Sayoko ran down the stairs and looked around. Suddenly, from the top, two eyes peered down at her. She noticed them and pointed up.
"Get down here, cowards!"
The eyes simply glowed as the room started shifting. It felt like gravity had turned upside down, and she began falling, no, you read that correctly, she was being pulled up.
She barely managed to catch herself as illusions formed around her, creating a small army of random Pokémon.
Sayoko clicked her tongue in annoyance as her eye glowed. "Fine, come at me. I'll rip your eyes out and make you eat them," she said, grabbing two Poké Balls from her belt and throwing them down.
—--
Helena stared down at the Poké Ball in her hand, a wide grin spreading across her face. She held it up triumphantly.
"Welcome to the family!" she said, tucking the ball away safely.
Stephen floated beside her, eyes gleaming with mischief. Another ghost! Another potential partner-in-crime! He let out a quiet chuckle before sinking back into her shadow.
Ash, who had been silently watching, finally spoke. "You handled that well."
Helena glanced at him, tilting her head. "What, you thought I'd freak out or something?"
He shrugged. "No, but hatching a Pokémon in a weird, dimension-warped basement isn't exactly a normal Tuesday."
She laughed, adjusting her sitting position and nudging just a little closer to Ash. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, it could be worse."
Ash hummed in agreement before leaning his head back against the strange, shifting wall. Silence settled between them again, the flickering symbols on the walls pulsing like a slow heartbeat.
Helena looked at the Poké Ball, and her smile faded as her voice lowered. "So… you never answered me earlier…."
Ash exhaled through his nose. "I guess I didn't…"
She frowned, shifting to face him fully. "Are you mad at us? At me?"
Ash remained still for a moment, eyes fixed on the flickering symbols around them. The question hung in the air between them, heavier than before.
Helena watched him carefully. She wasn't sure what answer she was hoping for.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know what to say, he couldn't just tell her that this body was a clone. Instead, he looked at the ceiling.
"I don't know."
Helena blinked. "You don't know?"
Ash shrugged, though there was something tight in his posture. "It's not that simple."
Helena crossed her arms, frustration flickering across her face. "What's not simple? Either you're mad, or you're not. If you are, just say it."
Ash turned his gaze toward her, his expression unreadable. "What do you want me to say, Helena? That I'm fine? That I don't care? That it doesn't bother me?"
She opened her mouth, then hesitated.
Ash scoffed lightly, shaking his head. "So yeah, maybe I'm mad. Or maybe I just—" He exhaled sharply, as if searching for the right words. "Maybe I just don't know how to feel about it yet."
Helena felt her stomach twist. "D… I—"
"I didn't want to show you my face for that reason, you know. When you made me show you my face, I guess I just let out something I've been holding in," Ash took a breath. "I guess… I just don't know how to feel about everything that happened."
Helena swallowed. "With Enid? With the others?"
Ash sighed, rubbing his face before looking at her. "With all of it. Everything got complicated so fast. One minute, we were just dealing with normal stuff, then suddenly, it's..." He exhaled sharply. "It's you guys."
She flinched. He hadn't meant it to sound harsh, but it stung anyway. "What about Enid?" she asked. "The things she said…"
Ash sighed. "I don't know. She's an idiot. But I also know there's something… I guess with her saying that and making fun of my face, now that you saw what I'm hiding under this thing—" he gestured to his scarf, "it just hit differently. But… I guess 'angry' isn't the right word. I don't know what to think."
He hesitated before continuing, his voice quieter. "If I'm honest, when I joined Team Rocket, I thought I'd come in, get the money I need, then leave. I didn't come here to make friends… but…"
His fingers tightened slightly around the fabric of his scarf. "I don't know how it started, but I think I'm starting to get attached. I hadn't meant to, but with everything we've been through, I guess a part of me wanted to push you all away. Before… well, everything."
This was all BS, but what else was Ash supposed to say? He didn't want to admit the truth that he was a clone and all that stuff, so he just started talking, making things up as he went.
Helena stared at Ash, the weight of his words settling over her. She had noticed he kept people at a distance. But hearing it out loud, hearing him admit that he had been trying to push them away, made something twist uncomfortably in her chest.
She forced a small, shaky smile. "Well… you did a pretty bad job of it."
Ash blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
She shrugged, crossing her arms. "If you were really trying to push us away, you wouldn't have helped me and Sayoko as much as you did. When we were at the base, you wouldn't have saved Enid and Domino. You wouldn't have jumped in to protect me earlier, and you definitely wouldn't have caught me when we fell just now."
Ash frowned, looking away. "That's not—"
"And don't even try saying it was just instinct," she interrupted, narrowing her eyes. "Because I don't buy it. You care, D. Whether you want to admit it or not."
Ash exhaled through his nose. "That's the problem, Helena."
She hesitated. "What do you mean?"
"I don't want to care," he said bluntly. His voice was quiet, but there was an edge to it, like he was fighting against something he couldn't quite put into words. "Because caring about people means getting hurt. I showed you what happened."
Ash reached up and tugged his scarf down, revealing his scarred face again.
"Every time I trust someone, something happens, and I can't do anything about it. I like being alone because it means all I need to worry about is myself—no one to betray me, and more importantly, no one to mourn me if I die."
Helena stared at him, her breath catching. She hadn't expected him to say it so plainly. His voice, though quiet, had an intensity that left her momentarily speechless. The tension in the air was thick, the only sound was the faint hum of the strange room around them.
Helena leaned back and sighed. "Did I ever tell you why I joined? It wasn't something fancy or noble, or evil. I just… wanted friends. That's it."
"Really?" Ash raised an eyebrow. "In a place like this? Not the first place I'd look for friends."
"I know. But, you know, I've always been the creepy girl where I came from. Everyone avoided me or was scared. So I know what it's like to be alone. And it's not fun. It's the worst feeling, like you're drowning and no one is around to save you. That's why I came here. I thought if anyone could be my friend, I'd find them here."
Helena looked at Ash, her gaze lingering on his scarred face. She had seen it before, but now, with the last traces of energy still flickering in her eyes from when she activated her clairvoyance, she saw something. It wasn't the full truth. D.'s face was covered in that strange energy, and more than that, it was as if his entire body was made of it.
"D… I know maybe I'm not the best person to say this, but I care about all of you. You've all been my first friend. And I think… that's not the whole reason, you know?" she said softly, slowly raising her hand toward his face.
Ash flinched slightly, but it was only to keep up the act. He knew this was just an illusion he made with Aura, but he couldn't let Helena figure that out. But what she said next made his breath hitch.
"I can see it. It's weird, but… D, is that your real face?"
For a split second, Ash's heart nearly stopped.
He stiffened, his breath catching. His mind raced, she could see through it? How? No one was supposed to see past his illusion unless he allowed them to. His grip tightened around the fabric of his scarf, as if pulling it back up would somehow erase what she had just said.
Helena's eyes flickered with residual energy. She wasn't sure what she was seeing exactly. It was still him, but something was off. The strange wisps of energy clung to his features, and the way his body shifted slightly, almost like it wasn't entirely solid…
"D…?" she whispered, her fingers hovering just shy of his cheek.
D pulled back sharply, wrenching his scarf up over his face again. "You're seeing things," he muttered, turning away.
Helena frowned, but there was no anger in her expression, just concern. "I don't think I am."
"Like I said, I had an accident. My face was blown off, and I just need money for facial reconstruction. That's it. That's all I've ever done this for," D said, turning further away from her.
But the way he said it, the way he refused to meet her gaze, only confirmed it.
"D… You know it's just you and me here. I promise I won't tell anyone. Just… can I see what you really look like?"
"...."
"Please?"
"...Promise me," D said at last, his voice quieter. "Promise me you won't tell anyone. You won't drop any hints. You won't act any different. And, most of all, you keep this a secret."
Helena nodded. "I promise."
D exhaled heavily, then slowly reached up and grasped the edge of his scarf. With a moment's hesitation, he lowered it, revealing his real face, no illusions, no scars.
"Here. This is it." Ash said
Helena studied his features as if trying to commit them to memory. She didn't speak, just took in the truth that had been hidden beneath his disguise.
After a few seconds, Ash pulled the scarf back up. "I have a power, kind of like yours. I can do things, changing my face is one of them. Just… don't tell anyone."
Helena hesitated. "...Why do you hide your face?"
Ash looked down. "I have to do something. I have my reasons. So I made up the story to keep my identity a secret."
"I see…" Helena said. "Okay, I won't ask. And I won't try to tell you what to do. I promise." She had more questions, like why his entire body seemed to be made of the same strange energy, but she held them back.
"Thanks," Ash murmured.
"Sooo… can you at least tell me your real name?" Helena asked, tilting her head with a hopeful smile.
Ash chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't push it."
"Right, but you know," Helena added playfully, "I think you look better without the mask."
Ash exhaled through his nose, the smallest of smirks tugging at his lips. "Thanks…"
"So, does that mean you're finally going to try making things work with everyone?"
Ash shrugged. "No promises. Let's start by seeing if Enid is even capable of apologizing—then we'll see where things go from there."
Before he could continue, the illusions surrounding them suddenly began to fade. The walls shimmered as the projections crumbled, revealing the floating forms of the '?' and '!' Unown descending toward them. They hovered in place, shifting slightly as if sensing the change in the air.
Helena blinked in surprise, tilting her head. "Huh. Isn't this what we came here for?"
"Yeah, looks like it," Ash muttered, narrowing his eyes at the Unown. "But why do I get the feeling they've been watching us this whole time?"
The Unown didn't appear aggressive; they simply floated curiously around the two of them.
Then, before either of them could react, two Pokéballs shot out from the side, hitting the Unown straight in the eye. With three quick rolls and a ding, the balls locked shut.
Ash and Helena blinked owlishly, their heads snapping in the direction the Pokéballs had come from. Sayoko emerged, slightly out of breath, her dress torn in places.
She dusted herself off with an exasperated sigh, flipping her hair back. "You guys have no idea what I just went through." Holding up the two Pokéballs, she shook them slightly. "But hey, look what I got."
Helena started, "Did you just—"
"Yep," Sayoko cut in, tucking the Pokéballs onto her belt. "You two were busy doing whatever, I was out there dealing with illusions, gravity shifts, and a bunch of fake Pokémon trying to kill me."
Ash raised an eyebrow. "I guess that's one way to do it."
Sayoko crossed her arms. "Yep. They were just floating there. Easy targets." She glanced around at the shifting walls. "And good job keeping them distracted. Made things easier. So… what exactly happened between you two?"
"Nothing," Helena said quickly, shooting a glance at Ash. "Nothing at all."
Sayoko rolled her eyes. "Pssh, right. Like I believe that. Whatever. We got what we needed, so we should get out of here."
As if on cue, the room rumbled slightly. The strange symbols on the walls pulsed faster, like a quickening heartbeat.
Helena shot Ash a wary look. "Uh… please tell me that's normal."
Ash narrowed his eyes at the symbols. "I highly doubt it."
A sudden burst of bright light enveloped them. For a moment, it felt like they were fallingm weightless, as if space itself had folded in on them. Then, just as quickly as it started, the sensation ended, and they crashed down in a heap.
They landed right back near the abandoned fountain where their Jeep was parked.
"Huh," Ash muttered as he pushed himself off the ground. "That's… convenient."
"You're not going to question why we're here? I mean… we were just underground, weren't we?" Helena asked, looking around in disbelief.
Sayoko groaned, brushing dirt off her shoulder. "Honestly, after the day I've had, I don't really care right now." She tossed Helena the keys. "And you're driving. Just try not to kill us."
Before Helena could protest, Sayoko had already climbed into the backseat and sprawled out, making it clear she had no intention of taking the wheel. With a sigh, Helena got into the driver's seat, especially after Ash slipped into the passenger side without a word.
"I'll try…" she mumbled, turning on the car and pulling onto the road.
As they drove, Sayoko wasted no time getting comfortable, already dozing off in the back.
Meanwhile, Ash pulled out his phone. He had left part of Porygon-Z inside the base, hacking into their network while they handled things on-site. Stealing a little extra money never hurt, either.
A file transferred onto his phone. Porygon-Z's glitched form briefly flickered on the screen before disappearing.
Ash opened the file, scanning through it, until something made his mouth go dry.
His grip tightened on the phone, his jaw clenching.
—-
Ash, Brock, Misty, and Yellow were walking out of Rikishii Town, Ash casually balancing a King's Rock on his finger.
Yeah, he won. Snorlax had steamrolled everyone, it wasn't even a challenge. The King's Rock and a year's supply of food were his prizes, though the latter lasted all of five minutes.
After all, throughout the buffets and feasts, Snorlax alone is the hungry one!
"I still can't believe how underwhelming that was..." Misty muttered. "I mean, I knew you were probably gonna win, but I thought we'd at least get to see something interesting."
"Maybe people should just get good," Ash smirked. Pikachu had to hold back a snort.
"But it was still fun, don't you think?" Yellow asked, cuddling Chuchu in her arms, trying to find a bright side.
"I mean, I guess it was fun watching those grown-ups question their life choices," Misty admitted, smirking slightly.
"Hey, I didn't ruin their self-esteem," Ash said defensively. "I just... made them reconsider things."
Misty and Brock rolled their eyes at the same time, while Yellow giggled. "Isn't that the same thing~?" she attempted playfully. It didn't quite land, but no one had the heart to tell her.
"Anyway," Ash continued, "if that was so boring for you, I'll do you one better, catch." He tossed the King's Rock toward Misty.
She caught it instinctively. "E-Eh? You're just giving this to me?"
"Sure. I got no use for it. Besides, I've already helped Brock plenty, got him a Metal Coat, then his fossil, then his Egg. Haven't done much for you. And this just means you owe me~," Ash added with a playful grin.
"I..." Misty looked down at the King's Rock. "There's no way I can accept this."
Ash rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Misty. Just take it. What, you want me to battle you for it or something?" He smirked, spinning a Pokéball on his finger. "Because I will beat the bricks out of you again."
Misty clenched the King's Rock in her hand, torn between gratitude and stubbornness. "I just… I didn't earn it."
Brock chuckled, arms crossed. "Misty, you've been traveling with Ash long enough to know that 'earning' things isn't exactly how this works."
"Yeah, let's be honest," Ash added. "How many of the things I've given Brock did he 'earn'? No offense, my dude."
Brock just nodded. "None taken."
Misty stared at the item for a moment longer before sighing in defeat. "Fine, fine. I'll take it. But I don't owe you."
Ash smirked. "Oh, you definitely do."
Misty groaned. "Ugh, you're so annoying."
"You know you love it," Ash teased.
He laughed, but at that moment, something else hit him. A memory. Ashtwo's memory. And suddenly, he realized exactly what was happening. He kept his smile up, but on the inside, he was cursing.
"So, where are we heading next?" Yellow asked, adjusting her sunhat.
Brock pulled out the map. "Hmm… Well, Olivine is still pretty far away. Any ideas for pit stops?"
"Yeah, I got one," Ash said, his expression unreadable. "There's a place I wanna visit. Let's go, I'll lead the way."
None of them had any reason to object, so they nodded, letting him take the lead.
As Ash walked, one thought echoed in his mind, 'I'm on my way, Celebi.'
---
If you want to suport me,
patre*on/Katsu190