Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN POKEMON! If I did, don't you think Pearlshipping would be canon?

Greetings once again, readers! I surely don't need to bother you by reciting what happened in the previous chapter, do I? No.

But I'll say one thing; good guesses on the identity of the two people in charge. Let's see if you were right! Oh, and this is sort of the opposite of the previous chapter, if you know what I mean.

Ash: Let me just say, I'm glad you don't own us.

Me: Don't you have more worthy writers to hang around with?

Ash: I guess so.

Me: Good! Now...

Enjoy chapter 9!


The scene: The Assassin's Guild

Standoff.

Two Assassins faced their former benefactors; the two who had practically controlled their lives for so many years. Two men with the air of power and confidence swirling about them faced two of their former apprentices; both hardened killers and out to exact vengeance.

Ash and Paul faced two figures concealed in the darkness. The archives of the Assassin's Guild hummed around them as technicians went about their work, apparently no longer caring for the intrusion of this supposedly 'secret' facility.

Ash's patience had reached its end. He wanted to end this. Now.

"Show yourselves!" He demanded.

The two complied, stepping into the blue light of the archives room. Ash did not recognize either of them.

The taller one had purple hair going down to his shoulders along with eyes of the same hue. He had an unusual bright green Assassin's outfit with a darker shade running down the sleeves. He had the air of one who was confident, almost cocky; and unafraid to show it.

His shorter companion had rather messy brown hair and wore a blue version of the Assassin's apparel. His blue eyes shone with ambition and he seemed more cold and calculating than his partner.

They were quite different in many aspects, but Ash and Paul felt they had a great deal of power; and they knew it, too.

The purple-haired man gave a mock bow. "Harley at your service, gentlemen- Which is, for the record, a term I use in the loosest possible sense."

The other younger man fixated the Assassins before him with a glare that was both cold and heated with hate at the same time. "Kenny." He simply said.

A sort of savage pleasure ran through Ash. Finally, he thought, now we will discover the truth.

In contrast, Paul felt only an icy cold determination to end this now. Unlike Ash, he had no reason to expect forgiveness after all this was over.

"You say you were expecting us. How is that?" Paul asked the one called Harley, who grinned. "Surely you can't be surprised, can you? Have your years here not taught you anything about espionage? It is our job to know where people will be before they even do. In your case, it seemed only logical to assume that you would return to seek the identity of your client." He spread his hands as if to modestly accept praise. "Sure enough, it seems we were right."

Ash's fist tightened. They not only knew they would be here, but they knew why they were here. But that was irrelevant now. "Well then, make this easy on yourselves and tell us who the client is." It was worth a try, he decided. He met Kenny's stare with his own. "We killed two of the more pathetic Assassins you sent after us. We are not about to hesitate to do the same here, if necessary." He added.

Kenny shook his head in a disapproving way. "It pains me to hear you speak of your former comrades in such a way. Have you been brainwashed completely by these three girls?!"

"So, everyone knew about our 'targets' except us." Paul said. "That... is despicable, sirs, I will say that much." He put a great deal of sarcasm on 'sirs'.

"And your betrayal is not?" Kenny allowed a small smile which only served to escalate Ash's hatred.

"Our betrayal? It is you who are sending out Assassins after us!" Ash burst out angrily. "We did not call for violence! Besides that, can you think of one plausible reason why these girls need to die?" He was breathing hard now. Paul silently urged him to calm down. Senseless anger could have grievous consequences in situations like this.

Harley seemed to agree. "Calm yourself, young one. There were many reasons these girls should have died. The one that stands out, however, is merely because we commanded you to do so. We, who have taken you in, raised you and made you into the ultimate Assassins. Is that not reason enough?"

Ash actually managed a chuckle. "Hardly. Before we left, I complained about the lack of criminal records for those three, which were given for all our previous contracts. This, you cannot deny."

Kenny, still smiling, tilted his head forward once. Ash continued, "After we met up with the girls, I highly doubted they were capable of criminal acts. Oh, and while we're on that subject, what kind of mad person would want to kill someone for cheating in Contests?! It's outrageous! I investigated their Coordinating history and discovered their minor Contest records were missing, whereas others had those records."

"Is that not proof enough?" Harley inquired. "The first thing a criminal usu-"

"I know, I know!" Ash interrupted. "The point is, even that wasn't enough to completely convince my of the validity of this contract. I was also presented with the possibility this was just an attempt to frame them." Kenny raised an eyebrow. "So you left them with some excuse and came after us? And may I ask where your third companion is?"

Ash wondered why it had taken them this long to realize there were only two of them there. "I suspect you already know, Kenny; having spies all over the city. He's defending our former targets from the Assassins you sent to kill them."

"Ahhhhh..." Harley said slowly. "That would explain the recent lack of reports from them. If it comforts you, he seems to be succeeding in his endeavors. So far." He waited for Ash to continue, but it was Paul who spoke. "No. We didn't leave." Ash could only imagine how hard it was for him to say this. "I... I tried to fulfill the contract. I went against my own opinion of the situation and... I tried to kill one of the girls. I didn't do it, I couldn't; and they sent us away." He was now looking at the floor.

Kenny looked intrigued. "Bravo. At least one of you attempted to do something worthwhile." His gaze hardened. "Not that much good came of it."

"I made the right choice when I stayed my blade!" Paul spat. "This is all irrelevant now. Tell us who the client is now." His voice was dangerously quiet.

Harley sighed, putting his hands behind his back. "Do you know why the penalty for not killing those three girls was death? It is a deed you should have done. It would not have done the world much good, true; but it would have accomplished a great deal for you three." He even spoke for Drew, who was not present.

"From the very beginning, this contract has been a test." Kenny explained. "A vital test which you have failed, so you must pay the price."

Ash was fighting to remain calm. "What kind of test? And why us?"

Harley laughed. "You are not alone in this test, my friends! It has long been a tradition of the Assassins to do this. Let me explain. Some time before an Assassin comes of age, he or she is given a unique assignment: to kill a childhood friend or sometimes even a relative."

He allowed Ash and Paul enough time to get over the horror of that statement, then continued, "This is the final skill passed on by the masters: no hesitation about who you kill, so long as the contract asks for their blood. This test was known by the First Assassins as the Trial of Faith"

Ash gaped at the two madmen standing before him. Paul, however, found the strength to speak. "With all due respect, sirs, that is sick. Who would do such a thing, even an Assassin, like killing a former friend or loved one?! It's insane." He sounded as disgusted as he felt.

Ash realized something. "Besides, we didn't know Dawn, May or Zoey and they didn't seem to recognize us either! Nevertheless, we still found the humanity in ourselves to realize what we were doing!"

Harley and Kenny seemed genuinely surprised by this.

"Is that so?" Kenny asked. "To answer your question, all previous candidates for this sort of test, whether it was a group assignment or otherwise, all passed. They each dispatched friends, cousins, even brothers and sisters." Ash was sickened at the satisfaction in his voice and at the thought of the Assassins performing such dark deeds; and all on a simple order. "But if you did not remember these three girls, it should have been only easier to kill them. We are..." He sighed. "Disappointed."

"How could we not remember them, if we knew them at all before?" Paul asked.

Harley shrugged. "It could be any number of reasons." He waved to someone behind Ash and Paul: A technician who hurried off. Harley continued, "You three were brought into the Guild barely into your teenage years. Before that, you lived the lives of common people. You had common childhoods... And common friends." Ash was now fighting to keep his body under control. "Ash, you were born in Kanto but you moved to Sinnoh with your mother; your father had died shortly after your birth."

Ash was too stunned by all this to wonder why Harley knew his name, but, he decided, he probably shouldn't be surprised.

Harley continued, "You settled down in Twinleaf Town, where, in school, you formed a close friendship with a Dawn Berlitz." Ash's legs nearly buckled. Was this true? "Eventually, at the age of ten, you decided to pursue different career paths: you would become a Pokemon Master, while Berlitz aimed to be a Top Coordinator. For a year, you trekked across Sinnoh, eventually arriving here, in Veilstone City, where you met Paul." He motioned for Kenny to continue.

"Before you two met," Kenny said. "Paul had grown up in this very city and planned to become a Pokemon Master as well. During his childhood, he became friends with Zoey Sanders of Snowpoint City, a girl with the dream of Coordinating who had been visiting for a time. They were quite alike and, as you would guess, they got along well. You two decided to travel together."

"Eventually, in Sunnyshore City, you encountered Drew, one who aspired to be a Top Coordinator. He had grown up in Hoenn, becoming close friends with May Maple, who also shared his dream. The three of you became nearly inseparable friends, traveling together everywhere. Your battle skills with Pokemon are impressive, but we noticed a high potential of physical and mental strength as well. So, shortly after you three reached the ages of fourteen, we invited you to the Guild. You accepted, choosing to kill for the good of the world and to abandon your dreams of Pokemon and Coordinating alike."

Harley spoke now. "You never saw your childhood friends again, who were meanwhile traveling themselves. Eventually, all three of them met. Because of their similar dream and fondness for each other, they began traveling together as well. From the very beginning, we chose these girls to be your targets for the test you so recently failed. You, on the other hand, underwent the rigorous and demanding training of the Assassins; and I must say, you did not disappoint at any point in your career as killers. Until now." He finished, his gaze hardening.

A long silence followed, during which the only sounds perceivable were the hum of computers and the loud breathing of Ash and Paul, who were both on their knees, absolutely overwhelmed by this explanation. After a full thirty seconds, Ash and Paul looked up at Harley and Kenny with black holes in place of their eyes.

The senior Assassins did not seem to care. "Many years have passed, during which all memory of childhood friends were banished from your minds as well as those of the girls who you so desperately now seek to protect. This may serve as a reminder." As he spoke, Harley motioned again. The technician who he had sent before had now returned, carrying small objects in his arms. He came up to Ash and Paul and handed them each an object.

To Ash, he handed a bracelet decorated with large beads. They had letters imprinted on them, spelling out: Ash&Dawn4ever (*wink*). Unexplained tears came to his eyes as he clutched the bracelet to his chest, memories flooding through his mind like the water of the ocean through a shattered dam. A young, blue-haired girl smiling across a classroom at him while a teacher's back was turned. The same girl, now with tears in her eyes, giving him the bracelet which he now held as they parted to pursue their dreams.

The technician handed a red colored piece of cloth, with the letter 'Z' stitched on. It seemed unimportant, but it overwhelmed Paul with far more emotions than he was used to ever feeling; friendship, happiness... love. He remembered giving a young redhead a purple piece of cloth with the letter 'P' stitched on it: A memory of their short, yet wonderful time together. A girl whom he felt for more than he had for anyone else. He tensed so much, his arms started shaking. He couldn't bear to think why they had not recognized each other.

While the two waged emotional battles within, Harley dismissed the technician and spoke. "These items were to mean nothing to you now, had you succeeded in killing your former friends. Apparently, this is not so. You have failed, so now you must leave us. Forever."

Ash and Paul dropped their personal treasures and unsheathed their knives, black hatred clouding their eyes. "After we are done with you..." Paul began.

"The rest of the Guild is next." Ash finished. "None of you deserve to inflict or go through such pain and live to tell the tale." They dropped into combat stances.

Kenny shrugged. "As you wish."

***

Outside the girls' hotel.

The dawn had come. The longest night of Drew's life was now coming to an end. He was bloody, sweaty, but determined to do his duty. He felt no remorse in having to murder his former comrades; his former brothers. His resolve was far more important.

But while stopping on a rooftop to catch his breath, he noticed several people running along another rooftop. They were Assassins, but were moving away from the hotel. Drew inhaled sharply as he realized they were headed to the abandoned warehouse. To the Guild. To Ash and Paul.

Standing up, Drew raced after them, knowing he could not waste a minute.

Another so-so short chapter comes to a close! Did you like it? I hope so! Even if it wasn't worth the delay.

Let me tell you something, I want to see at LEAST 10 reviews for this chapter. 15 people have faved this story, but not many of them actually review it. Kudos to those who do, though.

So, please: R&R, dear friends!

Daijobu!