"Ash! we're leaving tomorrow!" Serena called. "Pack now so you don't have to then."

"Noooo..." Ash groaned.

"Ah, a lover's quarrel!" Bonnie teased.

"BONNIE! STOP!" Serena yelled, noticeably red. Climont sweat dropped as Bonnie chuckled to herself. It had only been a few days with these people and I've learned a lot about them. Ash is battle happy, is dense and a bit of a block head. Serena had a huge crush on Ash, Climont made machines and was a gym leader, and Bonnie... was just Bonnie, I guess.

I decided to nap a little while they bickered.

TIMESKIP

I woke to darkness. I perked my head up and looked around. The cabin was still and quiet, and I spotted some full backpacks on the counter. It was pretty easy to tell which was whos.

I looked behind me to see the moon. I thought about what Pikachu said. All fears must be overcome, huh?

Well, better sooner than later.

I stood and bounded silently to the door past the sleeping pokemon. I used physic to unlock the door and I quietly snuck out. Once I was out of earshot of the cabin, I started running.

I winded down the paths I had seen before. When I got lost, I retraced my steps. Eventually, I found the familiar dirt path that led outside the town. I took a single step. But then I froze. Did I really want to go back there? To that house? To my corpse?

I took a deep breath. I would have to do eventually.

I raced down the path at top speed. All the dark trees looked the same, and it looked infinite.

I though I was lost until I came upon the destroyed rubble on the ground. Right. I forgot all about that encounter. When I first met a trainer. Looking back at it, my attacks were much weaker than what I could presently do. Maybe I did get stronger.

Snapping out of my daze, I turned and dove into the forest. I hadn't ran through ground like this in a while. I tripped occasionally, over the uneven rocks and roots, but after a few minutes of running, I got the hang of it.

I came upon the lake again. I wanted to sit and stare at it, but I had to get somewhere. And fast. The moon was inching closer to the horizon.

I took off in another direction until I found a path. I ran up it, and found the source of all my fear. The house looked the same as it did that night. Rotting wood, boarded windows, and splitting pillars. I walked inside to be greeted to a familiar sight.

An Eevee was strewn against the wall with a broken leg. My corpse was oddly intact. I eyes were closed and my moth was slightly ajar. It seemed to glow a warmth, illuminating small dust speaks floating around the body.

I quickly turned around in fear. I didn't want to see myself again. This did not help. Why did I even consider coming here in the first place?

But then, I saw Pikachu at the door frame.

I almost fainted on the spot.

"Oh... uh..." Pikachu mumbled. "Sorry... for your loss... and intruding on you."

"No, that's not it, Pikachu." I said. "That's me."

He looked at me in confusion.

"I'll explain someday... when I-I'm not afraid..." I continued. "just don't... tell anybody, o-okay?"

He nodded sadly.

TIMESKIP

I used physic to open the door again. Pikachu and I entered the cabin to a group of surprised and worried trainers.

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted, as Pikachu ran up his arm and nuzzled him. "We'd ya been?"

Ash laughed as I jumped on the couch and curled myself on it. It seemed like nobody cared where we were, just that we were back. Thank god.

We returned to the cabin just as the group were about to leave. That was a close one. The other pokemon were in their pokeballs while Pikachu and I walked along side the group. We passed a few other trainers and people who stopped to stare at me. Guess I'm that pretty, huh?

We were a mile or two from Salour city; the city with the gym battle Ash lost in. He decided to try again at the gym. He only had 4 pokemon on him currently. Adding me, the only option he has, would make a stronger team. Plus, I'm a ghost type, and this was a fighting type gym. I would literally beat them without even a scratch.

God, he's a blockhead.

We arrived at the city at sunset, making good pace for a single day. Ash and the others were tired, so they decided to get a room and chill at Salour for the rest of the day.

The landscape wasn't so different than what I'm already used to. Short grass, and a little hilly. There was a beach leading into a body of water, and Ash insisted he go there for training, despite it being almost night. I could tell he was pretty nervous about losing again.

I wasn't awake to know more.

"Ghasteon..." Bonnie pouted. "Wake up already!"

I felt her hand brushing against the top of my head. I yawned and blinked my eyes open.

"We gotta go!" Bonnie said. I frowned and got up.

We left he room and headed to the Salour gym. Ash was quieter than usual and fiddled a little with his fingers.

"You're gonna do great!" Serena said, trying to cheer him up. He nodded and smiles slightly.

Meanwhile, I was busy trying to hide myself behind Climont. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow, but continued on. People were really starting to stare at me it was getting pretty uncomfortable.

We made it to the gym, which looked more like a school or something, in one piece and entered inside. Soon, we were greeted by the gym leader herself, Korrina. Her Lucario stood proudly beside her.

"What's up, Ash!" she shouted across the battle field.

"This time I won't lose!" Ash swore. Korrina smiled.

"Good! I love a challenge!"

She pulled out her first Pokeball as Ash did as well. The referee stepped into the middle of the gym.

"The battle between gym leader Korrina and the challenger Ash Ketchem will now commence!" the referee shouted.

"Go Mienfoo!" Korrina shouted as she chucked the ball. The pokeball opened, releacing blue energy, that formed into the red and white Mienfoo.

"Let's do this Hawlucha!" Ash shouted as he released it.

"Hawlucha!" The tacky bird screeched.

The two pokemon clashed, throwing kicks and punches at each other. Nether were gaining ground.

"Mienfoo!" Korrina shouted. "Use swift then high jump kick! Like we practiced!"

Mienfoo launched several stars at Hawlucha. Hawlucha had to put all of it's concentration into dodging the move. Just then, Mienfoo seemingly teleported behind Hawlucha and kicked him high into the air.

"Hawlucha!" Ash shouted. "No!"

Mienfoo fired even more stars at Hawlucha. All of them connected and Hawlucha was out of the battle.

Soon, Ash pulled out Talonflame, which fire charged the Mienfoo out of the arena. Korrina's Machoke was released and was lucky enough to punch Talonflame out of the air after taking some damage.

"Greninja! Let's show them what we're made of!" Ash yelled as Greninja was sent in.

"Greninja." It replied simply. Machop ran up to it, attempting to use low sweep, but Greninja disappeared at the last second. A confused Machop looked around aimlessly, trying to pinoint the frog.

Suddenly, Greninja dropped above the Machop with a point blank water shuriken. It hit the pokemon straight in the head, sending it intot he floor and creating a cloud of dust, before Greninja flipped away towards Ash.

The Machop rose from the crater and walked out of the fogging dust cloud. A tick mark formed on it's head. It was really angry. Greninja dived to the side and used double team, creating mulitiple copies of itself.

"Greninja! Use water shuriken!" Ash ordered. The clones charged and threw a water shuriken about half their size. Machop ducked and jumped through most of them, but took some heavy damage.

The Machop began to destroy each clone, one by one with it's punches. Till at last, only one remained. Greninja tried to get away, but a hand gripped it's leg and slammed it onto the ground. Greninja turned to smoke as soon as it hit the rock.

Machop, looked around frantically, half expecting the real one to be above it.

Ash smiled as a huge water shuriken burst though the ground and straight into Machop, sending him flying. Greninja emerged from the hole, covered in dust and rock.

As Korrina returned her pokemon, she spoke.

"How did you do that?" she asked. "Greninja's not a ground type!"

"You don't have to be a ground type to dig underground." Ash stated, pulling his hat over his eyes.

Korrina pondered the response, but came back to reality.

"Lucario!" Korrina called. The Lucario standing next to her stepped onto the battle field.

"The Greninja's tough. Let's mega evolve while we have the chance." Korrina said. Lucario nodded as a sharp orange and yellow aura covered the pokemon. Some parts of it's fur become red and the ground cracked under it's feet.

Lucario moved with incomprehensible speed and punched Greninja in the stomach. Greninja was sent flying but recovered and disappeared before Lucario could hit it again.

Lucario charged up a power up punch while Greninja hid in the shadows. As soon as it was gonna come out, Lucario would make his move.

Greninja appeared before Lucario, who was punched instantly, causing Greninja to turn into a puff of smoke. A double team clone.

Lucario used swords dance and then bone rush, summoning a long, glowing bone in it's hands. Several more Greninja clones appeared and were instantly destroyed by the rushing Mega Lucario.

Soon, the clones stopped coming, and the battle field, wreaked and destroyed, was inly a single Lucario. Lucario closed it's eyes and attempted to sense where Greninja was.

Suddenly, Lucario charged a power up punch again and buried it's fist into the rocky ground. Greninja couldn't jump away in time and was smashed by Lucario's move. Ash worriedly returned Greninja.

"Don't try the same thing twice." Korrina said. "It'll bite 'cha."

Being his last resort, Pikachu stepped up. He fired off a few moves, missing all but one, and was knocked out about as quick as Ash's other pokemon.

Pikachu was set aside, heavily injured. I just stared at him, then Ash.

Ash was silent as he shadowed his eyes. He was really beginning to break down.

"Ghasteon..." Pikachu whispered. "You gotta... please..."

I looked concerned at Pikachu. Well, he's my friend. I guess. And I should help. I think.

3rd POV

"The winner of the match is-"

"Vee!" a pokemon called. Ghasteon walked in front of Ash.

"Vee!" It called again. Ash looked up at it.

"Ghasteon..." he whimpered, a small tear building in his eyes. A look of determination returned to his face. He wasn't gonna waste this chance.

"It's not over!" Ash declared. Korrina looked confused, looking at the unknown pokemon.

"What's that?" Korrina asked, pointing at the pokemon.

"That's Ghasteon!" Ash shouted. "He's a new pokemon!"

A tick mark formed on Ghasteon's forehead again.

'I'm a girl, thank you!' she thought, silently raging.

Lucario charged at Ghasteon, aiming another punch. Ghasteon simply stood there as the Lucario phased right through her and tumbled into the ground. Ghasteon swivelled around and used shadow claw on Lucario's back. Lucario jumped out of the way before it hit.

Lucairo jumped up towards Ghasteon, ready to drop kick it. Ghasteon, not being phased by any of this, produced a few shadow balls without Ash saying anything and fired them like bullets. Lucario somehow dodged all of them, mid air, and tried to kick Ghasteon. It didn't work, as usual, and Ghasteon used shadow claw again and knocked Lucario back a few meters.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Korrina asked Ash.

"I'm letting it do the fighting." Ash said. Korria wanted to say he couldn't do that, but thinking back to trainer rules and edicate, it wasn't really against the rules for the pokemon to willingly act on it's own, so she shut her mouth.

Lucario, with the orders from Korrina, used bone rush constantly, because it was the only attack that could even hit Ghasteon, as it was a ghost type.

However, Lucario wasn't nearly as fast with the move as it's other attacks, so it was a bit sloppy. Lucario charged in blindly regardless and Ghasteon simply jumped over the first bone, then used shadow claw to block the second. Lucario instinctively pushed his first bone upward to catch Ghasteon by surprise. Instead, she generated a shadow ball below herself and the bone smashed straight into it, triggering a small explosion that sent Lucario back a few feet and Ghasteon gained a bit of leverage.

With Lucario standing still and caught off guard, Ghasteon took the opportunity to use psychic on Lucario. She made him freeze in place as she landed. She slowly walked toward the immobilised pokemon. Lucario struggled in vain as Ghasteon created a large shadow ball. She compressed it into a small marble sized projectile that looked like a black hole. She pushed it against Lucario's stomach, making hit take several hits each second. Ghasteon's grip on Lucario was loosening, but it would be enough.

The shadow ball continually hit Lucario until he fainted.

Korrina watched in shock as Lucario fell to the ground. She returned him to his pokeball.

"The winner is the challenger, Ash Ketchem!" the referee announced.