Love in the Time of Tribulations

Chapter 16: A Declaration

I pay homage to a series I've paid homage to before here. I know at least one of you will get it, but keep in mind that was never the point of the scene. More at the bottom. For now, Chapter 16 time!

Chapter 16

A Declaration

"You...but you're..." Ash couldn't get his mouth to work right. "I thought Carl..."

"Carl?" Michael said, his hands shoved his pockets, a small smirk twisting his face as he strode across the beach like there wasn't a battle being waged all around him. "Carl's a useful man, and more deserving of being a face than Cedric, but I know his uses and they are few...much like his son."

"I...I don't understand..." Ash said, looking back and forth between his father and Michael. "Dad, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because at the time it didn't concern you," Jack said angrily, though Ash easily recognized that the anger wasn't directed at him. It was directed at Michael. Ash could understand that, but he was feeling numb. He had spoken with the man, been praised by him, fought alongside him for however brief a time. Only now...it was all... "I wanted to stop DARC here, while they were leaderless, so to speak. I never expected Michael would come to join the party himself."

"Of course I would, Jack," Michael said and he reached up to remove the glasses from his face. As he removed them and tossed them aside onto the beach, Ash could now fully see his eyes: a sharp, clear, shockingly blue set of eyes. They were eyes he was more than familiar with; he'd even go so far as to say that he was intimately familiar with them. Staring out at him from Michael's face were undoubtedly Serena's eyes. "The Final Day is approaching. No time for me to sit on the sidelines...but I did want to lull you into a false sense of security. It seems to have worked. I mean, grow some facial hair, get some glasses and remain out of the limelight and you can really fool everyone with a disguise. Helps that the name Michael is all too common. You didn't even know."

"Shut up, Michael," Jack spat angrily.

"What the hell is going on...?" Seamus breathed next to him, causing Ash to shake his head. Alain was still kneeling on the sands as Cedric slowly approached all of them. Looking behind, Ash could see most of the Battle Corps other than his father appeared to be utterly exhausted and ready to fall over with a push. Ash could admit to not feeling so great himself, but he was more than willing to push on.

"Keh heh heh, Michael, really...what took so long?" Cedric asked, having obviously retrieved his chip bag, judging from the crunching noises. Michael turned his head.

"The League was tracking me, Cedric," he said with a roll of his eyes. "I had to make my death look believable. I didn't expect Diantha to keep the hounds nipping at my heels for so long. I should've given her more credit as a Champion...but I suppose we havebeen the reason for her regional problems of late."

"Who are you really?" Ash suddenly yelled, his voice echoing off the cliffs of the rock face and bouncing back at him. Michael blinked and turned Serena's blue eyes upon him. Ash forced himself to swallow the lump in his throat at that, feeling his heart speed up from terror (and he never felt terror).

"How do you want me to answer that, Ash?" Michael said with a shrug. "I'm the vice president of the Pokémon League, though I'll admit to only obtaining that position to keep an eye on and influence things in the world. Wasn't easy, and I have to admit that despite my loathing of your world, I have respect for President Goodshow."

"That doesn't explain anything!" Ash screamed, feeling the rain droplets fly off from the tips of his hair. He stepped forward and felt Seamus almost holding him back. "Why are you the leader of DARC? Why are you hurting people? What are you trying to do? And why...why do you look like Serena? !"