Chapter 13

Heart of Grass, Heart of Stone

or

The Secret under the Pledging Tree

Ash struggled during his challenge against Ramos and his Grass-type Pokémon at the Coumarine Gym. Despite the mild disadvantage with Frogadier, he managed to successfully put his unique battling style to the test and pulled off a victory, earning his fourth Kalos Gym Badge.

I was to face off against Ramos after that and hopefully earn a new Pure Heart. Unfortunately, Cocoa accidentally twisted her ankle the day before and rendered herself incapable, so I had to leave her at the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy's orders. Just as I had planned to postpone my Gym Battle, Diancie revealed to have been holding her own Mega Stone. We knew not if it was specifically the Mega Stone Diancie needed to Mega Evolve, or even if she could Mega Evolve at all. But there was nothing to lose for trying.

...was there?

We made our way to the battlefield, standing opposite of Ramos. The referee stood at the edge of the middle field line and proclaimed the rules. "This will be a one-on-one Pokémon Battle! The battle will be decided if either Trainer's Pokémon is unable to continue! Furthermore, both Pokémon are required to Mega Evolve right away!" The referee looked to his master. "Ramos, please present the Pokémon you choose to battle with!"

The Gym Leader smiled as he pulled out one of his PokéBalls. "Here's a special Pokémon that I've been saving just for such an occasion. Sceptile, let's go!" He tossed the PokéBall onto the battlefield and released a green, reptilian Pokémon wearing a scarf just like Ramos himself. "TIIILE!"

Ash grinned. "So Sceptile can Mega Evolve too, huh?" As he spoke, Dexter brought its data to our attention.

Sceptile
The Forest Pokémon
A Grass-type
The seeds growing on Sceptile's back are brimming with vitamins that can revitalize trees.

"Now, before we actually get started," Ramos stated, "Let's make sure that Diancie can do this, shall we?"

I nodded as I looked at Diancie. She held the necklace the jeweler fashioned for her close to her heart, clutching her Mega Stone embedded therein. I then grabbed my own necklace and breathed a hopeful sigh. "Here goes nothing..."

The two of us spoke in unison. "Key Stone/Mega Stone, grant us the power we need!" The stones within them began to glow, and bursts of light emanated from them. "Beyond evolution… Mega Evolve!"

A blinding light filled the room, blinding most everyone. When it settled, I was in my Mega Evolved form. I smiled. "Then this means…!" I looked up to see a more magnificent Pokémon then I came up here with.

Her white dress became longer and lost its sleeves. Her lower body, which looked more like a grey rock at first, turned into a pink crystal and was surrounded by a series of long crystals similar to those on her headdress. The centerpiece of her headdress was now heart-shaped, and the remaining crystals were slightly smaller. The crystals hanging from the sides of her head have additional crystals suspended from the tips, and there was an additional hanging crystal on the back of her head. The diamonds on the back of her head became rounded and two smaller gems formed at the lower corners. And two ribbon-like structures grew from these additional gems.

"It worked!" I shouted with a laugh. Diancie had Mega Evolved into Mega Diancie!

Dexter went berserk, taking multiple pictures of our friend on the battlefield. "THIS IS A MASSIVE DISCOVERY; I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! A MYTHICAL POKÉMON WHO CAN MEGA EVOLVE! INFORMATION UPDATED! INFORMATION UPDATED!"

Brock laughed. "No wonder Team Flare was after her!"

Ramos smiled. "Nicely done, Diancie! Now, it's my turn!" He turned his hedge trimmers around to reveal the Key Stone embedded in them. With a touch, streams of light flared out of each stone, joining together. "Let our bond flourish like the Pledging Tree on which we stand! Sceptile, Mega Evolve!"

Sceptile let out a mighty roar as it transformed before us. Its head crests became more pointed. The yellow seeds down its back grew larger. The leaves on its wrists became more pointed, and a large red point grew from the tip of its tail.

"Now that we've gotten that formality taken care of..." The referee raised an arm. "...let the battle begin!"

Brianna Bellerose VS Ramos Salerno
Mega Diancie VS Mega Sceptile
Battle BEGIN!

The Gym Leader held out his hand in a welcoming manner. "Since this is Diancie's first Gym Battle, you can have the first move."

"Merci," I turned to Diancie. "Okay, Diancie, use Diamond Storm!" I shouted. (It was a good thing we learned her moveset the night before.) Diancie compressed the carbon in the air by bringing her hands closer to her chest, and a pink energy formed between her hands. The energy was converted into diamonds as Mega Diancie fired them at Mega Sceptile.

"Sceptile, spin and use Leaf Storm!" Ramos called out. The seeds on Sceptile's back glowed yellow and it spun, releasing a barrage of light green glowing leaves from all around. They neutralized the oncoming stones. "Now, use Leaf Blade!" The leaves on Sceptile's wrists glowed a light green as he then sliced Diancie.

"Swerve to the right!" I shouted. Diancie quickly shifted her body away from Sceptile, who stopped and looked back in shock. "It may be our first time, but we're not going down that easily!"

Diancie smirked. 'Right!'

"Focus Blast!" Ramos shouted. Sceptile put its hands together in front of it and formed a light blue orb of energy in between them. It then raised its hands above its head and the orb grew as big as its own body. Sceptile then threw the orb at Diancie, who unfortunately was unable to dodge.

"Diancie! Are you okay?" I asked.

The Mythical Pokémon quickly recovered. 'That was just my first hit. I'm fine.' She glared at Sceptile. On Ramos's command, it launched another Focus Blast much closer this time.

"Use Protect!" I shouted. Diancie raised her hands and formed a green force field in front of her body, protecting her from the attack. "Now, use Moonblast!" Diancie launched the attack and landed a direct hit in Sceptile's torso.

Sceptile fell to the floor, groaning as he got back up. "It's super effective!" Dexter declared.

"Beg pardon?" I asked.

Dexter hovered over to me and explained. "In its Mega Evolved state, Sceptile is a Grass and Dragon-type. Fairy-types have a major advantage over such."

I smiled. And so did Diancie. "How about that..."

Ramos smiled. "Pretty good for your first battle. Sceptile, spin and use Leaf Blade!" Ramos shouted. As Sceptile did as told, his wrists glowed brightly, hitting Diancie and knocking her down.

"Uh-oh!" Ash muttered. "He might've gotten the idea from battling me…"

Diancie was getting frustrated as he could feel the damage from that last attack. "Just keep calm! I'll help you through this!" I shouted. She looked back and nodded, then focused intently on her opponent. "Use Earth Power!"

Diancie's body glowed yellow and she slammed her hands onto the ground, creating glowing gold cracks that travel at the opponent. The attack shook the area and hit Sceptile, who staggered a little bit from the hit but quickly shook it off.

"Secret Power!" Ramos shouted. Sceptile's tail glowed brightly as it aimed for Diancie. It detached from Sceptile itself and rocketed into Diancie. As she recovered, it seemed her eyes were getting heavier. Then she suddenly lurched over.

Bonnie looked confused. "What's happening to Diancie?"

"Secret Power has a secondary effect, which varies depending on the environment," Brock explained. "In this case, it forces the opponent to fall asleep."

"Uh-oh..." I muttered.

"Leaf Blade!" Ramos shouted. Sceptile rushed towards Diancie, attack at the ready. Diancie was sleeping soundly.

"Diancie! Wake up!" I shouted frantically. "Wake up, QUICK!"

Thankfully, Diancie's eyes snapped open and she jumped up managing to wake up in time and dodge Sceptile.

Clemont sighed in relief. "Her voice reached Diancie in time!"

"Now if they could just finish this fight," Misty said, clenching her fists.

"They're both getting tired." Dawn noted.

I needed to end this fast. If Diancie lost this battle and I failed to get the Pure Heart, who knows what would happen next. "Diamond Storm!" Diancie yelled, charging up the attack and launching it.

"Spin and use Leaf Storm!" Ramos commanded. Sceptile managed to counter the attack.

I was annoyed, but then I had an idea. "Diancie, spin in the opposite direction of Sceptile and use Diamond Storm again!" She nodded and did so with a smirk. The attack spun around her and twirled, rushing out. The Rock-type attack wrapped around Sceptile and exploded. There was a squawk, and when the dust settled, Sceptile was on the ground in its original form.

The referee raised an arm. "Sceptile is unable to battle! This battle goes to the team of Brianna and Diancie!" The two of us cheered, rushing to each other and hugging as we reverted to our old forms.

Ramos came to Sceptile and helped him up. "You okay, buddy?" And he smiled in affirmative. The two approached us and Ramos turned our attention to him. "You believe in your Pokémon... And they believe in you, too... With such a belief, even blades of grass can split through concrete." As he was speaking, the circle of light formed under our feet. "Looks like you officially won this match. Go on, then. You've earned it. Here's your Pure Heart, sprout."

Sceptile held out his hands, and a green crystal heart appeared therein. As I accepted it into my person, I could feel a surge of power pulsing in from my feet. Almost as though the Pledging Tree was sharing its power with me. That was when I was certain this was the Grass-type Pure Heart.

As the light settled, Ramos' assistant approached him with another Gym Badge. "And since this is a Gym Battle, here's your own Plant Badge as well." I happily accepted the badge as well. As I placed it into me case, Ramos had a closer look. "Well, now. You already have four Badges I see. I wonder where you'll go next?"

"We already have a plan," Ash said. He and I looked at Clemont. "Looks like you're next."

The boy genius smiled. "Well, a promise is a promise. Would you like to have your Gym Battles here, or wait until we get back to Lumiose City?"

I smiled. "Let's wait till we get home. It'll give us both time to prepare."

"Deal."

Suddenly, the entire tree shook as we heard an explosion from below. Flying-type Pokémon roosted above began to fly away in shock. "What was that?" Ramos asked.

We all quickly descended to the base of the tree, and we checked the setup we had down there. No one was sure what the explosion was, but little to no harm seemed to come to the mock wedding arrangements. "Thank Arceus," I sighed. "I wonder what that was…?"

EARLIER…

*Meowth's POV*

It took longer than I had hoped, but our trap for stealing all the Pokémon in the city was nearly ready. This was perhaps our most ingenious plan ever, if I do say so myself. Even a two-year-old would not be able to screw this one up.

Of course we would have finished setup faster if it weren't for Jessie's thespian ambitions in the recent Showcase. Jessie was still angry that she lost. "Of all the nerve!" she grumbled. "The people of Kalos must have awful taste since they didn't vote for me!"

"Well, next time, let's make it a group effort!" James stated.

"Yeah! And I can be your partner then!" I added. As long as she was not taking her anger out on us, I was fine. As we were finishing the setup for our trap, I noticed something further down the hill. It was the twerpette who won the Showcase the other day, and she was with Longears and Haircut as well (I recently gave her that name for obvious reasons). "What're those lowlifes doing here?" I asked nobody in particular.

After telling them what I was doing. I slid down to spy on them, maybe get revenge on Twintails for winning what was rightfully Jessie's. Apparently, they were looking for an Absol they spotted nearby. In the process, they went into a hidden cave, and I followed, trying to avoid being spotted by them.

After a short while therein, we all found something so amazing that I just had to say… "Whoa..." At the center of the natural well we discovered, a shape stood. It looked humanoid, like it was running to something, yet what it was running towards was out of reach.

"I-I don't believe it," Longears breathed in surprise. "It's Aila, the Stone Eyed Maiden! As described in Kalos legend!" Twintails wheeled her closer to the statue, and Haircut followed.

I remained at the opening. "Oh, man! I wonder how much a discovery like this would make us?"

We moved to stand in front of the statue and gain a better look at her. "Look at that detail… her eyes, her nose..." Twintails breathed as she looked at the statue's face. There were some differences, like with her hair, but… "She looks just like… you, Serena."

"Wow! Maybe she's your great, great, great, great… uh, super-great aunt or something," Longears commented. "Wouldn't that be amazing, Serena?" But Haircut did not respond… at least not right away. "Serena?"

*Serena's POV*

Finding the Stone-Eyed Maiden was an accident… one that would change everything. I stood there, staring at the stone, and a strange sensation came over me. There was something about her that felt so… familiar. As if from a dream… or a dream of a dream. I slowly reach over to the stone body. As soon as my fingers touched hers, there was a sudden rush to my head, as though I had just woken up.

I looked at the Stone-Eyed Maiden once again… "It's all coming back to me… I remember..."

Shauna and Cocoa looked puzzled. "Remember what?" asked the latter.

There was a brief pause before I answered them… "I don't just look like Aila… I am Aila..."

A thousand years ago, this land was plagued by senseless hatred. My father's kingdom held a petty grudge against Lady Kapulet's from the northwest over a trivial matter. Even as the rest of the land continued to fight with one another, I believed that peace could be achieved between our nations.

So with the help of my guardian, an Absol who I had named Solsol, I secretly snuck away from my father's court, hoping to find someone… anyone who shared my ideals. That was the first time I saw...him. The eldest son of my father's enemy, Jan Kapulet. He was so handsome with such grace… I snuck into the neighboring kingdom many times, just to catch a glimpse of him. Then one day, he saw me, and before we knew it… we fell in love…

"Jan..." I told him one night, "This has to stop. We shouldn't see each other."

"Are you having regrets?" he asked.

"No… I have no regrets with you so close to me. But there is an insurmountable wall that keeps us apart. Our families have been enemies since before we were born. Your people and mine can't be together. Our laws forbid such a thing..."

But Jan pulled me closer. "To oblivion with the law!" he began. "For you, my darling, no storm can foul my compass. Through the darkest twilight forest, I would charge through, and across the fiery tempest of battle, I would gladly leap. For you, I deny everything. My kingdom… my honor… even my family name. I am Jan. Only Jan. Would you do the same?"

I could feel waters of joy flowing from my eyes as he spoke this… It was then that I made up my mind. "Yes." On that day, we shared our very first kiss… But our happiness was not to last. Soon after, the night we planned to wed, our families discovered our relationship, and… well, you know the rest.

I could tell from their eyes that neither Shauna nor Cocoa could not believe it. But I was in no mood to care. All I could think about was my darling. "Jan… what became of you? Did you survive? Did you live a full life?"

Cocoa glanced around. "Maybe there's something around here that'll give us some answers…?"

A brief search later… "Over here!" From behind my former body, Shauna found a small chest. She opened it to reveal an assortment of items from the past. Though many of them were unfamiliar to me, there was one that stood out to me.

A worn book that looked as though it would fall apart. I opened it and checked the writing. "This was Jan's!" I proclaimed. I recognized his handwriting. I flipped a few pages forward and began to read aloud. "I know not how long I was unconscious, nor how far down the river I floated. All I know is that if not for a passing fisherman, I would have drowned. As soon as I had recovered, I raced back to my beloved, the flowing water being my guide..."

*Jan's POV*

It took many days, but I finally made it back to the land of the final battle, only to find my worst fear had become reality. There, I found my beloved Aila had fallen victim to the Judgment of Fury. Solsol, her guardian, lay at her feet in a sorrowful fetal position."Aila!" I rushed over to what was left of her, my heart sinking lower with every second that passed. "Aila... No...no, please... no…" With the reality of it all standing before me, I clung to her body, weeping like never before. The surrounding area seemed to feel more grey and depressing then.

I was uncertain how many hours passed, but eventually, I heard a voice. "There is still a chance of rescuing Aila..." I looked up to see the oracle who warned us of Yveltal's wrath. Mayhaps it was a miracle she still lived, but I was in no mood to wonder how. "Perhaps Xerneas is able to bring her back."

"Xerneas?" I asked, my voice still hoarse from the weeping.

"Yveltal's equal. When Xerneas takes the shape of a large tree, it shares its power with the land. And that power can bring even the most barren of lands back to life. It is said that she lives in a forest that glimmers like a rainbow. There, her power flourishes."

This brought a glimmer of hope back to my heart. "Where can I find such a forest?"

The oracle knelt down to Solsol and pressed a thumb to her forehead, and the other to her chest. There was a mild ebb of light as though she were channeling something into her. When the light subsided, she let go and turned back to me. "I have enhanced this one's ability to sense the future. She will guide you to Xerneas."

I sighed. "Thank you..."

Before our journey, I dragged Aila's lifeless body back to our hill. Because of Yveltal's attack, a hidden cave was revealed. I decided to hide her body inside so that no harm would come to her.

I gently caressed her cheek. "I will return for you. I promise…"

I had hoped we would have found Xerneas by this time, but we had just entered the third year of our quest. Solsol, Gogoat and I have traveled further than I could imagine. By day, we traversed through many lush forests, hoping to find any trace of Xerneas. At night, whenever we did not sleep, we foraged for food.

Then as we entered a faraway land, we were devastated to find little if any plant life. A thick purple fog covered the area, within which I covered my mouth with my sash. An elder man appeared, carrying a Scatterbug who appeared to be dying. "It's terrible! Nothing short of terrible!"

"Can you tell me what happened?" I asked.

"It's the emperor!" he replied. "His soldiers have captured Xerneas, and he plans to execute her!"

*Serena's/Aila's POV*

"…I learned that the land was under the control of a corrupt emperor named Veofum," I continued to read. "Upon discovery, he dragged the dormant Xerneas to his courtyard to keep the power of life for himself. But by doing so, they caused the rest of the empire to suffer. The only way to save this land was to wrest Xerneas from the emperor's wrath. I know not if I will succeed, or even survive, so I bequeath this journal to the elder man who led the way to the palace. My only regret if I fall today is that I may never complete my quest to revive my darling Aila…"

I turned the page, but it was empty… I turned to another one, and again, and again, until I reached the end of the book, but the remaining pages were empty. "I'm scared to think of what became of Jan…" Shauna muttered.

I dropped the book in shock, fearing the worst. I could feel the sting of my tears on my face. "Was I reborn to know how he perished? Did I save his life, only for him to suffer a worse fate than mine? Fate cannot be that cruel! My darling… the only one I love… JAN!" Overcome by this, I began to cry what felt like a thousand years worth of tears, despite my immediate friends trying their best to comfort me. What became of him was all my fault, and there was nothing I could do to reverse it...

*Meowth's POV*

I saw and heard everything from the entryway, and I was moved to tears as well. "Man, oh, man… IF THAT STORY DON'T BREAK YOUR HEART, THEN NOTHING WILL!" I wept as I made my way back to the tree.

Jessie and James had already left… something about another set of performance training, according to a note they left behind. But they left me the last part to install (union rules, you know?).

As I picked it up, my thoughts shifted to the twerpette. Thinking of her suffering brought back the memories of my many failed chances at love, but hers was the worst of them all. Soon, my emotions got the better of me, and I threw the finishing part on the ground, shattering it. Then I proceeded to tear the machine apart. I slashed at it with everything I had - Fury Swipes, Night Slash, Bite.

And with one fatal blow to the body with the biggest Pay Day I could muster, the machine blew apart, sending me into orbit. "I'M BLASTING OFF, AND I DON'T CARE…!"

*Serena's/Aila's POV*

Eventually, I had to return Cocoa to the Pokémon Center for additional treatment. Nurse's Joy's orders. Inside the room she had rented, Shauna continued to comfort me until we both fell asleep.

But shortly afterwards, I woke up with a realization. What if… Jan had returned alongside me? If I was alive after all these centuries, maybe he was out there as well. "Aila, you fool! Why didn't you think of that sooner?" I muttered to myself. I decided I should start searching for him. I could ask my friends for help! Brianna, Bonnie, Clemont, Misty, Brock, Shauna, and Ash, too!

Ash… Ash... the one I had fallen for in my new life. So many thoughts were running through my head, none of them any good. Had I betrayed Jan by falling for Ash? Or maybe the other way around? As my memories with Jan waxed, I began to feel more and more guilty about how I felt for Ash. At the same time, as I thought about Ash, I began to question whether it was genuine.

"Jan… Ash… How can I face either of you after all of this…?"

*Ash's POV*

The next day was the final day of the Coumarine City festival. I decided that on this day, I would tell Serena how I truly felt. With help from friends and kin, I finally prepared the perfect day plan for a confession.

After a brisk yet vigorous shower, I threw on a white, collared, short-sleeved shirt with a necktie and dark blue jeans. My shoes were the same, and I would be leaving my hat behind. Upon completion, I presented myself to my mother, who had assembled the outfit for me. "How do I look? Too much? Not enough? Do I have a zit?"

"Stop overthinking," she replied with a laugh. "You sound just like your father when he was your age."

I sighed. "I can't help it. This is my first date, and I want everything to be perfect." As I was speaking, Pikachu clambered onto my shoulder.

"It'll be fine," she replied cheekily, and we both laughed. "Just be yourself and have a good time. After all, that's the Ash she grew to like in the first place."

My mouth stretched into a smile, "You're right… Thanks, Mom..." and we shared a warm familial embrace. "And I swear, if this goes through I'm gonna be the best boyfriend I can be for her."

We both got to the lobby of the hotel, where everyone else was waiting. I smiled confidently, ready to greet Serena. But I did not see her anywhere. Instead, I saw only dismay and despair in the room.

"Okay, what did we miss?" I asked in concern.

Grace came over and handed me a piece of paper. "I think you should read this…"

Out of concern, I snatched the paper and quickly read it. Upon completion, I dropped it as the hand that held it covered my mouth. "This can't be happening… Serena… Why?"

Just as I had finally gained the courage to tell Serena how I felt, she had mysteriously disappeared leaving only a note behind. How would we handle the situation we now find ourselves in. The answers to come, as the journey continues…