Fic: The Stars And The Ancient Past, 2/2

[cloversworld]

The Stars And The Ancient Past 2/2 by clover71
written for journeystory
Fandom: Pokémon; Pairing: Paul/ Ash (Comashipping)
Rating: PG-13; More info: MASTER POST

...<- part 1


2


It wasn't the incessant chirping of Kricketot or Kricketune that kept Ash wide awake; it was the silent drone of Paul's thoughts, as if he could hear the wheels in Paul's head turning.

Ash didn't need to be hyper sensitive to know that something was troubling the Ranger. He had to admit, despite having rescued the Pokémon, there was a lot of unsettling questions hanging in the air.

There was no question that Hunter Krul was the one who took them. That dimwit of a bounty hunter wasn't exactly discreet when he made his capture. But who was he working for? Who was the Client? And why were those Pokémon taken? What was the purpose?

The sudden rapping startled Ash out of his deep cogitation and he watched Paul stalk over to the door. Ash had been too busy trying to decipher Paul's thoughts that he hadn't noticed Paul was wearing nothing but his boxers and white undershirt. Damn, if that wasn't distracting.

Gary careened inside the room, looking like he had just escaped a thousand Tauros in pursuit. "You guys aren't going to believe what we found," he said while heaving short breaths and he crashed right at the edge of Ash's bed and threw the piles of paper he was carrying across the mattress. He handed a dark blue folder over to Paul.

"That place you guys stumbled into? It was actually some sort of a research facility. You probably only saw the chambers where they kept the Pokémon but if you go further into the cave, there was some sort of laboratory." Gary ran his fingers through his dark brown hair and sighed. "The machines and other computerized equipment had been destroyed though but there were remnants of encrypted data that I was able to collect. I sent them to grandfather and Professor Rowan and waited until I get at least part of the results before coming here."

"Are these the results then?" Paul was perusing through the files Gary handed him, brows furrowed.

"Not all of it, but yeah."

"Shit," Paul muttered and a string of curses followed, all whispered under his breath.

Ash didn't need to ask what it was because Gary already jumped into a barrage of explanation on how the data contained DNA structures of all the Pokémon that were held captive, save for Latias. "We also found samples of Groudon's DNA though I have no idea how they got hold of that."

Paul snapped the folder close and tossed it back to the bed, his face darkening with anger. "Jack Walker, the Ranger in Hoenn, did report a month ago that there was an attempt to capture Groudon but the Pokémon was just too powerful for the hunters."

"I just hope we know what they intend to do with the DNA samples though I have a vague idea what it's for." There weren't enough clues for them to formulate a clear hypothesis. Yet. But Gary vowed he would get to the bottom of it.

When Gary left, they didn't have enough time to digest everything that the Researcher had divulged because Brock arrived with news about the rescued Pokémon's health.

"The recovery may take some time," the Pokémon Doctor said wearily, wiping his hand over his face. Dark circles shadowed his eyes; his shoulders were sagging as if he was carrying a heavy load and his hair was disheveled. "But they're no longer in critical condition."

The sigh that escaped Paul clearly spoke relief. "Latias?" The poor Pokémon had not moved from Latios' side, even as they were about to leave the Center earlier. Though she seemed unharmed, the glow in her eyes was perceivably waning.

"She's fine. We finally got her to relax." Brock switches his attention over to Ash. "Charizard and Pikachu are both fine too. They just needed a little rest. Would you like to have them back or—"

"Nah." Ash shook his head. "Let them stay at the Center. I'm sure Pikachu needs a stress-free night for once."

"Oh!" Brock looked back at Paul. "Almost forgot. Your brother wanted to talk to you. He asked me to tell you to meet him at the Center. He was taking care of Jirachi when I left."

"Hn," Paul huffed then threw his pants and turtle neck shirt on, slipped his feet on his sneakers then left without a word. Ash stared at the door a moment longer after it closed behind Paul.

"So." Brock pulled him out of the unwarranted trance. "Is there anything I need to know?"

Puzzled, Ash drew his eyebrows together. "Huh?"

One corner of Brock's mouth curled up. "You and Paul. You seemed to be… getting along well."

Ash wasn't as clueless as he was when he and Brock last traveled together so he was quick to catch the insinuation in Brock's words. "I'm just trying to help him with all this mess going on, nothing more."

"Really?" One of Brock's eyebrows arched higher. "For a while I thought I saw Paul giving you that same look he did four years ago."

He was? And Ash thought he wasn't that obtuse anymore. That was something Ash didn't notice.

"Enough Brock. Let's not talk about it. We have a crisis, in case you're forgetting."

Brock chuckled and shook his head. "Whatever you say, Ash. Whatever you say."


*


It had been three days since the Snowpoint City incident and Paul needed a reprieve. He took his brother's advice and went home to Veilstone. Funny how he still called his brother's place 'home' when he already had his own.

What Paul didn't count on was Reggie inviting Ash to stay with them. The last thing Paul needed was a distraction and Ash Ketchum had been nothing but an ocean-wide distraction. Sure he had been a big help, but Paul couldn't focus on the case – on the mission – with Ash tagging along all the time.

He was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when he heard his brother call out, "Paul! You've got to see this."

Reggie was watching the news and the first thing Paul saw on the screen was the burning buildings. Then the image of a strange creature appeared in the sky and Paul went still for a moment. "What the heck is that?" It was a Pokémon, obviously, but one that Paul hadn't seen yet – not in the Pokedex archives or any other Pokémon data base that he was required to learn during his training as Ranger.

"No one knows." Reggie raised the remote control and pressed a button. The volume decreased to a considerable level, enough for them to hear the news reporter and enough for Paul to hear Reggie's voice. "Whatever it is, it showed fire-type, electric-type, water-type, flying-type and even psychic-type attacks."

The melodic tone from his Styler stole whatever Paul meant to say in response. He hurried back to the kitchen where he left the gadget to answer the call.

"Did you see the news?" Kellyn blurted without preamble, his image hazy on the tiny screen at first.

"Yeah. What the hell is going on, Kellyn?"

"You're as clueless as we are, Paul." Kellyn's gaze shifted to his side and Paul could hear Ben speaking in the background. When Kellyn faced the Styler camera once more, he said, "Did you notice how the creature looked like?"

Paul did. He might be jumping to fallacious conclusions but that thing had the combined physique of Entei, Suicune and Raikou. It was apparent that the creature also possessed the ability to fly.

"Solana and Lunick are on their way to Celestic Town as we speak." The urgency that flashed on Kellyn's eyes became more intense. "Stay where you are. I'll call you when I need you." Paul didn't even have time to react. The screen immediately went blank.

When Paul returned to the living room, Ash was with Reggie, both their faces filled with worry and perplexity.

"Kellyn called," Paul said at the same time Ash blurted, "Professor Oak called."

With a wave of his hand, Paul coaxed Ash to speak first. "He just informed me that Gary was analyzing the data they've received from Professor Carolina and her team of researchers in Celestic Town."

It wasn't half as helpful as the information Paul got from Kellyn, so all they could do was wait. Turned out, they didn't have to wait long. Gary called half an hour later. "There's no doubt about it, guys," he said. "That unidentified Pokémon possessed the abilities of all the Pokémon that have been abducted, even Groudon whom they failed to capture."


*


Alamos Town looks exactly the same as Ash last saw it. An overwhelming wave of nostalgia poured over him the moment his eyes rested on the Space-Time Tower and the soft melody floating from it reached his ears. The city nestled on top of a mesa surrounded by a serene lake with towering cliffs curved around the west side. It looked more like something out of a fairy-tale book.

Paul's eyes roamed and if Ash were to peek beneath the mask of indifference that Paul always wore, he could swear he'd see awe in Paul's face.

"Never been here before." Paul's unexpected declaration took Ash by surprise. Paul met his gaze. "I know. You're probably thinking since I live here in Sinnoh, I should have seen all the places here. But tell me, Ash. Have you seen everything there is to see in Kanto?"

Ash shook his head. Paul had a point.

"You sure this was where the unknown Pokémon is hiding?" There wasn't any sign of unusual activity so Ash wondered if the signals that the sensors at Professor Rowan's lab had detected were—

A large shadow spilled over the cobblestone ground where Ash, Pikachu and Paul stood, prompting Ash to tilt his head up just in time to see the unidentified Pokémon gliding towards the Space-Time Tower.

The creature opened its mouth, spouting a ray of bluish gray light straight to the sky. The light pierces through the thick cloud that hovers over the tower, creating a black hole at the center.





"Fuck!" Paul took off, sprinting toward the location of the tower. When Ash and Pikachu caught up with him, Paul did his best to explain, "I think it's creating a portal to another dimension," between gasps. He reached into his vest then tossed two Poke Balls, yelling, "Honchkrow! Electivire! Stand by for battle!"

Ash nearly tripped on his feet, shocked to see Paul had brought his Pokémon. As far as he knew, Rangers were allowed only one Pokémon partner and most rangers he'd met preferred not having one. But Paul was (technically) also a Trainer so he assumed Paul was an exception to the rules.

"Pika!" Pikachu screamed just as the ground trembled and a series of rumbling sounds filled the air.

There was an answering roar beyond the black hole and Ash shouted, "I think it's summoning Dialga and Palkia!" over to Paul.

"Look!" Paul had his arm outstretched, finger pointing at the creature. "Notice the collar around its neck? Someone's controlling it!"

"Then we've got to try and get it off!" Ash threw a Poké Ball and called out, "Gliscor! Use Stone Edge on the creature!"

"Ash, I don't think—"

Just as Ash had hoped, the unidentified Pokémon released a beam of energy straight to the sharpened stones and the impact resulted to a thick wall of dusts that spread between them and the creature. "Now hold it down with Fire Fang!" Ash yelled and Gliscor swooped through the smoke, fangs blazing with flames. "The collar, Paul!"

"Right! Electivire! Use Thunder on the creature's collar! Honchkrow! Use Night Slash once it weakens."

Spikes of yellow and white light sprang from Electivire's antennae and slashed through the fume. How it could see through that mist, Ash had no idea. Honchkrow disappeared in the thinning dust particles only to be thrown out through the opposite side, cawing as if in pain. The haze soon cleared to reveal the creature staring at them with rage reflecting in its eyes. Then it tossed its head skyward and resumed emitting a radiant shaft towards the growing gap.

There was a thundering noise somewhere behind them and Ash spun around, eyes going wide when a hovercraft, much similar to the one Hunter J used, rose from behind the cliff.

"It's Hunter Krul!" Paul cried out and swore when a host of Yanma and Yanmega charged at them in astonishing speed.

Pikachu leaped from Ash's shoulder, screaming, "Pi… ka… chu!" as electric discharge sprang from his body. Electivire's struck the Bounty Hunter's Pokémon with Thunder.

In the midst of the battle, Ash heard familiar voices and momentary relief seized him when he spied Kellyn, Solana and Ben racing down the street. Each ranger hollered commands to the Pokémon under their control, urging them to take down the enemies' Pokémon who had them surrounded. Ash released Charizard with a firm instruction to help the others.

There was a low growl above them. It was as if time slowed down when Ash swiveled around, his body held down with a weight that made it hard for him to move.

Dialga and Palkia had started to emerge from the vortex.

Some sort of steel podium stretched out from the hovercraft and on it was a man with dark hair, wavy locks falling over his forehead and beard covering almost half of his face. A dark cape was thrown over his wide shoulders, covering most of his round body.

That must be Hunter Krul, Ash thought.

The man waved a staff, gesturing at the unidentified Pokémon. But then Dialga released an enormous Aura Sphere and sent the blast straight to the craft. The last thing Ash heard was a loud explosion and the force threw him across the Plaza. His back and head slammed into something hard – a wall perhaps – then he saw Paul rushing to him before he lost consciousness.


*


The wind slapped against his face but Paul ignored the sting. He gazed down at Ash's unconscious form, his worry growing every minute. Almost half an hour had passed – probably more – since the chaos at Alamos Town started.

"If he has a concussion and something bad happens to him, you do realize it's your fault, don't you?" he told Charizard. He meant to send Ash to the hospital or the Pokémon Center but the damn fire-type Pokémon refused to help Paul in his pursuit of the unidentified creature without Ash's presence. So Paul was left with no choice but to drag Ash's ass with him.

Charizard snarled in response. Paul might not understand all Poké-speak but he knew it was the Pokémon's way of protesting.

"Look. It's descending on that island over there."

"Gliscor gli."

Charizard flew over the island before diving down, Gliscor descending behind them. The change in pressure must have pulled Ash out of his slumber because his eyes sprang open the moment they landed in a clearing.

"Where are we?" was the first thing Ash said.

"Well based on the coordinates, I believe we're somewhere north of Canalave City. Which means…," Paul checked his Pokétch but pulled a frown when he saw the built-in compass going haywire. Then realization struck him like a Thunderbolt attack. "Shit. We're in the middle of Diablo's Ocean."

"What?" Ash bolted upright, almost slipping off Charizard's back. "Please tell me you sent out a message to whomever before we landed."

Paul had never felt so sheepish and stupid. He should've known, should've taken precaution, should've remembered that no instrument or electronic gadget would work on this island. Should've, should've, should've. Oh, if he was the dig-a-hole-and-hide-there-until-all-this-was-all-over sort of guy, the thought would probably cross his mind. But he wasn't. He jumped off of Charizard's back and pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Honchkrow! Come on out!" The bird Pokémon gave a why-me-again cry and Paul fought the urge to reprimand it but instead, said, "I know you're still hurt from the last battle. But I need you to fly back to Alamos Town and inform Kellyn and Officer Jenny of our location."

"I think Honchkrow is completely worn out, Paul." Ash slid down after him. "Why don't we send Gliscor instead? And Charizard, I need you to bring a message to Gary and Professor Oak as well."

As soon as Ash's Pokémon left, Paul asked Honchkrow to survey the area. "That strange creature landed somewhere northwest. Head over there and check it out." The Pokémon cawed and took flight.

They trudged into the forest. Hours of hike, an accident involving a fallen tree, a break for food (thank the heavens that there were edible fruits around) and Pikachu's ephemeral freak out over a Nosepass with an attitude later, Honchkrow found them. The Pokémon led them to a facility hidden within rock cliffs.

Men (and maybe some were women but Paul could care less) garbed in silvery blue jacket and pants lingered around the area. These people were clearly not Hunter Krul's henchmen. If Dialga's Aura Sphere did send Hunter Krul and his people deep in the lake surrounding Alamos Town earlier, then this could be a different group – most likely the Client's.

The color of the sky had changed to a dark shade of orange and gray by the time Ash managed to find a way for them to infiltrate the facility, though crawling through duct pipes was the least appealing method in Paul's opinion – clever, effective but least appealing. Once inside, Ash sent Pikachu to find some sort of a main switch, instructing the mouse Pokémon to deactivate it if things turned against their favor.

As soon as they parted with Pikachu, they had an unpleasant run in with seven men and several Metang and Metagross. Paul couldn't send Honchkrow out. The Pokémon had sustained enough injury as it was. And he had to leave Electivire with Solana so he could get medical attention.

Ash seemed to hesitate – probably worried that he'd be putting his Pokémon in danger. But desperate times called for desperate measures, so he chose to release Infernape and Heracross.

While Ash's Pokémon were busy dealing with Metang and Metagross, Paul took the chance to throw a few kicks and punches on the men, knocking out four of them in the process. While sending his fist straight to the fifth man's gut, he saw through the corner of his eye that Ash was likewise engaged in a fistfight with the enemy.

They managed to escape, Ash quickly recalling Infernape and Heracross back in their Poké Balls, but luck wasn't on their side. They rounded the corner when they reached the end of the corridor and came across dozens of men – armed ones, damn it!. Paul knew then that resistance was futile.

"Bring them to the boss," one of the men barked.

Paul struggled against the bonds that held his wrists together but the metal bit through his skin. Deeming that escape was hardly an option, he let the men drag him along the metal floor. Ash was flanked by four other men and they were a few feet ahead. Even if Paul could manage to break loose, he didn't have the heart to leave Ash.

The long trek ended in what Paul assumed was the core of the facility. It was a large oval room where elevated platforms ran along the circumference: some sort of viewing decks jutted out on each side, an enclosed space – probably the main control room – on one end and opposite that was nothing but a plain wall.

There was a ten-foot-drop at the center. Curiosity gnawed at the back of Paul's mind so he dared a peek over the railing. He caught a glimpse of a huge glowing cube but before he could determine what it was, he was roughly yanked towards the enclosed space.

The man who had been practically (and literally) been breathing down his neck, declared, "Boss, we caught the intruders," then forced Paul into a chair next to Ash.

The Boss – or whoever the fuck he was – stood still for a while, gloved hands clasped behind his back. Then he spun around and lifted the hood that partially covered his head.

"The fuck!" skipped out of Paul's mouth and he heard Ash spat a similar expletive then they both exclaimed, "Flax Harper!" at the same time.

"What the hell is going on, Flax?" Ash attempted to rise from his seat but the man standing beside him pushed him back down almost instantly.

"It's simple, Ash. You're looking at nine years worth of research and experiment." The swagger in Flax's voice wasn't hard to miss.

"Well, I'm looking at you and if you were referring to yourself then I'd say it's a complete failure," was Ash snide retort.

Paul was tempted to snort, but he bit on his tongue instead, his mind focused on formulating complicated calculations that might – would – should help them escape.

The low rumble of Flax's laughter set off Paul's ire and almost lost his cool when Flax reached out and brushed the back of his fingers against Ash's cheek. "You really are a feisty one, Ash Ketchum. But you're lucky I'm in a gracious mood today so allow me to impart precious knowledge to give you a succinct idea of what I'm trying to accomplish before I send you to your death," Flax said as if his blunt announcement of his intent to kill them was as normal as telling them what they were having for dinner.

They were led to an inner chamber where a round table that seemed to have been carved out of a rock sat at the center. Something sat on top of it – some sort of stone tablets.

As if confirming Paul's theory, Flax stated, "This… is an ancient tablet found on this very island. It took years to decipher what was written but when we did, we learned that this was left by Deoxsys of ancient times."

The roof began to slide open and that was when Paul realized it was night time.

"What do you boys know about constellations?" Flax asked but neither Paul nor Ash gave him the satisfaction of an answer, be it derisive or otherwise. "Did you know that legendary Pokémon are represented in the stars?" He raised his hand to gesture at the heavens and started giving them an asinine lecture about different star formations that Paul chose to ignore.

Flax voice became nothing but incoherent mumble. Paul focused on the situation instead. Only when Flax said something about one particular constellation that had not been identified did Paul decide to listen.

"Watch." A maniacal expression settled on Flax's face as he extended his arms on his sides.

The stone tablet or whatever began to glow, shafts of light burst out, reaching toward the sky. When Paul lifted his gaze, he saw a diagram of the unidentified Pokémon against the dark blue backdrop of the sky.

"This ancient tablet represents the past – the world's long-forgotten history – and is linked to the stars, this particular constellation," Flax explained in an exaggerated manner that it was a feat for Paul not to express incredulity.

"Pathetic," Paul muttered.

"Oh no, it's not pathetic, my dear Pokémon Ranger. You see…," Flax waved his hand over the tablet, "…this contains the complex formula to create THE most powerful Pokémon that ever existed." The mere stress Flax gave on the word 'the' sent frightening images to Paul's head and Paul couldn't help but think he was seeing a repeat of Mewtwo… or worse, a more insane version of it.

Flax strode over to the control panels and pressed a button. One wall slid open to reveal the unidentified Pokémon held within a cage cloaked with visible energy. Paul wondered if it was the same glowing cube he saw earlier.

"Meet Zepheus, the product of my ingenious discovery," Flax announced, the resonance of his voice increasing in every word uttered. "Once I get hold of Dialga and Palkia's DNA then this creation would reach perfection. Through it, I could recreate this world to my own bidding."

Paul expected Flax to laugh – that sinister laughter that villains often ended their despicable I-shall-rule-the-world speeches – but Flax just stared ahead as if lost in his own thoughts.

When the bastard seemed to come back to his senses, he faced one of his men, said, "Keep them locked up. We'll deal with them in the morning," then stomped back to the area where they came from.

The room where they were thrown in (literally) was small and nearly bare, furnished only with a small table and a bed – just one bed. At least they won't have to sleep on the floor. Their captors were gracious enough to bring them food and Paul had to cast his apprehension aside and eat some, hoping his gut instinct was right and it wasn't poisoned.

"I'm worried about Pikachu," Ash said as he curled up on the bed, rubbing the marks left by the metal cuffs on his wrist.

Paul stroked his own wrists, grateful that those cursed bonds were removed. "I'm sure Pikachu can take care of himself. You, of all people, should know what he's capable of."

"You're right." Ash shifted to a sitting position.

Silence simmered around them like they were in the eye of a storm and Paul wondered what would happen to them the next day. "You asked why I became a Ranger," he said, hoping to break the metaphorical ice that grew uncomfortably thicker every second.

Ash moved aside as if in silent invitation for Paul to sit with him. Throwing caution to the wind, Paul lifted his ass off the floor and climbed on the bed, pressing his back against the cold stone wall. Ash pinned Paul with a questioning gaze, which reminded Paul that it was he who started the conversation.

"You asked why I became a Ranger," Paul repeated, caring less for sounding redundant. "It was partly because of you." He couldn't look at Ash, just listened to the perplexity that laced Ash's voice.

"Because of me? Partly?"

His mind wandered back to his Sinnoh journey four years ago, back to when he and Ash were rivals. "You taught me the importance of treating Pokémon better, for one thing. And it was the flame of determination that burned in your eyes that made me strive to become a better Trainer."

This was beyond the limit Paul had set for himself to be so damn open and honest. If he would die tomorrow, then to heck with it, his secrets now wouldn't die with him. He could feel the confusion thrumming off of Ash, even before Ash started to speak.

"Then why—"

"When I heard you decided to go on hiatus from battles and from training Pokémon about a year ago, I just… I don't know. It's like the inspiration to reach my goal to be the best Pokémon Trainer just left me." Paul kept his gaze on the ground, feeling completely pathetic for having to pour his heart out at a time like this. "That time, I realized that it must have been the same feeling my brother had after losing the battle with Brandon."

"But why would my decision affect yours?"

"I don't know." Paul sighed. "I guess perhaps… maybe you meant more to me than I would admit."


*


Morning came and Ash was barely awake when Flax Harper's men rudely dragged them out of bed. The last layers of sleep had fallen away from Ash before they reached the main control room where Flax was waiting, probably to deal with them as promised

"Any last words?" Flax said with a pompous smirk and… ugh, Ash so wanted to rip away that condescending expression off of Flax's face.

"Fuck you!' both Paul and Ash spat in unison.

Flax only laughed and started with his supercilious monologue while leading them to the lower level. Ash couldn't bring himself to listen to the bastard's prattling, his eyes wandering instead, searching for any sign of Pikachu. If his buddy hadn't been caught, that would be the perfect time for Pikachu to do as instructed.

They paused in front of a niche and Flax pressed a hand on a silver plate embedded on the wall. Some sort of access panel slid open, revealing the golden hues of daybreak. A gust of wind slipped through the opening, caressing Ash's face like cold fingers.

The man who had a tight grasp on his arm pushed him near the edge and Ash made the sore mistake of glancing down to see the sheer drop to the raging water below. His eyes slid shut.

Shit, shit, shit. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die! Pikachu, where are you?

Then… it was like his life, his past, his fading future flashed before him in deafening blasts. Ash's eyes flew open when he felt the heat touch the back of his head and he spun around to witness the series of explosion on the upper level.

The shockwave that followed threw Ash back, causing him to lose balance and trip over the edge of the threshold but something broke his fall. Only when panic started to seep out of his body did Ash feel the pressure of the grip on his forearm. When he tilted his head, his eyes met a pair of dark orbs.

Paul.

"I got you, Ash. I got you."

More noise rumbled from inside and Ash could see smoke creeping out of the opening. His throat felt tight but he managed to utter, "Paul. Let go. Save yourself!"

Paul's hold only tightened, his eyes glistening with what appeared to be tears. "No! I'm not letting go, Ash. Not now. Not ever. Not again."

Another explosion. Another tremor. And Paul lost his grip. Gravity took control and pulled Ash down the cliff until Ash's back crashed against something solid. The strident growl hinted Ash who his savior was that time.

"Charizard!"

The Pokémon brought him to a clearing where Gary, Brock and Reggie were waiting.

"Ash!" Brock rushed to his side the moment Ash's feet touched the ground.

"What's going on, Brock?"

"Gliscor and Charizard led us here. Kellyn, Ben, Solana, Officer Jenny and the others managed to break into the facility with the help of several Pokémon." Brock was nearly breathless.

"Where's Paul?" Reggie asked, concern clearly written on his face.

"He's still in there." Ash gazed back at the facility. Smoke rose from every side. "I have to go back, make sure he's all right. Pikachu is in there, too."

"Knowing you, it would be pointless to try and talk you out of it," Gary said and he gave Ash's shoulder a sharp squeeze. "Let's go."

They were almost at the main entrance when Ben and Paul stumbled outside with– to Ash's surprise – Pikachu perched on Paul's shoulder.

"Pika!" The mouse Pokémon met Ash halfway and Ash caught him in his arm, held him close to his chest.

"I was so worried about you, Pikachu." Ash's eyes flickered over to Paul, who dragged his leg as he approached. "I was worried about you, too. Why are you limping?"

One corner of Paul's mouth twitched. "My leg got caught in the debris when I caught Pikachu. Some Pokémon you've got there, Ash." He gestured at Pikachu with a jerk of his head. "If I understood it correctly, I think what Pikachu was trying to tell me earlier was he found the main switch but couldn't figure out how to deactivate it, so he hit it with a Thunderbolt. That might have caused some sort of reaction and everything started to explode."

Pikachu sounded remorseful when he uttered, "Pika pi," his ears pulled back, eyes sliding to the ground.

"You did nothing wrong, Pikachu. In fact you did great," Ash encouraged and it worked, if the way Pikachu's ears perked up was clue enough.

Half an hour later, Officer Jenny and her men emerged from the facility dragging Flax Harper and his minions with them.

"I'd leave the Pokémon experiment in your hands, Rangers," she told Paul and Ben. "Kellyn and Solana are working on removing the collar around its neck."

The Pokémon, Zepheus, turned out to be serene and harmless without the collar. All Pokémon Rangers agreed that the best decision would be to leave it in the island.

Fatigue and stress clawed at Ash's body the moment they reached the shore where the yacht that brought Gary, Brock and Reggie to that place was waiting. Ash stood at the deck, watching the sun hide behind thick clouds. They were on their way back to the mainland.

When Paul joined him, Ash couldn't help but ask, "What did you mean when you said you wouldn't let me go, not again?"

Soft tint of crimson bloomed on Paul's cheeks and Paul worried his lower lip between his teeth before facing Ash. "How would you react if I told you that I was attracted to you – still is, actually – but I was too stuck up to do anything about it four years ago?"

Ash felt his heart leap, warmth spreading over his face. "What would you do if I told you the feeling is mutual?"

A lopsided smile formed on Paul's lips before the Ranger's mouth descended on Ash's and Ash immediately responded to the kiss. When Paul pulled back, he heaved a sigh and rested his forehead against Ash's. "Stay in Sinnoh? Even for just a while."

Paul didn't have to tell him twice. Ash lifted his shoulders in a shrug and decided to confess. "I was actually thinking of resuming my career as a Pokémon Trainer and what better way to do it than go on a journey here in Sinnoh?"

"Sounds like a plan." Paul looked contemplative for a moment, the wind blowing a lock of his purple hair over his face. "Maybe I should join you."

"But what about your job as a Pokémon Ranger?"

"That?" Paul held Ash's gaze for a minute, as if he was mulling over the situation, then his lips quirked. "I could always go back to being a Ranger. But I was a Pokémon Trainer to begin with. So what do you say, Ash? Think we could have a rematch at the Sinnoh League?"

Hot thrill surged throughout Ash and pathetic as it might sound, he felt like he was thirteen again instead of seventeen. He snaked his arm around the back of Paul's neck, said, "Sounds like a plan," against Paul's lips before bringing Paul closer for another kiss.


Epilogue:


As expected, the boat's navigational instruments started malfunctioning the moment they crawled into the vicinity of Diablo's Ocean. The occasional visits for the past two years had been enough for Paul to get used to this bizarre phenomenon.

At least it was peaceful in the island. The low hum of nature resonated around him and Paul basked in the tranquil atmosphere.

"Come on, Paul! Let Torterra out. You know how he loves roaming in the woods," Ash bade from a distance. It never ceased to amaze Paul how hyperactive Ash was, even in um… even in bed. But there was no denying that his lover's enthusiasm was infectious. He did as he was told and released the large green Pokémon who didn't dawdle and was soon striding over to the forest along with Ash's Torterra.

Right. Time to get to work. Pokémon Rangers had been taking turns to check on Zepheus, making sure the Pokémon was still safely tucked within the island. Even though Paul was technically a Pokémon Trainer now, he was still obliged to do his duty as a Ranger. It was part of the oath he took.

They were with a team of researchers led by Professor Carolina and her granddaughter. Cynthia's interest in Pokémon research seemed to have increased since Ash had taken her title as the Sinnoh Champion a year ago. Now it was Paul's turn to take the title from Ash, though he was torn between that goal and accepting the offer to take over the Battle Tower in the Sinnoh Battle Frontier. He just didn't want to step on Barry's toes since the Twinleaf Trainer was likewise a Frontier Brain. But Barry had made it clear that he preferred not living in his dad's shadow by taking over his dad's facility. He suggested that a partnership might be more feasible.

It only took half an hour to find Zepheus, its long neck and grayish purple mane visible from the distance, yellow, white and brown fur seemed to opalesce against the sunrays and the pair of red irises glistened like rubies.





Soft snarl greeted them as they approached and the Pokémon was quick to show signs of recognition.

"How's it going, Zepheus?" Ash raised his eyes to the Pokémon that stood as tall as the tree behind it. The sound it made in response to Ash was like a combination of a purr and a low, vibrating rumble that ground in its throat.

Paul focused on his task, making a quick survey of the Pokémon's habitat, inspecting the source of food and water and other necessary elements that guaranteed the creature's wellbeing. Once he was done taking notes for his required reports, he and Ash collected their Pokémon and left the island. The researchers chose to stay behind.

If they didn't have a dinner to mind, they would've stayed longer. But Reggie had made it perfectly clear that they should be home before sunset since Ash's mom, Professor Oak and Gary were coming over. It had been nearly a year since their last visit in Sinnoh.

The sun hovered over the horizon when they arrived at Veilstone. They found Brock at their house – the one that sat right behind Reggie's. His brother had insisted they build a home in the property left by their parents. "It's quite spacious for me alone," Reggie had whined back then and cajoled Ash into his scheme of moving them into the ranch.

The Pokémon Doctor was busy in the kitchen and had about three pots on the stove. Paul knew better than to meddle with Brock's cooking so he decided to set the dinner table instead.

The guests arrived at six and dinner wasn't all that eventful. Professor Oak entertained them with the usual stories about his youth. Once the table had been cleared, they congregated in the living room while having the special tea that Reggie made.

Delia Ketchum graciously complimented Brock for the food then asked, "So how's the job at the Center?"

"It had been busy but rewarding." Brock had been assigned to the Veilstone Pokémon Center two months ago and had been staying at Reggie's place since. He claimed it was temporary but he seemed to be at home here.

"What about you, Paul? Are you challenging Ash for the championship?" Of course, Gary had to bring that up. The idiot seemed to take pleasure in mocking Paul about how Ash defeated him in the Sinnoh League two years ago.

"Actually, I might take Palmer's offer to manage the Battle Tower," Paul said so casually that it took a while for the reaction he expected from Ash to surface. His lover gaped at him as if he had just announced his prodigious plan to take over the world.

"B-but that… that w-would mean…," Ash sputtered as if struggling to find the right words. Confusion, incredulity, frustration and anger cascaded on his face. "That would mean you have to move to the Battle Tower and—"

Paul laid a finger on Ash's lips, shushing him. "Nobody said about me having to stay at the facility. Barry and I had been talking about sharing the responsibility and he agreed to be the one to move into the Battle Tower should we decide to accept it."

"Oh." A smile broke into Ash's lips, so tempting that Paul couldn't stop himself from pressing a kiss into the pink, velvety surface, momentarily forgetting they weren't alone.

"Well it looks like you have a vivid plan for the future, young man." Professor Oak's voice broke the trance that oscillated between Ash and Paul.

"Yeah." Paul snaked an arm around Ash's waist and pulled Ash closer. "I guess I do." He felt a sense of contentment bubbling inside him.

The unruffled ambiance shattered when Delia raised the one question Paul hardly anticipated: "So Paul, Ash… when are you boys getting married?"



END



End Notes:

- The name of the new Pokémon, Zepheus, was derived from the constellation Cepheus. I couldn't come up with a better name. The illustration found in the story wasn't exactly how I pictured the creature in my mind but it's close enough. I just drew that image today, when I'm scheduled to post and only worked on it for 3 hours so it's kinda rushed.

- I was trying to imagine N and Zero when coming up with a villain, then I jotted down the description and I didn't realize until I saw the poster made by anguishofmylove that I ended up creating Kabuto from Naruto Shippuden in my head. *head desk*

Comments

[vulpixi-misa.livejournal.com]

UGHHHHH HOW DID I MISS THIS???!?! I was going through the Comashipping community and saw you had a post but I don't know why I never read it and all since I follow you everywhere and ughhhhh.

This story is so perfect I have no words.

[cloversworld.livejournal.com]

hehe, I've actually forgotten which community I've posted this. I'll probably post this in ffnet one of these days.

Thanks for reading :)