11. Love and Despair

Chapter 22: Meet Up

After answering the call from Trenor and Minami, Ash, Serena and Saphira are now at the Johto Region, where they are supposed to meet up with Mark and Lillie, who just come back from the Hoenn Region.

"Mark, Lillie. How are the gems?" Ash asks, and Mark takes out the Fighting Gem and the Fire Gem, he says, "We got them alright. What about you? Brother?"

Ash takes out the Electric Gem and the Ice Gem, he says, "We got them as well. The only gems in the Johto Region are the Water Gem in the Whirl Islands, and the Dragon Gem in the Dragon's Den."

"The two places are on the other side of the regions, so we still need to split up as well." Lillie says as she notices Saphira, and she gives her a hug and asks, "So how is the little princess doing?"

"I have been being a good girl, Aunt Lillie. You can ask Papa." Saphira says with a proud face.

"Well, she did help us get the Ice Gem back in the Alola Region." Ash says. But then they notice the traitors are floating on pieces of wood as they are sent from the Grandpa Canyon.

"Oh no, not them again..." Ash mutters. "No, wait, this is a perfect time."

"What are we going to do now?" Mark asks, noticing Ash's sudden change of face.

"I am not going to hide from them this time, I need to do what must have been done in the first place." Ash says as the traitors notice Ash, Serena, Lillie and Mark at the same time.

"Ketchum!" The traitors yell as they quickly get out of the water.

"I am here alright, what do you guys want this time?" Ash turns around and asks them coldly.

"How dare you make your brother attack us." Max yells. "Look what he did to us!"

"It is not my fault, you're just annoying people who try to harass them." Ash says coldly. "Besides, now that you here, I demand my Pokemon back."

"And what if we don't?" Misty asks, only to be fired with the Moonblast by Serena's Sylveon. Bonnie asks, "Serena, why are you attacking us?"

Serena says with anger, "You know damn well why I do this! I have to suffer from my love for Ash because of your greed. You force me to love a man I don't love and break Ash's heart. I want you all to suffer the same way as I did!"

"It is your fault to fall in love with him, it is not our fault." Clemont says, but Serena has Delphox out and the Majestic Fire has been blasted on his face.

"You hypnotized me! I rather die than fall in love with someone that isn't Ash!" Serena looks like she is burning with fire and then her Delphox has also changed form, much to the traitors' surprise.

"Dazzling Gleam! Psyshock and Stone Edge! All of you!" Serena yells as all three of her Pokemon are now attacking the traitors mercilessly. But no matter how hard Serena blast their attacks on, they won't be able to die due to the fact that they have Ash's Pokemon.

Ash, Lillie, Mark and Saphira are now surprised at the outburst of Serena, and Mark says, "Although I hated her for what he did to you, brother...but now...I don't what to say."

"I feel the same way as well." Lillie says.

"Mama is so scary now..." Saphira says in a scared tone, and Ash quickly hugs her to calm her down.

"Can't blame her, but I need to stop what she is doing." Ash mutters.

Ash then pats Serena's shoulder, and he says, "Serena, that's enough. You won't be able to kill them if you continue to do that, you'll just tiring them out."