Chapter 27:XV. Back from the dead: Lives collide
Ash could feel his consciousness ebbing and waning. It took all his effort to realize that he was waking up from sleep. His eyelids heavy with tiredness. He could feel something soft next to him, a blanket? No. Possibly a pillow. It was definitely warm enough if he had been laying next to it long enough. "Where am I?" He thought to himself. "Did I die?"
"Am I on a bed?" Ash thought to himself. All he could remember was that he wasn't on anything remotely as comfortable the past few days like he was right now. He was so tired and he felt sore all over his body. He couldn't move his limbs properly. His whole body was throbbing in pain. Well, if he's in pain, he's probably still alive. "Thank Arceus." Ash prayed. Although he was in pain, it wasn't anything excruciating like it had been previously. It felt like his wounds were finally healing, almost as though he was given time to heal. "Am I not being tortured anymore?" He tried collecting his thoughts and tried to remember what happened to hi last when it finally hit him! Team Rocket came to him and got him out of there! The fact that he is lying on something soft is definitely a good sign. It points to the fact that they succeeded and escaped.
As his mind was slowly getting into motion, he realized that not his whole body felt sore. There was a pleasant feeling against his right shoulder. The pain was non-existent there. And it felt like a hand. And the hand was just as soft as the mattress he was lying on. If not more. It felt really great.
Now that his senses were sharpening more and more, he could feel that he was wrapped in something. Team Rocket trio got him clothes. That's nice of them. But whose hand is against his shoulder? The hand feels really soft, delicate and feminine. First to mind came Jessie. But, then again, James's hands are feminine too. Could be either of them.
With the small amount of energy he could muster, Ash managed to turn his head to the right. His eyes were still struggling to open but he managed. At first, he was overwhelmed even by the small light in the room, but his senses got used to it after a couple of blinks.
After he finally managed to put his eyes into action, he saw... a thigh? It looked like it at least. The window behind that didn't let any light inside the room so he couldn't be sure and the only source of light here was some controlled fire it looks like. But the thing in front of his face looks like a thigh. And it was just a few millimeters from his nose. He could see a glimpse of a skirt of a black nightgown that the person was wearing too.
"Is this one of my weird dreams again?" thought Ash.
To find out, Ash finally started doing some movement with his limbs. It took a lot of effort but he managed to lift both of his arms slightly and tried to sit up. But when he tried to support himself with the left hand, nothing happened and he lost his balance. His right hand alone couldn't support him in this state, so he fell down, and this time on the thigh of the woman next to him.
The woman let out a slight moan when he fell there, but she didn't wake up. At least it didn't seem like it. He still doesn't know who it is since he is looking at her legs, but it is most likely Jessie. But, why would she sleep in a nightgown right next to him?
"Maybe she is guarding me?" thought Ash. They are on the run so it would make sense they would be on guard when they go to sleep. Ash then tried to get up again with his left hand, but he felt nothing there. He couldn't grab anything. It's nothing there.
"Of course... Forgot about that…" thought Ash when he remembered what happened to him in the torture room.
"It was for the best." Ash tried to reassure himself.
Now with the knowledge that his left hand is missing, he slowly pulled his own sore body up and sat down next to Jessie whos hand fell off his shoulder. Only. "THAT is NOT Jessie." thought Ash when he looked at the woman sitting/lying next to him with her head against the top of the bed.
She changed during those 3 years. Last time he saw her she was the gorgeous fifteen-year-old girl who he offered a small favor. But right now. He couldn't describe her beauty with words. Those beautiful, smooth, golden locks which were hiding her ears were reaching her calves were all over the double sized bed, mixing with his own coal black long hair.
"The hair still suits her, but I should really shave." thought Ash when comparing their entangled hair on the bed.
Even in her sleep, her sun-kissed hair was still covering one of her eyes. The other one was still closed behind those long doe-like eyelashes. And when he looked at her small cute nose, the nose even twitched a little like she smelled something to which Ash chuckled slightly.
"It's like she is trying to be cute even in her sleep." thought Ash when he was looking at his friend. "Not a friend anymore. Remember, Ash. You are dead to her." thought Ash. But is he though? Did Team Rocket trio tell her who he is? Does she know he is alive? What exactly happened? He put those thoughts aside and looked back at her. Then he continued to examine her and how she changed over the 3 years. Her thin, yet full, pink lips were parted slightly as she was breathing in her sleep.
"She still likes black." thought Ash when he looked at her nightgown. And it was a pretty thin nightgown, so he saw right through. But as he was getting ready to see the best parts, he stopped.
"That would be enough said Ash quietly. His voice raspy and it was barely heard what he said and Ash was forced to cough when he finished his sentence, but luckily he suppressed a cough. He is still ashamed that he was watching Cynthia stripping when he was in her mind. This wouldn't help his consciousness any better.
"Being an honorable gentleman really sucks sometimes." thought Ash. Stupid teachings of Lucario.
Besides. There are a lot of questions he has to why he is here. He looked away from Cynthia and looked around the room. What caught his attention first was the fireplace that was built from some kind of white stone in front of him and the bed. Right above it on the wall was a large TV that was as big as the top of the bed Cynthia was resting her head on.
"It's thrice as big as my old bedroom." thought Ash about this place.
On the sides of the fireplace were tall plants that resembled smaller palm trees in white flowerpots. Above one of them was a shelf with two pictures. It was pretty far, but his eyes were nearly at full power so he managed to make out the pictures there.
One of them was Cynthia and some older woman holding some kind of a rock. Both Cynthia and the older woman were dressed in what looked like a miner outfit and both of them had a big smile on their faces. Both of them were wearing a yellow helm with a flashlight, and dark blue work trousers covered in a lot of dust. And both of them were standing in a cave with a just small source of light in the top corner which illuminated the image.
"Still digging stuff with grandma huh?" asked smiling Ash quietly the sleeping beauty next to him. His voice still lacking a healthy tone, but it was getting better with each syllable.
He then looked at another picture. There were much more people on this one. They were somewhere outside with a sun shining brightly. In the middle on a long bench was smiling Cynthia holding two balloons in form of numbers 1 and 8 in each hand making a number 18 and she was dressed in a simple turquoise blouse and brown trousers.
"Guess you don't like black that much anymore." thought Ash.
In front of her was a stool with a big and delicious looking cake with 18 burning candles on top. And around Cynthia were people like professor Oak, Tracey, Gary, Brock and more people he didn't recognize. He would be surprised that he saw so many familiar faces on the photo. But he remembered that Cynthia was in Kanto for some time and that she was there to help his mom to cope with his death. So it wasn't that surprising.
"They didn't change that much." thought smiling Ash looking at the photo of his friends.
However, two people caught his eye looking at the photo. Both of them were on the side of Cynthia with one arm wrapped around her shoulders. One was a very slim, blue-eyed, woman in a beautiful pink/white dress with her blonde hair wrapped around Cynthia's waist like some sort of hug.
"Interesting..." thought Ash and then when he looked at the woman's hair hugging Cynthia.
Then there was the second one near Cynthia. Brown haired woman was making a V sign against the photo and had a big smile on her face with her eyes closed. And after those 3 years, she still wore the same thing. Pink shirt with a blue skirt.
"Miss you, mom. Guys." said Ash quietly.
He should get going. It will do no good if he will stay here longer than he should. It will take a while for him to contact Lucario through his Aura, but faster he will leave, fewer questions he will have to answer. And if she knows who he is, Ash is in big problems. He should thank her through something at least. Maybe she has some pen and paper in a living room.
But when he tried to get out of the bed and stand up, his legs betrayed him and he fell right onto his face. Unfortunately for Ash, when a man like him falls down, it tends to create a loud crash. And unlike Ash, Cynthia isn't a heavy sleeper.
"Where is he?!" Cynthia panicked a little when she woke up and there was no one beside her.
She quickly jumped from her bed and went to look for him. Fortunately for her, he wasn't far. The stranger was now picking himself up from the floor right next to the bed. More like trying to pick himself up from the floor. He was visibly very tired and sore.
"Arceus, what has gotten into you?" asked Cynthia as she tried to pull him up onto the bed.
"You should rest. You are in no condition to walk!" said Cynthia again when she finally managed to seat the man on her bed and she sat right next to him.
"I didn't even get to walking, Cy- m'lady." said the stranger with a chuckle to Cynthia. His voice was dry and tired. And instead of looking at her he tried to avoid her gaze which was really annoying.
The first thing that went through her mind when he began speaking was the voice that she heard at the meeting they had a week ago. Voice only she heard. He has the same voice. She would never mistake that deep strong voice which she heard that day. She was going to ask him about that, but then she stopped when she realized what he said.
"M... m'lady?" asked confused Cynthia.
"Is something wrong with how I am addressing you?" asked the stranger again and how he looked Cynthia into her eyes. Well, eye, since the other one is still covered. Cynthia thought that after she took care of him, there is nothing he could surprise her with. She was so wrong.
How do you get such eyes? They are magical. Longer she was staring at them, more beautiful they were becoming. She could swear that there was slight movement in his irises. Like a blue sea was raging in them and waves were crashing into each other. She had a feeling that this sea is watching every movement of her body as she was looking at them.
"M'lady? Is something wrong?" asked the stranger in his deep voice snapping Cynthia out of her trance.
"No. No. Of course not." said Cynthia nervously as a healthy blush appeared on her cheeks.
"It's just. This phrase isn't used anymore." replied Cynthia after a slight pause.
"You mean 'm'lady' phrase?" asked the stranger to which Cynthia just nodded.
"There is one place where this phrase is still used, m'lady." replied the stranger after a pause.
"Where?" asked Cynthia.
"The Kingdom of Rota." replied the stranger.
"I've heard about that place. Land of knights and queens. Is that where you are from?" asked Cynthia.
"No." was his simple reply.
"And where are you from then?" said Cynthia finally getting to the little interrogation she prepared for the stranger.
"I can't tell you that, m'lady." said the stranger with a sad smile.
"Why?" asked Cynthia.
"Problems would arise if you would know the place where I am from, m'lady." said the man.
"And what about your name?" asked Cynthia.
"Even more problems would arise." replied the stranger.
"Problems like this?" said Cynthia as she pointed at the slash across his right eye.
"Yes." said the man. But this time his composure wasn't calm and collected like before. He shivered when she pointed at the eye. The man then looked at his arm with missing hand and shivered more. His breathing was getting out of his control again.
"What do you say to some breakfast? I am sure you are hungry." said Cynthia trying to interrupt those bad memories getting into his head. She should keep the questions to a minimum. Whatever he went through, he is not ready to talk about.
"I would very much appreciate it. With what can I help?" asked the stranger.
"Oh nononono. You are staying here. Lie down and let me take care of you. " said Cynthia in a loving yet stern tone.
"M'lady, I do..." the stranger started but was cut off by Cynthia.
"Stop with that m'lady thing and listen. First of all. I am Cynthia. Cynthia Shirona. So I request you to call me by my actual name, Mr. Hairyman. And second of all. If you want to help me, just lie down and keep getting better. I am not asking that much do I?" asked Cynthia in a stern voice.
It's kinda weird. His deep voice sounds scary, but she has absolutely no fear of him. Even despite his caveman like appearance. The opposite actually. She enjoys his company, even when they talked only for a little while which is rather strange. Such a polite man that it actually was getting on her nerves.
For all she knows he can be some criminal. She doesn't know him in a slightest. He even doesn't want to tell her his name. So why is she not afraid of him? Why she enjoys talking with him. Why is she feeling so comfortable around him? It doesn't make any sense whatsoever!
"I... As you wish, lady Shirona." said the man in a defeated tone and he slowly climbed back onto the bed, lied down and let his head rest against the top of her bed with a pillow.
"What did I say about the use of my name?!" asked Cynthia sternly. But her stern voice didn't have any effect. The hairy man just chuckled and replied
"You said that I should call you by your name. Shirona is your last name isn't it, m'lady?"
"It is but I... Hey! You said m'lady again!" exclaimed Cynthia.
"Did I, lady Shirona?" asked the man with a smile again.
"Yes!" said Cynthia.
"Should I apologize, lady Shirona?" asked the man with a smile again. He was enjoying this banter that son of a bitch.
"Go on. I am listening." said Cynthia with a playful smile and went to pick the blanket from the floor, which lied there the whole night, since the time he was thrashing in her bed. She went to the blanket to pick it up and give it to the man so he can cover himself with it. Near the blanket, she bend over with her back facing the bed and picked the blanket. As she was doing this, the man began apologizing.
"I am sorry that I called you m'la..." said the man with a chuckle in the beginning, but he never finished his sentence. Just a quiet 'whoa' was heard after it. She was surprised when the man didn't finish his sentence. When she looked at him, his face was red and he wasn't looking at her face as he always did, but on her crotch area and a small amount of blood escaped his nose.
It took less than a second for Cynthia to realize what happened. Arceus she is still in her see-through gown! How did she not realize it sooner! And she basically just showed her butt in his face! Blood rushed to her cheeks and before she could think rationally she threw a blanket at the man and rushed out of the room with the words.
"You have NOT seen anything! Is that clear?!" said Cynthia quickly and she shut the door behind her.
"A... Are you sure? I am pretty sure that I saw something, lady Shirona." was heard in the room.
She was so red in her face that someone could mistake her from a tomato. He has some guts to tease her like this, she has to hand that to him. What is he trying to achieve? Is he trying to embarrass her even more? Does he want to play? Okay. She can play this game too.
"YES I AM! And for the record. I am the only one who lives here. Try to think about who dressed you in MY bathrobe and what I saw." she said with a sweet tone. After she said it, nothing was heard from the other side of the room. And after half a minute of silence, she asked again.
"So as I was saying. You have seen NOTHING! Is that clear NOW?" asked Cynthia. There was a slight pause before the man behind the door finally answered.
"I have seen nothing."
"Like a nice, mature, juicy and plump peach." thought Ash when Cynthia went to make the breakfast and as he caught the blanket and covered himself with it. He tried not to look when she bent over. He really tried. But her face was behind her legs and when he tried to follow her face, he just got kinda stuck on his way there. And how could anyone blame him? The Sinnoh Champion is basically showing him what others dream of. And against this, even he himself just fails to control himself.
Cynthia would murder him on a spot if she knew his thoughts. Wait. Does she know? He heard her thoughts on a stadium and when he was inside her mind. Could she hear him now?
"I wonder how does that particular peach taste like." he thought. Okay, if she heard this, he may as well try to find a nice place to be buried. Arceus, his thoughts were getting off the track again. Ash give himself a slap with his right hand so he could focus again.
So, Cynthia is the only person in the house. That means Team Rocket trio is long gone. That is a pity. He wanted to thank them and offer them hideout in the Haven until it will be safe for them to go out again. Hopefully, they will hide somewhere safe until he will defeat Team Rocket.
Question is. Will he go against them? After this experience, he is afraid. Truly afraid. He saw firsthand what they are capable of. He even had a nightmare about it until that blue Aura hand touched his shoulder and he didn't feel any of Domino's torture in that dream. And those kinds of nightmares will stay with him for a long time.
As he was thinking about giving up, he saw Cynthia's photo. The one where she is celebrating her 18th birthday. The photo of how everyone is happy in the picture. It makes Ash smile. This is what he is protecting by his actions. This is what he is trying to preserve from Team Rocket and their Psychic army. He is their only hope to stop them. He has to.
But his hands are shaking just when he only thinks about Team Rocket. He is afraid to fight them. Especially now. HOW should he fight them? His hand is missing. And to fight with a staff you need both hands. Can he even make an Aura Sphere with his missing hand? Can he create a shield with his missing hand? That is the problem. He was using his hands dynamically. While one created the shield, the other created the Aura Sphere. Now his hand synergy is completely shattered.
Suddenly the door opened and Cynthia wrapped in a towel got into the room. But it was weird. Her body was wrapped in a towel yet she was dry. She wasn't in a shower. She then went to the wardrobe to his left and was searching for some outfit. Suddenly his Aura sense tingled and he sensed a glimpses of her emotions. Shy. Embarrassed. Now it makes sense why she didn't say a word when she entered.
"I am a horrible person." said Ash to himself as he was preparing to embarrass Cynthia even more. But gosh he can't help himself, she is just so cute when she is blushing.
"Why the towel? I already saw everything, lady Shirona." said Ash with a playful voice and smile.
"No Mr. Hairyman you didn't. I saw everything. You saw just a glimpse of my butt." said blushing Cynthia.
"I think I saw much more." thought Ash. She obviously doesn't know about the incident that took place 3 years ago and his 'dream'. Good for him.
He isn't exactly bothered by the fact that she saw him naked. He has a little dignity left after what happened in that torture room. How he was pleading the devil to end it. How he gave up. Maybe he should give up altogether.
So many scars are on his body that he is terrified to go to a beach for a swim ever again. The scars behind Cynthia's bathrobe he is wearing are the constant reminder of the time he was just a piece of helpless meat to get stabbed.
Stabs. He heard them. How he was getting stabbed. He started breathing harshly when the images of the torture were flashing before him again. He heard the sound of a burning meat. He smelled the burning meat. His own meat. He heard the sound of a collar turning on again. He felt electricity run through his neck and the body again. His hands were twitching again in pain. The helplessness was coming again.
Somebody cupped his cheeks and hold him tightly. Ash saw Cynthia right before him only a few centimeters away from his face. She then opened her pink lips and began talking.
"You are here. You are safe. Nothing is going to hurt you here with me." she said in her lovely voice.
And the combination of her touch and words calmed him again. The power she has with a simple touch and words is outstanding. She is truly an angel in a black coat. For the second time today she took him away from his nightmare. When Ash calmed down he looked into her grey eye.
"Thank you." he said sincerely. She then gave him a smile and with her hands still on his cheeks she said.
"I'm going to change and make a breakfast. Will you be alright in the meantime?" she asked him sincerely again. Since she is sincere, he might as well be too.
"I don't think I will ever be OK again, lady Shirona." said Ash sincerely to Cynthia. He then closed his eyes and let his senses feel her soft, delicate hands on his cheeks. Trying to embrace every second she left her hands on his cheeks since it made him so much calmer and relaxed.
"I... I don't know what happened to you. And I won't force you to tell me. I don't think either of us is ready to hear it. I could tell you to forget it. To erase it. But I know it is not that easy. In your case, I think it's impossible. Only advise I can give you is to try and think of something pleasant. Beautifull. Happy. Dig up happy memories and try to bury the bad ones under the happy ones. Because as much as you try, the bad ones will always be there. The only thing you can do is try to beat them with the joyful ones." said Cynthia.
"Thank you, lady Shirona. Not just for the advice, but for everything. Thank you for taking such a good care of me." said Ash. Even when he had his eyes closed, he was embracing every word that left those pink lips. When he looked at Cynthia again she had a sad smile on her face. The only way her expression could be described is the look of pity.
"Should I stay here for a moment?" she asked with that loving smile again.
"No. I can't keep you here forever. You can go. I'll handle it. Somehow." said Ash.
She was still cupping his cheeks and didn't let him go. He was thinking about why was she holding him so long. He wasn't complaining because her simple touch has an incredible effect on him, but she doesn't know it. She eventually took her hands away from his cheeks and said.
"I have an idea." she said quickly and Ash could see a light blush on her cheeks before she turned around. Ash then realized that the towel that was once wrapped around her was on the floor next to the bed. She probably doesn't even realize it fell off when she tried to calm him. She then walked around the bed to the other side and picked a pokeball from the white stool. And before Ash could protest she opened the pokeball revealing a Lucario.
"Thank Arceus it's not Garchomp. That dragonshark would recognize me immediately." thought Ash.
"Lucario this is Mr. Hairyman. Mr. Hairyman this is Lucario. She will keep you company while I will make breakfast and change into something more appropriate." blushing Cynthia said as she covered her cleavage that was at full display in her nightgown.
"Nice to meet you Lucario. And since lady Shirona is already calling me like that, I guess I am Mr. Hairyman." said chuckling Ash as he looked at Lucario. Meh, the nickname could have been worse. The Lucario, however, was looking at him with watchful eyes and didn't say anything to greet him. Just a watchful stare. Uncomfortable one at that. He then looked at still blushing Cynthia who was still covering her cleavage with her hands.
"She is still embarrassed about the whole showing butt thing. And she is even covering her cleavage like she is naked here. I guess she doesn't like to show her body to others to stare at. That's actually kinda cute." thought Ash with a smile. Now that he thinks about it, he should take a glance at Cynthia's cleavage when he had a chance and ... compare some things from three years ago. For research of course. "Where did the consciousness that was stopping me from things like this go?!" thought Ash.
"Since the electricity is out and I can't turn on television Lucario will hopefully keep you a pleasant company." said Cynthia as she was walking towards the door still covering her cleavage with both of her hands.
"Thank you lady Shirona. I am sure that the two of us will manage somehow." said Ash with a smile to Cynthia who smiled in return, took her clothes from the wardrobe and quickly left the room, leaving Lucario and Ash alone inside.
"Why? Why? Why? Why is this happening!" yelled Cynthia in her thoughts as she leaned against the wooden door to her bedroom.
She wanted to kiss him! And not just on the forehead to make him feel like he is in good hands. Quite literally actually at that moment actually. She wanted to kiss him on the lips! Why?! This is NOT normal. She doesn't go around and just kisses guys. She isn't that type of girl. So why was that desire to kiss him on lips so strong?! And how could she just forget that she dropped the towel?! What is happening to her?! Did those blue eyes cast a spell on her?! She could swear to Arceus that there is some form of magic in them.
Wait a moment. He has the same voice she heard when she was glowing at the meeting. He uses already dead addressing that exists only in one kingdom, that by coincidence is tied to the history of Aura Guardians, which were known to have piercing blue eyes when fully trained. Not just that but they can emit Aura in a form of a blue energy from their bodies. Just like this Mr. Hairyman.
"He isn't just connected to Aura like me. He is the source of that power. HE is the last Aura Guardian!" Cynthia realized. Of course! They aren't extinct yet! Now it makes sense why Lucario was acting so weird around him! It all makes sense! That's why she isn't afraid of him. He is emitting that calming Aura energy that calms others around him! But wait. Why can she calm him down with a simple touch? The scar around his neck. It's in the same place where she was glowing! And that slash across his eye. There was one glow on the exact same place too. In fact, all of his scars appeared on her body before in a form of Aura.
Was it his way of calling for help? That would make kinda sense since he couldn't use any kind of other ability to call for help when being tortured. At least that's her theory. If he is an Aura Guardians that would explain everything except for a few things thing. How did he get here? Was there another person who was shining like her?
But what to do with this sudden knowledge? Should she ask him a bunch of questions? She is eager to learn about Aura but will he even tell her? Maybe it's like some big secret among them. Psychics shared everything in the Crimson Decade book to left something behind. And Guardians didn't leave anything. The only source of information about them is in that book. And there isn't much information about them, to begin with. Most of it is about Psychics and their abilities and how the Aura Guardians fought. And how the Guardians defeated them. How they learned the resistance to mental attacks and how they crushed them once they learned this ability.
"I hope he will tell me something about Aura." thought excited Cynthia and went to the kitchen to fetch something for breakfast and finally change from her black nightgown.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Aura Guardian." said the Lucario in the room to Ash as soon as Cynthia left the room and Lucario knelt before Ash.
"... What gave me away?" asked Ash. So much for keeping secrets around here. He should realize that releasing Lucario will be much worse than releasing Garchomp.
"A lot of things. The Aura around you. The amount of Aura energy stored inside you. That fact that you answered me when I asked you through Aura. Unique blue eyes. Fast healing. Your weight. Your big p..." she was on her way to list a bunch of things but then Ash stopped her.
"Okay! I think that would be enough, Lucario. I get it. One look at me and everybody can tell immediately." said defeated Ash who was still sitting on Cynthia's bed leaning against the top of the bed made of white wood. He thought there would be one or two reasons. But she could write a whole list of reasons why it was obvious. Is it THAT clear?
"Well. My mistress can't tell immediately." replied Lucario.
"By a mistress, you mean lady Shirona, right?" asked Ash. This Lucario is different from his own Lucario.
"Yes, Aura Guardian. My mistress is lady Shirona." answered Lucario.
"And she doesn't know I am Aura Guardian?" asked Ash trying to make things clear.
Lucario to his question nodded in her kneeling position.
"Good. Let it stand that way. Fewer things she knows about me, the better for her safety." said Ash.
"And for the love of Arceus stand up. I am no king for you to kneel and bow before." said Ash to Lucario who was still kneeling.
And after this, an awkward silence followed. So Ash looked away from Lucario and looked at the window to his right. It was raining. Heavily. He couldn't see anything through the storm. Wait. Where is he? He didn't even ask.
"Lucario?" asked Ash.
"Yes, Aura Guardian?"
"Where am I exactly?"
"In the residence of my mistress in Pallet Town, Aura Guardian." replied Lucario.
"Pallet Town?!" exclaimed Ash with wide eyes and much louder then he intended.
"Yes." was a simple reply from Lucario.
He is home. He is home! How did he get here? Why is he here? Why is SHE here? Cynthia should have her residence in Celestic Town in Sinnoh, not in Pallet Town! How did the trio get him here?! Well, they at least didn't tell Cynthia who he is. At least it seems like it from the conversations they had so far.
"Umm... Doesn't lady Shirona live in Celestic Town in Sinnoh region, Lucario?" asked Ash trying to remain as calm as possible.
"Not anymore, Aura Guardian. She lived there nearly 3 years ago. But then she moved here after she became a champion of the Kanto region." replied Lucario.
"She is a champion of Kanto AND Sinnoh region?!" asked Ash in disbelief again.
"Not the Sinnoh Region, Aura Guardian. A man named Tobias beat her in battle and he is the new Champion of said region." replied Lucario.
"Wow. Not even Cynthia could stop him." thought Ash. "I see that I missed a lot when I went into hiding." said Ash sadly.
"May I ask why you went into hiding, Aura Guardian?" asked Lucario.
"You may ask. But the only answer I can give you is that it was because I have a secret mission to fulfill." replied Ash. "I already said too much about me. Let's talk about you for a minute." said Ash. But before he could ask Lucario anything else, the door of the bedroom opened and Cynthia walked in with a bowl in her hands and changed clothes.
And just like on the photo, she has the turquoise blouse and brown trousers with the addition of an iron watches on her left wrist. Nothing really fancy for a Champion Ash would say, but Cynthia looked great in it regardless.
"I am sorry, but since the electricity is down, I can't cook anything without it, so I made you some cereal. I hope it will be enough for you." said Cynthia with her lovely tone, and she made her way to the right side of the bed to give the bowl to Ash.
"I am sure it will, lady Shirona. Thank you." said Ash with a smile. But when he extended his hands to grab a bowl, there was that problem with his missing left hand again. He needs a table to be able to eat from a bowl from now on. Life without a hand will be really difficult.
"I'll feed you." said Cynthia when she saw his missing hand and she gave Ash that loving smile again.
"Thank you for your offer, lady Shirona but if you would just hold the bowl and give me the spoon, I'll manage." said Ash politely in return.
"I wasn't asking." said Cynthia. And she grabbed a spoon, scooped some cereal and was waiting for Ash to open his mouth. Sigh. Man, Cynthia is just as stubborn as he is. If not more. Well, what can he do? And so he made AAA sound and opened his mouth so Cynthia could feed him.
"So. How did you enjoy Lucario's company." asked Cynthia as she scooped another spoon from the bowl and looked at Lucario who was standing beside her.
"It was very nice. We talked a little and it was a very pleasant conversation, lady Shirona." said Ash when he finished chewing the cereals and was getting ready for another spoon.
"Talked?" asked Cynthia raising an eyebrow slightly. When she pulled the spoon out of his mouth.
"Well. It was mostly me talking and her listening." said Ash. He should really watch his tongue for her own good. Cynthia is still too observant. "Observant like a true archeologist." thought Ash.
"And here I thought that you would jump at the opportunity to talk with someone like you." said Cynthia when she scooped another spoon.
"What are you implying, lady Shirona?" asked Ash.
"Nothing, Aura Guardian." said Cynthia.
"So you figured it out too." said Ash after a pause.
He needs to get out of here as soon as possible. It is only a matter of time before she will figure out his true identity too. At least his Aura abilities are finally getting into motion. Now it's really useful that he heals fast. Even though he is still sore, he should be able to meditate in this state and contact his Lucario. After Lucario's training, he was sore too, and he always managed to meditate. Even though this whole situation can't be even compared to Lucario's training, the soreness he has now can. The real question is if he can contact him from so far away. Pallet Town and Mount Coronet are as far away from each other as one can get.
"I should have figured it out sooner. I feel dumb that it didn't cross my mind." said Cynthia with a light chuckle at the end.
"You are not dumb, lady Shirona. Not everyone could figure it out. But I have one question for you. What gave it away? If you don't mind me asking?" asked Ash with a smile.
"Well. Aura was shining from you when I found you at my doorstep. Lucario's weird behavior around you. Your eyes. That m'lady part. When you piece the information together, you will get one Aura Guardian." said Cynthia when she scooped another spoon from now nearly empty bowl.
"Aura was glowing from me when you found me?" asked surprised Ash.
"Yes. From your abdomen. In fact, I was shining from the similar place too." said Cynthia when she scooped the last spoon and placed it in Ash's mouth. Ash had to say, she fed him without a problem he expected it to be worse, but they managed. Even when few drops of the milk got stuck on his long black beard.
"Huh. That's weird." said Ash with a nervous chuckle at the end. Aura is truly not on his side regarding his secret identity. When he thought about why the mark on his abdomen was shining, or why he heard her thoughts, it was always in specific circumstances. Always when he needed help. When he needed her. Stadium. Dream. Now she is saying that when he lied at her doorstep he was shining again. It always happened when he needed help the most. Maybe that's the connection between them.
Speaking of his Aura, Ash sensed the people outside of the residence. And they do not have good intentions. "They came back for me." he thought.
Cynthia got up and was heading towards the door with an empty bowl in her hands,when Ash stopped her. "Stay. Here." said Ash now with a new deep, serious tone. Much more commanding and stern.
"W... What? I'm just going to get the bowl into the sink. I'll come back in a moment." replied surprised Cynthia. If his voice didn't scare her before, it sure did now. Even with the knowledge, he is an Aura Guardian.
"Lock the bedroom and stay here. People who did this to me are coming for me. I sense them with my Aura." said Ash as he pointed at his eye scar and then on his whole body. And again his voice was serious and stern.
He should have known. He should have known they would come back for him. He has to contact Lucario now. He has no other choice. His muscles are still too weak to go out into the storm behind the window. His Aura may come back, but his physical strength didn't. And what about Cynthia? He can't leave her here with them. Just a thought about the things they would do to her fills him with so much rage. He would kill every last one of them if they would dare to distort a single string of her hair. And if Ash would be paying attention to his surroundings Aura in form of light blue flames was forming around him until he finally calmed down.
"You are coming with me, lady Shirona." said Ash with his serious voice. He looked at Cynthia and her already big doll-like eyes were widened even more. She was afraid of him. Maybe he overdid it with those commands. He shouldn't panic like that and give commands out of nowhere. New try than.
"Lady Shirona. The people that are coming don't take prisoners. I saw what they are doing. I saw the result of inhuman experiments on innocent people. I will not let them take you and let you be experimented on and tortured just like I was. You need to come with me to stay out of their grasp. To be safe. Take your Pokemon with you and we must disappear from here." said Ash to her trying to sound calmer and inviting.
Cynthia was visibly thinking about this very hard. Ash could see the gears turning in her head trying to come up with an answer. She then looked at Lucario who was still standing in the room watching the whole exchange. Lucario nodded.
"But. How? We can't go into the storm like this. Not even my Garchomp can withstand this weather for too long. How can we get out of here?" said Cynthia. She usually can come up with dozens of plans in situations like this. But there was truly no way out. If they are closing in on them, and both of them have to escape, they won't get far in these conditions. Not in his state.
"I need to contact my friend through Aura so he can come for us." said Ash. Which Ash can only hope will work. He didn't plan to try this plan so quickly but he doesn't really have a chance. If Lucario is focusing, or even better, meditating, it should work even through the distance like this. But if not, then he is screwed. This time he doesn't want to feel his whole surroundings. He just needs to find one Pokemon. One Pokemon who is really far away. "Let's hope for the best." thought Ash.
"How?" asked Cynthia. If he wasn't so serious, she would be all happy and giddy to finally see Aura Guardian doing Aura things. But since he looks completely serious, she is more afraid of what is coming for them. The man before he got into a position for meditation. Wait. Is he going to meditate NOW?
"That's not important, lady Shirona. Give me ten minutes. If nothing will happen I want you to run. Open the window, climb out and run as far and as fast as you can..." said Ash to her.
"But I..." said Cynthia but she was cut off by Ash.
"I wasn't asking. Take it as an order from an Aura Guardian." said Ash with a stone voice again. Cynthia was still looking at him with a surprised expression.
"I am sorry that I got you into this mess, lady Shirona." said Ash and then he closed his eyes and began his meditation.
And so Cynthia just stood there. Dumbfounded by the fast turn of events that took place. How did it happen so fast? Not just a minute ago she was feeding him and they had a great time. And in less than a minute, everything turned upside down. She looked at Lucario, who brought Cynthia her pokeballs with Cynthia's pokemon. Even Lucario is completely serious about this.
She then quickly stood up, picked the keys to her bedroom from the dresser below the window and locked the bedroom as the Aura Guardian asked.
But what now? She didn't know what to do. She just sat on the side of the bed with Lucario and was waiting with her pokeballs in her lap. That is the only thing she needs with her. She could start packing more things up, but she is just too shocked by this quick turn of events. She doesn't even know what to pack up. Where will they go? And then there is the possibility Aura Guardian won't make it in time and she will have to go through the window without anything. There is no reason to pack something.
And the seconds were running slowly. Too slowly for her taste. Both Cynthia and her Lucario were absolutely quiet, trying not to disturb the Aura Guardian from his meditation. But even when they didn't move or talk, he visibly twitched. Cynthia isn't an expert on meditation by any means, but she knows that you had to be absolutely still and calm to achieve... something. The Guardian wasn't calm at all.
She couldn't really blame him. The people that were apparently torturing him are around the corner and he has to keep his head empty and calm. Is he even capable to be absolutely calm in this situation? And then the hand that rested on his legs twitched again. They aren't going to get far if this will continue.
"Maybe..." she thought.
It worked once so it might as well work now too. She grabbed the pokeballs from her lap, attached them to her belt, and she slowly and carefuly went to sit behind the meditating Aura Guardian. She draws his long hair aside and she placed her hand on the back of Aura Guardians neck.
Immediately after she placed her hand on the back of his neck, his tensed muscles visibly relaxed and he let out a loud breath out.
"He would have told me if this was ruining his plans. Right?" thought unsure Cynthia. She looked at Lucario and the Pokemon again nodded. This time with a slight smile. Seems like she is doing at least something right.
And so she waited. With her hand on his neck. Counting seconds. She looked at her watch and 1 minute already went by. Hopefully, they will make it. Will they even find her here that fast? It's really annoying that both Lucario and Aura Guardian knows what is coming and she can only guess. And she can't just ask Lucario. Or maybe she can. But she isn't going to risk the fact that she can disturb his meditation.
Eight minutes passed by and he was still not waking up. What is worse, someone outside yelled.
"Tracks are leading into the villa! Come here!"
Okay, now she is really afraid. If these are the people who put the meditating man in front of her into the state she found him, she has a big reason too. He has some bullet wounds, so these guys can very well shoot her.
The ninth minute passed and she could hear a lot of footsteps below the window. A LOT. There are at least 10 people just under the window now. There are maybe more around her residence to make sure she will not escape. Her breathing quickened. She tried to be calm so she would not disturb the Aura Guardian, but she just couldn't. She felt surrounded with no way out.
With the tenth minute rolling around, she heard a knock at her door. And right after one knock, another came. These guys don't have any patience. Another, a more forceful knock was heard. And right after that, some man said.
"Guys. Look here."
This sentence was followed by a moment of silence. This is probably her chance to flee. Cynthia looked at the window and the storm outside. Ten minutes went by. She isn't afraid of the storm. But going out there and running from some guys is not something she wants to do. Not to mention.
"I can't let him go through that torture again." she thought when she looked at the back of a meditating man in front of her. He was risking his life here just for her. Just so she has a chance to get out before it would be too late. Now she could see why Aura Guardians are extinct. If they always risk their lives to protect people no matter how long they know them, then it makes perfect sense.
CRASH
It came from the outside. Her door. They were trying to break into the house by force. Okay. If she doubted that the guys that are coming are bad guys, this was definitely a sign.
CRASH
Another one. Thank Arceus she has the doors made out of the best wood there was to offer and by the best builders she found in Kanto. Otherwise, they would be already inside.
CRASH
This time she could hear the door creaking. Doors were slowly giving in. If all the men she heard below her window are trying to ram the door, then they would get into her house by the next ram.
And they did. She heard the doors fall on the floor and the loud storm outside just got louder with the open door. She looked at Lucario and she was prepared by the entrance into the bedroom to stall the guys. It was clear even to the Lucario, that without the Aura Guardian, they are not going anywhere.
"SCOUT THE RESIDENCE! FIND HIM AND BRING HIM TO ME! ALIVE OR DEAD! IT DOESN'T MATTER!" said some loud woman.
"Lucario! I need you! Answer me! I escaped and we need your help! Do you hear me?!" Ash yelled in his mind trying to reach the link he and Lucario have. If both of them are looking for each other through the link it should work.
"Lucario! Are you there? Somewhere?! Please listen and answer me!" yelled Ash again. But nothing answered back.
"LUCARIO!" Ash yelled desperately. And again. Nothing. Did they give up on him? Did they assume he is dead already? He can't blame them. He was gone for more than a week. Maybe he should end it while he still can. He can't go through the torture again.
"Ash?"
"Thank Arceus! Send Mewtwo to Cynthia's residence in Pallet Town immediately! We are surrounded by Team Rocket and I can't fight them." said Ash quickly.
"We?" asked surprised Lucario.
"I don't have time for this. SEND HIM NOW!" said Ash seriously.
Suddenly a loud crash was heard that brought him back into the reality. His eyes shot open and he saw Lucario preparing for the fight in front of the door. Another loud crash was heard and now he saw that the door to the bedroom moved slightly. "They should be long gone." thought Ash when he felt Cynthia's soft hand against the back of his neck and saw Lucario before him. She is really stubborn.
"Did you do it?" asked Cynthia in a shaky voice behind him.
"Help is on the way." replied Ash and Ash felt Cynthia's hand drop off his neck.
"SOMEONE IS IN THERE! COME HERE!" yelled someone behind the door. They both could hear a lot of footsteps coming to their door. The next ram will be the final.
"Cynthia recall your Lucario and stay behind me!" said Ash.
Ash looked at Cynthia behind him and she started talking. "She will help with the fight and I will t..."
"Cynthia! They have guns and they can shoot both of you. Recall her. I have a plan, but you have to stay close to me and trust me." said Ash to Cynthia looking directly into her eyes. And Ash's eyes began glowing a when he said the words to Cynthia.
"He has a plan." this was running through Cynthia's head. So when she finally stopped looking into his eyes, she quickly recalled Lucario despite her protests.
Immediately after she recalled her Pokemon, the door flew open and landed near the window on the other side of the room. Several men dressed in black jumped into the room and immediately picked their weapons and aimed them at her and the Aura Guardian. Aura Guardian then with some quick maneuver she wasn't able to follow grabbed her by the waist and pulled her from behind him to his lap and he quickly extended his arm, which grabbed her milliseconds before, against the men that tore the door open.
Then a lot of gunshots were heard. She closed her eyes tightly, grit her teeth and awaited the worst. But the pain of bullets never came. She felt an arm without a hand around her as she had her eyes closed tightly and her face was buried in the Aura Guardians chest. Another round of bullets was shot but nothing happened again.
"Stop!" yelled a woman voice.
Cynthia then slowly opened her eyes and looked around. The bed on which she and the Aura Guardian were sitting was enveloped on some kind of a blue barrier. She looked up and saw the Aura Guardians expression. He was in pain. A lot of pain.
"I see that you found yourself a friend." said the woman in an uncomfortable voice.
"Get out of my sight you monster." said the Aura Guardian who still had his relatively healthy arm extended against the guns. "He created this barrier." Cynthia realized.
"Don't worry. I will go away. Once your barrier falls down I will be gone with both of you tied up right behind me. You are a bad pet for running away from me and you need to be properly punished. And I am sure that my coworkers will welcome such a nice addition as the Champion is to their toy baskets." said the blonde woman who Cynthia never saw.
"I will not let you take us back there alive." said the Aura Guardian in all seriousness.
"Really?" asked the woman a give a slight wave with her hand. Right after it, another salvage of bullets came, but none penetrated the shield around them. The shield flicked however and the Aura Guardian released a painful groan.
"My pet. You are in no condition and have no energy to defend yourself. Just give up already." said the woman.
And when Cynthia looked at the man she could tell he was really considering it. She saw it in those glowing blue eyes. He wanted to give up. He was tired of fighting against them.
"It would be much easier wouldn't it? To give up and finally stop fighting for a moment. It would be finally over and you could sleep forever. I can see it in your eyes. You want it. You are a smart man. Drop the shield when the next round of bullets will come it will be over. You will have the rest you dream about for so long." said the woman with a sleazy grin.
"Don't give up. If someone can pull this off it's you. You asked me to trust you and I believe in you. Don't make me regret my decision." said Cynthia in a quiet tone to the Aura Guardian as she turned around on his lap to be face to face with the man. He looked at her with an unreadable expression and then the corners of his mouth formed a small sad smile.
"You are putting a faith in a man that already gave up on himself, Champion. That's not very wise." said the woman with a chuckle to Cynthia.
"I will not fail you this time, Cynthia." said quietly the Aura Guardian to Cynthia just before the woman dressed in black gave a command.
"Fire until your magazines are empty." said the woman.
A whirlwind of bullets was released against the shield that was guarding them and with each one Aura Guardian's extended hand twitched and his face formed a painful expression. And as more and more bullets were coming, Cynthia could only watch as the man who was protecting her was releasing painful groans every time a bullet stopped against the barrier.
"Hang on. You can do it." said Cynthia to his face while still sitting on his lap. Although he wasn't looking at her she hoped that he heard her. Instead of looking at Cynthia, he was looking at the woman who gave a command with his piercing blue eyes. Bullet after bullet was hitting the barrier but the barrier never flicked. However, the Aura-barrier around them was getting much smaller. The Aura-barrier that once enveloped their entire bed was getting smaller and smaller with every new bullet released.
Then the last gunshot was heard and the once big Aura-shield that enveloped her whole double-bed was barely able to hold both of them inside. If she wouldn't be sitting on his lap, she would be outside of his shield. He made it. However, her savior didn't look good. Sweat was covering his whole face and strands of his hair were sticking to his face. His right hand was trembling so much that she was surprised that he was still being able to hold Aura-barrier around them. His eyes were shut and he was breathing heavily trying to get some oxygen into his lungs.
"JUST DIE ALREADY!" yelled the blonde woman in frustration. As she grabbed her empty gun and threw it against the shield. The gun just bounced off the shield and landed on the bed.
After that Cynthia saw something behind said woman. Some creature that was as tall as the woman appeared out of nowhere in her bedroom. His eyes glowed in a blue light and all the men and the woman in the room fall down and it looked like they were asleep.
This Pokemon then walked towards her and The Aura Guardian who managed to lift his head up after the exhausting defense. When he saw the bipedal Pokemon a smile formed on his face and he let his shaking right arm fall down and the shield disperse.
"You took your time I have to say." said the exhausted Aura Guardian.
"It's hard to find a house in this storm." said the Pokemon and immediately Cynthia knew that this Pokemon was using a telepathy.
"Big house like this is hard to find?" asked the Aura Guardian jokingly.
"You would be surprised how hard it is in this weather." said the Pokemon.
"Umm... Excuse me but we nearly died and you are going to joke around like nothing happened?" asked Cynthia in disbelief about what was happening in front of her eyes.
"I have survived worst, lady Shirona." said the Aura Guardian as he looked into her uncovered eye.
How can someone have such eyes? Cynthia herself was looking into the sea eyes of the Aura Guardian and she was getting lost in them again. She was just a few centimeters away from his face and from up this close, his eyes are even more beautiful.
"Really?" she asked and her voice jumped to an unusual high note as she still couldn't look anywhere else but those eyes.
"Yes, lady Shirona." said the Aura Guardian in barely a whisper. Just the way he said it sent shivers from the top of her spine to the very bottom of her toes. Her heart stopped and skipped a few beats and the tingly feeling in her stomach wasn't helping her control herself either. The suspense inside her bedroom could not be measured. The silence in the room was only undercut by their loud breaths and the tension between them was rising rapidly. Her brain was completely off and she started to lean forward. Unfortunately for her, someone ruined their moment.
"Umm... should I come another time?" asked the Pokemon as he looked at the position they were in.
The Aura Guardian was still in his meditative seating and Cynthia was still sitting on his lap. More precisely, on his left knee and the Guardian still had his left arm on her waist to keep her close to him. And Cynthia herself had her left arm around wrapped around Aura Guardians back and her right hand was resting again the bed. Not to mention their faces were a few centimeters from each other. All in all the position they were in looked very... intimate.
Cynthia than jumped from his lap and quickly stood next to her bed with a blush on her cheeks. When she looked at the Aura Guardian he himself was blushing really hard.
"... I would say you came just in time." said the Aura Guardian after he got rid of his blushing cheeks and got himself together. He can calm down pretty quickly. Unlike her.
Blushing Cynthia herself a problem to get herself together after this little experience. She would have never imagined this kind of tension between two humans is even possible. The urge to kiss him was now much more apparent than before. "Those damn eyes!" she thought angrily. They truly do cast a spell on her. How else can you explain that not even 5 minutes after the life and death experience she just wants to kiss some guy she met not even day ago?! Damn those eyes. And the closer she is to them the stronger the spell is! Spell that causes her to lose all control over herself and stops her from thinking rationally! Why she even wants even kiss him so badly?! She would have to fight through that black bush on his face first to get to his lips! It's all so annoying!
It took a while, but Cynthia calmed down after thinking about anything else then Aura Guardians and blue eyes. Cynthia then realized that something was beeping in the bedroom. She looked where she thought she heard the sound of the beeping and she saw that something on the woman that the Aura Guardian was talking with was blinking. Some green LED diode on her belt. Before she could say anything an Alakazam teleported into her bedroom, picked the woman up and teleported out of there before they could say anything.
"More of them are coming, let's get out of this place. I don't want to repeat the same mistake twice." said the Aura Guardian to the Pokemon when he registered the Alakazam teleporting out of there.
"Should I teleport them with you and me too?" said the Pokemon and he pointed to the men that were unconscious on the floor.
"Not just them. Lady Shirona is coming with us." said the Aura Guardian.
"WHAT?!" asked the Pokemon.
"I said we are taking lady Shirona with us. She took care of me when she found me and I can't let her stay here with Team Rocket still somewhere out there." said the Aura Guardian seriously as Cynthia was watching the exchange between them. "Team Rocket? That was Team Rocket?!" thought Cynthia. Things just got a whole lot more interesting for her.
"You can't be serious. I will get her anywhere else. We can't bring her to..." said the Pokemon but Aura Guardian interrupted him.
"We must. With Domino..." started Ash but then he saw the confused face of Mewtwo.
"With that blonde woman who got teleported out of here by an Alakazam, Team Rocket will know Cynthia helped me and they would find her sooner or later. And you know very well what they are doing to the ones who are close to their enemies. I wasn't asking Mewtwo. She is coming with us. End of the debate." said the Aura Guardian seriously.
She was getting more and more fond of that dominant side of him. It was nice when they were just enjoying each others company and had fun, but this at least shows that when things get serious, he does what has to be done. Like a true Aura Guardian should. Then another thought went through her mind. "So Mewtwo is the Pokemon's name. Never heard of that one." thought Cynthia. Cynthia was carefully observing both of them to catch any information that could uncover more things about the Aura Guardian that appeared at her doorstep.
"... As you wish... I hope you know what you are doing." said Mewtwo who was looking at Cynthia.
And before she could even blink, Mewtwo teleported her, the Aura Guardian and the men that attacked them out of her residence.