Delia was a light sleeper. Even the faintest sound was more than enough to wake her up.
It was one hour past midnight when she woke up. The air conditioner had stopped but her television was still on, radiating blue light.
She put her quilt aside, got off her bed and walked towards her bedroom window. She pushed the curtains aside and opened the window revealing lush green farms of the pallet town. Delia bit her lip sadly as she remembered her dream. Even though he was gone from her life for more than twenty years; she couldn't quite accept the fact that he was dead.
How could she? Guilt wouldn't let her.
He died to save you, it would say. You killed James.
Even now she could remember the sound of his laughter, the sight of his smile, the feel of his lips and the sternness in his eyes. If there was anything that she realized over the course of the past few years, it was that James wasn't just her love, he was a part of her from whom she refused to part ways. She sighed as she kissed her silver locket. The Kantonian summer night was warm and humid, it was nothing compared to the cold and crispiness of the night when James had died.
Delia closed the window and turned back to her bed, however, her ears shot up when the blue light coming from the television flickered. She stared at the television with suspicion.
The blue lights flickered every now and then. She sweatdropped as she opened her nightstand's second drawer and ran her fingers inside nervously. She found her silver revolver with full rounds just where she had put it. She sat on her bed with her body weight on her knees and stretched her right hand, the one with the revolver, forward.
It can't be her, she wondered. But... can it?
Delia had already lost her whole world when James had died, she'd paid her price. What more could they want?
Just as she'd suspected, the blue screen dissolved in a fit of a second and was followed by a blinding white light. Others might have squeezed their eyes shut but Delia didn't even blink. Grey, white and green dots of pixels now covered the screen. After a few more minutes, an image flickered on the television. Delia braced her arm when an old woman with silver-white hair, almond skin draped in wrinkles and skin folds appeared.
"It took me forever to hack into your bedroom television," the old woman said, "My my, your skills haven't even dropped a percent!"
Anger overtook Delia's nerve. She wanted to scream but her throat lay barren. She searched for words to cry but they couldn't come out of her lips, as if she was physically being restrained. Tears started to fill her eyes as she managed to say, "Shut it, " Delia bellowed, "What the hell do you want?"
"You're still short-tempered, I see, " the woman cackled as she brushed off a strand of hair which stuck at her lip, "I won't pop out of the television, you can lower your arm."
Delia did lower her arm, she continued to glare at the old lady before saying, "What do you want?"
The woman smudged as she let out a laugh, Well, how do you want me to put it. Truth or a lie?"
Delia scoffed, she had had her enough share of lies. If there was anything she learned, it was that listening to a made-up story couldn't wipe the zest of a famished mind. "Truth," she said.
The lady smiled, "The academy days have started to rub off on you, I like it."
Delia became agitated, to restrain herself, she looked down for a moment but rage found her anyways. "Tell me!" She shrieked.
The woman pretended to be scared, "Oh I'm scared," she mocked the brunette while waving her wrinkled hands in a wave, but after seeing that Delia wasn't entertained, she dropped down her act. "Our base recently picked up Electromagnetic warnings, they're stronger than earlier, it's time to assemble."
Delia gulped hard, realizing that her worst nightmare and come true. "I don't care," she said, "I lost everything to you the last time you assembled us. I don't want to lose anything now! Stay the fuck away from me, you hag!"
The woman sighed as she raised her eyebrow, "It's not the liquidator squad I'm after, it dissolved years ago."
"What're you after then?"
"You know what, more exactly 'who'."
"You wouldn't dare, " Delia spat, "I won't let you."
The woman cackled, "He's not yours to give. You swore an oath, dear Diane." She smiled, "don't tell me you're planning to break the sacred vow that your ancestors swore? Are you willing to break faith with us after a hundred years?"
"I'm not beholden to my ancestral vows, I don't give a damn fuck to what they swore."
"You have a dirty mouth, sweetheart, " the woman concluded, "the years have taken a toll on you. Don't tell me you're willing to let those bastards take what they want without a fight? Something James strongly opposed?"
Hearing his name come out of her, Delia's nerves shot up. "You don't talk about James in front of me!" Delia brawled on top of her voice as tears started to form in her eyes. "You let them kill him, Alisa, you let them kill him," she added in a meek voice as she sank on her bed, crying while she folded herself in a lump.
Seeing her student like that, the woman's eyes popped up in outrage. "It was nobody's fault but your own, " the lady stated, "Your wedding and your pregnancy were strongly opposed by the chamber but no, you had to do it in the middle of a war. It's time for you to you re-read the facts."
Delia whimpered as she pressed the heel of her hand against her eyes. She was telling the truth, Delia did in fact needed to re-read the fact, it was high time after all. Just like her guilt had said, it was nobody's fault but her own. She choked back her tears as she looked up again, she once again stood on her knees as straight as a scale, she broadened her chest and put both of her hands behind her, grasping them tightly, just like she'd done a thousand times before.
"Password, " she croaked.
Ailsa smiled as she said, "Die a thousand deaths-"
"-if a dime a dozen is worth the perfect storm." Delia continued. She balled her hand into a fist and crossed it across her chest.
"The Raider manor on the first day of blood week, don't be late."
It was Pikachu who woke Ash up, recent travels took a heavy toll on him as he spent most of his time sleeping.
"Gee, have we landed already?" He asked the mouse Pokemon while taking off his blue blindfold. The mouse Pokemon nodded.
Ash stretched his arms and yawned. The first-class compartment of Sinnoh Airlines in which Ash traveled was usually empty, except for today, there was an old lady who sat a seat across from him. He barely looked at her much less talk. Being a Pokemon master and champion of six regions since the age of sixteen was anything but relaxing. Nowadays he spent more time on a plane than he did on his own bed. He was wearing a green utility jacket over his black t-shirt with a pair of white sneakers. He slung his backpack around his shoulder and stretched his arm forward, making a bridge for Pikachu to walk on.
As he strode out of the metal compartment, he looked at the old lady. She was sleeping, using a Poké-Time magazine as a cover to shield her from the light. Her white hair and wrinkled skin on the hand was the only thing Ash could see, except her clothes of course. Ash's heart began to ache as glanced at the magazine cover. It showed a woman with short blonde hair smiling at the camera. She wore a black pantsuit and was sitting on a brown stool with her one leg raised.
'Poké-Time's most celebrated celebrity singer of the year', the heading read. Ash clenched his fist and closed his eyes for a moment. He wasn't able to control himself whenever a picture of Serena Yvonne flashed somewhere. She was now a celebrity, which meant her portraits appeared everywhere. Ash took a deep breath before calling the lady in his soft voice, "Madame? Madame? We've landed."
The old woman nuzzled as she woke up, she blinked her eyes a couple of time before yawning, "Oh my, I didn't seem to realize. Don't mind me, old age. Travel doesn't suit me very well." She closed the magazine and put it on her seat as she picked up a hot pink handbag. She thanked Ash as she walked past him.
Ash carefully nicked the magazine and stuffed it under his jacket and took a breath of relief when no one was around.
"What?" he asked the mouse Pokemon when he gave him an eye, "Seriously Pikachu I took this magazine to read and not gawk."
But the mouse knew better than his trainer. The air hostess, a tall woman with a sturdy chin and dirty honey hair greeted him at the door. "I hope you had a pleasant journey, thank you for choosing our airlines." He smiled as he walked past her.
"Excuse me, sir!" she called out just when he was about to leave the plane. He turned back around and saw her blushing immensely, "Ca-can I have a photo with you?" Ash chuckled and took hold of her phone, clicking a quick selfie. He handed her her phone back and smiled again.
"Ther is one more thing sir!" she said, "Take this, " she gave him a black mask, "a word got out, so- well take care!"
Ash sighed as he put on his mask, in addition, he even put on a black hat. Now, he looked more like an assassin than a Pokemon Master.
"Pika-pi, " Pikachu signed after seeing the crowd which had gathered outside the airport.
"I know buddy, I know." Ash sympathized as he squeezed past a bunch of girls holding banner (Ash didn't care to read). Luckily for him, no one noticed him. He called out for a taxi and said to travel straight to Pallet town.
"It's far away, " the driver groaned, "It'll cost many dollars."
"Just drive, " Ash ordered as he leaned back against the soft cushion, "God knows I have too much money."
The driver eyed him with suspicion before driving, Ash took off his mask and cap and sighed.
Being famous was not easy, he learned it the hard way. Besides him, Pikachu had curled into a ball and fallen asleep. Ash took out the magazine which he nicked from the plane. He smiled after seeing her gleaming face. She had dyed her hair blonde permanently after returning from Hoenn, not that she told him, he just noticed it when he watched her master class performance; the one in which she managed to win.
He ran his thumb over her perfect cheeks. They hadn't talked since parting their ways at the Airport in Kalos. He had talked to Clemont and Bonnie a number of times but not Serena. Only Arceus knew how much he missed her. Listening to her songs while drinking coffee and jogging was one thing and hearing her voice face to face was another.
He tore off the Poké-time cover which had Serena's picture. He carefully folded it and stuffed it in his wallet. Ash opened the car window and stuck his head out. The air got hotter and more humid as they entered Pallet. He thought about calling her but he just couldn't bring himself to do it, after all, they didn't exactly leave on friendly terms.
It had been many years, Ash was no longer the careless kid who lost five continuous leagues. He was now the 'unbeatable' trainer, the one he had dreamed to be ever since he was a child. Coming back to Pallet after almost a year brought back all his memories, good and bad alike. His schedule was tight, but he still managed to come when his mother called him last night. He sensed something strange in Delia's voice. It was meek and scared. That's why he took the first flight home.
Ash sighed again and rolled up the glass, he took off Serena's picture from his wallet and smiled again. He started to drift off when he started thinking about the time when he first met her.