Light's Love and Night's Passion

A/N: Okay, I think this will either be a big flop or one of my greatest works yet, judging by how many times I came to this chapter to write it, and then rewrite it. Well, I'll let you guys be the actual judge of that.

Let's get on with the first official chapter! Roll it!

Chapter 1

The Aria of Harmony Music Hall

Lumiose City, sixteen years ago

The Aria of Harmony Music Hall was then known as the crown jewel of Lumiose City when it comes to performing arts. People from all over the world would come and see its star cast perform on its stage. It was one of the best places to be in the heart of Kalos.

A long, fancy black car soon came up to the front of the theater, stopped and parked. The driver came out of his seat and then opened the passenger door behind him.

Dawn Berlitz then stepped out of the car, then about twenty years old. She wore a pink, knee-length dress that gently hugged her curves with red low heeled shoes on her feet, and her midnight blue hair was pulled up into a ponytail. Around her neck was a choker with a red bow on it.

She looked up at the theater with wonder in her blue eyes, and then began entering it by walking up the steps to the front entrance. She couldn't be any more excited to be there.

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

By then, they were rehearsing for the premiere of a new show. Performers and their Pokémon were scuttling around, getting into their proper positions, and stage helpers, along with their own Pokémon, were making sure that the stage and all of its systems were ready for the show that night.

Professor Sycamore, then sixteen years younger, was supervising everything backstage. His hair was much darker and not having a single speck of silver in it yet, and he wore a deep purple shirt underneath a bright white lab coat, dark pants and shoes.

Two young stage helpers and their partners stood out the most from the rest of their fellow workers. One of them was a blond young man, about twenty years old, with blue-gray eyes shielded with large, thin glasses, fair skin, and wearing a pale blue jumpsuit with white sneakers. His name was Clemont Edison, the Lumiose City Gym Leader, and his partner was a little male Chespin.

The other young man, who was the same age as Clemont at twenty, had brown eyes, wild raven-black hair tucked underneath a red and white baseball cap, and bronze tan skin with little Z-marks on his cheeks. He wore a blue and white collared T-shirt, dark gray pants, and red and black sneakers, along with black fingerless gloves with red trim on his hands. His name was Ash Ketchum, a Kanto native, and his partner was a cute little male Pikachu.

By now, a slightly older woman was rehearsing the opening act of the show with a Wobbuffet and a Gourgeist. It was Miss Jessilia. She was considered very beautiful, but she was also exceedingly vain and prideful, making her quite insufferable for some. At the moment, she was practicing for the opening act of the performance that night. She was wearing a long purple dress that hugged her curvy form but seemed a little too fancy, even for a dress rehearsal.

"Gourgeist, use Shadow Ball!" She commanded. The Ghost and Grass type obeyed her mistress and fired a dark shadowy orb of power.

"Wobbuffet, Mirror Coat." Jessilia ordered next.

The Psychic type stood there and made his blue skin glow with a reflective appearance, almost like a prism reflecting the colors of the rainbow. The Shadow Ball hit him, but he didn't take any damage and just made the energy bounce upward and shower down in purple sparkles. Jessilia then began dancing with Gourgeist in mid-air, laughing.

Watching from backstage, Ash, Clemont and their partners rolled their eyes at her tactics simultaneously. But there was something about that laugh that rubbed off Ash the wrong way, like he had heard it somewhere before. But then he pushed the thought away. He was probably thinking too much about it.

He glanced over at Clemont, and almost busted up laughing to see that he was mimicking Jessilia, even mouthing out her over-the-top giggles. But he quickly stopped when Professor Sycamore was making his rounds over to them. They both immediately busied themselves with the stage curtains as he passed them by. Once he was out of sight, they both snickered to each other, and so did their Pokémon.

Watching them from the other side of the stage, however, was a slightly older purple-haired man and a Meowth, both of them dressed very nicely, though the Meowth was expertly disguised to pass as a very short man. They both glared hatefully at Ash as he tried to stifle his snickers with his blond friend.

Unknown to the younger raven-haired man, both they and the performing woman on the stage were Jessie, James and Meowth of Team Rocket, his archenemies. They had been after him and his Pikachu ever since Ash was just a ten-year-old boy, barely starting out on his Pokémon journey in his home region of Kanto. But every single time they tried to capture that Pikachu, they had failed. But then about three years ago, they had lost track of him after his journey in the Unova region. He had recently turned seventeen years old, and they all thought that he vanished off the face of the earth.

After a long agonizing year of searching, they learned that Ash was in the Kalos region after his mother had died from a terrible illness and Professor Oak had taken him in as his assistant, along with his good friend Tracey. He was sent to Kalos for an extended period to learn from Professor Sycamore about the native Pokémon and Mega Evolution. But it seemed that Ash was mostly using the assignment as an escape from his recent sad past.

When Team Rocket learned that Ash would sometimes help out at the music hall with the professor and his own apprentice, they went undercover to get their chance. But strangely, almost every night after he started helping out at the theater, Ash somehow disappears, and then he isn't seen until the following day. So after two to three years of undercover work; it all felt like it had been wasted. But if anything, they learned that good things come to those who wait.

Just then, the Master of Performances, Pierre came on the stage. He was a tall blonde man, wearing a blue suit with a matching top hat. Following beside him was a little Klefki.

"As you can see, Mademoiselle," he was saying, "rehearsals are underway for tonight's show."

"Monsieur Pierre, I am rehearsing!" The director complained.

"Monsieur, Professor Sycamore." Pierre apologized. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?" Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen.

"It seems we have two special guests who will be joining us for the gala after tonight's performance." Pierre said. "First off, our Kalos Queen, the lovely Aria."

Everyone clapped as a young woman with long red hair and blue eyes came onto the stage. She wore a light blue and yellow dress, and following behind her was a Delphox. Jessilia, however, looked at her scornfully.

"Look at you, little miss perfect." She scowled. "We'll see who's the true Kalos Queen after tonight."

Aria smiled kindly. "Thank you." She said, waving to everyone politely. "Now, Pierre said that I could invite someone to come to the gala tonight. Well, I'm honored to introduce a rising star in the world of style and grace, a Coordinator from the Sinnoh region." When Ash heard that, he perked up visibly in curiosity. It couldn't be, could it?

"Your new instructor, Miss Dawn Berlitz." Aria announced.

Everyone clapped as Dawn came onto the stage, smiling politely and brightly. Ash felt his heart first stop, and then it began to pound at a much faster rate. She had certainly grown since he last saw her, back when they were sixteen when she visited him while he was traveling in Unova.

"Dawn." He whispered her name, a tender and fond little smile coming onto his face.

Pikachu saw the look on his Trainer's face and just beamed brightly. He too remembered their Sinnoh adventures with the pretty blunette Coordinator. It was back when things were much more simple and not dreary. Well, as simple as an unpredictable Pokémon journey can get.

However, Clemont also noticed the look on his friend's face. "You know her?" He asked quietly.

Ash nodded, the smile on his face slightly starting to grow more as he spoke. "Back when I was traveling in the Sinnoh region five years ago, where she's from." He began to explain. "We were pretty close friends, and we made an unstoppable team."

"Just how close were you two?" Clemont asked, a sly smile forming on his face.

Ash caught the implication, and slightly blushed. "We were only fifteen!" He hissed, sending a firm jab to his friend's arm, who only chuckled at how his friend, who was infamously oblivious to the ways of women, was acting when it came to this particular girl. "Nothing ever happened. Not even when I saw her again in Unova when we were sixteen."

But Ash wasn't the only one who recognized the young woman. Team Rocket almost dropped their jaws off at the sight of her. "The Sinnoh region twerpette!" James quietly exclaimed.

"What's she doing here?" Meowth spat.

But Jessie was glaring at her with burning jealousy, looking at her up and down, seething at the curves that she had gotten in the past four years. Back then, she only saw her as skinny as a beanpole when the latter was still a teenage girl.

"How dare she think that she's much prettier than me?!" She seethed. James and Meowth only sighed. She could stuff her head with as much fantasies as she wants, but the saying goes, "Beauty is only skin deep."

Dawn smiled brightly at the people gathered around. "I'm honored to support all manner of Trainers and their Pokémon showing off style and grace in displays. Especially here at the famous Aria of Harmony Music Hall." She said.

Everyone applauded again at her statement. Pierre then began introducing the two ladies to the stars of the show. "Ladies, this is Miss Jessilia, our opening act for tonight's show." Not wanting to risk slipping up, Jessie quickly put on a fake smile and curtsied to them, even if she felt like ripping both their hair and dresses apart.

"And that is Miss Miette, our leading Performer here at the Music Hall." Pierre gestured to a young woman looking about Dawn's age, with short periwinkle hair, ruby red eyes and fair skin. She wore a blue and white dress, with a yellow bandana in her hair.

"An honor, Miss." Aria greeted.

"Yes." Dawn agreed. "But I think we are keeping you all from your rehearsal. We will both be here this evening to celebrate your grand premiere."

Aria nodded. "Indeed." She then curtsied a farewell, as did Dawn. "Our apologies, everyone."

"Thank you, Mademoiselles." The director said to them as they and Pierre began to leave. "And now, from the top, everyone."

Dawn was leaving the stage when she strode right past Ash. It hurt a little to see her walk past him, as if he were invisible. But he quickly brushed it off when he saw Clemont looking at him with concerned eyes.

"She wouldn't recognize me now." He assured him.

Clemont shook his head. "She didn't see you." He said. "And besides, who would forget about you? You're certainly someone who stands out in a crowd."

Aria and Pierre were about to follow, but Professor Sycamore cut them off. "Before you both leave, I want to show you how the stagehands have been handling the ropes around here." Both of them both nodded in agreement, and they began to trail closely behind the professor as they walked around the edge of the stage.

"They all have been doing marvelous work here." Pierre complimented, watching all of the stage hands pull ropes up and down and inspect all corners of the stage. "Especially that blond lad. He seems to know his stuff." He pointed to Clemont, who held a rope tight in his hands while Chespin climbed up to check the pulley system.

"That's my personal apprentice, Clemont Edison." Professor Sycamore said. "And he's also the Lumiose City Gym Leader."

Aria then noticed Ash, who was at a different part of the backstage area, coiling up some unused rope at a fast pace, along with the help from Pikachu. "And that young man with the Pikachu." She said.

"Ash Ketchum." Professor Sycamore said to her. "He shows very promising talent in the art of battle and in other styles as well. He is quite the gifted young man, I must admit."

"Ketchum, you say?" Pierre asked, sounding a bit intrigued. "No relation to Jayce Ketchum, the former Kanto Champion Master, later a Top Pokémon Ranger?"

Sycamore nodded sadly and slowly. "His only child." He said. "He lost his father when he was very young, and then his mother just three years ago." Aria lightly clutched her heart at the notion of Ash losing both of his parents, and he was entering into the prime of his life.

"He now works as an assistant to Professor Oak back in Kanto, and he came here to live for a time, learning as much as he can about Kalos Pokémon and our local traditions." Sycamore continued.

"An orphan, is he?" Pierre questioned the obvious, also saddened by Ash's backstory.

"Now, Gourgeist, use Dark Pulse!" Jessilia ordered with a spin.

The Ghost and Grass type quickly obeyed her mistress and released purple rings of energy up into the air, making them dissipate into the same purple sparkles as she danced around Jessilia and Wobbuffet.

Clemont and Ash shook their heads. "She's more focused on showing herself off than her Pokémon." The blonde man said.

Ash just nodded in agreement, his arms crossed tightly against his chest. "The Pokémon are really the main attraction in Performances, not the Performer herself." He added.

And it's the same thing with Contests, too. He thought to himself, suddenly remembering all of the many tips that he and Dawn had learned when they were traveling together in Sinnoh. Pokémon are the main stars in both professions.

And it seemed that they were not the only ones who noticed that little flaw in Jessilia's over-the-top performance. Pierre and Aria did, too. "Uh, please stop." Aria said kindly, and the music became silent at her request. "Um, Miss Jessilia, the work you're doing is quite unique, but it looks like you're not really showing off your Pokémon."

Jessie's temper then began to flare up. "What would you know about being a star?" She snapped, making everyone around her flinch visibly at her almost yelling at the Kalos Queen.

James and Meowth saw that and immediately grabbed her from doing something that would blow her cover. "Uh, forgive Miss Jessilia." James excused, sweat almost dripping down his face. "She has quite the unpredictable mood swings from time to time."

"Yeah, give her a couple of minutes, and she'll be happy as a Spoink in mud." Meowth added quickly, dragging her arm.

Suddenly, there was a loud clanking sound from above the stage. Everyone immediately looked up just in time to see a large sandbag falling down quickly. Most of the girls screamed in terror at the large and heavy bag coming down, and the smaller Pokémon jumped into their Trainer's arms for security. But then, everyone was terrified as the bag landed right on Jessilia's head, knocking her unconscious.

As people went over to see if she was okay, Clemont whispered to Ash. "She's here. The Angel Phantom."

Ash didn't answer him, his eyes cautiously scanning the top walkways of the stage area overhead where some of the more experienced stagehands worked, trying to see if there was any sign of anyone being up there than the authorized personnel. For some reason, the Angel Phantom has intrigued him more than scared him.

Pikachu noticed how intently his Trainer was staring up at the ceiling. "Pika-pi?" He asked, curious.

Ash finally tore his gaze away from above and looked down at the Electric type in his arms. "I'm okay, buddy." He assured him. But there was something about his statement that rubbed on the Mouse Pokémon the wrong way, like his Trainer wasn't telling him something.

Professor Sycamore looked up to the ceiling with eyes focused. He then saw a piece of paper lying on the ground, sealed close with a blood red wax seal bearing a rose symbol. He picked it up, looked over it, and then back up at the ceiling.

James and Meowth were fussing over the unconscious Jessie. "Well, she's still breathing." The purple-haired man said. "Just out of it for a little while."

Meowth looked up and saw the lead stagehand, who was a stout fellow, up where the sandbag had fallen from. "What happened up there?" He demanded.

"My apologies, sir, but I wasn't at my post." The lead stagehand said. "There was no one there." A smirk then came on his face. "Or if there was, then it must've been a ghost." He cackled.

Meowth scoffed. "Ever since we came here, for the past three years, things as wacked up as this have been happening!" He said. "Where's a good security system when you need one?"

"Come along now." James said. "Let's get Miss Jessilia back to her room to recuperate. No matter how long it will take." Meowth nodded, and they, along with Gourgeist and Wobbuffet, lifted up Jessie and left the stage.

"How long will that take?" Aria asked James. He only shrugged visibly before he and Meowth snuck away.

Professor Sycamore came up to Pierre and Aria, the latter visibly shaken up by what had just happened before her, and the former was trying to assure her that everything was alright.

"Monsieur Pierre, I have a message." He said to the chairman of Performances, holding out the piece of paper he had found, the seal now broken. "From her."

"Please, not now. And not in front of Mademoiselle Aria." Pierre snapped. "All of you seemed to be obsessed with this."

"Who?" Aria asked.

"The Angel Phantom." Sycamore answered her, his eyes locked on hers. "She welcomes you to her music hall."

"Her music hall?" Aria continued to question, getting more panicked and confused and starting to hyperventilate with fear.

"Breathe, Mademoiselle." Pierre urged her.

"She explains to you in her message that Box Seven up here," Professor Sycamore pointed to a balcony seat up near the corner of the theater, "will continue to be kept empty for her use." He then turned to Pierre. "And she also reminds you that her payment is due."

"Her payment?" Aria asked, glancing at Pierre suspiciously.

"Perhaps your ¥20,000 monthly payments will be increased immensely, with Miss Berlitz being a temporary part of the company." Sycamore suggested.

Pierre had enough of it and took the paper, immediately ripping it into pieces and then tossing them away while he spoke. "Monsieur, I had hoped to make that announcement public tonight when Miss Berlitz will be joining us for the gala tonight." He said. The mention of Dawn caught Ash's attention as he glanced up from his work to look over at the conversing men from where he was standing; checking the stage props. However, he quickly returned back to his job, helping Clemont tighten some bolts on one of the platforms.

"But now, it seems that we must cancel as it appears we have lost our opening act." Pierre finished.

By now, Aria had recovered from her little panic attack. "Well, what should we do now?" She asked him, now much more calm but still a little frightened about what had been said and occurred in the span of five minutes. "There isn't an understudy for Miss Jessilia, or a backup act."

Sycamore glanced out of the corner of his eye to look at someone, and then back to the two Performers, an idea coming to his head. "Ash Ketchum could perform." He offered.

Everyone on the stage stopped what they were doing to look at either the professor or the mentioned young man himself, who was startled himself. "A stagehand?" Pierre asked, slightly baffled by the suggestion. "Are you sure about that?"

Ash wanted to speak up, saying that he can't perform, and not just for the fact that there has never been a male Performer in history; for the Kalosian art was reserved only for girls, but Professor Sycamore cut him off.

"It's true, there has never been a male Performer in the history of Kalos, but there are male Coordinators out there in the world." He said.

"Coordinators." Aria said. "Like Miss Berlitz."

"Correct." Sycamore said. "I have said before that even though Ash is a Trainer, he shows promising talent as a Coordinator, which is similar to a Performer. Also, he has been sharpening his skills with a wonderful teacher."

Ash felt a weird chill go down his spine when he heard that. He was sure that he was being extra careful whenever he would go off and practice. Yet, how did the professor know?

Pikachu once again glanced at his Trainer. Ash wasn't telling him something, and he didn't like it one bit. Also, he didn't like how his Trainer was acting most of the time. Oh, he was still the rash but good-hearted person he had always been since he was a boy, but ever since the death of his mother and their transfer to Kalos, he seemed to have lost...the spark in his eyes and replaced with a dullness of sadness, and sometimes acted like a shell of a puppet.

"Really?" Pierre said, then turned over to the Ketchum boy. "Is there a name we should put on this person?" He asked him.

"I...." Ash trailed off for a moment. "I don't know her name, sir." He admitted nervously. Clemont looked at his friend with concerned eyes. He seemed so nervous, which was a little unusual for the usually confident Trainer.

Professor Sycamore came up to the raven-haired youth. "Let him at least show us a demonstration." He suggested. "He's quite talented, and he has been well-taught."

Ash was still pretty hesitant. It has been so long since he even competed in a Contest. And that was in the Wallace Cup in the Sinnoh Region five years ago. He looked over at Clemont, who gave him a reassuring thumbs-up. He then looked over at Pikachu, who chirped encouragingly. He took a deep breath and slowly walked up to the front of the stage.

"Mademoiselle, this is doing nothing for my nerves." Pierre whispered to Aria.

"Oh, hush!" She quietly chided him. "Let's just see what he's capable of."

The blinding light of the spotlights positioned above him almost blinded Ash for a second, but after remembering all of the battle tournaments and publicized battles that he had participated in over the past half of his life until he came to the Kalos region, soon calmed down his nerves. He closed his eyes and took in another deep breath, then exhaled slowly.

When he opened his eyes again, that spark that Pikachu had thought was long lost had returned, making the Electric type literally feel the power of his sheer confidence, and it was contagious. "Just like long ago, buddy." He said.

"Pika!" Pikachu pumped up his little fist, returning his Trainer's confidence and enthusiasm. Just seeing that familiar look in Ash's eyes whenever they would have a battle or in a competition was enough for him; just like old times.

"Use Quick Attack!" Ash ordered, punching the air in front of him with a firm fist. Pikachu obeyed and immediately jumped off his Trainer's shoulder, silver traces of energy forming around him, increasing his speed dramatically. He then zipped all around the front of the stage, showing off his agility.

Everyone was impressed so far by the little Pokémon's impressive speed, easily understanding why Ash is thought to be a very talented Trainer. "Now Thunderbolt, the same way!" Ash gave out the next command.

Pikachu then had bright yellow electricity appearing around his body from his cheek sacs as he ran around in circles, releasing the energy into the air, forming crackling rings of electricity. The sight of it made everyone gasp in awe.

"Iron Tail, let's go!" Ash shouted. Pikachu immediately stopped running and jumped high in the air, his lightning shaped tail turning into a bright silver. He then swung his metallic tail into one of the electric rings, causing it to bounce around on the floor and hit the other rings, like it was part of a pinball game.

"Alright!" Ash cheered, and then he got in on the action himself, running and jumping with Pikachu as they either jumped into or dodged the electrifying rings.

Everyone was in awe at the daring stunt they were seeing. It was almost like.... they were dancing, with the way they leaped and dodged the rings so gracefully, and smiling throughout. It even looked like they were having fun.

Finally, both Trainer and Pokémon jumped as high as they could into the air as all three rings of electricity rammed into each other, causing powerful crackles of electricity to pierce the air all around them, showcasing just how powerful Pikachu's electric attacks are, even when in a performance. It was showcasing power and elegance all at once.

Suddenly, the electrical rings all dissipated into bright, but brief, flashes of light, and then little yellow sparkles and crackles of electrical energy came raining down gently on Ash and Pikachu as they both landed perfectly back onto the stage, the Electric type lithely landing on his master's outstretched arm with a confident pose for their finish.

Everything was completely silent as Ash slowly stood straight back up, breathing quietly but heavily with anticipation and adrenaline, suddenly feeling like he was completely exhausted. Then again, it had been so long since he had done anything like this. The fun that he had, the excitement of the Contests he was in, the ideas of battle combinations that he and Dawn helped perfect during their Sinnoh journey, all the memories of doing those happy and wonderful times came rushing back to him in brief instances in the eye of his mind.

Suddenly, there was a slow clapping behind him as he was pulled out of his thoughts. Ash turned around and saw that Clemont was starting to clap for him. Then Professor Sycamore joined the applause. Soon, everyone that was in the theater, whether in the audience or on the stage were clapping and cheering loudly for the amazing performance that they had just witnessed.

Ash felt a strange but familiar twinge of pride and accomplishment began to fill up inside him, something he hadn't felt in such a long time. An uncontrollable grin came up on his face as he listened to the growing applause.

"Pika, Pika!" Pikachu cheered, relishing in the now thunderous applause and began nuzzling his Trainer's cheek proudly, making him laugh.

"Well, it seems we have an act!" Aria announced happily, making everyone cheer even louder than before. It seemed that the show was back on track.

A/N: The performance that Ash and Pikachu did was similar to their appeal in the Terracotta contest. Nothing too suspenseful yet, but trust me, it will get there.

Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a comment about what you think. They are highly appreciated.

Got to fly! ;)