Chapter 30: Breaking Iron

A stunned silence was all that followed May's declaration. Ash just stood there, his mouth agape and eyes wide with shock and horror. The only sound to be heard was the waves of the ocean quietly batting against the boat. The sky seemed a little brighter, as the gray in the clouds above faded a bit.

"No," Ash finally said. "That...that's not…"

"Ash," May said sadly, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder. He recoiled as though she were a stranger.

"No!" he cried. "You're wrong! That's impossible! No one would ever –!" His cries of anguish were silenced when May forcefully put her hand over his mouth. He tried to get her off, but she stayed firm, placing her other hand on his shoulder.

"Ash, please," she pleaded. "Calm down. I know this is hard to accept, but you need to listen to me. Please, just give me five minutes to explain what I'm saying."

Ash blinked, then his tense body relaxed as he sighed. "Sorry," he said. "It's just...I can't bring myself to believe that one of my friends – one of the people I consider a part of my own family – would sell us out like this."

"Neither can I," May shook her head as she dropped her arms. "But how else could the Messenger have found us? Shadow told us that nothing outside the Chaos field would be able to see us from outside as long as the Chaos Emerald stayed put. The emerald hasn't moved at all since we left Pallet Town...and yet the Messenger was able to find us. That can only mean that someone on this boat alerted them to our presence."

Ash listened intently. When she finished, he turned away and put his hand over his eyes. "But why?" he said softly, his voice choking up. "Who could've done this?" May could hear him sobbing. "Who could have made the choice to turn their back against their own friends, and why?"

Tears began to well up in May's eyes as well. "I...I don't know, Ash," she shook her head. "This is all so sudden and horrible; I'm just as horrified as you are." She leaned forward and embraced him. He returned the embrace, still crying. "But I promise you that no matter what happens, everything's gonna be okay. We can still win this battle." She adjusted her head a bit so her lips were right next to Ash's ear. "I promise."

Her words sent goosebumps down Ash's spine: the good kind of goosebumps that one gets from an exhilarating experience. After a moment of hugging, Ash pulled away. He was smiling again, but his eyes were filled with sadness and conflict. "Thank you, May," he said. "You're right. We're going to be okay, no matter what happens." His smile disappeared. "But again, who could've done this? And why?"

"I don't know," May shook her head again. "What are we gonna do, Ash? Now that we know one of our closest friends is a traitor, how can we trust them?"

"We can't," he sighed. "But we can't not trust them, either."

"I know," she said. "That's the biggest problem, here."

"If we cut ourselves off from them, then we'll be no better than our betrayer," Ash said, grinding his teeth. "To leave everyone in the dust because one of them's a traitor is just another kind of betrayal."

"But we can't confide in them, either!" May groaned. "Dawn's always been one of my best friends, and if she's the traitor –"

"NO!" Ash shouted suddenly, abruptly putting his hands on her shoulders and clutching them tightly.

"Ash?"

"We can't think like that," he shook his head, a frantic look in his eye. "We can't even start to think like that. That will only create division between us all." He lowered his gaze so his eyes were obscured by his hat. "I can't let that happen. It would tear me apart."

May relaxed under his grip as he loosened it. "You're right," she said. "I'm sorry. But then what do we –?"

"We have to keep this a secret from everyone else."

She blinked. "What?"

"If the others know that there's a traitor in our midst, then it'll divide us," he explained. "But if you and I are the only ones who know that someone's a traitor, then we can quietly keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. Then, if we notice anything, we can meet in secret to talk about it."

May listened to what he said, then sighed. "I don't like keeping big secrets like this from people who are important to me, especially my little brother." She gazed into his eyes. "Is it okay to tell him at least?"

"I'm afraid not," Ash shook his head sadly. "I know you love him very much, but we can't let him know."

May's eyebrow twitched as slight anger found its way into her voice. "You're not saying you think he's the traitor, are you?!"

"I'm not accusing anyone of anything!" he said, putting his hands up defensively. "I don't believe your little brother is a traitor any more than you do! I want to believe he's innocent just as much as you do. I want to believe everyone on this boat is innocent." He lowered his hands solemnly. "But someone on this boat has betrayed us. I don't know who did it, or why, but until we find answers, I won't continue the cycle of betrayal. I won't accuse anyone until we know the truth."

May relaxed as he spoke. "I guess you're right," she sighed. "So we keep this a secret, just the two of us?"

"Yes," Ash nodded. "I know it's not what you want, and it's not what I want, either. But it's the best way to keep our group together and prevent all hell from breaking loose." He put his hand on her shoulder. "It's like you said: we're going to be okay, no matter what happens."

She smiled at his reassuring touch and placed her own hand over his own. For a moment, they just stood there, gazing into each other's eyes without reservation. Unfortunately, their moment was interrupted by a bell ringing at the top of the boat. They turned and saw Tails ringing it.

"We must be about to arrive," Ash said.

"Then let's go," May agreed. "Eggman is waiting."

How long will you be able to keep my secret, Ash? How long will it be before my betrayal destroys you? It's only fair that I be allowed to watch you suffer. My master will spare your life for now.

But you cannot escape your fate. You will perish, just as he decreed. But NOT before you beg for the sweet release of death.

That is something I look forward to hearing...every day. Heheheheh...hehahahahahaha! AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!

A Weavile slept in the harbor of Selen Island. The ocean was fairly peaceful as it snored the day away. Unfortunately, peace was not to last. The sound of a bell caused the Weavile to stir in its sleep. It placed its claws over its ears to block out the sound. In the end, it proved futile, and it stood up, grumpy. However, when it recognized the figure standing at the helm of the boat, its demeanor pulled a 180, and it hurried off to find its trainer.

"So this is the Ferrum region," Sonic mused as he set foot on land.

"Doesn't look much different from anything we've seen so far," Tails said.

"I don't think there are any new Pokemon here," Ash said.

"What makes you say that, Ash?" Misty asked.

"Well, I probably would've heard of them at some point or another while in Kalos. I haven't heard anything."

Misty smiled at her old friend. "That's our Ash," she said warmly. "Always looking for his next big adventure."

He returned her smile as her words warmed his heart. Then he abruptly remembered what he and May talked about, and he turned away with a grunt. Misty was surprised by his sudden change in demeanor.

"Ash?" she said. "Is everything okay?"

"Huh?" he looked back at her, fumbling with his words. "Oh, yeah! Everything's fine! I'm just...er...a little winded from the trip. Yeah, that's it!" Dammit, Ash! he cursed to himself. Get a hold of yourself! You're making a fool of yourself!

"Are you sure?" Brock interjected. "You seem a little off."

"Yeah, I'm fine, guys, really," he smiled, calming down and putting his hands out in front of him. "Just a little winded. Once we get to exploring, I'll be back to normal."

"Are you absolutely positive?" Brock asked. "It seems like something's bothering you."

"You know we're here for you, right?" Misty said softly. "You know you can trust us."

Her words rendered Ash completely silent as a blank, slightly pale expression forced its way onto his face. I thought I knew he said in his mind, where they couldn't hear him. But now I'm not so sure. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth. Oh, Misty...Brock...I wish I could tell you the truth...but I can't! If there was ever a time I needed you, it's now. I need all of you...and yet I can't trust any of you. Not until I know who's stabbing me in the back.

"Ash?"

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Misty's voice again. "Are you sure nothing's bothering you?" she asked in a caring tone.

He was about to retort with the same answer he'd already given, but he stopped himself and just sighed. "Okay," he said. "Yes, there is something bothering me. But it's a personal issue: it's something I have to take care of myself. Believe me, you guys would be the first people I'd call for if I believed you could help me. You guys are my best friends. But this is something I have to do, and I have to do it alone."

"I thought so," Misty smiled.

"Can you at least tell us?" Brock asked.

"No," Ash shook his head. "If I could, then I already would've. I'm sorry, guys."

"It's okay," Misty replied in understanding. "Just promise us that if there comes a time when you can tell us about this personal issue, you will."

"No problem," he grinned.

"That's better," Brock smiled.

"Hey, guys!"

They turned and saw Sonic tapping his foot impatiently. "Are we gonna get going or what? Eggman's not asleep right now, you know!"

"Let's go!" Ash pumped his fist excitedly and looked down at his feet. "You ready, Pikachu?"

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered as he jumped up onto Ash's shoulder. With that, they all set off. Misty and Brock stayed in the rear.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Misty asked Brock.

"Yeah," Brock nodded. "That was odd. It's not like Ash to keep to himself like that, especially not from us."

"Hmph," Misty grumbled. "What's so personal that he had to keep it a secret from us anyway?!"

"Knowing Ash, I'm sure he has his reasons," Brock said.

"Weavile!"

Everyone jumped on hearing the familiar voice. A Weavile ran up to them and greeted them, followed quickly by a familiar face.

"Nia!" Ash and Sonic exclaimed.

"Hi!" the brunette smiled. "Long time no see!"

"Nia, we need your help," Sonic said. "Eggman's built a massive theme park in the Ferrum region, and we need to shut it down."

"What?" Nia's eyes widened. "Where?"

"I don't know," Sonic shook his head. "I was hoping you had an idea, but I guess not. Can you at least find a place for us to rest after our trip?"

Nia nodded. "Old Ferrum Town is towards the center of Ferrum. It's a quiet place, so it should be ideal for you to get some rest. I'll guide you there."

"Excellent," Tails said. "Hopefully from there we can locate Eggman and put a stop to his scheme once and for all!"

At long last...the final stage is about to begin!