And here's the next update! What with lightning speed! And I thank those that have been reading the other chapters recently and I saw how many words there were before and I mean wow! That's quite a lot.
I respect those that have reviewed this and I have taken those comments to heart so keep it up you guys! It's a joint effort where I feed the 'hungry' literary minds that you have. And I hope that you enjoy this next chapter. After all, I think it's time that Ash starts to open up eh?
And let's start with that Scar of his…
Again, the disclaimer applies.
Mr Question Mark hopes you enjoy
Ash put a finger on his chin, thinking hard about how to approach the problem that he had. Although he had given one of his memories to his friends, he felt that it wasn't enough and to honest that was true. It was merely the tip of the iceberg but in his opinion, actually more the tip of that tip.
He had to find a way and he didn't want to waste any time. The river that they were walking along stretched on for quite a while and they had been walking along the river bank for a while now, so he had put a lot of thought into the issue. But how to do it…..? He had asked Pikachu but he hadn't come up with anything either.
"Waaaaaaait!" cried a voice behind them and Ash, Iris and Cilan all turned around to see a girl wearing a green hat approaching. She was using her aura to speed herself up and her blond hair moved in the wind. She was waving a hand in the air and Ash saw that she was waving all over the place. "Hold on just a minu-"
She tripped in a small hole in the ground, stumbling about some more as she lost control of her movement, still using her aura to run forward.
She did so at an incredible speed and Iris managed to step back just in time as the girl smashed into both Ash and Cilan, throwing them both into the water with a splash. And it was just as Ash hit the water that he had an epiphany.
Cilan and Ash had moved of out of the water and had made a fire using Tepig's flame. Although Cilan had taken off his shirt already, Ash knew it was inevitable. Pikachu looked at him and he nodded.
He had already taken off his trousers and hung up them on the clothesline doing the same with his hoodie, standing between the girl and the others. Iris, for some reason had looked away as the boys stood in front of the fire to keep warm.
"I'm sooo sorry." Said the girl as she kept on bowing repeatedly. "I-I didn't mean to hit you guys. It's just when I stumble when I'm using my aura, I tend to be unable to stop. I can't stop even when I don't stumble though so it doesn't really matter!" she said so optimistically and everyone sweatdropped.
Cilan smiled. "Don't worry, it's al-" He stopped as Ash moved his shirt off his body as held it in front of the fire. He had his mouth slightly agape however Ash didn't check. If he did it would be like he was showing off something that he was proud of. And he wasn't proud of his Scar.
Iris had noticed how he had stopped talking as she really didn't think it was alright to see Ash's body. She didn't know why her heart was racing so much but she felt that if she saw it, she would simply collapse. However Cilan was staring at Ash's back and Iris couldn't resist.
She paled as she saw what lay on that back of his. From his right shoulder to his left hip was a part of skin that stuck out like a sore thumb. It was discoloured and the skin around it was a completely normal colour while the skin on the Scar itself was a yellowish colour. It had other parts of skin around it that appeared to be cracked, almost as if someone had gotten a giant knife and hacked in one stroke. W-What in the world had made that?
Axew in her hair, must have noticed her emotion of shock and came out of her hair, looking at that one spot, the same thoughts resounding through its head.
Ash smiled to himself. He felt as though a giant weight had been removed from him and he felt glad. Whether or not they would stay with him after this would be up to them. For some, especially in his youth, people had simply been repulsed at the sight of it after seeing it, and just stayed away from the boy.
"Is something wrong?" asked the girl in front of them.
Ash shook his head. "So what is it that you're even doing here?" he asked as it seemed that no-one else was speaking.
"Actually Ash." Said the girl as she looked at him. "I wanted to talk with you." She went over in front of him while Pikachu gave a little "Pikapi?" as she approached.
As she did so, her bag touched Ash's back and the Scar. Somehow, the reality of the Scar became clear. It was as if both of his friends had thought that it was a sticker or something that Ash had put on as a joke however the reality of the Scar hit them now. What had done that to him?
The girl held out her arm and showed Ash what he recognised as an X-Transceiver. She pressed the button on the side and a face that Ash knew came on to the screen.
"Professor Juniper!" cried Ash as he looked at it in surprise.
"Hello Ash! How are you?" she asked.
"Great! I've already gotten one Badge!" he said proudly.
Juniper raised an eyebrow, almost as if hearing news that she didn't think she'd hear. "…Already?" she asked. "Even though you-"
Ash smiled however he and Pikachu both knew why she was so hesitant with her answer. After all, what did someone expect from someone with no power whatsoever? Nothing of course.
"Yep! So why are you calling?" he asked.
"Ah." Said Juniper. "Although you went on your journey, I forgot to give you a Badge Case! I didn't think that you'd need it…..but Professor Oak insisted I sent it to you. I'm glad to be proved wrong. Oh, well I guess have a safe travel and I look forward to talking to you again! Bianca has your Badge Case." The screen went off and Ash looked at the girl in front of him.
"I guess that makes you-"
"Bianca! Nice to meet you!" She smiled at the group but found apart from Ash no-one was actually looking at her. "S-So who are you?" she asked the others.
The others snapped out of their 'trance'. "I-I'm Iris." Said Iris with a shaking tone as she side glanced at the Scar.
"And I'm Cilan." Said Cilan as he bowed, trying to get into what he would have normally done to reclaim his normal manner.
"Well nice to meet you!" said Bianca. "And Ash, I have your Badge Case in…." She dug her hand into her Bag and dig around a faint blue colour coming from it as she used her Aura to sift through it faster.
Her face deflated as she continued to search…..
A few minutes after Ash had finally put on his shirt he watched as Bianca continued to rummage through her bag, waiting.
"Say Cilan." Said Iris in a low voice as she tried to maintain some normalcy.
As she thought, Cilan was expecting the conversation. "Yes? Are you sure you want to do this now? Ash could be Aura Listening."
Iris looked at Ash however her eyes immediately went to his back. She gulped as she remembered it and nodded. "Right. We'll talk later." It was obvious the topic and Cilan nodded.
"Say are you do-" began Ash however Bianca thrust her hand out of the Bag with a smile, holding a small container.
"Here it is!" she cried. She brought it out, looked at it and coughed as it was covered in dust. Just how long had it been in there?
"Here you are Ash." Said Bianca as she passed it to him Ash waving his hand in front of him to stop the dust getting into his mouth.
"Man, that sure is dusty." He said as he looked at it. "But whatever." He smiled to his friends. "So guys? What do you think of my Badge Case?" he asked with a smile.
Iris was a bit stunned that Ash could manage to stay cheerful despite what she had just seen. What had Ash been like when he had first received it? She thought back to last night and how Ash had said he had been in hospital. Although she hadn't asked and the fact that he had needed a cane, was that the result of it? He had needed a cane to walk?
Still, Iris felt that she had to stay strong, even if only on the surface. "You can hardly see the actual colour!" she said.
Ash hung his head, depressed. "You didn't have to say it out loud…." He said. The action gave a sense to relief to the others seen as Cilan let out a laugh.
"Well at least the inside should be fine." He said.
Worried that it wasn't the case, Ash opened the Case as Pikachu looked on with a "Pikachu!" as dust was spread as it opened. Sure enough there were 8 slots and Ash put the Trio Badge he had acquired in the left most slot.
"Yes! Only seven more to go guys!" he said as he showed the Case to his friends.
Iris let out a smile, a genuine one that surprised her. With Ash she felt calm and relaxed. Why did he have this effect upon her? Just what did she see him as?
"And then you can join the Unova League! Nacrene Gym isn't so far from here after all." She said.
"Say say Ash can I see your Badge?" asked Bianca. Ash turned and nodded, closing the Badge Case and handing it to her. He put it in her hands and just in that moment that he let go and before Bianca gripped the Case, something jumped in and took the Case running away into the forest by the riverbank and Ash saw that it had started to use its aura to do so.
"Pika?!" shouted Pikachu as it watched the thing retreat.
"Oi!" shouted Ash. "Come back with that!" he raced after the thing, followed by the others as he gave chase. It bounded through the forest and over a fallen log that had been there a while due to the moss growing on it getting further and further away as Ash continued to give chase.
Pikachu leaped over the log and continued the chase, Ash beginning to do the same. "Man, even with aura, that Pokémon is fast." He said as he panted.
"Fast and wonderful! Even taking that Badge Case with ease!" said Bianca with a smile.
Iris frowned and put her hands on her hips. "Do you really have to be so fascinated by a thief?" she asked to which Axew agreed with a nod and an "Ew".
Bianca came in close to which Iris had to form an Aura Shield around herself to feel safe. "But you saw it too right? How fast and skilful that Pokémon was?!"
"Enough of that!" said Ash as he climbed over the log, ready to pursue. "We've gotta get my Badge back!" he said.
"Wouldn't a replacement do?" asked Bianca.
"Replacement?!" yelled Ash in surprise as he turned and as he did so, he fell, landing on his back. "Owwwww." He said.
"Ash!" said Iris in surprise and looked over the log, seeing that he was on his back. "A-Are you OK?!" she asked as she thought of the wound on his back.
"I-I'm OK." Said Ash. "But seriously?!" He looked at Bianca. "Another Badge!? That's the only one that I want as my Pokémon and I worked hard to get that!" Ash frowned as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and the group turned as they heard a cry of "Pika! Pikachu!" from far off.
They ran in that direction, seeing Pikachu poking its head through a couple of bushes, something that was copied by the others.
There in front of them they saw the Pokémon that had taken the Badge Case as it set the item down, using its tail to stroke it, or so it looked to Ash. Its tail was filled with its aura as it wiped the Case over and over.
Bianca brought out her Pokédex and brought it in front of the Pokémon.
"Minccino the Chinchilla Pokémon. Due to its love of shiny things, Minccino will use its aura to clean any dirty objects that it finds. Although Minccino can use their tails without aura, the aura creates a sense of shininess to objects and the shinier a dirty object then the higher Level of aura that the Minccino has."
The group watched as Minccino continued to clean Ash's Badge Case. "So….it took Ash's Badge Case because it was dirty?" asked Cilan. "What a special Pokémon."
"Perfect!" said Bianca. "Since I hate to clean this is perfect!"
Ash frowned as he looked from Bianca to Minccino. "Alright then. Although Minccino did take it to clean it, I really have to-"
Ash had begun to stand up however was pressed back down into the ground as something pressed down on his head, shoving it into the ground.
"No need!" said Bianca as she jumped over Ash, using his head as an object to jump over ignoring his protests. "I'll do it!"
"Well, at least she's eager." Said Cilan as he sighed.
"To be honest, I think there's a degree of selfishness there though." Commented Iris.
Ash merely lifted his face from the ground. "Well at least Iris wasn't the one to push me dow-"
Ash's head was pushed back into the dirt and he struggled. "What was that?" asked Iris as she used an Aura Hand to torment Ash.
"Nothingnothingnothing!" came the muffled reply as Iris lifted the Aura Hand off Ash's head and continued to observe Bianca as Ash did the same.
"Alright then Ash, you just leave it to me and I'll get your Case back ASAP!" said Bianca as she pulled out a Pokéball.
Minccino, in reaction, got the Badge Case and put it in its mouth in order to protect its object.
"Alright now, get ready for battle Pignite!" said Bianca as she spun her arm a few times before unleashing the Pokéball. It burst open in a burst of light and an orange pig Pokémon appeared from it.
"…..Pignite?" asked Ash as he looked from the ground towards Cilan.
Cilan returned the gaze. "It's the evolved from of Tepig." Ash brought out his Pokédex and pointed it at Pignite.
"Pignite, the Fire Pig Pokémon and the evolved form of Tepig. It is said that a Pignite's aura originates from its stomach and the more energy that accumulate there, the higher the aura Level and thus the power of attacks is greater."
"A Pignite huh?" said Ash as he looked at the battle that was about to unfold.
Bianca was the one that struck first. "Pignite, use Aura Tackle on Minccino!" she cried. Pignite's body turned a bright blue colour as it raced towards its opponent. It leaped towards it however Minccino jumped towards the attack. Aura surrounded its body and as soon as the Pokémon hit, the aura attacks colliding let out the sound of glass clashing on something hard but nothing 'broke'. Instead, Minccino spun to the side and landed behind Pignite.
"What was-" began Bianca however Ash explained.
"It wasn't an attack." He said. "Minccino put an Aura Shield around itself only to defend and when the attacks collided, it focused the aura upon the aura that was struck, thus making it spin out of the way!"
Iris, Cilan and Bianca all looked at Ash with mixed expressions. As for his companions, they shared a similar thought; why was it that he knew so much about aura? As for Bianca….
"Ohhhh." Said Bianca. "You sure know a lot Ash!" she said as she looked at were Pignite had fallen. "So Pignite be careful! And now use Aura Flame Charge!" she said.
Pignite complied and stomped onto the ground, kicking up dust before it cried out its name and it burst out of the dust, its entire body surrounded in flames that had aura coming from them.
"Niiiiiiiite!" it cried as it charged forward hitting the ground with a burst of flames. Dust was kicked up and Ash opened his eyes to see Minccino running up a tree, having used its Aura Shield technique once again.
"I-I-It got away!" cried Bianca as she stomped onto the ground, her foot glowing blue as she used her aura to strengthen the blow and Ash backed away slightly as the ground actually began to give in slightly. Pignite did the same and Ash began to become worried for Mother Nature.
"Hmm. Interesting. Bianca certainly does have the taste for battles." Said Cilan.
Ash looked at him. "So? We have to move cause we have more things to be worried about! Hey Bianca?! Are you gonna get my Badge Case back?" he asked.
Iris and Cilan were silent. They agreed. There was definitely something more to be worried about. Neither said a thing as they looked at Ash's back, being reminded of what they saw, trying to close their eyes to stop the memory from rising.
"Sure thing!" said Bianca, the only one to have not seen it. She looked up where Minccino was as it set down the Badge Case that it had in its mouth, looking at the trainer and Pokémon that had attacked it.
"Now Pignite, use Aura Flame Charge again!" she cried.
Pignite began to kick up dust again however Minccino reacted first. Covering its ears by curling them up it took a deep breath and unleashed a cry of "CINOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
A burst of sound headed for Pignite, with a glow of blue as it hit, Pignite covering its ears as it was hit full force.
"Minccino knows Aura Hyper Voice?" declared Iris as she looked on.
"Pignite is still feeling the effects of it!" said Cilan with surprise. "This is Minccino's perfect opportunity to attack!"
And sure enough Minccino jumped from the tree that it was on and headed straight for Pignite. It landed right on its back and moved quickly. It used its tail to bring it to Pignite's belly and moved it in a fast motion, the tail glowing blue as it did so.
Pignite struggled to get Minccino off but to no avail and burst into laughter as it struggled on the ground to get Minccino off.
"Pignite!" called Bianca as she grew worried for her Pokémon.
"And that's be an Aura Tickle. Minccino definitely has a broad range of moves." Said Iris as she looked with an expression of pity at the scene.
Seeing no option, Bianca grabbed the Pokéball. "Pignite return!" she said. A red ray hit Pignite as it struggled and Minccino hit the ground now that its opponent had disappeared. "Man that Minccino! All of those moves! So tough and so cute!" Bianca smiled in glee. "I gotta cat-"
She never finished as Ash stepped. "Looks like I have to get this done myself. Now who to choose…." Wondered Ash. All of a sudden from his belt, there was a flash of light and from that light burst a certain Pokémon of Ash's.
"Huh?" said Ash as he looked at the Pokémon. Oshawott stood proud as it stood at the battlefield.
"So cool!" said Bianca as she looked at the Pokémon. "So Ash's Pokémon come out all by themselves!?"
Iris shook her head. "Only Oshawott." She explained in brief words however a giggle from Bianca made her sigh and her simple mindedness.
Pikachu looked at Ash from his shoulder however he shrugged. "If Oshawott wants to have a go…..Alright then Oshawott! Let's go!"
"Osha!" said Oshawott as it looked at Minccino.
"Now use Tackle!" said Ash. On the side, Bianca let out a frown.
"Tackle?" she asked. "Not Aura Tackle?" she asked as she looked at Iris and Cilan. The shrugged as they didn't have an answer.
"It's his battle style." Said Cilan. "Just watch and you'll see." He said and Bianca did so.
Oshawott ran towards Minccino and it smiled, jumping towards Oshawott that same Aura Shield surrounding it. Ash smiled to himself, knowing that this would happen. Oshawott continued the attack and they collided.
The explosion of air came from the attack, kicking both Oshawott and Minccino back, Oshawott expecting it and recovering by spinning on the ground to come up feet first. Minccino on the other hand did not and hit the ground.
"What….what was that?" asked Bianca as she looked at the battle. When she had gone on her Pokémon journey, Professor Juniper had suggested that she have a look at this trainer called 'Ash Ketchum' I order for some inspiration. She had even given her a reason to do it. She had never seen anyone battle in this way. Was this why Professor Juniper had suggested it?
Minccino stumbled. "Alright then Oshawott! Know your chance! Use-"
"Aura Hydro Pump Aura Hydro Pump!" cried a voice from the side and Ash looked at Bianca who had spoken. Oshawott turned and looked at Bianca with a confused expression and Ash stepped in front of her.
"Come on Bianca, let me battle. Oshawott doesn't know Hydro Pump or Aura Hydro Pump. But it does know Razor Shell! Go!" said Ash.
Oshawott nodded and took off its Scalchop and while it glowed blue pointed it straight at Minccino. Or rather where it should have been. It looked around for its opponent and found it up a tree looking down at it.
Minccino dropped down and just like with Bianca's Pignite, landed on Oshawott's back, the same thing occurring. Its tail glowed bright blue and it put it on Oshawott's stomach, rubbing it, Oshawott rolling on the ground laughing.
While Oshawott was still doing so, Minccino leaped off it back and its tail still glowing blue, hit Oshawott's face twice, causing it to rotate and fall on the ground with its eyes as swirls.
"Oshawott!" cried Ash as Oshawott didn't get up from the ground.
Cilan looked impressed at Minccino. "Aura Doubleslap after Oshawott was still recovering from Aura Tickle. Minccino certainly does have a battle style that is full of a rich flavour."
"Well Oshawott?" asked Ash as he walked to the recovering Pokémon. "Do you want to have a rest or let Pikachu have a go?"
Oshawott let out a sigh and pointed at Pikachu to which Ash sighed. "Well Pikachu?" he asked his buddy. "Want to have a go?"
"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu as it took a step forward looking at Minccino. However Minccino had not bothered waiting for Ash and his Pokémon. It took the Badge Case in its mouth and jumped, using its aura, to another tree, disappearing from sight.
"I-It got away?!" yelled Ash as he looked at the disappearing Pokémon. "We gotta get after it!" he looked behind him towards Bianca. "You know this wouldn't have happened if you had not talked."
Bianca put her hands on her hips and smiled. "I only did it to give you some advice. After all…" Bianca approached Ash and put her hands on his shoulders. "You're gonna help me catch Minccino right Ash?" Bianca leaned in close and Ash backed away a tiny bit scared. "I mean, you'll get your Badge Case back as well so why not?"
Ash sweatdropped and sighed. "Well since I'll be getting my Badge Case back…fine. I'll help." Iris and Cilan felt that he didn't really want Minccino to be caught rather than focusing upon the Badge Case that he had lost.
"YesYesYesYES!" cried Bianca. "Thank you sooooo much!" she said with a smile.
Ash dropped his head in depression. "To think that we'll be taking a detour…I wanted to get to Nacrene City as soon as possible."
"Don't worry about it Ash." Said Cilan. "After all, Nacrene City is just over the mountain."
The others looked in that direction at the large mountain that stood in their way. "I suppose so…..Oh well. The longer we stand around the longer Minccino gets away." The group nodded in agreement and ran in the direction that it had gone in.
Although Nacrene City was quite calm, no-one really paid attention to the roof of the buildings of the warehouses there. If they had they would have seen three figures all standing, looking down at the city with calm expressions.
"So….we're here now." Said Meowth. "Nacrene City."
Jessie nodded and looked at James. He turned on the tablet computer that lay in his hand, a map of the City coming up on it, a number of files opening as well. James clicked on one of them and was able to scroll along the map.
"What are those?" asked Jessie as she pointed at a number of lines running through the city.
"Used train tracks that are out of operation." Said James. "However that doesn't matter. The Nacrene Museum is right…..here." James scrolled along the map and then clicked the screen when he reached a certain place.
It enlarged to show the Museum. "What about an escape route?" asked Meowth.
"Well, the only way to find that out is to go there ourselves right?" said Jessie as she stood up, the others following. They looked around and nodded to each other, using their aura to bound away, unnoticed by the populace of Nacrene City.
Well not all of the populace. The Boy dragged his feet as he walked through the City, depressed as he listened to what they were planning. He gained looks from a number of people and that was natural. After all, he had a number of cuts on his face and his suit, particularly his white shirt was splattered with dirt.
The Boy had made it out of the forest by a hair's breadth. He had found a pretty decent Oran Berry tree and had picked one that he had identified as the most ripe. However a Liepard had agreed with him completely. It had approached him and he had tried to negotiate, his knowledge of the Pokémon language helping him out greatly.
Ultimately though that cocky Liepard had attacked him and he had fought for that Oran Berry! There was no way that he was going to lose!
Or that was his thinking at the time. A barrage of Aura Scratches took him out and he had to deal with a sub-par Oran Berry. Regardless, he had to move to the Nacrene Museum. He had already called so now all he had to do was act. That was probably one of the more easy parts of what he had planned.
He passed an alleyway and immediately, a small amount of bile rose in his throat. He felt sick and looked down the alleyway that had that sense of sickness coming from it.
However there was nothing there. Nothing at all. But something made him sick just being in front of the alleyway.
He brought something out from his blazer pocket and put it on. The pair of glasses was also something that he had gained from his mentor, a pair of glasses whose functions changed according to his own thoughts. Psychic glasses, the function matching the thoughts. He put them on, thinking of one thing that may have caused that sickening sense. Aura. So the function? Aura Perception.
He watched as Aura rose from a certain part of the alleyway, rising into the air and flowing out of the City, taking the route that he had just taken. He had no idea what the aura was but he had a hunch. It looked to him that the Aura itself was rising from what it used it be, trying to go somewhere. But why was that happening? Shouldn't aura of a deceased be absorbed by the Earth?
The Boy had no idea what was going on and walked into the alleyway, another scent entering his nose. It was faint but it was there.
The scent of death.
He stopped in front of the rising aura and passed a hand through it, the aura moving around it. Could no-one else see what he was seeing? Could no-one else sense it? People had been walking past the alleyway on both sides with cheerful expressions but no-one was avoiding it.
The Boy gulped and clicked his tongue. He had no idea what the aura was doing, but it seemed to him that it had gained a mind of itself. Aura independent of its owner. The Boy shook his head. There was nothing that he could do.
He could disperse the aura using another item that his mentor had given him but that aura had been created for a reason. Destroying it would be denying it that, something that the Boy didn't want to do. There was nothing he could do for the dead. Nothing at all.
"I'm sorry." She said to the aura and turned, seeing Officer Jenny at the end of the alleyway that he had just walked out of.
"Can I help you?" asked Jenny and the Boy took off his glasses. He let out a soft smile although there was a sense of sadness there.
"Who was it?" he asked as he pointed at the ground. "Who died here?"
Jenny immediately glared at the Boy and moved her hand to her belt touching her Pokéball on the belt.
The Boy raised both of his hands. "No, you misunderstand. I just want to know."
Jenny narrowed her eyes and answered. "A member of the AJD. Elton Hale."
The Boy nodded thinking. Was it connected to that mansion he had seen before? Regardless of that thought, he turned at the spot where he had seen the aura. "I'm sorry Elton. But you have a good rest now."
The Boy exited the alleyway, feeling the sun on his face. He had a job to do and this was no time to be distracted. "Now, Officer, can you take me to the Nacrene Museum? I have something to do there."
"Where did it gooooo?!" yelled Ash into the air. They had spent quite a while looking for Minccino but to no avail and it had troubled Ash greatly. Just how fast did it over using its aura?
"Say Cilan." Asked Bianca. "Do you have anything shiny at all?"
Cilan nodded as he took off his bag and took out is serving dome and a spoon, holding them side by side. "See? Have a look at that sparkle! That is the result of hard polishing on silverware!"
Bianca nodded and snatched the spoon and dome out of his hands and without hesitation, rubbed the spoon in the dirt.
"Wait! What are you doing?!" he demanded, his aura circling around him due to his negative emotion. "Please stop!"
Bianca did so and looked at the spoon. "There we go! All done!" She said that as she ran towards a plateau of grass in enthusiasm.
"What is she doing?" wondered Ash as he watched her go.
"Ahh.I see." Said Iris and Ash looked at her. She felt a bit surprised that he could do so without a second thought and she had trouble answering as she thought of the Scar on his back. Still she gulped and answered. "R-Remember? Minccino loves dirty things."
Ash nodded and then looked at Bianca. It seemed that he had developed the same idea.
The spoon lay on the ground and Bianca held up the serving dome in the air with her aura, it hovering strangely like a UFO.
"Whyyyyy?!" asked Cilan as he complained about his spoon.
Ash and the others ignored him. "Do you think it'll work?" he asked the others to which Pikachu asked the same by tilting its head with a "Pika?"
Bianca didn't answer because ahead of them the sound of movement could be heard and the others crouched down behind the bush that they were hiding behind.
"That's-!" exclaimed Ash as he looked at Minccino approaching.
"Shh!" said Iris and Bianca as they continued to watch.
Minccino approached the spoon, not noticing the hovering serving dome above it. It sniffed the spoon and went toward it, its tail glowing blue as it cleaned the spoon.
"Now!" said Bianca as she released her aura and the serving dome dropped. The dome dropped on the surprised Minccino and Bianca squealed in happiness however this was short lived.
Minccino stood up and the serving dome did as well as it moved, the serving dome doing so as well. "Wait! Where are you going?!" demanded Bianca as she raced after it, using her aura to speed herself up.
"Wait up! Minccino's got my spoon as weeeeell!" shouted Cilan as he ran after Bianca as well leaving Iris and Ash behind.
Ash frowned. "This isn't gonna work. At this rate all it'll be is us chasing Minccino all over the place."
Pikachu nodded with a "Pika."
"Then what do you suggest?" asked Iris. "It's either that or battling. And if you do that, you'll get hit by Aura Tickle again."
Ash smiled as he looked at Iris. "You leave the thinking part to me Iris." He said as he patted her shoulder. "Catch up to others and we'll meet at the river!" Ash went off the plateau and onto the dirt path as he ran Iris blushing slightly as she touched the shoulder that Ash had touched. What was he planning?
Iris didn't know but she trusted him. So she used her aura to race after Cilan and Bianca.
Ash followed the trail let by Minccino as he used his Aura Perception to follow the route that it had taken. He did so with ease and sure enough instead of him chasing the others, the others were chasing him as he seemed to know where he was going.
He looked up at a tree where the aura had stopped and sure enough Minccino was there, cleaning the spoon with its aura.
"There it is!" said Bianca. "Alright then Ash take it away!" She pushed on Ash's back with her aura to increase the force and Ash cried out as he stumbled a bit before turning, frowning a tiny bit at the force that Bianca had used.
Iris and Cilan looked at him, wondering if it had hurt at all, the Scar going to the forefronts of their minds again. However Ash's quick movements made them realise that he was fine.
"Alright then Snivy let's go!" he cried as he threw his Pokéball. It burst open with a burst of light and Snivy appeared from it.
Minccino, realising that a battle was afoot jumped from the tree and faced Snivy.
"Wow." Said Bianca. "Just how many Pokémon does Ash have?" she wondered.
"Oh, a wide variety of course." Said Cilan. "And what about you? What other Pokémon do you have?"
"Hmm? Just Pignite!" she said. Iris and Cilan sweatdropped at the comment.
"Just Pignite?" asked Iris.
"Yeah! Aura Flame Charge is a good move to win a lot of battles!" she said with confidence.
"Just how long have you been travelling?!" asked Cilan.
"Ah? I just started a few weeks ago." Said Bianca and the others sighed. A few weeks and she only had one Pokémon?! "You see, my dad put off my journey for soooo long so I didn't get the chance to go on one! But I already have two Badges!"
"Oh well. That is one more than Ash." She said as she watched the mentioned trainer as he started the battle.
"Alright Snivy start off with Attract!" he commanded.
"Oh, good strategy." Said Cilan from the side. "That should manage to keep Minccino stunned for a while."
Snivy winked and pink hearts came from it, hearts that headed straight towards however by using its aura to jump, it managed to dodge. Ash gritted his teeth as it sailed into air watching it go.
And then Minccino winked pink hearts with a blue outline coming from its eyes.
"M-Minccino used Aura Attract!?" said Cilan in shock.
The hearts approached Snivy, circling it and all gathered upon the Pokémon, Snivy becoming infatuated with Minccino due to the attack taking effect.
Ash clicked his tongue. That was something that he hadn't expected at all. He pulled out a Pokéball from his belt and held it out, saying "Return Snivy!" A red ray came from the Pokéball and enveloped Snivy, drawing it into the ball. He looked at the Pokémon in front of him. "Who am I going to use…..?" he wondered.
Then as if to answer, Pikachu came from behind the rock that the others were hiding behind. "Pikapi!" it cried as it went to Ash's side. Ash looked at his Pokémon.
"Are you sure Pikachu?" he asked to which the reply was "Pi" with a nod. Ash smiled and pointed at the battlefield. "Then go Pikachu and use Iron Tail!" he cried.
Pikachu leaped onto the battlefield and into the air, its tail gaining a metallic shine. It launched itself down towards Minccino however it jumped using its aura at the last moment, bits of rock going in all directions. Minccino hovered in the air for a tiny bit before landing on the ground and fleeing and Ash called his next attack.
"Get close and use Quick Attack!" he called. Pikachu leaped forward and kept pace with Minccino who was using its aura to run faster, ramming into Minccino. It was pushed back and stopped and Ash took his opportunity.
"Use Iron Tail!" he said and Pikachu's tail gained the metallic shine and attacked Minccino. However it countered by making its tail glowing blue as it countered with Aura Doubleslap.
The attacks collided and an explosion of air came from the resulting attack, throwing water and loose rocks into the air as everyone covered their faces, most of them getting wet from the kicked up water.
Yet while it was still in the air, Minccino covered its ears by folding them and took a deep breath before letting it out, a blue glow following as it used Aura Hyper Voice.
As soon as Pikachu hit the ground it was hit by the attack and it covered its face, moving slowly backwards due to the force of the attack. The attack died down and Minccino used its aura to get in close, using its tail and putting it on Pikachu's stomach as it glowed blue.
"Look out!" cried Bianca. "It's going to be Aura Tickle!"
Indeed, Minccino's tail moved rapidly as it rubbed Pikachu's stomach, Pikachu trying not to laugh as it tried to ignore the ticklish feeling.
"Hang in there buddy!" said Ash as Pikachu continued to avoid the feeling.
"Wow…." Said Bianca as she looked at the two of them. Professor Juniper had been right. Ash was definitely an interesting trainer, not using aura and focusing upon the will of his Pokémon to win. She smiled to herself at the scene. She was definitely going to have a battle with him!
Eventually, Minccino's stamina dropped and it stopped the attack. This was their chance!
"Alright Pikachu, finish this with Aura Zap Cannon!" Bianca shouted towards Ash and Pikachu.
"You sit down and watch! Stop telling my Pokémon to use moves that they can't use! Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"
Bianca sat down, somewhat deflated as she was ignored and Pikachu nodded. "Chuuuuuuuuu!" it said as it unleashed a Thunderbolt towards its opponent.
The attack landed, the effect multiplied due to the water that covered Minccino's body and it cried out as a yellow light appeared around it, dying down and Minccino wobbled a tiny bit.
"Alright then Pikachu! Finish this wi-" began Ash however he stopped as his head was pushed down as someone from behind used an Aura Hand to stop him. "Wha-?" he said in surprise.
"Come on Ash! Let me catch this pleeeeease!?" pleaded Bianca as she stepped forward rummaging through her bag as Minccino was still stunned. She looked and her expression fell as she did so. She sat down and looked through it.
"Come on come on! Where is it!?" she asked rhetorically. "I put it in here!"
"What are you doing?!" declared Ash as he went to her and helped her look through the bag. "Let me help!" he insisted and they both looked through the bag.
And it while they did so that Minccino finally recovered from its shock and upon seeing that its opponent was occupied, decided to flee.
"Ah got it!" said Bianca as she thrust out the Pokéball that was covered in dust, hitting Ash in the face and pushing him into the water. He said nothing as he dripped and merely looked at the dirty Pokéball.
Minccino did so as well and its Pokémon instincts went full blast. It ran forward using its aura, ramming into Pikachu and hopping onto the fallen Ash's head using it as a step-up.
"Wah!" he said as his head was forced down again by the weight of the Pokémon as his face fell into the water. Bianca looked as Minccino went up to her shoulder and with a glowing tail, cleaned the dirty Pokéball.
It did so in a fast motion and suddenly, the Pokéball burst open.
"Min!?" it shouted in surprise as it was sucked into the Pokéball. Everyone blinked as the Pokéball shook once, twice, three times before clicking satisfyingly.
Bianca blinked and looked at Ash on the ground. "See?" she said. Ash sweatdropped.
"Does that even count?" he yelled at her.
Cilan let out laugh. "Well, then I suppose it's my turn to shine." He held out his hands and Ash saw using his Aura Perception that aura came from his hands and circulated around Bianca and her new Pokémon. "Hmm. Bianca's unique personality and Minccino's unique battling style sure make for a flavoursome combination!"
Ash let out a laugh and stood up. "Well, whatever Cilan just said. Good job Bianca." He said with a smile and walked towards the tree that Minccino had put all of their stuff in.
Bianca smiled and rubbed her face against the Pokéball. "Yeah! I just got Minccino!" she exclaimed with joy.
"And I got my Badge Case!" said Ash as he reached the case. However the branch that he was on didn't seem to support the weight of a human and it cracked and fell, Cilan's silverware and Ash falling.
However the landing wasn't on hard ground. Ash landed on something soft and blue, looking up to see Iris holding out her hands that glowed blue with a resigned expression on her face.
"Hey! Nice save I-" he stopped as something hard and metal hit his head causing him to fall again.
"Pikapi!" shouted Pikachu as it jumped onto the Aura Platform that Iris had made.
Ash let out a smile. "Wow, today's really not my day is it? Whatever. No need to worry."
The others had gone to the nearest Pokémon Centre and had all of their Pokémon healed.
"Thanks very much Nurse Joy!" said Ash. He had a bandage on his forehead however his cheerful attitude remained.
Nurse Joy nodded and passed Ash his Pokémon egg. "I did a check up on this as well." She said. "You're egg is one of the healthiest I've seen in a while!"
Ash smiled. "Wow! Thanks!"
Ash took the egg and held it in his arms Bianca looking at it. "So…what kind of egg is it?" she asked to which Ash shrugged. "Pretty neat….."she said and then smirked at Ash. "Say Ash how about a battle for the end of the day?"
Ash blinked and then returned the smirk. "Sure. You're on!"
Both trainers stood at the end of the battlefield at the back of the Pokémon Centre.
"How about this? We'll use on Pokémon each and the battle is over when they can't continue." Said Ash.
"Sure!" returned Bianca.
Iris and Cilan watched interested from the side. "This will definitely be interesting." She said. Axew nodded saying "Axew axew!" in agreement.
Bianca got out a Pokéball from her belt and spun her arm. "Alright now Pignite! I choose you!" The Pokéball burst open in a burst of light and Pignite appeared from it with a "Pig!"
"Not Minccino then?" asked Ash to himself. "Well whatever. The I'll use-"
"PikachuPikachuPikachu!" shouted Bianca. "I want you to use Pikachu!"
"Huh? Hang on it's my ch-"
"JUST DO IT!" shouted Bianca as she used her aura to project her voice frightening Ash.
Ash looked at Pikachu with a confuse glance and Pikachu ran in front of him. "Well?" he asked.
"Pikachu!" said Pikachu with a clenched fist.
"Alright then, Pikachu I choose you!" he said. Pikachu ran forward and it was Bianca that unleashed the first attack.
"Now Pignite use Aura Take Down!" she said. Pignite ran forward as its body glowed blue, charging into Pikachu head on. Pikachu cried out and was thrown into the air and Pignite turned.
"Now, follow that up with Aura Heat Crash!" she said. Pignite jumped up and with a "Nite!" a large sphere of flames that burned blue appeared around it. Pikachu recovered from the attack and Ash gritted his teeth.
"Pikachu use Iron Tail to cushion the impact!" shouted Ash. Iris and Cilan looked at him. Using Iron Tail and not aura? What did he mean?
Pikachu nodded and it tail gained a metallic shone as it pressed it against its back. Pignite's attack landed and Pikachu fell to the ground, both of the Pokémon landing on the ground in a burst of smoke and dust.
"Pikachu!" cried Iris from where she was. Axew cried out similarly with an "Axew!"
Cilan's face fell. "I don't think that even Pikachu could have managed to get through that."
The smoke cleared as Pignite fell to the ground, a large crater with Pikachu are the centre in the middle of the battlefield. It struggled to stand up however it did so.
"Hah? How did Pikachu manage to-?" asked Bianca but was cut off by Ash.
"Iron Tail." He explained. "When Pikachu fell it used Iron Tail at the last second. And when it hit the ground, the Iron Tail caused all of the energy to be focused on the ground meaning that although Pikachu may have had some damage, it avoided the full brunt of the attack!"
Ash smiled and looked at Pikachu. "Ready buddy? Use Volt Tackle!" Pikachu raced forward, electricity surrounding its body as it ran forward.
"Counter that with Aura Flame Charge!" said Bianca. "Full power!" Pignite created a dust cloud and appeared from it with flames that burned blue around it. Ash smiled to himself. If the attack was going to be 'full power' then the negating would have to be large. And Pignite would receive all of it! That mixed in with the Volt Tackle…..
The attacks collided and immediately after, an explosion of air rocked the entire Pokémon Centre. Iris and Cilan cried out as a large amount of dirt was kicked up into the air. The trainers covered their faces and cried out for their Pokémon.
Pignite fell onto the ground bouncing a few times, Pikachu doing the same however managing to stand up regardless. Pignite didn't and lay on the ground.
"Pignite!" said Bianca as she looked at her Pokémon.
"Well then, it appears that Pignite is unable to battle. So Pikachu and Ash are the winners!" announced Cilan from the side.
"Axew ew…" said Axew as it hid in Iris's hair to avoid swallowing some dust.
"*cough cough*Wow. What a battle. It'd be hard to see how Bianca has more Badges than Ash." Said Iris as she coughed. Cilan did the same and nodded.
"Alright then Pignite….Return. You did great." She said. She looked at the other trainer on the other side and jumped over using her aura to reach him.
"Say say Ash!" said Bianca as she approached him. Ash and Pikachu looked at her as the responded to her outburst. "I may have lost today but I will get better! Professor Juniper was right to suggest you to me! And that means that next time, you won't be so lucky!" she winked at him and Ash nodded slowly. "So, good luck with your Gym Battle!"
She ran off and used her to boost her speed, waving as she eventually disappeared.
"Man, she moves fast." Said Iris as she looked at Bianca go as they approached Ash.
"Yeah, well that is her pace." Said Cilan.
Ash smiled. "Professor Juniper suggested me to her?" he asked aloud and turned to his friends seeing if they had an answer.
"Well….you definitely aren't like most trainers." Said Cilan. "You eve-" he paused as he remembered that Scar on his back, something that definitely made him different from other trainers.
Ash realised that Cilan was uncomfortable and spoke. "Well whatever. I got to have a good battle and my new Badge Case is nice and clean!" He looked at it as it sparkled in the sun.
"Alright! Pretty soon I'll have two Badges in this Case!" Ash declared, a silent challenge that was declared to his next Gym Battle.
And that'd be the end so far. What with a new rival and a new character profile, I have done a lot so far! And here it is!
Bianca
Aura level: Medium
Aura abilities: Uses aura to levitate objects in the air
Uses aura to project voice
Of course, I'll probably expand on this in the future. And what with Ash revealing his Scar, there will be something here as well and maybe something on the Boy as well as something that leads into the Exorcist arc. Wow, I've got a lot going….
I feel that I usually end with the Boy's antics….
They had decided to stay at the Pokémon Centre that they had visited for the night. Having the Pokémon Centre's food was one way that Ash was able to be occupied and it made it easier for Iris and Cilan took have their private conversation away from him.
They moved to their room and locked the door with Cilan setting up a sound barrier for good measure. He nodded to Iris and she returned it. They both sat on their beds with Axew coming out of Iris's hair, wanting to listen to the conversation as well.
"So….." said Cilan as he started the conversation, finding a way to start to be very hard. It wasn't a topic that they wanted to speak of however they had to do it regardless.
Iris nodded. "Ash's Scar."
"Of course, the first question that comes to mind is how he got it." Said Cilan.
"But how are we supposed to ask that? Did you see it? I mean, of course you did, you were closer than me but did you see it? How are we supposed to ask how he got that?" Iris asked.
"Axew ew…." Said Axew as it looked down. Cilan's face grew troubled as he tried to think of a way to do so however none came to mind.
"But when do you think he got it?" he asked. "I remember something like this around 4 years ago. A story in the paper about a boy that was attacked in Kanto."
Iris looked at him. "Yeah, I remember something like that. I didn't really understand it at the time however do you think that kid is Ash? I mean, that means he's had it for four years! To gain a Scar like that at six…."
"Hang on…." Said Cilan. "Didn't Ash say that he visited Viridian hospital yesterday? He said he did so when he was six and the story that he told us, he said that he had a cane to carry with him. The timing fits."
"But there's no evidence! How are we supposed to know it that was Ash?" Iris voice grew louder as she grew frustrated. "I mean, how could he hide that from us?!" she demanded.
Cilan frowned at her. "Well Iris, think about it. If you had a 'deformity' like that, would you want to show it to us? I think that since Ash did, that's his way of putting his trust in us."
Iris was silent and looked down at her mattress. Was this true? Was this the way of Ash to test them? To show that he trusted them?
She was about to say something however a knocking sound as heard from the door. Though sound couldn't get in or out from the aura sound barrier was set up, Iris and Cilan heard it. D-Did that mean that the sound barrier had been set up too large and someone had heard them?
A sound answered their question. "Deformity…I actually haven't heard it been called that."
Iris and Cilan eyes went wide and they slowly moved towards the door and opened it. Ash and Pikachu on his shoulder stood there however they had soft smiles on their faces, something that they thought would not have been a facial expression to wear.
Ash stepped into the room and walked past them, sitting down on his bed, the one of the most left while Iris's next to his and Cilan's on the right.
Seeing no point in it, Cilan pulled down the sound barrier and both of the travellers walked to their beds, looking at Ash. He rubbed Pikachu's chin and a silence entered the room. It was clear that Iris and Cilan wanted to say something but how could they?
Ash paused and then got off his bed, going to his bag, opening it and then pulling a piece of paper out. He passed it to Iris and she gazed at it.
Boy gets attacked in Kanto
She merely looked at it, putting it behind her to let Cilan see it and he gulped. They both looked at Ash who went to scratching Pikachu again.
"The media didn't state my name. After all, I was just six. The details of my wound are actually not that accurate. It was much worse."
Iris covered her mouth, letting out a small gasp and Cilan bit his lip as Ash spoke. The newspaper article had been quite graphic and to think that it was worse? They looked at him and Ash saw in their expression curiosity. Of course, that was to be expected.
"Ultimately, my spine was almost severed." He said in a tone of voice that contained a hint of sadness. "Hence the cane that you know about. I was attacked by a friend, well he is one now. He wasn't at the time and the attack was rather violent as you can see. I was in the hospital for a month." He said.
Iris and Cilan said nothing and Ash let out a sigh. "Anything else?" he asked.
Iris swallowed and asked her question. "Why did you show us? I remember that time with Snivy, you were bleeding and Cilan was about to lift up your shirt. However you stopped him. You didn't want to show us then so why now?"
Ash blinked a few times. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked to which Iris and Cilan shook their heads. "You said it yourself. I want to trust you guys." And that means that I have to tell you things about me. That Scar is one of the things that definitely isn't something that I can hide."
There was more silence and Ash lay down. "What you want to do from now on is up to you. If you want to continue travelling with me, I'll be pleased however if you feel too uncomfortable then I wouldn't blame you if you left." Ash remembered that Max hadn't spoken to him for a week after he had showed her and it was natural for people to avoid him after they knew about it. After all, that was what happened in his own hometown after all.
He glanced at them and they returned the glance. Cilan opened his mouth however it was Iris that spoke first. Or rather it was her aura did. It swirled around her in response to her negative emotion and Axew moved back with a low cry of "Axew….."
"What do you mean it's up to us!?" she shouted. "You show us that so we can trust you and then you think that we would abandon you?! What kind of friends do you think we are?!"
Ash's eyes went wide both at what she said and also at her aura circulating around her. She… was angry. But at him? No…it was at the idea that he had put forward. That he gave up on them, that he gave them the option to leave. He had trusted them and then gave them an option to flee.
Cilan nodded. "I agree." Ash didn't see any aura circulating around him however when he used his Aura Perception he could see it. Cilan was angry to, but not to the extent that Iris was. Had she said what he had been thinking? "We said that we were your friends Ash. We aren't shallow enough to say things without meaning."
Ash looked at the two of them and smiled. He blinked and something wet formed at the corners of his eyes. He wiped them away and spoke.
"Thanks you guys. Thanks really." He said.
Iris's aura died away and both she and Cilan smiled at him. They nodded at each other.
"I'll do my best to not hide anything from now on. After all, we're friends." He said.
They all shared a laugh however Ash still kept a secret in his heart. His nature as an Aura Zero. Everyone had common ground. The universal rule that everyone has aura. However Ash did not. He did not have that common ground. He was a freak. He was different. Would they accept him because of that?
He had no idea but he would have to wait. Have to wait for the day that he finally told them.
But now was not that time. Now was the time was cheer and laughter. Ash wanted to treasure that moment. Because Iris and Cilan were right. They were his friends.
And now was the time for cheer and laughter.
Greenfield was beautiful this time of year. The air brought the Hoppip in from all directions and the windmills turned in a slow rhythm. The mansion on the top of Greenfield had once brought along some media attention however this had all died down.
However that was only on the surface. The doors of the mansion were open and the owner of the house stood stunned as he received the news.
A Pokémon Ranger called Solana and a member of the AJD called Rodney in front of him. All of the victims of the Aura Taker had now been identified to the media after an information blank and it was now that the man received the news.
Of course he had known or at least the world had hinted as such. Not returning calls. Mysterious 'blanks' in his information. The owner of the house now knew. His brother, Elton Hale, was dead. Murdered in Nacrene City.
They had a mansion near there as well however Elton had stayed there before heading to Nacrene. To think that he had been so close to them when he had died!
"Daddy?" asked a voice behind the man. He turned to see his daughter, one of the things that were his light in the world. The events of the Unown had tormented his mind for a few months however he no longer had any nightmares. "What's wrong?" she asked.
She had a blue bow in her hair and wore mostly blue, her short stature making her father look down at her.
"Well, it's about Uncle Elton, Molly." Said the man. "I need you to come with me. These people are going to come with us." The man looked at them and they nodded back letting themselves inside.
"Get your mother Molly. And pack your bags. After this, we're going to Unova."
It was night that the Nacrene Museum gained a visitor to its door.
"You….you are the specialist?" asked the assistant director of the Nacrene Museum. He was a middle aged man with glasses and a sharp suit that the Boy wanted to pat him on the back for. However there was no necktie. He lost points for that. "I…I thought that you'd be older." It was clear that the man had thought the call was a joke but the Boy had shown his fake ID.
"Well…Hawes." Said the Boy as he read his name tag. He had cleaned up in the afternoon before heading to the Museum. "I am older than I look. But enough about age. Shall we go?" he asked. Many workers were moving past him and he saw that they carried all sorts of historical artefacts.
Hawes saw him looking and spoke. "The Nacrene Museum has an exhibit premiering tomorrow. We're just getting the artefacts in now."
"I see." Said the Boy. "And that is?" he asked as he pointed to what was in Hawes's hand. It was a yellow mask with a face on it and the Boy felt that it looked awfully similar to a Yamask's mask.
"Hmm? This is a part of the exhibit. Shall you look? You did say that you were a historian. What was it you said? You know it so well you lived it?" asked Hawes.
"Something like that." Said the Boy with a smile as he received the mask. He looked it over and gave it a sniff before handing it back.
"You might want to return that back to its owner." He said mysteriously. "Don't put it in the exhibit. I can smell that something uses it currently. " Hawes was about to ask why or how he knew that however the Boy walked past him and headed into the Museum.
Hawes shook off the remark as a joke and showed the Boy what he wanted to see. His face lit up as soon as he saw it.
"Ah….so you're the cause of all this trouble…" said the Boy as he leaned in and looked at the rock in front of him. Perfectly normal in appearance. However there was definitely something more to it than that.
"Ah, so what are you going to do with the Meteonite?" asked Hawes.
The Boy turned and patted him on the shoulder. "Well give me 6 hours by myself and that rock there, no questions, a milkshake and an air-conditioned room and that's all you need to know. After all…." The Boy straightened his necktie. "Let the specialist do his work."
It was time. Time to understand what made this rock so special.
And that's the end. What with the tiny fragment leading into the Exorcist arc, well actually a large fragment, there's a lot going on now. I hope that you guys look forward to this next arc and did you notice the lead in for the next chapter?
Anyway I hope that you guys enjoy the day as it is and enjoyed reading this chapter.
And as always,
Review if you please
And I guess I'll see you when I see you and I won't if I don't.