Ash slowly turned around, with tears building up in his eyes once more. 

Everyone had gathered by now. Professor Oak, the four champions, Delia, all of Ash's friends and Pikachu, who was standing by Delia. They all looked up the hill, Ash in the middle and Serena at the other end.

Ash hesitated, but then he began to walk back up the hill to Serena. 

"Serena?" He asked her, wondering if it was truly her own self.

Serena nodded and smiled again, but then held out her hand to stop Ash.

"Everything we have done together. Our journey, I don't regret any of it" as Serena spoke, Ash could see the pain on her face. "When I first met you, when we were kids, everything changed for me. Even now, everything continues to change. Ash, I have loved you forever and I always will. What has been done to me can not be changed, I hope that you can understand, but you have to let me go"

Ash froze, struck by the bullet. He clenched his teeth together and his eyes widened, but then he allowed his expression to soften. Ash slowly put his arms around Serena and drew her in, hugging her close.

"I am never going to let you go. This isn't going to be all for nothing. Everything is okay now" Ash whispered into her ear. Serena's eyes began to widen as the emotions came rushing to her, tears raining down from her eyes. 

"It's no use Ash, who knows when I will suddenly turn around and not recognize you again" she said in-between sobs. 

"Don't say that" Ash continued to whisper into her ear, comforting her. "We will do anything, Professor Oak may be a scientist for studying Pokemon, but I am sure we can help you" 

"You really think so?" Serena looked up with hope in her tear-filled eyes. 

"Of course. Besides, there is still someone out there that can help" Ash looked out to the clouds, in the direction of the rising smoke from the destroyed ship.

"Who?" Serena released herself from Ash's hug and looked at him as he stared at the sky.

"It doesn't matter, lets get going" Ash held out his hand, a smile now on his face. 

Serena had a small flashback to their time as kids in the summer camp as she slowly took his hand. Ash gently grasp onto her hand and they locked them together, before he lead her down the hill.

"Are you guys ok?" Dawn looked worried, but they both smiled and nodded.

Ash told Professor Oak the whole situation as they all headed towards Pallet Town.

"Well Ash, I have never seen anything like this. But you have done the whole region a great favour, so I will try my best for you" Professor Oak smiled and Ash couldn't help but smile back too.

"Thanks, Professor" Ash stopped walking at that moment, everyone else going on ahead and not noticing him.

"Where are you going?" Professor Oak asked Ash, raising an eyebrow in question.

"I have an errand, gotta run!" Ash turned on his heel and started to run off.

"Ash! You need to rest!" Professor Oak's shouting was no use, but it got everyone else's attention.

"Where is he going?" Serena tracked Ash with her red eyes, watching him run off. 

Pikachu came racing from behind the crowd and rushed after Ash. 

"He said he had an errand to run" Professor Oak replied, with a puzzled expression. "We better get going, there is lots to do!"

"You mean we have to help clean up all the mess?" Gary half moaned.

"Yes, Gary, it is our duty to ensure each town and city is safe, after all of this destruction,  I wonder if it will all be the same again" with that, they all continued on towards the lab, while Ash continued to run in the opposite direction.

"Pika!" Pikachu caught up, jumping onto Ash's shoulder.

"I have done enough running these past two days" Ash joked with a smile. "Thank god I had a small rest when we found Bonnie, because I would have passed out by now"

"Pika?" Pikachu asked. Ash seemed to understand Pikachu's question, because he sounded just as intrigued as the Professor.

"I know what I am doing is confusing, but you will understand soon" Ash continued on his way, until he reached the end of the forest. "Where will he be..." 

Ash thought for a moment and then headed in the opposite direction to where he was facing, heading for the cave that Team Shadow once resided in. 

"The rest of them are probably in jail now, but where is he?" Ash spoke to himself, looking around the whole base, but nothing was there. "Also, what happened to their Darkrai?"

Ash exited the cave and continued to run, not even knowing where to go. That's when he had an idea, the light bulb above his head turning on.

"He is leaving! There is no other explanation!" Ash turned and ran towards the docks that everyone came from at the start of the whole journey, jumping over a bush and running through the forest. Ash got to the docks and looked around.

"Pika?" Pikachu helped Ash look around, when he spotted a boat, with an Umbreon sat in the middle. "Pika!"

Ash turned to Pikachu and followed his gaze, before rushing over to the boat.

Umbreon jumped off upon seeing Ash, his paws firmly planted on the ground, ready to strike. 

Then, Parker came out from the trees and froze, staring at Ash.

"You just had to come and chase me down, didn't you?" Parker shook his head and sat on the grass, staring at the sea in front of him. 

"I am not here to send you to Officer Jenny" Ash slowly sat down near Parker, Umbreon and Pikachu staring at one another still. 

"Why are you here then?" Parker turned to Ash and he was surprised to see that Ash was calm.

He wasn't angry or sad, he was full of life and completely calm. 

"You can't leave, Parker" Ash didn't answer his question. "I just need you to help me"

"Why should I help you? I am the bad guy here, look at everything Team Shadow has done and you want me to help you?" Parker sneered at Ash, but Ash kept calm. 

"Because I know you're not all bad" Ash's words hit Parker like a bus, stunning him momentarily. Parker looked away. "I can see it in you and with no one left to help you, what do you have to gain by doing bad deeds?" 

"It's true, that I am not all bad. Like I said, everyone has evil intent inside them, but those with the evil personalities, have the opposite. They have good inside them" Parker turned to Ash, his face softening, a mirror of Ash's calm state. "Let me tell you a little story" 

"Ok then" Ash replied, not feeling any sort of hostility towards Parker. Umbreon and Pikachu sat and listened too.

 "A long time ago, around four years ago actually, I started my journey" Parker began to tell the story of how his journey began, how everything came into place. How he met Elizabeth and finally, his first confrontation with the leader of Team Shadow. 

"It happened to you too" Ash stared into Parker's eyes, who stared back with a confused look.

"What happened to me?" Parker asked, dumbfounded by Ash's response. 

"Well, you said that he got into your head, which is what happened to May. She became completely out of control and all for Team Shadow. It makes sense, right?" Ash's hypothesis sent Parker reeling. He landed on all fours, completely dazed.

"It...does" Parker replied slowly.

"That's why I need your help. I know their is still an innocent Parker that started his journey four years ago. Please, help me" Ash pleaded and everything fell silent.

"Ash. If I help you, will you help me?" Parker looked at Ash with a softened expression.

"What do you need help with?" Ash asked.

"I want you to ensure that I am not taken by Officer Jenny" Parker stated and Ash slowly nodded.

"I will make sure you are protected, so long as you mean what you say" Ash's voice was a warning to Parker, who grinned.

"I mean every word, Ash. You have opened my eyes" Parker stood up and signalled to Umbreon. "Change of plans, buddy. Lets go"

Ash stood up and turned around, watching Parker head back towards Pallet Town, when he realized something.

"Parker never spoke like that before" Ash said to himself, before smiling and running after him.

"So, what do you need help with?" Parker asked Ash, placing his hands in his pockets.

"You helped to build the machines on the ship and the ones that were used on Serena, right?" Ash put everything he had on this question, his body tensing up, waiting for the reply.

"Yes I did, why?" Parker stopped and turned to Ash. "Are you asking me to help stop the control on Serena?"

"Yes" Ash stopped too, turning to face Parker.

"I know what I did could be seen as wrong, atleast, I didn't think so at the time. But, I am not sure if she will ever be the same again" Parker frowned and then looked at Ash. 

"As long as we try, then it doesn't hurt anyone, right?" Ash made Parker's frown turn into a smile.

"Well, if you help me, then I will help you, like we agreed" 

"Like we agreed" Ash repeated Parker's words and they headed off again.

With an unexpected friendship made, Ash and Parker continued onwards, with Ash doing everything he possibly could to save Serena. 

Before it became too late.

---------------

If you listened to the song during the start, I hope it had an emotional impact xD 

I also want to thank you guys for the positivity on the last few chapters, you're all so awesome.

*EDIT: The next chapter will not be the last, two more to come!*

Prepare yourselves :)