Serena POV

"They found another team Rocket hideout." I said as were lying in our tents. Since the news exploded about the downfall of team Rocket. Police announced multiple things. Either taking down hideouts, catching team rocket grunts on run or even that the trio that was always following us was dead. There was nothing confirmed about how police was doing it, but there were some information about Police having flash drive with all the information.

And I would be normally happy, but Ash was one of the people that receive the bad call. With all those informations, there were also informations about team Rocket killing many people over the years, but it was never confirmed

Flashback

We were waiting for Ash to come out. After the phonecall, he took the keys and was gone. None of us knew what happened and so we sat in other room waiting until I couldn't take it anymore and decided to wait outside his doors.

I didn't know how long was I there until my eyes closed from our journey. I felt only the floor beneath me.

When I opened eyes, I noticed I wasn't lying on ground anymore. I lifted myself on my elbows and I was on bed. I felt a familiar situation when I noticed Pikachu next to me. But this time, Pikachu was looking really concerned. I looked beside me and Ash sat on chair, pressed his face against his palms.

"Ash?" I asked as I slowly stood up. He mumbled something but I couldn't hear it. "Ash?" I asked and came closer and kneeled before him. "Ash?" I asked, pulling his hands away. He had expression of anger, hurt and sadness.

"It was him." he said and I looked at him confused. "Giovanni that fucking man. It was him who killed my father."

I looked with wide eyes at him. "Did they call you?" 

He clenched his fist. "Yes. They got information about that Giovanni planned the whole attack on my father. All of it, the knifes, the assault. Now it will be just about time." he said looking down.

"About what?" I asked confused and he looked back at me.

"Before my father will be back on news." 

Presence

He was totally right. None of knew why, how. But on news appeared how Giovanni's wounds from knives were very similiar, even too much similiar, to one that had Ash's father and after that, it was for some time on news. Clemont and Bonnie knew some things about Ash's father before, but not his death. Now they did and they were sorry for him.

But Ash didn't like sympathy from anyone.

I looked up from my tent to look at others. Clemont was sleeping already, Bonnie too, Linda fell asleep on her chair with notebook like most of a nights, but Ash was looking up in the stars.

"What is it Serena?" tiredness was the thing I could hear from him.

I looked at him for moment before speaking. "Do you plan to sleep tonight?"

He was silent for some and for a moment, I was sure he said: "I don't want nightmares to hunt me." but after that he said: "I am not tired."

"I lifted myself and looked at him. "I know you are Ash. There is no need to lie to me." I said with stern voice. I could see his eyes turn to me, his eyebrows raised.

"You are right. There is no way I can lie to you. Yeah, I am pretty tired Serena, but... Newermind. Good night." he said, turning to side and I waited. I wasn't going to sleep until he was.

But it wasn't long because he was in a moment. It seemed like he was just waiting for his eyes to be closed longer than to just blink. So I went back to sleep.

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We were walking along the road. Everyone was quiet, well... everything was quiet. I looked at others, but they were gone. I looked at other side and they were gone too. I looked at Ash and his back was facing me.

"Ash?"

He didn't react. I reached out to him and he suddenly changed into smoke and bir red eyes and grin. "You are nothing Serena." he spoke and felt how is hurt my hearth. "Traveling with was mistake and all of us know it. You know, you failed in everything." he spoke and I felt tears on my cheecks.

"Serena!"

Covered in sweat, fear coming through my veins, I shot up, taking deap breaths. I looked around, we were back in tent. Bonnie was looking slightly panicked.

"What-" I asked groggily, but Bonnie stopped me.

"Well many things happened. You had nightmare, we all had aaaand..." she pointed behind me and I turned behind and there I saw pitch black pokemon with what looked like red scarf and a white fog-like ghostly plume billowing from its head covering one side of head, on the other side blue eye was visible.. In front it, there was glowing pokemon. It had blue body with a yellow underside. It had dark pink orbs on head and chest and around its body were three big pink rings.

They were over lying Ash, whose face was turned in pain. Lucario stood by their side with Pikachu on his shoulder, both of them with uncertainty. Linda was somewhere gone and Clemont looked at it with disbelief. I reached for my pokedex and pointed at them.

"The mythical Darkrai, Pitch-Black Pokémon, Dark type. To protect itself, it afflicts those around it with nightmares. However, it means no harm. Its abilities are direct opposite to Cresselia's"

"The legendary pokemon Cresselia, Lunar Pokémon, Psychic type. Those who sleep holding Cresselia's feather are assured of joyful dreams. It is said to represent the crescent moon. Its abilities are direct opposire to Darkrai's."

I looked at them wide, but I then thought about the nightmares and Ash was now in big pain with Darkrai's hands on sides of Ash's head. I stood up, ready to pull Darkrai off, but I was stopped by Bonnie.

"Don't, I think they are trying to help. Ash is having some serious nightmares and we can't wake him up. At least when they came, he stopped shaking so much. We don't know what to do next though." Bonnie said, but I didn't stop. I walked closer, standing next to Lucario and Pikachu.

Cresselia dropped down glowing thing, I picked it up and saw feather. I looked up at Cresselia and indicated for me to put it next to Ash. I did it, but it did nothing to Ash.

"Strange. Ash is still having nightmares, why? As pokedex said, Cresselia's feathers are suppose to get rid of nighmares." Clemont said, looking at all of them confused. I sighed, but Darkrai and Cresselia exchanged looks. Darkrai than created small black orb and hit Pikachu and putting it to sleep, alarming Lucario. Darkrai grunted something, Lucario looked at Darkrai confused but before it could react, Darkrai created another black orb and making Lucario go to sleep.

Darkrai than suddenly looked at me, I took step back, but Darkrai held another black orb in its hands. Cresselia looked between us and it seemed to notice my confusion so it touch Ash's forehead and when it was lifting up, it left behind glowing line and then it connected to mine. And then it hit me.

"You want us to go into Ash's head?!" I exclaimed, Darkrai nodded. I looked at others, Clemont shrugged, but Bonnie seemed a little bit panicked. Darkrai didn't look at them, but only at me and hit me with it. I felt how I was getting tired.

"Serena watch out for darker..." but I couldn't  hear more because I saw darkness.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw only darkness. I noticed I was standing or more precisely floating through darkness. After some time, I started to hear so many voices I had to cover my ears and close my eyes, but I still could hear them. 

"A-Ash... isn't it beautiful?"

"Noooo!"

"Are you even his son?"

"I am a monster."

"He died because of you!"

"Big challenge is coming to you."

"You want it? .... You are always hiding it."

I started to feel pain everywhere in my brain from it until I felt fur on sides of head and all the voices stopped. I opened my eyes and saw Lucario. His ears floating and he was focusing.

Lucario put away his paws and looked down at me. I then noticed that we were standing in middle of nowhere. Me, Pikachu and Lucario and I had no idea why only us.

But before we could think more, a blue flames appeared, trapping us in huge circle. We all stood back alarmed by this.

"Pikachu thunderbolt." I reacted on instinct and Pikachu did as told and electricity hit the flames, but they didn't budge. Lucario as well attacked, but they would change. 

We waited for what was going to happen next and then, the flames created path ahead for us. We looked at each other, none of us having any idea so we walked along. We walked for some time, nothing happening.

And then, our view was changed into images with voices and I couldn't see anything else.

"Ash... I let my soul to be absorbed to save you and this is how you ended up? Failing everytime?" I saw for moment darkness, but then I saw a Lucario. But this one wasn't Ash's. This one seemed a little bit older and I could hear his voice inside my head. And probably the main thing was that this Lucario, I could see through this one. Lucario was floating like some ghoast

Then there was some strange sound like blank tv fuzz. After some moment, the vision stopped and we were back in flaming alley. I looked at others and by their reaction, they saw the same thing. Lucario looked alarmed and Pikachu let's his ears go down and Pikachu seemed sad.

Before I could ask again, to receive only one vision of nightmare, we received so many, I felt so much pain it knocked me on my knees. I held my hands on my sides of head and closed my eyes. I looked for moment at Lucario because he stopped it last time, but this time both of them were on ground, in same pain as me. After some time, the pain was too much for me until I go into darkness.

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I opened my eyes and I thought I was back in real world until I saw that above me was only darkness. I lifted myself up and saw again blue flaim, but now they were further away.

"How the fuck did you get here?" a voice spoke. I could hear the cold of the voice and I turned around. I shadow figure. I couldn't see anything but its purple eyes that changed for most of the time. By the voice I heard, I knew it was male. "Are you planning longer to figure out who I am?" he suddenly spoke and I then remembered that I wasn't alone here. I looked to my side and there were both Ash's pokemon. "Gonna answer me?"

I turned back to man. After seeing that the shadow was part of that person, I gave up on trying. Well, only by using my eyes. "What or who are you?" 

The person huffed annoyed at me. "Not gonna aswer me? Guess I am gonna try how far I can pull with this." 

"With wh-" before I could finish, the person was inches away from me and pressed its shadow hand on my forehead. I saw his purple eyes glow even stronger and that was before I started to see old things.

I saw myself riding first time on Rhyhorn. I saw myself being scared of wild pokemon and falling down.

"Not this far." I heard the male voice again. And the images changed again. And I saw everything that happened before I went inside Ash's nightmares. Cresselia and Darkrai. "You have to be kidding me and ouch." when the male voice spoke again, I was back at the same place as befroe, but now the dark figure was on ground. I looked around confused until I saw growling Lucario. Pikachu was as well on alert.

"What did you just do?" I asked as the dark figure stood back up. The purple eyes looked at both pokemon by my side.

"Getting a damn answers and I am pretty sure I got more from your memories than them." shadow man said, pointing at both Lucario and Pikachu. Lucario growled even more, but then suddenly it stopped. I looked at Lucario and I covered my mouth from almost yelping. Lucario had no mouth now. "Attack me again, I dare you again." I looked back at the shadow even though I couldn't see his mouth, I knew he was smirking.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked with confidence

He looked at me with surprise, but chuckled. "Is this a way thanking me for saving you?" he said and I looked at him confused. "Oh yeah, you wouldn't remember. Nightmares got you or more precisely would get if it wasn't for me."

I then remembered what happened before. And I now knew we had more needed things to do. "We need to go. We still don't know what is wrong with Ash." I said to others.

"Oh already leaving? What do you plan honey? You are right, you have no idea what do." I felt anger going through me. "Oh, what is getting you angry honey. Truth or my little teasing." I knew he was smirking. 

"What would you know? And why am I even talking with you? You are just another nightmare." I said throwing my hands in the sky, turning around and ready to leave until I heard his laughing. I turned back to him confused, but he wasn't there. Only his laughter left behind. I looked around confused until I felt tap on my shoulder. I turned quickly around, but nothing was there.

"Is that what you think I am? Just another Ash's nightmare?" I heard Pikachu's scream. I saw Pikachu floating in sky, being held in dark ball. "The precious little boy?" I heard a small thud and when I turned around, Lucario was pinned down to ground. "No wonder Darkrai and Cresselia found out Ash is having troubles with a stupid parasite. He is CHOSEN ONE after all." I snapped with my eyes forward and he stood only inches again from me. "And I am just his little helper aren't I?"

The shadows raised and surrounded both of us. During that, I didn't notice until it was at half. His body was now revealing. And when his face was revealed, I thought I froze for a moment. It was Ash, but his eyes were still purple.

"A-As-"

"No. But no wonder you think it. After all, that is the thing Bonnie didn't tell you right?" he said, rolling his eyes.

"Who are you?" I said and he chuckled.

"Well look at that, now I get it." he said, ignoring me for a moment. "I was thinking why YOU. I got the point of Pikachu and Lucario. I expected another one here to be Frogadier. 'The ones he opened up to.' " he chuckled and turning to me. "But I didn't expect YOU to be the one that Ash is opened up to. I mean...ha...I don't even know you enough and yet..." he started to laugh even more.

"Yeah, I was right. I am not gonna save Ash this way." I said, but when I tried to walk through the shadows, it bounced me back.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I was just getting a little bit lost in this comedy. Just to answer your question. I am Slash and I really hate Ash." he said like it was just a simple fact. "Arghh. How did Bonnie called me? Oh yeah. Darker Ash. I mean could you blame her?" he said and only for a moment the shadows went away for me to see Pikachu and Lucario. "Everybody feels pain when they meet me."

"But then why are you still here?" I asked and he stopped and looked at me with raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"Why are you still here if you hate Ash, I am pretty sure you would get out somehow and wouldn't stay here." for a moment, there was a silence. 

Finally after a minute, his face lit up with anger. "That is something you don't need to know." his words were rude. He was like entire opposite of Ash, but also so similiarways. "Ok, I think you should go take care of that idiot. After all, that is the reason Darkrai with Cresselia sent you here. And I am also getting tired of this conversation." he grunted annoyed and before I could react, he was gone also his shadows. I looked around I saw Lucario and Pikachu, both standing up. Lucario had mouth back. They looked at me, but before we could say anything, the flames changed and took a new place. They made another way for us.

We started to make our way, when suddenly flames raised behind us and started to move on us. We ran the only way we could and everytime I slowed down, I felt the heat behind me.

We rushed quickly until my feet stopped touching ground and I was falling forward. We all screamed as we were falling through darkness. But after some moment, we stopped because we were still falling.

"How long do you think-" like on command, we hit the ground. It didn't hurt much, so I quickly lifted myself up. There was for once a light and under it stood..... a child? "Hello?"

"Who are you?" a young boy voice spoke through the silence. I saw him only from behind, but he had brown spiky hair. I walked closer, but stood frozen the moment the boy turned to me. He was white as death itself and from his stomach was coming out blood. Pikachu let out squeak and when I turned to Pikachu. Pikachu was almost on verge of crying.

"Oh, uh- no I am Serena, this is Lucario and this-" my next words were taken from me by the boy.

"Pikachu. You were so nice. Ash told me I could have Pikachu as well. It didn't work." he said and river of blood was coming out. I looked "He failed me... I guess I take you." before we could react, from the blood reached out  something that looked like a hand. It grabbed Pikachu and took him down into the lake of blood. 

"Pikachu!" I yelled and ran forward. When I was close to reach the bloody lake, I was sent back something that hit my stomach. I looked up and saw the kid floating in the sky.

"NO!" he yelled and I crawled a little bit back. "I had a dream and Ash took it from me! That is why I took him and Pikachu." he screamed and from his back came out shadows. Lucario sent out aura spheres and destroyed some those. 

I felt the sudden rage by his words. Whatever this boy was, he was the one why Ash was in so much pain. So when the shadow got closer to me, I punched it. It shattered and I ran forward.

We continued coming closer, but the boy let out louder scream and we were sent back by a shock wave. I stood back up and looked at Lucario. Lucario looked back at me. Lucario let out loud roar and his eyes started to glow and his fur was standing up. Lucario ran forward, destryoing one shadow by one. 

I took the opportunity and ran back to the lake. A few shadows were there, but ran around them and jumped straight into lake.

I held my breath and swam deeper. I saw Pikachu there, sleeping, and grabbed Pikachu. The moment I touched Pikachu, he looked around alarmed. I couldn't say anything because I saw Ash's cap and where was his cap, he would be close. I swam even deeper. 

There he was, floating there, twitching. The more I was going deeper, the more hard it was for me to hold my breath and the more the blood was getting thickier. I grabbed Ash, but he was still twitching. I would normally feel gross of swimming in blood, but this was just a nightmare and Ash was at stake. I grabbed Ash and started to swim up, but my conscious was getting lost again as in camp. But it wasn't for the breath, it was because of the pain I started to feel.

I felt something lifting us up fast from the water and before I could react, we were back on the surface with Ash and Pikachu. I looked around confused when I noticed Lucario standing over kid. 

"Once again?" I heard familiar voice I looked around and saw Slash again. His hand was huge and smoky, but it was getting smaller. "Thanks for doing my job." he said looking over me at Lucario and boy. He mumbled something, but I couldn't hear it.

"WAIT! You were planning on saving Ash?" I said, he chuckled.

"Well, you came here for it." he chuckled and sighed. "Ok, NOW." he said and was gone once again and suddenly I heard a gasp and behind me was Slash holding the kid. "Stop hiding in this form. I am starting to get bored and angry. Hiding behind Alex isn't a good idea. If Ash was awake, he would go on rage rampage I wouldn't mind join him." he said, but nothing happened. "NOW MISMAGIUS!"

Boy started to change into smoke and from it came out purple pokemon that more like a smoke, but the head was staying almost same. Witch hat and yellow eyes.

"Slash. You did this to me. Because of you, I don't have a body and you know I can't just die." Mismagius said and then looked at us. "You! How did you even get here?" Mismagius was about go to us, but something dark stopped stopped him and I knew who.

"Trying to take over my body is idea you know was just stupid." Slash said I looked at him and he seemed really angry. "I tried to work with you and it got me out of control. You think I would try again?" I put the pieces together and I was about to say it, but Slash was one step ahead. "Yes Serena. No stupid hypnosis would get us under control, it was just me who wanted a stupid quiet time for myself." he said and started to clench his fist. Mismagius let out yell and it was getting squeezed in shadows.

"Slash you don't need to do it." I said and Slash's head snapped at me.

"You are not that stupid to tell me what to do, so stay out of this." he said and clenched his fist even more. "I am just doing what must be done." even more squeezing. "I killed with Ash before anyway and he even agreed to it until it was done." he said and squeezed even more. Mismagius was only small ball, but still let out screaming.

"Darkrai and Cresselia are here to take care of Mismagius. You have done your part. I will make sure it will be taken care of. Just don't kill Mismagius." It didn't feel right with me for kill Slash to killMismagius. Yes Mismagius did something bad, but this wasn't the solution.

Slash looked at me for a minute before letting out huff and stopped clenching his fist and Mismagius dropped on ground still in ball of shadows.

"Get the fuck out and never come back." he said and fell into ground like shadow. I turned to Ash, who was still unconscious, but his chest was still moving.

The whole darkness broke with light that came from above us. Coming to us were Darkrai and Cresselia. Darkrai grabbed Mismagius, Cresselia on other hand started to glow and behind Cresselia appeared moon. After that, on Ash started to drop glowing dust on him. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, blinding light.

"Hey, they are waking up." I opened my eyes and I smelled the fresh air. I was lying on my sleeping bag. "So, everything fine?" I turned to Bonnie and she seemed really relieved. I lifted myself up and I noticed that Pikachu with Lucario were waking up too.

No POV

Ash shot up, looking around confused. He held his head, now not feeling all the pain and seeing all the nightmares. He looked around, seeing everyone was looking at him and his eyes widened when he noticed the rare duo.

"Thanks." Ash said and fell onto his back. Darkrai and Cresselia flew away. Everyone agreed to not talk in the moment and went back to sleep.

When Cresselia and Darkrai were far enough, Darkrai pulled out the dark ball, inside shadows moving.