Light's Love and Night's Passion

A/N: I'm feeling a little better now, but I still need to take it easy. This is the last chapter I have of this story so far. And I haven't written anything new for it in a while. So I ask that you guys be patient for any future updates on this after this chapter.

Let's get on with Chapter 5! Roll it!

Chapter 5

The Angel's Curse

"So when did you find out that the Angel Phantom was actually real, Mom?" Evan carefully asked his mother, holding his Piplup tighter in his arms, but not enough to accidentally suffocate the little Water type. The family had left the theater once the auction was over, with their purchase safely in Mari's hands, and they were beginning to get back inside the car. As the dull auction had continued on earlier, Dawn had been quietly whispering the story so far until they were outside upon the end of the auction.

Dawn just softly smiled as she unlocked the car. "That wasn't until much later." She answered her youngest son.

"I'm more curious about what happened to Dad." Mari said, getting inside and her Pikachu jumping onto her lap, the little Electric type being careful of the music box in her Trainer's hands. "He couldn't have just disappeared into thin air like that. Could he?"

"You're really asking that?" Luke asked his sister, his brow raised as he took his own seat in the very back of the rental car with his Lucario. "Our family is infamous for pulling off stunts like that."

Dawn chuckled lightly. "Well, you're right about that, Luke." She said as she started up their car with her Prinplup in the passenger seat. Evan took his spot on the other side of Mari, with his Piplup sitting in his lap as well.

"But that was one disappearing act that I really wanted solved, especially because of that scare your dad gave me." Dawn continued as they carefully got out of their parking spot. "But I had a feeling right away that it wasn't his own doing, and the first ones to figure out what actually happened were your father's Pikachu and Floatzel, back when he was still a Buizel."

****************

Pikachu and Buizel were trying their best to try and track down their Trainer as they ran through the musty and soggy catacombs underneath the theater. He had to be down here. He just had to. Why, they weren't exactly sure, but they were determined to get some answers.

It was dark and damp down there, making it hard to see, or even smell, in those catacombs. But Pikachu could still smell that someone had been down there, despite the strong and putrid sewage stench, and it was pretty recently. And whoever it was, they might know something about his Trainer.

Suddenly, he caught a familiar scent. He sniffed the air, trying to differentiate from the damp muck of the catacombs and the new scent. His eyes widened when he realized why the scent was so familiar.

"Pika-pi." He said.

Pikachu then took off like a shot down the damp hallway with Buizel following him as best as he could. Both of them ran down the passage, seeing that there was a dim light getting brighter and brighter as they continued towards it.

Finally, they reached the end of the passage, and they saw that there was a large aqueduct system that hasn't been used in years. The murky water looked deep, and it trails down deeper into the catacombs.

Pikachu sniffed the musty air again, ignoring the strong smell of the dirty water, but at least it was mostly just water and mud. He then caught Ash's scent again, from somewhere further down the aqueduct.

"Pika, Pika." He pointed down the murky river.

"Bui, Bui." Buizel nodded, and then jumped into the murky water. He resurfaced after a few seconds and gestured to Pikachu to get on him. Carefully, the Electric type jumped onto his back, and Buizel zipped down the aqueduct.

After a few minutes of swimming through the dark sewer, Pikachu's ears perked up when he heard something faint ahead of them. He gently patted Buizel on the head to get him to stop. Both of them froze for a few seconds until the sound slightly got louder.

Music. Beautiful, but haunting, music.

Buizel quietly headed down the tunnel so that he and Pikachu can see where the music was coming from. Soon, they saw that there was an old iron gate lifted up, leading into a shallow pool and a large man-made cavern. The lights seemed brighter from inside the cavern, which came from hundreds of candles stationed everywhere.

Both Pokémon quietly swam inside the cavern and towards the end of the pool, trying to make as little sound as possible, trying to mimic the sounds of ripples in the water, in case if there was someone there. Their suspicions were soon proved correct.

Over at the closest end of the pool, sleeping deeply near the banks of it, were four different Pokémon. One of them was a female Braixen, the second was a male Pancham, the third a female Sylveon, and the fourth, much to their fright, was a male Malamar. They have heard of the scary stories about the psychic powers of the Kalosian Psychic and Dark type. Quietly, they swam to the other end of the pool, away from the sleeping Pokémon.

They reached what looked like a carved stone staircase at the base of the pool, next to a large wooden gondola-like boat. They got out of the water and quietly went up the stairs to the top. There was a large cavity that served as a sort of small room, with a thin white tulle curtain covering the entrance, with pure black silk drapes on the sides. They both tucked underneath the curtain and entered the room.

There he was. Their Trainer and friend, Ash. He was sleeping peacefully on a large, comfy queen-sized bed, still in his pajamas, but there was a thin black robe draped around his body, and his feet were clad in dark gray loafers.

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu cried out quietly and he scampered onto the bed to nudge his face.

Ash stirred from the contact, and his eyes slowly fluttered open. His vision was a bit blurry until it focused to see Pikachu sitting on the bed with him and Buizel standing on the side.

"P-Pikachu?" He asked, rubbing his eyes. "Buizel?"

Both of his Pokémon cried out happily, but quietly, as they went over to hug their Trainer. Ash hugged both of them back, though he was pretty confused about what was happening.

"What happened?" He asked after he let them go, gently holding his head. "Where am I?" Pikachu and Buizel shared a confused glance with each other. He didn't know what happened to him?

"I remember being back in my room, getting ready for bed and waiting for you to get back, Pikachu." Ash began, looking around his new surroundings. "Then, I heard her."

*************

Flashback

Ash slowly turned around, away from the curiously locked door, as he heard the voice of his mentor speaking to him. It sounded like it was coming from all directions. "Who does she think she is?" She asked, her tone soft but cold as ice. "Reveling in your accomplishment as if it was her own?"

Ash briefly narrowed his eyes at the very judgemental tone she was using. "Dawn would never do anything like that." He said. "She's an old friend, and I trust her completely."

"Do you?" The voice asked him. "Perhaps she is just using your success to make herself look better for the public eye."

Ash knew that he was practically signing a death warrant if he ever talked back to her, but he meant no one, and he meant no one, ever talks like that about Dawn. The thought of it made his skin crawl like there were tiny Durants all over him and his teeth clenched tight, along with his fists.

"How dare you." He said to the voice coldly, which made the air around him seem even colder than when he heard her voice the first time. "You don't like me talking about my past, but don't say anything bad about my friends. Get it?"

There was silence for a few seconds as the air in the room seemed to drop a good ten degrees cooler, which would've sent chills down his spine if he wasn't so angry and determined to make his point across. But Ash just stood there, holding his ground until he turned back around to the door, thinking that she had left.

"I'm sorry." She said, her voice softer and more gentler. It seemed to lull Ash into some kind of strange trance. "It was wrong of me to suggest such a thing. After all, if you trust her so much, then I suppose she must be someone of good heart."

Ash slowly turned to where the voice seemed the loudest. "It's okay." He said. But yet, there was something buzzing inside his head, saying that he shouldn't forgive her so easily for such cruel prejudice. But he was slowly getting deeper into the weird trance as there seemed to be a mist coming into the room.

"To make up for my poor judgement, I have something new to show you." The voice continued. "If you want to see it, that is. Come to me, my hero."

Ash turned towards the mirror, which didn't look like a mirror at all. It appeared as a simple yet somewhat mystical portal to something as mist slowly leaked out from it. In the center of it, there was a woman about his age standing there.

She looked enchantingly beautiful, with soft and wavy honey blonde hair that was cut down to her shoulders, showing off her pale, snow white skin that seemed to not have seen the light of day in years. Her eyes were an alluring sky blue, almost like pure crystal, while Dawn's are more of a warm, sapphire shade, almost like the ocean. She was wearing a deep red, sleeveless dress that trailed to the floor with a long black cloak draped over it. On the right side of her face was a white face mask that almost seemed to blend in with the own paleness of her skin, though it did have a beautiful red rose with tiny gold designs painted onto the side to show that it was there.

She held out one of her hands towards him, which were clad with white lace gloves. Ash slowly came over to her, his eyes seeming to get duller and duller as he did so, falling deeper and deeper into the spell that was being inflicted on him.

"What do you say?" She asked again. "Come to me, my hero."

Ash was now standing in front of the mirror now, the woman's hand now held out further to him. Slowly, he took it. Then, everything seemed to blur into shadows and candlelight as she led him inside the mirror.

End of Flashback

*******************

Ash then looked over at the black robe around him and the warm loafers on his feet. "That's when everything seemed to go into a weird haze. I don't really remember much after that."

He slowly stood up from the bed and quietly went over to the curtain, with Pikachu and Buizel following him. "But I remember that there was fog, fog everywhere, especially on top of a lake." He added. "There were candles everywhere, and on the lake, there was a boat."

He carefully stepped through the curtain, gently parting it with his hand, and saw everything that he thought he saw. The lake, the candles, and the boat. Wasn't it a dream after all?

He then whispered to his Pokémon. "And in that boat, there was a woman." He slowly continued as he turned over to the side of the cavern. Both Pikachu and Buizel followed his gaze.

There was a woman there, dancing to silent music. The same woman from before. Her movements were graceful and fluid as she waltzed with an imaginary partner, her eyes closed in bliss.

Ash cautiously took a few steps closer to where she was dancing. His Pokémon tried to follow him, but he stopped them with a silent gesture of his hand. Then, he went closer to her.

A memory from when he was in his trance came back to his mind. It happened right before he had passed out, after he had arrived here with that woman. His mentor.

Flashback

Ash was sitting in the boat, looking around the many candles that softly lit up the giant cave. It looked almost like it came out of a storybook, the many little flickers of light seeming to pulsate.

The woman carefully got out of the boat, her Pokémon friends following her and then found a nice place to take a nap. She took off her cloak, revealing all of her dress and her bare shoulders, looking like they were carved out of marble. She then turned back to him, her eyes never leaving his, looking at him like he was the most precious thing to her.

"You've done very well tonight. But there is one thing you must remember when you perform." She said gently, her voice alluring and hypnotic as she held out her hand to him. Ash took it and got out of the boat, entranced by her eyes.

The woman seemed to be just as captivated by him as she slowly led him up to the top of the stairs. "When you perform, you must feel it." She said gently. "Grasp it, sense it within you. Feel it consume you."

Ash slowly began to feel like the air was getting heavier, making it harder for him to breathe. He turned back towards the opening of the cavern, feeling like there was something in the back of his mind telling him that there was something a little off about all this.

But then his mentor placed her gloved hand on his face, turning him back to face her. "The lights above you mean nothing. They put you in there, but you mustn't let it blind you."

She turned to the side, with Ash following her gaze. On a large wooden table, there were hundreds of newspaper clippings of his debut already, with his Pikachu and Buizel. It seemed that word travels quickly in the city. Beside them was a hand-painted drawing of him.

Ash faced her again as she continued to speak softly to him. "Try and listen to the sound of your own heartbeat in the darkness before the lights come on." She continued. "That's when you feel that overwhelming sensation consume you. They say that the spotlight is your cue to shine, but in reality, the dark is what makes you stronger."

The raven-haired Kanto Trainer felt an odd chill go down his spine. Something about that little statement felt a bit off to him, but he was still deep under whatever spell this woman cast on him. His breathing started to get even heavier than before.

His mentor released his hand as she turned around and lifted up her arms, as if she wanted to fly. "Surrender to whatever imaginings come in your mind. Leave reality behind." She then turned back to face him, her arms lowered back to her sides. "Close your eyes, and let your spirit soar."

Ash obeyed, his breathing almost rhythmic. As memories of his earlier performance came into his mind, he did start to feel something stir deep inside of him. Like it was taking him up in the air to heights unimaginable, making him feel like he was lighter than air.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw that the woman was holding her hand out to him again. "And you'll feel like your life has just begun. Like you've never lived before until now." She said, whispering like her words were a lullaby.

Slowly, he placed his hand in hers, and she grasped it gently, her gloved thumb smoothly rubbing over the top of it, before leading him upward again towards the top of the rock outcropping. "When you hear the music, move with it. Whether it be soft or bold, just let it move you. Hear it. Feel it. Let it possess you." She softly advised.

There was very little space between them now, passionate icy blue eyes lost in slowly dulling chocolate brown. His mentor then slowly began to circle around him. "Let your imagination take you wherever you desire when you're in the dark." Then, the woman moved away to walk behind some of the candles, Ash's eyes watching her every movement. "Let it take you where you most want to be."

She stood in front of him again, getting ever so closer to him. Her hands almost seemed like they were trembling as she reached out and touched Ash's face. His breathing started to quicken and get caught in his throat at her touch, making him feel like he was drowning, but he didn't want this to stop.

"When you do that, you'll see that you belong with me." She whispered. What did she mean by that? She was teaching him new things about performances, and they seemed to be friends. What more could she want?

Her gloved hands slowly moved down from his face to touch his chest, her fingers lightly tracing every curve and muscle. Even though his tank top was pretty thin itself, and the gloves were covering her skin, she was leaving burning trails on his chest, making him feel even more breathless than before, and his eyes closed, feeling like he was on fire.

"This seems like it could be an addiction, but it's one that can make you feel better than ever before." She added, her hand stopping right at his abdomen, and her fingers slowly retracted as a light blush coated her cheeks. "If you allow yourself to savor it."

Then, she placed her hands back in his, his eyes had opened up again, and she began leading him once more towards another part of the cavern. Ash began to feel impossibly more tired than before, his eyes sometimes looking glazed over.

"Only you can bring me what I truly want." She said, her voice soft and gentle. "You can help me achieve true happiness and serenity in my life." She then turned to face him, raw desire flickering in her eyes. "Or my name isn't Serena."

Ash blinked at her, before she gestured over with her head towards something that was behind a black velvet curtain. She lifted it away while gently removing her hand from his, allowing him to see what was behind it.

The last thing that he saw before he ultimately passed out from whatever was making him feel so sluggish and making his breathing heavy, was seeing an image of himself, wearing a fine black tailored suit. It was like staring into another mirror.

End of Flashback

This is her. He thought to her, slightly hugging and rubbing his arms as chills went up and down his arms as he slightly recalled all of the sensations. The Angel. I knew she was real. And I know her name now. It's Serena.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Pikachu and Buizel quickly came to the same conclusion that their Trainer did. If this was the Angel that Ash said was helping him with his performances, why would she bring him down here? And is she really just a misunderstood young woman rather than the murderous and dangerous "ghost" everyone else thinks she is?

Ash came ever closer to her, her eyes still closed happily as she gracefully twirled around in a small circle. Her mask caught his interest. Why does she wear it? Is she trying to hide her identity? If so, then who is she really?

To find that out once and for all, he quickly stepped in place of her imaginary partner. He wasn't quite as fluid as she was with her graceful movements, but he quickly managed to keep up with her. Soon, he slowed it down, making Serena come closer to him, her eyes still closed in bliss. She was practically leaning into his chest.

Ash tentatively traced his fingers lightly up her bare arm and up to her face, lightly fingering her mask. She was now breathless by his simple touch, almost like she was craving it, making Ash almost pause in confusion. Why was she acting like this? True, she had always seemed fond of him, but they were friends and nothing more. And he had always wondered why she wore the mask and why she was always so touchy about certain subjects, like family and friends.

Well, it was time to get some answers. No more beating around the bush. Slowly, he removed the mask in one fluid pull.

The next few seconds happened so quickly. When he had gasped out loud in fright at what he saw behind the mask, her icy crystal blue eyes snapped open and she pushed him hard against the chest, making him fall backwards onto his side, her mask still in his hand. Immediately, the sleeping Pokémon that were down by the banks of the pool woke up and sprang over to him, ready to attack him, but Pikachu and Buizel quickly leaped in front of him, protecting their Trainer. The Electric type's cheeks were sparking dangerously, while Buizel had his paws ready at his sides.

"Curse you!" She said, shielding the right side of her face with her hand, keeping it from sight, even though Ash had already seen what was behind it. "You little devil!"

She then turned over to a large mirror, tearing the silk white drape off from it, removing her hand, looking hatefully at her own reflection. "You saw the deformity of Serena, the Angel Phantom." She said. "Isn't that what you wanted to see?!"

Ash flinched at the harsh words, with his Pokémon still protecting him from any moves from the others. "You little brat! You traitor! Because you have seen the monstrosity that is my face, you will never be free again! Curse you!"

Ash's eyes widened in fright as he slowly sat back up, but not moving from his spot on the cold stone ground. Never be free again? What on earth was she talking about?

He had enough already keeping the reason of his impressively growing talent a secret from the theater troupes that worked in the music hall above them, and never having any memory of how he exactly learned his new little techniques, but to never see daylight again; leaving Clemont and Professor Sycamore? And Dawn? Even his own Pokémon? Forever? He never liked staying in one place, even when he was a child, and he loved having his freedom. It was the one thing that reminded him of when everything seemed happy and right in his life. Who is she to say that she could just take that away from him like he was some kind of object or pet?

Oh yeah, she's the Angel Phantom. He thought sarcastically. In his mind, the most powerful yet enticing person he ever knew. All of the other evil organization leaders he defied and fought against couldn't hold a candle to the power that she had. The power over the mind.

He already made her furious because of his little stunt from not even two minutes ago. If he was to talk back to her, demanding what on earth she was talking about, she could easily kill him with just a signal from her own hand. So he only laid down on his side, not making another word or moving an inch to see what she might do.

Serena was kneeling down sorrowfully on the ground as she slowly turned to Ash, her hand gently holding the right side of her face again as a pained look came into her icy eyes. All fury and anger had left her body, and now, she seemed like she had been abandoned and defenseless. Ash's instincts were on high alert, for he knew that many had tried that before, and he wasn't going to give her an inch unless he sensed truth from her.

"Can you even dare to look at me now?" She asked him, her voice sounding both pained and betrayed. "This loathsome and hideous demon who is cursed to be this way for all eternity. And yet, I still yearn for the enchantment that can free me from this dark, stone prison."

Ash just blinked slowly at her as she continued to wax poetic about her deepest, darkest desires, while the four Pokémon that probably belonged to her all took a few steps back. She slowly turned to face the Ash that in the mirror, which was actually a mannequin with the blank face painted to his exact likeness, with the perfectly tailored suit on the body. A suit that seemed perfect for a wedding. The realization then hit him like a lightning bolt to the head.

She was in love with him. No wonder she sounded so jealous of when he would talk about his old friends and adventures, especially when Dawn was talking with him earlier. She didn't want him to leave her. But she can't force him to love her like that, especially when he doesn't know very much about this kind of matter of the heart, or if he even wants it. If he does, then with who?

Serena had kneeled down to the stone ground, her eyes flickering back and never once leaving the real Ash's face. But she didn't come any closer to him. She could still see the fear in his now alive and fiery brown eyes rather than the dull glazing from earlier.

"Please don't be afraid of me." She said softly. "You'll learn to find and see the cursed princess that's behind the monster that you see before you. This repulsive lump of flesh who appears to all as a beast. But yet, I dare to dream of beauty, the purest kind of beauty that I have ever known in my life. The kind that defines you in every way, Ash."

Ash would've blushed at her flattering and passionate words if he didn't shed a couple of silent tears at how much she had been suffering for who knows how long. And yet, because of his curiosity, he made her snap at him, who she considered to be the only one who can truly understand her. She was his friend, despite the many horrid secrets she had been hiding from him, particularly of her face.

Pikachu and Buizel turned to look at each other, feeling both fear and pity for the woman before them. Then slowly, they stepped away from their protective stance in front of their Trainer as he carefully crawled closer to Serena. He slowly held out her mask to her, his hand almost trembling as he held back more tears from flowing down his cheeks.

Serena gently took it from him and carefully stood back up, placing it back on her face. Ash would've followed her if his legs didn't feel so numb and weak from what he had seen and heard in the past couple of minutes. He almost felt like he was paralyzed from the waist down.

Serena then turned back to him, the right side of her face clad in her decorated mask again. "Come on." She said to Ash. "It's time to head back. Those fools who run the theater will be missing you."

She turned over to the male Malamar that had floated beside her. His large body began glowing a soft yellow light in front of Ash and his Pokémon. The longer they stared at the light coming from the Dark and Psychic type's body, the more they felt like they were suddenly getting tired and their limbs feeling like they were made of lead. Soon, they had all dropped down to the stone floor, sleeping deeply.

Serena stared down at the three of them, her icy blue eyes lingering the longest on Ash. He had already started to drift away from her control over his mind. All because of that Sinnoh Coordinator friend of his that he hadn't seen in years. She seemed to have a similar fire within her that he does in himself. But his own flame had been dying down for a while, ever since he came here. But now thanks to that Dawn Berlitz, it is starting to get re-ignited. If this keeps up, his willpower will keep her from having any more influence over him.

Well, she wasn't going to let that happen. He's still pretty spirited and extremely stubborn despite her influence, but he is the only person who ever showed her true kindness in her life, even if he doesn't remember it. But she could never forget about him and of what he did for her. And she'll be cursed by Giratina if she ever lost him to someone else.

A/N: I think that flashback scene with Ash and Serena was the most sensual thing that I have written in a long while. Well, unfortunately, things are going to get even more complicated from now on. So I hope that those of you who like Serena enjoyed this bit of Amourshipping.

Until the next chapter, whenever that may be, I'll see y'all! Please leave a comment about what you think. They are highly appreciated. And no starting flame wars!

Got to fly! ;)