Hi, thank you so much for all of the new favourites and follows for the story! I hope you all have a nice day/night wherever you all are! Warning: BoyxBoy, some violence, swearing, mentions of abuse, thoughts of self harm or suicide and a warning that ratings may turn up later.


-Four months previously-

Alex sighed, softly as he wandered along the path, brushing his hands out along the sides of the petals around him as he carried on down the clearing road of the meadow he had come across. He wasn't that far away from where he was headed... which basically was any where but his home town. As far away as he could possibly get from the place which he had called him home.

From the one he had called his home.

"For god's sake." He growled to himself, glaring down at the grass beneath his feet as he pulled a rose loose from where it had been about to fall and get crushed beneath his feet. It smelt intoxicating as they always did to him, so sweet and bringing such fond memories to his mind.

Even Jack who was half laid in his arms, turned his head up to sniff the rose, let out a soft purr and a smile. "I know that it's not what we planned Jack." Alex said gently, using his free hand to strip the thorns from the rose, making sure it was smooth and free of anything other that the emerald stem and the crimson petals. "But we're free at least." He turned his gaze back up to the distant view of mountains and the flickering lights of a town not so far away. "At least we managed to catch a boat right? Now we just have to keep going, start our competitions and figure out what to do from there... speaking of which." He grinned gently as he watched Jack snap his gaze away stubbornly. "You didn't seem so happy about the new addition to our family?" Alex said as though he was speaking to a small child who was having a tantrum.

Jack huffed but kept his gaze dead ahead of them, his ear twitching as the rose shined in the moonlight on his soft fur coat. "Wouldn't you like a younger or older sibling in our family?" Alex whispered, only to receive a sharp look from his partner. "Oh come on Jack, don't be angry with me. You know that we will always be partners, but remember what happened. How many times were me and you left broken down." He rested his chin lightly on Jack's head. Alex had to resist smiling at the jealousy his partner was radiating at that moment.

It had happened earlier that morning.

Alex had thought at first maybe it had been Jack just having another one of his nightmares. They had been camped out under the stars, Alex as always had been quite distracted, unable to fall asleep, feigning he had done so for Jack, just so his partner had been able to get to sleep. But of course it wasn't that easy for Alex. Like always there was just too many thoughts in the restrained and caged space of his mind.

Ash

That girl.

Them kissing.

Ash kissing him.

Ash telling him that he was still in love with him.

That night he had nearly threw himself into the river.

Jack and Pikachu.

Ash and him.

Never saying a true goodbye to his mother.

Ash and him.

His father.

Ash and him.

What was he going to do now?

What was he going to do for money and supplies?

Ash and him. Ash and him. Ash and him.

What mess had he gotten himself into.

Should he have told Ash-

He had just been rubbing the growing head ache between his brows when the sounds of a faint crying as made him sit up. It was a whimpering he heard every night, normally from Jack when he was having nightmares. But now to Alex there was something more pained about it.

There wasn't a sign of much around the clearing which made it all the more confusing for Alex.

Well at least until he had crept away slightly to the still flickering camp fire and come across the new members of their family.

That was mainly why Jack was in such a grumpy mood right now, clinging to Alex so possessively. He hadn't allowed Alex to put him down on the ground for the last three hours. Especially even less so when they had stopped for water and Alex had put out three bowls for dinner, only for Jack to drag his bowl away from the other two and set it directly in front of Alex's crossed legs so he could sit in his trainer's lap the entire time.

"Jack." The blond said softly. "You have got to realize, that you are never going to mean any less to me than what you are. My brother." Alex smiled gently. A gesture he didn't tend to show much most days now, except only to his family, which was to say, his Pokemon.

Jack let out a sigh and lent his head back so he could lick Alex's cheek while both smiled at each other. "Jack, you saw the condition that they were both in. They were hurt and abandoned. Just like us two, they had no one else." Alex reason, his voice taking a tone that it wouldn't even bother to use when it came to other humans. "If we can save others from going through what we have been through and give them a home, then it's only our duty. Plus you know my principle, I will never force someone to join our family. They chose to come with us." Alex said, telling the truth, his eyes moving back to the stars above them both. "But still, I need to make some money. I can't rely on mother, I promised that I'd take a step away from that. I would not rely on her any more. I just need to find a job, get some supplies for you and the others-"
"How sentimental!" A voice cackled above him.

Alex frowned looking up slowly as Jack let out a cold snarl.

A figure stood in the shadows just in front of him... no tell a lie. There was four.

Alex presumed that the figure was a boy. He was the middle height of the group. About Alex's height in fact. In the dark Alex could make out the sight of a sharp pair of cold eyes regarding him. The figure had two more people stood behind him, both mirroring each other in stance, while the boy rested one hand at his side on his hip. "Well my adorable little golden haired babe."
"Uh what?" Alex's jaw dropped open while he blushed incredulously.
"I think that I have a proposition for you. One which you couldn't possibly give up." He shrugged both hands, looking so eloquently cold in the dark. "That is if, you really want to be there for your little family."

In the dark, a pearly white Cheshire cat grin lit up in front of Alex, just as the blonde frowned with curiosity.
"Well you creepy shadow predator." Alex narrowed his eyes. "Collar me interested."
"Oh babe, don't worry. I'll collar you alright." The boy chuckled coldly. "I'm going to show you a side of life which you and your little friend there will find most... enlightening."

-Break-

Ash had thought originally that maybe he may have gotten away from Brock and been able to sneak entirely out of the arena before his old friend had even seen him. After all, maybe he had thought that he would have been lucky enough that it had turned out to just be a bad dream that he would have been able to get away from? Just like when Dawn had kissed him. He had hoped that was just one big massive mistake.

But no.

Now sat back he was trying to put on a smile as part of Brock's request that he did, as the coordinators were lining up along the side of the arena. The blue haired girl was wearing a signature pink frilly dress which made her look like Princess Peach or something. Ash didn't bother much to try and give her too much of his glance. He had only gotten pulled into the arena after Brock had came and gave him a lecture about supporting his friends.

Of course, how could he argue?

He owed Dawn for the amount of times that she had been there for him when he had been going to Gym battle after Gym battle.

Part of his mind nagged him that he also owed her a hell of a lot for breaking up his relationship!

But looking at her now, Ash had to frown slightly. For as much as she was trying to catch his gaze, or wouldn't stop smiling at Brock. She now was looking around, having gone completely pale. Her hands were trembling slightly and she kept shifting her weight from leg to the other.
"She just one her first battle hasn't she?" Ash asked in a bored tone, sat back and stroking Pikachu's head gently as the Pokemon was sleeping softly in his lap. Poor Pikachu hadn't been sleeping too well lately. Having nightmares over and over. Ash could understand, but he wished that he could help his buddy somehow to make it easier for the Pokemon.
"Ash, you really don't get it do you? This is the last ribbon she needs. If she gets this today, then her dreams will come true!" Brock frowned slightly at his old friend, not understanding Ash's cold exterior and such a angry look that he would shoot Dawn. What was he missing? What hadn't Ash told him? "But she's also worried..."
"For our next match. The Masquerade Mirror."
"Mostly about him." Brock said softly.

Ash followed the boy's gaze till it landed on a sight he wasn't entirely expecting.

A boy among the other coordinators took a slow but steady few steps forward, sashying his hips slightly with each step. He wore a tight fitting black suit, half midnight black and half pure snow white. The black side of the suit was glistened with black jewel's sparking against the spot light. He wore a pair of black leather skinny jeans which clamped onto his legs, while a black pair of boots clicked with the slight raise of their platform over the arena floor. His white collar shirt was pristine, not a crease in sight and everything perfect in it's place.
"What? Cruella De Vil down there?" Ash asked skeptically.
"Ash, don't let appearances deceive you. This guy is dangerous." Brock warned quietly.
The boy was slim, almost like a twig, but with slightly toned arms. His fur black and white coat trailed slightly behind him, just missing the floor as it caught on the breeze around him. His face was covered similarly with a black and white mask, one side turned up sharply like a trio of horns which curved towards his moonlight glowing, platinum hair, while the other side of the mask reached down across his cheek, resembling three long claws.

Even though from here, Ash could see the horrifically cold blue orbs which glanced around the arena. They were the most brilliantly cold things that Ash had ever seen in his life. Harsher than ice. More intense than winter.

There was something about the boy as Ash now lent forward slightly watching him, something about the way the boy walked. One hand resting on the black studded belt which on his right side slopped half way down his calf. The spikes of the belt glistened in the light and Ash found himself growing more and more completely transfixed by the sight in front of him. Unable to do anything other than keep his eyes anchored on that spot of the boy.

A timid looking red head was stood at one side of the arena, trembling as this new adorned boy... what was it again? The Masquerade Mirror? Now stood there at the center of the arena. His cold blue eyes locked onto Dawn with a glowering shower of ice.
"What is he doing that for?" Ash asked quietly, before watching the boy lazily turn his head back to the opponent at hand.
"He's just trying to psyche out the competition." Brock said quietly. "It's said that he normally is quite kind on his opponent, he always gives them the first chance to-"

The boy just raised his hand, the back of his coat raising as from out the flowing material which still rose and fell on the air, a small and humble shape launched out, snarling violently, spinning through the air at the same time that the blond boy turned sharply in his box.

His coat rose around him like a pair of wings.

It took Ash's eyes a minute to adjust to what had just happened.

"An Mightyena?" Ash said in wonder, looking at the glistening black and white coat of fur on the Pokemon which resembled it's trainer's outfit so amazingly.

But now the red head was visibly trembling under the crimson cold eyes of the Pokemon which had skidded halfway across the arena to it's mark and now had it's head lowered, snarling quietly with vicious teeth. Two large black pointed triangle's pointed down either side of it's maw. It's body was lean but built like a large wolf. It's eyes were hungry with anger, it's teeth polished cleanly to sparkle like it's matched white undercoat.

Brock stared in amazement at the Pokemon. The time of grooming which must have gone into this Mightyena. It was amazing! To see such precise caring and devotion so obviously put into a Pokemon! Honestly! He could tell just by looking between the Pokemon and the Trainer that the bond must have been incredibly tight between them. Especially to pull off such an entrance like that together!

"It's an old friend. It's seems that The Masquerade Mirror has gone with his partner as Lycan." The announcer cheered with the obvious amount of fans that were in the crowd of the pair.

The red head trainer was still staring on slightly scared, trembling more visibly now as from his jacket he pulled out his Pokeball and tossed it into the air.

In a shower of hearts, Ash watched the other Coordinator just change his stance slightly.

And his Pokemon charge.

"Wait what?"
"Pika!"

Both Pikachu and Ash launched forward against the side of the barrier, watching as Lycan, the Mightyena, just seemed to smash straight into the awaiting Pokemon.

The awaiting Houndoom went crashing backwards while Lycan crushed his claws into the ground, skidding to a halt and sending a wave of dirt off the arena floor over the trainer as it lowered it's head and let out a vicious snarl.

Most people in the arena stared for a moment, watching the Houndoom stare in disbelief back at it's trainer then look at Lycan who padded back over to his trainer, almost smirking as it's red eyes glanced over the opponent who was now staring as though they had absolutely no idea what to do.
"Wh-what is going on?" Ash asked, looking back over to Brock who seemed undecided whether to be in awe at the amazing speed Lycan had just demonstrated to the audience, or whether to be shocked by how viciously the attack had just been sprung. "Why isn't the trainer calling any attacks-"
"Ash he's completely freaked out! I mean, look at him!" Brock said quietly.

The arena was mostly quiet, they probably could have heard a pin drop. It was like everyone there was waiting with baited breath over what was about to happen next.

The red head trainer; a boy probably just about fifteen, maybe very early sixteen or so. His hair was cut short on the top and side. His eyes still wide with disbelief. His face was covered in the dirt as he spluttered against the cloud of kicked up ground which Lycan had so demonstrated with his speed.
"U-Uh. It seems that Houndoom took quite a stunning hit from that attack." The announcer called out.

Many people turned their eyes up to watch that the bar on the large screen next to the red head was decreasing slowly.

That seemed to snap the boy out.

"Houndoom, bite!" The boy roared.

The Pokemon seemed to regain it's sense, shaking it's head as though it could rid itself of the shock from that first attack. It lowered it's head in a growl before charging forward with growing and excited rage.

It danced across the arena, leaping and bounding the distance with the intense strength of it's mighty legs, leaving small puffs of air clouds behind each step it took, so light when with any other Pokemon, there would have been a heavy and crushing indent left behind.
"Such an impressive display of it's agility!" The announcer called out, some of the crowd coming back to life after their initial shock over what had just really happened. "If this attack follows through it may just-Oh no! What's going on!"

As the Pokemon had approached it's target, Lycan had just turned with such a snarl that even Pikachu flinched back slightly against Ash, whimpering slightly. Heck. Even Ash had flinched back at the ferocious sound which had exploded from Lycan in such a growl.
"An awesome combination of Leer and growl there to stop Houndoom in his tracks-"
But Lycan didn't seem to have finished there.

The Masquerade Mirror slowly flexed one hand out carefully and Lycan growled lowered himself to the ground, launching up into the air in a forward somersault, glistening with a purple light like a dark ghost, catching and reflecting the light off the small jewels of his trainer's suit and reflecting them back across himself before he came smashing down and struck a shadow ball directly into the Houndoom's torso, sending it flying backwards and sprawling through the dirt to the box just in front of his arena.

"Incredible!"
"That was all planned." Ash suddenly realized, staring with wide eyes as he looked between his friend and back down to the arena as the other trainer seemed to becoming more undone with nerves with every passing attack. His bar on the large screen now nearly all but empty, while The Masquerade Mirror's had only taken a quarter of itself out.

Brock nodded out of respect for what he had just seen. "That first initial strike was to surprise the other trainer and catch him off guard. To provoke a reaction like that out of him, one made by anger and surprise. The trainer was so shocked that he hadn't realized just exactly that he was playing directly into his opponent's hands. Lycan took that opportunity to shock the Houndoom and take a direct blow at a close range!" Brock stared a little harder, leaning his head onto his laced hands. "Then there was that shadow ball!"

Ash recalled the way that in the combined spot light, that the Mightyena had looked almost like a striking dark demon wolf. It had been enough even to unnerve Ash. The Pokemon's crimson dark eyes, the way it had launched so gracefully and struck so forcefully. It had been amazing! The use of a best offence with the beauty in it's step, while at the same time, building upon the fear that it had created from the Leer and growl.

Forget the tackle and shadow ball that it had attacked with.

This Pokemon was using fear as it's main weapon!

"Have you realized just why the other trainer is so terrified yet?" Brock asked gently looking over to Ash who was studying over everything that he had just seen so far from the battle.

The Masquerade Mirror just crossed his arms and Ash thought for a moment that he saw Lycan grin, or as much of a grin as a Pokemon could give.

"Uh hang on folks, we're having a slight issue with the lights. It seems that shadow ball may have caught the controls for the-"

Then came a scream as in bursts of seconds, the lights flickered out and back on like in some horror film.

Lycan on the field had begun his final charge. Bounding across his steps so quickly that it was growing to look more and more like that there were two of him out there on the field... no wait. Three... Four. Five!

Five Mightyena's running in formation but only truly one going across the field.

"He's using agility to make it look like there are more of him than there really are!" Ash whispered in awe, watching Lycan move with each flicker of the light. In the space of darkness letting out a loud snarl till after about a minute or so just as the light came back on, out of the strike in the air, four Moghtyena's faded after making the Houndoom flinch back each time one of them had faded through him.

Leaving only one left to come crashing down and smashing the other Pokemon through the air and crashing into it's trainer, knocking both to the floor viciously.

When the cloud of dirt had passed from off the arena floor, it was clear that the red head trainer was on the floor, still dazed from having his own pokemon crash into him, while in it's maw, Lycan carried the Houndoom back to it's trainer, who crouched when it's loyal pokemon returned and pulled out a small set of various sprays and medicine to ease the Pokemon's wounds.

"And... And it seems it's all over. Ember's Pokemon is unable to carry on fighting! This fight goes to, The Masquerade Mirror!"

The crowd screamed out cheering the victor's name while the red head Ember, fell to his knees, staring at the ground in despair with his defeat. Not entirely understanding just exactly how he had just been beaten, except by playing the last few minutes over and over in his head.

"He's... looking after his opponent's Pokemon?" Ash whispered, looking back over at Pikachu.

The Masquerade Mirror continued his work, smiling and whispering soft appologies to the Houndoom as he held out a small treat in his hand and the suspicious Houndoom took it, letting the boy care for it's wounds.

Lycan who had been such a vicious attacker of the battle was now lay next to his opponent, licking the Houndoom's cheek and nuzzling it, laying with a protective stance around anyone who may come and touch it.

"Yeah, he always does this." Brock nodded, shrugging as his friend shot him an incredulous look. "After each battle, he always heals and apologizes to his opponent's Pokemon. He does his best to help them out and then always goes on his way to fight his next battle." Brock smiled slightly. "He won't say a word to the other trainer. People say that he cares for Pokemon, far more than he cares for actual people."
"I can see that." Ash nodded, watching as the Houndoom, slowly stood up and sat, getting a soft lick on it's maw off of Lycan and then tackling The Masquerade Mirror and licking his cheek, making the silver haired blond laugh, smiling.

Then it finally clicked.

"Hang on a second." Ash said slowly, looking back over at Brock. Now his mind was distracted by the battle, by the pure shock of what had happened. Or the theatrical show that Lycan and his trainer had put on, he finally realised what had happened during the entire battle... or more better put. What hadn't happened.
"You got it." Brock grinned.
"He didn't call out one move." Ash stared, looking between the boy who now slowly stood, gently petting his opponent's pokemon on the head with care and then letting Lycan escort it back to it's trainer.
"That's why the other trainer was so unnerved." Brock nodded. "So what do you think now?"
"AND SO GOING INTO THE FINAL ROUND THE PAIR FOR THE LAST BATTLE WILL BE- DAWN AGAINST THE MASQUERADE MIRROR! But first ladies and gents, we will be having a short interval!"

Ash stared for a long moment, watching the victor of the battle turn slowly, a pearly grin moving across his face and his vicious blue eyes almost searing like spikes of ice as Dawn flinched back. The message was clear in his gaze as he casually glanced over to the defeated Ember who was still staring at the floor in complete disbelief. I hope you're ready. Because you're gonna wish that was you by the time that I'm done. The boy's smirk and eyes painted the message like the sun rising.

Dawn only paled further.

Ash just stood, staring a bit further at the boy.

Dawn's in for the fight of her life. Ash thought, watching as the boy ran over to his Pokemon, lifting Lycan up in a hug and laughing as the Pokemon licked his cheek affectionately. He seemed far more happier with his Pokemon being okay and the other, than he did actually even giving a care about the battle!

Brock watched Ash for a moment, seeing the thought pattern he couldn't help but frown.

And I just don't know who to root for.

Ash thought as he watched the boy slowly turn and lock eyes with him.

And in that moment, did the ink haired boy know what Dawn must have felt like down there, because upon looking into those cold blue eyes directly did Ash's blood run cold with ice at the dark look painted to him.