Ash and Serena just stayed there for a while, just hugging, tears gushing down the side of Serena's face. "Ash..." she said in a choked tone from all the tears of joy she was crying. "Thank you..." she continued.

"Don't worry Serena..." Ash replied, trying to hold back his own tears of joy. "Always happy to help..." the two then broke their hug but could not say anything else to each other before Grace grabbed Serena's wrist and yanked her away.

"MOM!" Serena cried. "What are you doing?!" "Keeping you safe!" Grace whisper-yelled before turning to look at Ash. "It's great to see you, Ash..." she lied. "But I'm afraid we can't stay for long, Serena and I have an important assignment to do..."

"No mom!" Serena said before braking free from her mother's hold. "The assignment is important for YOU! I could not care less about it!" Ash cleared his throat. "Um... what's going on...?" He asked, oblivious to the situation.

Serena then ran over and stood next to Ash. "It's a long story, I'll tell you when the time comes..." she told him. "No you won't!" Grace yelled at her. "Young lady! You come with me right now! I told you, it's for your own good!" "No it's not!" Serena yelled back.

To stop the argument from getting too heated, Pikachu decided to intervene. Pikachu's tail glowed a metallic-blue and it slammed its tail on the ground between Serena and Grace, making them stop arguing.

"Well, I don't know how important this assignment is..." Ash said. "But if you could spare a few minutes you two can join me and my mom for tea..." he smiled. "Tea sounds good..." Grace said. "Yeah..." Serena responded.

Meanwhile...

Delia was in the motel room her and Ash were staying at, and appeared to be building a strange machine. Suddenly, she heard the front door knock. "I'll get it..." Rotom said before hovering over to the door. Delia quickly covered the machine with a cloth and laid it down on its side, making it look like a table.

Rotom soon opened the door and saw Ash, Serena and Grace standing behind the door. Serena's eyes widened in shock. "What is that?!" She asked, a bit freaked out. Ash turned to look at her. "Remember when we travelled back in time...?" He asked. "Yeah, so?" Serena answered. "The Pokemon that allowed us to do that was a Rotom, and this is just another Rotom who possessed a Pokedex!"

"Nice to meet you..." Rotom greeted Serena and Grace with a smile before letting them in. "You travelled back in time?" Grace asked Serena. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, mother..." Serena said. "Just like there are a lot of things I don't know about you..."

Grace sighed before walking in with Serena and Ash. "Hey mom!" Ash said. Delia's eyes widened in shock when she saw Grace and Serena. 'They're okay...' she thought in relief.

Grace saw Delia and immediately looked away, as if ashamed of something. "Hey! Are you okay?" Ash asked Grace. "That's exactly what I was going to ask..." Delia said. "Yes I am!" Grace said in the fakest tone imaginable. She then grabbed Serena's hand. "Unfortunately... Serena and I have somewhere to go and we can't stay!"

Grace started to push Serena out of the door. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear earlier, mom!" Serena growled before yanking her hand away from her mother's grasp. "I AM NOT GOING!" Serena yelled at her mother. "You must!" Grace yelled back.

"Okay okay settle down!" Delia said, breaking the two apart. "Why don't you settle this with a friendly battle? Grace wins, Serena goes with you. Serena wins, she doesn't..." "Fine!" Grace and Serena exclaimed in unison.

Later at the Motel's Battlefield...

"Alright! The battle between Grace and Serena Yvonne is about to get underway!" Ash exclaimed, acting as the referee for the Battle. "This'll be a one-on-one battle. When either side's Pokemon is unable to continue, the battle will be over. No substitutions are allowed!"

Serena grabbed a Poke-Ball from the big bag she was carrying (as part of her disguise). "Braixen! I choose you!" She exclaimed as she threw her Poke-Ball forward, releasing her Braixen.

"Braixen Braix!" Braixen barked, ready to battle. "Rhyhorn! The race is on!" Grace exclaimed as she threw her Poke-Ball forward, releasing her Rhyhorn.

"RHYYYYYYYYYYY!" It roared. 'Serena's at a disadvantage...' Ash thought worried before smirking. 'Doesn't matter! She'll win this for sure!' "Battle begin!" Ash exclaimed while bringing his arms downward, allowing the battle to officially begin.

"Don't underestimate me, Serena..." Grace said. "Use Tackle*!" She commanded. Rhyhorn charges quickly at Braixen. Braixen uses her wand-stick to block Rhyhorn's attack but gets hit anyways and is sent flying backwards. "Braixen!" Serena cried out in worry before Braixen shakes off any damage she might've suffered and smiles at Serena.

Ash's lightning-bolts suddenly start to glow blue and his eyes turn gold. 'WHAT THE...?!' Ash thought as he glanced at Grace's Rhyhorn. It was surrounded by a blue and purple shadowy aura and its eyes were red. 'Grace has a Shadow Pokemon?! How?! Why?!' He continued thinking.

"Use Tackle! Once more!" Grace commanded, distracting Ash and returning his attention back to the battle. Rhyhorn charged at Braixen once more. "Alright Braixen, spin!" Serena commanded. As soon as Rhyhorn was about to hit Braixen, she spun around and avoided Rhyhorn's Tackle.

"WHAT?!" Grace exclaimed in confusion. "Way to go, Braixen!" Serena congratulated her Pokemon. "Now use Fire Blast!" She commanded. Braixen then released a powerful stream of red-yellow fire from its mouth at Rhyhorn. As the flame travels at Rhyhorn, the front of the flame forms into a 大-shaped blast.

Braixen's Fire Blast hit Rhyhorn head on and created a massive explosion. After the smoke cleared Rhyhorn was struggling to stay up, clearly having taken a lot of damage. "Okay then, use Rock Blast!" Grace commanded.

Rhyhorn's horn glows silver. It then fires multiple silver energy waves in the shape of its horn on the front of its body at Braixen, one after the other. "Dodge it!" Serena commanded causing Braixen to dance around the rocks. Despite her best efforts, Braixen was hit by a few rocks and was blasted backwards.

"Now use Horn Attack!" Grace commanded. Rhyhorn's horn glows faint red and it charges at Braixen, who was lying on the ground. "Quick Braixen!" Serena exclaimed. "Hidden Power!" She commanded. Braixen quickly gets up and jumps out of the way of Rhyhorn's attack.

Braixen then forms three light blue orbs of energy around her head. She then fires the orbs at Rhyhorn, which rotate before colliding with it. "Use Rock Blast one more time!" Grace commanded, causing Rhyhorn to pull off the same trick it did before.

"Burn 'em up with Flamethrower!" Serena counter-commanded. A spiraling orange orb of fire appears in front of Braixen's wand-stick. She then brings her stick forwards, releasing a yellow-orange stream of fire with dark orange rings around the flame at Rhyhorn.

Braixen's Flamethrower attack hit the rocks Rhyhorn blasted at her and kept going forward, hitting Rhyhorn straight in the face. "Break through and end this with Horn Drill!" Grace commanded.

While still cloaked in flames, Rhyhorn's body becomes surrounded by light blue, spiraling streaks of energy. It then charges at Braixen, clearing its path from any sort of flames. Serena gasped, knowing that if this attack hit...

"Dodge it!" She cried out with worry in her voice. But Braixen was too frightened by Rhyhorn to dodge. Instead of dodging, Braixen twirls her wand-stick above her head, causing a swirl of fire to cloak Braixen before travelling towards Rhyhorn, surrounding it with fire and preventing it from continuing.

"What the...?" Serena whispered in shock. "Awesome!" Ash exclaimed. "Braixen just learned Fire Spin!" He continued. Serena's confidence suddenly returned to her and she had a confident smile on her face. "Okay, Braixen! Let's wrap this up!" She said. "Fire Blast!" She commanded, causing Braixen to release the Fire Blast attack she fired earlier.

"Horn Drill!" Grace tried to command but Rhyhorn was hit by Braixen's Fire Blast, which created an explosion where Rhyhorn was standing. "RHYHORN!" Grace cried out in worry. Once the dust cleared, Rhyhorn was lying on the ground with swirly eyes and stars spinning above and around its head.

"ALRIGHT! Rhyhorn is unable to battle!" Ash exclaimed with excitement. "Braixen and Serena win!" "Nice job!" Rotom said as it took some pictures. "YES!" Serena exclaimed before taking Braixen's paws and jumping up and down. "We did it Braixen! You saved me!" "BRAIXEN BRAIX!" Braixen barked happily.

"No Serena..." Grace said with a slouched head and tears streaming down her face. "Braixen just condemned you..." "Grace, what are you talking about?" Delia asked. "Yeah, and why was your Rhyhorn a Shadow Pokemon?" Rotom, Serena, Grace and Delia looked at Ash with concern and shock.

"WHAT?!" Delia asked desperately. "GRACE! PLEASE TELL ME THIS IS A JOKE!" Grace lowered her head and took a step backwards. "I'm afraid it isn't my dear..." a voice said from behind Serena. She gasped and jumped backwards. One of the Cipher peons was there, his nametag read Naps.

"Hey! What're you doing here?!" Ash asked as he ran towards Serena to defend her. "Care to explain, Grace?" The Cipher Peon asked in a sarcastic tone as Grace began to cry. "I had no choice..." she whispered before beginning to tell the story.

"Serena had just arrived at Orre after finishing her Performing tour in Hoenn..." she explained. "She did not do well and ended up only doing street performances and was homeless. That's when she was attacked by Team Cipher, recognizing her as my daughter. They kidnapped her and used her as bait to get me here. Once I got here they gave me an ultimatum, both of us work for them or they'd kill her..."

Delia gasped. "Grace... please tell me you didn't..." her eyes were on the verge of tears. "I HAD NO CHOICE, DELIA!" Grace cried out. "What would you have done if it was Ash who was on the line?!" "I would've fought!" Delia snapped back. "WHAT'S EVEN HAPPENING NOW?!" Ash exclaimed, turning his attention to the Cipher Peon.

"Why were you after Serena and Grace?!" He demanded to know. "You mean your mother never told you...?" The Peon asked. "Told me what?!" Ash asked, turning his attention back to Delia. Delia sighed. "Team Cipher was defeated once, 13 years ago..." she explained. "Me, Grace and your father were the ones who defeated them..."

Ash's eyes widened in shock. "Which is why we're targeting you one by one and making you work for us..." Naps said smugly. "Where is Wes?!" Delia demanded to know. "Oh... he's in our Secret Base..." Naps answered. "Feel free to look all around Orre for him!" He busted out laughing.

"Hey! Are we going to battle or not?!" Ash asked sarcastically as Pikachu jumped on his forearm. Naps then drew out two Poke-Balls. "You don't wanna battle me, kid..." Naps said. "But battling my sister is way worse so... here you go!" He threw the Poke-Balls releasing his two Pokemon.

One of them was a spherical, blue Pokemon resembling a seal with a cream-colored stomach. The other one was a black, crow-like Pokemon with a hat-like head.

"Spheal!" "Murkrow!" The two Pokemon let out their cries. "Pikachu! I choose you!" Ash exclaimed before pointing his finger towards the opponent. Pikachu soon ran the length of Ash's arm and jumped off, landing in front of the two Pokemon.

Ash's lightning bolts glowed blue and his eyes glowed gold again, noticing the shadowy aura around Spheal. "So Spheal's a Shadow Pokemon..." Ash murmured before looking at Serena. "Are you gonna help me or not?" He asked with a smile.

Serena looked at Ash with confusion. "You mean... you're not mad?!" She asked in shock. "Not even a little bit!" Ash replied before extending his hand to her. Remembering back to the time she first met Ash, she blushed and took his hand.

"Braixen, up for another round?" Braixen barked happily before standing next to Pikachu, ready to battle. Naps grinned and snapped his fingers. "Murkrow, Peck!" He commanded. Murkrow flies towards the opponent, then a light blue bird shaped aura surrounds the front of Murkrow's body.

"Fire Spin!" Serena commanded. Braixen twirls her wand-stick above her head, causing a swirl of fire to cloak Braixen before travelling towards Murkrow, surrounding it in flames. Naps growled. "Spheal! Shadow Wave!" He commanded.

A big wave of dark purple mist forms around Spheal before surrounding it in an orb of mist. The mist is then hurled at Pikachu. "Quick Attack!" Ash commanded. Pikachu then becomes outlined in blue. Pikachu then charges at Spheal, moving so fast that it seems to leave behind two afterimages.

Pikachu swiftly dodges Spheal's Shadow Wave and hits Spheal square in the face, sending it flying backwards. "Now use Thunderbolt on Murkrow!" Ash commanded. Pikachu's cheeks crackle with yellow electricity. Its body then becomes surrounded in yellow electricity, before firing a large, clear bolt of yellow electricity from its body at Murkrow.

"Night Shade!" Naps commanded. Murkrow's eyes become surrounded in a purple aura. The aura then becomes replaced with a bright pink glow and Murkrow's body glows pale pink. Murkrow then flaps its wings and waves both of them up and down in a fast-paced hypnotic pattern. It then releases multiple pink rings from the outline of its body at the Pikachu's Thunderbolt.

"Flamethrower!" Serena commanded. Braixen then fired a stream of red-orange fire from her branch towards Murkrow, who was busy with Pikachu's Thunderbolt. The stream of fire hits Murkrow straight in the fave and explodes, allowing Pikachu's Thunderbolt to hit.

Murkrow then fell to the ground with swirly eyes and stars spinning above and around its head. "YES!" Serena said happily. "One down one to go!" She said. "Not necessarily..." Ash corrected Serena. "Use Quick Attack!" He commanded, causing Pikachu to charge at Spheal once more.

"Why Quick Attack?" Serena questioned. "You'll see..." Ash reassured her. Naps growled. "Use Shadow Wave!" He commanded. "Oh no you don't!" Ash exclaimed before drawing out a Poke-Ball with his left hand. The sphere on the Snag Machine then begins to glow, and the button in the middle of the Poke-Ball begins to repeatedly flash red before it glowed light blue.

"Snagging process initiated"

A mechanical voice came from the Snag Machine. "GO! SNAG-BALL!" Ash exclaimed before throwing the Snag Ball at the Shadow Spheal, bouncing off of its forehead, opening and sucking the Spheal in with a flash of blue light.

The button on the Poke-Ball flashed red for a few seconds. Suddenly cyan, yellow and violet sparks, flow out of the Poke-Ball as the button in the middle of it glew red for a split second before dissipating with a Thung sound.

"Snagging successful"

"What was that? My Shadow Pokémon! Was that… Was it a snag?" Naps questioned in shock. "Yes it was!" Ash exclaimed while grabbing Snag-Ball. "Now get out of here and don't bother us again!" He said in a commanding voice. "That's big news! I need to report this to headquarters, like now!" He murmured before running away.

Ash then sat down on the ground and let out a sigh. "Welcome to the team, Spheal..." Ash whispered to the Poke-Ball. Serena then suddenly surprised Ash with a big hug. "That was incredible!" She said with joy in her voice.

"I'm sorry..." Grace suddenly chimed in. "Ash, you might've beaten Naps, but something big is coming... bigger than anything anyone's ever faced before! If you were strong enough I'd quit but this is beyond any of you! I need to keep working for them. Only then will you be safe, Serena... I love you!"

Grace then disappeared into a puff of smoke. "Mom..." Serena murmured. "I don't care what you say, mom! What you're doing is wrong! And I'll stop you no matter what!" She cried out. Ash put a hand on her shoulder. "She just wants to protect you..." he said.

"I know..." Serena replies. "But that doesn't change the fact that she's helping people torture Pokemon!" Before the two could continue their conversation, Delia brought the two in for a hug. "I'M SO PROUD OF YOU, ASH!" She squealed in excitement.

"You snagged your first Shadow Pokemon! Oh, your father would be so proud!" Ash blushes in embarrassment and chuckles. "Second actually..." he said. "Really?!" Delia asked and Ash nodded. "Very impressive, Ash!" Rotom chimed into the conversation.

"Thanks, Rotom!" Ash said. "Now, we must purify your Shadow Pokemon, come with me!" Delia said as she ran to the motel room, Serena returning Brsixen to her Poke-Ball and running after Delia with Ash, Pikachu and Rotom.

Once inside the motel room, Delia uncovers what she was building, and it turned out to be a Purify Chamber.

"What's this?" Serena asked. "This is a Purify Chamber..." Delia explained. "If you put a Shadow Pokemon here, it'll be purified!" "Cool! Let's test it out!" Ash said while drawing out Spheal's Poke-Ball and placing it in the machine.

"Isn't this dangerous?" Rotom expressed its worry. "Not at all!" Delia replied. "In fact Mimey, my Mr. Mime used to be a Shadow Pokemon and was purified in this chamber..." Delia presses a couple of buttons, which causes Spheal's Poke-Ball to flash sky blue before a Ding sound is heard.

Delia opened the chamber up and Ash grabbed the Poke-Ball who was releasing steam. "Okay Ash, now for your other Shadow Pokemon..." Delia said but was interrupted. "Oh! It's already purified!" Rotom exclaimed.

Ash looked at Rotom in confusion while Delia and Serena looked at Ash in shock. "HOW?!" The two asked, catching Ash's attention. "I think... I might've done it myself..." he said, just as clueless as them. "Hmm..." Delia said while scratching her chin. "You two stay here for a moment..." she said. "I need to make a phone call..." and with that she left the room.

To be continued...