When Ash was explaining what he has been doing in the last few days, he started first by saying how it all started.
Caroline, May, Max and Serena, knew that Ash has gone to his room in the Pokémon Center, but have no idea what he has done there, and why he disappeared, so Ash started from there.
He said that when he went to the room, it was with the intention of finding out, what happened to Norman, who attacked him and killed him. Ash said that he would be able to find this out, because there is a certain skill he has because of the blessing he received from Celebi.
Grace, May, Max and Caroline didn't know of this power, and only May and Max have heard of the fact that some of the Legendary Pokémon, have blessed Ash. So they knew of the blessing, but not of the powers, Ash got from the blessing.
Ash then went and explained how Celebi's blessing, changed his aura from blue to grin, and allowed him to affect nature, to a point. He can - to a certain extent - grow grass, trees, flowers and such things, in a matter of moments, along with affect already existing trees and flowers, where he can heal them if necessary. That is one of the powers Celebi has, and that now Ash has as well. Another power that Celebi has is a time travel, but while Ash can't time travel, and he said so to the group of woman, and Max, much to their disappointment, he said that he can see into the past.
It was with that power that he was able to see who attacked Norman, and why. Ash said that Norman was attacked by the three members of the Shadow Legion, who attacked Swampy, much to May's and Max's shock. Ash said that the older poacher was able to survive when Ash attacked him, while the two younger ones were somehow able to get out of jail. Ash doesn't know how, though.
Apparently, they have decided to have revenge for what happened to them, and have decided to target Ash, May, Max, Serena, and their relatives.
During his look into the past, Ash saw everything that the three monsters have done to Norman, but have decided not to talk about it. He said that, while they were messing with Norman, the three were talking about what they plan to do, and that they have some friends, who have gone after other target.
That's how Ash found out about the group who went after Grace, and decided then and there, to go and save her, as he wasn't sure that calling her to tell her to run away, would have done much.
From then on, Grace knew what happened, but Ash only said few things, like, Grace being a psychic, and was able to protect herself from the attackers, while she was unharmed. He didn't say that she killed them, but has implied so, when he said that they won't be coming after Grace, anymore. Caroline, May and Max, understood what he meant.
Ash decided not to tell that the attackers have fucked Grace. He also didn't say anything of her past, and her connection with the Shadow Legion, as he didn't think that Caroline and he children, would take that too well. He did say that she will be living in Pallet Town, from now one, though. Ash said that this was decided after he called Red, when he was still in Kalos Region, and informed him of where he is and what he has done. That's how Ash knew that Red, Riley and Urahara were in the Petalburg City for Norman's funeral, and that Riley has stayed to protect those who stayed in Petalburg. That's how Ash also learned from Red, that Caroline, May, Max and Nurse Joy, along with Grace, will live in Pallet Town, from then on.
By the time Ash finished explaining what he has done since he left the Pokémon Center, Riley has showed up in the lobby, and approached them all.
"I see you have returned," Riley said to Ash, as the two looked eyes with each other, and smiled. "Red already told me where you went and what happened, so there is no need to explain."
Ash nodded, but before he could ask Riley about Serena's health condition, he noticed that Riley was looking at Grace, with narrowed eyes. Ash had a feeling that Riley knew all about her past, which shouldn't be surprising, since they grew up together, and she was Red's former girlfriend. Red promised to her that he wouldn't tell anyone about her secrets, but maybe he did tell to Riley. It would certainly explain the reason why Riley was looking at her like that.
Grace didn't seem to be bothered, though. She glanced at Riley, saw the look, and shrugged. She can't blame him for the way he feels about her, and as such, she won't be getting mad at him, nor will she say anything. She doesn't care about him, just as much as he doesn't care about her. It's pretty much a mutual agreement… even though they never actually agreed to that. The words were unnecessary.
"Ok, if there is no need to explain myself," Ash spoke. "Will you then explain what happened with Serena, and how could she have been kidnaped and hurt, with you here?"
Riley sighed. He knows that Ash and Grace won't like what he has to tell them, and is actually a little afraid that Grace might rip-of his balls, and feed them to him. He shuddered at the thought, which wasn't missed by anyone there, though it confused them.
Riley sighed one more time, before he led everyone to a part of the lobby, which was empty, and there were no other patients, of visitors, near them. He did this, so that no one would hear, what he has to say.
Once he was ready, Riley spoke. "Ok, first off. There are two reasons why Serena was taken, even with me here. First is that I simply couldn't watch over everyone, when they are not in the same place. When she said she was going to the toilet, I couldn't follow her, because… well, I just couldn't follow her, and also because May and Max stayed at the battlefield behind the Pokémon Center. If I followed her, I would have to leave them alone, and if we all went with her, it would have been a bit stupid, and too much.
"The second reason I left her alone, is because Red told me that if the chance presents itself, I should leave Serena alone for a few minutes," here, everyone narrowed their eyes, and glared at him, especially, Grace and Ash.
"And why did he tell you that?" Grace asked.
"He wanted to see who targeted Norman, and if those who targeted him, were from the Shadow Legion," Riley said. "He was sure that in the event that Norman was killed by the Shadow Legion, it was because of what Ash, Serena, May and Max did to three of their agents. As such, with Norman gone because of him being the father of May and Max, there was a possibility that those who came after him, might go after Ash and Serena. Ash wasn't here, and we didn't know where he was, but Serena was still here, so maybe, someone would target her. So, Red though that if there is a chance to leave Serena alone for a few minutes, I should leave her, and see if someone would come after her. I guess in the end, someone was after her, and they got her just as she passed around the corner of the Pokémon Center, and away from my eyesight. By the time I realized that she was, in fact, taken, over 10 minutes have passed, and they had some advantage over us."
Ash and Grace looked ready to murder, especially Grace, because Red and Riley have used her daughter as a bait to capture some killers. Grace barely contained herself not to jump at Riley, and rip him to pieces. She will make sure he pays for this, though. The same goes for Red. He will pay dearly, especially if Serena, has some lasting damage because of what she has gone through. Grace didn't even entertain the thought of Serena being dead. She knows she isn't.
"And what was his plan in the event that someone does get their hands on Serena?" Grace asked with narrowed eyes, and venom in her voice. Everyone there, knew that Grace is mad with rage for what Riley and Red have done, and they can't blame her. They are all mad as well.
Riley sighed. He knew that he and Red are in trouble. He was against Red's plan from the start, but he agreed in the end, as he thought that it would be good to see if someone will come after Serena, so that they can be captured, before they can do more damage to anyone. "Look, I agree that it was a bad plan, but it was necessary," Riley spoke. "Those guys needed to be caught after what they've done, but since we didn't know who it was and why they did it, Red came up with a plan. It was a bad plan, but was still a plan, which in the end, worked."
"Worked," Grace questioned? "And what were the costs? What happened to Serena? You never told us that. You also never told us, how was Red planning for you to protect Serena, in the event that someone comes after her?"
"He thought that even if someone captures her, they won't have time to get away too far, and won't have time to hurt her, before I catch up to them," Riley explained. "That's why I had Ash's Mega Lucario and Alakazam with me. Red suggested we ask them to assist me in the search. Mega Lucario can sense Aura's much farther then I or my Lucario can, and Alakazam can guard the others in my place, while at the same time, be ready to Teleport us somewhere, if necessary."
"So what went wrong," Caroline asked? "If you had everything planed and covered, how did Serena got hurt, and it took you so long to find her?"
Riley sighed again. "That's because we planned under the impression that the kidnappers won't be able to get farther then maybe few miles, at most. Neither Red, nor I thought that the old man had Alakazam, and that he will use it to kidnap Serena, and then teleport them to a shack, in the forest, several miles outside of the Petalburg City.
"The truth is, I doubt we would have found her even by now, if not for the activation of Serena's psychic powers. It was that psychic pulse, she released, that spread all over the Petalburg city and the surrounding area, that we were able to sense. I called Alakazam after that, and he teleported to me, and the two Lucario, and then teleported us all, to where the feeling of Serena's powers, was coming from."
"So, it was a miracle that you found her," Grace said with venom in her voice! "If her powers didn't break through the blocks I placed on her, then she could have died, and you would have never found her!"
Everyone but Ash wondered about, blocks on Serena's powers, but none asked anything. It wasn't the time.
"I'm sorry, ok," Riley apologized! "I never wanted this to go this far, nor was I expecting it."
Grace growled at Riley, and wanted to attack him, but Ash stopped her, and asked. "What happened to Serena?" He asked, while looking at Riley.
"When I got to the shack, I was actually surprised by how much psychic energy was in the air, and I wondered what happened," Riley started to explain. "So, I barged in the shack, hoping that Serena wasn't hurt. Alakazam, and the Lucario's, were right beside me. As soon as we entered inside, we were attacked, and it was only thanks to Mega Lucario's barrier, that we weren't sent flying through the forest, because that burst of psychic energy, was certainly powerful enough to do it.
"I looked at where the attack came from, hoping that the attackers didn't have any psychic or aura users with them, because that would have made things much more difficult. It turned out that, there was no need to worry about them, because they weren't there." Riley stopped speaking and looked at everyone. He wasn't surprised by the confused looks on their faces, when he said that the kidnappers weren't in the shack. Deciding to continue, Riley spoke again.
"The only ones in the room, were Serena and an Alakazam. Serena was the one who attacked me and the Pokémon, while Alakazam was standing with his back against the wall, and it looked scared out of its mind. Serena though, she was… she was just standing there in the room, completely naked and with her eyes glowing red. She was covered in sweat, and while she was turned face toward me, so I couldn't see her back completely, I could see some blood running down from the back of her legs.
"She then went and attacked us again, with telekinesis, throwing at us, nearly everything from the room, including the parts of the bed she broke, and the kitchen sink. We were barely able to restrain her, eventually, as we didn't want to hurt her, but we couldn't just expose ourselves to her attacks.
"Eventually though, we stopped her, and put her into unconsciousness. Then we proceeded inside, and saw what happened to her. I also found three piles of ashes, at what was left of the bed, though I wasn't sure what that was. There was no sight of the kidnappers, or anyone else in the shack.
"I checked Serena's back, to see where the blood was coming from. It… it wasn't a nice sight. She was… she was caned… heavily and very brutally, because her lower back, her ass cheeks, and her upper thighs, were completely covered in bruises, welts, and blood. You could barely see any skin on those parts of her body."
When Riley said what happened to Serena, Grace actually started to cry, while Caroline, May and Max, gasped. May and Max were still young, but they do know what caning is, and how much damage you could do to someone by caning them. Caroline ended up having to hug Grace, as the woman was crying. She was trying to calm her down, and give her the support, Grace definitely needs.
Ash though. He was so angry, that there was literally smoke, coming from his eyes, which were nearly lit on fire. He felt like he was going to explode, and those around him, felt it too. This included the other people in the hospital, who suddenly had a very bad feeling.
Ash's rage and powers were felt by those around him, which made them all back away from him, including Grace, who was looking at Ash with moist eyes, and tears running down her cheeks. She was actually afraid of Ash at that point, and she wasn't the only one, as Caroline, Riley, May and Max, including the other people in the hospital, were all looking at Ash, like he was some sort of demon, who is just about to blow up and kill them all.
"Riley," Ash's voice sounded truly demonic, to all those who heard it, and it made them shiver in fear. "You better tell me right now, how is Serena, or I swear you'll regret the day you were born!"
Ash knew that the person he was threatening, was his uncle, but at that point, he was too angry at the man, to care about that. He was feeling the same towards Red, but he will speak with him, later.
Riley was surprised by the hate he heard in Ash's voice, but truthfully, he can't blame him. Serena was Ash's girlfriend, and because of Red and Riley, she was kidnapped and caned, and who knows what else would have happened, if not for the awakening of her psychic powers.
Riley coughed to clear his voice, and spoke. "She was operated on, by the best doctors this place has. I just talked with them, and they told me that she will be fine, but she will need some time to rest and recover, as her injuries were terrible. They guess that in two weeks, she will be able to leave the hospital, after which she will need another week to rest and take it easy. After that, she could go back to her journey, but will have to make several more stopes in different hospital, so that the healing of her injuries, could be checked.
"The problem might be her mental health. She was stripped naked, and then caned, which made her snap, when she awakened her powers. Those things were enough for her to have terrible memories for a long time. Another problem is what she has done, after her powers awakened. I've had Mega Lucario speak with the kidnappers Alakazam, after we stopped Serena from killing us. That's how I found out that the kidnappers were from the Shadow Legion, who they were, why they were after Serena, and what happened to them, before I got there. As such, depending on, if Serena remembers everything, then we might have a problem on our hands."
Seeing that Riley has suddenly stopped here, Grace asked, as she needed to know if what Serena has done, is what she thinks she has done. "What has Serena done to them?"
Riley sighed. "According to that Alakazam, when she awakened her powers, she used her psychic powers to control all three man to kiss her, and by doing that, she has sucked them of all of their essence, leaving behind nothing but ashes. Those ashes I mentioned earlier, they were what was left of those three man."
Caroline, May and Max, gasped, while Grace looked at Ash, who looked back at her, with his eyes still glowing with fire. It was just as bad as they thought it was, and now they don't know how to deal with the problem, because sealing away Serena's powers, is out of the question. Not to mention that, if Serena does remember what she has done, who knows how that will affect her psyche. She might never be the same again.
"I had Ash's Alakazam, restrain the other Alakazam, then have all of us teleported to here," Riley spoke again. "The doctors took over Serena, while I called Caroline, and then Red. I had to tell him what happened here."
"What did Red, say," Grace asked? She wasn't happy with what her daughter has gone through, but now with what she has done, it could be a big problem, especially if Red decides to do something to Serena, if he deems her dangerous. She wasn't going to let him do what he wants, though, but Grace knows very well, that as powerful as she is, she is weaker then Red, and wouldn't be able to stop him if he truly wishes to go something to Serena. Her only chance to get to him is if she catches him by accident, and of guard.
"He was surprised by how badly everything turned out to have gone," Riley said. "He didn't think that the enemy would have an Alakazam, and use it to kidnap Serena. He admitted that he didn't take that into an account, and apologized to you and Serena. He also said that he is concerned about Serena's powers, because one Ash is already a problem, and if someone else like him shows up, it could be a big problem."
"He doesn't plan to hurt my daughter, does he?" Grace asked, with narrowed eyes.
"No, he doesn't," Riley admitted, and Grace was surprised, as she really thought that Red will try something. "He just said that he is worried and that something needs to be done, in order to find out how Serena did what she did, and what can be done to stop it from happening again. He simply doesn't want her to go around, sucking people's lives from them, and leaving behind nothing but a pile of ash."
"I already sealed Serena's powers when she was five years old, because this happened back then," Grace admitted, much to everyone, but Ash's, shock. "The seal have kept her psychic powers in check, all these years, but now they are broken, and there is no way I will risk and seal her back. It was already a big risk back then, and who knows what will happen if I seal her powers, once again."
"What has she done before," Riley asked? "Better said, what happened to make her do it?"
Grace explained the same thing she did to Ash, earlier. She said about the trip with Serena, about the poachers, and how Serena snapped, and killed them by sucking them dry of all of their essence. She then said that she stopped Serena, before she could do the same to her, effectively making everyone understand that in that state, Serena doesn't recognizes anyone, and would go after everything that moves; and how she finally decided to seal Serena's psychic powers, for her own good.
No one there liked to hear what Serena has done, and what she is capable of doing. Caroline, May and Max, wouldn't say it out loud, but they were afraid of Serena after they heard what she can do. Then again, they are also afraid of Ash, and are still around him, so being afraid of Serena, doesn't mean that they want her away from them. They are just careful, and want to find a way to stop her from ever again killing someone.
As for Riley, he isn't exactly afraid, as he has seen what Ash can do when angry, but he does consider Serena to be dangerous. Not as dangerous as Ash, but still dangerous enough to be considered a threat. Still, he - just like Red - doesn't plan to hurt Serena, but he will have to keep a watch over her, and make sure that she doesn't go on a killing spree, every time she uses her psychic powers.
Ash is still mad as all hell, because of what happened to Serena, but by that point, he has at least stopped releasing an aura of death, and his eyes were no longer burning with fire. This allowed the people in the hospital, to relax a little bit, but they still cast weary glances at him, every few moments.
"Did Red make any suggestions, on what to do with Serena," Caroline asked?
"No," Riley said. "He only said that something must be done, and since Grace is her mother, and knows her the best, it's up to her to decide on what to do."
"I don't know what to do," Grace said. She was tired, angry, and feeling helpless, because of everything that has happened in the last few days, because of the Shadow Legion. She wants to do something for her daughter, but doesn't know what. For the first time in her life, she felt truly, lost. "All I know is that there is no way we can seal her powers, again. One time, was already one to many, and another sealing, could be catastrophic for her, and who knows what would happen to those around her, if they are caught. Whatever we do, must be something which will help her permanently deal with that problem with her psychic powers."
After a while, Ash finally spoke. "Did you ever try and find out what caused her to go berserk, that time in Santalune Forest," Ash asked? "Psychics usually don't have that much trouble to control their powers, and even when they do have, they don't go insane because of them. They might change a little, but insanity, and what Serena was able to do, is something I have never even heard about. There must be something special about her powers, and with you being around her, you must know something."
Grace sighed. She really didn't want to answer to that question. She does have a theory on Serena's powers, and why they are like this, but she knew that if she says anything about it, the others might start treating Serena, differently, and she doesn't want that.
Eventually though, Grace realized that she has to tell them what she suspects. She does hope, that they will be understanding, but most of all, she hopes that she is wrong,
"Look, I did try and research about our family history with psychic powers, as well as the other psychics in the world, and tried to see if some of them, had any power similar to the ones Serena had," Grace started her explanation. "I only came upon two people… well, three, who had something similar to Serena. One is, Freya; who she is, isn't important right now," she said to the others, as she didn't want to go there. "The other person is me. I learned it from Freya. The two of us, have the power to suck out people aura and psychic energy, and kill them like that. Serena though. He power is similar, yet different. She can do it in an instant, while we need time. She can do it without actually learning how to do it, or even knowing of the existence of something like that, while Freya and I had to spend a lot of time mastering it. There is also a fact that we only suck out aura or psychic energy, and leave the corpse behind, while Serena, sucks out everything, and leaves only ashes, behind. As such, her ability is unnatural.
"Then there is a third person who had something similar to Serena. This person didn't have the ability to suck out other people's aura or psychic powers, but her psychic powers were so high, that she went insane, overtime. The situation seems to be similar with Serena. She was born with psychic powers, much higher than normal, and every time she uses them, she loses herself. Because of that, and because how that person ended up in the end, I fear that Serena might have the same ending as that woman."
"Who was she?" Ash asked. He had a feeling that he knows something of what Grace was talking about. It's like something at the back of his brain, trying to reach the front, but is somehow escaping him at the moment.
"It was a woman who has lived around 2000 years ago," Grace spoke. "She lived in the same time, as your Ancestor, Sir Aaron. In fact, this woman, was Sir Aaron's biggest opponent, and the worst enemy he ever had in his life."
Ash's and Riley's eyes widened at that. They both remembers the history lessons they learned back in Rota Kingdom, and everything they learned of Sir Aaron, as well as his enemies. There was only one enemy that fits Grace's description, though.
"It's Greta?" Ash questioned, and Grace only nodded.
"Fuck," Riley swore, not caring that there are children around him. "If Serena ends up being just like that woman, then we are all in trouble."
"Who is this, Greta?" Caroline asked, with fear in her voice.
"As I said, she is someone who lived 2000 years ago, and was Sir Aaron's, greatest enemy," Grace spoke. "Sir Arron, is considered to be the strongest aura user who has ever lived, but Greta, was the strongest psychic who has ever lived. Their powers were opposite of each other, and they were both equal in the amount of power, and skill they had."
Ash decided to give some more information, after Grace stopped speaking. "Sir Aaron and Greta were also friends, in their youth," Ash said, and surprised Caroline, May and Max, with this information. Grace and Riley, already knew this. "They were both from Rota Kingdom, and were good friends, who even trained together ever since they awoke their powers.
"Overtime, though, Greta's powers started to consume her, and she fell into insanity, which made her believe that she was the strongest in the world, and as such, she should rule it. Sir Aaron didn't agree with that, and from then on, the once best friends, turned out to be the greatest enemies.
"Their war against each other, spread all over Kanto, and then many other regions. It lasted for years, and many people and Pokémon from both sides, have fallen. The war has finally ended, about 10 years since it started, and Sir Aaron was the victor. He has defeated his opponent by killing her, though he has done it with heavy heart. Still, he knew that Greta is a threat for the entire world, and has to be stopped, so, he has stopped her… forever."
Once Ash finished his explanations, Grace decided to add some stuff, Ash and Riley, didn't know. "What Ash and Riley didn't know, though, is that before she was taken out, Greta had a child," Grace said, making everyone there, stiffen, and Ash's and Riley's eyes, widened in disbelief. "She had a daughter, who had psychic powers, but not at the same level as her mother. She also didn't follow in her mother's footsteps, and has led her own, peaceful life. It's the same with all of Greta's descendants, for the last 2000 years. They all had psychic powers, but none were as powerful as Greta, and none went insane… until two generations ago, when Greta's descendent, decided that she wants to conquer the world, just like Greta wanted.
"This descendant, didn't have the amount of power that Greta did. Not even close, but she was smart, and had skills. She created the technique, which allowed her to use her psychic powers, to extract the psychic and aura energy from the people she sleeps with, regardless if they are male or female. By doing this, she retains youthfulness, and could technically, live forever." By then, everyone but Ash were shocked, as Ash knew of Freya's skills, but he was also shocked, because this means that Freya, and thus Grace and Serena, as well, are all Greta's descendants. The descendants of the woman who was the worst enemy of Ash's ancestor, Sir Aaron. Ash didn't know how to feel about this.
"How is Greta connected to Serena," Riley asked? "What about Greta, made you think that she and Serena are similar?"
"It's their level of powers, and the fact that, it is said that Greta's downfall with her powers, started when she started to lose herself, every time she used her psychic powers. It is said that sometimes when she used her powers, she would do something, and she wouldn't even remember it afterwards, and sometimes, she would do something, which she never would have done. As such, she has basically, started to lose herself to her psychic powers, the same thing I believe, is currently happening with Serena."
"Serena didn't remember what she has done in Santalune Forest," Ash questioned, and Grace nodded. "Well then, all we have to do is talk with Serena, and if she remembers what she has done to those man who attacked her, then most likely, her problem is different than Greta's, but if Serena again doesn't remember what happened… then your theory, might actually be true."
"And what then," Riley asked? "What are we going to do if Serena is just like Greta?"
"We will figure it out then," Ash said. "We can't try anything, without being absolutely sure, and even then, I don't want Serena hurt. We must find a way to deal with this, peacefully and without hurting her."
"Fine, it's your call, Ash," Riley spoke. "But remember how Greta turned out in the end. I don't want to hurt Serena, either, but I also don't want another Greta, loose on the world. It could be a disaster."
"I'll figure something out," Ash said. "But we first have to talk with Serena. What did the doctors say? When will she wake up?"
Riley shock his head. "It won't be until tomorrow. She had an operation, and is now sleeping. She should wake up tomorrow, but the doctors did mention that there is a possibility that they will keep her in a sleep, for two or three days, so that she can rest better, and not suffer from the pain, which she will definitely feel, if she is awakened."
"Fine," Ash said, and then looked at Grace. "If you want to, you can stay here, but I would advise you to go to the Pokémon Center, and rest a little. You've had a busy few days. As for the rest of us, we need to go to the Pokémon Center, and see if we can help the Nurse's Joy, as they had their hands full with all the Pokémon, who were being brought there."
Grace said that she will stay for a while, as she wants to speak with Serena's doctors, and after that, she will decide on what to do. As for the others, they all agreed with Ash, and then went to the Pokémon Center, to help Nurse's Joy.