Chapter 44: A Brief Respite
"Wha—"
Gary was taken aback by the sudden appearance of someone he did not expect to see.
"Daisy?"
The older sibling sprinted towards her younger brother and dug her nails into his shoulders.
The orange-haired boy's black shirt crumpled into her nails while its owner shivered at his sibling's scary expression.
"Sis, you're scaring me…" he quivered, momentarily broken from his depressed state.
"No time for that! Is Ash still battling?!" the teen demanded while Bill arrived behind her with a pink Butterfree and a large screen in tow.
"Yea… Yeah. That idiot's about to lose right now…" Gary answered with a confused look, not forgetting to insult his rival at every chance he could get.
"Let's go, Bill! Take us to the closest stand to Ash!" Daisy ordered with her adrenaline clearly off the charts.
Nodding, Gary showed them the way with haste.
"Your sister's a slave driver, y'know?" Bill deadpanned to the boy.
"Nice to see you as a human instead of a Rattata, Bill," Gary replied nonchalantly.
"Cheeky brat."
Pokémon Academy, Kalos Region.
The halls were filled with horrified murmurs and worrying glances at the sight of Ash dropping to his knees while clutching onto the silver locket.
"…" Calem widened his eyes at the charging Sync Move.
"…I CALL HACKS!"
'A Sync Stone! Well, it's to be expected that an Elite Four would possess one,' Sycamore mused with an interested glint in his expression.
'I must say, although it's a prototype, it might rival that of those Stones in terms of power.'
"Not only that Sync Move, but she added in a [Perish Song] as well?!" Shauna yelled out while balling her fists.
"This is waaaay overkill! Why's she bullying Ash for?!"
"That's the wrong way to interpret, Shauna," her boyfriend shook his head.
"An Elite Four going all out against someone our age? That's the highest respect any Trainer would kill for!"
"But look at Ash! He's clearly not happy!" Shauna rebutted before the screen suddenly turned to a new development at the stands near Ash.
[ Don't give up until it's over! ]
Everyone did a double take at the familiar voice coming from the large screen a man was holding.
"Isn't that…" Shauna gasped before turning to the honey blonde next to her.
"They made it!" an elated Serena squealed out in joy.
The honey blonde had sent a video during the battle between Charizard and Dewgong without everyone's notice.
The group then stared at the girl for details, wanting to know the 'how' and 'why'.
With a sigh, she began explaining.
"Someone gave me a little tip when I went to the bathroom with Froakie. Thanks to him, I managed to make an encouragement video for Red just in time."
But before she could pat herself in the back, the honey blonde froze when she remembered something she had said in the video.
'…Ah.'
[ I love you, Ash Ketchum! ]
'—Merde.'
In an instant, every human and Pokémon in the hall stared at the honey blonde, their eyes wide as saucers at what she had said.
Serena placed both her palms onto her reddened face with bright pink blushes on her ears. The honey blonde was unashamed of her love for Ash and was publicly embracing that love for all to see. Rather, what got her flustered was the frazzled appearance she had during her confession. The girl had been busy leading up to that point which made her oblivious to her untidy appearance.
'Gyaaaaah! Why did I confess looking like that?! Red's gonna think I look ugly!'
Quite the dork, this girl was.
But to her relief, the person of her affection got back up to his feet with a revigorated air around him.
[ I promise you, Serena! ]
Those words were more than enough for her to smile giddily. The blushing mess cheered exictedly for the boy alongside another fan by the name of Froakie.
"GO GET HER, RED!"
[ —Trigger, off. ]
The students gasped in wonder at the state of the raven-haired boy. His blood red eyes began streaking crimson lightning from their irises while hypnotizing beautiful lines of blue manifested on his left arm.
[ [Nine Strikes]! ]
The 8 attacks had everyone screaming in awe as each slash performed at different angles annihilated the Elite Four's ace.
And the final stab silenced the hall.
The victory of Marowak caused the Academy to roar in applause and cheers. It would not be strange if the Academy was filed with a complaint of noise.
"He did it! Red won!" Serena beamed happily while hugging Shauna.
"[Nine Strikes]? Is that another original move?!" Calem exclaimed, immensely curious at the powerful move.
But the cheers died down when Ash tumbled forward onto Lorelei's shoulder. Anyone could tell the raven-haired boy was exhausted beyond belief and hoped for him to get well soon.
…And the princess carry from the vermilion-haired woman caused a vein to pop on the honey blonde's forehead.
"Yikes. Cheating already, huh?" her tanned friend teased, nudging the girl with an elbow.
The guys were absolutely terrified at the menacing smile Serena was showing with one end of the smile twitching in anger.
'…He's so screwed.'
Click, clack goes the gear in his sky.
Petalburg City, Hoenn Region.
"Are those blue lines coming outta his arm?!" Max aligned his glasses.
[ [Nine Strikes]! ]
The attack made the two siblings' father widened his eyes in amazement.
"That's impressive," he whistled.
'…Red of Pallet Town. I wonder if I will ever battle against that kid?' he mused with a smile.
Meanwhile, a starry-eyed May continued to focus on the tired raven-haired boy onscreen. The satisfied smile he wore captured her.
The gears shift even more as the Planet notices…
Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh Region.
"Kyaaaah! That was soooo cute!" Dawn squealed at the confession.
"Those [Ice Shards] were magnificent! I wonder if I could use get some tips from an Elite Four for my Contests!" Dawn's mother exclaimed with delight.
"So, this is the Ash Ketchum of this Line?"
Village of Dragons, Unova Region.
[ [Nine Strikes]! ]
The move garnered many gasps of awe at the execution of Lapras. The villagers were immensely impressed by Ash's miraculous comeback.
Iris was baffled at the raven-haired boy's battling style. His Charizard's performance got her Dragon-loving blood fired up, not knowing the Flame Pokémon was not a Dragon type.
The 7-year-old girl was now mentally picturing Ash as her rival, despite never interacting with him at all.
'I'm going to use you as my stepping stone to becoming a Dragon Master, Red!' Iris proclaimed in her head.
A majestic Divinity has been enraged.
Veilstone City, Sinnoh Region.
Paul was similarly astonished by the [Nine Strikes] Marowak enacted upon the Elite Four's ace. He had no doubt that the boy would suffer a humiliating defeat at Lorelei's hands since compared to her, he was just an average Trainer.
Then, time after time during their battles, Ash managed to keep up with the Elite Four to a frightening degree, leading him to conclude that the raven-haired boy was growing stronger even during a battle and even then, his strength would skyrocket whenever he was in a pinch.
The purple-haired boy agreed with the ideals of Gary Oak that the latter proclaimed against Karen, the Elite Four candidate. But now, after watching Ash's logic-defying win against Lorelei, his beliefs were cracked unconsciously.
'Who are you, Ash Ketchum?' he asked himself as he scrutinized the tired raven-haired boy.
This isn't meant to happen.
Postwick Town, Galar Region.
Leon whistled at the spectacle Marowak performed while Hop had his jaw hanging wide open.
"Leon, can you beat that?" the little brother asked.
For the first time since Leon was made Champion of Galar, Hop was worried that his older brother's reign was in peril.
But Leon merely laughed and patted his brother's head.
"Well, it might be tough to survive that [Nine Strikes] as the Red kid called it…"
The purple-haired man had been undefeated for a long while now. Although proud of that fact, he wanted a bit of a challenge since he would steamroll his opponents even if he was not rigorously training nowadays. But now, three promising young children answered his prayers.
And Leon began thinking of a training menu for his Pokémon.
"But I'll still win."
Ash Ketchum was never meant to win.
Celestic Town, Sinnoh Region.
"Holy shit…" the younger blonde girl said aloud.
Cynthia pulled on her sister's ear, but agreed with her crude comment, nonetheless. However, what captivated her was not [Nine Strikes], but the Trainer behind it.
Unlike many others who were interested in the boy's strange markings, the blonde woman was curious towards Ash's momentary despair before the Sync Move was launched. It was fleeting, but there was loneliness shadowed in his red eyes. Anybody would have missed it, but the woman's otherworldly perception caught it, even through a TV screen.
Although saddened by that void of loneliness, she could not help but smile at the raven-haired boy's expression after that confession Serena gave him.
An attraction began pulling her to Ash. Not of romance, but of endearment that she could not explain.
'Ash Ketchum, huh?' she mused with a conflicted look.
Fate does not know its destination.
Cameran Palace, Kanto Region.
The rusted sword was shining with bright radiance as soon as the blue circuit-like markings appeared on Ash's arm.
"There's no doubt now. Those were AURA channels on his arm," Riley gulped.
With that, the man decided his next move.
"Looks like I'll be making a trip to Indigo Plateau soon," he concluded.
The Monster has arrived.
Soon after the conclusion of the match, many other Trainers started getting curious about the raven-haired boy.
Some admired the boy for his determination that paid off in the end. Others were gossiping about the blue circuit-like markings that appeared on his arm during the final confrontation.
And a few were taking notice of the boy with blood red eyes:
A red-haired man and his followers that wore red hoods with horns.
A man with a blue bandanna and his followers that wore black and white striped clothing.
A blue-haired man with tired eyes with a golden G on his gray vest.
A grayish green-haired man wearing an oversized cloak that looked like a crown around his shoulders. A stylized P adorned on the crown.
An orange-haired man with leather clothing and an intimidating appearance.
A blonde woman with green eyes wearing a white dress.
And finally, a black-haired man wearing a gray business suit.
All of them had their eye out for the raven-haired boy and by extension, Gary and Blue as well.
The Monster hath cometh.
'…How?!'
Gary clenched his fists as he processed the miraculous comeback his rival created until his knuckles were as white as paper.
'He had no chance of winning! And yet…'
'He won. Red defeated an Elite Four!'
The orange-haired boy felt a surge of inferiority at that fact. He had defeated Karen, someone who had the potential to become an Elite Four and was a prime candidate for that position. But now, his rival managed to surpass him by taking down a bona fide Elite Four. And that was an immutable fact.
No matter how much he tried to downplay Ash's achievements, the fact remained that the raven-haired boy was the first Trainer to ever accomplish such a feat. And it made Gary extremely angry.
"You seem a little on edge," a feminine voice said to him from behind.
The boy turned to find a smiling Karen standing behind him.
"…What do you want?"
"I've been thinking…" Karen began as she stood alongside the boy.
"About the punishment you're subjecting yourself to."
"Hah? I don't have a—"
"Retreating back to that mask again?"
"…"
Gary held his tongue as those words were uttered. He did not think anyone would have saw through him. Not even Ash nor Blue were able to notice it, but Karen did.
"I've heard about your little fight with those two from Misty. Looks like you're adamant on standing your ground that bonds between humans and Pokémon are hinderances, huh?"
Seeing his silent reaction, the Elite Four candidate pressed further.
"Last night, Blue told me about your Raticate's passing…"
Gary visibly jolted in surprise but regained composure. However, his heartbeat began to quicken, as if he was uncomfortable talking about it.
"I see, my condolences. You haven't processed it completely."
Those words made the orange-haired boy's heartbeat go faster.
"A friend's death isn't always easy. I'm not going to lie to you and say that time heals all wounds."
Gary's emotionless green eyes narrowed at that brutal honesty.
"…But that doesn't mean it hurts to try."
"Think about it. You have friends to lean on. If you want to use your own words, then use them to your benefit," she finalized.
The cold green eyes soften slightly and digested the words of wisdom spoken by Karen. Although he carried a distaste for the emotions and closed off his heart from his Pokémon, he could not find any faulty logic within those words.
"You're one nosy woman, you know that?"
30 minutes before the start of the next match…
Near the Elite Fours' spot was a sleeping Ash being taken care of by Daisy and Blue. Lorelei made herself comfortable by having the raven-haired boy's head on her lap.
"Hey, Lorelei," Daisy called familiarly.
The older sister was rather familiar with the Kanto Elite Four and vice versa since she was studying to be a Pokémon Doctor. Professor Oak would sometimes bring her to his sparring battles to gain first-hand experience in medical training.
"Aren't you a bit shameless to be giving a lap pillow to a boy 14 years younger than you?" the Doctor-in-training teased with a mischievous grin.
"I don't know what you mean~ I'm just rather attached to a common Trainer who was finally able to best me in battle. Something you should understand since you've been watching my spars against your grandfather," she smirked playfully.
"I… see," the teenage girl let out a strained smile.
'Oh nonono! I'm not about to let you steal Ash away from Serena!' she internally declared with determination.
'Sure, Lorelei's beautiful and all…BUT! I want those two to meet again ever since I saw that farewell. Kyaaa, that was sooo romantic!'
Daisy was immensely glad she did not go to Alola during that summer camp since she got to see something even better.
'That's why… Hands off, thieving cat! I will not allow little Ash to be captured by your sultry looks!' she thought dramatically.
"You do realize Ashy's taken, right? But surely, an Elite Four can keep her paws to herself," Daisy shot back with full force, creating an air of tension around the two females.
'Wow… This girl's a lot of fun to tease,' Lorelei grinned.
"Doesn't that make him even more attractive? To have such a pretty girl fall for him at such a young age, that just makes him even better, no?" the Elite Four provoked with a coy smile.
Daisy was fuming at the troublesome woman before her while Blue snickered from the back, realizing what the vermilion-haired woman was doing.
Unbeknownst to them, the raven-haired boy had awoken from his slumber.
. . .
. . .
. . .
Where am I?
Is this a dream?
My mind immediately went back to the time when Blue told me about her trip to her dream world.
If I remember correctly, Blue said her dream world were memories stored inside bubbles. With that information, I wondered if mine would be the same.
Man, if I'm lucid dreaming right now, lemme dream of Yellow pl—
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Swords. Swords. Swords. Swords. Swords. S̴̤̯̤̻̥̖̝̙̥̱͊͒̊̈́̃̓̊͗̀̚͘͝ͅͅw̸̤̆̐̑̂ͅǒ̶͇̓̏͛̒̌̈́͐̒̄ṟ̸̯͍̯̲̰̲͈͉̾̍͋͑d̷̨̧͖͎̙̲͉͙̤̻̣͖̹̞̗́̇̂́̊̏̔̔̃̀̈̓͘̚s̸̡̨͔̭̗͔͕̪͙̮͖͎̜͑̈́͘͝ͅ.̷̗̾̒̈ ̷̙͚͈͔̠͔͈̦̹̞̥̄̉S̴̪͇̪̥̳͓̃̅̿͑͒w̸̡̡̢̠̦̜͍̫̺̲͈̗͚̩̝͋͐͂̆̽̇̃̽͗́̄͝o̴̡͔̯͇̥̖̝̒̀̌͐́͒̈́r̷̥͓̽̏̂̓̈́͗̾̽͋͌̂̚͝ͅd̸͈̗̪̮͔̥͉͈̗̞̱͂͆͘s̷̯̦̙̥͗̿̃̆͌̉̓̓͋.̷̢̪̙̗͖̣̬̩̮̻̝͉̼̜͆͛́͆͐̐̐ ̵̡̬͚̤͈͎̙̗͇͛̎͊͐S̵̠͚̦̭̖͔͍͋̒́̇̽̒̚͘w̴̦̗͕̘̪̪͍͇̹̪͗̈́̄̓̐̋̀̑̇o̸̠͎̣̯͚̭͙̙̼̭̙̜̪͒̆͋̋̀̅̌̄̀ͅr̶̭͙͚̳̖̥̖̖̫̼͈̐̈̌̄̆̒͌̈́̒̕̚͘d̴̳͕͊̒̈́͛̊̀̓̐̆̚ŝ̷̟̲͍̲̣̖̖̾͌̉̆́̀͊̄͝ͅͅ.̷̢̧̘͕̹͎͉̺͕̳̮̞̲̆̋̀̽̓͊̑̂̈́͛̆̈́̚ ̶̛̛̛̝͂̊̏̏͋́̍͛̓͑͝͝S̴̛̼̀̆͋͂̕ẁ̸̨͍̺͓̼̮̀̍̐̉̿͒̀͊́̉ȏ̷͚̫͓̼̯̈́̏͑̽̃̿̓̆̚̕͠͝ͅṛ̸̡̺͍̤̫͈̌̈d̸͈̹̗̖́̒̓̾̂́̏͝ș̴̟̽́̕͜.
…What?
.
Swords. S̴̤̯̤̻̥̖̝̙̥̱͊͒̊̈́̃̓̊͗̀̚͘͝ͅͅw̸̤̆̐̑̂ͅǒ̶͇̓̏͛̒̌̈́͐̒̄ṟ̸̯͍̯̲̰̲͈͉̾̍͋͑d̷̨̧͖͎̙̲͉͙̤̻̣͖̹̞̗́̇̂́̊̏̔̔̃̀̈̓͘̚s̸̡̨͔̭̗͔͕̪͙̮͖͎̜͑̈́͘͝ͅ.̷̗̾̒̈ ̷̙͚͈͔̠͔͈̦̹̞̥̄̉S̴̪͇̪̥̳͓̃̅̿͑͒w̸̡̡̢̠̦̜͍̫̺̲͈̗͚̩̝͋͐͂̆̽̇̃̽͗́̄͝o̴̡͔̯͇̥̖̝̒̀̌͐́͒̈́r̷̥͓̽̏̂̓̈́͗̾̽͋͌̂̚͝ͅd̸͈̗̪̮͔̥͉͈̗̞̱͂͆͘s̷̯̦̙̥͗̿̃̆͌̉̓̓͋.̷̢̪̙̗͖̣̬̩̮̻̝͉̼̜͆͛́͆͐̐̐ ̵̡̬͚̤͈͎̙̗͇͛̎͊͐S̵̠͚̦̭̖͔͍͋̒́̇̽̒̚͘w̴̦̗͕̘̪̪͍͇̹̪͗̈́̄̓̐̋̀̑̇o̸̠͎̣̯͚̭͙̙̼̭̙̜̪͒̆͋̋̀̅̌̄̀ͅr̶̭͙͚̳̖̥̖̖̫̼͈̐̈̌̄̆̒͌̈́̒̕̚͘d̴̳͕͊̒̈́͛̊̀̓̐̆̚ŝ̷̟̲͍̲̣̖̖̾͌̉̆́̀͊̄͝ͅͅ.̷̢̧̘͕̹͎͉̺͕̳̮̞̲̆̋̀̽̓͊̑̂̈́͛̆̈́̚ ̶̛̛̛̝͂̊̏̏͋́̍͛̓͑͝͝S̴̛̼̀̆͋͂̕ẁ̸̨͍̺͓̼̮̀̍̐̉̿͒̀͊́̉ȏ̷͚̫͓̼̯̈́̏͑̽̃̿̓̆̚̕͠͝ͅṛ̸̡̺͍̤̫͈̌̈d̸͈̹̗̖́̒̓̾̂́̏͝ș̴̟̽́̕͜ S̴̤̯̤̻̥̖̝̙̥̱͊͒̊̈́̃̓̊͗̀̚͘͝ͅͅw̸̤̆̐̑̂ͅǒ̶͇̓̏͛̒̌̈́͐̒̄ṟ̸̯͍̯̲̰̲͈͉̾̍͋͑d̷̨̧͖͎̙̲͉͙̤̻̣͖̹̞̗́̇̂́̊̏̔̔̃̀̈̓͘̚s̸̡̨͔̭̗͔͕̪͙̮͖͎̜͑̈́͘͝ͅ.̷̗̾̒̈ ̷̙͚͈͔̠͔͈̦̹̞̥̄̉S̴̪͇̪̥̳͓̃̅̿͑͒w̸̡̡̢̠̦̜͍̫̺̲͈̗͚̩̝͋͐͂̆̽̇̃̽͗́̄͝o̴̡͔̯͇̥̖̝̒̀̌͐́͒̈́r̷̥͓̽̏̂̓̈́͗̾̽͋͌̂̚͝ͅd̸͈̗̪̮͔̥͉͈̗̞̱͂͆͘s̷̯̦̙̥͗̿̃̆͌̉̓̓͋.̷̢̪̙̗͖̣̬̩̮̻̝͉̼̜͆͛́͆͐̐̐ ̵̡̬͚̤͈͎̙̗͇͛̎͊͐S̵̠͚̦̭̖͔͍͋̒́̇̽̒̚͘w̴̦̗͕̘̪̪͍͇̹̪͗̈́̄̓̐̋̀̑̇o̸̠͎̣̯͚̭͙̙̼̭̙̜̪͒̆͋̋̀̅̌̄̀ͅr̶̭͙͚̳̖̥̖̖̫̼͈̐̈̌̄̆̒͌̈́̒̕̚͘d̴̳͕͊̒̈́͛̊̀̓̐̆̚ŝ̷̟̲͍̲̣̖̖̾͌̉̆́̀͊̄͝ͅͅ.̷̢̧̘͕̹͎͉̺͕̳̮̞̲̆̋̀̽̓͊̑̂̈́͛̆̈́̚ ̶̛̛̛̝͂̊̏̏͋́̍͛̓͑͝͝S̴̛̼̀̆͋͂̕ẁ̸̨͍̺͓̼̮̀̍̐̉̿͒̀͊́̉ȏ̷͚̫͓̼̯̈́̏͑̽̃̿̓̆̚̕͠͝ͅṛ̸̡̺͍̤̫͈̌̈d̸͈̹̗̖́̒̓̾̂́̏͝ș̴̟̽́̕͜.
.
Wait, hold up!
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S̴̤̯̤̻̥̖̝̙̥̱͊͒̊̈́̃̓̊͗̀̚͘͝ͅͅw̸̤̆̐̑̂ͅǒ̶͇̓̏͛̒̌̈́͐̒̄ṟ̸̯͍̯̲̰̲͈͉̾̍͋͑d̷̨̧͖͎̙̲͉͙̤̻̣͖̹̞̗́̇̂́̊̏̔̔̃̀̈̓͘̚s̸̡̨͔̭̗͔͕̪͙̮͖͎̜͑̈́͘͝ͅ.̷̗̾̒̈ ̷̙͚͈͔̠͔͈̦̹̞̥̄̉S̴̪͇̪̥̳͓̃̅̿͑͒w̸̡̡̢̠̦̜͍̫̺̲͈̗͚̩̝͋͐͂̆̽̇̃̽͗́̄͝o̴̡͔̯͇̥̖̝̒̀̌͐́͒̈́r̷̥͓̽̏̂̓̈́͗̾̽͋͌̂̚͝ͅd̸͈̗̪̮͔̥͉͈̗̞̱͂͆͘s̷̯̦̙̥͗̿̃̆͌̉̓̓͋.̷̢̪̙̗͖̣̬̩̮̻̝͉̼̜͆͛́͆͐̐̐ ̵̡̬͚̤͈͎̙̗͇͛̎͊͐S̵̠͚̦̭̖͔͍͋̒́̇̽̒̚͘w̴̦̗͕̘̪̪͍͇̹̪͗̈́̄̓̐̋̀̑̇o̸̠͎̣̯͚̭͙̙̼̭̙̜̪͒̆͋̋̀̅̌̄̀ͅr̶̭͙͚̳̖̥̖̖̫̼͈̐̈̌̄̆̒͌̈́̒̕̚͘d̴̳͕͊̒̈́͛̊̀̓̐̆̚ŝ̷̟̲͍̲̣̖̖̾͌̉̆́̀͊̄͝ͅͅ.̷̢̧̘͕̹͎͉̺͕̳̮̞̲̆̋̀̽̓͊̑̂̈́͛̆̈́̚ ̶̛̛̛̝͂̊̏̏͋́̍͛̓͑͝͝S̴̛̼̀̆͋͂̕ẁ̸̨͍̺͓̼̮̀̍̐̉̿͒̀͊́̉ȏ̷͚̫͓̼̯̈́̏͑̽̃̿̓̆̚̕͠͝ͅṛ̸̡̺͍̤̫͈̌̈d̸͈̹̗̖́̒̓̾̂́̏͝ș̴̟̽́̕͜ Swords. Swords. Swords. S̴̛̼̀̆͋͂̕ẁ̸̨͍̺͓̼̮̀̍̐̉̿͒̀͊́̉ȏ̷͚̫͓̼̯̈́̏͑̽̃̿̓̆̚̕͠͝ͅṛ̸̡̺͍̤̫͈̌̈d̸͈̹̗̖́̒̓̾̂́̏͝ș̴̟̽́̕͜ S̴̛̼̀̆͋͂̕ẁ̸̨͍̺͓̼̮̀̍̐̉̿͒̀͊́̉ȏ̷͚̫͓̼̯̈́̏͑̽̃̿̓̆̚̕͠͝ͅṛ̸̡̺͍̤̫͈̌̈d̸͈̹̗̖́̒̓̾̂́̏͝ș̴̟̽́̕͜
A sword covered in rust.
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Swords. Swords. Swords. Swords. S̴̛̼̀̆͋͂̕ẁ̸̨͍̺͓̼̮̀̍̐̉̿͒̀͊́̉ȏ̷͚̫͓̼̯̈́̏͑̽̃̿̓̆̚̕͠͝ͅṛ̸̡̺͍̤̫͈̌̈d̸͈̹̗̖́̒̓̾̂́̏͝ș̴̟̽́̕͜ S̴̛̼̀̆͋͂̕ẁ̸̨͍̺͓̼̮̀̍̐̉̿͒̀͊́̉ȏ̷͚̫͓̼̯̈́̏͑̽̃̿̓̆̚̕͠͝ͅṛ̸̡̺͍̤̫͈̌̈d̸͈̹̗̖́̒̓̾̂́̏͝ș̴̟̽́̕͜. S̴̛̼̀̆͋͂̕ẁ̸̨͍̺͓̼̮̀̍̐̉̿͒̀͊́̉ȏ̷͚̫͓̼̯̈́̏͑̽̃̿̓̆̚̕͠͝ͅṛ̸̡̺͍̤̫͈̌̈d̸͈̹̗̖́̒̓̾̂́̏͝ș̴̟̽́̕͜ Swords. Swords.
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A silver-haired woman with long ears and ethereal beauty.
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Swords. S̷̡̧̢̢̢̠̩̳͇̣̻͓̞͍̫͐͂̈ẅ̷̨͓̻͙̦̳͓̜̭͓͓́̓̀͆o̷̡͈̻͔̙̤̻͚̙̫̠͌͊̽̾̓̆͗̑̕ŗ̵̦̦͓͙̬̞̥̰̳̹̍͋͗̒̎d̵̨̨̫̜̪̞͙͗̎͂͛́̓͂̾̾̃̈́͛͂́̒s̸̢̙̙̬͖̝̙̥̗̤̠͒͒ͅ.̶̱̼̟̖͎͈̼̐̒̉ ̸̳̳̮̥̥͇̼̼͔̺͗͆͑̀͒̿̏͂͋̌Ṣ̷̤̯̐̾̓̈́̓̚͠w̷͉̤͍̥̣̻͇͂̓̑̊̓͑̔̈́̕͠ͅơ̵͕̮̥̟̠͕̹͉͕̠̝͗̿́̿͘͜͠ͅr̵̢̤̞̗͍͛d̷̡̛̬̥̞͉̹̫̳̉̈́̀̈́̎̀͝ş̷̥̝̘̹͖̫͕̬̰͌̑̐̔̃̋̓̌̓͒͠͝.̴͇͍͍̲̞̣͓̬͖̻̰͆͜ ̵̡̨̧̗͈͇̳̙͎͖̫̿̆͑̂̃̃̈̀̚͜ͅS̴̲̳̮͔͆́̈́͊̒́̌͋ẃ̵̛̻̗̈́̈͌͋̋̚͝ͅó̷̡̫̯̖̭̗̗̟̆̈̊̇͘͝ͅŕ̷͙̾͝ď̴͉͂̿̌͌̆̀̂̉͘͝ś̸̻̘͓̮̪̿̎̆̇̿͐̐.̴̧̨̨̡̰͓̦̞̪̜͓͇̝͛̈́̅̏͗͑̓̕ͅͅ ̴̹̖̝̞̞͓͇̜̽̀͑͊͂̓̉͐͝͝͝S̶̘̖̳̺̳̈́̈́͐̊̅̽w̶̱̜̥̹̤͑͆͌̓̀͆ơ̷̧̛̯̦̗̠̱̰̘̤̄͒͗́̾̈́̑͘̕ͅŗ̶̢̻̠̞̪̻͎͗̈̌̃̅͛͊̕ḑ̴̖̮͕̠̼͊͒͗͠s̷̡̡̳̤̺̫̘̠̟̘̯̻͍̪̠̽̋̌̀̇.̶̢̊́̎̀̚͘͝ Swords. Swords. Swords. Swords.
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A wolf with beautiful cyan fur.
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Swords. Swords. S̶͈̥̖̱͕͍̠̫̜͇̤̘̰̻͐̃w̵̗̼͗͋̈́͗̇̄̉́̋̈́̃̚o̴͖̱̩̙͐̋̂̎́̊́̚͜͝͝ŗ̸̜̤̟̼̽̀̓̈́̽͂̿̎̀́d̵̢̟͓̬̄̓̾s̵͍̆͒̊̾́͌͛͂̓͂̍̌ͅ.̶̢̢̫͎̞̯͇͓̫̮̭͎̞̀͊̀́̉̓̾̚͝ ̵̡̧̺̲̤͉̞̣̯͈͚͍̫̀́̓̂͋͋́̏͒̃͘͝S̶̬̻̗̫͓̩̄͂̈́̄̂̏̈̉̕͜ẁ̷̢̡̛͕͔̗̲̙̬̲͇̰͈̘̠̑̋͝ͅǫ̸͙̬̮̘̗̮͎̟̤̩̂̆̓̅̀͗͐̃̍ͅr̴̢̪͉̹͕̹̙̟͇̅̈́̋͋͐̈́͆̋̂̌̈̋̑d̴̫͙͙͕͉͖̩́̏̔ş̴̡̦̩̭͕̬̻͖̂͛̔͛.̷̡̮̣̩͙̗̫̹̗͐̄͗̓̿͂̕͠ͅ ̵̨̨̛͚̜̞̲̳̻̞̻̮̦̂̀̉̂̐̀͠S̶̺̹̹͉͓̼̮̦͂̎͋̔͐̃͂̅͠w̴̡̼̗̰̱̰̱͎͈̖̮͕̦̏̇̈̉̓̑̓͋̈́̈̈́ō̶͕̖̤͓̠̖̍̽̊̊͂̐̂͗͛̎͆͠͝r̸̨͖̪͑̄̏̈́͘̚ͅd̶͙͇͈̮̞̰̥̻̤̥͕͎̅͆̿̀͐̋̏̃̊̚͜͜ś̶̨̧͓̻͈̙̫̬͉̪̲͉̤̊͂̍̈́̓̀͋̎̈́̚̚͝.̸̗̪̳͕͈̩̫͙͙̿͜ ̵̩̗̤͛̾̈́̒̀̽́̂̀͘̕͘͝S̴͉̘̪̝̯͍̰͈̺̤͖̩̙̉̋͌͘̚͜w̴̬̫̗͚͚̩̗̯̦̣̒̀̌ơ̶̡̠͖̱̻̝͑̓̈́͒͗̌͘̕r̶̼̞͕̠͉̾̐̑̐̌̆́͆̅̑̕͘͝d̵̡̢̜̳͍̻̪͍̟͔͕̉̽ş̶̛̹̬̰̱̖̺̰̼̠͎̓̄̌́̔̓̀̑̐̈́͗͜ͅ.̶̛̛̭̟̊̐͌̒͌̆̽̉̐͠ ̴̧̧̛̱̞̬͚̳͉̜̔̅͛̋S̴̯̄̒́̇̽̽̒̔̐͂́w̶͎̦̳̰̩̙̩̻͎̑̃͐͂̊͝ơ̷̧͈̺͓̠͙͕̮͙͔̖̈́͗̆̂̔͘͝ͅŕ̷̢͈̠͛̇͗͋̇̄̈̃͑͒̊̍͜͠͝ͅḑ̶̧͎͍͔̲͉͇̗̞̞͚̟̿͆̊s̸̛̛͈̫͍̤̠͔̳̲̎͌̔̈́͊͑͊̇̈́̈́͑͘͝.̵̦̫͚̂͛̀̿̋̒̊͑̉̚͠ ̸̛͓̈́̍͐͑S̸̡̧̥̮͍̼̰̦͉̮̯̊͊́̌͆͑̌̆́͌̓ẃ̴̨͓̮̙̭̟̣̦̞͓̺̽̆͊̓̇̾̊͒̓͌̕͠o̷͓̙͙͕͔̟͔̖̭̣̼̽̇͌͛͛̕͝r̷̜̆͋̔̈́d̷̨̧̞̳̜̱̝̻̙̮͚͐̓̄̎͛̓̒̌̇̔̇͠ş̵͇̳̺͍̫̋̋̉̆͊͆̑́̉̄̌̃̕͘.̷́̒̿̔͛͋̅̊͋̋͜͝ͅ Swords.
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A man in red.
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S̸̨̛̩̲̖̬͓̀̆̇̔͊̅̎̋̒͘͝ẅ̶̝̥͚̠̙͉̳́̊͑̽̆̈͊̈́̾̊̈́ơ̸̗͉͔͕̒̓̎͂́̔̈́̃̂̆̎̍̅̚r̵͎̩͆͗̈́̾͐͘͝d̶̡͓̩̭̯̳̼̤̺̞͈̱̼̓͒̏̍̽̐́̄͆̈̐̕̚͝s̵̼͖̙͕͚̼̯̩̪̗̺̙̥̹̹͋̒̆.̷̥̦̼̿͒͑̾̏̓̏͐̊̀̚ ̵̡̧̡͎͈̗͍͖͇͓̱̰̑̆S̴̛̩̗͙̘̞̥͙̙̥͋̀͋͂͊̊͂̽w̸̯̖̰̻͕̲͋̀̑̊͐͆͋̂̋͂̉͐͘͠͝ơ̶̗̜͚̘̗͖͕̿͑̈́̈͘̕͜ͅṙ̴̡̤̹̰̜̦̘͈̫̦̓̅́ḑ̸̫͓̲͍͎͈̙̦̟̭̱̠̭̆͌s̵̢̮̭̥̱̹͓͉͔̪̗͂̓̓̓͝.̸̢̠̞̩͉̭̱̤̮̘̼̹̀̆̎̂͐̅͛̄̾̈́͜͜͝͠ ̸̘͔̃̀̃̈̿͗̆̐̓͂̓̈́̿̂̔Ş̶̞̻̞̘̦̰̉̀͒̈́̂͐͒͗̑̓͋͗̕w̴̘͑͒̌̉̏́͗̊̽̽̕ó̷̡͙̦͖̱̭̯̞̳̯͚̻͙͉̋̅͠͠r̶̜̮͙̝̰̠̝͈̼̣̻̀̆̌͌̆̆͘͝ḑ̴̡̜̝͈͉͕̘̬̼̲̮̬̟͊͊͋̽̅̄͛̚ş̶̡̧̜͈̞̟̩̦̣̳͓̟̼̔͑͂͑͘͜͝.̶̨̡͇͎̬̰̫͚̜̹̯̭̙̙͉̽̓͆̀̂̉̈͆̃̄̃͒͌̿ ̶̛͖Ş̴̢̠͉̻͙̱͆͊̇́̓̅͗̓͘͘͜͠ͅẅ̶̨̖͙͎̏̄͗̎̅͂̀͜͜͠ͅo̶̼̙͎̝̥̊̌͠͠r̶̛̛̛͓̭̱̤̽͒̃̆̎́͑̆͠ḋ̴̨̛͓̠̦̥̫̭͋̾̀́͂́̎̆͋̽͝͝s̵̡̨̟̱̜̩̩͚͈̹͎̫̩͌͘͘.̵̡͈͘ ̴̨̛͙̩̲̺͓̲̜̜̖͑̌̓̔̋͋͝S̷̱̟͈̙̯̖̜̥̩̞̦̞͎͕̓̋͒̿͒̑̈͑̔̀͌̎̈̍̕w̵͇̤͍̬̖͔͗̔̑̍͋̍̎͝ǫ̴̧̬͎̱͚̮̖͗͑̋̿͋̎r̵̙̩͕̔͐́͊̄͜d̸̩̝͚̼̝̥͔̫̭̠̼̍̃̈́̀̾̿̔͗̀͆͛̋̾͘s̵̢̨͕͙̞̥̻̘̈̀̐͘.̵̳̞̆̔̂̆́͒͐͗̉̑͌̄͗̕͘ͅͅ ̶̛͈͍͙̮͈̌̇͐̃̾͋̿̅͌̅͒͘͝͝S̷̡̘̗͙̘̩͚̟͖̈ͅẃ̸̪̜͍̪͇̹̜̋o̶̢̧͖͙̼̪͙̭͓̮͒̐͆̏̃͗̽͐̈́́̄͆̉r̸͚̺̜͒ḓ̵͎̯̬͖͉̫̥̗̟̺͈̿̀̑̂͋̾̋͘͝s̴̡̛̹̲͎͓̤͕͈̹̩͔̠̔̈̽̏̊͊̕͜͠.̴͓͍̙͍͚̩̏̿̊̂͘ ̴̛̘̽̏̓̉S̵̭̣̟̯̹̳̳̝̍̌̋͛̈́͛̈̀̐̆͗̀̔̇͝ͅw̶̨̩̮͎͌̂͊̓͜o̶̼̯̜̊̃̏̈́̅̀̃̀͊̓̈̂͂́̕r̸̥̗͓̖̪̬͇͑̌̆̋̎̓́̽̾̾̋̉ḑ̷̛͖͖̺͔̙̟̭̭͉̖̑́s̶̖̫̟̙̪̺̱̝̰̮͉̣̒͊̊̉̿͒̒̀̽̃̽͝͝͠.̶̛̟̹͚̲̳̻̠̘͓̭̼̩̫͖̹͗͑̈̄̓̇̐̊͆̂̂̾͝ ̴̢͈̟̜̬́͑̉͛͊̀͑́̔̄̕͝͝͠S̴̢̫̫͚̘͐̑̐͌̾̔́͊̚͝ẅ̷̨̪̟͙̗̙̩̬̰́̃̀͒̋͌̎̅̋́̚͜͠o̸̪̩̞̹̥̣͙̬̩̘͊̍̌̇ŕ̷͎̯̖̤̎̅͜ḑ̵̞͈̫̥̳̘̤̻͍͛̍͆̏̄̅̒̋̇̓͜ş̵̙̝̪̭̗͇̞͔̀͒̈̊̐͗̇͂͝͠.̴̡̪̜͉̼̭̯̗͖̼͍̤̭̭̓͂̈͑̒͝ͅ ̶̡̨̞̰̫̤̙̪͓͙͋͊́̇̌̄͑̓̍̎́͜S̴̛̙̜͆̊͛͋̔͘w̸̰̳̺̟͙̫̰̞̰͌̔̇͗̾̋̎̅̕ờ̴̢̩͙͍͇̦̤̳̺͚̎̑͐̎́̐̿̏͘͠r̴̢̧̝͈̯͈͍͉̯̤̪͑͆̃̇͂͑͠d̵͙͚̦͉͔̣̀̀̆̾̓s̸̛̛̖̪̼̖̰͎̉̏͂̕.̸̢̡̛̠̮̦̼̞̺̗̮̬͎̺̄̅̇̆̓̂̅́͋͒̃̒͑͜
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And a world of blades.
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'The hell?' he woke up with a start, confused at the peculiar visions he was subjected to.
'It's loud…'
He peeked a little from his closed eyes and found that his line of sight directly underneath a pair of black-clothed hills, prompting the boy to close them shut once more.
'WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!' he screamed mentally.
Ash was miles more matured from the average 11-year-olds due to his upbringing, further elevated with his mother's passing. But although he was mature for his age, puberty was something he still had to account for.
'Calm down, Ash. You've been through worse. This is nothing compared to fighting for your life,' he monologued to himself, earnestly fighting off the blush that threatened to show on his lightning marked cheeks.
'Think of happy thoughts. Think of Ye—'
"Yellow!" he jolted from his lying position as he recalled the confession from Serena.
"Ash!" the three ladies cried out in unison.
"Ash! Are you alright?" the older Oak sibling asked, concerned at the boy's erratic awakening.
The raven-haired boy turned to find a worried Daisy. Now aware of his surroundings, he found himself at the centre of attention with everyone in the room now looking at him with concern.
'Alrighty… Time to play dumb,' he mused, not wanting the girls to find out he had been awake for quite some time.
"Eh? Daisy?" he stuttered.
"Why're ya here?"
"You don't remember?" the girl asked.
The boy stared at Daisy for a moment and turned towards Lorelei who suddenly looked away.
"Aaaaah… Did Miss Lorelei carry me all the way here? Sorry about that," he apologized sheepishly while scratching his cheek.
"It's no problem. It's the least I could do to someone who gave quite the thrilling match," the vermilion-haired woman smiled.
"So? What's going on now?" Ash asked with a now composed tone.
The competitors began filling in the now awake boy on the current situation. The Quarterfinals were now having an hour break before the next match. The raven-haired boy narrowed his eyes at the mention of the upcoming match.
"Green and Blue, huh?" he muttered, glancing at the chestnut-haired girl next to him.
Blue merely smiled and nodded to him as if to reassure him. Seeing this, Ash stood up and prepared to leave.
"Oh, thanks partner," he thanked Pikachu who returned him his cap.
"Where are you going?" Daisy asked.
"Healing up my Pokémon. I'll be back."
But just before he could exit the room, Ash turned back to Daisy with a slight blush.
"Umm… Can I have a copy of that recording, please?" he asked nervously while rubbing his nose.
'Gotta get my priorities straight.'
Afterwards…
[ I love you, Ash Ketchum! ]
Ash was melting at the sight of his beloved as he watched the full confession that was sent to his PokéDex. Although the Dex was an encyclopaedia of Pokémon, it had the functions to act as a Trainer's identification, making the person a Dex Holder. Furthermore, it could act as a video player in case the Holder wanted to document unnatural Pokémon behaviour.
And the raven-haired Trainer chose to use that function as his treasure trove of Serena videos. His red eyes lit up every time she smiled in front of the camera. Even though he knew they could not, or rather would not, communicate with each other directly, Ash was assured in his heart that she would keep supporting him no matter what.
'Now if only I knew where she is. Dang, why didn't I ask that time?' he inwardly sighed as he thought back to their farewell.
Nevertheless, he was still beaming at the newest recording, replaying it for the umpteenth time before watching the previous video that she sent him and replaying that as well. Before long, he lost track of time as well as his surroundings as he was enamoured at the honey blonde's appearance.
"Wow, he's really obsessed with that girl huh?" Lorelei remarked at the sight of Ash's soft smile.
"You don't even know the half of it," Daisy chuckled.
Blue merely watched in silence with a wistful smile. Her mind raced back to the moments where she interacted with Gary.
Fun memories. Cherished memories. As well as the painful ones.
She knew he was punishing himself for Raticate's untimely demise. Karen was informed of the situation and promised the chestnut-haired girl that there was nothing to worry about. That the orange-haired boy needed a push to finally start his grieving.
Ever since that dreadful experience of burying a friend in Pokémon Tower, Gary never once stopped to visit the brown rat's grave. The boy was too traumatised to step even a single foot into Lavender Town.
Just then, a cold voice erupted from the room's door.
"Are you satisfied after that performance, Red?"
The familiar voice got Ash to return from his Serena replays, causing the raven-haired boy to turn to him in annoyance.
But the raven-haired boy kept silent and merely stood up with Pikachu on his shoulder, facing Gary with a defiant glare.
"Do you think you're better than me? Just because you won against an Elite Four?"
Ash raised a brow to those questions. Sure, he may be overconfident at times, but he was not painfully arrogant. That was beaten out of his system by a honey blonde 6 years ago.
Wordlessly, he strutted towards Gary. Each stamp of his red sneakers caused the orange-haired boy's anxiety to rise a little. Soon, the two were face to face.
The others were worried that a fight was going to break out, Misty especially since she was the only one to witness first-hand the squabble from yesterday.
"I'm not your opponent now, Green," Ash started before pointing a thumb towards the chestnut-haired girl.
"Your opponent is right there. Show her some respect, jerk."
Gary was surprised at the response Ash was giving. Normally, the raven-haired boy would get childishly angered by his goading but now, he met his rival's taunts with chastisement.
'Red's all grown up,' Daisy mused, proud of her honorary brother's growth since he left Pallet Town.
Just as pride was about to swell inside the older sister, a loud growl emitted from Ash's stomach that resembled that of a roaring lion.
Gary: "…"
Ash: "…"
'Oh, for the love of…' the older Oak sibling facepalmed.
Misty then grabbed Ash by the arm and pulled him out of the room.
"Can't you read the room, idiot?!" a hiss could be heard outside.
"I got hungry! Whaddya want from me?!" a shout followed.
Not wanting to think about the dragged away Ash, Gary made his way to Blue, sitting next to her.
"…You told Karen about Raticate, didn't you?" he sighed.
"Yep."
"Why do you blabber about my persona—"
"Ah! So you do admit Raticate is personal to you!" Blue exclaimed with a 'gotcha', earning a tick mark on Gary's forehead.
The two bantered like normal, seemingly mending the bridge that separated the chestnut-haired girl and orange-haired boy. Like the good old days.
"…Use [ExtremeSpeed]."
"No."
"Fine. Then, I'll make you use it," Blue huffed childishly.
"…Why?" Gary asked.
"Huh?"
"Why are you going so far for this?"
Gary's question surprised Blue since she never imagined the boy would be the one starting this conversation.
'Lucky me,' she thought.
"I'm going to make you eat your words," she began.
"You called Raticate trash. And I'm going to prove that you needed him."
Gary was already regretting calling Raticate that, but in his turmoiled mind, he felt that he had no choice. Raticate had sacrificed himself for the boy and so, Gary must win for his sake. Otherwise, his former ace would have died for nothing.
Even if it meant besmirching Raticate's name…
Even if it meant burning every relationship he had if the people closest to him…
In his point of view, all would be forgiven if he accomplished the dream he told Raticate about. The greatest Trainer to ever exist.
Once more, he wore the mask that numbed his pain. Right now, he had to be the villain. The antagonist of his childhood sweetheart.
"Hah! Red might've won his match, to my surprise. But against you?"
The cold green eyes glared at the deep blue ones in anger.
"I'll show you no mercy, Blue. Especially Espeon."
"The last remains of Raticate… I'll squash out that weakling that held me back."
"Then… I'll crush Red once and for all."
"…I see."
To his surprise, the chestnut-haired girl never flinched away from his repulsive behaviour. Rather, she faced him head on with his favourite smile. The smile that made his cold unfeeling heart warm.
"Then, all I hafta do is defeat you," she declared while doing her 'perfect shot' pose.
Seeing no point to this charade, Gary turned away to meet her in the battlefield. The guilt in his heart accumulated even further.
'You've gotten bad at lying, dummy,' she thought with amusement.
"That brother of mine is as dishonest with his feelings as ever. It's like he never changed since a year ago!" the older Oak huffed with disappointment.
"Ah. But, bad news, Blue."
"Huh?"
"That last line was him being honest."
{ WELCOME BACK, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! }
'I felt so angry when you showed that hateful expression to me and Red.'
{ AFTER THAT EXCITING MATCH BETWEEN RED AND LORELEI, WE HAVE THE MATCH WITH TWO OF THE PALLET TOWN TRAINERS PITTED AGAINST EACH OTHER! }
'But now, I understand.'
{ ARE THESE TWO JUST AS INSANE AS THEIR FRIEND? LET'S FIND OUT! }
'You just didn't know how to handle losing a friend.'
{ THE GENIUS GRANDSON OF PROFESSOR OAK, GREEN OF PALLET TOWN! }
The orange-haired boy ambled to his side with a confident stride as he gave his signature pose. His finger gun as a salute.
'I won't let you beat yourself over this anymore.'
{ AND THE LOVELY DIRECTOR WITH STYLE, BLUE OF PALLET TOWN! }
A smiling Blue waved to the cheering crowd as she made her way to her side of the battlefield.
{ THE BATTLEFIELD THEME WILL BE… }
Blue grinned at the orange-haired bot across the battlefield.
{ MEADOW! COMPETITORS, PREPARE YOURSELVES! }
Gary narrowed his eyes as he held his decided Pokémon in hand.
{ BATTLE START! }
'I'm going to bring back the boy I love!'
During Charizard vs Dewgong…
"I'm gonna be late!" Serena said while running to the halls with hastened steps with Froakie on her shoulders.
The blue frog had accompanied the girl to the stalls while waiting outside. Without noticing, he had grew quite attached to the honey blonde.
'I never noticed the toilets being this far away!'
"Excuse me, young lady?" a voice caught her attention.
The honey blonde and Froakie then spun around to gaze upon a tall man.
The man had slicked back ashen-white hair and tanned bronze skin while wearing strange clothing of red. What made her speechless were his lavender purple eyes that seemed to captivate her.
The man's lean and built physique made him seem to be at his 30s but his face confused the honey blonde since he looked rather younger than his estimated age. The honey blonde thought her mind was playing tricks on her, but she thought she saw very faded and unidentifiable markings on his face.
"Umm… Can I help you?" she asked with a quizzical tone.
Hearing her response, the man momentarily froze in surprise before letting out a small smile.
"Ah… of course, you wouldn't remember…" he muttered silently.
"You are familiar with that fool, Ash Ketchum, right?" the man asked again, his face seemed to contort into disgust as he spoke the raven-haired boy's name for a moment.
Upon recognizing that name being spat out in contempt, she immediately had her guard up. Her fists raised and her legs sparse apart.
Serena was still clueless with what she wanted to do; and so, she tried everything the Academy could offer which included martial arts. The honey blonde was still not good enough to defeat the more trained individuals, but she was confident she could give the man standing before her a run for his money. Her judgement was incorrect though.
Froakie jumped in between the two and faced the man with narrowed eyes.
To their surprise, the man in red looked amused at the two.
"Heh. To think Gr… I mean, Froakie would turn against me. This is laughable," he smirked, clearly entertained by the situation.
"In any case, I'm just here to tell you something, girl."
The man pierced his eyes into the honey blonde's sky-blue eyes, intimidating the latter slightly.
"Ash Ketchum will lose against Lorelei. Make of that information how you wish," he simply said.
Serena was shocked at his words, but before she could reject his statement, the man in red opened his mouth.
"If only there was a way to encourage that fool. Ah… wouldn't that be convenient?" the ashen haired man shrugged with mockingly fake woe.
A vein popped on the honey blonde's forehead as she realized what the insufferable man was implying.
'This guy…! He's goading me into sending a video, isn't he?!'
"I get it already!" she raised her voice uncharacteristically as Froakie equipped himself onto the girl's shoulder.
But before she turned to leave, she decided to scratch a lingering itch when she gazed upon the man.
"Hey, mister?"
The man in red raised an eyebrow at the sudden response.
"What's your name? So that I can thank you," the girl asked, or rather demanded.
As much she hated to admit it, the man she met for just a few minutes had warned her of Ash's potential defeat at the hands of Lorelei. And she could not be any more grateful.
But to her surprise, the man did not give a witty reply. She turned to the man with widened eyes.
The man in red smiled tenderly towards her. His ashen white hair and tanned bronze skin complimenting the red and black themed clothes that he wore.
"…Don't have one. Nor do I deserve your gratitude," he smiled, triggering something within the honey blonde.
"Hurry along, girl. Otherwise, that fool will lose. Not that I would mind."
But as he turned to leave…
"Wait!" Serena begged, her heart pounding with anxiety.
"Have…" she gulped.
"Have?" the man parroted.
"Have we met before?!"
The purple eyes looked at the honey blonde in shock, as if he did not expect that question. But in the end, he gave his answer with a soft smile towards her.
"No. We have not."
The gears of the Planet turned for the first time.
"Goodbye…"
And so, begins this tale of Fate.
And with a blink, the man was gone.
Chapter 44: A Brief Respite
"Serena."