Chapter 26: Aid from a Former Enemy

Ash sat with Pikachu and Glaceon in the Pokemon Center. A day had passed already since he'd woken up. His heart ached from the feeling of knowing May was out there, in another time, being held by Harley. He saw some trainers nearby looking at several TVs from where he sat in the middle of the center. They were watching the Grand Festival which had just started. He saw many Pokemon Coordinators that had worked hard getting five ribbons with their Pokemon. The reporter announced the beginning of the event and the first coordinator came out, to Ash's surprise it was Serena's boyfriend Drew. Serena would likely be coming on stage any moment now as well.

As Ash only half watched, someone approached him. It was Nurse Joy.

"Ash Ketchum, you have a call!" she said. "All the way from Slateport City!"

Ash's eyes widened. That was where the Grand Festival was being held. It couldn't be.

But sure, enough when Ash got onto the video phone he saw Serena herself staring back at him from the other side.

"Ash! I saw what happened on the news!" she said as soon as she saw him. "Are you alright!?"

"I'm… well… I'm not fine," Ash said.

"And May is she…" Serena needed only see the look on Ash's face to get the answer. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I saw the report on the news and tried to call yesterday but they said you were the hospital."

It must have been some time before Ash woke up.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Serena asked.

Ash shook his head. "The man who took May was from her time. We'd have to go through time to get there."

"We did that once before remember?" Serena said.

Ash nodded. "Its not gonna be easy though Serena. I appreciate the offer but I don't think you're gonna just be lucky enough for something that can travel through to just fall out of the sky right there and be able to bring it to me."

Serena sighed. "You're probably right. But if I did, I'd drop this Grand Festival chance to help you save May!"

"Thanks Serena," Ash said, managing a smile. "You're a real pal, even though I know things didn't work out the way you wanted."

She nodded, knowing he meant her old crush on him.

"But I think I have to do this on my own," Ash said.

"No way!" she said. "As soon as the Grand Festival is over, I'm coming to Sootopolis! Then we're going to find a way to save May, no matter how long it takes!"

Ash chuckled. "You've certainly gotten a lot of confidence since we parted ways."

"I learned from the best," Serena said.

Ash smiled at her. She was right.

"Thanks Serena," Ash said.

"I'll see you soon!" Serena said. "We'll try and think of something! I have to go, my contest is soon!"

She hung up, leaving Ash with a bit more hope than he had had a few minutes ago. They would get May back. He'd done it once, without actually trying. He'd thought it would be impossible, but Dialga had brought her back. That gave Ash an idea.

"If I can find Dialga then maybe I can…"

At that moment a light shined from outside the Pokemon Center. Many trainers exclaimed and threw their attention away from the ongoing event being shown on the TVs. There was the sound something big hitting the ground outside and Ash thought he glimpsed a large familiar blue and silver leg.

"It can't be!" he exclaimed as he ran outside with Pikachu and Glaceon following.

As soon as he was out the door, Ash saw it. Dialga, the Time Pokemon that had once been his and May's sworn enemy a couple months ago. Ash had never been happier to see it.

"Well speak of the Pokémon, Dialga!" he exclaimed.

The giant Pokemon looked at him and spoke into his mind.

The princess has been taken back to her time again.

"Yes," Ash said. "Someone from that her time came and took her!"

I once made the mistake of taking her back, thinking it was the right thing to do. Why has this human done the same? Dialga asked.

"He wants to marry, she was intended to be his from birth," Ash said.

Ah, love again. Dialga said. It seems to be a constant thorn in my side when it comes to Princess May. First she refuses to return home because she wanted to be with you, now this man from her time took her back because of it.

Ash wouldn't call what Harley had for May love. Merely lust or maybe even… obsession. Defintely not love. No one who genuinely loved someone would ever force them to do something they didn't want to.

"He is probably gonna hurt her!" Ash said. "Force her to marry him when she doesn't want to."

Not really my concern Dialga said in Ash's mind. But if he hurts the timeline I must stop him. I sensed a new being from out of time, but I did not want to make the same mistake as last time rushing in. I waited and then the timeline began to form a new splinter that could damage it. This time I suppose I should have acted. Well, there is no undoing the past, only creating a new timeline altogether where the fracture is repaired.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

Well, with every time your princess comes back between times, things change. Dialga said. Surely you must have noticed things that were not there before such as legends surrounding her.

Ash recalled how the Nurse Joy from Mauville city had told him and May about the Mirage Tower back when they first met. How May had been a figure who had mysteriously disappeared. Yet she hadn't mentioned anything about May returning to be with the one she loved. It seems the future did change a bit with every time she went back and forth. What would happen now? Would a new legend be born? Would Ash be a part of it like he had discreetly as the knight Princess May had gone back to the future to be with?

"Yeah, things have changed I guess," Ash said. "But… are you willing to help me?"

Dialga nodded. "I will send you into the past to help you save the princess, brave knight. You are one of a dead breed in this time. Now knights are only a part of history. I hope you are prepared to walk among your ancient brothers."

Ash gulped at the thought of standing among men in armor with swords that didn't have pokeballs. But as he thought of May, he formed a determined look.

"I'll do whatever it takes to save May!" he said. "With my pokemon and hers by my side."

He gripped May's fanny pack tightly.

"Pika!"

"Gla!"

Pikachu and Glaceon spoke from behind him, agreeing with him.

"Let's go get her!" Pikachu said.

"Yeah!" Glaceon agreed.

Dialga smiled. He then opened his mouth and formed a wide blue portal for them all to step through. It was time for them to go her timeline and bring her back, Ash just hoped that she… and their child would be alright when they found her.

…

May was led by Akari into her old chamber. She changed into what was deemed a proper attire for a princess in this time. She emerged from behind her wardrobe in her traditional dress that she'd last worn for the medieval festival on Mossdeep island. She'd removed her red shirt, short skirt, gloves, shorts and shoes and socks. But she kept her bandana in her hair in a ribbon form as well her engagement ring. That was the only thing she had left of her time with Ash.

"Akari, what's wrong?" she asked her former lady in waiting.

Akari just gave her a sad gaze. May put a hand over her mouth as she realized what it was bad men did to women given the chance.

"Did they…"

Akari nodded. May gasped and stepped forward to try and hug her friend.

Akari put a hand up though.

"I don't want to be touched right now!" she said, her eyes lighting up with a fire of anger. "This is also partially your fault! If you hadn't returned to the future and married Duke Harley none of this would have happened!"

May's heart broke as she heard those words.

"Don't say that, Akari!" she said as tears leaked from her eyes. "I didn't know this was going to happen!"

Akari put a hand over her mouth as May had moments ago and tears leaked from her eyes as well.

"I'm sorry Princess!" she said stepping forward and wrapping her best… or perhaps it was better to refer to them as old friends now. "I didn't mean it."

"No, you're right," May said. "I didn't think there would be any consequences from Duke Harley after I left."

Akari sighed. "Honor is an important thing, your father made a promise to the duke's father before you were even born that you would be his wife. A promise like that is not taken lightly. If you had simply disappeared it might not have come to this but when your father let you go back to the other time he broke a promise that had been over eighteen years coming."

May looked down.

"But these men that serve Duke Harley are obviously not true knights of honor!" Akari said. "Real knights don't force themselves on women! They defend them!"

"My knight never would I know that," May said.

"You're lucky then," Akari said, her tone softening. "How is he?"

"Right now?" May said with a small smile. "Probably feeling as sad as I am. But after what happened before, I'm sure that something will happen to allow us to reunite again."

Dialga would likely sense that she had been taken back, he'd inspected the damage after he sent her back the first time. He'd know, and he might bring Ash as well. May smiled at the thought of that.

"In fact I think Dialga will know as well."

She then remembered something else she'd heard about from Norman V in Ash's time.

"Oh and while I was in the future, I learned about what happened in the pat. My father came back and defeated Harley!"

"He did?" Akari exclaimed.

"Yes!" May said. "So he and that awful knight Gregory won't get away with this!"

Neither of them heard the door open ever so slightly and an eye peek in.

"Good," Akari said before noticing something on May's finger. "Is that a wedding ring?"

"An engagement one yes," May said holding it out for her to see. "He proposed to me a little while after I returned from the past. Or present I suppose."

"You must still be a virgin then," Akari said.

"Actually no," May shook her head. "The rules are a little looser in that time, and I wanted to be with him in every way possible. Also…"

She put a hand on her slightly bulging stomach. Akari's eyes widened.

"You're…"

May nodded.

"Oh, May! That's so wonderful!"

"No, it's not!" A voice said, causing the two women to jump.

The door opened and Harley entered the room. They froze in fear as he glared at May dangerously.

"So, you laid with that thief. I thought you would at least have the virtue to wait till you were married! You little slut!" Harley growled. "And you are now carrying his child! A disgrace!"

May shivered.

"You will be punished harshly for this betrayal and all your other ones, princess!" Harley said as he advanced on her.

Strikes soon hit her and May cried out in pain as Akari watched in horror.

Authors Notes: Hey guys. I'm back again, and with some good news. My other story that I've been focusing on is almost done so I expect this fanfic will be back to being updated weekly by the beginning of next year or so. We are down to just 10 more chapters after this it seems from the plan I drafted. So that will probably mean this story will be completed in February sometime. Hope you have all enjoyed it so far.