Ash barely managed to pass Aurian a tissue box before she burst into tears, the smaller girl burying her head in her hands.

"Hey, you did it," Ash said. "You won't have to call him again for a long while."

Professor Oak put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Pardon me asking, but have things always been this tense with your father?"

"We fought a lot before I left on my journey, and things definitely got better when I went further away," Aurian bit her lip. "What's done is done, I'm glad that's over."

"How do you feel about it?" Ash asked.

She honked her nose. "Any conversation that doesn't turn into a yelling match is progress. I'm more worried about you, that was a big bombshell-"

Gary bounded back into the room. "Ash, you're all over the news."

"What an honor. Coming home was a mistake-"

Oak shook his head. "No, this is the smartest thing you could have done, especially with the League moving this fast. Before I send you home, I need to look at that wound of yours."

"Okay," Ash made his way to an exam table propped in a corner, haphazardly stacked with paperwork and medical supplies.

Oak donned a pair of rubber gloves and tackled Ash's bandages. Once the last wrappings fell away, the professor let out a whistle. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say this looked about two weeks healed. Whoever gave you those stitches did good work, and your patch jobs made remarkable progress."

"Really?" Ash's eyes went wide.

"Absolutely. Are you sure no one's ever taught you how to use aura?"

Aurian shook her head. "All learned by necessity, on my end."

"I followed my gut," Ash said.

Gary gave a thoughtful nod. "Knowing you, that seems about right."

The professor dug around in a set of cabinets and pulled a tube of medicine and two pill bottles.

"This is a salve to speed healing, along with pain medicine and an antibiotic. Ointment once daily, pain medicine every six hours, and the antibiotic needs to be taken twice a day until you're through. An infection in there will probably kill you," he re-wrapped the gash and handed Ash a bag of medicine.

Ash shivered at the thought. "I'd like to stay alive."

"And I'd like to keep you that way," Oak sat down at his desk, a tower of papers threatening to tip over. "Gary and I will do everything we can to help. In the meantime, please rest. Ash, if you take the back way to your house, fewer people will see you."

"Got it. When should we come back?" he asked, pulling his shirt over his head.

"I'll call your mother when we have a lead."

"Great, thanks!" Ash pulled Aurian to her feet. "We'll see you soon."

The duo ducked out the back door, setting off through a large pasture.

"How close is your mom's place?" Aurian asked.

Ash pointed at a clump of trees. "If we take the shortcut, it's a half-mile away."

"Cool," she stretched out her arms, "I can't wait to crash on a couch."

"We have a guest room! Mom won't make you take the sofa bed. It smells awful and hasn't been used in years. I bet it's more dust than bed, at this point."

Aurian smiled. "Good to know. What's your mom like, Ash?"

"Mom… Mom is incredible," he said. "Put herself through culinary school after she lost both her parents. She does a ton of catering for local festivals and events. She would do anything to help a friend and takes really good care of her family."

"You really lucked out in the mom department," Aurian dodged a pile of Tauros droppings. "She sounds wonderful."

Ash opened the pasture gate, closing it again after Aurian passed through. "Oh, for sure. And her cooking! Man, I'm excited for that."

Ten minutes later, the duo approached a small cul de sac, four houses spread out around the asphalt circle.

"We're the one on the right," Ash pointed to a small yellow house. Lace curtains fluttered in open windows, the flowerbeds outside exquisite. "Let's go!"

"Hold on," Aurian grabbed the hood of his sweatshirt, "will any of your neighbors see us?"

Ash frowned, Pikachu climbing back on his shoulders. "The Johnsons are normally in Alola this time of year, Mrs. Anderson works morning shifts at the hospital in town, and Mom said the last house is empty after the Kaguyas moved out two weeks ago. We're good."

"Okay. I trust you, let's go!"

Ash and Aurian darted around the side of the house, wiping their muddy feet on the driveway before stepping up to the threshold.

"Here goes," Ash knocked five times then stepped back.

"Coming!" a voice said, fumbling for the doorknob.

Delia Ketchum opened the door and burst into tears.

"I am so, so glad you're okay," she ruffled Ash's hair before pulling her son into a hug. "Welcome home."

Ash motioned to Aurian. "I brought a friend, is that okay?"

"Any friend of Ash's is always welcome here," Delia escorted both trainers into the living room. "Especially one who helped him come home through all of this mess. Thank you."

"No worries, that's what friends are for!" Aurian beamed.

Delia ducked back into the kitchen to make tea, the clink of mugs and tea tins following the gentle clacks of her footsteps. "What's your name?"

"Aurian," she said. "Aurian Copland."

A coffee mug slipped from Delia's hands and shattered against the tile, shards exploding across the floor.

"Well that's inconvenient," she frowned. "I'm so sorry, let me try that again-"

Ash grabbed the broom and swept, Pikachu holding the dustpan. "Accidents happen, it's all right."

A few minutes later, the trio settled in the living room, tea and cookies in hand.

"Aurian, thank you so much for helping Ash get back home. Now… Ash, can you tell me what on earth happened to put you in this mess?"

Ash told Delia the terribly convoluted story of what brought him and his new friend back to Kanto, dancing around mentioning their aura abilities.

"... and we're here. Professor Oak said that he'd make some phone calls and see what he can do to help. We're supposed to lay low until he calls back," he finished.

Delia took his hand. "Goodness, now I understand why you're so tired. If you don't mind, a question- you mentioned that you and Aurian both managed to heal your wound? How?"

Aurian cautiously glanced back and forth between mother and son. "Does she know?"

Ash nodded.

Blue sparks flew from their fingers, light reflecting off of Delia's tears.

"Oh, Arceus. Samuel was right, this is serious."

She dabbed at her eyes, then cleared her throat. "Ash, when you came home from the Tree of Beginning and told me about your adventure there, I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to, at first, because of how rare what you can do is. You deserve to know the truth- your aura abilities come from your dad's side of the family."

"He could use aura?" Ash's eyes went wide.

"He could. Quite well, too. But he ran into significant opposition for what he could do– the exact thing I don't want you to face."

Ash sighed. "Is that why you never told me until now? To protect me?"

"Other than each other, do you know anyone else in the world who can use aura the way you do?" Delia asked.

Ash and Aurian sat in stony silence.

"No," the younger trainer finally shook her head, voice cracking. "No, I don't."

"There's one guy over on Iron Island in Sinnoh, but… he's the only one I know of," Ash said. "And I'm pretty sure he doesn't run around bragging about it, either."

Delia nodded. "When the odds were that slim, and when your father and I realized there was a good chance you'd inherited his abilities, we… we wanted to keep you safe from everything that haunted him. You might not agree with our decision, and that's okay. Now, the only thing that matters is getting you both somewhere safe… and letting you rest. Aurian, you're more than welcome to use the guest room for as long as you need."

Both trainers stood, thanking Delia before dragging their belongings down the hall.

Ash unceremoniously dumped his backpack in his room before walking across the hall to check on Aurian, who was unpacking toiletries in the bathroom.

"Hey, you finding everything okay?" he asked, Pikachu tilting his head at the question.

Aurian nodded. "Yeah, that's all good. Anything you want to talk about?"

"Hang on, give me a second to find the words."

She paused, taking in the sight of Ash Ketchum in the doorway, eyes watering.

"Dad passed when I was three, right before Mom and I moved to Pallet Town. I can barely remember anything about him. From the way Mom talks about him, I know he was one of a kind, but…"

He trailed off, wiping tears away. "I wish he was still here, sometimes more than I have words for. It's one thing hearing how great and kind and funny and caring he was, but knowing I'll never get to learn or see for myself is a knife to the heart every time I think about it."

"And today probably didn't make that easier," Aurian put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"And I get it, I do. Mom and Dad probably made a promise that they wouldn't tell me about the aura thing until now, but that's, like, really important to know. This would have helped a ton on some of my journeys… and now I can't even ask him about it. No one knows anything about this!"

"But hey, we found each other. Even knowing that there's just one more person that can do the aura thing is better than wondering on your own. We can figure this out together, but probably not until we both get some sleep," Aurian said.

Ash mustered a laugh. "Better than trying to sleep through the turbulence on Surge's plane, anyways."

"Bingo. I know we only met… a day ago? But you don't have to be fake optimistic or put on a mask here. Feel what you need to and don't apologize for it. Not to me, at least. I just got out of a situation where I couldn't do that, where I had to put on a brave face every morning. It was a nightmare," Aurian sighed, eyes caught between mourning and resentment. "You don't need two kinds of hell happening at once."

"Has anyone ever told you that you give really good advice?" Ash asked.

She shook her head. "No, but I appreciate it. I'm glad something's helping."

"Maybe one day you can tell me about how you ended up as far away from Sandgem as you could possibly get without leaving the region," Ash offered. "But only when you're ready."

"Ash, I think the last two months broke me. But maybe one day sounds nice. See you later?"

Ash nodded, pausing in the hallway. "Get some sleep. Thanks for sticking with me, Aurian."

She gave a sleepy smile before closing her door, soft music drifting out soon afterward.

Aurian hoped that the quiet refrains of Clamperl Jam's acoustic album covered the sound of her tears.

Ash awoke to the all-too-familiar sensation of Pikachu's tail tickling his nose. He rocketed up with a sneeze so violent that his sinuses burned and tingled.

"Was that necessary?"

Pikachu motioned towards the open door, where his mom stood with a call waiting on her PokeGear.

"It's Samuel, I think this call is for you," she said.

He nodded. "Is Aurian up?"

"She's up but not functional. Said something about coffee and trudged towards the kitchen?"

Ash paused. "Somehow, I'm not surprised."

He reached out for the PokeGear. "Hello?"

"Ash! Glad to hear from you. I hope you've managed to rest a bit?"

"Slept like a Graveller. What's going on?"

"One of my contacts will be at the lab in about a half-hour to speak with you and Aurian about possibilities moving forward. Are you able to get here as soon as you can?"

"Yeah, we can do that," Ash nodded. "Will we learn more when we get there?"

"Yes. Keep taking the back route to get here, see you soon."

Ash stepped into the kitchen to find Aurian with a large cup of coffee in one hand and a piece of toast in the other.

"Coffee this late?" Ash asked, glancing at his watch. "It's almost midnight."

"I gave up on keeping a normal sleep schedule when I left Sandgem. Come to the dark side," she raised an eyebrow, draining the last of her drink.

He narrowed his eyes. "How old are you, anyways?"

"I turned fourteen a week ago."

"Happy belated birthday, that much caffeine will probably kill you in the long run."

"We have bigger problems. What's the plan?"

Ash held back a snort as Pikachu climbed on his shoulder. "One of Professor Oak's contacts wants to speak with us. We need to get to the lab, ASAP."

"Before you leave," Delia handed each trainer a granola bar and a water bottle. "Better safe than sorry. Make sure you stay hydrated!"

"Thanks, Mom," Ash hugged Delia. "We'll keep you posted."

"Please be careful. You made it through so much to come back safe, I don't want the League to catch you here, of all places," she said. "Stay safe, don't talk to anyone, try to stay out of sight."

"We'll take the shortcut again, I promise," Ash said.

Aurian nodded. "I'll make sure Ash doesn't make any reckless decisions."

"Thank you," Delia hugged Aurian, too. "That means more than you'll ever know."

The two trainers bolted out the back door and sprinted towards the lab. Ash and Aurian both remained silent for the duration of the dash, thoughts spinning at cataclysmic speeds.

Ash reached the lab first, three sharp, short knocks cutting through the Caterpie cries.

The door cracked open, closed, then opened just wide enough for Ash and Aurian to squeeze through.

Professor Oak stood on the other side, hair disheveled and dark circles under his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked, concerned.

"Quite alright. I've been on the phone since you two left this morning. It took a bit to work out the details, but I have a proposal for you from one of my contacts. He'd love to speak with you, if you're okay with it."

Aurian nodded. "Please, by all means."

Oak escorted the trainers through the scientific portion of the lab and through a door in the back that Ash had never seen open. A small hallway opened up into a modest living room, two couches placed around a small coffee table covered with newspapers, their crossword puzzles half-completed.

A figure wearing a black leather jacket with spiky red hair turned around.

"You're kidding me," Aurian nearly hyperventilated.

Ash's jaw hit the floor. "Lance?"

"Ash, it's good to see you again. I wish it was under better circumstances," Lance chuckled. "And Aurian, it's nice to meet you."

"Thank you," she said. "We heard you had a proposal of some sort?"

He nodded, motioning towards the couches. "Yes. Before we get there, I wanted to let you know that all the League warrants are fabricated. Their protocol calls for three material witnesses, and the only person who's come forward at this point is Tobias. This doesn't add up, logically and legally."

"If the charges are bogus, why am I still in danger?" Ash asked.

"You didn't happen to annoy Team Rocket into wanting you dead or recruited, did you?"

Ash flushed red. "Not on purpose."

Pikachu rolled his eyes. "Pikapi kapikachuka."

"You conveniently left that part out," Aurian muttered.

"Pikachu's right. Jessie, James, and Meowth wouldn't escalate it this far," Ash said. "But yeah, I've had some scuffles. Not overly fun ones, either."

Lance pulled a pen and a field notebook from his jacket, scratching a few notes down in illegible handwriting. "I've received reports that Rocket employees are on the move in all five major regions. There is a strong chance that they're looking for you, Ash. Aurian, have you done anything that the League would find suspicious?"

"I hope not."

"Are you related to an Atticus Copland of Sandgem Town, Sinnoh?"

"Oh, Arceus."

Lance clicked his pen. "He submitted a missing persons report four hours ago. In the League's eyes, you're now missing and on the run with a known fugitive. Probably an accessory to a few of Ash's 'crimes'."

"Is there any way to send Atticus to the Distortion World?"

"Unfortunately, my people can't quite do that," Lance said, choking back a laugh. "Is he your father?"

"Adoptive. It's complicated."

Professor Oak raised a hand. "Could we refocus on the matters at hand?"

"Right, yes, my apologies," Lance took in the sight of the alarmed teenagers on the couch across from him and made a mental note never to lead with criminal charges again. "Before I extend my offer, I wanted to let you both know that Professor Oak filled me in on how you two met."

Ash nodded. "Aurian's a lifesaver."

"That was quite courageous of you, little lady."

Aurian shrugged. "It was the right thing to do. Never questioned it, and I know now that Ash would've done the same for me in a heartbeat. I bet the League will try to pin me for execution of vigilante justice when we all know they couldn't do two Splashes worth of damage against anything Galactic had planned."

"As much as I hate to say it, that's a likely outcome. Have either of you ever heard of the G-Men?"

Aurian shook her head, Ash nodded enthusiastically.

"Johto, the Lake of Rage! They helped with the Red Gyarados incident when Rocket got a little too adventurous," Ash said.

Lance crossed his arms. "One and the same. When you met me there, I was leading one of the four divisions within the organization. I now serve as the Commander General of the G-Men, which is a covert operations-oriented peacemaking corps. We also run a small witness protection program, built specifically for situations like this. After speaking to our Overhead counsel, we've agreed to shelter you from the League and help you drop off the radar."

"Seems too good to be true," Aurian bit her lip. "Is there a catch?"

"We would only be able to place you and offer assistance for two years. If the League keeps this false narrative up past that point, we might not be able to offer support for an extended period of time. There is a secondary protection method, though."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Go on."

"Legally, the League can't know who is on our membership roster due to the need for secrecy surrounding our missions," Lance continued. "If you pass the application process and become a full member of the G-Men, that would erase the time constraint with the witness protection department. With our current rules, however, we would only be able to extend a membership offer to Ash."

Ash paused, brain whirring.

Aurian raised a hand. "It's because I'm a girl, isn't it? I'm assuming you've only ever recruited men since the G-Men were founded."

"Traditionally, yes."

"With all due respect, that's Tauros-crap," Aurian's gaze turned cold. "We have female Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and Champions. I don't see why that same idea doesn't apply here. I can do anything that male trainers can do, and do it better on occasion. Lance, I finished Top Four in the last Silver League. You saw me do it. I can hold my own."

Ash nodded. "Lance, I've seen Aurian battle. She's amazing- better than Paul Shinji or Gary Oak in his prime. I wouldn't be alive if she hadn't acted last night. We're a package deal. Double or nothing."

Lance leaned forward, taking in the sight of two trainers staring in defiance, white-knuckled hands intertwined.

"You have a lot of nerve, asking that of the only option you have for making it out of this town as free trainers."

Ash and Aurian exchanged frantic eye contact.

"But I'll admit that I'm curious. Very curious," Lance drummed his fingers against the side of the couch. "I'll revise my offer- witness protection with a membership offer for both of you if you prove yourselves well in your time with us. Do we have a deal?"

Ash turned towards Professor Oak. "Is it fair?"

"It's a remarkable opportunity… and your best chance. Agatha and Lorelei turned us down. Koga didn't answer when we called him, Bertha's 'I'm thinking about it' was the politest way she knew to say no. The G-Men are well-known for being of great help in situations like this. This is the best option you have at the moment."

"What do you think?" Ash turned towards Aurian.

She bit her lip. "What would happen after a membership offer?"

"If your bid for membership is successful, you will be assigned to one of our five active-duty combat squads: Dragonite, Salamence, Garchomp, Haxorus, or the Armada. Your unit will become your family. Each unit takes numerous short-term missions a year, in addition to one or two long-term. We may not be the safest way to make a living, but the pay is good and the people are great," Lance said. "Aurian, you would be a welcome first. I can't guarantee that you won't face discrimination, but I know you could prove a lot of people wrong and change a significant number of minds."

"I've always loved a good challenge," she nodded. "Ash, I'm in if you're in."

Ash shook Lance's hand. "It's worth a shot. We'll take the deal."

"I was hoping you'd say yes. We need to get you to headquarters and process you into Witness Protection before we proceed any further. I'll give you twelve hours to say your goodbyes and return at noon."

Professor Oak brandished a PokeGear. "I don't think we have that kind of time. Ash, Aurian, we need to get you out of Pallet Town, now."

He turned the screen around to reveal satellite footage from a local news station. A fleet of sheriffs and International Police vehicles approached Pallet Town from the north, a small crew of unmarked black vehicles approached from the south.

"Just when I thought we were okay," Ash shook his head.

"I'll tell Gary what happened. Lance, do you have a Pokemon that can teleport with you right now?"

He nodded. "I borrowed Riley's Gallade, we're good to go. I'll go with them back to the Ketchum house."

Ash hugged the professor. "Thank you. For everything."

"We'll let you know when we're safe," Aurian shook his hand and held the door open. "Come on!"

Two trainers, a Pikachu, and a champion sprinted into the night, footfalls thudding against the dry soil beneath their shoes.

"When we get there," Lance started, "I'll guard the door. Go get your things and we'll teleport out from your living room."

"Got it. Will we have time to say goodbye?" Ash asked.

"If you make it quick."

Aurian nearly slipped, Ash catching her and setting her back on her feet. "Ash, did you ever actually unpack?"

"If I say no, would that surprise you?"

"I'll grab your stuff," she said. "You need more time with your mom than I do, I want to make sure you get those extra seconds. How close are we?"

Ash opened the gate, shooing both his companions through. "Three minutes, two if we sprint!"

The trio picked up pace, Ash's hands trembling as he unlocked the door.

"You're back! How did…" Delia trailed off at the sight of her son, his friend, and an unsuspecting third party in her house. "Is everything all right?"

"It's complicated. Mom, this is Lance. Lance, this is my mom. We'll be back!"

Ash and Aurian ran down the hall, the sounds of frantic packing floating from their rooms.

"Are you the contact that Professor Oak mentioned?" Delia asked, voice trembling.

"I am. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Ketchum," Lance shook her hand. "The League is taking drastic action to take your son and his friend into custody. As we speak, a fleet of International Police and Kanto authorities are on their way to Pallet Town, presumably to look for Ash and Aurian."

Delia sat down, all color lost from her face.

"The good news is that I have a way to get them out and to safety. I run the G-Men, which hosts a witness protection program that will be able to shelter both Ash and Aurian. Once they're settled, they plan to petition for official membership."

"Thank you," tears ran down Delia's face. "I can't tell you how much it means to know they'll be in good hands."

"I'll do everything I can to make sure they stay safe," Lance said. "They don't deserve any of this; the League's actions are unfounded."

Ash and Aurian careened back into the living room, bags packed.

"I suppose this is goodbye for now," Delia stood and pulled Ash into her arms. "Promise me you'll be careful."

"We both know how those promises usually go."

She wiped a tear from his face. "At least try for me."

"I will. I love you, Mom."

"And I love you, Ash. More than I'll ever have words for."

Before Aurian could protest, Delia pulled her into the group hug.

"I don't know a lot about your family situation, Aurian, but I want you to know that you can always come back here. You helped bring Ash home. If you ever need anything, I'm a phone call away."

Aurian tried to speak, her response dying in her throat. She settled for returning the hug instead, hoping the embrace would suffice.

"Stay safe, wherever you're going," Delia sniffled. "If you're able to, let me know when you're settled."

Lance released a Gallade. "Consider it done. Gallade, to Headquarters!"

A bright pink light enveloped the Champion and two trainers, no traces left behind.

As the light faded, Delia sat back on the couch, turning an old, tarnished locket in her hands.

"May someone find it in their hearts to look after them both," she sighed, hands shaking. "Please."

(A/N): Thanks for reading C3 of Light in the Aftermath, and thanks to thechinskyguy for his A+ beta skills. Share with your friends! Share with your frenemies! Leave a review! Have a wonderful holiday season!

- PL