When a life fades away

Serena was confused. What she felt in the park, it sounded so real.

She was sure that, in a way, those whispers came from Ash. She had also felt his touch. It couldn't have been only her imagination, right?

The same thing happened to Sylveon. Her Pokémon told her she felt Pikachu.

How was that possible? Was this some sort of communication from the afterlife? She was thinking hard. She also told him all Dawn's secrets and her own feelings! But, in a way, she had a gut feeling that, if that was really ash, he didn't listen to her in that part. The tone of his whispers had remained the same, like he wasn't paying attention.

She felt relieved. But, again, what was that connection she felt?

After Dawn's conversation with her mother ended, she turned toward her and exclaimed:

"You are going to meet Ash's latest companion!"

Serena was stunned to that but quickly recovered: "All right Dawn. But I need to tell you about something that happened to me at the park."

"Ah yeah, when you went away thinking I was asleep, Miss?!"

Serena gulped. "She can really freak me out" she thought.

Serena took a deep breath. I would be a long story.

..................….

"So, the point is that also the Lullaby we heard was probably him" Dawn concluded.

The girls were trying to understand what was happening to them. Why they had felt Ash's presence and everything.

"I really don't know Dawn. But maybe, if this Goh guy you told me about is all that smart, he could help us!"

"Nice shot Serena!" She high fived her, "No need to worry now! Let's just sleep and something will change!" the Sinnoh native girl proclaimed.

Serena giggled. That girl was so much like Ash.

"You can just go to bed, Serena. I'm heading downstairs with Piplup to take a bottle of water for tonight"

"Okay then, goodnight Dee-Dee" Serena smirked and turned around. Then a pillow hit her head and she went to bed laughing at how susceptible Dawn was.

..................…

Downstairs, Dawn finally put a hand on her liquid gold bottle.

"Ah, Piplup, I really needed it!"

She then turned and saw the door of the center. Her eyes fixated on outside. She walked and stepped outside, still in her pajama. Piplup was wondering what was going on with his trainer.

Then Dawn ran. She ran with all her might, she arrived at the park nearby and she stopped to catch her breath.

She began to say very quietly: "Are you still here Ash?"

No answer… She stared at the sky for another moment and then asked a bit louder: "Ash, tell me you are still here!"

She didn't know why she was doing it. Her rational side said that she was stupid, she had no evidence that what Serena felt was real. But she distrusted that side for once. The last time she thought rationally about what to do with Ash, she had decided to part way from him and Brock. She had other great adventures, but still, she was sure that she should have gone to the Kanto region with his two friends.

But again, no answer… She moved, going through the vibrant night and sat under a tree.

She sighed, Piplup in her lap: "Ash, are you really dead? Did you really just fade away from me and all of us?"

Seeing her trainer's shiny eyes, Piplup began to panic but was cut by Dawn gasp. She saw him for a moment, coming toward her. He disappeared and she felt only whispers.

"The same soothing whispers serena had heard".

She felt a hand on her cheek, as if trying to remove a tear that had escaped from her eye. Then the sensation disappeared. She looked at Piplup, equally stunned, like he was having a moment like that on his own and finally she felt warm on her forehead, like a light kiss.

The next was the last whisper: "No need to worry".

The sensation disappeared. Dawn touched her forehead and then she stood and began to walk to the center, Piplup alongside her. Her gaze was again on the sky, that now looked more shining than before. Her eyes were glimmering, brimming of peacefulness and joy, a wide smile adorning her face:

"It was him. I'm sure. Ash is still out there"

.........................

Ash sighed. What was with that night and all this comforting thing? He sure was happy to see Dawn and Serena again and to help them but seeing them cry over him was really bad. Nonetheless it seemed they could hear very little from him, so he had opted to make physical contact to calm them, and to an extent, himself too.

" Pikachu, I think I never made all this kissing thing more in my life. And you too, as I can see."

Pikachu sighed. He saw his trainer point." Pika pikpika pichupi?"

"Yeahh, guess you are right. If we have seen them tonight here, they probably are together. Also, Serena told me about Dawn. I guess it makes sense."

"Pikapika, pikapi?"

"Not again Pikachu, please. You know I don't understand romance and feelings of all things. As I said: Dawn is only my best friend, Serena is Serena… but… Well, what's with that face?"

Pikachu made again his "kissing face". Ash deadpanned: "I don't know what kiss you are talking about! And please, stop with that smug face of yours!" Ash was turning redder from embarrassment.

"Gren?"

"Great, Look Greninja. I will tell you another time" Ash groaned.

Pikachu snickered and made a motion as if saying to Greninja "I'll tell you later".

"Ninja?"

"You are right Greninja. I have another Dawn waiting for me to talk more… I only want to sleep" Ash, again, groaned.

With that, they started their way to the Dawn's clone house.

....................

"You took your time, didn't you Mister?"

Ash was stopped in his attempt to walk into the house by an angry Akari pointing her index finger at him.

"You know, if someone had seen you, you would have been assaulted and then my entire one week work to make you heal would be useless. You really are an idiot!" she screamed at full lungs.

"Woah, she's really mean!"

"I didn't want to worry you. Sorry about that" Ash said, scratching the back of his head, Pikachu and Greninja doing the same.

"I wasn't worried" she replied, puffing her cheeks and turning away. "I only care about my time".

Ash didn't reply and instead took a blanket and a pillow and put them on the floor.

"What are you doing, Mister? Is this your house?"

"Sorry, but I need somewhere to sleep."

"What about the bed you used for the last week?"

"It's your bed. You slept on a chair for a week because of me. Now I'm fine. It's your turn to rest" he said with a sheepish smile.

She faced him. Flabbergasted by the kindness of this strange guy come from nowhere.

"Well, that's nice of you" she muttered before sitting on the bed.

Ash had finished his preparations and Pikachu was placing the pillow. The trio sat on the floor.

"So, who are you?" she asked from nowhere, not even facing him.

"I'm Ash Ketchum. These two here are my family: Pikachu and Greninja "

"Your family, you say? Two Pokèmon should be your family?"

"Well, it is that. They are the only two I have with me in this world."

"No parents, friends, anything? Only two wild beasts?"

Ash was getting annoyed: "They are no beasts. They are my partners. We defend each others and we will be friends to the end. I don't know why you all don't love Pokèmon or even hate them. In total honesty I don't care. But I know that a life without my Pokèmon won't be life at all."

"Pi, Pikachuu", "Greeeeninjaa".

Akari looked surprised at his annoyance: "Mhh Pokèmon are mysterious, strange, they can kill us.. I kept your Pokèmon with me only because You saved me but if you look around in the village, you won't find any Pokèmon, except from the one caught by the research squad and from Professor Soruan."

"If you want to stay here, be prepared to live without them"

They stared in each other eyes, clear anger in Akari's while only determination in Ash's.

He nodded, then stood: "Well, I guess this is a goodbye then. Thank you again to save me and my Pokèmon"

He quickly bowed and turned.

"Wait! What do you think to do? If you leave, you will be dead in no time. During nighttime, those beasts will be even more enraged and threatening!"

Her voice sounded like a pleading, but Ash wasn't fazed.

"I don't care. I can survive. I have Pikachu and Greninja. Sorry for wasting your time. Take care, Akari"

With that, ash exited the house and headed toward the gate.

A shadow saw this and quickly disappeared in the night.

"Pikapi?"

"No Pikachu, I'm fine. It would have been nice to have a friend here, or even someone who actually doesn't want my head only because I saved their village. But I guess that this Akari is like Dawn only physically."

"Pipika, Pikapika!"

"Yes, you are right. Until I'm with you two, I will be fine!"

"Where do you think you are going, son?"

A man with black moustache and cold eyes walked to him.

"You are the boss of the village, aren't you?"

"Indeed, I am, I'm Kamado, but everyone calls me Soruan."

"Well, it was a pleasure…"

"NOOO" Shouted the man.

Ash turned to him. He was a tall and muscular man; he was wearing a black kimono with a design of the nature on the bottom.

He seemed a severe man, one that became harsher with the years.

"Why not?"

"I can't let you live without knowing you. You can be a strange intruder, but you saved Akari. I want to know why you are here."

"Nice question. I woke up here and I don't know anything else." Ash shrugged, wanting to end this.

"So, you want to go away and probably just die outside?"

"Like I said to Akari: Until I have my Pokémon with me, I can survive. You are more in danger than me. If you consider them enemies, they will be what you think they are".

Even Pikachu was surprised at Ash's speech. His trainer wasn't a guy to have speech, little as this one was.

"Wanna battle? If you win, you can stay here and keep your Pokémon, otherwise, YOU MUST GO AND NEVER COME BACK!"

"A battle???!!!" Ash asked with glimmering eyes, his friends mimicking his enthusiasm.

"I'm in!"

"Let's start right here right now! A full battle, all the Pokémon you have"

"I have only these two right now!".

"It's not my business. These are the rules."

Ash kneeled to talk for a bit with his Pokémon and then took his decision: "Let's start!"

Kamado grinned: "Very well, stranger. Come and get me! Go Snorlax!"

A massive Snorlax appeared on the street, way bigger than every other Ash had ever seen.

"So have you chosen who will start?" Ash turned to see Greninja coming to him very happy, one of his paws clenched in a fist, while Pikachu crying on the floor with his arm stretched and his paw with the index and middle fingers up.

"So, it's Greninja who won Rock, paper, scissor, right buddy?"

Pikachu sighed and nodded, before grumping at Greninja's grin.

"Okay then Greninja! Let's give it all! I choose you!!"

Ash was clearly electrified of having a battle. He lived for battles. If days were made of 25 hours. It would be one more hour for Ash to think about them.

"Greninja, warm up, close the gap and cut!"

"Body slam"

"Greninja, jump in aerial ace!"

Snorlax approached rapidly but before he could hit the ninja frog, Geninja jumped, his leg glowing withe.

After a twirl midair, Greninja slammed his leg on Snorlax.

He fell, his size making him sloppy and slow.

"Water Shurikens Greninja"

"Come, get up, giant monster!"

Greninja shots his shurikens creating smoke around the opposing Pokémon.

"Hyper beam"

This time, the beam was really fast and hit Greninja, landing a critical hit.

"GRENINJAAAA!" Ash shouted, his Pokèmon bruised but still able to battle.

"That strength is sure impressive. But Kamado doesn't know how to battle and even doesn't know his Pokémon" thought Ash.

The boy took a deep breath: "Are you ready Greninja?"

"Gren", the frog nodded.

Ash didn't notice how many people were watching the battle, awakened by the loud noises. One of them was a girl, clutching her hand to the chest, clearly worried.

"WE WILL GET STRONGER TOGETHER, STRONGER, STRONGER!! LET'Z GOOO!"

"GRENNNNNNINNJAAAAAAAA!"

A vortex of water surrounded Greninja while his face features changed, leaving him more like Ash. Finally, the vortex condensed in giant Shuriken on his back.

"GREEEN!" Greninja released his aura, sending waves of wind and dust all around him, Ash himself had to close his eyes from the gusts.

Everyone looked speechless, even Snorlax was surprised at the sudden transformation.

Akari closed her eyes and shook her hands in prayer: "Please, be fine!"

Ash's eyes shot open, and he grinned, determinated: "Now we are warmed up!"