Revelations...

Chapter 34 - Revelations...

As Ash and company made their way back to their penthouse suite on the top floor of the Indigo Plateau Hotel, the raven haired guardian was thinking hard of how he would explain everything to everyone. Speaking with Arceus had opened his eyes and made him realize that things are much worse than what he had been led to believe and he knew now that he couldn't hide anything anymore from the people that he loved above all else. He had decided to let the Champions and Goodshow know too because he felt that they could keep a secret and if anything happened to him, then hopefully they could manage with Mewtwo and beat back the darkness, however slim the chance may be.

When they finally reached the hotel and went up to the master suite, they followed Ash into the huge dining room and they all sat down around the two large dining tables while Ash stood standing with Pikachu on his shoulder. Mewtwo, Lucario and Gardevoir stood next to him. Before Ash could say anything, a couple knocks were heard on the door and Lance got up, muttering that the other Champions and Goodshow had arrived. When the four entered the dining room with puzzled expressions on their faces, Ash spoke to them all.

"Thanks for coming as there is something important that you should all know and I'd rather say this just the one time," said Ash as they sat down.

"Understandable Ash but why so late at night and what's with the urgency?" asked Goodshow.

"I would also like to know that. What is it that's so important that we had to be here right now? I was just about to get my beauty sleep. This couldn't wait till morning?" asked Diantha with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Show some respect and shut it!" snapped Cynthia at once. Her rude reaction to her fellow Champion caused several to raise their eyebrows in surprise. Ash gave Cynthia an appreciative look, one that she caught and made her inwardly smile but kept her gaze icy at Diantha.

"Should I pretend I didn't hear that Cynthia?" asked Diantha without emotion, keeping calm. "Or should I end you with a single sentence?"

Cynthia's eyes widened as she felt a shiver go down her spine. Lance, Alder and Steven were dumbstruck that Diantha would actually threaten to do that. The others however were completely baffled by the lack of respect between the two Champions.

"Ah, what's going on?" asked Ash, a little hesitant to find out the answer after seeing Diantha smirk.

"Oh nothing really, except that our Sinnoh Champion here has a very interesting secret. I believe you would all just be thrilled to-"

"Stop!" shot Ash, his eyes glowing blue as he placed his hands on the table and leaned forward to glare at the Kalos Champion. Pikachu jumped off of him onto the table in surprise. "If she trusted you with her secret, whatever it is, then you will be quiet about it no matter what. As for this secret, if she doesn't want it to be known, we will respect her wishes and not bother her about it. Understood?"

Ash's unusually stern gaze and comments at the Kalos Champion made many falter, not used to it. Mewtwo and Lucario nodded with respect over what the guardian just did. Cynthia was a little stunned by it though her respect and admiration for him grew over what he just did for her. Diantha was so shocked that she didn't respond back, leaving her mouth open.

"I'll take your silence as a yes," said Ash as he stood up straight once more and relaxed, his eyes turning back to brown. He took a deep breath before he spoke again. "As I was saying...There is something very important that you all should know and it is the reason why I've been gone for the past three years."

The Champions, even Diantha, Goodshow, the girls, the parents and everyone else sat up straighter and gave their full attention.

"This all started more or less three years," started Ash. "After leaving the Kalos region, I went back home to visit my mom before I went to train at Mount Silver to think over some things that were troubling me, which you all found out about recently." Ash went slightly red at this, since he was thinking about his memories that they saw but quickly pushed on, not wanting to dwell on it. "I spent my time there training, thinking and developing my aura abilities a little. After about two months, as you know, I was visited by a friend." At this moment, Ash tilted his head towards Mewtwo to indicate it was him who showed up. "Mewtwo came to me and let me know that Arceus wanted to meet with me. I agreed and we then traveled to the Hall of Origin, Arceus's home. It is there that Arceus let me know of something incredibly terrible." Ash looked away to the side as he sighed before facing the group in front of him once more. "I was told by Arceus that he had seen a vision."

"A vision?" asked Delia.

"Yes Mom. A vision," repeated Ash. "He had seen a very horrible thing. The world was covered in darkness. All were corrupted, didn't' matter whether it was human or pokémon. Everything was affected, everything was consumed by the darkness and all were lost in it. Lost in their anger, their hate, their lust and aggression. The world was drenched in evil."

As he finished saying that, several had their expressions twisted in shock and fear. Joy grabbed Richie's arm, as did Lucy to Brock, Iris to Cilan and Ilene did to Gary, who glanced at her in surprise. The Queen immediately withdrew her arm and muttered a quick apology as her face turned red. Gary just smiled back before replying back that he didn't mind, making him redden slightly as well but the blonde queen went crimson.

"And that's not even the worst thing," continued Ash when everyone calmed down.

"What is the worst thing?" asked Johanna in a low voice.

"I said all would be affected. That includes the legendary pokémon…even the reality dragons Palkia, Dialga and Giratina…and the Original One himself Arceus."

At this new detail, everyone gasped at that but Bonnie and Max let out screams in fright, being the youngest in the room, making those next to them jump, startled.

"How can that be?" asked Lance after the noise died down. "They are gods, deities in their own right. They have powers beyond that of several legendary pokémon combined. And nothing can equal the power of Arceus."

"Yes and no," replied Ash slowly. "They can be affected by the darkness…unless they stay within their own dimensions. The darkness cannot reach them there but if they were to come to our world and try to help, they would surely be affected by it."

"So let me get this straight," said Steven. "A terrible darkness is coming, that can and will corrupt all, pokémon and human alike, and even the Alpha Pokémon Arceus can't stop it?"

"Correct," said Mewtwo, earning glances from them before turning back to Ash.

"So what does that mean? And why would he send for you?" asked Alder with great concern.

"I'm getting to that," replied Ash before he continued. "After telling me about the darkness, he then told me that there was still hope, however small it may be." His audience's once bleak expressions suddenly brightened at hearing that all was not yet lost. "Near the end of his vision, he saw two figures fighting the darkness, keeping it at bay on top of a large mountain."

Ash stopped talking and looked at Mewtwo. The legendary psychic pokémon gave a curt nod at Ash who returned it. This quick behavior between the two made the group realize who the ones in the vision are.

"You and Mewtwo are the ones fighting against the darkness in the vision." Anabel whispered her realization with widened eyes but everyone heard it since the room was dead quiet.

"Yes. Arceus had seen the two of us fighting against the darkness," replied Ash.

"But how? Why you? And didn't you say the darkness would affect all?" asked Sarah, clearly confused.

"True, I did. But we believe it is because I am the last true Aura Guardian and that it is because of my aura that keeps me from becoming corrupted. We do not yet know why it won't affect Mewtwo. It could be because of my bond with him, that my aura protects him. It could be that he is a different kind of pokémon. It could be because of his unusually powerful will. It could be a million reasons. We are unsure about that."

"Alright, that might explain it but I have a feeling there is more left to be said," remarked Diantha.

"You are right. After telling me that Mewtwo and I are the ones who fight against the coming darkness, he told me a bit more. He said that the darkness would emerge in five years time and would quickly cover the world. He asked me if I would take up the cause of fighting against it and I said I would. Arceus, Mewtwo and I then made a plan to prepare for the darkness, for war. I was supposed to capture many powerful pokémon with fighting spirits and then train nonstop until three years later, where I would compete in this tournament. This tournament was to be used as a test to see what my strengths and weaknesses are. I didn't think it would be a test of war as well."

After that, Ash took a couple minutes to take a breather and the others took this time to think over what he had just told them about. Finally, Ash finished his break and continued.

"And so, after saying farewell to my friends, I set out to follow the plan. I had to leave everyone to prepare. I had to catch and befriend powerful pokémon to help in the coming war. I had to practice using my aura abilities. My pokémon and I trained harder than we ever did before with the help of Mewtwo, Arceus and the reality dragons. Arceus provided a private island in the middle of the ocean equipped with everything we needed to train, though we still traveled around for training and it is protected by Arceus, hidden from all except me, my pokémon, Mewtwo and those I take with me there. The protection will last until the darkness emerges, when Arceus will be forced to leave. That's what I've been up to the past three years. I've been preparing for the darkness that will come in now two years time. That is why I was gone for so long and unable to contact anyone since Arceus told me not to, so that I could be able to focus on my training. Now you all know the reason why I vanished."

When Ash finished, he saw the stunned and frigthtened looks on everyone and he hated himself for it. He leaned over the table again and hung his head, letting out a long sigh. He hated being the bearer of bad news. He didn't like telling them but the altercation with the Alpha pokémon, the attack on the stadium and Misty having stated that he could cause them more harm with being so secretive made him realize that he couldn't keep it hidden anymore. Nobody made a sound or moved for several minutes. They were all processing what they just learned from the raven haired guardian.

I can't believe this. This is why he's been gone for so long, why he disappeared. He's been preparing to battle a great evil and what have I done? Just mope around. I will stop my childish ways and I will train and prepare to fight by his side! I will not let him face it alone, decided Anabel in her mind.

Damn. How could he have kept something like this for so long? No wonder he's so strong. He's been preparing for what is essentially a world war. I need to get stronger. I need to get better so I can help him. I will aid him in his fight against the darkness! I was unable to help the people I loved in the past but I'll be damned if I don't do anything this time! Sarah sat up straighter as she finished her thoughts and looked at her crush.

Ash…to bear such a burden…and I'm worried whether you could one day love me back...how selfish can I be? You have been saving the world and everyone in it all your life with only a few knowing of it…I could have been there with you and experienced it all with you…I won't miss this chance…I need to do better…I need to show you that I'm more than just a flirt. I swear to you that I will stand and fight alongside you. Leaf ended her thoughts with her promise as she gazed at him from her seat.

To think such a young man has the worries of an elder…but then again I've witnessed you fighting against evil before…we fought side by side and I will do so again. You will not be alone in this Ash. No matter what…I will be right there with you on the front lines, vowed Cynthia.

Misty, Dawn, Serena and May weren't thinking about anything but Ash. They had known, or more accurately, guessed that only something extremely important could have caused him to leave them and be gone for so long. And now they finally know the exact reason why and they were right. They hadn't blamed him or been angry with him about disappearing anymore but they still felt ashamed about it.

The silence that was there as everyone thought about what he said was suddenly broken when someone got up from their chair and moved quickly to the young man. Before he knew what was going on, Ash was wrapped up in a bear hug.

"To have such weight on your shoulders at such a young age and not crumble from it but instead strive to overcome it…" cried Delia as she continued to hug him tightly. "I'm so proud of you my son!"

"Thanks Mom." Ash hugged his mother back for a moment before they separated. They smiled at one another before Ash faced the group and saw that many looked like they were about to cry. "Hey, c'mon, you're gonna make me go now too," whined Ash, making them laughed. "That's better."

"So what now?" asked Misty. "What are we supposed to do? What are you supposed to do?"

"Right now, what I have to do is follow the plan I made with Arceus. I will finish the tournament to see where I stand and adjust accordingly. After the tournament, I will continue preparing for the darkness so I am going to be extremely busy once more as I am going to have to go back into heavy training and look for more pokémon. There are a few other things that I would need to do but I won't go into detail since it's not that important as of now. What you all are supposed to do is up to each of you."

"What do you mean?" asked Dawn.

"This burden has been placed on my and Mewtwo's shoulders. I cannot tell you to join me, to train for the war. I cannot tell you to leave your lives behind. I cannot tell you to sacrifice anything for this. I cannot tell you to go through the hardships that I have gone through. What I can tell you is for you all to be happy as you live your lives as usual and I want you all to not have to worry about the darkness as I will take care of it."

The room went quiet at this. They were outraged that he would even say such a thing. Lucario, Gardevoir, Mewtwo and Pikachu however knew that it was coming and he wouldn't want them to get involved for he feared them getting hurt.

"So that's it?" asked Serena angrily. "You tell us about this horrible mission that you're on, which involves something so evil that it can wipe out the world and you tell us to not worry about it while you kill yourself trying to protect us?!"

"You don't understand Serena!" snapped Ash but instantly regretted it. "I'm sorry," he said quickly, seeing her hurt expression. "I didn't mean to snap at you. But you must understand," said Ash but now it was said softly and pleading like. "I've known nothing but suffering these past three years. It has been nothing but hell for me, my pokémon and my allies. We have nothing to look forward to in the next few years besides fighting the darkness. These upcoming years we are stuck in this mission and if we're lucky we can triumph over it with our lives and maybe have some sort of a future afterwards." Several people grew sad at his words and gave him sullen looks but he continued on. He had to have them understand that what they have shouldn't be taken for granted. "But you're not tied up in this yet. None of you are. You can continue living your lives the way you've been living them. You can still enjoy the time you have left if for some reason things don't go well in the end, you have at least experienced some good times. These past days here at the tournament have been the happiest days of my life barring the few bad stuff, spending them with you and the others and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I don't want you all to miss more good times like that and instead go through the crap I would have to. It will be much better for you than going through what I have and will." Ash finished and watched them for a moment before he turned around, having his back face the group and hung his head. A soft voice behind him made him turn his head slightly towards it a moment later.

"Ash…" It was Misty who spoke. She, May, Dawn and Serena had gotten up and moved behind him as the red head made him turn fully around to face them. She took a breath before talking. "You say you've been in hell these past three years," started Misty as she raised her hands and placed them on his shoulders while looking into his eyes. "But you need to know that you weren't the only one. I have suffered as well. Serena, May and Dawn too. Do you know how many times just us four went crazy? I'm pretty sure that most everyone else here has in some way or form, suffered through something too and do you know why?" Ash stayed silent, not knowing where she was going with this. Misty raised her hands to cup his face with her hands. Feeling her soft hands made against his face made him relax a bit. "It's because we all were worried about you and were hoping for you to come back one day. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't even be friends. You are what made us come together. As I said before, you are the glue that holds us together. Without you, there would be no us, no group of friends and some of us might never have reached our goals. You helped us, now let us help you. Not to even the score but because we care about you. Wherever you go, whatever you do, we will be standing right beside you, going through whatever life throws at us with you and I'm sure many others will want to do the same." Misty's words made Ash's bottom lip quiver as his eyes watered. Before Misty knew what was happening, Ash pulled her into a heartfelt embrace and hugged her so tightly that she was momentarily stunned but quickly returned the hug. "I love you Ash and I know you will beat the darkness," said Misty as they continued hugging. "You're too stubborn to lose." Her comment made the two and the others laugh a bit and the three girls joined in on the group hug, telling him how much they love him too.

"Thank you Mist. And I love each of you too," said Ash with a smile as they separated and he looked at the four in front of him who smiled.

"So what's the plan?" asked Serena.

"There is no plan right now except to finish the tournament and have a good time while we're here. However, that doesn't mean we won't train a bit and keep our eyes and ears open. After the tournament, we will start preparing and there will be no breaks after so you all better have fun while we're here. I hope you're all ready for the grueling training that comes after."

"You can bet your ass we are. We're tough!" remarked May with a grin as she slammed her fists together, though lightly, earning chuckles from several in the group and Ash smiled before he turned his attention to the Champions, Ilene and Goodshow.

"Goodshow. Champions. Queen Ilene. Now you know the full story. This was my mission and now it's all of ours; to get stronger and fight the darkness when it emerges. We will prepare for what's coming but not a word to anyone else. Not yet. We don't want to start a mass panic and if word reaches the ones who will be behind the darkness, they could release it earlier or something else might happen before we are ready. Do I have your word to keep this a secret between those in this room only?"

"You have my word Aura Guardian Ash Ketchum. You have the support of the Kingdom of Rota," replied Ilene without pause as she stood up and Riley agreed with a bow and his own word.

"The Pokémon League will be behind you one hundred percent. Anything that you may need at all, just let me know," replied Goodshow without hesitation, standing up.

"Ash," started Lance as he got up and everyone looked at him. "I am an idiot for not trusting you and I apologize for my past actions. I should have never doubted you and I swear I will never doubt you again. You have my support till the end," stated Lance with a bow.

"I will be honored to have the privilege of fighting with you once again," said Cynthia as she stood up and looked Ash in the eyes with a warm smile, who nodded to show his appreciation. He also noticed something else in her gaze that he was all too familiar with but decided to wait till later to address it.

Alder, Diantha and Steven also stood up to pledge their support and each swore to keep the secret. Everyone else soon got up one by one and followed their example, promising to keep quiet and to help. When Leaf, Anabel and Sarah promised to help too, Ash smiled at them in appreciation. This action made them blush slightly, noticing that they were giving him a familiar gaze as well.

What the…Why are Leaf, Sarah, Anabel and Cynthia giving me those looks? Thought Ash until Professor Oak's words snapped him out of his thoughts.

"It seems we are all in this together. This is good. We are only as strong as we are united, weak as we are divided. But for now, if we are finished, I think some good food will help us all feel better. May I ask the great chefs here to whip us up a good meal?" asked Oak.

"I think that's a good idea and I don't see the problem with that," replied Brock as he looked at his fellow brother chefs. "You guys ready to make a grand meal?"

"You betcha Brocko," Chili answered with a grin as he got up to go to the kitchen with Cress right behind him. Violet and Lily followed the two brothers with their eyes as they went. Cilan got up after Iris gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Brock got up to join his fellow brother chefs after Lucy gave him a quick kiss too.

"Champions, Goodshow; you're welcome to join us," said Delia as she, Grace, Caroline and Johanna got up to go to the kitchen and help them out.

"You are too kind Delia. We will take up your hospitality for a little while longer. Thank you," replied Alder with a bow. Delia replied with just a wave of her hand as she disappeared into the kitchen.

The large group of people waited for their meal to get ready in the dining room, living room and patio balcony, while having conversations. Even though Ash insisted that Mewtwo stay and join them, the psychic feline told Ash that he would rather go back to the island. After Mewtwo left, Lucario and Gardevoir moved to the large balcony to speak with one another. Pikachu had decided to take a nap and he went to take it on one of the large couches in the living room. Ash wandered around the suite, seeing what everyone else was up to until food was ready.

Max and Bonnie were asking questions to Alder nonstop about what it's like to be a Champion and what he's done in his life. The older Champion just found it entertaining and amusing that they had so much energy, even assuring Norman and Clemont that they were not bothering him. Riley and Daisy Oak were speaking with one another once more in the balcony while Ilene, Lily, Violet and Daisy Waterflower were having a conversation about what it's like to be an actual Queen versus what the fantasy was. Lance, Steven, Cynthia and Diantha were speaking with one another a little away from everyone else in the dining room. Misty, Dawn, Serena and May were speaking with Leaf, Anabel and Sarah about their travels with Ash to help them relax and not get too frightened of what the vision held. After he finished his walk around, the raven haired guardian took a seat next to his starter slowly and gently, so as to not wake up Pikachu. He then closed his eyes as he leaned against the couch to take a quick nap as he waited for the food to be ready.

Outside in the balcony, Riley and Daisy Oak were speaking with one another as they leaned against the railings and looked out into the horizon. They were speaking about what they just learned from Ash, what they were going to do in regards to it. When they finished talking about that, Daisy asked him a question that was on her mind for quite some time, making Riley go silent.

"So what are you looking for Riley?" asked Daisy Oak as she turned to face him.

"What do you mean Daisy?" asked Riley, with a reddened look after a moment.

"You know what I mean. I've been hurt before by someone that I trusted and loved. I thought we were great together but he couldn't get over his past, allowing it to consume him and it led to him betraying me. I'm not going to waste any more time with people who are going to just use me. So I ask again; what is it that you are looking for or want between us?" clarified Daisy and Riley looked into her eyes before answering her.

"Daisy, let me start off by saying that you are very different from other girls. You are beautiful, clever and not afraid to speak your mind. I'm comfortable around you and feel as if you and I can relate over many things and yet still have enough differences to keep things interesting between us. We've only talked together a couple times and just that was enough for me to see that you are special. I cannot promise that I'll be around all the time because of my duties to Queen Ilene and the Kingdom of Rota, but I can promise that you don't have to worry about being betrayed by me or me leaving you if we do get together. And that is what I want; to be with you," admitted Riley.

Daisy listened to him as he spoke, not breaking eye contact with the Aura Guardian, trying to see any type of reaction that could signal he was lying. She couldn't and she felt happy inside, more than she had in a long time. When he finished, Riley went quiet, waiting for her to respond back. Daisy smiled and pecked him on the cheek, making Riley blush but also smile.

"I'll give it a chance then, since you seem like a good guy," replied Daisy with a smile. "But be warned; my little brother will be overprotective of me now because of what happened. He and a close friend will kick your ass if you try something. Got it mister?"

"Would that close friend perhaps be Ash?" asked Riley with a smirk.

"Yes he is buddy boy, so tread carefully," warned Daisy with a wink before grinning at him. She then punched him on the shoulder. Riley just chuckled at that and grasped her hand after, making Daisy gasp and blush slightly.

"Thank you for giving us a chance," he said before pulling her into a hug, surprising her but Daisy quickly reciprocated it. They stayed like that for a moment before separating and looked at the dark horizon, while standing very close to one another as Daisy Oak leaned her head against Riley's shoulder.

"They look good together," commented the white and green fairy pokémon.

"Agreed," replied the aura canine pokémon.

The two of them were lounging on the chairs next to the pool in the balcony. They were looking at the stars above them in the sky in silence. That was something that they did often back on the island in the past until Riley and Daisy Oak hugging drew their attention. Gardevoir felt the feelings between them grow stronger and Lucario sensed their auras bonding together. It made them both smile and Lucario thought hard about something.

"Gardevoir…"

"Yes Lucario?" asked Gardevoir, turning her head towards him.

"What do you think of me?" asked Lucario as he looked at her. The two of them went pink at the question and Gardevoir looked away instantly. "I see…Apologies. I-"

"No, it's not that!" interrupted Gardevoir quickly, turning to look at him again. "It's just…I wasn't expecting you to ask me something like that. And…I think you already know." Gardevoir finished as her white face turned completely red.

"Oh," responded Lucario as he too turned red. He looked into her eyes and grasped her petite hand, making her tense up a bit for a split second but quickly relaxed. "I know now and now you know as well."

"Lopunny and Gallade aren't going to be happy about this," said Gardevoir with a small smile and Lucario chuckled.

"No, I suppose not. But you can't control who your heart yearns for," replied Lucario wisely and Gardevoir agreed. The two smiled at each other before getting up and hugging. They sat down together on a single lounge chair after. Gardevoir snuggled against his side and Lucario wrapped an arm around her as the two looked up into the night sky.

Back inside the suite, almost everyone else was still speaking about what they learned about that day and what they needed to do after the tournament was over in order to prepare. The mothers and brother chefs were still hustling around in the kitchen to prepare a great meal for everyone as they attempted to one up the other in a friendly competition. The four Champions finished speaking with one another and separated, going to different groups. Cynthia noticed Ash was on the couch, able to tell from the back of his head and smiled. She took a step towards him to ask him a few things, not knowing he was taking a nap when Lance called for her. When she glanced at him, he tilted his head towards an empty room and she hesitantly agreed. Taking one last look at the back of the raven haired man's head on the couch, Cynthia walked to the room and entered it, closing the door behind her.

"What's up Lance?" asked Cynthia as soon as the door closed, facing the Kanto Champion who stood in the middle of the room with his eyes on her.

"Cynthia…I thought I told you to not tell anyone. Even Ash said not to and you still did. Why?" he asked her but Cynthia wasn't having it.

"Lance, why don't you just tell me the real reason why you wanted to talk to me in here privately," replied Cynthia, seeing through his act. Lance sighed, running a hand through his red spiky hair.

"Alright…You know why. He's a good man and I admit it. And I apologize for doubting him. I should've known better. You tried to make me see that. I want to apologize to you for all the comments and snide remarks about him, you, your thoughts and feelings about him. You deserve better than that, especially from a fellow Champion and friend. But I still believe he's not right for you," said Lance.

"Thank you for admitting you were wrong, for owning up to it and I accept the apology. But why are you saying that? What's it to you Lance? I thought we had this conversation already. I wasn't interested then, I'm not interested now and I won't be so why are we doing this again?" she asked, annoyed that they were having this conversation again.

"But why Cynthia? You and I have more in common than you and him. We're both Champions, we've both saved the world, we're both the same level in battling strength, you're beautiful, smart and I like to think I'm handsome and clever myself. You're even older than him. He has four girls with him already too. I don't think it'll happen between you two but I believe we would be great together," reasoned Lance.

"I know of our similarities Lance and I appreciate the compliments but it's just not the way it works. If I wasn't Champion, would you still be interested in me? If I didn't look this way, would you still want me?" asked Cynthia, waiting for a response but Lance didn't reply. "You want someone who's your equal. That's not wrong in the slightest. We may have a lot in common but that's not the only thing to look for. You know what I've been through and I had sworn to not bother with it and focus on become stronger and on my research. But he's the only one who changed that when we crossed paths multiple times. You know the how and why. And so what if I'm a bit older or he already has four girlfriends? Who knows what will happen in the future and I won't quit until I find out. Even if it's something that doesn't turn out the way I wanted it to, I still won't be interested. I've made my choice so please, let us move on and not bring this up again."

Cynthia finished and looked at Lance. He looked into her eyes before sighing and nodded with a grimace on his face. He walked past her and reached for the door with her watching his every move. When he grabbed the door handle he turned back to her.

"I hope you find everything you're looking for Cynthia. Just be prepared if he does not return the feelings. I promise not to bring this up again and I hope we can continue working together as friends and fellow Champions with no ill will towards one another. But I must also request that you stay unbiased and neutral when it comes to making decisions regarding the duties we have to take care of that may include Ash now because of his mission from Arceus."

"Thank you Lance and that's what I want too. I promise to stay neutral and unbiased when it comes down to making decisions regarding our duties as Champions. But you must promise to also listen to others," replied Cynthia.

Lance nodded and stepped out. Cynthia stood in the room alone for a couple minutes, taking in deep breathes before she stepped out herself. Needing some fresh air and a change of scenery, she headed out towards the balcony. As she stepped outside, she noticed Riley and Daisy together against the railings and saw Lucario with Gardevoir fallen asleep on the lounge chair, cuddled against one another. The two sights brought a smile to her face but also felt a bit envious of the two couples as she moved to the corner of the balcony's railings and began thinking about everything.

Ash woke up from his nap and listened in on the conversations around him from his seat. The girls were still talking about their past adventures, four of the Champions were sitting nearby discussing other things in quiet voices and some others were just talking and joking around. After about five minutes, he happened to glance around to get an update on everyone else and he noticed that Riley and Daisy had left the balcony and were speaking with the others in the dining room. Cynthia had taken up refuge in the large balcony alone, leaning against the railing and staring off into the distance.

Ash wanted to know why she had separated from the others and also thought that this might be the best time to talk to her about what he noticed in the dining room. He got up and moved towards the Sinnoh Champion in the balcony. As he drew closer to her, he couldn't help but sense a sullen feeling in her aura. He raised his hand when he got close to her.

"Hey Cynthia," he said as he tapped her shoulder from behind.

Cynthia jumped a bit since she was deep in thought and was startled. She turned around about to yell, not noticing who it was even from his voice, thinking it was Lance again who made her jump. But when she saw it was Ash, she stopped herself in time, though it left her mouth slightly open.

"Sorry," said Ash as he rubbed the back of his head and Cynthia closed her mouth.

"It's alright," replied Cynthia. "Just don't do that again. Scared the crap out of me," she muttered and Ash chuckled a bit.

"Sorry. I noticed you were all alone and I just wanted to check up on you and make sure you're alright," said Ash. Cynthia raised her eyebrows in response.

"Check up on me?" She shook her head in amusement. "You're the one with so much on your mind and you're checking on me. Now that's funny." She laughed a bit as Ash smiled. "I'm fine thank you. I'm just thinking about everything you said." As Cynthia spoke, she and Ash both leaned against the railings to stare out into the distance while they stood next to each other with some space between them.

"Well yea," replied Ash. "I do have a lot on my mind, though I'll be fine but you're here alone outside. Granted, it's a great view to look at, even at night but I think it's more enjoyable when you share it with someone. Loneliness is a killer especially when you have a lot of thoughts on your mind."

Cynthia turned her head to look at him, surprised at his words. She noticed his face was filled with sadness and she could tell that the past few years had aged him from the inside. She remembered Ash being oblivious to everything around him besides Pokémon and battles, a happy go lucky kid who only thought positively. But now, he had matured and knew that things weren't always so great.

He sure has changed, she thought. He's still the same but grown. More mature and more aware of what the world truly holds. I barely got a glimpse of his eyes and they used to hold such passion and enthusiasm. They still do but they now also hold worry. I've never seen that in his eyes before. Has his solitude for three years changed him that much?

"Hey, are you alright?" asked Ash softly, since she went very quiet. His question snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Oh y-yea. Just thinking about some things," she replied back. "And thanks by the way." Ash looked at her. "For telling Diantha and everyone else to respect my wishes to keep my secret a secret." She went red saying that and though Ash noticed it, he didn't comment on it. But he decided now would be a good time to ask her something that was on his mind.

"No need for thanks but you're welcome." Cynthia smiled and so did Ash. "Cynthia, can I ask you something?"

"A-ah, sure. What is it?" She was thrown off guard by his sudden question and looked at him.

"Why did you give me that look back in the dining room?" asked Ash. He thought he knew what it was but he had to make sure. When Cynthia went crimson and looked away, he knew he was right.

"W-what do you m-mean Ash?" whispered Cynthia, not facing him.

"You know what I'm talking about Cynthia," replied Ash calmly as he kept looking at her. Slowly, Cynthia turned her reddened gaze to face him and their eyes made contact. This was the first time that Ash actually noticed her grey eyes from so close and it stunned him, making him take in a sharp breath. He had not seen anything of the like just as Cynthia was immobilized by his caring and passionate brown eyes. She had always pictured his eyes first when she thought of him.

"I think you figured it out already," answered Cynthia quietly.

She turned her head away again, not wanting him to see how embarrassed she was. Even though she was a few years older than Ash, she hadn't been in a serious relationship. Of course she had gone out on some dates with a few guys before but each one was the same. At first they were great, trying to impress her, take care of her and show her around. But soon they were listening to others, about her wearing the pants in the relationship, they were all too intimidated by her title and decided to treat her without respect in order to regain their dominance over her. As soon as that happened, she would call things off and move on.

Going through that a few times had made her a bit weary around the opposite sex and since she hadn't run into anyone who might be different, she decided to just focus on becoming stronger. She wasn't used to someone being respectful of her and mindful of her wishes but when she ran into Ash, she couldn't help but feel things for him since that was the type of man he was, even at such a young age. He was respectful, enthusiastic, showed potential, cared about others and passionate about pokémon. Of course she didn't say or do anything back then because he was barely in his mid teenage years, she was already an adult in the law's eyes and she wasn't sure of her feelings back then.

Now however, they were both adults, she knew how she felt and he had figured it out. She was quiet, waiting patiently for him to say something, her head still turned away from him. After what seemed like too long of time to her even though it was just a couple of minutes, he finally spoke.

"Yea, I did figure it out." The blonde Champion looked at him when she heard his voice, which was filled with sorrow and saw his face was also crestfallen. It both confused her and angered her.

"Why are you sad after finding out I have feelings for you? Is it that horrible of a thing to hear?! Am I not attractive enough for you? Am I too old for you? Am I not worthy of the great Aura Guardian?" she asked angrily, remembering all the times she was hurt before in the past as the images of it flashed across her mind's eye.

"That's not it," replied Ash softly, keeping eye contact.

"Then what is it!?" demanded Cynthia, her eyes blazing.

Ash sighed as he looked down. After a moment he faced her, locking eyes with her, making Cynthia's heart beat faster even though she was angered. He was about to answer her when they heard a shout.

"Food's ready!" yelled out Leaf to them as she walked into the balcony, making Lucario and Gardevoir wake up startled from their sleeping positions. "Is something wrong?" asked Leaf as she noticed the angered look on the Champion and the sullen one on the Aura Guardian. The two pokémon glanced at the two as well, sensing their emotions and aura were all jumbled up.

"No, everything is alright Leaf. We'll join you shortly," replied Cynthia calmly. Leaf nodded, deciding not to get involved this time and left. Cynthia turned to Ash and gave him a hard look as she thought something; I can't wait anymore. I need to know. "I want an answer before I leave tonight."

Not waiting for a response, Cynthia left Ash on the balcony, with a determined yet graceful walk. Ash watched her leave with great sadness on his face. Lucario and Gardevoir went up to him and stood on either side of him. He glanced at his loyal pokémon and forced a smile on his face.

"You don't have to do that with us. We can sense the sorrow. What happened?" asked Gardevoir while rubbing his back and he shook his head.

"Master, let's go join the others for the meal. They are no doubt waiting for you. After the meal, there is something I must tell you…and your mates," said Lucario.

Ash looked at the aura pokémon before nodding and the trio went inside and joined the others around the two tables in the dining room. Ash woke up Pikachu so he can join them. Soon, the only sounds they heard were people eating and utensils hitting plates and bowls as they all enjoyed the incredible cooking of the eight chefs. Brock, Cilan, Cress, Chili, Delia, Caroline, Johanna and Grace were told over and over of their incredible skill. Ilene and Charles both commended their cooking and told them that they could be chefs in their own personal restaurants but they polity declined the offer, saying they like being able to do as they please when they cook. Once the meals were finished, they all stayed in their seats to relax a bit as they made some small talk. Feeling like he had finally relaxed and needed some time to think about some stuff and to speak with Lucario, Ash stood up, an action that caught everyone's attention.

"Thanks for dinner guys, it was great," praised Ash. "Please excuse me."

Ash moved out of the dining room to his bedroom with Pikachu, Lucario and Gardevoir following after him. He entered it after closing the door and had Gardevoir send a mental message to the four girls to join him in the room. A few minutes later, as he was pacing up and down in his room while pondering, his bedroom door was opened and Misty, Dawn, Serena and May walked in with concerned looks.

"Ash, why'd you call us? Is everything alright?" asked May who stopped him. He looked into her blue eyes and shook his head.

"I don't think so May. Lucario said he has something to tell us and there is something I have to tell you too," replied Ash. The five of them, Pikachu and Gardevoir faced the aura pokémon who nodded and gestured to the king size bed for them to sit and they did.

"Master, what I'm going to tell you now, I haven't had a chance to explain to you yet but since you went through it today, it is the best time to tell you," said Lucario.

"Are you talking about what happened to me at the field?" asked Ash and Lucario nodded.

"Yes Master. That aura dome that appeared when you were lost in anger and frustration is actually called the Guardian's Shield. It is one of the ultimate defensive moves for an Aura Guardian. It only comes out when the Guardian is under great stress and feels he is vulnerable and scared. None can get through it…"

"If it's supposed to be impassable, how were we able to get through?" interrupted Dawn.

"I'm getting to that Lady Dawn. It is impenetrable to all. Except for those who have true love on their side," revealed Lucario.

"True love?" asked Ash and the five looked at one another a bit confused but their attention went back to Lucario who started speaking again.

"Yes Master. Remember when Lady Mew bestowed the knowledge of Aura onto me? She also imparted the Lore of the Guardians along with the Lore of Aura to me. The Guardian's Shield is impenetrable to all except for those who truly love the Guardian and the Guardian loves in return. It was made that way as an exit strategy so to speak in case the Guardian went overboard in his defense. It was made that only those who truly cared and loved the Guardian and the Guardian loved and cared for them in return, would be able to overcome the defenses as they would do so in order to help the Guardian." They understood what Lucario said and Ash began apologizing about that but the four girls and his pokémon quickly accepted and told him to not worry about it before Lucario continued. "When that happened to you today, everyone tried to push through the dome to reach you. Nobody could…except for a handful. They were Ladies Misty, May, Dawn and Serena." Ash turned to the four and thanked them for what they did and the four girls replied saying it was their pleasure to help him. Lucario hesitated but knew he must continue. But then Ash thought of something.

"But Lucario, how come my mom wasn't able to get through? I love and care for her and I'm pretty sure she loves and cares about me too. Or doesn't she?" asked Ash becoming sullen suddenly and the girls rubbed his back to comfort him.

"No, of course she loves and cares about you Master," chuckled Lucario. "The love I'm talking about isn't between family members or friends…but the love between mates," clarified Lucario and the raven haired guardian and the girls understood. The girls then glanced at each other, knowing what was coming but kept quiet. Lucario sighed before continuing. "Master…they weren't the only ones as there were four others as well but only one of those four was able to reach the center where you were along with them and you know who I'm talking about," revealed the aura canine and Ash's jaw dropped. Silence followed for a moment before Ash began to laugh.

"This has all got to be a joke. Yea, good one Lucario. You almost had me," chuckled Ash. When nobody else joined him, he slowly stopped. "Ah, why aren't you guys laughing too?"

"Because it's true Ash," replied May as she looked at him.

"What?! What do you mean?!" asked Ash as he got up from the bed and looked at them all.

"I wouldn't lie to you or joke about something like this, Master. When you were in the Guardian's Shield, the four girls pushed through to reach you. Shortly after they entered the shield, the others tried but were unsuccessful. However, Ladies Leaf, Sarah, Anabel and Cynthia were able to enter and push through a bit before three of them were prevented from going any further after taking some steps. Those three were Ladies Sarah, Anabel and Cynthia. The fourth, Lady Leaf, was able to follow after Ladies Misty, May, Dawn and Serena. The five of them reached you in the center and were able to calm you down to stop the Guardian's Shield," revealed Lucario.

"So…so is that why Leaf was able to be there at the end along with Misty, Dawn, May and Serena? I only remember going crazy and then the hug at the end…Wait, does that mean what I think it means?" asked Ash as he fixed his gaze on Lucario.

"It means two different things Master and please, all of you don't interrupt me as I explain it. It means that Ladies Leaf, Sarah, Anabel and Cynthia have feelings for you, perhaps even love you and it seems you have some feelings for them in return as well. And the second thing, in Lady Leaf's case, it seems you have given her your heart already like you have done with Ladies Misty, May, Dawn and Serena. If you hadn't, she wouldn't have been able to reach you, no matter how much she loved you. There needs to be feelings on both sides at least to be able to even get a foot in the shield. That is why the other three weren't able to go all the way to reach you as you haven't developed stronger feelings for them…yet," explained Lucario.

When Lucario finished explaining, the others were dumbstruck. Lucario was waiting in silence to see how the five would handle this new bit of information but was ready to jump in if it turned ugly. The four girls were lost in thought before being snapped out of it a moment later.

"NO!" shouted Ash suddenly, getting up and making the others jump. "This doesn't make sense! I mean, I liked Leaf when we were young before I started my journey but she didn't wait and left me! You saw my memories! And I'm pretty sure she never liked me before. And even if it is true, and she does love me now, somehow, for some reason, how can I still love her? I haven't seen her for years and we haven't done anything together! Why? And how could I have feelings for the other three? They are great girls sure, but still. This can't be. I won't betray you four! I love you! Only you! I will not mess up the love between us again! I will not let this become tarnished and lose being with you!"

He clutched his hair and shook his head, looking like he went mad. Before he was able to do anything else, the four girls shot up and pulled him down to the floor with them. They made him sit on the floor with the four beside him.

"It's alright Ash. It's alright," said the four over and over softly to calm him down. The five stayed like that for a few minutes before Ash finally calmed down a little.

"We know Ash, we know," said Misty softly, seeing that he relaxed a bit. "We know you'll never betray us. You acting like this proves that. But you cannot deny that you have feelings for them. Just like we cannot deny that we love you."

"But I can't!" shot Ash. "I can't have feelings for the others! And I can't love her and she can't love me! I haven't thought about her since my journey started and we just randomly met at this tournament after such a long time. How could I love someone or have feelings for someone without even knowing I feel that way? How could I?"

"The heart is a strange thing Ash," whispered Dawn as she kept her hold on him. "You're feelings for her could have been buried deep within you and you could have forgotten about them."

"She's right Ash," added May. "Having her around may have brought them back but maybe you just haven't noticed them yet."

"Ah…this…no…I just don't want to betray you four! This can't be happening to me! This can't be true! I don't want to be some kind of…of…I don't even know! First I scare you with the Guardian's Shield and then tell you about the darkness that is coming…and now I find out that I still love Leaf after all these years? And I caught the hearts of three others and I have feelings for them?! What kind of an asshole monster am I that I didn't even realize all this?!" sobbed Ash as he looked down again.

"Stop that right now Ash!" snapped Misty angrily. She cupped his sullen face with her hands and made him look at her. "You're not a monster. You're not betraying us. You're not an asshole. You care, you love and you protect. You are the noblest man I've ever met and I bet in the world. You are a gentleman and an Aura Guardian. You are the love of my life, the love of May's life, the love of Dawn's life and the love of Serena's life. If it's true about the others, we will go through it together."

"But how can this be?" asked Ash, his eyes locked onto hers. "I haven't traveled around the world with them. I haven't saved people or fought against bad people with them, except maybe with Cynthia but still, that was only once. Leaf broke the promise between us to travel together when we start our pokémon adventure. How can I still love her? How can she love me? How can my heart love another at all? And the other three? How could I even have any feelings for them? You…" Ash raised his hand and caressed Misty's right cheek, who enjoyed the feeling greatly, resting her head against his strong yet gentle hand. "Misty…you, May, Dawn, Serena..." As he said each girl's name, he looked at them and caressed their cheek too, each loving the feeling. "I know I love each of you with all of my heart, not just a part of it. I have given my entire heart to each of you. You each are perfect. We have gone through so much together. Each of you has helped me become the man I am now. Each of you was there for me when I needed you. So tell me, how can this be possible? How could I have given another my heart as well when we haven't done anything together? And why would the others give me theirs in return? How can they have feelings for me and how could I have feelings for them too? It just doesn't make sense. Why? Why do they like me? And why do I like them?" Ash lowered his hands and looked at the four girls with saddened eyes. The girls were quiet for a while before Serena broke the silence.

"Because you are special Ash. And they like you because of who you are and it's not your fault. You're incredible and you just pull people to you like a magnet. You're different from everyone and that's what makes people want to be around you or like you. It's not hard to see why they have feelings for you. And honestly, they're not bad girls," explained Serena kindly, ending it with a little joke to ease the tension as Ash listened to her.

"Ash," started Misty and Ash turned to look into her cerulean blue eyes. "We may never know the true answer but Serena is probably right. And do you remember what I told you when we had our date together? I love you no matter what. I don't care if I have to share you with other girls or not, but as long as your with me in my life, I don't care about anything else. Because I know you love me, respect me, you're honest with me, care about me and want the best for me. And that's all I want from the man I love and don't care about anything else," finished Misty.

"Mist, I…" Ash couldn't speak. He was beyond astonished. Here he was thinking they would hate him and despise him for making four other girls have feelings for him. That he had feelings for them in return and somehow he was in love with one of them too, though he didn't know how or why. Yet he was wrong as they didn't care. "You truly don't care if I do somehow love Leaf? If she loves me? If she joins the group? If I have feelings for the others and they me?" he asked her.

"No I don't. For I know something important. We all do," said Misty as she pointed at herself, Dawn, May and Serena. "We've learned that no matter how many girls love you or you love back…you'll love each of us fully with all your heart, not just a part of it and you'll treat each of us equally great. That's the only reason why this even worked out between the five of us in the first place."

When Misty said that, he looked at her. He then looked at Dawn, May and Serena who nodded with a smile when he glanced at them. He didn't know what to do or say so he hung his head and thought hard. The girls gave him time to think over what he just heard. A little while later, Ash looked up at them.

"Misty, May, Dawn, Serena…I don't know what someone should say after something like this so I'm just going to go with my heart," said Ash and the girls smiled and nodded. "When I first told you about my father messing me up, my feelings and how I knew about your feelings for me, we had agreed to take turns dating to see who has a stronger bond and if we really wanted this between us. It seems that plan is outdated since I already knew from the beginning and I'm sure you all already knew too, even though only two dates have happened so far." The girls smiled even wider as their eyes filled up with water. They knew what he was going to say and they were thinking the same thing earlier but they wanted to hear him say it. "I told you I couldn't choose one over the other before and I still can't and I never will. I knew this before but I wanted each of you to see if this is what you wanted too. The attack on the stadium, my memories and my nightmare has proven that I love each of you with all my heart and not only want, but need you in my life. I will never stop loving and caring for each of you. That I know is true and pure no matter what happens. I am ready to let everyone and anyone know who I love and who I am with. I don't care what happens in the future, but as long as you four are with me, I know that I can handle whatever life throws at me. And I can only hope that you four each feel the same about me."

Ash hung his head again as silent tears escaped from his eyes and flowed down his cheeks. The girls exchanged soft glances at one another before smiling. Misty moved forward with her hand outstretched and raised Ash's head so they could look into one another's eyes. Misty leaned in and pressed her lips onto Ash's. Her soft kiss relaxed him before she pulled away. Before Ash could say anything, Dawn's lips were on his, making him feel amazing. She soon pulled away and Serena moved in. This time Ash was ready and he cupped one side of her face as they kissed and when she withdrew for May to take her place, he did the same to her but put his other hand in her hair. After May finished and separated, Ash looked like a new man.

"Thank you girls for helping me stand after I fall…again. I love you now and forever," said Ash.

"I love you too Ash," said the four together, making Ash smile.

"I still can't believe this. I really don't think I deserve any of you," he said softly. May smacked him upside his head, making him yelp out in pain.

"Enough wallowing in self pity Ketchum!" snapped the brunette.

"Otherwise I'll mallet you into the ground!" warned Misty as she took out her mallet from nowhere.

"Okay, alright!" said Ash quickly shielding himself with his hands. "How do you do that Mist?!" asked Ash in amazement when they calmed down and Misty returned her mallet to her secret place.

"You'll never know," said Misty with a smile on her face and they all chuckled.

"So what do I do now?" asked Ash.

"Nothing. The right moment will present itself for Leaf, Anabel and Sarah. Just do what you always do. And do the same with Cynthia," said Serena and Ash nodded but then gasped.

"I just remembered something I have to tell you."

"What is it?" asked Dawn. Ash looked at her before looking at May, Misty and Serena.

"After I told you everything back in the dining room, when everyone got up to vow to help, I noticed something. Cynthia, Leaf, Anabel and Sarah all gave me the same look you four did as we traveled together. That look that I pretended to not see, I noticed them giving it to me just now. At first I didn't understand why, but now I know. And there's one more thing…"

"What's the one more thing?" asked Misty.

"When everyone was waiting for the food, I took a nap on the couch but when I woke up, I noticed Cynthia in the balcony alone. I went to ask her if she was alright and after some small talk, I asked her why she gave me that look."

"You asked her that?" asked a surprised May. "Why?" Ash looked at her.

"I had to May. I couldn't make the same mistake as before and I needed to be sure. When she confirmed that she liked me and asked me what I thought of her, I was about to tell her that I couldn't return the feelings because I would never betray you four. But then Leaf interrupted us by saying food was ready at that moment. Before I could continue, Cynthia told me that she wants an answer before she leaves tonight and left me to go to the dining room."

"Wow. Never heard of anyone thinking about rejecting Cynthia before," whispered Dawn, absolutely amazed that he was going to reject one of the most beautiful and talented girls in the world for them. "And you were going to do that for us?"

"Of course I was," replied Ash, making the four girls' hearts flutter. "Like I said before, she wasn't there with me throughout my journeys. But I don't know what to do now after what Lucario said about the Guardian's Shield, true love, my feelings and what you said. I'm so confused. I don't want to break anyone's heart but I don't want to be an asshole by stringing someone along and I don't want to hurt you four ever. Please, tell me what I should do?"

The girls were stunned that he was asking them to make a life choice for him, one that could affect not just them, but four others as well. The four girls glanced at one another before facing Ash, who had a hopeless look plastered on his face. He really was lost and didn't know what to do. The four girls sighed and nodded at one another.

"Ash," started Serena, making him look at her. "There's something you should know. We kind of knew that Leaf, Sarah, Anabel and Cynthia had crushes on you but we didn't know just how badly they liked you until now. And did you really not notice how they felt about you until now?"

"Well thanks for keeping me updated," said Ash sarcastically and the girls giggled a little in response. "I know I said I noticed your hints and looks in the past but that's because I liked you too. I haven't really paid attention to other girls' behavior as we traveled in the past as my attention was almost always on you four. So I really didn't notice other girls and didn't really know if any other girl liked me or not," admitted Ash.

"So that's why," remarked May, understanding what happened in the past finally. "Anyways, when we found out about that, we spoke together and at the end of it, we agreed that if something happened that showed that they truly do care about you and that if you have feelings for them too, even if it was just a little bit, that you should give it a shot. They were willing to risk their lives to help you and were able to get in the shield so that is something that showed proof of how they feel. So if Cynthia is asking you how you feel about her, just be honest with her. If you feel that it may be something, give it a chance."

"Are you serious?" asked Ash in disbelief.

"What have we been talking about for a while now Ash?!" asked Dawn, slightly annoyed.

"I know, I know but it's not every day that something happens like this. And I don't want to mess up anything between us," said Ash.

"We know Ash. But don't worry, you won't and we trust you and love you. We know you'll never betray us. But we do ask one thing though," said Misty.

"Of course. Anything," replied Ash instantly.

"If you do want to give it a shot between you, Cynthia, Leaf, Anabel and Sarah, that's fine. Just let us know in advance. And before anything else happens, we need to finish up the dates and we need to tell our families that the five of us are officially together before they get involved. And we get along now but we need to make sure we still click after with them if they join. If they can't deal with the group thing, the rules and if they try something behind our backs, they're out. Sound fair to you?" asked Dawn.

"Of course Dawn," replied Ash with his trademark goofy smile.

That made the four girls tackle him on the spot to the ground and the five hugged each other tightly, not wanting to let go. Ash gave each of the four girls a passionate kiss that made each of them feel as if they were in heaven and the raven haired guardian felt like he could defeat the Pokémon Master with ease. Well that's if he could find him. They separated and helped each other up, smiling at one another.

"I can't believe this is happening," said Ash and the four girls giggled. "Well, I guess we should go join the others and I'll let Cynthia know before she leaves once I figure some stuff out. Thank you all for understanding, being open and for helping me. I don't know where I would be without you guys. And before we head back out, Serena, you're up next aren't you for the dates?"

"Hey, you're right," replied Serena with a grin, happy that it was her turn.

"Good. Tomorrow is our day together then and after my date with May the next day or day after, we'll let everyone know that we are together officially. It'll be something to keep our families minds off of the bad stuff too."

The girls smiled and nodded in agreement before the five enjoyed a brief group hug they separated, the four girls left the room to allow him time to think and the three pokémon sat around the room. It took some time for Ash to figure out how he felt about Cynthia and left his room. When he entered the living room, he saw that the Champions and Goodshow were standing near the door speaking with his and the girls' parents. Most everyone had gathered round to say their goodbyes. When they saw Ash move towards them, they ended their conversation and Goodshow stepped to him.

"I just wanted to say thank you for taking up such a noble cause and don't worry about the future for now. Not that you need it, but good luck with the tournament. You're next match will be updated soon and we'll send you a message personally on your Poketch. Let me get your number please."

Ash thanked him and they exchanged numbers. After that, Goodshow bade them all goodnight and left, with the Champions following after they too, bade everyone a good night. Cynthia didn't leave but stood by the door, her attention on Ash. He moved towards her and gestured to join him in the hallway. As the two did that, some of the group gathered around the TV and watched a movie that Gary had put on while some went to bed as it was beginning to get late. After closing the door, Ash and Cynthia looked at one another, standing in front of the elevator doors.

"Well?" asked Cynthia as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and tapped her foot. For being so angry, she was still able to pull off a very hot look. Ash was momentarily stunned by her attractive pose and when he came out of his trance, he rubbed the back of his head before he spoke.

"I'm going to be honest with you Cynthia; when you asked me why I was sad at the balcony, it was because I thought I was going to end up breaking your heart because I couldn't give you what you wanted." Hearing that made Cynthia's lips quiver and her heart beat wildly but she didn't let herself react any further than that. "But then Leaf interrupted us and allowed me to find out some things that I'll explain to you later when the moment is right. Those things helped me realize how I feel about you after I thought long and hard about this. You're a beautiful girl Cynthia. You're wise and caring. You're a strong battler and you have a good head on your shoulders. I think you're a great person and from past experiences together, you're someone I could trust with my life."

As he said all that, he kept eye contact. His brown eyes and her grey ones were peering straight into each other, making the Sinnoh Champion feel many different things go through her as she listened to his words. She didn't miss how he was stunned by her pose, but she still kept up her tough exterior. But not for long as she couldn't help it; his softly spoken words, his eyes gazing at her, the way he complimented not just her looks, but the type of person she is, it was too much. Her tough exterior crumbled as she lowered her arms to her sides and stopped tapping her foot. She took a step towards him when he finished but still had her guard up. Her past experiences were still bugging her.

"So what does that mean?" she asked him.

"It means that you are an incredible girl to get to know more personally. And I would want to have that chance if you'll give it to me. But only if you agree to a couple things."

"Agree to a couple things?" she asked with her eyes narrowing.

"Yes. As you know, I love the four girls Cynthia. I have for a long time. I will never betray them in any shape or form and I will never leave them. So if you do want this, if you do have feelings for me, if you do want to see where things can go between us, you would have to share me with them as they do with each other…and who knows what will happen in the future. And nothing can start with us until after I finish my date days with Serena and May and we tell their families that the five of us are officially together."Ash stopped for a moment to see if Cynthia was still following. Her full attention was on him so he decided to continue. "Until that happens, if you can be patient enough for that, then we can give it a shot. I also don't keep secrets from them, not anymore and I won't ever lie to them again. Regarding that, I can also promise the same to you; no lies, no secrets, treated equally and fairly between the girls. And you're free to leave if and when you want the moment you find this isn't what you want or your feelings aren't what you believed them to be. This is what I can offer you for the time being. And I promise I will do the same. If that seems reasonable to you, if that's something that you would want, then great. If not, I'm sorry if I caused you any hurt or pain and for not being able to make your hope come true as I will not leave them ever," finished Ash, taking a deep breath after since he talked so much.

Cynthia couldn't believe it. She wasn't expecting anything like this and she had never experienced something like this. Here he was, telling her exactly how things would be if she did wanted to pursue it. He wasn't hiding, playing games or anything of the sort. And he wasn't bowing down to her, catering to her every whim like others have done and would've. Instead he was standing for himself and telling her how things are going to be. That what she saw, was what she was going to get. The other thing was that she knew how almost everyone pictured her as a trophy to be had, that they would give up anything and everything to have her. But not him as he was treating her as just another person. She kept thinking that he was different and unique from the first time she met him and this just proved that. She felt drawn to him before but now she knew that she wanted and needed him. She had finally found her Mr. Right and she was not going to let him slip from her hands over her ego. If the girls could share him, then she could do it too. She closed the distance between the two and gazed into his caring brown eyes before she spoke.

"I agree to all that but only if you answer my question truthfully," replied Cynthia. She took a deep breath before asking her question. "Do you truly have feelings for me?"

"As I said before, I won't lie to you. I just recently realized them after the event in the field. I will let you know the full details of how I was led to figure them out in the future, but for now, the short answer is yes; I do have feelings for you. I'm sorry for being dense and not realizing it sooner," answered Ash with a smile. Cynthia looked into his eyes before she commented back after seeing that he was being genuine.

"That's all I wanted to know," said Cynthia with a smile as her eyes watered.

She hugged him tightly, throwing her arms around his neck and he returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her back. She didn't know why and she didn't care to know, but she felt that they were supposed to be together and she felt complete with him. She rested her head against his shoulder since they were almost the same height, both of them taller than most of the others with him slightly taller than her. She felt his toned body, feeling much comfort and warmth from it as she let joyful tears escape from her eyes. Ash felt himself heat up from feeling her curvy yet lean body pressed against his. After a moment, she lifted her head and looked at him, wanting to say something but couldn't. Ash wiped away her tears from her cheeks and Cynthia felt herself blush from his gentle touch. He then leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on her lips that sent electricity through them both before separating.

"I hope that kiss can keep you patient enough," said Ash while chuckling a bit. Cynthia smiled at him before hugging him again.

"I will wait as long as it takes, knowing that you want it too," admitted Cynthia in a whisper.

They separated after a moment, gazing into one another's eyes once more, which told each other everything they wanted to say before they bade each other goodnight as Cynthia entered the elevator. As she headed downstairs, she felt breathless and weak kneed, as if she had just run a marathon. She leaned against the elevator wall and closed her eyes, taking deep breathes.

"Finally…something good has happened for once. Things are starting to look up," she whispered to herself, the corners of her mouth curling up into a large smile.

Ash stood in the hallway for a moment before heading back inside the suite. Some of his friends glanced at him from the living room and his mom spoke up.

"What was that all about?" Delia asked her son, noticing that it was a good while they were outside.

"Don't worry about it Mom. She's just worried about what's coming in the future," replied Ash as he gave her a small smile. The four girls voiced their agreement over what he said so others would not ask questions and Ash smiled at them and tilted his head towards his room to the four who understood. "If you guys don't mind, I'm going to go sleep. I'm tired out already."

"Okay sweetie, that's no problem. Have a goodnight," replied Delia as she kissed his forehead.

"Thanks Mom. Goodnight everyone."

After he wished them all a goodnight, he went to his room, meeting up with Lucario, Gardevoir and Pikachu who were speaking with one another. A couple minutes later, Misty, Dawn, Serena and May entered the room. They sat on the bed and the four girls and the three pokémon looked at Ash, waiting for him to tell what happened.

"I told Cynthia that I do have feelings for her and she agreed to our special circumstance and will wait until after we do the dates. And she was crying a bit in the end and I didn't want her to be so sad so I gave her a quick goodnight kiss to cheer her up and that was it. I hope that was alright," said Ash as he covered himself up as best he could while standing.

The four girls giggled silently at his action and got up to go to him. They reached him and gently lowered his hands before they each gave him a quick peck on the cheek, telling him that it's okay and they were appreciative of him being honest with them. He smiled at them before letting them know that he was going to take a shower. The four girls left his room after bidding him goodnight. Lucario and Gardevoir requested to go back to the island and he returned them while Pikachu hopped into his own bed as he stepped into his master bathroom to shower. He took a little longer than usual since he enjoyed the water against his skin, since it was a good while from his last shower and thought about what he just found out about Cynthia, Anabel, Sarah and Leaf.

I can't believe that they have feelings for me. And I can't believe that the girls are okay with it. How is this even happening? Why do they all have such strong feelings for me? I'd probably end up killing myself trying to figure that out, probably better to just let it go. I wonder how things are going to become. Shit, I wonder how the parents and the others are going to feel and react about this when we tell them. That is something I'm not looking forward to at all. Probably another Norman Maple beating being taken but I can handle that. I don't know if I can handle the mothers or Misty's sisters though. That's a completely different story. But I guess I do like them. I mean, how else would they be able to get through the shield? My aura can't lie or falter in things like that. Hmmm…why would I have feelings for them? They are great girls. They're each attractive, smart, good trainers, have good personalities and are good friends. I guess I just never noticed that before since I was too focused on Misty, Dawn, Serena and May.

He pondered about his feelings for Cynthia, Anabel and Sarah as he rinsed out the shampoo from his hair. When he started to use body wash, he started to think about Leaf.

Cynthia was a big surprise but the biggest surprise is Leaf. After all that happened between us, I can't believe she loves me and I still love her somehow. We were close when we were younger but she started to drift away the closer we got to getting our starter pokémon. She would hang out more often with Gary and they would team up and pick on me and prank me. She even broke her promise with me. It was a long time ago sure but it still hurt. But now she loves me…Why? Could it be because I helped her out and then saved her life? Could it be because we spent some time together in a friendly way after so many years apart? Could it be because I've grown and she sees me differently now? And why do I still have feelings for her? Could it be like the girls said? That they were buried too deep and I didn't realize it until recently? I did get mad when she was almost killed. She is my friend after all. And she is beautiful. She's independent. She goes after what she wants. Is that why my feelings returned for her and I still love her?

Ash continued thinking about his very unusual situation as he finished up showering and got out. He wrapped a towel around his waist after drying his body and grabbed a smaller towel to dry his hair. As he dried his hair, he stepped out of his bathroom and walked towards his bed where he had placed his clothes to wear before getting in the shower.

"Man, why does everything have to be so complicated?" asked Ash out loud to no one in particular.

"What's so complicated Ash?" asked a sweet voice.

Ash jumped in surprise and that almost made his towel around his waist fall down but he caught it quickly and held it up. He was so lost in his thoughts he hadn't noticed that Serena was in the room with her pink night gown, which he now noticed was also semi transparent.

"S-Serena?! What are you doing here?!" asked Ash as he barely kept his towel up. Serena was red faced as she giggled so hard she had trouble breathing.

"I came to s-say g-goodnight. I-I'm s-sorry Ash!" giggled Serena, trying to stop but couldn't. Ash was getting embarrassed as his face flushed but he quickly got an idea to turn the tables on her.

"Would you mind turning around while I put on some clothes or would you like a sneak peek?" asked Ash with a smirk. It worked. Serena squeaked instantly and turned around, turning even redder. Chuckling to himself, Ash quickly put on his boxers and sweat pants while Serena had her back to him.

"You're such a pervert Ketchum!" cried Serena as she crossed her arms over her chest while she kept her back to him.

"That's what Dawn said…though she did say she liked it," admitted Ash with a laugh.

Serena's eyes widened at hearing that but he didn't see. She was thinking what he could've done to make the flirtatious blunette call him that when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist and drew her in to feel a sturdy and warm body press against her own.

"ASH!" Serena half shouted as she went crimson over what he did.

"What? Should I not do this? You don't like this?" asked Ash as he whispered softly into her ear.

Hearing him speak like that made Serena's heart flutter and turned her legs into jelly. She relaxed and leaned against him for some support and placed her hands on top of his. She turned her head slightly towards his face.

"I don't like it…I love it," answered Serena in barely a whisper as she placed her lips against his.

As they kissed, they sunk into it and it soon erupted with such passion that Serena turned her body around and wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist. She pushed him towards the wall and then pressed him against it. She felt in control, dominant and she loved it. After a couple minutes of passionate kissing, Ash slid his hands down the sides of her body over her night gown, feeling her every curve, making her shiver in delight over his messaging. He then wrapped his arms around her lower back. He lifted her up like that, making her stop and squeal in surprise. He grinned at her reaction and carried her to the bed where he gently lowered her onto it.

"I did say we'd continue later," reminded Ash and Serena grinned before they kissed again.

Serena felt his hands go up and down the side of her body and the feeling of his hands on her made her heat up. She loved the way he was making her feel and she began moving her hands on his back. She felt his strong back and when she stroked his spine, Ash shivered and hissed into her mouth, which made Serena feel even hotter. She grew bold and wanted to show she wasn't afraid to try new things so she plunged her tongue into his mouth. Feeling her tongue wrestle with his in his mouth, made Ash forget her teasing and go right back into it. They continued their passionate embrace and their hands were going all over each other. All of a sudden, Serena stopped and pulled away.

"I'm so sorry Serena, I shouldn't have pushed you so far," apologized Ash when he saw her scared look.

"It's not that Ash," replied Serena as she shook her head and held up her hand to signal him to wait.

She looked at Ash closely and now noticed it. The long scar that went diagonally from the right top of his chest to his stomach's left side, the bullet hole scar on his side and when she moved to look at his back, the shorter diagonal scar on his back going from his right shoulder blade to his spine. Serena softly brushed her finger against the scar on his back and the raven haired guardian felt himself shiver from her soft touch. The honey blonde haired girl's eyes began to water as she remembered him getting hurt to save her. She moved back to be in front of him and she brushed her hand over his chest scar as well. Her tears were now flowing freely from her eyes.

I can't believe I forgot about this. It must've hurt so badly but he's acting as if it's not even there. And I know why; he doesn't want others to worry about him!

All this time, Ash stayed quiet and didn't move. He knew what she was doing and what she was focusing on. He knew that when the girls saw the scars that they would get concerned, saddened and would need time to adjust and get over it. After a few minutes, Serena looked at Ash, her wet eyes gazing into his as her lips were curled downwards into a frown.

"You felt my scar on my back when we were making out didn't you?" asked Ash softly.

"Oh Ash!" Serena cried out as she hugged him. She sobbed into his chest while he wrapped her up in his arms and placed his chin on top of her head. "I'm so sorry!"

"Hey now, I told you it's not your fault. None of it is. Besides, I healed up all fine," said Ash.

"I still feel responsible for it! When I felt the scar on your back, it reminded me of how you got hurt because of me!"

"Serena, look at me." Ash waited for her to raise her head to look at him. It took a few minutes but she finally did. He looked into her eyes as he spoke. "Serena, do you want to know what I remember when I happen to see my scars because of a mirror or reflection?" She stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. "I remember being able to save you, that I was able to protect you. I don't care about the scars. I've gotten hurt a bunch of times. I'll probably get hurt in the future too. But I know I'll bounce back from them each time. The only things I won't be able to bounce back from would be if something happens to the ones I care about. So don't worry about it and remember it's not your fault."

Ash gave her a smile before he leaned in and gave her a soft kiss and Serena sunk into it. He could feel her wet face with his lips from her crying and it gave him a slight salty taste but he didn't mind. She had felt so horrible when she felt the scar the first time and when she looked at them more closely, she felt her heart drop to her stomach as she thought of how much pain he must have been through. But what he said made her relax a bit and when he kissed her, she felt much better as she felt his love for her through his kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he caressed her right cheek with one hand and ran his other through her hair.

Serena felt so good that when he gently pushed her to lie on the bed, she complied and he moved to be on top of her. Their tongues soon entered the fray and as they got a taste of each other again, their hands once again moved all over them. One of Ash's hands was in her hair and the other was rubbing her side all the way down to her bent leg and back up again. Serena loved his massaging and she had one hand on his chest, rubbing it in a circular motion while the other was going through his hair.

A couple minutes passed as they did this and they needed to breathe so they reluctantly separated. Ash and Serena moaned as they stopped and slowly opened their eyes to gaze passionately at one another. Serena tilted her head towards the pillows and Ash took it as a sign that they should stop and go to sleep. He smiled and nodded before moving off of her. He lied down on his back and Serena cuddled up against him, placing her head on his chest and moving her leg to be on top of his lower body after she brought up the blanket to cover them. She placed her arm over his chest and caressed his chest scar.

"Does it hurt?" she asked softly.

"Not anymore," he answered.

"How did it heal so quickly?"

"Lucario used Heal Pulse and a few of my other pokémon used their recovery moves to help as well."

"I see. And you're truly alright?" she asked again though with a whisper.

"Serena." She looked up at him. "I promise I'm fine. I won't lie to you ever. Will you promise to not worry about it anymore?"

She smiled and nodded before giving him a kiss to seal the promise. Afterwards, she placed her head back onto his chest and placed her hand on top of his scar.

"Goodnight my Protector," said Serena.

"Goodnight my Divine Angel," said Ash.

Hearing her pet name for the first time made Serena gasp and look up at him. He smiled at her stunned look and she slowly got over her shock and smiled at him. She gave him a kiss once more filled with her love that sent a jolt through his body before she took up her position again. Ash hugged her tight for a moment before relaxing his grip on her under the covers and Serena hummed in appreciation over the tight hug.

The two soon fell asleep holding onto one another. After about twenty minutes, the door to the master bedroom was opened and a dark bluish purple haired woman in her thirties poked her head in the room as she whispered.

"Serena? Are you here?" whispered Grace.

She wanted to tell her daughter goodnight but when she went to her bedroom Serena wasn't there. She figured she might be here and so came to check. She didn't get a response so she stepped in and looked around. She immediately saw her daughter in bed with the raven haired guardian. She was about to scream when she saw that the young man didn't have a shirt on but then she saw her daughter's pink night gown over her shoulders since the covers had slipped down from their movements. She stopped herself in time and sighed. She observed the two when she got closer and saw that Serena was smiling in her sleep with her head and hand on his chest, over his scar and Ash had an arm around her with a happy look of his own on his face.

I guess they really are happy together. And they are adults now. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. The good thing is I know that he loves her and will protect her no matter what and that she loves him more than anything. That's all I want. I just hope they use protection as I don't think they're ready yet. Though I wouldn't mind becoming a grandmother I guess…

Grace smiled a bit before she raised the covers onto them, making sure Serena's face wasn't covered and kissed her daughter's forehead. She heard a slight hum from her daughter that made her smile. She then looked at Ash. She lowered herself and whispered into his ear.

"Please keep my daughter happy and safe," pleaded Grace before turning to leave. She then heard a quiet but strong voice reply back to her.

"I promise." She turned around and saw Ash awake and smiling at her. The way he was looking at her made Grace realize that she has nothing to worry about and that he would do whatever was necessary to protect her daughter and make sure she was happy.

"Thank you…my future son in law," smiled Grace. She left the room to let them sleep peacefully.

Ash watched Grace leave before he lowered his view back at the beautiful honey blonde head that was on his chest. He thought about what Arceus said, if he was ready to take life to protect others. He then thought about the vision and the stadium attack.

"I will protect you Serena. I will protect you and everyone else. If it comes down to it, I will even take life to make sure you are all safe. I will gladly taint my soul if it meant that the rest of you stay alive and safe. And if it costs my life to make sure of that, I will gladly make the exchange. I swear this and promise you have nothing to fear." After Ash made his promise, he continued gazing at Serena. He kept his eyes on her until he too slowly drifted off to sleep.