Strength ~An Amourshipping Story

Chapter 42: Headquarters

Another Note:

Sorry if all of these notes at the beginnings are boring you. Okay, to the point. I apologize if you find this chapter unappealing. Because I like action and fighting, of course I had to put one of these fighting/training chapters in. Also, sorry for jumping straight into dramatic stuff. Nevertheless, enjoy!

Last time, the group learns of Pokémon Hunter J's prison break and meet up with Aura and Cole, who offer to train them self- defense in case of J's appearance.

AURA: We're here.

The group jumps off either Zorua (as Latios) or Cole's Skarmory or Flygon. They stand before an old building, and Aura leads them inside. The interior is ruined and cracked, empty and abandoned.

EVERYONE: Ermmm...

PIKACHU: Pika Pika...

Then, Zorua steps forward into empty space and uses Night Daze. The Dark- type move fills the area, and the walls seem to ripple and distort. The surface cracks.

ASH: Cool, it cracked- wait, what?!

The walls shatter into millions of pieces, revealing perfectly new and shiny walls. The floor is polished. Furniture and other objects decorate the room.

AURA: The screen you just saw disperse was an illusion. Zorua's Night Daze is a form of identifying ourselves.

BARRY: Ooh, ooh! Lemme guess: this is your secret research group's secret headquarters that's secret to everyone else except you secret people!

COLE: *Sweat drops* Uh- of a sort...

Serena almost laughs in spite of herself. Then, she notices there are barely any others in the giant room. Zorua seems to recognizes that look.

ZORUA: There's not many of us.

SERENA: Why not?

ZORUA: We originally had a lot. But due to information leaks to... the wrong people...

Nothing else needs to be said. They follow the young researchers into an elevator as they zoom towards the bottom floor. Silence ensues. Then, the doors open, and the group floods out of the elevator.

ASH: No way...

Ash can't tell if it is larger than the room they were last in. It's filled with training equipment: punching bags, fighting arenas, obstacle courses, and a lot more.

DAWN: Arceus, you guys really are Dauntless...

COLE: *Rubs hands together* Let's get started. Anyone here know karate?

No one raises their hands.

AURA: *Sighs* From scratch.

Everyone is assigned into two different groups. Ash, Serena, Dawn, and Clemont are in one, while Shauna, Trevor, Tierno, May, and Barry are in the other. Cole offers to teach Ash's group, leaving Aura to the other one.

COLE: We'll start with running.

Clemont noticeably groans and mouths, "why?" Dawn snickers, and Ash and Serena just shrug.

SERENA: *Begins jogging next to Ash and looks over at Aura's group* Looks like they're going directly to the punching bags.

ASH: Yeah. It doesn't look like Shauna and Trevor are doing well.

Serena continues to watch them while keeping her pace. She looks at her friends struggling to get this new concept of fighting. They all know J is mostly after Serena. In fact, it's mostly because of Serena that all of them are pulled into this.

SERENA: Ash...

ASH: Huh?

SERENA: *Bites lip* I'm sorry.

ASH: *Confused* For what?

SERENA: For getting you all into this mess!

The honey haired girl squeezes her eyes shut and runs faster, ahead of the group. She clenches her teeth.

SERENA: *Thinks* I love Ash. Nothing can change that. I just... I just wish that everything would be okay. That life would be easy. I wish that we'll make it through, together!

Distantly, a certain Pokémon hears her voice, awakened.