***The Night of the Battle of Pewter City***

Back at the Saffron City, Green, Blue and Yellow are at the training grounds. 

Yellow grunts in frustration as she's hurled to the ground, with Blue's Machamp towering over her with a grin.

"What's the point of this? I should be in Pewter City with Red!" Yellow yells as she lifts herself up.

Blue shakes his head.

"You need to train. Last time you got lucky. But you're not ready, and I am not letting you go until you are."

"And how will I know if I'm ready?"

"When you can fight with an actual weapon," Blue growls, tossing a sword at her.

Yellow catches it midair, but can't lift it. It falls to the ground, with Yellow's hands on the handle.

"Why the hell do I need to be able to fight with one of these things? I was just fine without it," Yellow asks, struggling to lift the sword.

"If you want to keep your identity a secret, then you can't bring attention to yourself. Fighting with a fishing rod attracts attention. You're lucky your opponent wasn't that skilled and Red wasn't curious enough to press who you were, otherwise you would've been found out or ended up dead."

Yellow lets go of the sword.

"Blue! You don't have to be so blunt!" Green exclaims as she rushes to Yellow. 

"Why not? Would you rather I give her false confidence that gets her killed?"

Green goes silent.

"This isn't Pokèmon battling Green. If you lose, you die. She has to be prepared for anything. Now, if you're serious about training, get pick up that sword, and fight. We have created a battling style fit for you so you use your gift in combat," Blue explains.

Yellow tries to pick up her sword, but fails. She sighs, but attempts again. And again, and again. 

Blue sighs.

"I don't know why I let you talk me into this," Blue says to Green as he turns around.

"Come on Machamp. It's time to rest."

Yellow stays silent, and stares at the ground. Her body begins to visibly shake.

"Yellow, don't listen to him, he-"

Green goes silent as he begins to hear the bushes and trees begin to rustle.

Green begins to get nervous. There's no wind, so something has to be moving near them.

Machamp notices as well, and stops in his tracks.

"Machamp, what's-"

Suddenly, a Pokèmon jumps from a nearby bush and attacks Machamp. Machamp reverses the attack, and pins down the Pokèmon. The Nidoran squeals in frustration as Machamp keeps her on the ground. 

"What on-"

An Ekans falls from a trees and wraps around Machamp's neck. Before Machamp can respond, an Electabuzz rushes out and delivers a Thunder Punch into Machamp's stomach, launching him into a nearby tree.

Blue pulls out his sword, and swings it around, trying to keep the Pidgey attacking him away.

Yellow then charges right at Blue. Blue doesn't see her coming until she's in the air and rams her knees into his chest. They fall, with Yellow landing right on top of Blue, pinning him to the ground. She pulls out the dagger Red gave her and presses it against his throat.

"You don't know how far I'll go to protect someone I love!" She yells.

Blue raises an eyebrow.

"So that's what this is all about? Interesting."

Yellow instantly begins to blush.

"No! I-I, I mean," she stutters as she hops off of Blue. She suddenly drops the dagger, and grabs her head with both her hands. She lets out a groan.

"Yellow?"

She responses by fainting onto the ground.

The Pokèmon attacking Blue and Machamp suddenly stop. They stare at each other in confusion, then run away.

"Blue! Are you ok?" Green yells as she runs up to them.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Blue says as he dusts himself off. He turns to Machamp, who struggles a bit to get up.

"Is she ok?" Blue asks. Green knees beside her and gently places a hand on her forehead.

"She's burning up!"

"Come on, let's take her back," Blue says as he returns Machamp to his Pokèball, and gently lifts Yellow. He carries Yellow back to the castle, with his twin following.

...

***A Few Days Later***

X sighs in relief as he finally enters their camp in Viridian Forest. Many of their countrymen rush to their aid, prioritizing the wounded.

"X! Are you ok? What happened?" A nurse asks.

"We got counterattacked. Where is Y?"

"She is in her tent. She is having a meeting with Diantha, Alain, and Riley."

X's face goes pale. He rushes towards Y's tent, and barges in. Inside, everyone looks at him, including a very surprised Y.

"X? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at Pewter City." Y asks.

"I got attacked. Red sent a small army and retook the city."

Diantha and Alain share a look while Y gasps.

Riley chuckles.

"Looks like the boy Prince is finally starting to grow up."

"You find this funny? I lost a lot of good men out there! All because we have to follow your stupid plan!" X yells.

"How about you sit down, and tell us what happened. Then I can explain how my stupid plan can swiftly end this war." Riley says, as he takes a sip of tea.

X rolls his eyes, but proceeds to tell them about the Battle of Pewter City.

"Interesting. I wonder why they chose to get Pewter City instead of going South," Diantha wonders out loud. 

"I'm wondering the same thing," Y says.

"It doesn't matter," Riley says. 

"It will all end soon enough."

"How so? Please enlighten us Riley! Why the hell are you here anyways?" X says.

"To deliver good news! Johto is under my control."

"No. Impossible," Y says.

"But it is. See, Johto's culture built on Ancient Law. It prioritizes honor, and all that shit. One law states that when every single member of their Royal Family are dead, the victor claims the kingdom."

"That means..."

"Prince Silver was reckless. His mistakes cost him his head."

Everyone stares at Riley in disbelief.

"We demonstrated his body to the city, along with King Bran's crown. Without an immediate leader, the capital fell instantly."

"What about the Queen and Princess?" Diantha asks.

"Queen Ana should be near death, if not dead by now. However, Princess Crystal is the only threat to my plan," Riley says as he paces in the middle of the tent.

"You have to keep Princess Crystal in Kanto. Once the opportunity arises, kill her. That way, Johto will never be able to reconstruct their leadership."

"What about the gym leaders?" Alain asks.

"They're part of the kingdom. They surrender, and obey their new ruler. All of this is stated in the Ancient Laws. However, Princess Crystal can, and will use these laws in her favor if you fail," Riley warns.

"X!"

Tierno barges in, nearly falling on the ground.

"What is it? We're busy."

"Serena reported back!"

"Already?"

Y gives X a look, which he ignores.

"She spotted a carriage leave Pewter City the night we retreated. She said a girl entered the carriage, and were headed towards Johto."

Riley groans.

"I will take care of the Princess. You make sure you continue the plan." Riley says as he heads towards the exit.

X reaches out and pulls him back by his arm.

"If you're here, then who is governing Johto?"

"Someone who is fit for the job."

Riley shakes X off, but X immediately clamps back on him.

"I'm not done. Where is Shauna?" 

Riley turns his head to the side.

"Who?"

X swings his fist at Riley. Luckily, Alain jumps up and pulls X back, blocking his punch.

Riley grins.

"You're angry. Good. Use that towards the Kantoian rubbish. Your friend is here. My troops dropped her off near the huge campfire in the center of camp about a minute ago."

Tierno rushes out in search for her. 

"Remember, if you stop at all, you will have to face the wraith of both Sinnoh and Johto," Riley warns as he leaves the tent.

"You need to control your emotions. One girl is not worth going to war against two regions," Alain warns.

"Shut it! If it were Mairin-"

X doesn't get to finish his sentence. Alain grabs him by the throat and lifts him two feet into the air.

"Mention her name again and I swear to Xerenas that I will make you wish you never survived The Purging!" Alain yells.

"Alain! Let go of him!" Y yells.

Before anyone can react, X swings his leg, and manages to make contact contact with Alain's face. Alain drops him, and both young men gently touch their wounds. Just as they're about to pounce on each other, a blue hue covers each of the men, freezing them in place. They begin to float inches above the ground, and are pushed away from each other.

"Now, there is no need to be fighting among ourselves. There is enough fighting as it is. Let us just focus on the plan. The sooner we get it done, the sooner we get to go home," Diantha says. Her Gardevoir follows closely behind, using her Confusion to keep the two men apart.

Gardevoir puts them down.

Alain grabs his sword and storms out the tent.

Diantha shakes her head, and heads out with her Pokèmon right beside her.

X sighs.

Y approaches him and begins to gently rub his back.

"You've been through a lot the last few days. You need to rest," she says.

"I will rest once we are done with this war," X says.

"You should've seen her Y. She was so scared."

"Serena? Scared? I thought she handled herself well at the meeting with Red?"

"Yes. However, she has never seen so many dead as quickly before. We were bombarded by their air force. Our people were being mowed down without hesitation. As we're pinned down, the attacking army is getting closer and closer. All that overwhelmed her. I forget she did not experience everything we did. I want to try to keep it that way, thus why I had her prep the Rhyhorn and wait there until the fighting was done."

Y sighs.

"Then why is she out scouting if she was so scared?"

"No idea. My guess it was hers. Probably feels guilty for missing out on the fighting."

"Fine. I'll allow it. For now."

X nods.

"Come. Let us check on Shauna," Y says, as she grabs X by the hand and pulls him out of the tent.

They make their way to the campfire, where a small crowd as gathered.

"This cannot be good."

They make their way through the crowd, where they find a nurse cradling a terrified Shauna.

"Shauna? What's wrong?" Y asks, as she knees beside them. She slowly reaches out and places a hand on her shoulder.

Shauna twitches and nearly swings her fist, but calms down once she recognizes Y.

X comes over and tried to reach out, but Shauna swats his arm away.

"No! Don't touch me! Not again, please!"

X backs away.  He lets Y and the nurse tend for Shauna.

As he heads towards his tent, he makes eye contact with Alain, who's watching everything from afar.

X gives him a nod in apology. Alain hesitates for a moment, then returns the nod. He hops on his Charizard and takes off into the sky.  X sighs, and enters his tent, defeated.

...

"I'm going out to scout."

"Going to scout? You just got back! Did you even eat?"

"I'm not hungry," Serena says, as she refills her water pouch and runs off from their camp.

She weaves through the dark, making her way around with muffled footsteps. The moon provides the light she needs as she continues deeper into the forest.  Once she feels like she's far enough from the camp, she pulls out her dagger and stares at a tree.

"I hate this."

She stabs the tree.

"Why can't I just have a normal life?"

She pulls the dagger and stabs it again.

"But since that isn't the case, why can't I be brave? So X doesn't have to take care of me? Or not be selfish so Trevor didn't have to die? I should not be standing here right now!"

Serena stops realizes she has left multiple stab marks on the tree.

"I'm not fit for this life."

She sighs.

She's supposed to be keeping a low profile. Not announcing to the world she's here.

"Stupid. Stupid, stupid!"

She punches the tree.

"What was that?" A voice says from a distance.

Serena looks around, and spots a faint light in the distance.

"Fuck," Serena groans.

She climbs the tree as quickly and quietly she can, hoping they don't notice. As soon as she get comfortable, she can hear the crunching of leaves at the bottom of the tree.

Serena holds her breath, wishing she could turn herself invisible.

"That sounded like someone yelling. What do you think Pikachu?"

Serena's heart drops.

She knows who that is.

She leans a bit to her right, and looks down. At the bottom of the tree is Ash, holding a torch, along with Pikachu. He is wearing regular clothing, with his sword hanging on his back. He is currently examining Serena's handiwork.

Serena inches away from the truck of the tree, trying get a better look.

"Who could've done this Pikachu?" 

Pikachu shrugs.

"Heh. Thanks again for watching my back during the battle Pikachu. Who knows what would've happened if I didn't have you by my side," Ash says as he rubs Pikachu's chin. Pikachu begins to coo.

Ash sighs.

"I wonder what's gonna happen to us Pikachu. War is a dangerous thing you know."

Pikachu nods in agreement.

"No matter what happens though, I promise I'll do my best to keep you safe," Ash promises, as he offers his fist to Pikachu.

"Pika Pika!"

Pikachu fist bumps it.

Serena inches a bit further out, in an attempt to get a better view of Ash.

Suddenly, the branch snaps.

Serena lets out a yelp as she crashes down onto the ground. She lets out a groan as she struggles to get up.

"What? Who goes there!"

Serena manages to get up to her feet and turn her back to him. Luckily, she was able to hide her face behind her hood.

"Turn around! Show yourself!"

She doesn't move.

She gulps when she hears Ash unsheathe his sword.

She only has one option.

She begins to run.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

She manages to run a few feet forward until Pikachu crashes against her side, knocking her onto the ground. She lets out a yelp as she rolls a few feet on the ground, landing on her stomach.

"Don't move!"

Serena does what she's told, and lays still.

She groans as Ash kicks her on the side to flip her on her back.

They lock eyes.

"You," Ash growls.

"Ash, please, let me explain. I-"

"Explain what? That you used me? How you caused the death to hundreds of people and Pokèmon?"

Serena goes silent.

"You may have been faking it, but everything I said I meant it! I cared about you! So much I almost died trying to save you!"

Ash raises his sword.

Serena can't look. She turns her head and closes her eyes. She holds her breath and waits for the sword to impale her.

Instead, she hears the sword clunk into the ground beside her.

"Apparently, I still do."

Serena opens her eyes, and watches Ash walk to a nearby log. He sits down and holds his head in his hands, groaning in frustration. Pikachu sits next to him and attempts to comfort him.

"My brain says kill you. It's what I'm supposed to do! But my heart says no. Which one am I supposed to do Pikachu?"

Pikachu coos sadly.

Serena watches in shock.

She should be running away. But she ends up sitting next to him instead.

Pikachu watches her, with sparks coming out of his cheeks.

"What are you doing?" Ash asks.

"I, well, I'm not sure," Serena confesses.

"I just want to help."

"And why is that?" Ash growls.

"I hurt my friend. And want to tell him how sorry I am."

Ash stares at her, then sighs.

"And why should I believe you?"

"You shouldn't. Especially after what happened. But all I can say is that I'm sorry."

Ash shakes his head and stands up.

"Come on Pikachu. We're leaving."

Pikachu obeys and quickly climbs up his shoulder. He begin to walk away.

"Before you go, let me just say this!" Serena yells.

Ash stops.

"Thank you. For making me feel like a normal girl, and forgetting about this stupid war, even if it was just for a few hours. I will cherish our time together. Forever."

Ash stands there in silence.

Serena makes her way over to him.

"And thank you for risking your life for mine. We both know you didn't have to," Serena says as she taps him on the shoulder. He turns around, and Serena offers him the same handkerchief he used on her knee.

Ash takes it, and continues to look at it.

"If you meet me at the tree you fell out of tomorrow around this time, I can teach another thing or two about being normal. If you like," Ash says.

"Yes I would," Serena says with a smile.

"I would like that a lot."

Author's Note:

I'm so sorry for the delay! This chapter just took me a while to write. Lots has happened in this chapter. So if anything does not make sense now or in the future, please let me know! I will try to keep everything as organized!  I'm gonna try to keep my regular update, but with everything going on in the world, things may change. 

If anyone has any fan art, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to comment or PM me! 

Stay safe out there ya'll.

& as always,

Happy Reading :)

-eVo