Cinders and Ashes

A/N: Wa-hoo! My first story update of 2023! So sorry for taking soooo long on this, or rather on anything for that matter. Ever since the end of the summer, I now have a pretty demanding job, which leaves me exhausted pretty much almost every day. Sometimes, I was so mentally and physically tired that I ended up getting sick with fevers three times in three months! I even lost my voice a couple of times because I was so sick!

I so needed this winter break. Relax, spend some quality time with family during the holidays, get better. Now I feel so much better. I'm back at work now, so we'll see how long this lasts. Hopefully I won't get sick sometime every month.

However, because of my very nice winter break, I've been feeling much more energized to write. So hopefully I can update more on any of my stories, but no fixed schedule for any of them since the Internet over at my job completely sucks. So no sneaking in some writing during breaks.

Anyway, I've kept you guys waiting long enough. Let's get on with Chapter 8! Roll it!

Chapter 8

The Jealousy of the Grand Duke

It had been two days since the festival ended after three nights of celebration. The queen had noticed that her daughter had grown eerily quiet since the last night of the festivities, always outside in the garden with her Pokémon, on her balcony or in the music room. She would always be fingering the broken piece of wood that she had found; the one that she swore was left behind by the Mystery Prince.

Queen Johanna entered her daughter's room, where as she expected, Dawn was sitting on her chaise, fingering the broken carved piece of wood. "Darling?" She asked, getting her attention.

Dawn snapped out of her daze, not letting go of the piece of amulet she found. "Mother." She said before scooting over to give some room to her.

"Still thinking about him?" Johanna questioned, looking at the little pretty piece of carved wood.

Dawn sighed. "I can't help it." She answered. "He's just so... so..." A pretty pink blush came on her cheeks as thoughts of her Mystery Prince came into her head. "Amazing."

"What makes him amazing to you?" Johanna asked.

"Everything!" Dawn replied right away. "He's sweet, he's gentle, kind, and brave. He's also funny, outspoken, and he understands me. He lets me be... me. I don't have to be a perfect princess around him. He likes me... for me."

Johanna smiled warmly. "I see. And from what I saw, he seemed to be quite taken with you as well."

Dawn whirled around, her blush darkening to red. "Really?" She asked, a hopeful smile on her face.

"I had asked him what he thought about you at the second ball." Johanna began to explain. "He told me that you didn't tell him that you were the princess, but rather an apprentice seamstress."

"That's what he assumed from the vague details I gave him when we first met." Dawn admitted. "It was a good cover story anyway, so I went with it. But regardless, he still seemed to like me."

"Indeed." Johanna said. "He also said to me that he has faith in your capabilities to rule the kingdom, with or without a king at your side. Some of your self-doubt might have come from me because I was expecting much from you. From that, I apologize."

"You only want the best for me, Mother." Dawn replied, forgiving her mother with a hug. "And I'm grateful to you for teaching me the best you know how. But I guess all I wanted is that I would find a husband in my own time. After all, I'm only twenty."

"Still in the prime of your life." Johanna agreed, returning her daughter's hug just as gently and lovingly. "But I've seen the way you look at him, and how he looked at you. It reminded me of your father and I back when we first met."

"I remember you telling me that story." Dawn said, remembering her late father, who had passed away when she was very young. "You said that the first time you danced together, you just knew. That he was your true love."

Johanna smiled fondly at the precious memory of her late husband. "The stars were brighter that night." She said softly.

"If how I feel about my prince is even close to that," Dawn continued, still in her mother's arms, "then you know that he's..."

She then sighed deeply. "What I'm saying is that you found true love, Mother. That's all I want."

Johanna then brought her daughter out slightly to look her in the eyes. "Then go get it." She said, making Dawn blink in confusion.

"If the love you feel for this young man is true, and if he feels the same, then that love will make our kingdom stronger. Go find him. Whether he's royal or not, go find that young man and offer him your hand and heart."

Dawn's eyes began watering with tears of joy, and she hugged her mother again. "Thank you, Mother." She said happily.

"Well, now that you have my blessing, all you need to do is figure out how to find him." Johanna pointed out, happy because of her daughter's elation.

"No need to worry about that." Dawn said, breaking away from the hug and looking down at the piece of amulet in her hand. "I think I know how."

****************

Later that same day, Ash was out in the town square, helping Miette and Serena with some errands. Well, he was really just carrying most of their purchases with one arm, while on the other arm, he carried a large basket with some fresh groceries; bread, fruit and eggs. Pikachu on the other hand, was carefully hauling a little bag of fresh vegetables on his tail while he was perched at his usual place on his master's shoulder.

Serena actually was giving him some subtle help by carrying along most of her own purchases along with her Sylveon, while Miette just dumped all of hers on poor Ash, her Slurpuff only helping her with the lightest objects. At first, Serena gave Ash some of her items, but only to play along and appease her stepsister. All in all, Ash was grateful for the help, subtle or not.

While the girls were busy at one of the dress shops, Ash and Pikachu took some time to briefly check on some of the servants that used to work at his family's home before Giovanni bought his father's trading company and dismissed them. They actually met up with Spencer Hale and his now teenage daughter, Molly.

Ash remembered back when he was younger that he would spend a lot of time watching over Molly and helping her with chores. In a way, she became like the little sister he never had. She was four years younger than him, and sometimes, she was more of a handful than Ash was. Now at age sixteen, she had mellowed out a bit, and was a pretty girl with long sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a simple blue and gray work dress.

While Ash waited for the girls, Molly took the chance to catch up with her older-brother figure. "You don't look too well, Ash." She said worriedly as she took in his half-starved state. "You do look healthier than the last time I saw you, but not a whole lot. Why do you stay there when they treat you so badly?"

Ash smiled at the younger girl. "It was the place of my childhood, the place that I once loved with me and my parents." He explained. "Now that they're gone, I take care of it and love it for them."

Molly then noticed the smile on Ash's face. "So what's new with you?" She asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible. "Like I said, it looks like you have been eating more lately."

Ash grinned bashfully. "Well, let's just say that with the others heading off to balls for the past three nights, I've been able to make myself some proper meals before they come back."

In reality, at said balls, he and Dawn had eaten a lot, pretty much bringing out entire picnics for themselves and for the Pokémon to share. Ash had no idea just how starving he was until they would eat. Dawn was a little surprised at his appetite, but she quickly grew used to it, shaking her head with a fond smile as she watched him eat, just like how his mother would look at him whenever he would have meals with his parents.

Molly seemed to buy Ash's answer, but then took notice of the slight red coloration in his cheeks as his smile continued to slowly grow. It was almost as if he had something on his mind, or rather, someone. She hadn't seen him smile like that since his mother had died, and she had seen that doe-eyed look a few times before in her life.

"It's a girl, isn't it?" She asked him, and she giggled when the red hue in Ash's cheeks immediately darkened in hue.

"What?!" He exclaimed. "No!"

Molly looked over at Pikachu, who only smirked at his master's embarrassment, confirming her suspicions. He even started to make kissy faces at him, to which Ash responded with a glare.

"You're not helping." He growled.

The little Electric type just smirked again, in his own way saying that he wasn't trying to help. Molly giggled again, while Ash only frowned.

"Traitor." He muttered.

"If it is a girl," Molly continued to tease him, "who is she?"

"You're having way too fun with this." Ash replied dryly, dodging the question while crossing his arms as best as he could with the bags and basket of groceries slung around his arms. "Besides, it doesn't even matter anymore."

Before Molly could ask him why, they heard the shrilling of Miette calling for him. Ash just sighed.

"Duty calls." He said before smiling at Molly.

Molly gave him a hug as carefully as she could without damaging his basket of groceries. "I'll see you around." She said with a bittersweet smile.

Ash just gave her a little two-fingered salute before heading back over to his stepsisters. He was not looking forward to dragging around more bags, even with Serena's subtle help.

Just then, they heard the town square ring with bells as the royal announcer came onto the main plaza. "Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye!" He proclaimed before taking out a scroll and began to read the royal announcement on it.

"A proclamation from Her Royal Highness, Princess Dawn. She hereby declares her love for..." He paused to build up the suspense from the excited crowd, "...the mysterious prince who she had danced with on all three nights of the festival. Know that our fair princess requests that the young man in question, be he royal or common, bring himself to the castle and reveal his identity by procuring a second half of a wooden amulet he wore those three nights. If so, and if he'd be willing, she will forthwith ask, implore, or if necessary, beg that he marry her, in accordance with royal tradition."

The entirety of the town square was quickly abuzz with excitement, the people all murmuring amongst themselves about the princess's declaration.

"Ha!" Miette scoffed. "I knew that those two deserved each other. One pathetic Rattata for another. Too bad, though. That so-called prince was very much handsome."

"I can't argue with you there." Serena replied, remembering how handsome the Mystery Prince was. "But I suppose that regardless, they are lucky to have each other to love."

"Please!" Miette laughed haughtily. "As if love has anything to do with marriage. Don't you agree, Cinders and Ashes?"

Both girls turned around to look at their servant boy, but he and his Pikachu were gone. They had left Miette's bags, though.

"Oh, of all the incompetent-!" Miette exclaimed in anger.

But Serena drowned out her stepsister's angry words and threats as she looked down the path that Ash must've taken. What has gotten him in so much of a rush? She thought to herself.

*****************

Out in the forest, Ash was riding Skychaser as fast as he could without damaging the groceries in his basket, with Pikachu clinging onto his back, balancing the bag of vegetables. He couldn't believe it! Dawn was looking for him! And she loved him! Regardless of his lack of details into his life, she still loved him! Maybe that alone would help her disregard his poor country appearance and see that he was her Mystery Prince. Or maybe his parents could help him again! Either way, he just had to see her again and show her his true identity.

When they got back to the manor, Ash left Skychaser in the open stable, slid off her and quickly headed inside. After placing the groceries away in the kitchen, he and Pikachu raced as fast as they could to their room in the attic. Once there, Ash slid onto his knees to where his secret compartment was and lifted up the planks to it.

But when he opened it, he not only saw that his half of the amulet was gone, but that all of his childhood treasures had been destroyed. His favorite childhood toys, some little gifts that his parents have given him throughout the years. And then he found the ruined family picture. He first found the torn piece of his mother, and then after some digging around, he soon found the other part of the picture, the larger one that showed himself as a young boy, and his father. He slowly put the two pieces together, wondering how this happened.

"Are you looking for this?"

Ash felt his blood freeze with fear, and very slowly, he looked up to see Giovanni sitting in the shadows at the far end of the room. Hanging from its ribbon tangled in his fingers was Ash's half of the wooden shield amulet. Persian was lying next to him, glaring predatorily at him. Pikachu growled at the larger Classy Cat Pokémon, his cheeks not sparking yet.

Giovanni looked over at the shield amulet half in his hand. "Must have been quite a story to go with it." He said. "Won't you tell me?"

Ash didn't answer as he came up to his feet. "No? Very well, then." Giovanni answered for him.

"I shall tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a wealthy young man who had everything the world could give him. All except for love. But that all changed when he met and fell in love with a beautiful seamstress who lived in the village.

"They become good friends after a while, so the young man decided to try his luck and ask her for a courtship. But before he could, he soon learned that the seamstress had fallen in love with someone else, a village boy who would one day inherit his family's trading company. The rich young man was heartbroken."

"May I have that back?" Ash asked, gulping nervously, and not liking how this story was going.

"I'm not finished yet." Giovanni cut him off. "While the seamstress and her beau were eventually married, the rich young man was saddled off to a wealthy woman of his parents' choosing. Very pretty, but she was not where his heart lied. Eventually, she bore him a lovely little daughter, but she tragically died giving birth to her.

"The widowed father soon remarried for the sake of his infant daughter, and to an old friend of his. Then she, too, bore him a daughter. Things seemed happy for a time, even though the man knew that he still didn't love his second wife because of the beautiful seamstress that broke his heart by marrying another. He eventually closed his heart to any kind of love, not wanting to bear the heartbreak any longer."

"Please give me that amulet." Ash pleaded.

"Wait a little longer." Giovanni answered before continuing on with his story. "Years later, the man inherited his family's fortune, becoming the royal advisor to the widowed queen. But then his wife was soon taken from him, leaving him alone with his two daughters. When the time for mourning had passed, the advisor had a surprise visitor: the man who stole his lovely seamstress away from him.

"He wanted a place to rest for the night before heading on home to his wife after another long trip abroad, so despite his hatred for the man, the royal advisor allowed him a room. But then, he saw an opportunity, to finally take what should've been his. He gave the merchant a drink the next morning before sending him on his way. Within weeks, he had received news that the merchant had grown ill and died."

Ash's blood grew even colder with horror as the realization slowly dawned on him. "The advisor waited weeks for any word from the recent widow, hoping that she would come back to him." Giovanni went on. "But she never did. He allowed the time for her to mourn, until several more years went by. Then one day, he finally got a message from her. She was running low on finances for both her household and her deceased husband's company. She wanted to earn some extra money to provide wages for a time. The advisor was all too happy to offer her a position at his chateau.

"But that was before he learned that she and her late husband had had a child of their own, about the same age as his lovely daughters. The widow introduced him to her son when they arrived to work for him, and all the advisor could see was that her son, her only child, was the spitting image of his father, except for the eyes. The happy and energetic boy was shown to be a very hard worker, and everyone in the advisor's household seemed to either like him or despise him because of his self-righteousness. Even the Pokémon themselves.

"The son loved his mother very much, and he was willing to protect her at any cost. The advisor sent his mother on many trips, leaving the boy alone at the chateau most of the time. But every time she returned, the first person she greeted was her child, not the advisor and old friend who gave her work. The advisor needed to get him out of the way.

Giovanni paused, his face almost rippling with a strange sense of hurt and sadness. "Before she left for another trip, the advisor confronted her, asking her for her hand in marriage. The widow refused him, her heart remaining stubbornly loyal to her dead husband, as well as to her precious son. Enraged, the advisor devised a plan to get rid of the boy. The same way he got rid of his father. But the boy's mother learned of his intention, and she took the fall of it by taking what was meant for the boy. Before she left, she made him swear on his honor and blood that if she never made it back, he would look after her son until he was old enough to take the reins of his father's business.

"The advisor hoped and prayed that his mother had bluffed, watching over the boy until he headed home to wait for his mother's return. But she never did, both of them having learned later that she had passed away while on the road. With that, the advisor knew that he was doomed to look every day upon her beloved child.

"After moving into the boy's home with his daughters, he tried everything he could to break the boy's spirit, but nothing seemed to work. Years went by, and eventually, the queen sought her daughter worthy to find a husband of her own. Even though he had no sons, the advisor thought that it would have been better to just arrange a husband of the queen's choosing, despite the princess's beliefs of finding 'true love'. But the stubborn princess wanted to make her own choice, so they arranged a festival for three nights, allowing her to have time to choose a groom.

"The advisor did all he could to push perfectly eligible young men for the princess to choose during the festival, but her head was quickly turned by a young man who wore this very amulet." Giovanni twirled the ribbon of the amulet between his fingers. "The amulet that his parents had given him, which had been custom-made by his father's company, designed to be split apart and worn by his parents, symbolizing their love for one another, to which they had given to their son for when he would find his own. And so, I lived unhappily ever after."

He then turned the pendant over, looking at the broken words engraved on the back of it. "'Courage inside... from... heart'." He then scoffed. "I've always known that your father was a hopeless romantic, but I should've also known him for a fool for believing such notions."

Giovanni then looked back at Ash, who hadn't moved from his spot, while Pikachu and Persian were still in their standstill. But he did hear a barely audible whisper coming from him as he processed his dark little secret.

"You killed my parents."

"I had thought I recognized that amulet when I first saw the Mystery Prince." Giovanni said, changing the subject. Of course, your father's trade was all throughout the region, so I paid little mind. But then Miette mentioned something quite interesting: that the Mystery Prince lost half of his amulet on the last night of the festival, which the princess found. Are you sure that you didn't steal it?"

Ash shook his head numbly. "No." He answered. "It was given to me like you said."

"Given?" Giovanni asked. "Nothing is ever given. In this world, when we want something, we take it."

"That's not true." Ash replied. "Kindness is free. Love is free."

"Love is not free." Giovanni retorted in a low tone. "For everything, it comes with a price. For example, what made you even think that you could win the princess's heart?"

"Win her?" Ash asked, some of his bravery coming back to him. "She's not a prize to be won. She's her own person who deserves to have someone who loves her for who she is."

"Like you?" Giovanni demanded. "You love her?"

If Ash was asked this question a few days earlier, he would've been unsure because he couldn't understand neither the truth of his feelings nor hers. But now that he knows the truth, the answer was obvious, and it wouldn't be false in the slightest way.

"Yes."

Giovanni only glared at the younger man as if he was nothing more than a pebble in his shoe. "I suppose you would think that way. Just like your father." He then stood up.

"But if you want what you desire, I expect something in return for not tossing you out on the streets once I found this little piece of proof. Plus, do you really think that they would believe you, a ragged servant boy without a family if you laid claim to the princess's heart?"

Ash didn't answer him as he stood his ground, watching the Grand Duke walk up to him. "But with the most respectable gentleman in the royal court to put you forward, you will not be ignored. When you and the princess are wed, you will have me remain in my position as the royal advisor. Serena and Miette, we will pair off with wealthy lords. And when the queen passes, the princess, and subsequently you, will take the throne, but I will manage that girl."

"She's not a little girl that needs constant supervision." Ash retorted back. "She is perfectly capable of making her choices."

"And what about you?" Giovanni asked when he stood right in front of the bane on his life. "How would someone like you run a kingdom? Best leave it to someone who was bred for this sort of matter. This way, we all get what we want. Do we have a bargain?"

Ash narrowed his eyes up at his cruel guardian. He can't let him control him anymore, not when he was this close to having true happiness. With Dawn. He needed to protect her.

"No." He answered.

Giovanni's eyes hardened. "No?" He repeated.

"I couldn't protect my parents from you, but I will protect Dawn." Ash said. "Even if it costs me my life."

Giovanni glared at him hatefully. "Persian." He addressed his Normal type.

The Classy Cat Pokémon suddenly lunged forward, his right paw being enveloped in shadowy dark power. Pikachu's cheeks sparked dangerously before jumping forward, his tail glowing with Steel energy. He then swung it into Persian's neck, knocking him down.

The little Electric type then charged towards Giovanni with blinding speed, right into his chest. Giovanni fell down from the impact, the amulet falling from his grasp. Ash quickly ran forward and swiped the amulet, putting it into his tunic pocket.

"Come on, Pikachu!" Ash said to his partner before heading towards the door.

But Persian recovered from Pikachu's Iron Tail and aimed his next attack at Ash. The red jewel on his forehead started to glow, and then a Power Gem was fired, knocking Ash to the floor.

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu exclaimed fearfully.

Ash struggled to get back up on his feet, but that Power Gem was more powerful than he had expected. Giovanni was starting to get back up as well, and there was no way he was letting him destroy what could be his last chance of freedom and joy.

He then saw the nearby window and got an idea. "Pikachu!" He called out to his partner before pulling out his amulet half and tossing it to him. "Go! Find Dawn! Now!"

Pikachu was frozen, shocked at what his young master was telling him to do. He looked at the amulet half in his paws and then saw Persian quickly coming towards him.

"Go!" Ash ordered once more, and this time, Pikachu knew that he couldn't hesitate.

With a tearful look in his black beady eyes as he looked at Ash one last time, Pikachu took hold of the amulet in his mouth, sprinted towards the window, and then jumped out of it.

"NO!" Giovanni shouted.

He ran over to the window, watching Pikachu fall down four stories. But then, he saw a Starly and a Pidove swoop down over to the little electric rat, and they caught him before he could hit the ground, their talons gripping his shoulders. They let go of him once they had reached the ground, and Pikachu looked back up at the attic one more time before removing the amulet from his mouth. He hung the amulet around his neck and took off into the forest.

Giovanni growled in anger, whirling around to look at Ash, who had a confident smile on his face. "I'm not letting you control me anymore." He said.

Persian roared furiously and pinned Ash down on his back, his claws digging into his shoulders, making him yelp in pain.

"Why, though?" The younger man demanded despite the pain as he glared up at Giovanni. "Why do you treat me like this?! I've tried to be kind to you!"

"You? Kind to me?" Giovanni asked.

"Yes!" Ash yelled. "Even though no one deserves to suffer as I have, why do you treat me like this?! Is it because of my father?! It was my mother's choice to love him, not anyone else's! No one forced her to, she chose to love my father! You've been lying to yourself for so long that you can't accept the fact that you never could have my mother's heart, and never will!"

He paused for a moment, wincing in pain when Persian dug his claws in further. "But you never could accept that you couldn't have everything. But you stooped so low as to commit murder just to have her! But it backfired when my mother took that poison that was meant for me. You could've gotten rid of me anyway when I became of age, but instead, you wanted to erase and squander everything that my parents had worked for! You and your family live off my father's fortune, while I was left with nothing left but hope! Hope that I can break free and find my own happiness! Now I have, with Dawn! And there's nothing you could do to stop me now!"

Giovanni glared at him with all the hate in the world, his snarl almost matching his own Persian's. "We'll see about that!" He shouted back, and Persian dug in deeper, blood leaking from the punctures in Ash's shoulders, making him scream in pain. "I should've killed you the moment I was stuck with you!"

Ash felt his vision starting to blur from the blood loss. But he can't lose consciousness now. Not when Pikachu was on his way to find Dawn and lead her to him. However, the pain was getting to be too much, and spots danced as he struggled to keep his eyes open. He was feeling weaker, and all he could think of to stay awake was the hope that his princess would come to him. A hope that was fading as the pain in his shoulders increased, along with the spots dancing in his vision.

Suddenly, the door to the attic burst open. "Stop it, Father!" A familiar voice screamed.

Then Persian was immediately tackled off of Ash, and Ash could feel the weight of his claws leave while he panted for breath. In his blurry vision, he could see a white and pink creature standing protectively in front of him, along with a young woman with short honey blonde hair.

"S-Serena?" He asked weakly.

Said young woman only turned to look over at him briefly before facing her father again. "Enough of this!" She shouted. "He doesn't deserve this! He never did! And I was wrong to follow your example because no matter what I do, I will never be good enough for you!"

Serena was about to turn around and see what she could do to help Ash, but her father roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her away from him, making her yelp in pain.

"It's true. You are such a disappointment." He said coldly before beginning to drag her out of the attic.

"Please, Father!" She begged, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "He'll bleed out and die if I don't do something!"

"Good riddance!" Giovanni barked. "Then I'll finally be free of the burden that his mother bound me to because of her death wish."

"He's still family!" Serena screamed as she finally wrestled out of his father's grip, almost dislocating her shoulder in the process, and ran back to the bleeding Ash.

Sylveon had Persian immobilized with her ribbons tied around his legs as Serena actually tore off two pieces of her dress before tying them tightly around Ash's wounds to stop the blood flow. She then helped Ash shakily stand up, one hand on his forearm and the other around his back.

"Families don't treat each other this way." Serena continued. "They love one another and support each other. But he's right. You never cared about any of this. You never cared about him. You never cared about me. All you care about is about what you never had, all because you're jealous of him!"

Giovanni was frighteningly silent, his face never showing any kind of expression. The stony glare he was giving her was enough to make Serena lose her bravado, and she slowly stepped away from Ash once she was sure that he was steady on his feet. She patted her side twice, and Sylveon released Persian from her ribbons, suddenly feeling very small under his intense and angry gaze.

Both mistress and Pokémon began to head out of the attic, but not before stealing one more look at Ash. He seemed worried for them, but they couldn't do more as Giovanni pushed them out of sight of the doorway. He then glared at Ash, who only returned it. Persian hissed cruelly at him as he came next to his equally cruel master as they stood on the other side of the doorway.

"Know that this will be your last mistake, boy." He said to him before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a key.

Ash's eyes widened in horror when the realization hit him like one of Pikachu's Thunderbolts. "No!" He shouted.

But Giovanni had already slammed the door shut once he stumbled and ran up to it. "No!"

He then heard the key lock the door, and Ash began pulling on the handle, desperately clinging onto the false hope that it could somehow come loose.

"Let me out!" He yelled. "You can't keep me in here!"

But his protests were ignored as Giovanni walked away from the locked door, Persian following him. He put the key back in his pocket when he saw Serena looking at him with horrified, tear-filled eyes. He then glared at her sternly and coldly.

"Open that door, and you'll wish you had never set foot in this house again." He threatened before continuing down the long staircase.

Serena watched her father leave with fearful eyes before looking back up at the locked door. She could hear Ash still trying to pull the door loose, or even knock or kick it down, but all to no avail. Finally, the rattling and banging stopped, and she could hear him softly weeping. That heart-wrenching sound alone was enough to make her slide down onto her knees and begin to cry herself. Sylveon only sat down beside her, trying to comfort her. But nothing else could be done now. She could only hope that there was still a chance for him to be free, no matter how slim.

A/N: Wow. There's a lot to process in this pretty intense chapter. But this needed to happen so that we can finally learn the reason why Giovanni hates Ash and his father so much. And it seems that Serena will no longer stand for Ash's abuse, but there is one more thing about her that will eventually be addressed, in the next chapter.

Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a comment about what you think! And remember to stay healthy.

Got to fly! ;)