Ancient Origins: A Power Divided

Trust and Training

"He is hopeless...you know that right?" Lucian remarked to Sabine. The both of them were stood next to a tree while spectating the training efforts of Ash. "Has he shown any kind of sign that his powers are activated?" Sabine watched Ash with her arms crossed. She knew what he was missing and despite all of the incessant nagging from Ash to tell her the secret she simply replied 'it is your fire, learn how to wield it.'

Ash was trying his hardest to make something happen. Making lots of different hand gestures, body movements. He even tried to meditate like Sabine but then he realised maybe that's the psychic elemental's secret to using her power. He needed to find his own. He looked to his two 'teachers' who gave him a look which he knew meant they weren't gonna help him with this.

"Well, you and I both know Lucian, that there isn't a secret. It is a drive. A feeling. Something deep inside. I thought it might be different depending on the element and Arceus knows what the other elementals will have to do. We will all be at varying stages of power."

"Or like Serena and Ash, we will have varying stages of no power." He snickered to himself.

"Hey, we can hear you." Serena called a little to the right of the both of them. She and Bonnie were also watching Ash's training. Bonnie still kept a close eye on Lucian. "You say we have no power even though yours are locked now to so shouldn't you be training?." Serena said.

Sabine grinned. "She has you there Lucian." Lucian glared at her. "Please don't encourage her, when I agreed to come with you all, I didn't expect to be dragged into trivial concerns like this." Then he turned to Serena. "Tell you what water girl, get Ash to show off his fiery side and then I may consider your proposal of training."

"My name is Serena ghost boy." Ash frowned very slightly at this interaction. Another pulling feeling tickled his stomach. He knew it was because of Serena but he didn't know why this one made him feel angry in a way...

Sabine interjected "Alright that's enough you guys. Serena, I'm pretty sure that you need to begin your training to." Serena nodded and got up but just as she did Clemont came through the back entrance of the pokemon center and told the group it was time for dinner. Bonnie was the first to rush in even pushing past Clemont. He looked back at her and then at Serena and Ash who frowned. Lucian and Sabine didn't seem to notice as they talked about ways Ash could improve.

Everyone was sat down at the same booths as yesterday. An array of different foods, made by Clemont were dished out. However, unlike most of their mealtimes, the atmosphere was very sour. "So, Ash how was your elemental training?" Clemont asked to lighten the mood.

"Still nothing, I don't know what I'm doing wrong, or what I'm missing." Ash said disappointedly. "You just have to discover the fire within. You have to focus on something that makes you feel different, something which gives you power." Ash rubbed his chin in thought. Then his belly groaned for more sustenance. "Well I guess I know what gives my stomach power." He chuckled.

No one laughed. "Is it always like this?" Lucian asked with curiosity. "Not until you came along..." A bitter voice echoed from the stall next to Clemont. "Bonnie! That was very rude." Clemont chided, but she carried on. "Well its true, I don't like him, how can we trust him after the stuff he did and said at the graveyard." "Bonnie, that's enough!"

Clemont yelled but just as he did, Lucian stood up. "She is right I suppose. I assumed everyone was ok with me being here but if there are second thoughts... I know when I am not wanted." A stormy look found his eyes and his hair covered them just as quick. Then he walked out of the booth and out of the door.

Bonnie watched as he went and immediately felt guilty. She did not mean to say those things, they just came out. She just was nervous because of the scary things that Lucian had done. Everyone was frowning at what had just unfolded except of course for Sabine. "Just once, I'd like to be wrong... I'm gonna go after him." She began walking to the door in pursuit. Ash and Serena nodded at one another. "We are coming to." Then they followed Sabine out of the door.