Chapter Blurb: Ash and May remind Red that "all work and no play" makes for a dull adventure.

Hey gang, happy Friday! It's been a while so I decided to treat everyone with a double upload!

Guest: Hopefully ash may and the others can find a way to snap Iris, Alain and others that sapphire has been effected by her mind control and bring them back to normal also make sure it doesn't happen again and put a end to their evil plans for good

Guest, I hope so too. Sapphire's got their friends and allies in a bind.

Question of the Week: What's your favorite Advanceshipping fanfic?

Excited to hear your thoughts on the next two chapters. Hope you have a great weekend!

Chapter 14: Forever Dreaming

The cruise that the heroes happened to board hosted festivities honoring Alolan culture, much to Red's dismay. He watched May dancing to Alolan music on the deck with other guests and crew members. He'd never seen May like this before. From what he could tell, the coordinator could dance till the break of dawn. Red leaned his forearms on the rails as he sipped on his Piñap Colada. He rested his head on his arm and continued to sip. The trainer wished tomorrow arrived already so they could get to Alola. "Hurry up, tomorrow," Red sighed. He felt a tap on the shoulder that startled him.

He saw that it was Ash. "What's wrong, Red? You don't seem happy," the trainer smiled.

Red leaned his back on the rail, "How can I be? These people look so carefree and thrilled to be dancing. They have no idea that the world is at risk of ending. Blissful ignorance must be nice."

Ash leaned forward on the rail. "I guess it's our burden," Ash admired May and the partygoers.

"If you could tell them, would you?" Red asked.

Ash nodded sideways, "No, what for?" His answer surprised Red. "What for? They deserve to live in the moment like we all should. Look at May. She hasn't had this much fun in some time and I'm happy that she gets to enjoy herself. I'm not much of a dancer, but at least she found her group," Ash sheepishly admitted. He saw that Red seemed to disagree by the look in his eye. "I know it's been rough for us, but if we get a moment where we can be happy, we should take it. Right? Didn't future 'me' do fun stuff with you even when things looked bad?" Ash tilted his head.

"He did," Red nodded, staring at the floor.

"See," Ash smiled. The Monarch looked to the orange sky, "We shouldn't throw away a moment that gives us an opportunity to have fun. There's a friend who reminds us that we must make the most of the time we have. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed."

Red crossed his arms, "Ash, how are you still able to smile and think like that after losing Pikachu? Don't you feel like mourning?" The trainer tried to make sense of his attitude.

"Who says I'm not mourning?" Ash raised an eyebrow.

Red took a step back in confusion, "What?"

Ash lifted the brim of his hat, "Pikachu would want us to save the world, but he would also want us to keep living every day as if it were our last. Before our journey, I was in a slump. I'd be by Pikachu's grave day and night until May shook me out of that. May helped me see the stakes and how Pikachu would want us to live without him. I can't bring him back, but Pikachu is still in my heart. And I owe it to May and my buddy to make the time I have left count."

"I understand, so that's how you do it," Red had a small smile. "You're honoring your loved ones by living the life you want."

Ash's eyes glistened as they reflected the glow of the sun, "I can't live that life if I don't do anything to keep it. That's why we embarked on this journey. Everyone deserves the right to live, and no one has the right to take it." He balled his hand into a fist.

"You're a fascinating individual, Ash Ketchum," Red admired his ally.

"Thanks, I guess," Ash laughed at the compliment.

Red turned to admire the deck. He saw May still dancing, but they were also dancing with their Pokémon. The coordinator had Blaziken spin her and then he juggled torches alongside some of the performers. He felt Ash push him from behind. "Come on. It's time you had some fun instead of staying up here," Ash urged him.

"But I'm not much of a dancer," an uneasy Red tried to resist him.

"Neither am I, but we're doing it for May. Let's see if Lucario can loosen up too," Ash argued. A meditative Lucario heard Ash from inside his ball and opened his eyes in fear.

"As a matter of fact, everyone should be out here!" Ash grabbed five Pokéballs to throw them in the air. Sceptile, Charizard, Lucario, Krookodile, and Infernape appeared behind Red. The five of them smirked, "Guys, let's help Red and his Pokémon get into the groove."

Lucario and Sceptile seemed unsure, knowing that they'd be dragged in too. "See, Sceptile and your Lucario are on the same page as I am," Red sweated.

"Oh yeah?" Ash looked back at them.

Infernape, Charizard, and Krookodile eyed the two rebels. "Nape infernape," Infernape pressured Sceptile.

"Krook Krookodile!" Krookodile lifted his shades so Lucario could see his disapproval. Charizard fired a Flamethrower in the air to warn them of the consequences. Lucario and Sceptile grunted and gave in.

Ash laughed, "One dance, I promise." Together, the two trainers and the Pokémon headed to the deck where May was thrilled to see them. The brunette had Red call out his Pokémon to participate, and then she dragged Ash and Red onto the dance floor and helped them find their rhythm. Red followed their steps and found the music to be contagious. Soon enough, the stiff Red discovered his footwork. "There you go! It's not about how good you are. It's about how much fun you have!" Ash pointed out. He signaled to their Pokémon, "Look, even they've gotten into it." Red was surprised to find his Lucario in a breakdancing match with Ash's Lucario.

"I can do that too," Red performed a one hand stand and spun his legs in the air like propellers. Ash's Lucario and Red's Lucario joined Red in a triple performance where the Aura Pokemon mirrored Red's moves. Neither Ash or May knew where they picked up the moves, but they were loving it. Their moves drove the crowd into a frenzy, as the trainer and Pokemon shuffled between hands and backflipped back on their feet.

"Not much of a dancer, huh?" May smirked with arms crossed.

"Who would've guessed?" a bashful Red scratched his cheek. He never took himself or Lucario for dancers, yet here they were.

The host of the dance festival approached Red and the Lucario. "Folks, I think we have our winner for the Alolan Dance Tournament!" Red and the Pokemon got caught by surprise, unaware of what they'd gotten themselves into. Two female hula dancers placed leis over the Lucario while the host presented Red with his lei. Red blushed as the crowd cheered for them. "Thank you for that wonderful performance. Please keep dancing with us," the host encouraged. Red looked at Ash and May, who nodded. Red smiled and flipped forward with the Lucario. Guests roared from ecstasy as the party raged on.

Red and his Pokémon ended up dancing until the moon came out and returned to his room for some rest afterward. Ash, May, and the other Pokémon stayed to enjoy more of the festivities. Leaving Red to wonder how long they planned to stay up, but he had his fill. He took off his hat and hung it with his jacket on the hanger behind their cabin door. The trainer slipped his shoes off and rested on the bed. His hands rested on his stomach and closed his eyes.

"You're a murderer and a traitor. Someone who's become the thing we vowed to never be," Hugh shunned him.

A disappointed Nate took off his hat, "Red, we would've followed you till the end, but not like this."

"Why couldn't you at least be honest with us from the start?" Rosa protested by pounding his chest, but Red stood still like a statue. He had no excuses. He had no words for how he let his friends down.

Nonetheless, he tried, "I-I-wanted-"

"You wanted to what? You wanted to prove that you were better than everyone else and could do whatever you want?!" Hugh barked.

"Hugh, you know it's not like that," Red looked down.

"Then what's it like, Red? You murdered a man in cold blood. There's no justification for it," Nate emphasized.

Rosa stepped away from Red, "He wasn't the only person you killed." The revelation alarmed Nate and Hugh.

"Rosa," Red didn't expect her to say that.

"Tell them, Red. Tell them what you told me. No more secrets. You might as well," Rosa glared at him.

Nate grabbed his sister, "Red, what is she talking about?"

"What's the meaning of this?" Hugh stepped in front of the siblings. Red didn't answer him. Instead, he chose to look away. "Tell us!" Hugh demanded.

Red shut his eyes and clenched his fists, "When I was a boy, I used Dialga to kill a squad."

"No," Nate and Hugh couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"After I found my dad and saw him die. We were found by one of the squads. I took my anger out on them by using Dialga to torture and kill them. I was a child. I didn't know what I was doing, and I couldn't control myself," Red divulged.

Hugh was disgusted, "Red, that's who you've always been."

"How could you?!" Nate hugged his sister, who cried into his chest.

"I'm sorry," Red apologized again.

"If it weren't for Rosa, you wouldn't have told us. On top of being murderous, you're deceitful," Hugh questioned who he'd been friends with all these years. Red didn't answer. Hugh found him deplorable, "You're no Ash Ketchum. You're no better than Omega."

Red's eyes widened when he heard the accusation. He tackled Hugh to the ground and started to beat him. He lost control. "Don't you dare talk about my dad!" Nate and Rosa tried to pull him back to stop. They pleaded for him to get off Hugh. "Don't you dare compare me to that bastard!" Red punched Hugh again. He punched Hugh until his face became bloodied, but his friend laughed as if he enjoyed the pain. Red stopped and wondered what was so funny. Hugh turned to face Red, but his friend's face turned into Omega's. Red backed away in fear and saw the man stand up. He noticed Nate and Rosa lying dead on the floor. Red backed away, "You're-you're not real. You're dead."

"I am?" Omega wiped the blood hanging from his gray strands of hair.

"I saw you die," Red looked at his blood-covered hands.

Omega smirked, "I know. That was your crowning moment, wasn't it?" Red trembled as Omega took a step closer. "The planet and reality are under threat. Do you think you can save it without your friends?" the villain tormented him. Red couldn't move as Omega stepped closer. "Run, Red, run away. You have to live."

Red came to his senses when his words echoed that of Ash's. "Bastard!" the trainer lunged at Omega with his fist. When he landed the blow, Omega disappeared. The startled Red panted as he looked around, "Good, Red. Hold on to that hatred." Omega's echoes prompted Red to wake up with a fright. He gasped for air when he saw that he was back in the cabin.

"Whoa, are you okay?" May rushed to his side.

"May?" a confused Red looked at her.

May touched his arm, "Yeah?"

Red sat up, "I'm sorry. I was having a nightmare." He felt his heart pumping and took a deep breath.

"I came to check on you after Ash told me that you tucked out and came to rest. Were you having a nightmare?" May looked at him.

"Yeah," Red answered. He didn't know what to say, but he tried to calm himself.

May rubbed his back, "I heard you mention Rosa, Hugh, and Nate. Were they in the nightmare?"

"Yeah," Red answered again.

May took a seat beside him, "Red, what really happened between the four of you?"

"What do you mean?" Red's head perked up. "Why does she think that?"

The coordinator sighed, "I might not be a mother yet, but taking care of a younger sibling gives you the instinct. I know when someone I care about is lying or hiding something. And I know you didn't tell us the full story the other day."

"How can you be so sure?" Red questioned.

"Because you're my son. Regardless of timeline," May tried to look at Red, but he hid his gaze. She saw the glisten in his eyes. The coordinator put her hand on her chest, "Red, you can talk to me. I want to help." She saw his watery eyes when he ran his hand through his hair and exhaled.

Red recollected, "After we saved reality, we had a falling out." May squeezed her hand. She could sense the sorrow in his voice. "I told them what I did to Phantom. I knew what I did was wrong, but I thought it was justified because I wanted to protect you and Ash. Even now, I still remember the reasoning that you and Ash gave me for what I did. The guilt was pent up inside me, and it didn't feel right to hide it from my friends. That's when I decided to tell them, but that also marked the end of our friendship. Things with Nate and Hugh were never the same again. Rosa and I still talk, but things aren't like before. I knew I betrayed their trust."

"Red," May hid her eyes under bangs. She also remembered the day Red killed Phantom. She'd never forget the coldness in his eyes and the life leaving Phantom's body. "I'm sorry it happened that way," the coordinator reached for his hand.

"There's something I think you should know, May. I don't know if I can tell Ash yet, but since you know what happened between me and my friends, I might as well share it." Red wrestled with the decision to tell her.

"What?" May's sapphire eyes met his.

Red felt his sweaty palms, "When I found my dad and saw him die, a squad of soldiers found us. They threatened us, but I was so angry over Ash's death that I had Dialga hurt them. I didn't even kill them at first. I used Dialga's power to make them feel the pain that I felt, and then I killed them. When I killed Phantom, I remembered the rage-filled 10-year-old boy that was still with me. He never left. He never changed. I hadn't changed."

May intertwined her hand with his, "Red." She tried to ease his sadness.

"Without my family, I feel like I've become prone to violence. It's like a part of me. And I don't know how to fight it. When I saw you and Ash talk to Moltres and got it to calm down, it made me see how far the apple had fallen from the tree. I'm not like my mom or dad," Red brought his knees to his chest.

The brunette rubbed his hand. "Life is a learning experience, and the best we can do is to take away from the lessons it gives us. It won't make us perfect, but it will make us better."

"I'll pay for what I did wrong one day. Actions have consequences," Red uttered.

"Don't say that," May grabbed his shoulder.

Red thought about how he'd die. "I used to believe I did it so our family could survive, but killing in cold blood and carrying out revenge are a fool's game. I can't take back what I did, and I stay up at night thinking when my time will come. When my karma arrives."

May grabbed his face. "Look at me." Red looked afraid when he saw her. She had the face of a worried mother. "You're a good person. You help people. You save people. So many of us have you to thank because you helped save our world."

"I don't deserve it. Once this is over, I think I'm done trying to play hero. I believe it's the only way I can have peace in my world," Red lamented.

May still held his face. "Then all you can do is decide the person you want to be with the time you have left." She caressed his face. "There's a good man within you, Red. You'll do what's right."

"What happens if I don't?" Red's eyes turned soft.

"You have a rage that's festering like an open wound. If you don't heal that wound, it will spread and hurt you. You can't be there for your friends, your world, or your family if you don't remedy what's in your heart," Red clung to May's warning.

Red lowered his gaze. "How can I heal it?"

May lifted his head by the chin. "Don't focus on what you've lost. Focus on what you've gained." She grabbed and pulled Red's head and kissed the top of it.

"Thank you, Mom," Red closed his eyes.