Rise Of A Hero

Chapter 25

Ash's POV:

My heart was in my mouth when Calem drove the dagger into Serena's back, but she wasn't screaming in pain, she was just wincing as if someone had shocked her. In fact it was Calem who was sent flying back to wherever he had come from.

"H...How?", I asked her and she simply turned around and lifted her shirt partially revealing a body armour kind of a thing filled with wires and stuff.

"Well, this was the dress I was supposed to use in a Performance, but I had accidentally shocked myself and Delphox once, during our routine. You see, when ANYTHING makes contact with this piece of crap, I get a shock. Along with me, the person or Pokemon who is in physical contact with me ALSO gets the dose. Palermo didn't want it back and told me to throw it away, but it kinda seemed like a good source of protection. So, I've been walking around with this thing under my shirt", she told me nonchalantly.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!", I accused her cupping her cheeks, and her perfectly shaped lips morphed into a sly grin.

"Good to know that you care about me, Ashy", she purred. Suddenly, she slipped a crumpled piece of paper in my hand, and I gave her a confused look.

"I managed to steal this from Calem's pocket when he had me in his grip. It was so damn TIGHT that I was afraid he would shatter the bones in my forearm", she told me cradling her left hand with a wince and she noticed my expression causing her to give me a small smile.

"I'll be fine. You should follow him", she told me but I wasn't ready to leave. In the meantime, I returned Mewtwo back to its Pokeball hoping that the Psychic type wouldn't add fuel to the fire of destruction surrounding us.

"Do you trust me, Ash?", she asked me breaking me out of my reverie, and I sincerely nodded my head.

"Then go get him. I know about what I'm going to do", she told me and I noticed a certain flare in her eyes which I hadn't seen before, causing me to leave the place, not before seeing that beautiful smile of hers once more.

Right outside the room, Alain, Paul and Trip were sitting down on the floor stroking the hires of their tired Pokemon and chuckling to themselves. Bodies of unconscious grunts were strewn around them like bits of paper in a New Year's Eve party. Then, the three of them turned to see me.

"Hey, Ash! Good to see you in one piece!", Paul mocked me with a smile. What had gotten into his head? Paul NEVER smiled! His lips could only curve upwards in a condescending manner or in complete sarcasm.

"Right, I'm kinda busy now. I'll leave you guys to your own business", I told them and left. The trio had totally destroyed the walls of the first floor, and each step I took felt like my last as I could almost feel the upper floors dangling from imbalance.

Silence...Pin drop silence. That was the only thing prevailing in the remaining rooms and I had no plans of disrupting that silence and giving away my position like a fool.

Suddenly, I heard a few rocks tumble down followed by a deep growl of a male. I was almost sure that it was Calem and I approached the room. In all the time I've been in this building roaming around, I've never seen the room. I went inside cautiously and saw that it was a Battle Arena. But it seemed ancient...EXACTLY like the one where Diantha defeated her father to gain the title of Champion of Kalos, and I recall the battle like it happened yesterday. It was the closest battle I had ever seen and Diantha's father couldn't be more proud to bestow his title upon his then 22 year old daughter.

At the right end of the arena, he was standing...looking around aimlessly, but he wasn't afraid. With no other option remaining, I walked to the other side of the field, facing his back.