Nothing much to say. On with the show!

When Serena came to, she found herself in a different room than before.

This one looked metallic, almost clinically clean. That's when she noticed her arms chained to the wall above her head. She struggled against her restraints. Her legs were free, but she couldn't exactly kick her way out of this situation. Next to her, also chained to the wall was Bonnie. She was still sleeping.

Across the room, working at a keyboard flanked by five monitors, was a man with light blue hair. He wore a lab coat and he seemed engrossed by his monitors. "Curses!" he said, hitting the keyboard with his hand. Serena gasped in surprise. The man stopped moving. "Ah, I see you finally woke up," he said. The voice was different from Team Rocket's Boss. He turned around to face Serena. His cold, violet eyes glinted in the pale blue light of the room. "So you're that boy's friends?"

"That boy?" Serena asked, thinking out loud. "You mean Ash?"

He laughed. "Yes, Ash Ketchum. That boy RUINED ME!" He slammed his hand against his computer. His already dark expression soured even further. The banging made Bonnie jump and made Dedenne, who was apparently asleep in Bonnie's pouch, twist and turn.

"What's going on?" Serena asked. "Who are you? What do you want with us? And how do you know Ash?"

"Let me start from the beginning," the man said. He waved his hand, and the pale light dimmed. From the ceiling, a double-helix descended into the floor and continued to spiral. "My name is Doctor Henry Edward Yung, and I am a scientist. I invented an amazing system called the Mirage Pokémon System that allows one to create Pokémon out of nothing, using data from a computer and my holographic technology."

Bonnie finally stirred awake. "You said your name is Doctor Yung?" she said. "Clemont told me about you once. He said that you're a bad man who doesn't respect Pokémon!"

Yung shook his head. "Fools always carry their foolish opinions. My Mirage Pokémon are wonderful. You can research extinct Pokémon, rare Pokémon, Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, all by inputting their data. My system would have revolutionized Pokémonology!" He gestured toward the ceiling with both hands. Images of Pokémon floated by that Serena recognized rode down the helix, including Cranidos, Togekiss, Ho-Oh, and Celebi. They disappeared as they sank into the floor. "Not only that, but my Mirage Pokémon are superior to ordinary kinds, as well. I can input data to change a Mirage Pokémon's moves, types, and power. They are nearly unbeatable in battle, with power and tactics without peer!" He broke into maniacal laughter that echoed and shook the entire room, sending chills down Serena's spine.

"That sounds… so terrible," Serena said, her blue eyes glaring at him intensely. "It doesn't sound like you respect Pokémon at all. You can't recreate something like a Pokémon with holograms and data! You're missing a Pokémon's life! It's soul!"

"SILENCE!" he shouted her down. "My Mirage Pokémon plan was perfect, and I almost succeeded, too, if it weren't for…"

Serena blinked. "…Ash stopped you."

Yung screamed in anger again. "THAT BOY! He ruined everything! He and his Pikachu DESTROYED my Mirage System AND my perfect Mirage Pokémon!"

"Serves you right!" Bonnie said, sticking her tongue out at him.

Serena smirked. "I'm glad Ash was able to end your scheme before you could hurt anyone."

Yung broke into laughter again. "But you see, that's why you're here. Ever since my system was destroyed in the Kanto region, I have been rebuilding my Mirage System in a far off land, far from the prying eyes of the Pokémon Association. I've been keeping my research database up to date by hacking into databases all over the world. No one has been able to escape my surveillance. Not Team Galactic, or Team Plasma. Not Professors Rowan, Juniper, or Sycamore." He grinned, baring his teeth to the girls. "That's how I got the data on that Pokémon I sent those interlopers on their way with."

Serena gasped. "That was a Mirage Pokémon?"

"See, you are able to appreciate my genius," he said, stepping closer to her. He glared at her blue eyes. Serena squirmed uncomfortably. "But no matter what resources I've gotten access to, I still haven't gotten data on Legendary or Mythical Pokémon. Not like I was able to when I got my hands on that Pikachu!"

Bonnie blinked. "You mean, Ash's Pikachu?"

Yung looked to her. "Yes, yes, THAT Pikachu." He flashed his teeth. "You don't think Ash and Pikachu just started journeying, did you? They've been all over the world, and they've seen many kinds of rare and powerful Pokémon."

Serena let that sink in. Just how much had Ash seen? He'd must have had so many adventures without her, seen so many incredible things. Her heart felt heavy for just a moment.

"Ash and Pikachu'll never help you!" Bonnie said. "Ash knows you're a bad man, and he and Clemont are coming to save us!"

"I don't need their help," Yung said, walking up to and kneeling down to Bonnie. "I just need them both in arms reach." He held up his hand. "For you see, I have technology that lets me view the memories of people and Pokémon. I can read the information on the powerful Pokémon they've seen just by getting close to them."

Serena saw Bonnie swallow in fear. "And how do you plan on doing that, you big jerk?" Serena said, kicking at him.

She caught his attention. "Those fools from Team Rocket brought you here for a reason. You're my bait for that brat." He looked over his shoulder to the monitors. "He's already here, in fact, trying to save you, in fact." Yung grinned wildly. "He's in my trap. I just have to get close to him."

"Ash won't let you get close," Serena shouted back at him. "If he already knows you like you say he does, he'll stop you and save us."

"But it isn't me that will get close to him," Yung said with a grin. "It's you."

Serena's mouth fell open. "What do you mean?"

"I suppose a demonstration is in order," Yung said, standing up. He walked up to Serena and touched her face with his cold hand. At first, Serena was recoiling simply from his touch, but then, it started.

It felt like a rake was being taking across her brain. Serena screamed out, her entire body felt like it was on fire. Her mind seemed to be racing out of her control, taking itself on a tour of her memories of Ash. She started remembering what Ash said to her about her cooking this morning. She remembered smiling at Ash when he battled when Pikachu was blinded. She remembered teaching him how to ride Rhyhorn. She remembered watching his Gym battle with Viola. Her mind was taken back to the moment where she saw him on TV, at the Prism Tower. She remembered his handkerchief, and him tying it to her knee.

The pain coursing through her intensified, and she screamed louder. She could feel Yung peering into her thoughts. Her feelings. Her secrets. She knew he could see how she felt about the boy who ruined his plans. Tears began to flow down her cheeks.

Then, the pain stopped. She heard Bonnie gasp, but her eyes were closed from the pain. She opened them slowly, and gasped herself when she saw who stood before her now.

A duplicate of Serena now held her hand to the trainer's face. The doppelganger smirked, then spoke with her voice. "Oh, this is much better than I could have hoped," the false Serena said.

"What...?" Serena was dumbstruck.

"Now that I look like you," Yung-Serena said smugly, "I'll be able to get close to Ash and Pikachu, and read their minds when they least suspect it."

The real Serena struggled against her chains. "You monster! I won't let you get away with this."

Yung laughed. "Oh don't worry about your little 'Ashy'," he said in Serena's voice. "I promise I won't hurt him. Much." Cackling again, Dr. Yung walked out of the room in Serena's body.

Serena waited for the laughing to fade before turning to Bonnie. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm okay," she said. "What about you? Did he hurt you?"

Serena shook her head. "I'm okay, Bonnie. Is Dedenne okay?"

Bonnie wiggled her leg, shaking the pouch Dedenne was in. The Antenna Pokémon popped his head out "Dene?"

"Awesome!" Serena said with a grin. "Dedenne can help us escape so we can warn Ash and Clemont."

Bonnie nodded. "Right! Okay, Dedenne, use tackle on our shackles!"

"Dene!" The small Pokémon leapt up and tackled Bonnie's shackles, but it bounced off and hit the ground.

"Try again, Dedenne! We're counting on you!" Bonnie said.

"We know you can do it, Dedenne!" Serena said. "You're the only one we can rely on right now."

Dedenne smiled, and his cheeks sparked. "Dedenne!" He tackled at Bonnie's shackles again, and this time the metal shattered, freeing Bonnie's wrists.

"Great job, Dedenne!" Bonnie said. She picked up the small Pokémon and gave it a nuzzle.

"Bonnie, can you get Fennekin's Poké Ball? It should be in my pocket," Serena said. She shook her leg to indicate the pocket. Bonnie hopped over and reached into the pocket on Serena's skirt, pulling out the Poké Ball. Bonnie lobbed it into the air, and the ball snapped open, and in a flash of light, Serena's Fennekin appeared.

"Great! Now Fennekin, use Ember on the shackles holding my arms! Then Dedenne, use tackle on the shackles!" Serena ordered.

Fennekin took in a deep breath and exhaled a cloud of red-hot embers at Serena's shackles. The embers heated up the shackles. Dedenne leapt from Bonnie's hands and tackled into the shackles, shattering them. Serena rubbed her sore wrists for a moment before kneeling down to pick Fennekin up and rub behind her Pokémon's ears.

"Thanks, Fennekin," Serena said. "You, too, Dedenne." She adjusted her hat on her head. "Now, we need to find Ash and warn him. We have to save him from Dr. Yung and get out of here."

Serena and Bonnie fled out the room through the door left through, into the dimly lit halls of the castle.

"Pikachu! Clemont!"

Ash frowned. He'd been wandering around the castle's catacombs for a while now, and he hadn't seen any signs of Clemont or Pikachu, not to mention Serena or Bonnie. Only more dim blue light given off by the mirage nodes that seems to be everywhere in this castle.

He groaned. He hadn't even seen any Mirage Pokémon since he fell through the trap door. Becoming frustrated, he turned another corner.

It was still dark, but he saw something lying ahead of him down the hall. He rushed up to who he saw. It was a human. A person. A girl.

Serena.

Ash rushed over to where she was lying in the middle of the hall. He kneeled down and pulled her into a sitting position, holding onto her shoulders. "Serena! Serena! Are you alright?"

Serena slowly opened her eyes. "I am now," she said slowly, staring intently back at him.

He looked up and down her body, looking for any injuries. "Can you walk? We need to get out of here."

Serena looked to his shoulder and then looked at herself. "I-I'm fine," she said. "Where's Pikachu?"

"Pikachu is with Clemont right now," Ash said, standing up. "We got separated in here, but I'm sure we'll find them on our way out." He offered her a hand. She accepted and pulled herself up. Ash pulled her close, into a quick hug before stepping back. "Sorry," he said, smiling. "I was worried for you and Bonnie, so I'm glad to see you're safe."

Serena smiled. "Let's get back to Pikachu and Clemont," she said, pulling on Ash's hand. "C'mon!"

"But what about-" Ash tried to say before Serena yanked him down the hall.

To be continued...