too deeply because of what he promised to Aurora.

Serena noticed how quiet Ash got when describing his nightmare. She never imagined he loved her that much and that she could hurt him so much in her dreams. Serena hoped she would never hurt him like that in real life. Serena was disgusted when she heard about what Mew did as Greninja, but couldn't imagine Ash hurting a Beautifly. She shivered at how enraged Ash could get, seeing glimpses of it with Ashton. The blue-eyed girl softened up when she found out how Mew protected them from Arceus and when she found out Ash learned the Great Prophecy.

"I learned about the Great Prophecy, too. I'm not sure if it talks about us, though." Serena admitted.

"I'm not sure, Serena. Aurora and I are the conflicted guardians in the prophecy, but I don't know if we're supposed to be on opposite sides. Something doesn't feel right about all this, but I can't place my finger on it…" Ash said, somewhat frustrated.

"We'll find out more as time progresses. All I know is that I want you to be at my side." Ash looked at her with a smile. Serena smiled back. He asked in a serious tone, "Since you found out about the Great Prophecy, I know you went through quite a few things, too. Can you tell me?"

Serena nodded and explained what happened during the week for her. She talked about meeting and training with Raven and how she helped to keep everyone together. She didn't tell him about Aurora's secret, but she did tell him that his father is under Zurui control. She also told him about her encounter with the DDD and how Raven saved her. Ash listened intently and closed his eyes when he heard about his father. He curled his fist tightly and sparks began to form from it. Serena yelped slightly at getting shocked.

Ash opened his eyes and looked at his girlfriend apologetically. He said, "I'm sorry about that, but thank you for telling me this. This explains why I haven't seen him. I'm happy he's alive. Once this conflict thing is over, I'm going to try finding Dad. Maybe Aurora can help with that considering she's related to me and she knows about the Zurui. Still, are you doing alright from yesterday?"

"I'm doing fine. Raven helped me get out of that situation." Serena closed her eyes and sighed. Serena wanted to tell him the truth about so badly, but she kept true to her promise. She forced herself not to say anything directly. She said, "I know Aurora would want to help you find your dad. I'll try helping, too, but I'm not sure how I will help."

"Thank you, Serena." Ash kissed her on her cheek. Serena's face got completely red at seeing Ash kiss her for once. She started to stammer.

"O-of course. I'm sorry about all of this. I figured you had a right to know." Serena apologized. Ash shook his head.

"Don't be sorry. I'm happy I know this. I'm also happy to see that you've gotten stronger this past week, too. It would be nice to train with you." Ash said. Serena suddenly became a bit fearful and shook her head. Ash seemed disappointed, "Aww… why not?"

"Ash, I'm not as strong as you. I don't think I would give you a challenge." Serena admitted. Ash tilted his head and forced her to look at him.

"Aw, that shouldn't matter, Serena." Ash laughed. Ash seemed to have a fire alighted in him when he said, "What matters is the bond we share while training. See, it is important to get stronger, but that's only part of the journey. Training makes everyone involved get closer. Getting stronger happens to be a side effect. Don't you agree about you getting closer to Raven through training?"

"Yes." Serena replied in a small voice.

"See? You don't have to worry about giving me or anyone else a challenge. You need to be willing to improve yourself and your Pokémon. That's how I see it." Ash explained. Serena looked at Ash with a new respect and understanding.

"Wow. Never thought about training in that way." Serena admitted.

"Hahaha! Most people don't think about it that way and that's fine. I won't ask you to train with me again, but I did want you to think about it a bit more." Ash told her. Serena seemed to be contemplating what he said.

"Well… if training at your side would help me get closer to you, then I am more willing to try it. Just… don't expect much from me." Serena said to him.

"Don't sell yourself short, Seri." Ash said.

"Seri?" Serena blinked at the name. Then, she smiled. She liked it. Ash started to blush and look away from her.

"I thought about the little nickname you made for me and decided I never gave you a nickname myself. Does… that sound fine to you?" Serena's response to her boyfriend's question was a big hug. Ash could barely sit up from the force of her embrace.

"Ash, I love it. I never had a nickname before so hearing my first one from you makes it even better!" Serena squealed excitedly. She rubbed her cheek against his in delight. Ash was happy he could make her happy.

"Better not to get too close, hmm? There could be some unforeseen consequences…" A third voice entered herself in the conversation. Ash and Serena looked at the door and gasped.

"Aurora!" They both said. Aurora chuckled briefly before narrowing her eyes.

"Hello, dears. I just finished making breakfast and I was wondering what was taking so long. Now I have my answer. You two know better." Aurora said with a serious voice. Her eyes chilled them both down to the core with how intense and annoyed they looked.

"Aurora, this isn't like it looks like. We swear." Serena said. Aurora's expression lightened up significantly and laughed at Serena's attempt to explain herself and Ash. She thought it was cute.

"Heh, I know. I know you two wouldn't do anything too intimate… well, yet. Love can only hold back so much teenage curiosity. It'll be a matter of time before I sense your auras combine fully. I wonder how things would be like with a little Ketchum on the way…" Aurora chuckled. Ash and Serena looked at the raven-haired lady horrified. Aurora seemed heavily amused to see them both embarrassed.

"What?! Ruru! Please don't say that…" Ash said without thinking. He started to blush intensely. Aurora started to laugh harder.

"Hahaha! I was wondering if I could spur you into calling me 'Ruru', young one. When you were little, without fail, you immediately would call me that when you got super embarrassed. Seems like I've done my job well." Aurora continued to chuckle. Ash didn't seem amused. Aurora calmed down a bit and said, "Seriously, though. You two should probably get some breakfast… well, after I give you my 'I'm sorry' present. You don't mind a few Poke Bars as an apology, right?"

"Poke Bars!" Ash immediately got up from the bed and went downstairs. It seemed he completely forgot about his earlier embarrassment in favor of his favorite treat. Serena sweatdropped while Aurora giggled.

"Ah… If there's one way to get to Ash's heart, it's those granola bars." Aurora smiled while shaking her head. Serena blinked her eyes. Aurora suddenly looked into her eyes in a less friendly manner. Serena gulped at the immediate change and knew what she was trying to find out. Aurora relaxed and said, "Just checking in case. I'm happy you didn't tell him yet. Try your best to keep him happy… because that won't last for long. Now… come along, Serena."

Serena obliged and followed Aurora downstairs.

---

Serena could immediately smell the food as she went downstairs. She found herself impressed with Aurora's presentation. Everything was neatly laid out for everyone to eat. She could also see several bowls of Pokémon food near the table as well. Serena wondered just how long Ash and her were talking upstairs. However, she noticed that no one was inside. Everyone went outside. At first, she was wondering why, but the answer became clear when she saw Meyer's Blaziken.

She decided to walk outside and she noticed everyone watching the battle excitedly. Clemont was on the opposite side of the field with his Luxray. Serena hadn't seen such a confident smirk from him since his battle with Ash for his fifth gym badge. Pikachu was on top of Ash's head for once watching the battle. Ash's eyes were sparkling with excitement. His fists were clenched tightly and he seemed to be raring to fight himself. Serena quickly rejoined and stood to his right.

Serena noticed that all of Aurora's Pokémon were out as well, but they were eating the food their trainer made for them. It seemed none of them were too interested in the battle.

Aurora was right near Ash, but to his left instead. She seemed to be intrigued by the fight. However, Bonnie was standing in the referee spot, cheering her brother and father on. Serena noticed Bonnie was avoiding making eye contact with Aurora, though, stealing glances at the lady occasionally. It seemed like she was checking constantly if Aru would come out or not.

"Luxray, use Thunder Fang!" Clemont brought forth his hand.

"Blaziken, dodge it and use High Jump Kick!" Meyer called out with just as much intensity. Blaziken used his amazing jumping ability to dodge Luxray's electric attack. He jumped right behind the electric lynx and kneed him on the side. Luxray roared in pain as he got knocked by the attack. He shook it off the best way he could, but he could feel himself starting to get tired. Clemont knew that his Pokémon was starting to reach his limit and had to act fast.

"Luxray! Electric Terrain!" Clemont called out.

"Oh no you don't. Blaziken, Low Sweep before he gets a chance to set up." Blaziken once again showed his impressive speed by kicking Luxray's knee before it can act. Seizing the opportunity, Clemont commanded, "Luxray, Wild Charge while he's attacking!"

Sucking in his pain, Luxray became immersed in an electrical energy. It had a wild look on its face as it charged into Blaziken before he could finish kicking. Blaziken wailed in pain as he took the full attack hard. He shook it off fairly well as he hadn't been damaged yet. Bonnie looked at her relatives proudly. Meyer and Clemont looked at each other with a satisfied grin.

"Luxray! Use Swift!" Clemont said.

"Flamethrower!" Meyer called out. From his tail, Luxray summoned a line of stars to hit Blaziken. With his fists blazing, Blaziken took a deep breath and created a line of fire to intercept the attack. Stars and fire flew as the combined attacks created smoke. Neither attack overtook the other. Clemont coughed as some of the smoke hit his side of the field. Meyer appeared to be used to it. He had a hearty grin on his face, but his son couldn't see it.

"I think it's time to finish this, son! Blaziken, through the smoke, use Flare Blitz!" Meyer commanded.

The attack was much too fast for Clemont to retaliate. Blaziken's body lit ablaze in reddish flames as he ran to Luxray. The further he moved, the bluer his flames became until the attack became completely bluish white. The electric type hissed in pain as the fire type tackled into him. Luxray was thrown towards the house as he landed on the ground roughly. Blaziken took some visible recoil, but otherwise looked fine to continue. Luxray struggled to stand on his feet again. He didn't want to fail his trainer.

However, he was stopped by a paw on his back. Surprisingly, it was Chi-Chi. It the midst of the smoke, she'd teleported to be right behind Luxray. She shook her head and eased Luxray's back on the ground. Soon, he was sitting on all fours. She was rubbing his back and it oddly felt soothing. Clemont, Meyer and Blaziken looked at the Lightning Cat Pokémon with a bit of confusion. Aurora face-palmed and groaned.

"This battle is over. I commend your loyalty to the blond kid, but it's a lost cause. I don't want to see you get hurt any more than you need to. I don't want to see either side hurt anymore. Know your limits as an electric type, Luxray. That will help you strengthen your bond with your trainer." Chi-Chi advised.

"(But…)" Luxray was still bewildered. An uncharacteristic soft look was on his face as he was unsure what to make of the sudden turn.

"No buts. Besides… a handsome Pokémon like you shouldn't get roughed up too badly." Chi-Chi argued.

"(What?)" Luxray visibly flushed slightly. Chi-Chi giggled a little.

"Chi-Chi… aren't you much older than him? Don't do that." Aurora said with a sigh. Though she knew her partner was right, she had no right to end the battle so suddenly.

"Sorry. You are cute, though…" Chi-Chi continue to giggle as she floated to be right beside Aurora. Her feet were slightly above the ground as she continued to levitate. She waved to the Luxray happily. Luxray did know what to think of the Hokori native and sweat-dropped slightly. Still, her words did ring true. He turned to look at Clemont. Clemont gave a satisfied nod and returned Luxray in his capsule. Meyer did the same with Blaziken. They didn't expect a Pokémon to end a battle like Chi-Chi did.

Aurora tapped her fingers nervously. "I'm sorry about Chi-Chi. She can do things without thinking at times."

"It's fine. We were getting a bit too intense to be fair." Clemont said.

"Let's all eat breakfast now since the food is getting cold. Then we all can go back outside and regard each other more properly." Aurora said. Everyone nodded. Ash hurried inside to the food while Serena followed him. Bonnie and Clemont also went inside. Meyer stole one glance at Aurora before heading back inside. Aurora went inside, got her plate of food and went back outside with her Pokemon.

---

Ash noticed how cold she was being despite making the delicious breakfast and was slightly concerned. However, it didn't seem as serious as when she was upset at the Pokemon Center, so he decided not to bother her and focus on eating. Ash also released the rest of his Pokemon so they could eat the Pokemon food surrounding the table. Serena, Clemont and Meyer followed suit. Everyone was surprised to see all the Pokemon fit.

Ash smiled at seeing all the Pokemon enjoy the food. Ash was happy to be related to someone who cooked a lot of good food. He ate eggs, sausages, pancakes, berries and berry juice. However, he noticed that the eggs tasted more exquisite that he's used to. There was a bowl of Poke Bars for anyone's content, people or Pokemon.

Meyer sighed when Aurora went back outside. He knew he was the reason why she decided not to sit with everyone and he felt bad to see her eat outside. He decided to follow her outside.

Meyer said, "Aurora, you don't have to eat outside. Come and join us."

All of Aurora's Pokemon glared at Meyer menacingly. Meyer gulped and stepped back slightly. They seem to know that Meyer didn't like her and responded to accommodate that. Aurora looked back at the man and said, "It's fine. I like being outside with my friends. I rather not eat near people uncomfortable with me. Go ahead and go back inside with your children. I need to tell them something after they eat. I do hope you all like it."

Meyer sighed. She wasn't moving. He couldn't do much about it, so he shrugged his shoulders and went back outside. When he went inside, he noticed that everyone was in love with Aurora's cooking.

Serena commented, "This tastes amazing! I never had eggs with this seasoning before! I feel like I'm eating something from another region!"

"That's because we are. The spices I tasted in these eggs are found in the Alola region. The pancakes are made with the Alola region in mind as well. I'm impressed. Aurora wasn't kidding when she said she looked into the culture and foods of each region she goes into." Clemont explained. Everyone seemed surprised.

"Aurora's been the Alola region, huh...? I wonder what Pokemon exist there." Ash said, somewhat curious. He grinned, "Now I'm excited! I don't know whether to go to the Hokori region or the Alola region next!"

"Shouldn't you focus on getting rid of your conflict before thinking about that?" Serena reminded him.

"Yeah... you're right." Ash said disappointingly. Ash clenched his fists in excitement, "I still wanna visit Alola at a certain point! Apparently, I would have visited it next if I released Greninja so I'm curious to see it brought up again. I'll ask more about it once the conflict is over."

"Fair enough." Serena giggled.

Everyone soon finished up their food and went back outside with Aurora.

---

Aurora had finished eating by the time everyone went outside. She seemed to be pleased to see everyone satisfied. She moved away from her partners to regard Clemont. Clemont was slightly nervous to see her approach him specifically.

"Clemont… let me say that I express my deepest apologies. I would never harm you or your sister normally. Things got… complicated because of a force I can't say." Aurora looked at Bonnie and Clemont. Bonnie looked away, petrified while Clemont looked guarded. She sighed. She expected as much. She returned Chi-Chi in her Poké Ball. "I can't say that I blame you for acting the way you're acting now that we get to talk. You were a little more accepting of Ashton because you've known Ash longer. I can respect that. Is there anything I can do to help you? To atone for my mistakes?"

"Sorry Aurora… I'm just weary about aura guardians in general. It isn't just you." Clemont said sadly.

"So, I'm assuming Ash and Serena as well?" Aurora narrowed her eyes.

Clemont picked up on what she'd done and looked nervous. Those trick questions she'd asked as her counterbalance were designed to trap. Any option he took had to potential to upset someone and Aurora knew it, judging by her unamused look. He decided to be very careful of how he phrased his words. Serena narrowed her eyes. She had heard hints of Xander speaking like this.

"I didn't mean it that way. I guess the better way of putting it is I'm weary about counterbalances. I don't hold it against you or Ash. I'm still Ash and Serena's friend and I respect you a lot. It's just... this last week has been very confusing. I don't know how I feel anymore." Clemont said carefully, while still being honest.

"A fair point." Aurora softened up. She thought, "Good save, changing it to something slightly different, boy. Next time, think before you speak."

"I can tell you're just as sympathetic as Ash. I'm just glad that they are save and that you've made us breakfast. Your presentation is top-notch as well. Thank you." Meyer said. Aurora nodded in agreement and bowed slightly with respect.

"You don't know how happy that makes me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. There isn't much else I can think to atone for myself and Aru, but if there is anything else I can do, I will do it." Aurora offered with a sideways smile.

"Aurora…?" Bonnie said in a small voice. All eyes turned to her and Aurora titled her head slightly. The woman approached the child and sat on her knees. Bonnie flinched at first, but noticed that Aurora was looking at her with concern. Aurora had her hand out with a smile. It wasn't like the creepy smiles Aru etched into her brain. It was completely sincere and inviting. With a shaky hand, she returned the shake. Aurora shook her hand softly. It wasn't nearly as hard as when she shook Meyer's hand. She was extremely gentle, as if she was caressing a baby. She looked away from Bonnie and the young girl didn't know what to think of it.

"For the last week, I've been thinking about things. When Clemont told me how Ashton attacked him, I didn't believe it completely. I knew he was telling the truth because he was acting scared, but I didn't completely see how he felt. Now, with Aru, I understand why he was scared. I… was scared, too," Bonnie admitted. Aurora had her head down in shame. Bonnie gingerly put her hand on her shoulder, "But… I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? Why are you sorry? I should be the one apologizing to you after all the horrible things Aru did to you." Aurora looked slightly puzzled.

"I'm sorry… for how I acted after you got knocked out. I wanted to be away from all aura guardians. Ashton… Ash… their words… they kept me thinking about how I was acting. I was wrong. I shouldn't be afraid of you. I'm still hesitant, but I'm not afraid anymore." Bonnie said with conviction. Bonnie gave the raven hared female a hug. Aurora had a small smile on her face as she returned it.

"Thank you, Bonnie. I'm… I'm so sorry for what I've done as Aru. I can feel that she feels sorry, too. Would you like to see Aru directly? She's hesitating on coming out because she doesn't want to scare you." Aurora told her. Bonnie tilted her head slightly.

"Aru… doesn't want to scare me?" Bonnie looked a bit confused. Aurora nodded.

"Yep. When my partners and Pikachu electrocuted her and knocked us unconscious, they knocked us in our noggin real good. For a good while unconscious, we went through some trials in my dreams and she realized how much of a jerk she was to everyone. She understands she frightened you and is being mindful of it." Aurora told her. Bonnie found herself to be relieved. She didn't like the feeling, but she couldn't control it.

"I…" Bonnie didn't seem to know what to say.

"I won't force you to say yes, Bonnie. If you feel too afraid to see Aru face to face, then that's understandable. Just know that she's sorry." Aurora told her.

"… I want her to say that herself." Bonnie suddenly looked at the woman with a strong gaze.

"Are… you sure? Neither of us wants you to feel uncomfortable." Aurora warned.

"I want to see Aru when she isn't being angry or sarcastic. I want to hear her say the apology if she truly means it. I also want to see your marks out." Aurora blinked her eyes in confusion, but decided to abide by the girl's wishes. Aurora's 'z' shaped marks suddenly appeared.

Bonnie started to shiver heavily, but took deep breaths. Bonnie thought, "I need to do this…"

"I-if… I freeze… or scream… please…" Bonnie suddenly shut her eyes and moved away from Aurora. "Please… snap me out of it. Force me to open my eyes if you have to. I don't want to be afraid anymore."

"Bonnie…" Aurora said sadly. She said to Aru, "Well, you're going to honor her wishes, right?"

"Aurora... Bonnie is a strong kid, but look at her. This is a stark contrast to how she was before the attack. She… really is broken. I… feel awful." Aru responded in a small voice.

"What will you do then?" Aurora asked. Aru seemed to be in a pit of thought. She sighed.

"I… I… I… am afraid to see her face to face. I don't want to see the pain I caused. I feel so cowardly. I may talk big a lot, but I can't do it. I feel like I'm running away from the situation, but I just can't do it. Tell her that I can't bring myself to come out right now." Aru said with a soft voice. Aurora sighed, but decided to listen to her.

"Bonnie… Aru just told me that she's afraid to see you." Aurora reported.

"She's afraid… of me?" Bonnie said in shock. She opened her eyes upon hearing that. Everyone else seemed just as shocked, especially Meyer and Clemont.

"Understand that Aru rarely feels this way. She would rather be cold to someone she hurt, but with you? You've invoked an emotion that she hasn't had this intensely before. That emotion is regret." Aurora said with closed eyes.

"Regret…?" Bonnie said, somewhat confused.

"Counterbalances may feel guilty over what they do, but they never regret their actions… at least not as intensely as Aru. They normally accept that the deed has been done and move on. Aru cares… she cares way more than I thought she did about this. Her not coming out to talk because of her actions speaks to how sorry she is. I've never seen her like this before and to be honest, I'm terrified. I want her to be alright, too." Aurora explained.

Bonnie widened her eyes upon hearing that. To be honest, she thought that Aru was evil… a complete monster. She thought that counterbalances in general were meant to be some sinister version of their balance. Hearing Aurora made her realize that Aru wasn't completely bad. Bonnie couldn't believe that she was the one that prevented Aru from wanting to come out. That hit her hard. She slowly approached Aurora again and touched her hands. Aurora was surprised with the contact, but curled her fingers in response.

"Aru… if you're hearing this… I want you to know that it's OK. I still may be hurting, but I've accepted what happened to me. Now, I want to grow. Don't you want to grow, too?" Bonnie said while staring into Aurora's eyes. If she didn't know any better, she could see a small reflection of Aru in Aurora's eyes. Soon enough, Aurora's eyes had a red gleam to them, but they were still yellow. Bonnie gasped and gulped to herself, but stuck to her guns. She knew she was getting through.

"…" Aurora nor Aru said nothing. Bonnie couldn't tell who was in control at the moment.

"Please… come out completely. Then we both can move on from this." Bonnie pleaded in a soft voice.

"…" Aurora nor Aru continued to say nothing. Then, Aurora sighed. Her eyes turned completely red. Bonnie began to shiver again, but she clenched her Aru's fingers tightly and stared at Aru eye to eye. Aru said, "I do want to grow, but I don't want you to see me if you don't have to. I understand what I did… I intentionally gave you nightmares. I'm… such a horrible person."

"Aru… don't say something like that. If you were truly horrible, you wouldn't be feeling this way." Bonnie retorted. Aru made a toneless chuckle.

"Maybe you're right, but I wouldn't be so sure about that." Aru shook her head. She cleared her throat and said, "For what everything is worth, I'm… s-sorry. I'm not used to apologizing, so forgive me for the stutter. I can only hope that once I leave, you can continue to move on with your life and the pain from the attack will be less of a strain on your heart."

"I… accept your apology. Thank you." Bonnie suddenly hugged Aru. Aru was on her knees, frozen by the contact. Then, her eyes grew soft and she accepted the embrace.

"No… thank you giving me the courage to acknowledge my actions and move on. You're a strong girl, Bonnie. I can see you doing well as a trainer someday." Aru commented and broke apart from the embrace.

"I'm happy you see potential in me." Bonnie chuckled.

"I've always had those thoughts. Hmm... I think you deserve a ride and some child-like glee as a symbol of moving on." Aru closed her eyes and opened them. They were yellow again. Aurora had a feeling she knew what Aru want her to do and giggled.

Aurora took the opportunity to stand on her feet. She looked down at the ten-year-old with a small smirk. She lifted her up and put her on her back. Bonnie's face showed one of confusion, then thrill as Aurora started to run with her. She made sure not to run too fast because she didn't know how Bonnie's body would take the speed of an aura guardian. Bonnie felt a feeling of euphoria.

Aurora decided to make things more interesting. Concentrating slightly, she lifted herself in the air with Bonnie in a yellow outline. Bonnie looked astonished, then amazed. She loved the feeling of being in the air. Clemont looked wide-eyed and Meyer looked flabbergasted. Ash and Serena looked at her with shock.

"Bonnie!" Clemont called to her, concerned.

"It's fine, big brother! This is soooo cool!" Bonnie said. Aurora chuckled.

"If you think just floating is cool, check this out." Aurora propelled herself upward with Bonnie holding on tightly on her back. She moved fluidly through the sky, acting as if she was swimming in the air. Bonnie brought her hands apart as she felt the wind hit her face. All of her worries dissipated under a cool breeze. Clemont and Meyer watched the sight in awe. This was the first time since Aru's attack that Bonnie was gleaming. They felt happy for her.

Aurora laughed as she forced some wind between herself and Bonnie. They became separated. Bonnie was alarmed at the sudden loss of contact. Bonnie was propelled ten feet above Aurora. Her eyes glowed yellow as Bonnie started to descend downward. Aurora kicked herself downward as Bonnie fell right beside her, flailing her arms around. As she got closer to the ground, Bonnie covered her eyes. Meyer tried to run and catch her, but one look from Aurora stopped him. With her eyes glowing the way it was, she looked at she had the situation handled. At the last moment before they hit the ground, Aurora caught the blond girl in her arms. She wrapped her hands around Bonnie's torso and flew back up the air.

Never in Bonnie's life had she even been so exhilarated. She felt her life flashing before her eyes, but she was OK. She can feel Aurora chuckling. The elder female looked down and winked at her as her eyes returned to normal. Bonnie knew she did that on purpose. Oddly enough, Bonnie trusted her, too. Flying through the air, Aurora had complete control over what happened to her, but she knew that she wouldn't harm her after not letting her fall on the ground. Aurora decided to land gingerly on the ground with Bonnie. Bonnie was jumping up and down with glee.

"That was amazing!" Bonnie couldn't say anything else.

"Aru felt you deserved some joy from us and I'm glad I could provide it. I'm glad you loved it, Bonnie." Aurora winked again at the girl. "I used to do that with Ash when he was with me after he turned five. He always loved to soar through the air."

"That was very dangerous, though! How could you let a five-year-old do that?" Meyer argued.

"By that logic, is it really safe to let trainers start their journey at ten?" Aurora answered his question with another question. He didn't have a good response to the question, so he chose to remain silent. Aurora chuckled, "It's all about trust. You trusted in Clemont when he became a gym leader. I'm right in assuming you're going to trust in Bonnie when she starts her Pokémon journey. I trust in myself and Ash for us be to be safe in the air. If I didn't, we'd both fall. Besides… the flying was more of an introduction into letting Ash be more familiar with his powers. You won't understand that unless you're a guardian yourself."

"Wow! I used to do that with you?" Ash looked excited.

"Yep. Sadly, with your amnesia, you don't remember a thing about your previous life." Aurora frowned.

Ash could feel Ashton stirring inside him. They both agreed on what they wanted to do. Curling his fists, Ash breathed deeply. In and out. He closed his eyes as he concentrated. His fists started to glow a faint blue. The color spread to envelop his entire body. However, Ash didn't float in the air. He sighed with disappointment. Aurora noticed this and chuckled, "You may be a fast learner, but for a guardian, flying is hard normally. For a psychic, flying is easier. They have levitation. Serena, since you are half psychic, would you like to try?"

Serena looked a little nervous. Both Ash and Aurora gave her a reassuring smile. Serena understood what Ash had tried to do and wanted to attempt it herself. Serena mimicked his actions. She closed her eyes. Eventually, her body started to feel lighter. She heard gasps as she opened her eyes. She noticed that she had no outline around her, but she was levitating. Bonnie had twinkles in her eyes while everyone else was shocked. Ash was looking up at her proudly.

"Whoa! Serena, that's so cool!" Bonnie called out.

"Hey, Serena! How's it going?" Ash called to her. Serena looked absolutely mortified.

"How do I get down?" Serena said frantically. She was floating higher and higher in the air without any control. She was flailing her arms wildly. Aurora sighed. She knew the girl would fall if she continued to panic.

"Normally, I'd say don't look down, but that's when people look down. A child blessed with the bond of a guardian and psychic… Man, she's gonna have a lot of advantages when she's fully trained. I can hardly wait." Aurora seemed to be in deep thought. Her hands started to glow white, but quickly caught herself. She decided to act on the distressed teen in the air. She kicked herself into the air, grabbed Serena's hand and gently brought her down. Serena held on to Aurora tightly as they dropped down. She was thankful to be on the ground at the moment. She was not afraid of heights, but being high in the air without anything to support her surprised her.

"Serena, that was amazing! I know that you are a one of a kind. That's one of the many things I love about you." Ash kissed her on her cheek. Serena visibly flushed. Even though they were a couple, it still felt a little awkward to show affection in public. Aurora clasped her hands together.

"You two are so cute together! It makes me happy so see such a budding relationship." Aurora squealed. Ash and Serena's faces grew red as Bonnie and Pikachu laughed and Clemont slightly chucked. Aurora herself had a small smile as she tried to not snicker herself.

"Right…" Ash said in a tone which forced everyone to stop laughing. Everyone looked to regard Ash. Serena wondered where that sense of authority came from. Ash continued, "Now that we're awake, how about we have our own battle, Aurora? After seeing Meyer and Clemont fight, it's made me itching for a fight!"

Aurora blinked her eyes in surprise at the sudden question. Then, she beamed with a determined smirk, "I certainly have no problem with that, Ash. I did promise you a match. However, just as a precaution…" Aurora went into her pouch and took out four Poké Bars. She threw two of them to Ash. Ash caught one in each hand. While in unison, they both ate their snacks. Ash noticed she gave him his favorite, while Aurora ate the last spicy one and a sour one. She ate the sour one, then the spicy one because she didn't want the former to go to waste. Both Ash's and Aurora's hands glowed blue and yellow respectfully, signifying the complete return of their auras.

"Thank you!" Ash gave his thanks. Aurora nodded.

"No sweat, young one. Remember that this helps us temporarily. I have no idea how long it will last, so I'll probably give you more later. Do you mind it being a Mega Evolution battle?" Aurora asked.

"Oooh! A Charizard vs. Charizard battle?" Ash gleamed excitedly.

"Of course…" Aurora was about to call one of her Pokemon, but Rio immediately came over to her and gave her a large hug. Aurora looked at him wide-eyed and was hesitant on acting for a few seconds. Nevertheless, she returned it. She looked at him quizzically. She regarded the Lucario, "I was going to say 'not,' but it seems I'm getting hugged by all my partners today."

Rio looked up at the woman with a huge smile. Aurora smiled back, but still didn't know what to think of the situation. Rio never liked to hug anything. He hated to get touched affectionately in general. This was the first time in a long while. Rio uttered a statement barely above a whisper, "I thought I lost you at some point… I thought…"

"Rio, I'm fine." Aurora assured him.

"You're fine now. Being in the third stage, resting right after the counterbalance attack caused your aura not to regenerate independently. For the first three nights, I came out and used Heal Pulse on you. I worked endlessly to try to make you make your aura form normally. When I checked the fourth night, you started to make aura by yourself again. I still continued to check up on you each night afterwards to make sure you were OK." Rio told his trainer. Aurora looked grimly at the jackal, but understood his reasons. She looked at him appreciatively.

"So… you're the reason why my aura wasn't as low as I thought it would be." Aurora realized.

He nodded and continued, "After I tended to you the first day, I decided to check up on Ash. His aura, although not as low as yours, was still dangerously close to being critical. His aura was regenerating much faster, however. I helped him and anyone else that was injured during the day, but I made sure not be be seen. I tended to Clemont's sore spot on his back and a few marks of Bonnie's and Clemont's necks. They were easier to mend. Serena, due to her incredible accelerated healing, didn't have any injuries by the time I got to her. Everyone's physical injuries should be gone."

"You're the reason why I'm not in pain anymore?" Clemont started to rub his back unwittingly. He had woken up a few days ago feeling completely refreshed. He thought a bit of rest was the reason at first. Rio's paws were starting to exclude visible blue aura. The jackal smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, Rio." Clemont said with a respectful bow. Bonnie did the same thing.

"Wow… thank you for everything, friend. I guess deep down, you're a big softie." Aurora gave him a hug. He was inclined to push her off him, but decided against it. He guessed he could let that one slide. Aurora looked at him, "Rio… you know why I sent you out here, right?"

"To do battle with the young master." Rio's face morphed to one of seriousness. The aura from his paws disappeared.

"Rio… you don't have to call me that. I'm not your master. Just call me 'Ash'." Ash said to the Aura Pokémon.

"Trust me, Ash. He's still gonna probably call you that." Aurora sighed. Rio shrugged his shoulders, but maintained a look of seriousness. Aurora looked into her pouch and took out a blue bow similar to the one on her head, except its edges were sharper. She placed it right under Rio's neck and placed a mysterious stone as its center. She then returned the rest of her Pokemon. Aurora looked at Ash excitedly. "I'm going to Mega Evolve Rio instead of Chari. He's the only one that hasn't gotten the chance to battle you, so I thought that would be fair."

"Fine by me." Ash replied.

"I'll be referee." Clemont stood in the middle of the battlefield, backyard. Both combatants nodded.

"Good luck, Ashy." Serena gave him a quick peck on his cheek before running off to be right beside Bonnie. Ash looked slightly dazed at the contact, but a small shock from Pikachu snapped him out of it. Aurora and Ash stood on opposite sides of the backyard each looking at each other poker-faced. Pikachu stood right beside Ash. Ash threw his choice of ball into the air. Out came his beloved fire breathing reptile, Charizard. Upon looking at Rio, his tail flame instantly heated up to be completely white. Ash took note of this and grinned. Charizard was fired up and so was he. He knew that Aurora is a tough opponent and Rio would be no exception in strength. Rio looked at the Charizard, intrigued. He was going to have fun.

"This will be a one vs. one Pokémon Battle. Both Pokémon will continue to battle until one was unable to continue. Both trainers ready?" Clemont asked the two. They both nodded. "Then let's start!"

"You told me you wanted me to try at my absolute hardest. I will honor your request by battling at my best for the first time in years. However, there is something I ask of you, young one." Aurora started.

Ash looked puzzled, "What do you want?"

"I'll explain very soon. First, let's do this Rio!" Aurora tapped the stone in the middle of her bow. It started to glow as the stone on Rio also started to glow. Rio became encased in a harsh multi-colored light as his body morphed. The four black appendages behind his head grew longer in size and had red tips. His spikes grew longer and his body grew slightly overall. His tail became covered up by a large tuft of tan fur. By the time the light ended, Rio roared triumphantly with a mega insignia right above him. His appendages moved freely in the air, sensing Charizard's every subtle move.

Ash had to cover his eyes from the sheer power of the evolution. Rio looked at Charizard with a new level of intensity he had not seen in any of his opponents. It gave him a bit of a chill, as it did Ash. The only other time Ash felt this way was when Chari started to try in her battle with Gible. It made Ash wonder if all of Aurora's partners acted like this when they were truly battling.

Ash decided to change his strategies slightly. He went over to Charizard and changed the mega stone on Charizard. It changed from blue and white to orange and white. He patted Charizard on the head as he went back to his spot in the Ash grinned as he pressed the stone against his Mega Bangle. Charizard's body started to shine a multi-colored light. His wings and tail grew longer in size and he started to grow small wings on his arms. He also grew slightly in size overall. A mega insignia appeared above Charizard's head as he took a proud stance. Aurora had a neutral expression as the wind hit her face. Both Pokémon were ready to rumble.

"Now that both of our friends are ready to battle, I want you to try at your hardest as well." Aurora said simply.

"Aurora, that's a given. I always try my hardest in battle!" Ash defended himself.

"You didn't try your best in our initial battle. You have so much untapped potential that you don't even realize. Much of what you have is buried inside you. That potential will come out again." Aurora clenched her fists tightly together. She induced herself with yellow aura as her hair started to move freely. Rio mimicked his trainer, except blue aura was coming from his paws.

"I swear on my honor as a Ketchum, I will force you to show me your true potential!" Aurora brought her hand out, poker faced.

---

A/N: ~Cue 'Battle! Legend Red' theme here~

Ash vs. Aurora next chapter. I feel like if I would give Aurora a Champion theme, it would be the Red theme from Sun and Moon. It's kinda poetic for her to have her husband's theme. It fits her character, too.

I've been itching to write another battle (other than the minor Clemont vs. Meyer battle this chapter, heh). I think the next chapter is an improvement over the first battle! It won't last over three chapters, that's for sure. See ya around!

Until then...

Next Chapter: Ketchum Kombat!

~SPG123~