"Pikachu, NO!" It was pointless, this battle was already at a loss from the beginning. He had the upper hand, always getting the best of me through one way or another. One way or another, Giovanni always gets what he wants, things will never change. The Protection Association groups can't change the outcome, the champions of the regions can't change the outcome, and above all I can't change the outcome.

It was the last stand once and for all. We were in a lit up stadium joined by thousands upon thousands of viewers cheering and watching from the side lines, none of them aware of the situation. 

Pikachu had just been hit hard by the Persian's attack, I could see my partner struggling to get back up. This is it, the end. Even when I removed my one weakness, Giovanni still manage to exploit it. My body was frozen at the situation, analyzing the grim surroundings. The audience spectating doesn't get it. This isn't just some league battle. This battle is what determines it all.

I didn't know what to do, I was stuck in a place where there was no escape, a room filled with shadows, enveloped in darkness. The feeling was ice cold, yet the battle was heated. My eyes shot at the direction of the opponent, his grin of a maniac there as usually, trying to threaten me. 

And it did. For once in my pathetic life, within the last few years, I felt fear. My body began shaking vigorously, each breath becoming more unsteady from the other, the muscular organ that connects all the energy flow of my body, beating without any means of stopping. 

I stood there, with eyes set wider than physically possible staring at the ground. I reach for my heart with my hand. It hurts, but this feeling never hurt before. "Hahahaha! You're weak just like usually, and everyone is here to see it!" Giovanni mocked which completely demolished my self-esteem. 

The shadows of the stadium began itching closer by the moment. I tried stepping back, but I couldn't. I couldn't move anything, I watched in horror as the shadows slowly covered me entirely, I chose to look at the stands one final time, noticing the person I cared dearly for.

I attempted to reach out my hand to said person, hoping to get some support to regain the lost confidence and strength to end this once and for all. The pain of fear left my body, I could no longer feel it. When Giovanni spoke about my emotions, it must have been my fear that I thought of. I was wrong. The heart that rested within my corpse was shattered into a million pieces. The pain was unimaginable.

The one person who I thought I could love and trust betrayed me, in my greatest moment of need. The words of the figure ring through my head "What are you looking at me for? Just like the opposing trainer said, you are a weak coward who can't do anything by himself. Always relying on others to accomplish your own personal goals." I didn't think I could be hurt more, until I heard the next phrase "Your so called 'pokemon master' dream is something you will never obtain, exactly like your father!"

I sat up, panting in my bed. I was covered in sweat, and felt like I overheated. I'm glad that mess is over, but why do I have to experience these every single night. Every single night I struggle to fall asleep and struggle to stay asleep. I thought back onto the dream and what happened.

'The dream is a sign, it's showing something' I assured myself, enough to believe that the fiction of a dreamworld will somehow impact reality.

Going to school, and having these interactions isn't a good idea anymore. It's starting to impact my health, I need to stay isolated before I hurt myself even further. I looked at my partner still sound asleep, I slowly gave him a nudge indicating him that he needs to wake up. What I thought was a polite way to wake Pikachu up, ended with me being covered in black soot from head to toe.

Taking a hot shower was nice, and extremely relaxing. I got out of the bathroom and dressed into the appropriate clothes. With that Pikachu and I took our leave, we passed Nurse Joy and gave her a sign of valediction and started walking to Lumiose High.

Making my way onto the school property my ears could already pick up on the countless conversations that are taking place within my peripheral hearing. Seeing as it was too loud to even try to deconstruct anything that is being said, I ignored my desire to eaves drop on random private conversations.

But from one of the discussions I could make out a few things "Prism tower... evening time" It was hard to make out exactly what was being said until someone said "Rampaging pokemon... Garchomp stopped by hero" Now I know the context of the topic, and want to avoid it as effectively as possible. I have no intentions of getting caught after my first job.

Unfortunately for me, right about when I thought my day would be normal my pathway was blocked by an all to familiar face. 'Calem' I thought. "Calem, could you please not do this?" I heard the girl with honey blonde hair trying to convince her 'friend' to not do something to me. I raised my eye brow at Calem and then took a look at Serena who carried a worried expression.

"Calem, please. We already know how strong he is from the gym battle, you didn't even allow me to make my own decision" Serena continued questioning Calems decisions but he didn't even bother responding to her, nor showed her any sign that he was even paying attention to Serena. Calem was neglecting her, and I wonder why.

"Listen here Mr. Bigshot" Calem began with an insult, classic as always. "You, Me, a battle. The one who wins is crowned the champion of the school" He continued with his request, but I was not interested in some newbie who couldn't even put up a challenge. "It will be a 3v3 battle." Guessing that means he caught more pokemon.

I glanced at him, searching his stance from bottom to top. He is full of confidence, but confidence means nothing and it certainly does not win you any matches. I looked at Serena who immediately shifted her head into another direction, obviously embarrassed by her boyfriend over here.

"Not interested" I put sternly and coldly before continuing my walk. "It wasn't a request, it was a demand" Calem replied while putting his hand on my shoulder. My reflexes kicked in as I grabbed his arm and put it over my shoulder, while kicking his right leg with my own. I lifted him and threw him over my body onto the floor. "I don't take orders from the likes of you" I mocked

He raised his upper body from the floor while patting the back of his head, indicating he was in pain. Calem swiftly got back and threw a fist in my direction. Right before reaching my face I grabbed it, stopping it in its tracks. I wasted no time in moving his lower region of the arm, and hammering it with my elbow. It shouldn't break it, but will dislocate it.

Calem yelled in agony as he stepped back grabbing his arm, while pain was clearly noticeable on his facial expression. With one final move I slammed my knee into his thigh, securing him in his place. On the ground. Serena gasped and ran towards Calem to see if he was okay. I dusted off my jacket shoulder and translated my focus to the two love birds. "Your boyfriend has a bit of a temper and is very aggressive , maybe you should take him to an anger management class"

The girls cheeks turned a dark crimson and quickly covered the entire region, to which she tried, but stuttered to reply "H-H... I-m... C-Cal,lem isn't my boyfriend" She finally made it out. Before I could say anything else or leave, trouble already seemed to have found me. The fight escalated to an extent where a teacher was called "What is the meaning of this!" The teacher yelled out

Calem pointed his one good arm towards me, while Serena was tending to the other "He did this sir! I was merely trying to defend myself, when he attacked me and look what he did to me!" Calem presented his dislocated arm to the teacher. The teacher seemed pissed by this point "Anything to say Ash?!" He yelled in an angry tone. I simply shrugged, I had no intention of arguing with a teacher and breaking one of his arms as well.

"To Sycamore's office, NOW!" he demanded.

All eyes were staring at me as I made my walk of "shame" towards the office of professor Sycamore. Can't wait to be lectured on how to be a good student, be open-minded and try be more tolerable of others, I can already hear Sycamore talking in my head just like professor Oak use to.

I entered the room and took a seat. The professor wasted no time in starting the conversation. "Ash, marvelous to see you again! Although I would appreciate it if you didn't come to my office on such terms next time" I sat there gazing out of the window, disinterested in what he had to say, because it was useless information anyway.

"Is there by chance your side of this 'fight', or was Calem saying the truth about you engaging in the combat?" He questioned. Didn't matter what I would say, the outcome will be the same. "Does it matter what happened, or what I did from my point of view, I'm getting detention no matter what" I was met by a serious gaze from the professor as he was going over my response.

'There's the face, exactly like the one Mr. Oak gives me before he scolds me' The professor  carried on "Ash, beating up a student is a serious thing. Calem didn't do anything to you to engage in that fight. I know you have some issues from the past and are weary of your surroundings" It didn't surprise me that the professor took Calem's side, he played the victim by going with a gamble, and looks like it payed off

"It was my reflexes kicking in, he grabbed my shoulder from behind" I looked at the professor telling the truth of what I felt happened.

"You could have stopped at any time, you decided to go onto dislocating his arm and then damage his ability to walk temporarily." The professor pointed out my actions "Because he didn't stay down, he tried to retaliate. The only fit way I found of resolving the situation was by making sure he couldn't carry on" I said my part while looking away from the professor, who sighed. "This is not tolerable in Lumiose high, you may be someone who defends the region, but you still need to answer for your actions. Even though I hate to do it, the students would get suspicious if you weren't sent to detention." He started writing down things on a piece of paper, then extending it out to me.

"Listen, Ash. Battles is what you enjoy, you can still battle and through it make lots of new friends. You could connect with someone again and have people to hang out with, just like an ordinary teenage boy. Wouldn't you say it's time to open up?" At the moment he ended the sentence, I stood up from my chair "I enjoy battles, but not from some puny starters" I snapped at the professor "I don't need to connect with anyone, I'm just fine on my own and have been for the past few years! I am not some ORDINARY teenage boy!" I needed to make the professor understand this, and that he should stop trying.

"I won't open up because I don't need to. I don't need others!" I've had enough of this conversation, that turned into an argument. I opened the door and slammed it shut after grabbing the paper out of his hand aggressively, leaving for my next class.