Serena ran as she could away from the kid, but then tripped on an empty soda can that was littered on the sidewalk.
The kid slowly walked up to Serena with a twisted smile on his face. "Kee kee kee! You… shall… die!" The kid raised his bat above Serena.
Serena closed her eyes, believing this is it for her.
"What do you think you're doing kid!" a male voice shouted.
Serena opened her eyes, and saw a black-haired teenager in front of her, holding back the bat the kid had.
"I don't care what happened! You don't go around hitting people, especially with a metal bat!"
"…Die," the kid said.
Suddenly the boy got hit by an electoral attack.
The guy who rescued Serena turned to her and held out a hand to her. "Come on, let's get out of here!"
Serena blushed as she grabbed his hand and nodded.
"Kee kee kee… That weak attack won't stop me!" the kid said.
As Serena and the black-haired teen ran off, a pikachu jumped out and fought with the kid.
Serena and the teenaged boy lost the kid and were in another part of Rustburo.
"Thank you for saving me…" Serena said.
He smiled at her. "Glad to help. After all, I couldn't just watch as that kid brutally beat you without any fight!"
Serena blushed. "Well, it's a good thing you were around, or I wouldn't have made it out of there…"
He looked around with a concerned look. "A lot of people been acting so… strange lately."
"Strange? What do you mean?"
"Well, let's just say this isn't the first time I had to save someone like this…"
Serena blushed and looked away from him. "He saves a lot of people from dangerous situations like that… Wow, he's so heroic," she thought.
He looked at her arm. "Oh no!"
"What?"
"Your arm is bleeding!"
Serena looked over to her arm that was dripping blood. "Oh, I must have scraped it when I fell…"
He pulled out a handkerchief from his backpack and tied it on her wound. "That'll at least slow the bleeding down."
Serena stared at him with a deep blush on her face. "You're… so considerate. Thank you."
Ash smiled. "Hey, don't mention it!" He then looked back from where they ran with a worried look. "I hope Pikachu is okay… I should go back and look."
Serena gave a worried look. "I'll... go too."
"What?"
"It's the least I can do for you… and Pikachu."
He smiled. "Alright. But just know it's okay for you to not want to help out."
She shook her head. "I'll help. I…" She looked away with a blush. "I can't just walk away knowing the two who helped me escape could be hurt saving me!"
He gave her a serious look. "… I understand. Alright, let's go!"
"Before we go… My name is Serena. My I know yours?"
He let out a laugh. "Oh right! Of course… My name's Ash! Nice to meet you, Serena!"
Serena shyly looked away with a huge blush. "Nice to meet you too… Ash."
Ash and Serena made it back to the new clothing store, and saw Pikachu brutally beaten where they last saw him.
"Pikachu!" Ash frantically ran up to him.
Serena starred at the rodent with a horrified look. She couldn't believe anyone would do this to any creature, let alone a kid.
"Pikachu… I'm so sorry. I should've never left you…" Ash cried out. He held Pikachu in his arms as he cried in him.
Serena looked away with tears falling down her face. She felt so guilty. The poor pikachu got in this position because she had to trip and couldn't get away from him. "I'm so sorry…"
There was no response from the teen besides the weeping he was making for Pikachu.
Out of the shadows of the alleyway, the boy popped up with a twisted smile.
Serena's eyes got wide as she saw the boy slowly creep over. "Ash! Look out! Run!"
But it was no use. Ash was too distraught to listen to her.
The boy lifted up the bat above him. "Kee kee kee…"
"No! Please… don't hit him!" Serena pleaded.
But the boy ignored her and swung down towards Ash.
Serena looked away and screamed with tears running down her eyes. But suddenly, she heard the boy screaming and looked to see what happened. There she saw some brunette teenaged girl she never seen before blasting the boy with a light. Then she felt a paw to her leg and saw a skitty with a wand in her mouth.
Lunar put the wand down and whispered, "Serena… you are able to help. You are Guardian Mercury!"
"…A talking skitty?" Serena questioned.
Lunar frowned. "There's no time for this. The kid has broken free of Guardian Moon's attempt to heal it."
Serena looked over to the other girl and saw that she was on the ground with the wand she used far from her.
"Oowww… How'd he do that?" Guardian Moon asked.
Lunar sighed. "You didn't really expect to be able to heal the kid from the influence of the dark kingdom when he wasn't even weakened, did you?"
Serena looked down at the wand, but then at the skitty. "What do you mean, I am Guardian Mercury?"
Lunar gave her a serious look. "You are chosen by Arceus to protect the universe!"
"What? Me?"
"Yes…"
"How?"
Lunar gave a confused look. "Because Arceus choose you...?"
"But… I'm not heroine material at all! How can you be so sure?"
"T-that has nothing…"
"You must be mistaken. If anyone is a guardian… it's him!" Serena looked over at Ash.
"No. Guys aren't…"
Serena picked up the wand and ran over to Ash.
"Wait!" Lunar sighed. "Why is it so difficult for the guardians I find to accept their role?"
Ash watched as Guardian Moon ran away from the kid attempting to beat her with a metal bat as the kid destroyed the ground in trying to hit her.
"Ash!" Serena shouted.
Ash looked over to Serena.
"Here! You can stop the kid with this!"
Ash looked at it with an unconvinced look. "With… a girly toy?"
"Well, it'll help you become more powerful! With your courage Ash… you can stop the kid!"
Ash starred at her with a puzzled look.
"You see… I heard that kid is under the influence of the dark kingdom. And to stop him, he needs to be weakened and healed. With that wand, you can be like her…"
They both watched as Guardian Moon completely missed the boy after tossing her tiara.
"Nooo!" Guardian Moon cried.
"Well better than her! And she needs you! We all need you!"
Ash looked down at the wand, then at Pikachu with a frown. "I… can't do anything if I don't have Pikachu by my side."
Serena frowned. "I… I think Pikachu would want you to stop the kid for him."
"I felt like I can do anything with Pikachu. Without Pikachu… I just can't." Ash put his focus back on Pikachu.
Serena looked away with an irritated look. "Why is he acting like this? Doesn't he care for anyone besides Pikachu?" she wondered. She looked over to Guardian Moon, who was cornered with the kid slowly walking closer to her. Serena looked over at the wand and felt a connection. Then she closed her eyes with her desire to stop the kid making the wand react, and she transformed into Guardian Mercury.
Lunar ran up to her. "You did it!"
Guardian Mercury nodded. "So how do I help her?"
"Kee kee kee…" The kid raised the bat and was about to swing down when suddenly, he was frozen in his tracts.
Guardian Moon opened her eyes. "W-What happened?"
"I've stopped the kid with my powers. Now is your chance to heal him!" Guardian Mercury said.
The kid was staring to struggle free.
Guardian Moon nodded and pulled out her wand. Then she pointed at the kid, and it slowly pulled out a gastly. After that, it disappeared, and the kid fell to the ground.
A woman frantically ran to the kid. "What have you done to my son!" she shouted. She held her son in her arms. "I'm sorry, Tommy…"
Guardian Moon looked away full of guilt.
Suddenly, the boy opened his eyes. "Mom… What happened?"
"Tommy!" The mother squeezed her son and cried in relief.
Pikachu slowly opened his eyes and let out a weak sound.
"Pikachu! Pikachu you're alive!" Ash shouted.
The guardians smiled seeing that everything was turning up.
Guardian Moon walked over to Ash. "Hey, we should head to the pokemon veterinary to get it treated."
Guardian Mercury came over. "And we'll come with to explain what happened, so you won't get into trouble with being accused of having it battle."
Ash smiled. "Thanks Serena!"
Guardian Moon gasped. "Serena! You're okay!"
Serena gave Guardian Moon a confused look.
"It's me, May!"
Guardian Mercury beamed. "Thank you for coming back for me!"
Lunar sighed. "Girls… we really shouldn't have gotten a civilian in on all our secrets."
Ash gasped. "Woah! A talking skitty!"
May smirked at Lunar and crossed her arms. "Looks like we aren't the only ones messing up, Lunar!"
Serena giggled.
Lunar shook her head. "Like that matters now." She gave them a serious look. "Really, it's important to keep your human identities a secret! If everyone knows who you are, then the dark kingdom can come and kill you in your sleep!"
Guardian Moon started freaking out, knowing what Lunar says is true.
Guardian Mercury looked over at Ash with a blush. "But there's nothing to worry about. We can trust Ash!"
Guardian Moon relaxed. "If you believe that, then I know we can trust him!"
Serena smiled.
"Thanks, you two!" Ash said.
Lunar sighed.
"We should get Pikachu to the vet right away!" Ash ran off.
Guardian Moon starred to the ground with a frown.
"What's wrong, May?" Serena said.
"I just… I wanted to see him… Thorn again," May said.
Lunar glared at her. "Don't tell me you preformed terribly on purpose just because you hoped he'd come in and help again…"
"Of course not!" May crossed her arms. "It was not fun getting slammed on the ground and getting hit with debris from him slamming the ground with that bat!" She narrowed her eyes with a frown. "It's… just been awhile since I saw him and want to know if he's okay…"
Suddenly a rose popped down in front of Guardian Moon with a card addressed to her. May picked it up and read the card. Great job today, Guardian Moon! Looks as you're starting to get the hang of things! Guardian Moon smiled, knowing it was from Thorn and happy that he's still watching out for her.
"May, we should get to the vet with Ash!" Serena said.
May nodded. "Right!" They ran after Ash to the vet.