The collision happened after a few seconds, causing a huge beam of light to shoot up into the air as explosions rocked the beach and displaced sand, forming a crater. Both trainers, and all of the onlookers, waited for the smoke to clear. Once it did, Ash sighed. Pikachu was standing over a fainted Gyarados.
"Gyarados is unable to battle, Pikachu wins! That means the victory goes to Ash!" Clemont called, officially ending the battle. James smiled softly, calling his Pokémon back.
"That was an awesome battle." Ash said, walking over to James and holding his hand out. James glanced down at the hand, then back up into Ash's eyes. He set his mouth and nodded, grasping Ash's outstretched hand as they shook. James had really gotten strong, and Ash respected him. Ash respected the man he used to despise. What a crazy world.
"I need to get my Pokémon to the Pokémon Center. We'll leave for Snowbelle tomorrow morning." James said. Ash nodded. The purple haired trained turned to leave, walking back towards town. Jessie and Jana followed him as the onlookers dispersed. Ash walked over and picked Pikachu up, cradling the tired Pokémon in his arms.
"Ash, that was an amazing battle." Dawn said softly, going up to him.
"Thanks." He said shortly. He was still irritated with Dawn. The dark blue-haired trainer sighed and left, irritated with Ash. Gary nodded at Ash once, then followed Dawn back to the Pokémon Center where they were staying. Bonnie came over and hugged Ash, then pulled her brother and Korrina away so they could help her train.
Ash looked around at the huge mess he and James had made of the beach. Something blue caught his eye, shining in the dying light of the sun. Ash jumped down into the crater, placing Pikachu on the sand as he stooped to pick the object up. It looked like a gemstone, flashing blue and purple. It couldn't be from Gyarados, Gyarados's scales don't change color. So what is it? Ash thought to himself. He pocketed it.
"Come on buddy, let's get you and Riolu fixed up, then I'm gonna go to the jewelers in town. I need to buy something." He muttered to his Pokémon.
~
Once he got Pikachu and Riolu back to perfect health, Ash sighed. He walked towards the Town Square without much hope. The other places he had stopped in the last few days didn't have the one he was looking for.
A small bell rang as he pushed open a glass door to a shop that looked promising. "Sorry sir, but we're about to close."
"I just need to look a little bit. I need a ring." Ash muttered. The jeweler's eyes sparkled, and a Skitty who had been lounging on a counter meowed. There was a Delcatty laying down next to one if he displays as well.
"Who's the lucky lady?" He asked, rubbing his hands together. The jeweler always loved helping men look for engagement rings, it brought him joy that there was more love in the world.
"The Kalos Queen." Ash muttered. "I never want to spend another night away from her again." The jeweler looked confused. "She was taken from me. I'm gonna get her back, and when I do, I'm going to declare to the world that she's mine and no one will change that, no matter how hard they try. They should've broke my soul, taken my life away, beat me, hurt me, or killed me, instead of touching her. It would've been a hell of a lot easier for them if they chose me instead of her. Now I'm getting her back, and I'll do whatever it takes."
"What do you mean taken?" The jeweler was slightly alarmed at the dangerous, brooding look on his customer's face, and the threatening words he was speaking.
"I mean that they took her from me. They abducted her. Kidnapped her." Ash muttered, not really thinking. He was staring at the rings.
"Once I get her back, no one is taking her from me again." Ash figured he sounded slightly crazy, but he didn't care. "I'm going to marry her. Then I can protect her better. It's my fault anyways, I couldn't protect her because I made a mistake. I made the mistake of staying with Dawn. I should've broken up with Dawn a long time ago, then Serena wouldn't have been as far away from me. I could've protected her." Ash looked up at the jeweler, eyes hard.
"I'm sure that's not true." The jeweler tried to calm the dark haired boy down. "No one can predict those kinds of things."
"I could've. I should've. They're after me." Ash replied, glancing away. Pikachu was on a table, looking carefully at his trainer, ready to calm him down if the need arises.
"I don't know much about that kind of stuff, but I do know one thing." The jeweler said. "You're going to get her back, and then you're going to make that girl your fiancé. It will happen. Nothing can stop a man who is trying to get to the woman he loves. Nothing."
"Nothing." Ash repeated softly. He looked up at the man, only now realizing that the jeweler looked scared to death. Ash never would've been able to tell by the man's voice. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say those things and scare you." Ash apologized.
"No worries my boy. I've seen and heard a lot worse." The jeweler replied. "Now, what kind of ring are you looking for?"
"The perfect one. But I don't see it here." Ash said, sighing. "I can't find it anywhere."
"I'm sorry sir. She's a lucky girl though." The jeweler tried to comfort Ash.
"And she deserves a hell of a lot better than me." Ash muttered. His cynical, self-deprecating attitude was back now that he was alone. Or as alone as he could be. The last few weeks he had been surrounded by his friends, and they refused to let him think about himself this way, but they weren't here right now.
"Often, the ones that deserve their lover are the ones who don't believe they do." The jeweler replied sagely.
"How can she deserve someone like me? I got her into this huge mess. It's my fault. They want me, so they took her. I'm walking into a huge trap." Ash said in response. He wasn't sure why he was pouring his troubles out on this poor old man, but he couldn't stop.
"That right there is exactly why this girl deserves you. You are willing to go to any lengths to get her back, even if it means walking into a trap." He said. Ash glanced up, his hands absentmindedly slipping into his pockets.
"Really?" Ash asked. The jeweler nodded. Ash glanced back down at the cabinet with the rings and started playing with the piece of...something...he found on the beach.
"The Kalos Queen you said?" The jeweler asked, breaking the silence. Ash nodded. "Then I would maybe think about one of these." He pulled out a couple delicate, pretty rings and laid them on the table.
"I said I didn't see it here." Ash muttered.
"Just look my boy. You'll figure it out. If it's not here, then it's not here, but you still need to feel and see, instead of staring absentmindedly down at a glass case." Ash sighed and brought his hands out of his pocket and picked one of the rings up.
It had a small diamond supported by a vine-like setting, and tiny sapphires decorated the area around it. The ring was gold, contrasting nicely with the colors. Ash shook his head and placed the ring back on the counter. The other one was similar, and not any better.
He started playing with the blue object he found at the beach, twirling it between his fingers as he looked at the rings closer.
A flash of blue caught the jeweler's eye, causing him to glance at the boy's fingers. He was holding a piece of something that shimmered blue and purple. The jeweler thought he recognized it.
"What's that there?" The jeweler asked, referring to the object in the boy's hands. Ash looked down at it.
"I don't know. I found it on the beach. Is it a gemstone?" He handed it over. The jeweler held it in his hands, turning it up towards the light. The object was about two and a half inches long, and 2 inches thick. The top was straight, but it curved to a point at the bottom. It wasn't like any jewel he'd ever seen.
"When you hold it up like that, it's the same color as her eyes." Ash muttered, watching the jeweler. He got an idea. "Sir, could you make that into a ring?"
"It's possible. It would be a very interesting ring indeed, and very beautiful. But I've never seen a gem like this." Then it clicked in the jeweler's mind, an old legend. "This is no jewel. It's a scale."
"A scale?" Ash asked.
"A dragon scale, to be exact." The jeweler glanced up at Ash with a twinkle in his eye. "From none other than Dialga himself."
"What?" Ash exclaimed. "That's incredible! But how did it end up here? Dialga is part of the Creation Trio of Sinnoh."
"There's an old legend that Dialga, although a Sinnoh native, did rule Time from here for a long while. The legend goes that Dialga loved the sea, and the Muraille coast has the most beautiful seas in the world. He made this his domain, until Yveltal, Zygarde, and Xerneas kicked him out. It's a long, bloody story that I don't have time to tell, but this is a scale from Dialga. I'm sure of it."
"Can you make a ring out of it?" Ash asked curiously.
"Not easily. Dragon scales are the toughest material in the world. Stronger than diamonds. It's extremely hard to cut and shape. There's only one material that can cut it, but, used improperly, will shatter the whole thing into unusable pieces."
"What's that?" The man pulled out a knife. It glistened like ice.
"This is a blade made from a NeverMeltIce. I am one of 2 holders of this type knife. These blades are hard to craft and even harder to use. The edge is very sharp and can cut anything, but if used wrong, it will shatter the material it is supposed to be cutting, as well as break the blade."
"That will cut a dragon scale?" Ash was slightly disbelieving, the blade looked really delicate.
"Yes it will." The jeweler smiled. "Watch." He secured the dragon scale with a par of forceps and had Ash hold them closed. "You need to hold this securely, the reaction between the ice and the dragon scale will be a fierce one."
"What happens?" Ash asked, curious.
"Well, I'm no chemist, but the ice does something incredible to the molecular structure of the scale, causing it to be cut easily with ice. Watch." He touched the blade to the dragon scale, Ash pinching the forceps tight together. The dragon scale started shaking and jumping around, forcing Ash to concentrate rather hard. A small sliver of dragon scale slid off.
"Oh wow." Ash muttered. "So that's why ice is super effective to dragon."
"Yes indeed." The jeweler replied. "Now, you should go get some rest. I need to finish shaping this and put it in a setting, and then create the ring. When are you leaving Ambrette Town?"
"Tomorrow morning." Ash replied. The jeweler nodded.
"It will be a work-filled night tonight then. Come and get it right before you leave, I promise to have it ready." Ash bowed respectfully.
"Thank you."
"Not a problem. I have one more question for you though, what type of metal would you like the ring band and setting to be?"
"Gold please." Ash requested. "Or that pink stuff."
"Rose gold?" The jeweler questioned, amused.
"Yeah that." Ash muttered.
"I will make a ring like no other. Pick it up tomorrow, alright?"
"Yes of course, thank you again." Ash said graciously. The jeweler nodded, waving good bye as he walked to the back of his shop. Ash sighed and pushed the door open, stepping out into the warm summer night air, still glowing slightly from the sunset.
He returned to the Pokémon center a few minutes later, and joined his friends back at the cafeteria. "Where were you?" Gary asked.
"I had to take care of something." Ash replied vaguely. His friends were curious, but didn't ask any further questions.
~~
"I wonder what he had to take care of." Serena muttered to Naomi. The older girl shrugged her shoulders.
"Beats me." She muttered. "But hey, they're coming for you."
"You too." Serena said fiercely. "You're not gonna have to deal with Giovanni anymore."
"I'm looking forward to the day." She whispered.
Serena and Naomi watched longer, waiting until the last few people were the only ones remaining. Ash sighed, still in his seat at the dining table. He was petting Pikachu's head, and Serena could tell he was trying to form a way of getting her out. He seemed a little more like himself, not flying off the handle as much. Maybe he had hope now? Serena didn't know.
Ash sighed, staring blankly at the brown stripes on Pikachu's back. "Iron Tail Pikachu." He muttered. It was kind of a mantra for him now, he needed to say it before he went to sleep. It made him feel better, and he didn't have those horrible dreams.
Serena smiled softly, staring at Ash from the monitor. "Iron Tail Pikachu." She whispered, touching a hand to the screen. She missed him so much, it has been almost 3 weeks since she saw him last.
"Come on, we should get some rest. Giovanni and Lysander come back tomorrow." Naomi muttered softly. "We need to be at full strength to deal with their Tauros-shit." Serena nodded and looked one last time at Ash before the monitor went dark.
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PART TWO YASS! Hahaa part two is done. This chapter reached upwards of 2000 words, so the chapter, if in one piece, would've been over 5000 words long, and that's too damn much lol. I hope y'all liked it!! I'll post a sample picture of the ring Ash is getting for Serena in the next chapter, it's a beaut.
Also, guys, this is insane! I'm at 25k readers! I can't believe so many people enjoy my writing 😅 I appreciate all the support. I know I say that pretty much every other chapter, but I do, it means a lot.
Anywho, if you liked the chapter, vote and comment please! Your guys' comments and satisfaction keep me writing, and make it easy for me to find the motivation to put a new chapter out every 1-2 days! Of course, the frequency of updates will slow down, seeing as summer is on its deathbed for me, I return to college in a few weeks. But we've got a little time!