A Journey's Link

Chapter 38 - Passion

"I'm just pondering," she said in response to Ash's blurting. "Pondering?" Ash repeated, not fully understanding what she meant. "Yes, about why the Lake Trio chose to contact you," she responded, sounding slightly confused as she did so. "Surely something must be wrong."

Ash shrugged his shoulders and said, "Azelf chose to connect with me in Sinnoh so that we could fight against Team Galactic." Olympia nodded as he said this. "True, but this was for the protection of Time and Space. If they're doing it again, then clearly there must be a greater threat at play here."

"What? Are you saying that the third Zygarde core isn't the only threat?" Ash asked with wide eyes. Olympia nodded with a solemn look on her face, causing Ash to realize just how big this threat could be. "But it's just a core," Ash protested. "How could it cause so much damage on its own?"

"That is something I do not know," Olympia admitted. "However, we must remember that there are truly supposed to only be two cores, to begin with." Ash realized this was true. If the cell that was flying towards Earth was an unknown third cell, then who knows what it could do if it combined with Squishy and the other cell.

Ash expressed his thoughts. "What form would Zygarde be in if all three cells combined?" Normally, Ash wouldn't ask critically thinking questions, but in times where the literal fate of the world could be at stake, he didn't want to leave open any possibility for something to go wrong.

Now, Olympia was stumped. This was a new experience for her not to be able to predict the future or foresee any kind of threat. "It could be presumed that it would be 150% form," she suggested, not knowing how to answer Ash's question. "I guess," Ash responded, accepting Olympia's answer.

Olympia looked at Ash for a second and smiled. "I can tell you want to go with your friends, yes?" Olympia asked, sensing Ash's tension. Ash nodded and looked behind him at the doors. "Your friends are the source of your energy and strength after all," Olympia said mysteriously.

Ash turned back towards Olympia with an inquisitive look on his face. Source of my energy? Ash thought, confused by what Olympia was saying. Seeing his confused look, Olympia said, "No matter. Go! Be with your friends!" Ash smiled and said, "Thank you for helping me!" Olympia smiled and said, "Thank you for saving me."

As Ash turned around and walked away, Olympia suddenly shouted his name. "Ash! One more thing before you depart!" He turned around with an expectant look on his face, Pikachu mimicking his actions. "There was one extra thing that I saw while I meditated if you don't mind me telling you."

Shaking his head, Ash adjusted his hat as he stared up at Olympia. "Not at all," he replied. Olympia closed her eyes and attempted to recall as much as she could. "I could sense an odd imbalance from your Aura; something about it seems to be wrong." Ash tilted his head and asked, "My Aura? What's wrong with it?"

"I can sense that you have a strong connection to Lucario within it, am I correct?" She asked, to which Ash nodded slowly. "That is the strongest connection; however, I am sensing foreign waves from other beings. One of them seems to be deeply rooted within your past, which confuses me greatly."

"Rooted in my past?" Ash repeated. "You mean, like one of the other Pokemon that I used to travel with in the past." Olympia nodded and opened her eyes again. "Correct. I cannot tell where it is coming from, only that it exists within your connection to Lucario." Ash frowned and scratched his head. Another Aura wave? He thought to himself. This is getting too complicated.

"For now, please be cautious and be with your friends," she said again. "I implore you to discover what it means to love, Ash." Nodding, Ash turned around, waving as he walked out. Olympia watched him as she pondered. I hope that he and the girl find each other. The image of the future and what it held appeared in Olympia's mind once more. For the sake of the future, and you both.

[-]

Goh and Chloe walked into the Pokemon Center, discussing what they saw in the Anistar City Gym. "I just think that we need to be ready for anything," Goh said as he walked up to the desk. "I guess, but I'm just worried about Ash," Chloe said, walking beside Goh.

Goh stopped and turned around with a mildly annoyed look on his face. "You're worried about Ash? Why?" He asked, prompting a confused look from Chloe. "I'm just saying that I'm worried because he's supposed to stop the threat or whatever," she explained. "That's a lot for one person to do."

"What about me?" Goh asked, slightly confused. "I'm also in this fight as well." Chloe tilted her head and shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, he's the one who was supposedly chosen, or whatever," she responded absentmindedly. "I'm not sure that you'll really do much against the threat."

Goh hated being belittled, and whether Chloe knew it or not, he felt that he was. He knew it was stupid to be getting so angry over such a small thing, but he couldn't help it. "Well, he's supposed to fight the threat with another person with love!" He exclaimed. "Maybe you can be that person!" The second those words came out of his mouth, he regretted it, as Chloe's face morphed into one of betrayal and anger.

"Hey, that's not fair!" She yelled out of frustration. "I don't know what's gotten into you so suddenly, but you can't just say stuff like that!" She stormed out of the Pokemon Center, leaving Goh inside with his mouth agape.

Goh stared at where Chloe had walked out and began regretting ever getting mad at Chloe. How did it go so wrong so quickly? He thought to himself as he sat down on a nearby bench. There was no one else in the Pokemon Center, and Nurse Joy seemed to be tending to a patient in one of the medical rooms, so he was glad that no one saw the altercation.

Going back over the argument, Goh desperately tried to identify why exactly he had gotten mad. After thinking for a while, he still couldn't exactly figure out why he had gotten so upset. His final words to Chloe replayed in his head once more. "Well, he's supposed to fight the threat with another person with love!" He had exclaimed. "Maybe you can be that person!"

It suddenly hit him. He was jealous. He had been jealous before but in different scenarios. He had been jealous when a classmate got a better score on his test. He had been jealous when everyone around him seemed to make friends easier. He had even been jealous when he saw Ash fighting against Paul with such power.

He knew, deep down, that this jealousy was different. Standing up, he began walking towards the doors in pursuit of Chloe, realizing why he had felt that warm sensation back at the location with Giovanni, and why he had gotten so upset with her moments ago. As much as it confused him, he cared for Chloe, and he needed to find her and profusely apologize.