The subtle whine of the engines was the only sound which filled the cockpit. The sleek Aether Foundation aircraft cruised through the sky, skimming just above the cloud-tops. Inside, Lillie sat in her pilot chair, a troubled expression on her face as she glanced between the control console and her fidgeting, gloved hands.
Her platinum-blonde hair was pulled back behind her head and bundled together, as it always was when she was going into action. From neck to toe, her body was clad in the white and grey of her Ultra Suit. Magenta highlights marked her shoulders, sides and thighs. Her forearms sported the advanced Ultra Bracers she'd designed; the ones which could deploy Z-Moves and summon Ultra Wormholes. Heavy, white boots completed the outfit, giving the Alolan woman the look of someone right out of a futuristic cartoon show.
The new design of the suit was less gaudy and more practical compared to what had been used back when the Ultra Guardians had first been founded. Lillie had incorporated armor plating into some areas of the suit; protecting a person's vulnerable regions. There were bio sensors, communication equipment, even an emergency oxygen supply. The platinum-blonde prided herself on just how far the suit had come, however, right now, her prowess with technology was the last thing on her mind. Her attention was focused on the ground passing far beneath her.
Lillie sagged backwards into the chair's padding and let out a sigh of exasperation. She looked at the map and saw she was just about to pass over southern Kanto. She was currently on her way to Hoenn and, in order to avoid a storm, she'd altered her flight path, which had taken her over Ash's home region.
Lillie chewed on her lower lip and stared at the map. The former explanation wasn't entirely honest. Truthfully, she could have flow over the storm. In reality, the storm was weak enough that she could have flown through it. Honestly, if she'd wanted to take the shortest route around the storm, she should have flown around the opposite side of the weather event, away from Kanto. Instead, she'd ignored all logic and plotted her current course; all so she'd pass close to where Ash was.
Lillie fidgeted and squirmed as she crossed her legs. She both knew and didn't know why she was here. The Ultra Wormhole event she'd detected earlier in the day was significant and she probably needed a second teammate to deal with it. Mallow, Lana, Kiawe, Gladion and Sophocles had all been busy and declined to join her. She was on her own and she could really use Ash's help.
Lillie wrung her hands and tried to breathe slowly. Once again, the explanation wasn't entirely honest. She'd called Mallow for help, knowing she was swamped at her restaurant. She's also called Gladion, who was currently on a dive at the ocean floor and hadn't answered his phone for obvious reasons. She hadn't actually asked any of the others; likely because she'd known they would have joined her in an instant. This was why she needed help from Ash.
What Lillie didn't know was why she was here. She was honest enough with her feelings to know this was all a desperate ploy to get some alone-time with Ash. The idea of going off on an Ultra Guardians mission with him was a fantasy she'd played out countless times. She and he, battling side-by-side, watching out for each other, was something which made her heart flutter with longing and desire. Many nights, she lay in bed imagining how things would resolve. Some of her scenarios featured her getting hurt and Ash attending to her, immensely worried about her wellbeing. He always ended up professing his love to her as he stared into her eyes. Other scenarios featured Ash getting hurt and her attending to him. She always ended up begging Ash not to die because she loved him and couldn't live without him.
The final scenario, which she guiltily enjoyed the most often, featured them achieving success, uninjured and in each other's arms. They were usually stranded somewhere by some circumstance and the night was always cold. They always had no choice but to huddle together; close together…
Lillie winced as emotional needles pierced her heart. She covered her eyes with her gloved, right hand and gritted her teeth. The lovely, sensual imaginings now stung and made her stomach churn. She knew that scenario could never play out, now. Ash was married to Serena. She was his woman, not her. Even if she and Ash ended up in battle together, there would be no happy ending for her. Even worse, if he did somehow exhibit feelings for her, if she did somehow tempt him, it would only hurt Ash and ruin what he had with Serena.
Lillie let out a weary sigh and let her right hand flop down to her lap. She stared at the map once again and saw the course adjustment she'd programmed earlier was just ahead. All she had to do was push a button and the aircraft would swoop down to the Pokémon Reserve and land next to the old lab. Or, she could do nothing and she'd continue on her way to Hoenn… alone.
Lillie's eyes started to fill with sad and angry tears. She hated that she'd let all her opportunities with Ash slip by. Now, all she had were regrets and self-pity. She wiped at her eyes and stared at the map. There was no reason at all for her to land the aircraft. Ash wouldn't fall for her. She couldn't tell him how she felt. Them teaming up would only lead to more regret and pain. Romance just wasn't in the cards.
Seconds ticked by, the waypoint got closer and closer. Finally, at the last second, Lillie lunged forward and hit the button.
"Adjusting course to the Pallet Town Pokémon Reserve," Giles said in his regal, artificial voice.
The aircraft began to bank to the right and Lillie let out a deep sigh. She felt like a weight had been lifted off of her. She had no idea why she felt better. This could only end in disaster or disappointment… or both!
After a brief turn to the right, the aircraft began to descend. It passed through the clouds and the bright-green country side of Pallet Town came into view. Lillie looked out at the huge expanse of land and let out a wistful sigh. If she was to move anywhere, it would be to a place like this. Granted, this was because Ash lived here, but still…
Lillie looked around and her gaze settled on the large building at the top of the hill; the place where Ash lived. Her stomach began to churn and her hands to shake. What could she possibly do?! What could she possibly say?! This was such a stupid move on her part!
With the grass whipping from the aircraft's downward turned engines, Lillie's craft gently settled to the ground on its extended landing wheels. She unbuckled her restraints, rose from her chair and moved to the door. She hit a button and the door unfolded. A small stairway extended to the ground and Lillie exited the vehicle.
As her boots hit the grass, the platinum-blonde looked around and saw only a few Pokémon casting inquisitive stares in her direction. She was surprised Ash wasn't investigating the noise of her landing. Surely he'd heard…
Lillie took a few steps and called out to the man she loved; or rather, she tried to. Her voice caught in her throat and she managed only a weak, garbled croak. She swallowed, coughed, cleared her throat and… lost the nerve to call out again.
Lillie wrung her hands and took a few steps toward the old lab. She felt like such a fool! Why had she come here?! She was like some lovesick ex, hanging around her old boyfriend's‑
At that moment, the door of the old lab swung open and Lillie's heart nearly exploded. All her doubts and fears vanished. She'd talk to Ash and‑
Lillie's heart crashed into her bowels as Serena stepped out of the building. The dirty-blonde looked puzzled and had a dishtowel in her hands. She stared at the aircraft and then at Lillie. Her face suddenly brightened and she smiled while waving.
"Oh, Lillie!" she shouted in a friendly tone.
Lillie swallowed bitterly and clinched her hands into fists. She didn't have anything against Serena, personally. Serena hadn't stolen Ash away from her. She'd wooed him fair-and-square. Nonetheless, despite her best efforts, Lillie couldn't help but loathe the woman currently walking toward her. It was because of her that she couldn't be with Ash.
Lillie's throat spasmed as the thought of Serena sleeping with Ash flitted through her mind. It should have been her between the sheets with him, not Serena. It should have been her lying beneath him; it should have been her feeling him within her…
Anger, hurt and frustration roiled within Lillie as she struggled to shake her fantasies. Ash had never been hers and she had no claim to him, but that didn't make her heart ache any less. She forced a smile on her face and erased all traces of venom from her tone.
"Hi Serena!" Lillie responded.
Serena wiped her hands on the dish towel, stowed it in the crook of her left armpit and came to a stop a couple of paces from Lillie. She beamed happily and spoke in a welcoming tone.
"Wow this is a surprise! Did you fly all the way from Alola?"
Lillie swallowed and maintained a smile. The last thing she wanted to do was make small-talk with Serena.
"Yeah, uh, I just… flew here right now…" she managed. She glanced around and quickly continued. "Is Ash here?"
Serena's face immediately fell. Inside Lillie, optimism suddenly surged. Ash apparently wasn't here! Maybe they'd had a fight?! Maybe they were on the outs?! Maybe they were going to break up?!
"Oh, no, he isn't," Serena replied in a kind voice. "He left a couple of weeks ago to teach some kids about Pokémon battles."
Like a rollercoaster, Lillie's emotions plunged back down into the depths of despair. "Oh, so… he's away?" she said in a weak voice.
Serena nodded solemnly. Lillie's lips trembled and she struggled to keep her emotions from showing. Of course Ash wasn't here! Nothing ever went her way! He was always being yanked away from her at the‑
"Do you need him for something?" Serena asked.
Lillie blinked. "Oh, uh…" she stammered. "Y-yes, I was… I needed him to help me with an Ultra Guardians mission."
A serious expression formed on Serena's face. "I don't know where he is," she said, pulling a phone out of her right pants pocket. "But I can find out."
Lillie blinked a couple more times and hope rekindled. Maybe she could go out with Ash?! Maybe Serena could ask him and she could fly to him and pick him up?!
"Oh, really?" Lillie gasped.
Serena smiled, nodded and tapped at the phone. She held it up to her ear and it started to ring.
"He might be just over the hill for all I know," she said ironically. "He kind of gets lost when he's working with Pokémon," Serena added with a chuckle.
Lillie grimaced and chuckled along with Serena. How she hated this woman… even though she knew she shouldn't.
The phone rang several times before going to voice mail. Serena frowned and tried calling him again with the same result. With her face downcast, Ash's wife sighed and put the phone away.
"Sorry, I guess he's not getting a signal," the dirty-blonde said. "That happens a lot when he's out in the woods."
Lillie shrugged and sighed bitterly. She never got any luck. "Well… that's the way it goes," she warbled. Without a word, she started to turn toward her aircraft.
"What did you need his help for?" Serena piped up.
Lillie flinched and mechanically turned back around. Why was this woman so nosy?
"Uhh, we detected some Ultra Wormhole activity in Hoenn," Lillie began. "It looked like I needed some help, so I wanted to see if Ash could join… me…"
Internally, Lillie felt like a fool. This entire exercise had been a mistake. She hadn't really needed Ash to begin with. She'd created a fake reason to meet with Ash and now Karma was rewarding her with disappointment, heartbreak and frustration. She should never have‑
"Are you dealing with those Ultra Beasts?" Serena continued.
Lillie blinked. "Yes."
Serena looked to the side and thought before replying. "And you don't have anyone else to help you."
"No," Lillie replied. Why wouldn't she just leave her alone?
Serena's mouth scrunched up and a look of apprehension played across her face. Finally, after a couple seconds, she spoke up.
"Well, maybe I could help out," she said, uncertainty tingeing her voice. "I'm not Ash, but I know how to handle Pokémon."
Lillie snorted and was about to laugh at Serena's naiveté when she caught herself. Even though the dirty-blonde was ignorant, she shouldn't be impolite; despite the fact that she really wanted to be…
"Uhh, I don't know. It's very dangerous."
A brief look of uncertainty colored Serena's features, but she forced it away and smiled confidently. "I've had to deal with a lot of dangerous situations and powerful Pokémon." The wife of Ash let out an amused laugh before continuing in a jovial voice. "I traveled with Ash, after all…" she said in an amused tone.
Lillie simply stared back at Serena. She really didn't know what to do. She didn't want to come off as a jerk. Why did this woman have to be so darn friendly?! It made it hard to despise her.
"Ehh, uhh, well…" The platinum-blonde hesitated. She didn't want Serena along with her. However, truth be told, she could use a little help… if only a little…
Lillie breathed out a sigh of resignation. "Okay, you can come," she said.
Serena smiled, but there was an element of nervousness to her expression. "Great, let me get my Pokémon and I'll be ready to go."
With that, Serena turned on a heel and dashed back toward the old lab. As she watched Ash's wife retreat, Lillie's shoulders sagged and she shook her head in exasperation. What in the world was she doing; inviting the woman she loathed most in the entire world on an Ultra Guardians mission? She really shouldn't have come here…
A minute ticked by and then another one. Even though she wasn't in a terrible hurry, Lillie started to get annoyed at Serena's tardiness. She was surprised that Ash would have married a girl that was slow to run out the door on an adventure.
Lillie heard a door open and Serena call out for a Sylveon. Another minute passed, Serena opened a different door and called out to Sylveon again. Two minutes later, Serena burst out of the front door, with a Delphox, Pancham and a Sylveon in tow. A Baile form Oricorio flapped down from the top of the old lab and squawked at Serena.
"I'm sorry," Ash's woman said apologetically. "I really want to bring you along, but we haven't done any training for battles."
There was another brief exchange, Serena hugged the Oricorio and then stepped up to Lillie. "Okay, all ready," she declared.
Lillie glanced at Serena's Pokémon. Her Delphox looked beautiful but a little too clean. Did it know how to fight or did it just preen its coat? Pancham seemed eager… but it had a strange pair of sunglasses on its forehead. Sylveon's fur was a mess. There were bits of dirt, leaves and debris all over her back, as if the female had been rolling around on the ground just a few minutes ago. Additionally, the fairy type seemed unfocused and distant. All-in-all, the trio of Pokémon weren't the most inspiring sight.
"All right, let's get going!" Lillie said with a little more firmness than she'd intended.
Serena nodded and quickly recalled her Pokémon. She stowed their Pokéballs in her handbag and followed Lillie onto the aircraft. Instantly, Serena's face became a little pale and her body started to tense up.
"One of these, again…" she murmured unhappily while glancing at the aircraft's interior.
Lillie stepped into the cockpit and promptly sat down in the left pilot chair. Serena followed and hesitated, unsure of where to sit. Lillie threw a switch to start the engines and glanced at Ash's lady. As much as she hated to do this, it was the right thing to do…
"Here, you'll need this," Lillie said, holding out a palm-sized, diamond shaped, angled wedge with blue highlights. The wedge appeared to be made of plastic and was hefty for its size. Serena took the object and appeared puzzled.
"Oh, uhhh… what is it?" she asked.
Lillie tapped at a screen before answering. "It's an Ultra Suit. You'll want to wear one for facing the Ultra Beasts."
Serena's eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh, it's like what you were wearing when we first met you in Alola!" she said with a smile.
Lillie winced as the memory of that encounter dredged up terrible heartbreak, sadness and anger. She hissed out a sigh between her teeth before replying in a cold tone.
"Yes!"
Serena looked at the device with utter puzzlement. "So… how's it work…?" she asked.
Lillie took a breath and replied in an even tone. "Just press the flat part against your chest and then push the blue button."
Serena spent another few moments studying the device before shrugging and nodding. "Okay," she said simply. She set her handbag down and started to pull at the hem of her shirt before blushing slightly and glancing around. "Uh, you don't happen to have a changing room, or a bathroom, do you…?" she asked in a sheepish tone.
Lillie felt annoyance spike inside her and she clinched a fist. How had Ash married a bimbo this dumb!? The platinum-blonde almost spit out an insulting retort, but she held her tongue. She took a breath, reminded herself that not everyone knew the ins-and-outs of Aether tech like she did and replied in a calm tone.
"It just expands over your clothes. You don't have to undress," Lillie said. As the final word of her sentence left her lips, a mental image of Serena undressing for Ash flashed through her mind! It should have been her doing that…
Serena's mouth scrunched up in puzzlement. "Oh, uhhhh," she warbled. With some trepidation, the dirty-blonde pressed the device against her chest, tapped the blue button and let out a yelp of exclamation as white and blue gel began spreading across her clothing.
Lillie had worked hard to miniaturize all the components needed to make the Ultra Suit portable. She admitted that Wicke, one of her mother's top scientists, had figured out how to get the suit to fit into the mobile unit, but she had come up with the gel which could harden into the armor and then soften when it needed to be repacked.
Serena let out a few tense laughs and a giggle when the gel wrapped around her buttocks. A few moments later, the dirty-blonde was fully encased in a blue-highlighted Ultra Suit; the suit, Lillie noted ironically, that she'd brought for Ash to use…
"Wow, this is neat!" Serena breathed, eyeing her now-gloved hands. "So this is like what Ash wore, back when he was in Alola?"
Lillie tapped another screen and the aircraft's engines began to whine. "Not really," she replied. "This suit is a lot more advanced."
Serena held up her arms and examined the fancy vambraces which surrounded her forearms. "This is like one of those agent Kozo movies," she said excitedly. She glanced at a small bit of text and saw the name 'Ash Ketchum' clearly spelled out. Serena promptly laughed in amusement.
"I guess this was meant for Ash," she said with a chuckle. "That explains the blue…"
Lillie felt her face become hot. It was true, she'd added a little extra embellishment to Ash's suit. She'd wanted it to be fantastic. She'd even included his name, just for posterity. What a stupid move…
Lillie cleared her throat and swallowed before replying in a tight voice. "Yes, that was supposed to be for him…" she managed.
Grinning, Serena stretched her arms, arched her body and took in how the suit fit her. She then ran her hands over the pair of moderate rises in the center of her chest piece.
"It's really comfortable," the dirty-blonde said in a complementary tone. "It's even got plenty of room for my girls," she said with a chuckle. "I wouldn't have figured on that…"
Lillie felt annoyance jab at her again. She wanted to make a snide comment but she kept herself in-check. Serena wasn't her enemy. She needed to try and be amicable. The platinum-blonde took a breath and replied in a tone that was almost kind.
"The suit changes shape to fit your body. It wouldn't have a bust if Ash was wearing it…"
Serena instantly chuckled and blushed slightly. She shook her head and it was clear she was imagining Ash wearing an Ultra Suit with a womanly figure. The humorous image brought the tiniest of smiles to Lillie's lips. Serena really wasn't so bad; she should try to like her. Lillie blew out a tense exhalation and spoke in a warm tone.
"Sorry I didn't have something else. I only had the one suit."
Serena shrugged and made a dismissive sound. "It's fine," she replied. A naughty smile pulled at her lips and the dirty-blonde hesitated before continuing. "It wouldn't be the first time I've worn his clothes…" she squeaked guiltily.
Lillie's lips twisted into a perturbed frown. Just when she'd been trying to not hate Serena! Why did the showgirl have to make it so difficult by flaunting the fact she was having sex with Ash! The daughter of Lusamine bit her lip and sent Serena a sidelong stare. She tried to keep the expression as neutral as possible. Serena immediately saw the look and laughed sheepishly before holding up her hands in an expression of innocence.
"Uhhh, not what you think…" she said awkwardly.
Lillie didn't understand the comment. Why would Serena deflect about sleeping with her husband? Some women were just weird about their sex lives. The platinum-blonde took a steadying breath and tried to sound magnanimous.
"No I get it, you're married and… that… happens…" she managed.
Lillie promptly tapped a screen and the aircraft began to rise into the air. Serena let out a squawk of distress and scrambled to get seated. She buckled herself into the copilot's chair and pulled the restraints very tight. After clutching at the armrests of the chair, the dirty-blonde glanced at Lillie, made a pained expression and emitted an agonized groan.
"Well, uh… about that… actually…" Serena said in a pitchy, feminine tone.
Lillie glanced over at Serena then turned her attention back to the console in front of her. Serena winced and continued.
"Ash and I… aren't… technically… married!"
The words hit Lillie like a sledgehammer. Had she been actually flying the aircraft, she surely would have crashed. A guttural, feminine croak of astonishment escaped Lillie's throat and she immediately looked over at Serena.
"HUH!?"
Serena tensely grinned and tried to speak in an apologetic yet dismissive tone. "Um, see, when we were in Alola… what happened is this vendor sold me this necklace, and, apparently, I didn't know this at the time, it said that I was the wife of the big chief, or something like that."
Lillie's heart began to pound. Emotions she didn't understand started to swirl inside her. Her stomach felt like it was tying itself into knots.
"Professor Burnet saw the necklace and assumed Ash and I were married. She told everyone and, before we knew it, the entire island thought Ash and I were together."
"I… remember…" Lillie said faintly as she recalled her memory of seeing the necklace and assuming that Serena was Ash's wife. She'd been fooled too.
"We really wanted to say something, but it just got out-of-control and we didn't know‑"
Lillie was trying to listen to the rest of Serena's words but her attention was splintering as dozens of scenarios played out in her head. Was Ash really not married to Serena?! Were they engaged?! What sort of terms were they on?! Had they even slept together?!
Lillie swallowed hard as emotional tears began to wet her eyes. She didn't see how Serena couldn't have slept with Ash; they'd shared the honeymoon suite after all! But, perhaps they weren't really committed to each other. Maybe they'd just jumped in the sack and done it for fun? Maybe they didn't truly love each other?! Some anger began to burn inside Lillie as the possibility of casual sex between Ash and Serena played out in her mind. Serena was from Kalos after all. From her reading, the women in Kalos were more willing than most to spread their legs in pursuit of a man. Is that what Serena had done in order to win Ash?!
"‑time we got out of there, we were hoping it would all just blow over," Serena continued.
Lillie glanced over at Ash's harlot and worked her mouth. She had no idea what to say. Could she even say anything?
"That must have been really embarrassing… and awkward," Lillie said, unable to resist highlighting the humiliation.
Serena let out a series of ragged, embarrassed chortles. "You have no idea…"
Lillie tried to think of something clever to say, but her mind was focused on one thing and one thing only. "So, have you and Ash been trying for a baby?" she asked bluntly. Serena's eyes widened in surprise and Lillie realized too late that she could have been a little more tactful. Fortunately, instead of being indignant, Serena merely grimaced before replying.
"Uhhh, heh!" Serena chuckled nervously. "No, uhh, definitely not…"
Lillie's mouth was dry. "Really…?" she said, putting just enough doubt into the statement to hopefully evoke an explanation.
Serena had an ironic expression on her face. She hesitated for a moment before replying.
"Yeah, uhhhhhhh…" she hesitated. "Actually… Ash and I haven't even been together, yet."
Lillie made a small, surprised pip and looked at Serena. "Really…!" she said with some surprise, maintaining a calm exterior. Internally, however, the platinum-blonde was anything but calm. Had she been able, she would have screamed in joy and danced a crazy, celebratory jig. Elation, like she'd never felt, coursed through her. If Ash actually hadn't bedded this woman, he clearly didn't desire her THAT much. She still had a chance at him!
It took all of Lillie's willpower to keep from smirking. "How'd you manage that? Every date I've been on the guy wanted to take me home." The statement wasn't a complete lie. Lillie had never dated, but she'd once been on a social excursion with the son of an Alolan politician. It had been one of the worst nights of her life. Aside from the guy being thoroughly full of himself, he'd spent the evening staring at her breasts before flippantly asking if she'd like to go back to his place and pleasure him with her mouth. Needless to say, she'd turned him down.
Serena's appeared at a loss. "I really don't know," she said in mystified tone. "We've had a few… close calls… but it always just… doesn't happen."
Lillie pursed her lips and hesitated. She wondered what a 'close call' meant. She found the idea of them completely refraining from sexual activity impossible. How far had they gone?! With a small, mischievous, feminine smile, Lillie turned toward Serena and looked her in the eye before deliberately dropping her gaze to the other woman's breasts. Serena instantly giggled, blushed and moved her hands toward her boobs. The dirty-blond, slut shrugged innocently and grinned guiltily but said nothing, letting her body language communicate that her man had definitely partaken of her feminine flesh.
Lillie turned back to her instruments, grinding her teeth as she did so. That tramp had shown Ash her boobs! She wondered what other parts of her body she'd utilized to ensnare him?! More concerning, what parts of Ash had she gotten a look at?! What parts had she gotten her hands on?!
The aircraft finished its takeoff sequence and began to fly forward. They climbed up through the clouds and were soon speeding on their way to Hoenn.
Lillie fidgeted in her seat. She really wanted to know more about what had and hadn't happened between Ash and Serena. She needed to know what her competition was! However, she couldn't just ask. She had to be clever and pry it out of Serena. While Serena nervously glanced out a window and gripped the armrests of her chair, Lillie frantically worked to come up with a line of interrogation. However, before the platinum-blonde could formulate a question, Serena spoke up.
"So, uhhhh," she warbled in a tense voice. "How long have Kiawe and Mallow been a thing?"
Lillie blinked. This was news to her. Kiawe had a major crush on Mallow; Lana wouldn't shut up about it. However, the surprisingly shy man had never made move.
"Uh, they aren't," the platinum-blonde replied.
A naughty smirk pulled at Serena's lips. "Are you sure…?" she asked mysteriously.
Lillie frowned. If anything had happened between Mallow and Kiawe, big gossip, Lana, would have told her all about it within five minutes.
"Very sure."
Serena continued to subtly smirk and shrugged her shoulders. "Well… I found some evidence to the contrary," she added in a chiding tone.
Lillie didn't care much for gossip; however, the words had intrigued her. "What sort of evidence?" she asked.
Serena blushed, leaned closer and lowered her voice; even though it was only the two of them in the aircraft. "I found a bra out in this garden that Mallow and Kiawe had worked in."
Lillie's eyebrows went up. "Uh, how do you know it was Mallow's?" she asked.
Serena sniggered. "Well, I'm pretty sure she's the only one who needs a size D!"
Lillie considered this for a moment. Lana hadn't said anything. Was her blue-haired friend behind the times?
"But why do you think something happened?"
Serena sniggered again and continued. "The straps had all been torn; like it had been ripped off of her!"
Lillie sat up straight in her chair. There were only two scenarios which made sense. Either Mallow had been attacked in a truly horrible way; something the green-haired woman surely would have mentioned, or she'd been ravished in a supremely passionate way, something she most certainly wouldn't have mentioned.
The platinum-blonde blushed at the thought of Kiawe ripping off Mallow's undergarments. What in the world had happened…?
"I see your point," Lillie snickered.
Serena giggled and grinned mischievously. "I'd thought something was going on between them, but they'd denied it. It wasn't until I found that bra that I realized what was going on."
Lillie leaned back in her chair, halfway hearing Serena's comment. Her mind was fantasizing about Ash ripping off her undergarments. She could get some lingerie which would all but guarantee that happening. She had the body to go with it too! Years of athletic training had sculpted her into an impressive specimen of feminine beauty. The only thing she didn't possess was huge boobs. Her modest B cups had never given her concern, but she could always give them an upgrade… Perhaps she'd need to do something that radical to win Ash away from this Kalos honey pot.
Time passed quickly and soon the aircraft was descending on a small rocky island south of Lilycove City. The piece of land was barren and completely uninhabited. It would have been unremarkable except for the large amount of Ultra Wormhole activity which had been registered there.
Once the landing sequence was complete, Lillie retrieved her Z-Crystal from her carrying case and slotted it into the fitting in her right vambrace.
"Wow, cool," Serena commented, eyeing the sparkling Icium Z.
Lillie stood up, flexed her hands and glanced at Serena. "Just put your Z-Crystal in there like you were fitting it in a Z-Ring," she said.
Serena's eyes went wide. "Uh… I don't have a Z-Crystal…" she squeaked.
Lillie's face scrunched up in a perturbed expression. She'd read up on Ash's harlot. Several years ago, she'd won the contest championship in Hoenn. It was her one big accomplishment. Apparently, she'd been underachieving since then. Winning him away from her might not be as tough as she'd anticipated…
"What do you mean you don't have one?" Lillie responded in a disapproving tone.
Serena's expression was between embarrassed and tense. "Well, Ash has been teaching me the poses for the Z-Moves. We were going to start practicing them really soon…"
Lillie tried to keep her expression neutral. It was difficult…
"Okay…" she sighed heavily. "Just follow me and do what I say," she said.
Serena nodded curtly and fell in behind Lillie. The platinum-blonde reached the door and hit the button to open it. As the exit ramp unfolded, she internally shook her head at Serena's unprepared state. She'd hoped to get some help on this mission. Instead, she was going to be a babysitter for Ash's wench!
The base of the ramp hit the rocks below and Lillie started down the steps. Serena followed and both girls were soon trotting across the desolate landscape. Lillie's hair was pulled back into a tight braid with a short ponytail sticking out the top. Serena's long, dirty-blonde hair hung loose and blew in the salty wind coming off the sea.
The woman from Alola scanned the terrain and brought up her left arm. She tapped the vambrace and a holographic display of the island appeared. She made a few small gestures and a pair of red dots started flashing on the map. Lillie's eyes narrowed and she pulled out a collapsed Pokéball from her belt. She enlarged the device and a moment later Snowy flashed into existence.
"Should I send out my Pokémon?" Serena asked.
Lillie glanced over her shoulder and nodded. A few seconds later, Delphox, Sylveon and Pancham all stood ready for action. With careful steps, the six adventures moved forward, toward the center of the island.
Lillie moved along the base of a rock face until they reached a jagged corner. She stopped in-place and examined her map. One of the red dots was stationary while another was moving about randomly. Both of them were near the island center, just around the corner they were at. With a tense expression on her face, Serena leaned close and whispered to Lillie.
"Are those the Ultra Beasts?" she asked nervously.
"Yes," Lillie hissed, failing to keep all condescension out of her tone.
Serena sucked in a breath and blew it out in a ragged huff. "What do we do?" she squeaked.
Lillie wanted to respond with 'don't wet your panties!' but she thought better of it. "Just stay calm and don't make any sudden moves," she replied in an even voice. "The Ultra Beasts shouldn't attack if we don't provoke them."
Serena's lips wavered. "Then what?" she asked.
Lillie paused before continuing. "Once we're close enough, I'll use the Wormhole Net to send them back," she said, patting the vambrace attached to her right arm.
Serena appeared at-a-loss. "Uhh, okay," she replied in a quiet voice.
With a final check of the map, Lillie dropped into a half-crouch and began carefully moving forward. Serena followed a few steps behind her. Together, they rounded the jagged corner and moved closer toward the island center. The duo and their Pokémon moved up to the cover of a large boulder and then scooted to the right to hide behind a short ledge. It was then that Lillie finally caught sight of the first Ultra Beast.
The platinum-blonde stayed low so only her head poked above the rise of the ledge. She stared across at the short, conical mountain which resided at the island center. There, she took in the distinct, unnerving sight of a Blacephalon. The colorful, wiry Ultra Beast was clinging to the side of the mountain in an inverted position; head pointed toward the ground and feet toward the rocky summit.
Trembling, Serena leaned so close to Lillie that her lips briefly brushed against Lillie's ear. "Is that it?" she whispered, pointing toward the Ultra Beast.
Lillie nearly recoiled at the touch. She was disgusted by the contact! She had no desire to be touched by the part of Serena which had no doubt spent a great deal of time sucking on Ash's…
She tried very hard not to think about it…
"Yes, that's it!" Lillie hissed through clinched teeth.
The hairs on the back of Lillie's neck stood on end as Serena's exhalations tickled the side of her face. After a few moments, the dirty-blonde's breathing evened out.
"Huh," she chirped in an intrigued tone. "It sort of looks like one of those court jesters from medieval Kalos."
Lillie very much wanted to tell Serena to shut up. Instead, she stared down at the map. The other red dot was moving closer. She glanced up and watched for their other target to make its appearance. A few seconds later, a Nihilego floated into sight.
Serena made another curious grunt. "Sort of looks like a Tentacruel," she said.
"Does it…?" Lillie said absently; her attention was focused on the Nihilego's tentacles. The creature was carrying a bunch of items; phones, small appliances, cookware; all without any apparent purpose.
Lillie's eyes narrowed and her faced pinched into an expression of concentration. She'd recently encountered this gathering behavior from other Ultra Beasts as well. She had no idea what the reason was. Perhaps, after being exposed to their world, the creatures had grown a liking to certain items. Similar behavior had been observed in some Pokémon native to earth. Ultimately, she didn't know why they were gathering stuff and she didn't care. She needed to send them back to where they'd come from!
The Nihilego dropped the items to the ground with a clatter and floated idly in the air. Lillie drew in a slow breath and ran the fingers of her left hand over her right vambrace. Now was as good a time as any.
"Okay, we'll attack on three," she whispered.
Serena's eyes widened slightly but she nodded in acknowledgement. "Okay," she squeaked.
Lillie's eyes flitted between the Blacephalon and the Nihilego. "You deal with the Blacephalon while I banish the Nihilego."
"Umm," Serena hesitated. "Which one is the Blacephalon?" she asked timidly.
Lillie ground her teeth! She hated babysitting!
"The one that looks like a court jester!" she said sharply.
Serena nodded. "Got it," she replied.
Lillie shook her head in exasperation. "One… Two…"
As Lillie called out three, all six of them lunged over the top of the ledge. Serena pointed at the Blacephalon and called out for her Pokémon to use some distracting attacks. Lillie, meanwhile, aimed her right forearm at the Nihilego, planted her feet and began her Z-Movements with her free arm. In front of her, Snowy let out a yelp and joined in the synchronized attack.
"Snow that quietly falls from the sky above…" As Lillie spoke the words, four panels deployed from her right vambrace and began to crackle with blue energy.
"Countless ice crystals‑" abruptly, the Nihilego let out a shriek and shot straight up into the air, out of Lillie's line-of-fire!
"HUH!" the platinum-blonde cried out in utter surprise, her head snapping upward to track the rapidly moving Ultra Beast. Lillie stared, mouth agape, at the unexpected reaction. The crackling, blue energy quickly dissipated and Snowy let out a whimper. She didn't understand this! While the Ultra Beasts had been more aggressive lately, they'd always been slow, even lethargic. She'd always been able to catch one of them unawares and banish them before the others reacted.
To the side, several explosions went off all around the Blacephalon as Serena's Pokémon struck. However, they were careful to miss the strange Ultra Beast and the dirty-blonde let out a bold shout as the other-worldly creature turned toward them.
"That's right, over here!" Serena yelled.
Moving on thin limbs made of wispy white; the Blacephalon performed a forward flip and neatly landed on its feet. It undulated its body, a small pillar of pastel yellow, pink and blue spirals and focused on Serena. The creature cocked the sphere of pastel pink and blue lights which made up its head, and rolled it to the side… all the way into its right hand…!
Serena's face twisted into a look of horrific surprise! "Uhh, okay…! its head COMES OFF!" she exclaimed. All of her Pokémon let out cries of equal dismay.
Lillie didn't have time to say anything. She reset her vambrace and dashed forward to reengage the Nihilego. Her only thought was that she really hated babysitting!
A moment later, the Blacephalon reared back and lobbed the sphere of blue and pink lights at Serena's position.
"IT'S THROWING ITS HEAD AT US!" Serena shrieked as she and her Pokémon dove out of the way.
There was a bright explosion followed by a loud bang! Lillie gritted her teeth against the noise and continued dashing up a rock face toward the Nihilego. She'd deal with this Ultra Beast first and then save Serena's sorry hide.
Lillie reached the top of the small rock formation and promptly let out a cry of surprise as the Nihilego unleashed a beam of pink light in her direction. The platinum-blonde was no stranger to dodging attacks, but even with her quick movement, she barely sidestepped the blast. The impact blew a crater in the ground beside her feet and stung her face with splinters of rock.
"SNOWY, ICE BEAM!" she shouted.
Her Alolan Vulpix reacted quickly and fired a bright beam of icy, blue energy at the Ultra Beast. The Nihilego took the impact and let out a wail as it was knocked backward. Lillie let out an approving grunt and aimed her right forearm at the creature once again. She hit the button to begin the firing sequence and the Ultra Beast instantly dove for the ragged canyons below.
"What the‑‑" she gasped. She'd never observed behavior like this before.
Lillie's mind raced as she tried to come up with an explanation. Was she spooking the Nihilego?! Had she battled this one before?! Was there some other variable causing it to flee?! Another explosion from the Blacephalon jarred Lillie's thoughts and she glanced down at Serena and her Pokémon. The dirty-blonde was clearly outmatched and rapidly foundering.
"USE SWIFT!" Serena shouted.
Lillie let out a groan of disgust as Sylveon unleashed a massive barrage of glowing, golden stars, only for them to pass harmlessly through the Blacephalon.
"IT'S A GHOST TYPE!" Lillie shouted at the top of her lungs.
With a look of hapless distress on her face, Serena glanced at Lillie and then back at the colorful Ultra Beast as it regrew its head and then prepared to throw it yet again.
"MYSITICAL FIRE!" Serena shouted, just before the incoming head impacted the ground near them and filled the area with another explosion.
Lillie groaned again and clawed at her face. "IT'S A FIRE TYPE!" she bellowed.
A blast of swirling fire erupted out of the smoke cloud and impacted the Blacephalon. The Ultra Beast hardly flinched and regrew its head for another attack.
Lillie slapped a hand to her face and wheezed out a distressed moan. How in the world had this woman won Ash's heart?! It should have been her! If she'd just had a chance, she could have won him! If she'd just said something or done something…
Below Lillie, Serena coughed several times as the smoke cleared and pushed herself to her feet. Delphox, Pancham and Sylveon were all bruised but still standing. The dirty-blonde glanced at her Pokémon and clinched her hands into fists.
"You guys remember what we did in Purika City?!" she shouted.
All of her Pokémon barked an acknowledgement and started running. Sylveon began casting off a cloud of pink mist and dashed directly at the Blacephalon. The Ultra Beast responded by summoning a sphere of dark purple energy and hurling it at Sylveon. A moment before it struck the fairy type, Pancham pounded the ground with glowing fists and a pillar of blue rock erupted from the earth near Sylveon, blocking the energy sphere. The pillar of rock exploded from the impact and knocked Sylveon to the side, eliciting a cry of dismay from Serena.
"Argh! that's strong!" she exclaimed.
Lillie didn't know what Serena was doing. Did the woman even know how to battle?! How in the world had she traveled with Ash?! She clearly hadn't learned anything from him!
Lillie gritted her teeth and clutched at her chest as her heart began to ache. Serena didn't deserve Ash, she did! She was successful, educated, wealthy, and on a great career path. What was Serena good at; performing on the stage and in the bedroom?!
Delphox twirled her stick and sent a series of small flames at Blacephalon. The Ultra Beast flicked its arm and flung a sphere of purple energy at the fire fox. Pancham pounded the ground again and, this time, a pair of stone pillars erupted from the ground. The first one blocked the attack while the second protected Delphox from the explosion.
"YES!" Serena shouted. A second later, Sylveon fired a blast of shimmering, pink wind at Blacephalon. The creature made a very strange noise and launched its head at Sylveon. The explosion engulfed the fairy type and Serena cried out in distress.
Lillie looked on with a cold expression as Serena and her Pokémon continued to founder. She could run down and help them, but she wanted to let them suffer just a bit more. After all, they deserved it…
The platinum blonde cast a glance at the Nihilego as it cautiously lurked outside of attack range. It wasn't behaving like an Ultra Beast at it. She didn't understand. Another explosion sounded and Lillie continued to watch. Another few seconds and she'd go save Serena's sorry butt.
Lusamine's daughter gritted her teeth at the idea. She really didn't want to help Serena, but she had to….. or… did she…?
Lillie's eyes widened as her mind began to whirl. Serena didn't stand a chance against the Ultra Beast. If she didn't help, the dirty-blonde, and her Pokémon, would soon be overwhelmed and… perish!
Lillie remained frozen in place as the image of her carrying Serena's broken, lifeless body back to Ash played out in her mind. Ash would be heartbroken, crushed, devastated… and she'd be there to comfort him in his time of loss. She would be his shoulder to cry on; she would help him get back on his feet; she would help him put his life back together…. and…. when the time was right…. she would be there when he started to pursue love again!
Lillie clinched her hands into fists and looked down on Serena. It would be so easy! All she had to do was stand by and watch. She'd seen the Ultra Beast's increasingly ruthless attitude toward those who attacked them. She'd had a couple narrow misses herself in the past few months. What chance did this whore have against them! Soon she'd be dead and‑‑‑
Lillie let out a feminine squeak, squeezed her eyes shut and violently shook her head. Mentally, she kicked the malevolent plan out of her mind as hard as she could. Tears started to run from her eyes and she gasped for breath. She would never do something so evil; even to someone she hated!
Lillie wiped at her eyes, set her face into a mask of determination and began scrambling her way down the slope. She would win Ash fair-and-square. She'd start by saving this tramp and proving her superiority!
Lillie reached the bottom of the slope at an awkward run and stumbled a few steps before coming to a stop. She peered through the smoke, expecting to find Serena in a sorry state. Instead, she saw the dirty-blonde standing in the midst of her Pokémon, looking ticked off and defiant. Her white armor was scraped and dirtied and her face marred with smudges of grime. Gone was any sign of the fear she'd shown earlier.
"Wait until it's overwhelmed and then hit it!" Serena barked to Pancham.
The tiny panda nodded and stood ready, a ball of writhing, purple energy hovering between its outstretched paws. In front of them, Delphox and Sylveon were launching ineffective, but distracting attacks at the Blacephalon.
Lillie hesitated for the briefest of moments. As much as she hated to admit it, Serena was putting up a good fight. The Aether heir set her jaw and shouted out to Ash's wench.
"Keep it distracted! I'll banish it!"
Serena glanced at Lillie and nodded. "Okay!" she replied.
With Snowy at her heels, Lillie dashed to the side and moved so she had a good firing angle on the Blacephalon. She glanced at the Nihilego, making sure it was still some distance away. She then turned her attention to the other Ultra Beast and waited. A few tense seconds passed and Pancham launched a Dark Pulse attack. The colorful creature took the attack in the chest and staggered backward from the impact. Lillie grudgingly nodded in approval. Maybe Serena had learned something from Ash.
The platinum-blonde planted her feet, raised her right arm and hit the button on the vambrace. The panels opened and Lillie began to speak.
"Snow that quietly falls‑"
The moment blue energy began to crackle, the Blacephalon screeched and twisted its body around to confront Lillie. The movement was unnatural… impossible… There was no way the creature could have sensed her…
As Lillie stared into the sphere of pink/blue lights, she noticed a strange harness of wiring wrapped around its central body. What in the world was that?! A moment later, the Ultra Beast fired its head and Lillie's world exploded!
Noise, light and force all slammed into Lillie! She felt her body flying through the air. A moment later, her back crashed into the ground, driving the air out of her lungs. Pain spiked throughout her body and her vision blurred. Her ears rang and the world darkened. She didn't understand how this could have happened!
A concerned cry sounded and Snowy suddenly leaned its head into view, mere inches away from Lillie's face. Lillie tried to move her limbs, but everything hurt and her muscles protested. She felt disoriented, woozy and helpless. She blinked her eyes, gritted her teeth, tried to sit up and then a huge wall of blue rock exploded out of the ground in front of her!
"KEEP THEM BACK, PANCHAM!" Serena yelled.
The tiny panda and Sylveon yelped a reply and dashed forward toward the newly erected barrier. A moment later, Serena skidded to a stop at Lillie's side.
"LILLIE!" Serena cried. The dirty-blonde quickly knelt down to Lillie's right and peered into the fallen woman's face. "ARE YOU OKAY?!"
Lillie gritted her teeth and used her arms to push herself to a sitting position. An agonizing, sharp pain knifed into her right side and she cried out in distress. Serena immediately wrapped her left arm behind Lillie's shoulders and cradled her as best she could.
"Here, I got you!" Serena said breathlessly.
Lillie gasped for breath and wheezed as pain wracked her body. She didn't understand why the Blacephalon had reacted that way. It didn't make sense. Now, she was probably too hurt to deal with it. They'd have to run, unless…
Lillie coughed and twisted her head so she could look at Serena. "Serena," she croaked. "You said Ash taught you how to use Z-Moves?"
"Yeah," Serena replied. "But I've never done one."
Struggling against pain and her own prejudice, Lillie took a hard, sober look at their situation. As much as she despised Serena, the woman had won the Hoenn Contest Championship. Serena was capable in some ways; her battle against the Blacephalon had proven that. Though it turned her stomach to admit it, the dirty-blonde was their best chance to get out of this.
Lillie grimaced against the pain and reached across her body for her right vambrace. She popped her Z-Crystal free and offered it to Serena.
"Here," she rasped. "You'll have to send them back."
Serena's eyes stretched wide in surprise. "Huh?!"
Lillie pressed the Z-Crystal into Serena's palm and looked her in the eye. "Just push that button, keep it aimed at the Ultra Beast and start doing the Z-Move."
Serena continued to look astonished. Then, her gaze hardened and she nodded. "Okay, I'll do it!" she said in a determined voice. She pushed the Z-Crystal into the slot on her vambrace and clinched her hand into a fist. A moment later she hesitated and looked back at Lillie. "Uh, which Z-Move should I use?"
"Ice!" Lillie grunted.
Serena nodded again. "K!" she chirped. She rose to her feet and turned toward the barrier of rock Pancham had created. She'd just taken a step when Lillie called after her.
"Make sure they can't fight back when you use it!" she growled through clinched teeth. "I don't know why they're so aggressive."
Serena nodded again and dashed forward. She glanced at Pancham swept her arm in a motion.
"You'll have to stay back, Pancham. We're going to do a Z-Move!"
The tiny panda tried to look confident, but his expression wavered. Serena sent him a sheepish expression.
"Yeah, I know it's our first time, but we've just got to do it."
Before any of them could say anything more, the wall of blue rock exploded and the Blacephalon charged through. It shrieked, performed a forward flip and landed on its feet. Serena set her face into a mask of determination and shouted out commands.
"Sylveon, use Moonblast! Delphox, use Fire Spin!"
Sylveon cried out and launched pink sphere at the Ultra Beast. Delphox twirled her stick and sent a whirling vortex toward Blacephalon. The strange creature didn't budge and took both attacks without flinching. A moment later, the Beast summoned dark purple spheres in both its hands and fired them at Serena's Pokémon.
Sylveon yelped and was knocked back by an impact. Delphox managed to leap to the side, avoiding the strike. Serena gritted her teeth and shouted again.
"Remember that psychic move we practiced but never used!"
Delphox nodded and raised her arms. Her eyes began to glow blue and suddenly dozens of surrounding rocks started to shake. As Blacephalon reared back for another attack, the rocks rose into the air and Sylveon jumped forward. Serena's fairy type spun its ribbons and unleashed a blast of pink wind. The Fairy Wind wrapped around the floating rocks, causing them to glow pink.
With an angry cry, Delphox made a throwing motion with her arms and all the rocks were flung toward Blacephalon.
Lillie looked on at the impressive sight and let out a small breath. "Huh," she said, sounding impressed.
The Blacephalon didn't move as the barrage of rocks slammed into it. The Ultra Beast was hammered backward, to the ground, and mostly buried. Its two slender arms stuck out and flailed around helplessly, surrounded by the glowing, pink rocks.
Serena clinched a victorious fist. "Ghost type huh?! Well, float through that!" she shouted confidently.
The dirty-blonde raised her right arm and hit the button to deploy the panels. She planted her feet and began the first motion Ash had taught her.
"Freezing ice and chilling cold!" Serena began, remembering Ash's instructions to say something cool while doing the motions. "Snow and sleet….. falling hard!" she continued. "Making everything… slippery and dangerous!"
Serena cringed and struggled to remember the motions. In front of her, Pancham was doing his best to follow her. She really hoped this device wasn't dependant on precise movements…
"The wind blows and… winter is coming!" Serena struck a dramatic pose and prepared for the final movement. The panels of the vambrace crackled with blue energy and the Blacephalon shrieked defiantly.
"NOW….." Serena's mind went blank. What was the ice move called…? Inferno… Continental… Devastating… The woman from Kalos cringed again and shouted the first cool sounding, ice move which popped into her head.
"ICICLE ARMAGEDDON!"
Pancham let out a bold cry and finished his pose. Serena desperately hoped she'd done it correctly. A tense moment passed and then blue energy arced out of Pancham, into the extended panels of the Ultra Bracer. Serena's eyes were wide with amazement as the device vibrated, emitted a high-pitched hum and then fired a sizzling sphere of white energy toward the Blacephalon.
Serena watched as the energy smashed into the Ultra Beast. Tendrils of energy seemed to fasten onto the creature while other streamers arced straight up into the air. There was an earthy, screeching sound which made Serena's hair stand on end as a glowing portal suddenly opened up. The portal was surrounded by a grid-like aura which seemed to be pouring out of the vortex. A second later, the screeching Blacephalon was wrenched from the pile of rocks by the tendrils of energy and unceremoniously thrown into the Ultra Wormhole. With the creature gone, there was a strange pulse of sound and the Ultra Wormhole collapsed into nothing.
"WHOA!" Serena gasped in amazement.
Barely a moment later, the Nihilego swooped down and confronted Serena. The creature raised its tentacles to attack, but Serena merely smirked.
"Fire Spin!" she commanded.
Delphox twirled up another vortex of fire and sent it at the Ultra Beast. The tentacled creature failed to dodge and was engulfed by the fire-fox's attack. Serena let out triumphant shout and hit the button on the Ultra Bracer.
The Nihilego struggled and thrashed, but was unable to break free. Serena and Pancham performed the moves a bit more smoothly this time and, seconds later, the Ultra Bracer fired another sphere of white energy. The Ultra Beast was sucked into the wormhole and the rocky island suddenly became quiet.
Serena took a couple rapid, ragged breaths while still aiming the Ultra Bracer at where the Nihilego had been. Finally, the dirty-blonde let out a tense chuckle and lowered her arm.
"We got 'em!" she chirped in relief.
Sylveon let out a happy cry while Delphox sighed in exhaustion. Serena laughed in jubilation and turned to her Pokémon.
"We did it!" she celebrated.
Lillie watched as Serena interacted with her Pokémon. The platinum-blonde gently patted Snowy's head and her Pokémon cooed in response. It had been a near thing, but Serena had done it. The smallest of ironic smiles pulled at Lillie's lips. Apparently Ash's girlfriend wasn't as useless as she appeared…
Lillie sighed, looked down at the rocky earth and closed her eyes in introspection. No, the truth was, Ash wouldn't have picked Serena if she wasn't a winner. Ash had truly amazing instincts regarding Pokémon. It only followed that he would be able to pick a winner of a woman as well.
Lillie felt like something was being torn out of her heart. It was hard to admit, but… Ash was out of her reach. He'd picked Serena, and she had to accept that. Some sorrowful tears leaked from Lillie's eyes and her lungs shuddered as she drew a ragged breath. It was time to let Ash go.
Sensing distress, Snowy nuzzled against Lillie's chin and let out a mournful whimper. The woman smiled out of appreciation and petted the ice type's back. She then raised her gaze to Serena and saw the woman was walking toward her. Her blue-highlighted Ultra Suit was smudged with grime and her long hair was matted and tangled. Despite this, she was smiling broadly and looked toward Lillie with a joyful expression.
"Is that all of them?" she asked.
Lillie nodded. "Yes, that's it," she replied. She tried to stand up and immediately cried out as pain spiked in her right side. She suspected she'd fractured something.
Serena gasped in dismay and quickly stepped forward. "Oh, no! Are you hurt?!" she said with concern.
Lillie hissed in pain and struggled to move. "Mmm-hmm! she hummed intensely while nodding.
Serena knelt down next to Lillie and assessed the Alolan native. She carefully wrapped her left arm around Lillie's back and gently began to lift her.
"Here…" Serena said, helping Lillie rise to her feet.
With a grunt and a whimper, the platinum-blonde reached a standing position and staggered a step before stabilizing. She glanced over at Serena; the woman she hated who was selflessly helping her. It was really hard but Lillie opened her mouth to speak.
"Thanks!" she said.
Serena nodded and subtly smiled. Gingerly, the two of them began to walk toward the aircraft, their Pokémon trailing behind them.
After a short, painful, trip, Serena helped Lillie into the plane and got her into the cockpit. The platinum-blonde moaned and struggled to get comfortable. Serena looked on with an expression of helplessness. After a few tense gasps, Lillie glanced at Serena and spoke up.
"Get the med kit that's on the wall over there," she croaked.
Serena looked behind her and retrieved a small, white case with a red cross on it. She handed it to Lillie and the other woman immediately opened it. She pulled out a small, white cylinder, popped a plastic cover off its end and pressed its tip against her neck. She winced briefly and then let out a sigh of relief. Serena watched with an expression of curiosity and Lillie finally spoke up.
"Pain killer," the Aether heir said flatly.
Serena nodded. "Ohh," she breathed in understanding.
Lillie set the med kit to the side and looked toward the forward windscreen. She blinked her eyes and had to refocus her mind against the disorientation of the pain killers.
"Let's put our Pokémon away and then we can get going…" Lillie said in a pained voice.
Serena agreed and began recalling her Pokémon. She thanked each of her friends for a job well-done and then whisked them away to their Pokéballs. Lillie watched the woman's actions, gaining a little more insight into why Ash had picked her to be his girl. Soon, it was just the two of them and Serena settled into the copilot's seat.
Lillie paused a moment to think and then tapped the screen to begin the startup sequence. Serena groaned in discomfort as the aircraft rose into the sky. Seconds later, the craft surged forward; sending them on their way back to Kanto. Lillie sagged in her chair and let out a long sigh. She was tired, aching and drained emotionally. She just wanted today to be over‑
"I'm sure glad you take care of these things, Lillie," Serena said without pretense.
The platinum blonde let out a grunt and turned to look at Serena.
Serena flashed an appreciative yet tense smile and continued. "Ever since the Team Flare crisis, dealing with really tough Pokémon makes me nervous."
Lillie blinked a couple of times. Back during Ash's stay in Alola, he'd mentioned something about Team Flare and some legendary Pokémon. He'd downplayed the whole event and made it seem like no big deal. It wasn't until much later that Lillie had researched the incident and realized just how cataclysmic the entire thing had been. Apparently Serena had been involved in some way.
"Really?" Lillie replied.
The dirty-blonde nodded. "Mmm-hmm," she hummed. She blew out an emotional sigh and glanced up at the sky. "Ash never gets scared about this stuff, but I worry whenever he throws himself into danger." She chuckled nervously. "I can only imagine what he'd do if he was going on missions like this."
Lillie's heart ached at Serena's words. She deeply wished Ash was going on these missions with her, but at the same time, hearing Serena's genuine concern for Ash was sweet. It was something the two of them shared.
Serena sighed again. "I know it's not in his nature, but I sometimes wish he'd just settle down and stay home," she said wistfully.
Silence hung in the air for several seconds. As much as Lillie wanted to keep hating Serena for taking Ash, it wasn't in her nature to despise people. The difficult experiences with her mother had taught her to forgive. She needed to extend Serena the same kindness.
"He's really something," Lillie replied in a tired tone.
The two women exchanged glances and mutually chuckled. The happy act caused some of the icky weight to lift off of Lillie's shoulders. She thought for a moment and decided to again ask the question that had been bothering her.
"Is it really true you two have never been intimate?"
Serena's eyes widened and Lillie decided to speak somewhat from the heart. "It's just, he's…" her voice trailed off for a second. "I can't imagine many girls would be able to stay out of his bedroom this long."
Some blush filled Serena's cheeks and she snickered a bit. She looked at Lillie and nodded in agreement.
"You're right," she giggled. The dirty-blonde blew out a mirthful breath and continued in a girlish tone. "Ash is a real gentleman. If it was up to me, we would have shared a bed already. But, he's… I think he really wants to be married before we get together."
Lillie stared into Serena's eyes and saw the same glimmer of love that she held in her heart. A bit more of the icky darkness melted away inside her.
"You really love him, don't you?" she whispered quietly.
Serena locked eyes with Lillie and some happy tears filled the Kalos woman's eyes. She nodded and let out happy hum of agreement. Lusamine's daughter felt sad that she wasn't going to be with Ash, but she was glad that the woman who would truly loved him.
"That's good," Lillie said simply. She turned her gaze toward the forward windscreen and spent some time considering her thoughts. Minutes passed, the aircraft continued on its way and Lillie struggled with her feelings. She hated the idea of moving on from Ash, but it was something she needed to do. Perhaps she could at least do something nice for Ash and… Serena.
"Hey, how do you and Ash pay for everything at the reserve?" Lillie asked abruptly.
Serena appeared surprised at the question but she answered quickly. "Oh, uh, well, when Professor Oak was running the lab, he set up an endowment to fund everything." The dirty-blonde shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "That's basically what we live off of. It's not a lot, but we don't need all that much."
Lillie nodded. "Are there some things you'd like to do which you can't?"
Serena thought for a moment. "Well, I know there are a few things Ash would build if he could. There's a few medical things I'd like to get. Plus, there's the house he's working on. He's going slow on it to spread out the expense."
Lillie continued nodding but didn't say anything. She wrestled with her feelings one more time and then decided on a course of action. She sat up, wincing as she did so, and retrieved her handbag. She pulled out a small checkbook and started scribbling. It was time to officially bury her hatchet!
Serena watched with some curiosity as Lillie scribbled with a pen. She was just about to ask a question when the armored woman pursed her lips, let out a small sigh and ripped the check from the book. She turned to Serena and handed her the piece of paper.
"Here, you two deserve this," Lillie said, her voice wispy with deep-felt appreciation.
Serena felt incredible gratitude well up inside her chest. She briefly considered turning the gift down, but her mother had taught her that it was rude to refuse a gift. She smiled joyfully and took the check from Lillie.
"That's so kind, Lillie," Serena sang. "I'm sure Ash will want to say‑‑‑‑‑‑"
Serena's voice quit working as she glanced down at the check. She knew Lillie's family was very wealthy; the Aether Foundation was a testament to that. She'd expected a generous gift; perhaps even a very generous gift. However, the number she saw before her had three more zeros on the end of it than even her wildest speculations.
"HUUUUGHHH!" Serena wheezed as she realized she was holding more money in her hands than she'd ever dreamed of possessing. She swayed in her chair and her vision briefly darkened as she came dangerously close to fainting.
Time passed; Serena didn't know how much, and she finally regained her senses. She looked at Ash's platinum-blonde friend and tried to come up with words.
"Gahhh, uhh, Lillie you can't give us this!" she squeaked.
Lillie smiled kindly. "I really want to, Serena!" she said with sincerity.
Serena huffed in a breath and let out an astonished laugh. "But…. can you… afford this?" she said in a pitchy voice.
Lillie pursed her lips and appeared embarrassed for a moment. "You saw Aether Paradise," she said quietly. "Serena, honestly, we won't even notice it."
Serena laughed again as her perspective of Lillie's family wealth took on a whole new meaning. Tears began to flow from her eyes and she looked at Ash's friend with utter gratitude and humility.
"But… why…?" she chirped, unable to say more.
An emotional expression crossed Lillie's face. Her lips quivered for a moment as she thought before she spoke in an appreciative tone.
"If it wasn't for Ash, I wouldn't have anything," Lillie said in a whisper. "Ash saved my mother, reunited us with my brother, helped me find my father…" Tears flowed from Lillie's eyes and she smiled before continuing. "I wouldn't even be able to touch Pokémon if it wasn't for him."
Ash had told her some of these stories, but he always downplayed his role in events. Serena suddenly understood why Lillie was being so generous. She felt she owed a debt and she was trying to repay it. Ash's on-off wife hummed sweetly and extended a hand to Lillie's shoulder. The two women shared a meaningful gaze and smiled.
"Ash sure has the best friends!" Serena chirped emotionally.
Lillie chuckled as more tears flowed. She hesitated for a moment before speaking in a sincere tone.
"Promise me one thing, Serena," she breathed.
Serena nodded. Lillie took a breath and resumed.
"Make sure he's happy!"
Now it was Serena's turn to cry. With her lungs spasming from sobs and her face wet from tears, the woman from Kalos nodded rapidly and blubbered out an affirming reply as best as she could. The two women shared a meaningful look and smiled warmly.
The next dozen minutes were filled with some idle conversation and a few final actions. Lillie showed Serena how to recall the Ultra Suit into the small container and Serena helped Lillie clean up a few of the scrapes on her face. Soon, the aircraft was hovering over Pallet Town and descending toward the reserve. Once the plane had touched down, Serena departed, Lillie waved goodbye and the two new friends parted ways.
With her hair fluttering from the aircraft's downwash, Serena waved and smiled as the machine rose into the air. After a few moments, the engines of the craft rotated and it surged forward. The golden-haired woman watched as Lillie sped away and soon disappeared from sight. She let out a happy sigh and folded her hands over her heart. The Alolan woman was not only Ash's friend, but now hers as well.
Sporting an extremely happy smile, Serena turned toward the main building and took a step before glancing down at the check in her hand. Her breath caught in her throat yet again as she was reminded of how much money was currently gripped between her fingers. A nervous chuckle left her mouth and her knees wobbled a bit. She needed to take care of this right now!
Serena glanced around and immediately cried out in a shrill voice which cracked with nervous excitement. "CHARIZARD! NOIVERN!"
The two flying types milling about nearby promptly looked toward Serena; their interest more than peaked due to the tone of her voice. With a tense expression, Ash's secret wife blew out a shuddering breath and pointed to the north; toward Viridian City.
"WE'RE GOING TO THE BANK! RIGHT NOW!"
A puzzled expression crossed the faces of Ash's Pokémon. It quickly disappeared as soon as they saw how intense Serena's demeanor was. With a grunt and a warble, the two veteran battlers made tracks to Serena's side.
"Autopilot engaged," Giles said in his regal voice.
Lillie winced as she shifted in her seat. She tried to get comfortable and let out a tired sigh as she finally relaxed. She spent a few long moments listening to the muffled whine of the aircraft's engines. It was a soothing sound and it helped her reflect on everything which had happened.
Though she wasn't happy, she felt some peace inside herself. It had been so hard to let Ash go but she could feel the icky, nastiness of bitter jealously slowly crumbling away from around her heart. It was something which made her sad but also brought her relief. Finally, she could move on with her life!
The platinum-blonde leaned her head back against the support of the chair. She closed her eyes and smiled faintly. Maybe one day she would find a man as amazing as Ash. She hoped so.
A few minutes ticked by and Lillie opened her eyes. A memory popped into her head and she reached into her handbag for her audio recorder. She clicked it on and began to speak.
"I need to modify the firing sequence for the Ultra Net," she said in a semi-distracted voice. "It takes too long to charge up. It needs to be a self-contained unit. It shouldn't rely on the Pokémon to provide energy and focus…"
Lillie recorded a few more of her thoughts and observations before switching off the device and stowing it away. She shifted in her chair once again, winced and stared out the windows of the cockpit. What could she do now? Her mind worked for a moment and then a small spike of excitement brought a smirk to her face. She no longer had a relationship to bother with, but others did…
With a tight-lipped smile adorning her face, Lillie retrieved her phone and brought up her text messages. She tapped Lana's contact and quickly began a new message.
"So, have you heard about Mallow and Kiawe?"
Lillie grinned sneakily and sent the message. She'd never been one for gossip. Maybe it was time for that to change. If she couldn't have a man in her life, she could at least talk about those who did.
A few moments later, Lana replied. "Do tell…"
With a snigger, Lillie began to convey everything Serena had told her.
I never understood humans and the way they valued money. One moment, a piece of paper meant barely anything to them and then another, similar, piece of paper could mean a great deal. Thus, it was with some puzzlement and amusement I watched as Serena hurried Charizard, Noivern and Dragonite to get ready for a flight to Viridian City.
Once Serena had let us out of our Pokéballs, it hadn't taken us long to figure out that Lillie must have given her some sort of gift. We sat on the green grass, heads turning this way and that as Ash's mate squawked and squeaked, running about as she got ready to go. Soon, the escort party was in the air and soaring north, toward their destination. The flurry of activity had attracted a small crowd and they trotted over to see what had happened.
I watched Delphox start chatting with Bayleef while Pancham struck up a conversation with Oshawott and Totodile. I spotted a flash of blue out of the corner of my eye and my heart immediately leapt. I turned to look at Glaceon and saw my mate appearing a bit bashful. It was understandable given how we'd parted ways…
I smiled at my love and he smiled back. After a brief pause, he sauntered forward and eyed my charred and disheveled fur. I'd taken a few hits during the battle against the Ultra Beasts and Glaceon mewed a note of concern. I assured him I was fine and we shared a loving gaze before nuzzling our noses together.
My love had just asked about our adventure when Lucario suddenly raced up, looking more excited than I'd seen in a long time. The aura Pokémon's eyes were wide and his paws clinched into fists as he sported an eager expression. Without pausing for breath, the fighting type demanded to know if it was true we'd just clashed against the mysterious and dangerous Ultra Beasts.
I chuckled and told him he'd heard correctly. Lucario let out a supremely pleased growl and his eyes sparkled with wonder. His appearance was remarkably close to how Ash looked when he heard about a new Pokémon. Barely able to contain his excitement, Lucario demanded to know all about the battle and the Ultra Beasts. I sniggered in amusement at the display and was about to reply when Delphox abruptly called out in a smooth, sing-song voice.
My and Lucario's heads turned to look at the fire-fox, who'd done a remarkable job restoring her fur to a glossy, eye-catching state. With a sidelong glance and a bounce of her eyebrows, Delphox said that she'd be more than happy to tell Lucario all about the encounter.
Without hesitation, Lucario dashed up to Delphox and barked out a series of battle related questions. The fighting type was practically panting in anticipation. Serena's first Pokémon growled seductively and took a step away, inclining her head for Lucario to follow her. The dog-like Pokémon did just that and stayed a step behind Delphox, grinning wildly the entire time. My mouth scrunched up as I realized that Ash's Pokémon had no idea; no idea at all.
Glaceon and I blinked and turned to look at each other. Our romance had been so sweet and surreptitious that seeing such a blatant overture was a bit jarring. We shared a chuckle and my love asked if Delphox intended to mate this night. I laughed and said that if Lucario did understand the mechanics of mating, he'd first have to work out a thorough battle plan.
We shared a lengthy giggle and were blushing by the time we regained out composure. The topic of mating had come up and that stirred fresh memories for both of us…
With a cheeky grin, my love leaned close and whispered if I wanted to finish what had been so abruptly interrupted that morning. My cheeks turned red as my memory flashed back to our meeting earlier in the day; under the foliage of a bush, in the forest. My wonderful mate had just gotten into a beautiful rhythm when Serena had called me away…
I glanced left and right before replying that, we'd better find a spot a bit more private. After all the excitement, I was feeling a little frisky and things would probably be a bit more animated than this morning!