Chapter 14 – All Revealed
Ash Ketchum, the Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town, known and loved by many people lost the Kalos League and went to train with Lance, the Dragon Master. After three years and no news about him, Lance returned and set up a Tournament to celebrate the centenary of Elite Four inviting 100 trainers from all regions, and among them were Serena, May and Dawn three girls moved by love and with the same objective of finding Lance and acquire information about Ash's whereabouts. Once they got at Indigo Plateau, they had to deal with the feelings of each other by the Pallet boy, as well as jealousy, envy and rivalry, but at the same time friendship, cooperation and understanding, which made a friendship that already existed get even stronger, and a new friendship turn into something powerful.
They also saw a new enemy appears, meddling into their objective and even attacking them. But they passed through that situation strongly and reached the Tournament finals. Now they see the one they sought for the past days turn into their enemy even if it is against his will, but yet their enemy. And now before the adversities that await them, they have never been more certain about their love by Ash Ketchum, and they will fight to free him Team Tenebris and the so called The Lady.
ELITE FOUR HEADQUARTER
After the events at the Stadium, Dawn, Serena and May were taken to the Elite Four headquarter inside a meeting room, waiting Lance and the others to arrive
"Why are they taking so long?" asked Serena "Lorelei said Lance was just going to make a call but we've been locked into this room for almost an hour now"
"I can't stop thinking about Ash" said Dawn "Did you see his eyes?"
"They were white" said May "Like there was no life inside him"
"For almost three years I tried to hate him" said Dawn "I was mad because of his absence, but I never forgot him. I don't know when I started loving him… but I never regret these feelings"
"I know when I started loving him" said May "I guess I always had a crush on him… but to love… It was when he left to train with Lance and came to my house. He was so gentle and caring. I regretted not going with him to Sinnoh"
"It would have been nice to travel with you" said Dawn
"I think so too" said May "But I think we would have been rivals rather than friends"
"I.." started Serena
"What Serena?" said May
"I… always loved him" Said Serena "The first time I saw him it was… magical. Not because of him, but the moment itself"
"What do you mean?" asked Dawn
"I needed someone and he came to save me" said Serena "For years I waited for the moment I would start my journey to look for him. And who would have thought that he would come to me once more after so many years. I knew he was special"
"I think he gave each one of us different reasons to love him" said May "That's why we are doing this for him"
After that moment of truth feelings the door behind them opened and through it came the Elite Four led by Lance who sat in front of them at the other side of the table. Bruno, Lorelei and Agatha remained up behind Lance
"Sorry to make you wait this long" said Lance "I had to make a phone call and took longer than I expected"
"So Lance" said May "You said you were going to tell us everything you know"
"And so I am" said Lance
"You may start" said Dawn
"Well, as you know I took Ash to train with me three years ago" started Lance "And by now you three realize that something went wrong"
"Tell us something new Lance" said Serena
"Actually, our training was a success" Lance continued "I offered Ash an opportunity to grow and improve his abilities as trainer. An opportunity he grabbed with all his heart. But deep inside me, even though I wanted to help him… I had a selfish purpose behind it"
"Don't say that Lance" said Lorelei "It was an exchange of favors"
"Yes Lorelei" said Lance "But I was the only one who knew it. I just told him later"
"Which purpose was that?" asked May
"I wanted Ash to replace me as the new Dragon Master" said Lance
"Ash is not a Dragon type trainer" said Dawn "Why would he?"
"Being a Dragon Master is more than just train Dragon type Pokémon" said Lance "It's a philosophy of life"
"What do you mean?" asked Serena
"The Dragon Master has access to the Temple of Dragons" said Lance
"The Temple of Dragons?" asked May
"That's right" said Lance "The Temple of Dragons was built by the first Pokémon Dragons that walked on our land. It was built to house the first Dragon Master, a trainer chosen by the Dragons themselves to protect the Dragons and the world from any threats that could appear. The Dragon Master also had to learn the way of the Dragons and teach the next generations all about it. That's what being a Dragon Master is all about"
"And don't forget that the Pokémon that are trained within the Temple get twice stronger than any other" said Lorelei
"And you wanted Ash to become the next Dragon Master?" asked Serena "Without ask him?"
"How could you put this responsibility into Ash's shoulders?" said Dawn
"I didn't" answered Lance "After telling him everything I told you, he seemed to be interesting in becoming the new Dragon Master"
"So Ash is the new Dragon Master?" asked May
"No!" said Lance "We never finish our training"
"You said the training was a success" said Serena
"It was" Lance said "I taught Ash all stages of the dragon's philosophy training. There was just one that remained incomplete. And it was this one which defeated him before The Lady"
"The mind control" said Serena
"That's right" said Lance "I was teaching him to strengthen his mind to avoid such psychic powers, but… I was naive to think I could leave Ash finish that training alone without my supervision… That was my mistake, and that's why it is my fault his mind was took over by The Lady"
"But why did you let him leave?" asked Dawn
"I am a human being Dawn" said Lance "After almost three years of training, I started to see sadness on his face. He missed home; he missed his friends and most of all… He missed you three"
"So he asked you to let him go?" asked May
"No" said Lance "He would never do that. I told him to leave and finish his mind training by himself since by that time he had already learned the basics. I told him to go see his friends, rest and meet me at the Temple in two months"
"And?" asked Serena
"He never showed up" Lance said "I went to Pallet looking for him… but he never reached it. The Lady caught him much before that"
"Why would The Lady catch him?" asked Dawn
"To get me" said Lance "Unlike Ash my mind is too strong for The Lady's control powers. She's been trying to get into my mind for a long time"
"To have access to the Temple of Dragons" said May
"Exactly" said Lance "If The Lady enters the Temple, she will be able to provide her Pokémon a huge power. Enough to take over the Whole World"
"But why is she using Ash?" asked Serena
"Have you seen how Lance's Dragonite easily defeated Mascaro's Mega Tyranitar?" asked Lorelei "This is a power provides by the Temple of Dragons to the ones who knows the Dragon's Philosophy"
"Ash knows the Dragon's Philosophy" said Dawn
"So he is the only one who could stand a chance against Lance" said May
"Precisely" said Lance
"I don't understand" said Serena "How did she know you were training Ash at the Temple of Dragons?"
"That… was my fault as well" said Lance "The Lady has been trying to take the Temple over for many years, but in the last years…. she kind of disappeared"
"Disappeared?" said Serena
"Yes, she disappeared" Lance repeated "I thought she had given up the idea of taking the Temple over, or perhaps she had passed away… I don't know. So I let my guard down and…"
"And what?" asked May
"…I let Ash send a letter to his mother while we were training, but I believe it was intercepted along the way since it arrived damaged to his mother" said Lance "I didn't want to believe The Lady had returned so… I let it go. That was my worst mistake. On that letter Ash told everything to his mother, about the training, the Pokémon we were using… everything"
"That's how The Lady learned about Ash" said Lorelei "Ever since, she started to keep an eye on Lance again, and when Ash and Lance got separated… The Lady made her move"
There were a silence in the room Lance was visibly saddened by the fact that Ash's capture had no one to blame but him
"I desperate looked for him everywhere. I sent all Elite from all regions to look for him" said Lance "I knew he had been captured by The Lady when Team Tenebris started to act once more. It was too much coincidence and I know The Lady pretty well. I knew it was her"
"You seem to really know her Lance" said Dawn
"Yes… well" said Lance looking to Lorelei "To be honest, The Lady and I have a long relationship"
"How long?" asked May
"Since I was born" said Lance
"Does that mean that…" started Serena
"The Lady is my older sister" said Lance
May, Dawn and Serena got really surprised. Lance and The Lady were brother and sister
"Your sister?" asked Serena
"That's right" said Lance "We were trained together since our childhood by my father, the last Dragon Master. My sister was an amazing trainer with amazing skills, she had the talent to become the next Dragon Master"
"And what happened?" asked May
"We lost our mother in a fire accident" said Lance "My father was at the Temple and couldn't arrive in time to save us. My sister took me out of our home before it crashed down… but she couldn't save my mother. She blamed herself for not being able to save her. She said that if she had trained Psychic Pokémon instead of Dragons, she would have been able to foresee the fire and save her. After that she gave up training Dragons and started training Psychic Pokémon, but she still wanted to be the Dragon Master, and training Psychic Pokémon wouldn't be a problem for my father… but she started to lose herself into darkness and her own pain made her walk away from us. So my father named me the new Dragon Master instead of her. She never accepted his decision. And ever since we both have been into a "family fight" where she tries to prove that she is the real Dragon Master and I as the current Dragon Master, try to keep the world safe until I find the new Dragon Master"
Everybody remained in silence, most of them at least May, Dawn and Serena didn't know about Lance's personal life. It was kind of sad
"I am sorry for your mother" said Serena
"It was a long time ago. Many things happened after that. I survived and I am okay" said Lance "Now let's get back to the point. Lorelei you have the word now"
"Thank you Lance" said Lorelei "As you know Ash and Mascaro were called back to Team Tenebris headquarter. We believe they will come back as soon as they have a new strategy of attack. So we must attack them first while they are unprepared and vulnerable"
"Are you going to leave indigo Plateau alone?" asked May
"No" said Lorelei "Bruno, Agatha and I will stay here to protect Indigo Plateau, besides, due to the Tournament there are also many trainers around here well skilled, so we'll be prepared if they try a direct attack against us"
"And The Lady doesn't think we are going to attack them because she thinks we do not know where their headquarter is" said Lance
"And do you know?" asked May
"No" said Lorelei "We don't"
"What? So how are we going to attack them?" asked Serena
"That member from Team Tenebris, Costa, he said something about Pluma Island" said Dawn
"Yes we know" said Lorelei "That other member I arrested, Willfer, also said something about that"
"So this Pluma Island must be their headquarter" said May
"Pluma Island is how scientists call any Island which was once inhabited by Flying Pokémon and now is deserted" said Lorelei
"And how many Island like that might exist?" asked Serena
"So far over one thousand three hundred and twenty-six" said Lance
"You've got to be kidding?" said Dawn
"Unfortunately not" said Lorelei "We have our people searching at all islands, but it would take months to search everything"
"And The Lady wouldn't be that stupid to build Teams Tenebri's headquarter on the beach" said Lance "We believe it is buried underground. So we must know the exact island"
"What about this Willfer?" asked Serena "Can't he give us the exact island?"
"He doesn't know" said Lorelei "Apparently all Team Tenebri's members are teleported to the island by the Team's Alakazam"
"Damn it" said Dawn "What now?"
"Don't worry" said Lance "We do have a plan. But it still needs us time to complete"
"What plan?" asked May
"We have someone who has already been at Team Tenebris headquarter" said Lorelei
"Who?" asked Dawn
Lance and Lorelei looked at each other like they were trying to talk mentally to see if they should tell them
"Lance, tell us" said Serena
"You three come with me" said Lance getting up and leaving the room
Serena, Dawn and May also looked at each other but followed him immediately
They left the meeting room and walked ahead into a long and dark aisle. At the end they saw a red door
"This is the private Elite Four Pokémon Center" said Lance "All Elite Four Pokémon are healed here"
Lance opened the door and entered the room followed by the girls. In there a Nurse Joy was standing up, like she was expecting them
"Hello Lance" said Nurse Joy
"Hello Joy" said Lance "How are you?"
"Not good unfortunately" she answered "Are you here to show them?"
"Yes" he answered
"Come with me" Nurse Joy said walking to them to the ER until a bed covered with curtains
"Please try to keep calm" said Lance "All of you"
The girls were scared. What could be behind those curtains?
"Go on Joy" said Lance
Nurse Joy opened the curtains and there lay…
"…Pikachu?" asked Serena
"Oh my God" said Dawn
Pikachu was lying on the bed, many electrodes fixed on his head and pipes in his mouth that probably was helping him to breathe
"Pikachu" said May "Pikachu"
"It's no use May" said Lance
"Is… Pikachu…" started May
"No" said Lance "He's alive. But he is in some kind of coma"
"A coma?" said May
"We believe he was seriously injured in a battle" said Nurse Joy "We are trying to bring him back"
"What happened with him?" asked Serena crying
"I think he ran away from Ash when The Lady took his mind over" said Lance "But he was probably chased by Team Tenebris and somehow escaped from them"
"His physical and mental effort probably due to his battle made him faint and enter in this coma" said Nurse Joy
"Where did you find him?" asked Dawn
"He fainted into my garden" said a voice from behind them
May, Dawn and Serena looked dawn and saw a very familiar face
"Professor Oak" said May "You are here"
"Hello May, Dawn and you must be Serena" said Professor Oak "I remember you from my summer camp many years ago"
"It's a pleasure to meet you Professor Oak" said Serena with tears still falling off her face
"Don't cry" said Professor Oak "Pikachu will have no sequel or problems due to the coma. Let's think that he is just sleeping until he decides it's time to wake up"
Serena wiped her tears away and smiled to Professor Oak
"That's better" said Professor Oak
"So you found Pikachu at your garden?" asked Serena
"Yes" he answered "When I found him, I immediately called Lance and brought Pikachu here to be treated"
"And now we are trying to wake him up, because we believe he came all the way from Team Tenebris headquarter to here" said Lance "So he can take us to the correct island
"Poor Pikachu" said Dawn "Just like Ash he must have gone through so many things"
"He looks so sad and yet so quiet" said May
"He shouldn't be here. Neither Ash should be there" said Serena "They should be together. Doing what they are meant to do"
Serena, May and Dawn got close to Pikachu and gently leaned their heads kissing his cheeks
"Let's go girls" said Lance "Let's Nurse Joy continue her job"
"I walk you out" said Nurse Joy
They were about to leave the ER when they heard a noise
"What was that?" asked Serena
They all turned back and saw one of Pikachu's ear moving
"I can't believe" said Nurse Joy running back to Pikachu's bed "He is moving"
They all stood up around Pikachu's bed when suddenly…
"He did again" said May "He moved his ear"
Nurse Joy looked to the TV where Pikachu's electrodes were plugged in and saw small frequencies changes in his brain
"He is waking up" said Nurse Joy "I can't believe that"
Pikachu started moving his ear again, and then the other, and then his arms until he slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the people around him and said the only thing he always says
"Pikachu" he said
"Pikachu you are awake" said Serena crying again but now of happiness
"This is unbelievable" said Nurse Joy "How that happened?"
"The brain is a mystery, even a Pokémon's brain. It reacts differently depending on the situation" said Lance
"Lance is right" said Professor Oak "Pikachu has always received Ash's love, he was in need of love again. And Serena May and Dawn gave him his first taste of love in many months"
"I told you these girls were special" said Lance to Professor Oak
"So you did" Professor Oak answered
"Girls let Pikachu rest" said Lance "We can come back later"
Pikachu hearing that hold into Serena and May's arms in disapproval
"I think he doesn't want to stay alone" said Nurse Joy "I think they can stay with him this night"
"Agreed" said Lance turning away and leaving the ER along with Professor Oak
"So are we now closer to Team Tenebris?" asked Professor Oak
"With Pikachu awake, he may now give us information about how to get there" answered Lance
Lance and Professor Oak kept walking to the aisle back to the meeting room when they saw Agatha coming to them at the opposite direction
"Lance" said Agatha "We found them. They are at the meeting room waiting for you"
Lance smiled and looked at Professor Oak
"We are now even closer of Team Tenebris" he said entering the meeting room once more