The Vytal destiny

Chapter 41

Cinder was so shocked that she started shaking and dropped the scroll. The customer took noticed.

"Cinder? Is everything alright?" She asked the waitress/Huntress.

"I…excuse me." Cinder whimpered as she quickly picked up her scroll and stormed out.

She sat on the steps leading up to the gym and she cried her eyes out seeing the bounty that was on Ash's head. She felt so responsible for putting Ash in this state that she couldn't forgive herself for the heinous acts she committed to him.

Cilan noticed that Cinder had stormed out and went after her. When he saw her on the steps, he sat by her and also gasped at the bounty. He held Cinder and she cried into his neck and held him tight.

Just then, a portal opened up in front of them. They looked towards the portal, and their eyes shrank when they saw Ash and Blake emerging from the portal. Ash and Blake smiled at Cilan and Cinder when they stepped out and the portal closed.

Cinder screamed a bit as she got up and ran to Ash and hugged him tight. Ash and Blake hugged her as well. Ash saw her worry and sorrow change to relief and overwhelmed in her aura.

"Ash, thank god you're okay." Cinder whispered.

"Good to see you too." Ash said as they broke the hug.

They went back inside and Ash and Blake got a drink from them. Cilan and Cinder sat with them. Cinder has been eyeing Ash's lack of a right arm, and it was a constant reminder of what she had done.

"So, what brings you two here?" Cilan asked.

"Answers. Have you heard of Arthur Watts's rise to political power?" Blake asked.

"Yes. Watts is not only a political mastermind, but also a technical genius and medic. He's the last remaining member of Queen Salem's inner circle. I was overwhelmed that she has finally met her downfall once and for all." Cinder explained.

"What can you tell us about him that we can use to his advantage?" Ash asked.

"I know that he constantly likes to talk bitter to his underlings and my former subordinates: the traitors, along with Mercury and Emerald. Plus, he takes failure very serious." Cinder said.

"I see. So all we need to do is make some of his movements not only failures, but something that he cannot ignore." Blake said.

"Or maybe we could outsmart him somehow." Ash suggested.

"Good luck with that. He's not easily fooled." Cilan said.

Ash then looked towards Cilan as he had a very important question to ask.

"Cilan, I need to know. Why did you betray me all those years ago?" Ash asked.

Cilan knew that was coming sooner or later. He took a deep breath and prepared himself.

"After our adventure together, I always thought I was there as nothing more as the main cook and an annoying Connoisseur to you Ash. When Max tracked me down, along with Iris, he told us that he never truly cared. I didn't want to believe it at first, but he also told us that you saw him as an annoyance when he joined you, May and Brock in Hoenn. I thought he was lying, but he proved it in a way I didn't think possible. We formed an alliance to try to get you to stop being a trainer, but it all failed. After you defeated Max in the Pokémon Tournament in Vale, I realized, no me Dawn and Serena realized that we made a big mistake. I'm not asking for us to be friends again, but I just want a chance of redemption." Cilan explained.