Author's Notes:
Another chapter of Alpha and Omega here for your reading pleasure has arrived. Not much to say here, this chapter will be not as intense as I had planned. Reason being it was getting too long so I had to break it up into multiple chapters. But I still feel confident you'll enjoy it.

With that said, if you like my work please vote, feel free to comment, and please share this story with your friends. I now present to you chapter 45, enjoy.

After regaining consciousness, Ash didn't speak at all about what was said with William. This left everyone worried as to what Ash learned, even Paul. They accepted what William said, that Ash needed some time to process everything, and weren't going to pry, knowing that Ash would share when he was ready, if he wanted to.

To take Ash's mind off things and lighten the mood, they enjoyed the last day of the festivities. It made everyone happy to see Ash still had his usual appetite, as he was eating from almost every stand. Come night fall, they watched the burning of the ninots, as well as the spectacular fireworks show that ended the night.

Back at the Pokémon Center, Ash was acting like his usual self, but Serena could tell it was just an act, and that whatever he was told was truly bothering him. The two couples socialized and snacked as Ash and Paul told the girls stories of their encounters in Sinnoh. Eventually it got late, and the couples went back to their rooms to get some sleep. Despite not winning the tournament, Paul thoroughly enjoyed his consolation prize Miette gave him, which everyone in the neighboring rooms heard. Shortly after Ash climbed in bed, Serena was soon to follow wearing only her bra and panties. Although she took her time to get into bed, bending over as she dug through her bag as she pointed her butt towards Ash. Even though she still felt a little nervous about sex, Serena did decide to give Ash a little victory surprise, in the form of doing something special for him that she had never done to him before.

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The next morning, Ash handed Nurse Joy a package that contained his trophy, to be shipped back home. Afterwards, Ash walked over to a seat and sat down as he pulled out his cellphone. He scrolled down through his contacts list and came to his mother, but instead of hitting the call button he selected text message.

'Just letting you know, I won another tournament. I just dropped the trophy off in the mail,' Ash messaged.

Before he could put his phone away, it dinged signaling a new message. Ash pulled out his phone to see him mother had already responded.

'Congratulations Ash. I'm so proud of you. Which tournament was it?' Delia asked.

'The Moltres Cup,' Ash replied.

'You know your father won that tournament too. They gave a fire stone as part of the trophy. He used it to evolve his Eevee into a Flareon,' Delia responded.

'They still do that. I used it to evolve my Growlithe into an Arcanine,' Ash replied.

'Great choice? Do you have time to talk?' Delia asked.

'Not now. It's pretty busy here. I'm about to get some last minute training in before my gym battle today,' Ash replied.

'Oh, well maybe another time. Good luck and tell Serena I said hi. Love you,' Delia finished.

'Love you too,' Ash concluded.

Afterwards, Ash leaned back. Ash had already trained his Pokémon for the day, and was now waiting on Serena so they could go to his gym battle.

"Ash, are you ok?" Pikachu asked as he looked up from Ash's lap.

"I don't know what to say to her. After everything William said, I don't even know how to talk to her anymore. This isn't even close to normal conversation stuff. This is so big. I don't even want to think about it. I just keep feeling angry, but I don't want to be angry at her," Ash replied as he hung his head sadly.

Pikachu climbed back up to Ash's shoulder and nuzzled his cheek in an attempt to make him feel better.

"Thanks buddy," Ash said as he petted Pikachu's tail.

"Hey Ash," Serena said as she walked up with Paul and Miette.

"Hey Serena. So Paul, ready for our battle?" Ash asked.

"I'll be taking a rain check on that," Paul replied.

"What?! Why?" Ash asked in a shocked tone.

"Miette has a performance next week, and she refuses to fly on my Garchomp. So with walking, we'll be hard pressed to make it in time. Also, with you having this new ability, I want you to have it mastered before we battle. I want you at your best," Paul replied.

"You better be training hard too. I don't care when it is, we'll have our battle next time we meet," Ash said as he stood up and extended his hand.

"Looking forward to it," Paul replied as he took his hand and shook it.

Ash and Serena then waved goodbye as Paul and Miette left for Miette's next performance. Once they left the Pokémon Center, Serena turned around and gave Ash a tight hug. She didn't want to bring this up around Paul or Miette, but despite his best efforts to hide it, she could tell Ash wasn't being himself.

"Ash, I know whatever William told you is still bothering you. I just want you to know you can talk to me. I want to help," Serena stated as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks, but I don't want to burden you with all this. I'm still having trouble accepting some of this," Ash replied.

Serena stepped back so she could look Ash in the eyes, and put her hand on his cheeks.

"You could never burden me. I love you with all my heart. Your troubles are my troubles. But if you need time before you're ready to share, that's fine too. I'll be here when you're ready," Serena replied.

Ash looked into Serena's beautiful sapphire blue eyes, and saw nothing but love and comfort. Just hearing her words and seeing the look in her eyes just made him feel better.

"Ok, let's head to our room first. Some of this I'm still trying to process, but I'll tell you what I can," Ash replied.

Serena smiled and hugged Ash again, "thank you for trusting me," Serena replied and then lead him back to their room.

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"Wow, I can see how this could bother you so much," Serena replied after hearing most of what Ash was told.

"I know. Hiding that she was an Aura Guardian was one thing, but then lying about it after I learned I was one, I don't know if I can trust her again. Not to mention what William showed me after my father died," Ash said as he hung his head.

"I know I haven't known your mom for very long at all, but I could never imagine her ever doing anything like that. She just seems so kind and gentle. It just sounds like a completely different person," Serena replied.

"I know. I just don't think I can ever look at her the same way ever again," Ash said after he let himself fall backwards on the bed. "What really scares me, is I could see myself doing the same thing."

"What?!" Serena question in a shocked tone as her head snapped to face Ash.

"If anyone were to ever kill you, not even Arceus himself could stop me. I would hunt them to the ends of the earth, and there would be no mercy for them," Ash replied with a serious tone.

Serena then laid down on top of Ash, wrapped her arms around his neck, and held him close.

"That will never happen to me. I'll make sure of it. You are too kind and caring of a person. I never want you to walk down that path," Serena said as tears came to her eyes.

"Serena, we can't guarantee nothing will ever happen. We've been in so many dangerous situations, it's a miracle nothing bad has happened yet," Ash responded as tears started to form in his eyes.

"Yes it is a miracle, and this miracle keeps happening because we never give up, and fight together. As long as we're together, we will always pull through," Serena said in a determined tone as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Ash and Serena remained in their room until lunch, which was long enough for them to calm down, and for Ash to get his mind straight for his gym battle. Ash was happy that Eligor had asked them to come in the afternoon. This way they could rest beforehand. He was also happy he didn't tell Serena the biggest thing he learned from William, as he still hadn't come to terms with that yet.

After leaving their room, they went to the Pokémon daycare and picked up their Pokémon. Ash was happy to see Greninja walk out unassisted now that his cast had finally been removed. Afterwards, they all ate lunch and left for the gym.

Using the map in their Pokédex, they were able to find their way very easily.

"What is it with gyms? Why do they always seem to look kind of over the top?" Serena commented as they approached a very modern looking group of buildings.

"Maybe they just want to make it easy to find?" Ash guessed. "So, which building is it?"

"Hello," said a young voice, getting their attention. "Are you Ash Ketchum and Serena Yvonne?"

"Yes. And who might you be?" Serena asked.

The boy was about ten years old with light blue hair, and was wearing what looked like a school uniform. His pants, tie, and shoes were black, while his long sleeve button down shirt was dark blue.

"My name is Eli. Headmaster Eligor sent me to escort you to the gym," the boy now identified as Eli replied.

"Headmaster?!" Ash and Serena both replied.

"Yes, welcome to the Torrent school for psychics," Eli replied.

"So everyone here is a psychic?" Ash asked.

"Yes, including me. I'm in my first year, so I'm not allowed to look into other people's minds yet. And even after I am allowed, I can't do it without permission. That's why I had to ask who you were," Eli replied.

"Well that's comforting. I don't think I like the idea of someone looking around inside my head," Serena replied.

"Well to be honest, I couldn't even if I tried. I don't think anyone other than the Headmaster could. Just being in your presence, I can tell both of your minds are shielded. If it wasn't for my eyes, I wouldn't even know you were here. You must be powerful psychics," Eli stated.

"Umm, I'm not a psychic, I'm an Aura Guardian," Ash replied.

"Really! That's so cool. I've heard of Aura Guardians in my studies, but I never expected to meet one. Is it true that Aura Guardians are skilled warriors that kill for any reason?" Eli asked.

Ash and Serena sweatdropped.

"Is that what they teach you here?" Ash asked.

"No, the older students say that. The teachers tell us they are just like us. Some are good and some are bad, with a rainbow of personalities," Eli replied.

"Well, I'd say your teachers are right. I've only met a handful of Aura Guardians, but they've all been pretty nice," Ash replied.

"Why would the older students say that?" Serena asked.

"They said that's the old way they were taught from the previous Headmaster. He used to say if we ever saw an Aura Guardian, we should either run or try and kill them. The new Headmaster says that that thought process is narrow minded and wrong. That Aura Guardians deserve the same respect as any other human," Eli replied.

"Well that's comforting," Ash commented with a relieved look.

"Miss, are you an Aura Guardian also?" Eli asked.

"I don't think so. I have powers, but I don't know what they are. William from the Elite Four said the gym leader here knew more about it than him. That's part of the reason why we're here, the other reason being so Ash can have a gym battle," Serena replied.

"Headmaster Eligor is also the gym leader, and he definitely knows a lot for his age. So if you were told he was the best person to explain it, then it must be true," Eli stated. His eyes then got wide, then he looked down sadly. "I'm sorry. The Headmaster just told me to stop wasting your time and bring you to him."

"It's ok, I don't feel like you're wasting our time," Ash replied.

"Thank you, but he feels I am, and that's what matters. Please follow me," Eli replied in a slightly happier tone, but still sounded down.

Eli then lead Ash and Serena across the campus. They saw may students of various ages wearing similar uniforms, and all were looking at Ash and Serena.

"We seem very popular," Serena commented nervously.

"Normal people aren't uncommon here because of the gym. But you two are very different with your powers. No doubt they can see this better than I could, and they might even be able to tell what you are," Eli replied.

They continued across a sidewalk that went between two of the buildings that went across a pool of water. Several of the students were using psychic abilities to walk on top of the water, while others made it look like they were ice skating.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" Said an older boy that walked up in front of them.

He looked like he was close to eighteen years old, with narrow eyes, brown hair in a bowl cut, he looked rather buff, and wore the same uniform as Eli except not as clean. Is shirt was untucked and the sleeves were rolled up, and his tie was loose. There were also two other students beside him.

"This is a gym challenger for the Headmaster," Eli replied.

"No, this is a broken condom. Despite what the new Headmaster says, all Aura Guardians are a mistake. And mistakes should be eliminated," the boy replied with an evil smirk.

He then raised both his hands as his eyes glowed light blue. Ash then had a light blue outline and fell to his knees.

"Ash!" Serena cried as she went to him.

One of the other boys grabbed Serena with his psychic powers and pulled her away towards them.

"Greg stop! You know what the Headmaster will do. These are also his guests. He's expecting them," Eli pleaded as he identified the boy.

"I don't care what he says, his predecessor was right about these things. They need to be crushed," Greg said, a smile with eyes filled with murderous intent plastered on his face.

Ash started to cry out in pain as he felt his body being crushed. The other boy then picked Eli up with his psychic powers to restrain him.

"Stop it!" Serena cried.

"No, I'm doing you a favor. After I'm done, why don't we spend some time together, you'll understand this is for the best," Greg said with a disgusting smirk.

Serena became angry as she heard Ash in pain and her eyes started to glow red, and at the same time Ash's eyes glowed blue, as his fists appeared to be covered in a blue flame. Ash suddenly lunged forward and punched Greg in the stomach. Greg's powers stopped as he hunched over Ash's fist. Ash then leaned him back up as he grabbed his shirt collar, and with a spin, threw him out into the water. Ash then looked at the other two boys. Ash's eyes couldn't be seen, only a bright blue glow that was coming from them. Serena then broke free of the psychic hold on her, causing the student holding her to now look at her in shock. Ash then charged at both of them, slamming a small aura sphere into both of their stomachs, launching them both into the water. Serena's eyes returned to normal, and she and Eli were then released and moved closer to Ash.

"Does anybody else have a problem with me existing?!" Ash yelled.

Several students looked at one another, as they tried to figure out what to do. Most didn't know what was going on, but just saw three of their fellow students attacked, and prepared to fight.

"ENOUGH!" Eligor's voice yelled out in everyone's heads. "The next person to attack will face my consequences!"

All of the students that intended to attack calmed down and backed away.

"Good. Staff remove the trouble students and put them in timeout till I get around to dealing with them," Eligor said.

Several adults then were seen picking up the students from the water with their psychic powers and took them away. The remaining students then quickly resumed walking away to wherever they were going.

"Ash, next time don't challenge so many people to a fight at once," Serena said as she took a sigh of relief that the incident was over.

"Yeah, maybe that wasn't the smartest move," Ash replied as he scratched the back of his head.

"Maybe not, but kicking their asses was. Those were three of the older students, and they're pretty much the bullies here," Eli stated.

"Good. I never liked bullies," Ash replied.

"Neither does the Headmaster. He butts heads with them a lot, but couldn't get rid of them because they come from really old prestigious psychic families. But attacking someone with the intent to kill, nobody can protect them now," Eli said happily.

"Are they just going to be handed to the police?" Serena asked.

"Eventually. You heard they were being sent to timeout. That's a special room where our powers are neutralized. Eventually, the Headmaster will remove them one by one and eliminate their powers, then hand them to the police," Eli replied, then motioned for them to continue walking.

"How can he eliminate their powers?" Ash asked as he and Serena followed.

"The Headmaster is one of the most powerful psychics in the world, rivaling his grandfather, the previous Headmaster, as the strongest in the region. Nobody really knows how he does it, but I've heard that he just focuses on them really hard causing them to cry out in pain for a minute. Then when he stops, they can't use their powers anymore," Eli explained.

"That's kind of scary," Serena commented.

"It's only for those who break the law. If you break school rules you just get kicked out. Headmaster says our powers don't put us above the law, it means we must be more careful than most. Great power means great responsibility. Not being responsible with our powers leads others to fear us. Fear leads to hate, hate leads to violence. If we show that we follow the rules like normal people do, and that our own kind will punish us before sending us to them to deal with, people are more comfortable around us," Eli replied.

A few minutes later, Eli led them to the gym and inside to the battlefield. The battlefield was simple, but was surrounded on three sides by windows. On the side without windows there was a large psychic type symbol, surrounded by several of the other symbols. And on the gym leader side stood Eligor, wearing the same black and blue hoodie he was wearing when they met, with the hood up. Then with both hands Eligor pulled off the hood, showing his face with a cocky smirk.

"Ash, Serena, welcome to the Valencia Gym. I hope you didn't run into too much trouble getting here."