A/N: As a New Year's special, I decided to release two chapters at once. This chapter in particular is by far my longest chapter for this book thus far. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I wrote it!

Disclaimer as always: Story is mine, but Pokemon isn't.

"It's so strange how life works: You want something and you wait and wait and feel like it's taking forever to come. Then it happens and it's over and all you want to do is curl back up in that moment before things changed." -Lauren Oliver

Chapter 19: A New Beginning

Serena stared into Marge's staff, wondering how in the world she could get Pokémon to come to her. She knew that as an unfamiliar person, she likely wouldn't get Pokémon to come by her. If anything, she was likely to scare them away. The girl had no idea how to use her powers. She didn't like the Ketchum way of learning through a hands-on approach.

Serena began to think about a way to call over Pokémon. Then, her thoughts wandered to Ash. She remembered him singing a pretty song to call over his old Pidgeot. She assumed Aurora could do the same thing. Serena didn't remember the song, but she remembered the general melody of the tune. Serena wasn't sure if that would be enough to call anything, especially since she was only half guardian.

The girl tried to calm herself from any doubts. Though she wasn't sure how to call Pokémon through conventional means, she decided to follow what would be right in her heart.

Serena looked at the staff embedded slightly in the ground. It stood motionlessly, but Serena knew Marge wanted her to use it. The girl wasn't sure how. Though she wasn't sure what she was doing, she decided to try something.

Serena placed her hands on the clover crown of Marge's cane. She closed her eyes and concentrated her power on the cane. The cane resonated with Serena's aura and started to glow green. Serena's heart shaped mark appeared on her chest. As Serena was doing this, a man teleported several feet from her and sat down, taking in his surroundings. He noticed he was near a wooden house in a large field. Then, he focused his attention on the girl in the backyard.

Though the man couldn't see her clearly, he could barely fight the tears coming up in his eyes. He calmed himself and started to observe the girl.

Taking a deep breath, Serena began to hum the song she remembered Ash singing. The clover on the staff began to glow more intensely. The man glazed over his eyes in content seeing Serena trying to improve herself. He closed his eyes to listen to her voice.

After a few moments, a few Pikachu started to pop up from the field and head toward the source of the song. The man looked at the cluster of Pokémon indifferently, but noted the melody he heard from Serena and how she was using her power to attract the wild Pokémon. He got up and began walking toward the girl. As he did this, he made himself invisible so Serena couldn't notice him easily.

Unfortunately for Serena, the Pokémon did pick up on an unknown presence and started to run away in fear. When Serena opened her eyes, she noticed the Pikachu running away from her. She sighed in disappointment. She felt like she was close. She sat down in front of the cane, pretzel legged, and leaned her head on her hand in slight frustration.

The invisible man looked at the girl, feeling guilty for his intrusion. He cursed the Pokémon for their heightened senses, but wasn't surprised at the outcome. He was surprised when Serena looked directly at him with narrowed eyes. She got up and suddenly created a pink war hammer of destruction. Serena had an odd feeling inside her. She felt this exact same way when Rio had been hiding from her. She hoped her stance was putting up a good front.

"Show yourself… whoever you are…" Serena growled.

The invisible man raised an eyebrow and took a closer look at her eyes. He saw caution, but he saw something even more important: potential. He nodded to himself. Then, he did exactly as Serena requested and appeared several feet from her.

Serena gasped and stepped back in surprise. The man in front of her had a black and white business attire with a red tie neatly tucked in. His white collared shirt seemed to be hiding a necklace of some sort. His blue eyes seemed bright, but she saw hints of sadness and happiness in them. Serena was confused by the mix of emotions. The man also had wavy platinum blond hair slicked back neatly. He was tall… about as tall as Gordo, but unlike Gordo, he didn't seem nearly as muscular. He had a more lean, but toned build instead.

Serena could tell just by looking at him that he was an important figure. This man looked like he could blast away someone by just staring at them. However, there was a softness present. Serena could tell he meant her no harm, but she also didn't know his intentions with her. The way he was looking at her was both observing and longing. She put her guard up when he started to walk closer to her. She gripped her weapon tighter.

The man couldn't stop himself from moving forward. The girl was too captivating. Serena gulped when he caressed her cheek in less than a second after moving. He had teleported so quickly, Serena couldn't react. She was frozen in place. In her surprise, she made her weapon disappear. The man could not stop staring into her eyes in awe. He saw so much potential, it made him proud.

"I'm likely the one who scared the Pokémon away. Your voice was so pretty. That was a lovely performance." Serena noted the man's soft spoken, yet deep voice. It sounded so calm and relieving.

"Ah…" That was all Serena could say from the man being this close to her. She lost all sense of her bearing. She felt an urge to give herself completely to his hand, as it was a warm feeling she knew she hadn't felt in a long time. Her hesitance prevented her from doing so.

"You're so beautiful… even more so than I imagined." The man murmured softly. Every word he said was sincere and Serena was caught off guard by this.

"W-who are…?" Serena started to ask, but she had a sinking feeling she already knew the answer. No other person could make her feel a sense of longing.

"My hair… it's just as luscious and wavy as yours, though mine is a bit lighter. My eyes… they're as brilliant as yours, no? If you're anything like me intellectually, the answer should be obvious to you." The man stopped caressing her cheek and stepped back so she could get a better look at him.

"You… you're… my… my…" Serena wanted to deny it, but she couldn't. This man looked way too similar to her not be important to her. She said hesitantly, "…Dad?"

"My full name is Donnivan Kulan Kovan. Most people call me Doku because of my first and middle names, but with you? I would prefer it that you call me, 'Father'. 'Dad' or 'Daddy' do sound pleasant, too." Doku said, entertaining the idea of how to be regarded. Though he was happy to see Serena, his face remained stoic.

Meanwhile, Serena felt like she had a slight headache at the revelation. She never saw this man in her life. She felt an anger rise up inside her about someone she felt abandoned her and her mother. Doku seemed sad by this, but not surprised. Serena had so many thoughts filling in her mind.

This man was far different in real life than he was in the stories she heard about him. Raven and Mirabelle talked as though he was a horrible being through and through, especially since she manifested his mark. They've also kept any and all information secret about him. She had to wonder why. However, Doku wasn't giving her any bad vibes. Serena also kept in mind that he could be acting like this in front of her to catch her off guard. Her eyes turned analyzing. Doku took notice and internally smirked at the challenge she presented.

"You are my father! I have so many questions… like where have you been? Who are you really? Why are you in the Zurui? How come you're trying to seek me out now and… and… oh my Arceus, you're my father!" Serena said so fast that Doku had to take a few moments to process what she said. Outwardly, Doku had a neutral expression. Inwardly, his thoughts were cold and calculating.

"Interesting… I never recalled Serena knowing I was in the Zurui. The Ketchums or her mother must of told her to be wary of me. However, based on Serena's initial reaction, she doesn't remember me..., but she doesn't hate me. She's only cautious of me. This is a good thing. Trust can be built. Grace made a misstep not making her hate me. She'll never keep me from my daughter again…" Doku thought determinedly.

"Curious, are you? How pleasant. Your questions shall be answered in due time, my dear." Doku said with a smile. He could see that she was a curious sort and he liked that. Doku noted how easily he was able to smile in Serena's presence. He also noted how special his little girl was to do that. His expression became more serious as he replied, "Believe it or not, this is quite a lot for me to take in, too."

"What… do you mean?" Serena said with a tentative tone.

"Before today, I thought you were dead." Doku admitted.

"What?!" Serena widened her eyes at this. Doku seemed sad, as if bad memories were pouring into him. Serena seemed surprised seeing him like this and could tell he wasn't lying. That made her wonder why her father thought she was dead in the first place. It would make sense why he wasn't in her life. Serena had more questions to ask her mother the next time they spoke.

"There's so much I want to tell you, but time is short. In approximately five minutes should I not leave on time, Alison Ketchum and Margret Lunette would come out of that house, realize I'm here and attempt to attack me to drive me away from you. Ask me anything in that time." Doku offered.

Serena got annoyed when he said that. Serena knew from how he moved toward her that he was a master psychic, so to see him use future vision so easily wasn't surprising, but still impressive. She was more annoyed at the lack of time she had to see him.

"What...? Five minutes? That's not fair. You just show up randomly claiming you thought I was dead? It doesn't add up. Everything I've heard about you… points you to being a bad man, but... you seem so gentle. All of this is so… baffling." Serena admitted.

"I must be confusing your expectation of my personality with the reality of how I am. That is to be expected. My apologies for causing you confusion. I can seek you out again so I can tell you more, when you have no company by you." Doku offered. Serena stepped away from him with narrowed eyes. Doku didn't seem phased.

"I… don't feel like I should trust you." Serena growled in a low voice.

"Oh?" Doku said in a challenging tone.

"You're in the Zurui! Your team has caused so many people pain, especially to my…" Serena stopped herself from saying more, but it was too late. Doku had an idea of what she would have said next based on the people in his immediate surroundings.

"'My boyfriend's family', if I were to guess that is what you wanted to say. You stopped yourself, so I'm sure you didn't want me to figure that out. Am I correct?" Doku asked causally. Serena gasped and rose her guard.

"How dare you read my mind…" Serena hissed, but Doku shook his head.

"I didn't read your mind just now. I just happen to pick up on things quickly based on what I observe around me. The Champion's mother being in that house is a good indicator of what you may want to say. The Ketchum elderly doesn't like psychics or hybrids and yet you're close enough to them to be with one on your lonesome. That's why I knew you'd think about the Ketchums first." Doku started.

"My first guess would normally have been your mother, but you haven't mentioned her yet. In fact, you mentioned the Zurui as a general menace first instead of me directly. I find that interesting because it could mean several things. Either you have a strain within your relationship with Grace, she hasn't mentioned me enough to cause much resentment in you toward me or you resent the Zurui because of what the team has done to the Champion and her family. Considering the fact that you are with a Ketchum elder, I can presume you know much of the Ketchum's animosity toward the Zurui. Perhaps it's a mix of all of this. Feel free to tell me if I'm wrong at any time." Doku explained his thoughts to the girl.

Doku was only making guesses, but based on how Serena was acting, he knew all of what he assumed was correct. She stayed silent, seemingly knowing he would be able to tell if she lied. He liked the challenge of not using his power on her. It made the interaction much more rewarding to him.

Serena looked at the man, both in shock and in fear. Dealing with a psychic that has great mastery of his power without being too reliant on it was terrifying. Doku seemed acutely aware of this. He got close enough to where Serena could feel his breath. He whispered with his same analyzing voice, "Your boyfriend's name is Ashton Ketchum, right? From what I've heard about him, he looks very much like his father, but has his mother's aura potency."

"…" Serena narrowed her eyes and had to suppress a gasp.

She was feeling a pressure not to give Doku any more information, just like with the DDD. However, unlike the DDD, she felt like she was thoroughly outmatched. It was odd feeling this way, but also not feeling like her life was in jeopardy. Serena could feel her father testing how she reacts in pressuring situations. Doku seemed to have her exactly where he wanted her: on notice. He always enjoyed a game of wits and seeing his daughter react accordingly made him proud. He showed no signs of this in his outward features.

"Be careful how you react to your supposed enemy… or do you actually feel that way about me? Does part of you want to trust me?" Doku advised and asked earnestly.

"I…" Serena didn't know how to react at this point. Hearing his voice shift being cold and analytical to being warm caught her off guard. She sweatdropped at the question.

"Let's try to tap into that part a bit more in the future." Doku said with a hopeful tone. He looked down at his watch and sighed. He moved away from Serena and then made a sad smile. He said, "How unfortunate. Looks like my time is running low. If you ever want to find me, I'm usually in the Poison Toxx Company building in Doki Doki City. If security becomes irksome, let them know you're my daughter and tell them this code I'm about to give you. I would have let them know that only my daughter knows this."

Doku suddenly took out a piece of paper and wrote down: 01110000 01101111 01101001 01110011 01101111 01101110. Serena had no idea what this meant, but decided to put it in her bag anyway. She wasn't sure what to do with this information, but since she didn't want Doku to find out where she was living at currently, she decided to take in this information.

"What is the Poison Toxx Company?"

"The name is a bit misleading, but I'm the CEO of the company that converts the poisonous gas of the Death Zone into energy people around the region can use. It's made things more efficient and it limits the amount of gas that spreads around the region. It helps with tourism… as many people wear gas masks and explore the city and visit the first floor of the building. It also helps that the gym leader in the city is a Poison Type specialist. However, if you wish to call upon me directly, do so around this time in the morning and channel your psychic power through this. I'd teleport to you in an instant." Doku gave her a compact metal box with a small black button on top. It looked a little like a pager.

Serena started to inspect the pager and wonder what else was in Doki Doki City. She could remember all the cities in Hokori except for that one and she wondered why. The girl figured it had something to do with her father, so anything relating to him was wiped from her mind, but she was still curious about it.

"What… is this contraption?" Serena asked.

"I like to tinker with technology a lot and that's a little something I made in case I wanted to keep in contact with people important to me that doesn't involve a cellular signal. Serena, may I request something of you?" Doku asked.

"Y-yes?" Serena said nervously. She wasn't sure what she could do for someone like him.

"Do not let the Ketchums… and anyone close to the Ketchums… know about this encounter and any future encounter we have. Keep our meetings between us secret. I also will not tell any of my Zurui cohorts." Doku said. Serena crossed her arms at this.

"Really? I find that hard to believe." Serena snorted.

Doku was unsurprised at this. He wasn't sure how he could make her believe him. Then, an idea sprang in his mind. He didn't like the idea of making himself vulnerable, but figured if he really wanted to build a relationship with her, he needed to show her this.

Doku went inside his shirt and revealed he had a golden heart shaped locket around his neck. It looked exactly like the locket Raven showed her. The only difference was the picture inside of it. When she saw the picture, she had tears in her eyes. It depicted a young Serena being levitated in the air by a younger Doku. Doku himself had honey blond hair instead of the platinum blond hair he had today. They both was smiling gleefully. Serena thumbed herself in the photo.

"I… I... I looked so happy…" Serena said with a shaky voice.

"I always spent time with you when you were little. You were my pride and joy when you were small, but I never went to see you as you grew older because your mother fabricated your death in front of me. It seems afterward, someone took your memory of me. You really don't remember me, do you?" Doku asked with slight bitterness. He had his free fist curled up, slightly shaking. He couldn't bring himself to stay fully composed as the thought of what happened filled him with anger, disgust and sadness. Serena never expected to see a Zurui boss like this in front of her.

"I'm sorry…" Serena lost on feeling in her legs and dropped on the ground on her knees. She couldn't stop herself from crying. Doku gasped at this and immediately embraced the teen to console her. When Serena was small, her crying was a weakness of his and the same held true in the present.

Serena couldn't help but feel robbed. Everything Doku was saying was lining up with what Raven mentioned she did to her when she moved out of Hokori. Though she didn't want to draw any drastic conclusions, she couldn't help but feel betrayed that Raven decided to wipe her memories away. She decided she had to confront Raven about it the next time she saw her.

"It's not your fault. Please don't cry, my serene princess." Doku requested gently. He slowly got her back up on her feet. He started to focus on wiping away her tears. Serena noted how soft his hands were and the genuine concern he had toward her. It left her confused, but appreciative of his efforts to make her feel better. Doku then said, "Every morning, when I thought you were dead, I took some time to look at this locket of me and you and treasure it. No one knows I do this… except for you. Our interactions… will be just as precious as this locket is to me."

"…" Serena didn't know what to think about all this. She stared into the ground.

"I want you to trust me in the future. However, trust is a two-way street. Can I trust you to follow my request?" Doku asked.

"How do I know you won't try and trick me, though?" Serena said, still slightly guarded. Though the teen was surprised her father loved her enough to keep her in his thoughts when he thought she was dead, it didn't take away from the fact that Doku was a criminal.

To answer her question, Doku's blue eyes went from full of compassion from emotionless. They also turned silver. Serena suddenly felt creeped out by the intense yet detached expression on Doku's face. The impression she got that this man could blast someone away just by looking at them was manifested fully now. The only other person that she felt this level of intimidation by just looking at people was Aurora. Doku showed no signs of acknowledging his daughter's newfound anxiety.

"See my eyes? They look cold and emotionless, right? I didn't change their color until just now to show that I'm not influencing you. If I really wanted to, I could force you to come with me and you'd have no way to stop me. I have no intention to force my will on you." Doku explained with a cold, seemingly dead voice.

Serena felt her body lulling to his words despite him not trying to control her. She shook her head and closed her eyes to snap out of it. The girl, though acknowledging that Doku's power was terrifying even when he wasn't actively using it, was curious. She wasn't sure if she could reach the same level of skill, but part of her wanted to learn. She hated that he piqued her interest. Doku merely observed her passively. He made his eyes turn back to blue.

"That's how our family perform mind control on others. Notice that I've yet to use my power on you actively. I want you to be able to trust me. If you ever catch me trying to force you to bend to my will, feel free to close your eyes, knock me away from you with any attack you can think of and flee." Doku told her.

Serena really didn't want to trust this man, but she wanted to learn more about her past with him. She wondered if she could get him to leave the Zurui. It was clear to Serena that Doku loved her, which baffled her. However, if she met up with him, she wondered if she could help him to change his ways. Serena wasn't sure if she could, but she also just wanted a father in her life. Though her mind was saying it wasn't worth trying to get through to a criminal, her heart said otherwise. Serena only hoped she didn't regret her choice.

"You're so… open. It's strange to see one of my parents like that..." Serena said both in surprise in awe. Doku raised an eyebrow at this. Lowering Serena's emotional defense proved useful for more information about Serena and Grace's relationship. Though that hadn't been his intent showing Serena the locket, it was a nice consequence. Serena brought out her hand and said with a bit of a shaky voice, "I… I… will try to trust you and seek you out tomorrow, F-father…"

"Ooh… I like the sound of 'Father' a lot more now. Thank you, sweetheart." Doku said happily. Instead of shaking her hand, Doku focused his attention on the field, "Before I go, let me give you something for the first time in twelve years…"

Doku took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He seemed to be deeply concentrating. He pressed the fingertips of his middle, index and ring fingers together and started to hover above the ground slightly. Serena was wondering what he was trying to do. Then, she saw several of the Pikachu that had run away earlier beginning to come back. However, they all had blank looks. Serena gasped and immediately shook him gently.

"Father, please… stop! The Pokémon… they look mindless!" Serena said in concern. Doku opened his eyes to reveal they were silver. He stopped levitating.

"As you wish." With a snap of his fingers, the Pokémon got their sense of self back. They all looked confused at where they were. Doku's eyes also returned to normal. Serena was surprised that the Pokémon didn't immediately run off. She noticed they were eyeing the food reserved for them.

"Did you actually mind control all of these Pokémon?" Serena asked.

"Yes. However, they are in a more dazed state than full on control currently. Do exactly what you did earlier to keep them here of their own will." Doku advised.

"Right…" Serena nodded.

Serena closed her eyes and placed her hand on Marge's staff. She took a deep breath before channeling her power on the crown of the staff. It resonated with her aura and spread throughout the area. Doku, all the while, was hiding a devious smirk. He gazed at the girl, both proud and scheming. Doku started to levitate slightly as Serena concentrated her power. He went behind her, and took out a very strange device that looked like a pen, but was anything but. He absorbed part of Serena's aura into the device and then placed it in his pocket again. Doku waited until she was done attracting the Pokémon to speak again.

Doku observed how Serena was able to use aura despite appearing as a psychic to him. He knew his daughter was a hybrid, but wondered why her guardian side was being repressed from being sensed. The platinum haired man hadn't planned on doing this, but sensing the energy Serena was using made him feel suspicious. Doku hoped that by analyzing Serena's aura, he'd be able to learn why. He wasn't sure if hybrids could naturally hide half of themselves or if there was something more powerful involved. He narrowed his eyes, thinking about it.

The Pikachu began to feel comfortable around the duo the longer Serena did this. Eventually, they started to eat the food reserved for them. Serena looked happy at the Pikachu eating. Doku looked at the staff and inspected it.

The platinum haired man wanted to touch it himself, but he needed to leave no living trace of his appearance here. Serena did a great job making it so that it would be impossible for his aura to be detected when she called the Pokémon over. Doku was wary of Marge's sensing ability being tied to what she touches and who she's near. Still, the urge to dissemble the cane filled him. Doku shook his head and began to focus on Serena again.

"Guardian and psychic power working together as one… didn't think I'd see that again. You've developed quite a bit of proficiency to your guardian half…" Doku commented wistfully. Serena looked at her father, wondering how distant psychics and guardian were normally.

When Doku said 'guardian half', Serena got a shiver down her spine. Doku analyzed her reaction to his statement and noticed she stiffened slightly when he made that comment. Serena realized Doku baited her into using her power so he could observe it more closely, but still played it off as though nothing was wrong. Serena knew he saw her use aura before making himself known, so that's why she felt like it was alright to do it again. From how specific he had phrased himself, however, she wondered if that had been a mistake.

On Doku's end, he concluded there was definitely more to Serena than meets the eye. He noticed she quickly normalized herself, but the damage had been done. He showed no signs of gathering information in his expression.

Doku said while looking up at the sky, "Guardians… have always been fascinating to me. Being able to control Pokémon while simultaneously having the Pokémon maintain their free will… is such an interesting ability. Makes me feel a little jealous of what you can do…"

"Were you… trying to bring these Pokémon over to help me?" Serena asked, acting as normal as she could. Doku lazily looked back down at his daughter with a nod.

"Yes. That song you were humming is an ancient, powerful melody called Relic Song. It has the odd ability of calling Pokémon for aid… or controlling them. I figured if you were humming that melody, you want to call over some Pokémon and I wanted to help since I did drive them away initially. I went a little overboard trying to assist, unfortunately. My apologies." Doku said while rubbing behind his head bashfully.

"Thank you for even trying to help me. I appreciate it." Serena said, despite her unnerved feeling. She knew he baited her, but she could also tell he wanted to help her in some way. What he wanted to find out from her outside what her aura was like, Serena wasn't sure, but she focused on the positive. Doku looked at his daughter in subdued happiness. He looked over her and sensed the two ladies approaching. He sighed. Doku wished he had more time, but what he learned was definitely of use.

"No problem, Serena. I must bid you adieu. I look forward to getting to know you. Now that I know you're alive and well… I'll see if I can try and make you the best you can be." With that, Doku teleported away.

Serena was stunned at the entire interaction. She had no idea what to think of Doku now that she'd witnessed him in the flesh. She couldn't deny that she looked more like him than she did her mother and the thought of thought made her nervous. She held out her hands and looked down at them.

For a split moment, she imagined Doku's hands as her own and got a shiver from it. Serena shook her head at herself. She liked to give everyone a chance, but something about Doku made her feel a strange sense of anticipation. As much as she didn't like to admit it, she found herself awed by his limited display of power. Serena wondered if she had the same abilities as him. Mirabelle never showed her how to do more advanced techniques, but she got the sense that Doku outclassed her as a psychic just from interacting with him.

Still, she was wary of Doku because he knew exactly where she would be. Her thoughts wandered to Alice thinking she had been imaging things earlier. Had she been spied on at that moment? The girl had no idea, but she knew she definitely was spied on at some point. Serena didn't know how to feel about all this.

Serena decided to tell Ash everything when she got back. Now that she had a chance to think about what happened more closely, she had a bad knot forming in her stomach. She knew she was going back on her word, but her father didn't seem completely trustworthy to her if his first appearance to her was being invisible while watching her. She had to wonder why he decided to bait her into using her aura when he saw her do it while invisible. The thought made her feel uneasy.

Serena's thoughts wandered to the other gift Doku gave her: the pager. Maybe she could get Pikachu to short circuit it. The girl took it out and inspected it. It seemed harmless, but Serena doubted it was as harmless as it appeared. After her day with Mew, she started to see some of her merit of not trusting people right away. Her mind was working critically.

Despite her unsettled feeling about possibly being spied on, she knew one thing. Doku didn't fake consoling her when she cried about the picture she couldn't remember taking. That sort of instant reaction wouldn't be faked on someone who wasn't concerned. Even though he was stoic on the outside, she could tell he cared about her in some way. It made her feel both fuzzy and odd.

Doku showing signs of caring also made her want to seek him out, if only to understand his motivations and possibly learn something from him. The girl wasn't sure if that was possible, but the longing in her grew. Serena wanted to understand her father and see him again, but she was also wary of him. It was a weird combination of feelings to have.

Serena barely noticed the two old ladies approaching her. Alice was happy to see that Serena managed to do Marge's task, but noticed she was deep in thought. The elderly Ketchum wondered why. Serena immediately put the device in her pocket once she realized the two old ladies returned. Marge was interacting with the Pokémon Serena managed to attract. She was checking to make sure they were doing alright. The Pokémon was eating the food contentedly. Marge was happy.

Marge congratulated, "Nice work bringing the Pokémon over. Care to tell me your secret?"

At first, Serena thought Marge was talking about Doku's surprise visit, but then realized Marge was talking about how she brought the Pokémon over. Serena made a small sigh of relief. She then explained, "I used the staff you left outside to channel my aura, but noticed it resonated with my aura."

"There's a reason for that. Check this out," Marge suddenly lifted her grounded staff into the air without touching. Serena wondered how that could be until Marge revealed that the clover on the top could be opened. There, a small blue marble of living energy was shown inside. Serena looked at the bead curiously. She wasn't sure what it was.

"What is that?" Serena asked.

"An aura bead. Most beginners would be using this to help with their sensing. However, they can be used for way more, such as augmenting sensing ability and aura usage. Of course, aura isn't infinite, so if you use it to a certain degree, the bead will disappear." Marge explained.

"How do you create one of these?" Serena asked, curious.

"Simple. It's just a condensed aura sphere placed into a semi permeable see through ball. If you transfer your aura into something like that, it can be used for later use." Marge explained. She then closed the clover on the cane. "The task I had you do didn't use too much aura, so the bead is still intact."

"Aura is so… flexible." Serena noted.

"When the being in our universe that created it is flexible herself, it's no wonder that with some imagination, you can do fantastic feats with aura. Mew's imaginative mind makes what aura guardians and psychics do possible, after all." Marge supplemented. Marge then said, "Now that some of the field's Pokémon are fed and I've made my rounds, I'd say it's time for what you're here for. Based on what I've read in your aura, I have the perfect Pokémon to give to you. Follow me."

Marge started to lead Serena and Alice back to where all the eggs were. To save time, Marge decided to float instead of walking over to the breeding facility. As they walked, Serena couldn't help but shift her thoughts to Doku.

The three guardians managed to go back to where all the eggs were. However, Alice had Serena stop at the door as Marge when on ahead to find the proper egg to give to Serena. Once again, the two stood by each other in an awkward silence. Serena was looking away from Alice, focusing her line of slight on a few of the eggs o the shelves. Alice sighed, but didn't say anything. Truth be told, she was curious about what Pokémon Marge was going to give the girl.

Serena was still thinking about Doku. She didn't know what to think of him. The girl could tell that he was calculating in nature and was wondering how much of his interactions with her was calculating and how much of their interaction was truly genuine. The fact that she didn't know bothered her.

After a few moments, Marge was carrying a transparent cage-like capsule with an egg resting in it. The egg was predominately light green with a red and blue tip at its crown. Serena looked at the egg in wonder. She wasn't expecting to be legitimately receiving a gift and thought that this was another convoluted lesson or trial. She was surprised Alice was being sincere. Marge held the egg with extreme care, but was beaming.

The psychic guardian was slightly afraid to touch it. A living thing was forming within that egg and she didn't want to harm it. Marge chuckled and said, "This little buddy will be your friend as she grows up. Nurturing a baby to maturity is a good thing for a guardian or psychic to do at some point in their lives…"

Serena was a bit surprised Marge knew the egg's gender before she properly hatched, but then again, guardians seemed be able to sense nearly anything. Serena said, "Do you really think I'm ready for something like this? You barely know me."

"That sort of hesitance is why I feel this little buddy will be great in your hands. You aren't trying to take her from me, but is instead concerned about her safety. I like that." Marge turned toward Alice and remarked, "You can't deny this girl does care about the life around her…considering she was able to call over Pokémon, with them happy. Have your doubts about this girl been lessened?"

"Significantly so compared to the beginning of the day." Alice said with a nod. She noticed Serena refusing to make eye contact with her. Alice frowned and said, "Serena, if I make you uncomfortable to be around, then I apologize. I'll keep my distance from you once we return to the tree, if you like."

"Mrs. Alice?" Serena blinked her eyes at the sudden statement.

"I know from the way you were acting toward me while alone that you don't particularly like me. That's fine… but I don't want you to be terrified if you're alone with me. I won't bite… not anymore." Alice continued.

"…It'll… take some time before I'm comfortable by you. I can't just forget what you've done… nor can I forgive you right now. Still, I appreciate the apology and I'll try to not be so rude toward you. I didn't expect you to notice how uncomfortable I was." Serena admitted. Alice made an understanding smile.

"You weren't rude. It's perfectly understandable considering what I tried. However long it may take for you to feel better around me, I'll accept it. I just… well, if my grandson does decide to wed you in the future, I would like there to be less bad blood." Alice admitted, slightly embarrassed to be saying this in front of Serena.

Serena couldn't help but blush and look away. She had the same feelings, but didn't know how to reply. Marge chuckled at Serena's change in aura and could feel her embarrassment.

"Glad to see things are improving a bit between you two, albeit slightly. Continue to talk and find more common ground besides Ash." Marge acknowledged, "That being said, it will take this baby Pokémon about three days to hatch without any Pokémon assistance. Based on what I read in your aura, she has the highest potential of all the eggs here to be one of your Aspects. It really will depend on how your personalities resonate with one another after she is born."

"Do you know what type of Pokémon this will be?" Serena asked. Marge chuckled and nodded.

"Of course. I know her gender, after all. I'll leave you to find out what type of Pokémon she will hatch into. She should also complement those fancy performances you like to do very nicely. You want to be Hokori Queen, right?" Marge said and asked.

"The amount of info you can find out from reading my aura is both astonishing and horrifying." Serena said with a sigh. Marge couldn't help but chuckle at that. Serena replied to Marge's question by saying passionately, "Yes. I do want to be a great performer someday. I like seeing people smile and making people happy. If being Hokori Queen helps in doing that, then I'll pursue it."

"That's admirable. Shame I can't watch your performances. However, should you begin traveling Hokori formally, let me know and I'll go to the yearly one in Yousei anyway. You'd have to pass through Yousei to get here, but the distance between the two towns aren't great." Marge said.

"Yousei…" Serena thought about where that would be for a moment.

"That's where the first performance is held in the region. You have to win three performances to qualify for the Master Cup. Once there, if you defeat the other competitors, you then face off against the current Hokori Queen. Defeat her and then you become Hokori Queen for however long you can maintain it. The title used to be 'Champion of Performances', but it sounded too old fashioned to people." Alice explained.

"Who is the current Queen?" Serena asked.

"The current Queen is Melody, who is also one of the Elite Four. She uses a balanced cast of Pokémon based on her namesake: sound related Pokémon. She's also the toughest of the four." Alice continued.

"Wow. That's…really impressive. Scary, even." Serena said in awe. She never imagined an Elite Four member to also be a performer.

"It's the Hokorian way to train and better yourself constantly, though battling or performing. It's why this region is so tough. People don't really stick to one thing." Marge whistled with a bit of pride.

"You don't have to be as strong as Melody to beat her. You just need to be flashier. I think you can overcome her, but you will still need more experience. As long as you have a strong bond with your Pokémon, however, you can do it." Alice said with a smile.

Serena took in what Alice and Marge said. Serena could imagine herself making the people of Hokori smile and that made her visibly smile. Though she didn't know who Melody was, she saw the woman as a star to shoot towards. She clutched her fist in determination at having a better idea of how to complete her goal. Serena found herself getting excited.

Marge gave the unborn egg to Alice to carry and then began to search herself. Marge went into her rags and revealed she had been carrying an old wooden flute. She began to play it. Serena recognized the tune as the one she heard Ash sing when he was calling over his Pidgeot. She also noticed Marge was glowing green with her energy seemingly going into the ground. Serena wondered what she was calling over. The girl soon got her answer.

After a few moments, a withered Alazakam appeared in front of them. Serena was startled by the sudden appearance while Alice was relaxed. She greeted the Pokémon and the psychic type responded in kind. Marge stood beside the Alazakam with a grin.

"Meet Alazakam. He actually preferred his original species name as a name, so I never nicknamed him. He's my main method of transport of eggs for people who live in a faraway place. Alice, please give Alazakam Serena's unhatched partner and use him to return to I'm assuming either your house or the Tree." Marge instructed.

Alice nodded and handed over the egg to the psychic type. He then started to levitate as he forced Alice and Serena to be beside him. Serena gasped in shock, but noted that she didn't feel comfortable in Alakazam's whim. He seemed a bit bored, but otherwise attentive.

Alice said, "We will be going to the Tree of Beginning, Alazakam."

"Understood." Alazakam said with a nod. He then said to his trainer, "Mistress, after these two leave, will you have need of me?"

"You can take a break after this. You've earned it." Marge said. The way old woman said that made Serena wonder what Alakazam had been doing prior to being called. Marge turned her attention to Serena and said, "Take care… and raise that baby right. Maybe you can get Ash to help you raise her, too."

Serena's face became completely red as she struggled to find a way to respond. Her heart was thumping really fast with the thoughts of Ash and her having a family. Outwardly, Marge was grinning from Serena's change in aura.

"I may not be able to whack you yet, but I'll always find a way to fluster you in some way. You cannot escape it." Marge laughed. "I may come back by the Tree in a couple of weeks to see how far you've come with the egg. I don't normally do this after giving an egg up, but I will do this for a potential Aspect."

"Got it." Serena said.

"Alright then. Alazakam, do your thing." Marge said while having her hands behind her back. Within a blink of an eye, Alazakam transferred Serena, Alice and the egg back to the Tree of Beginning. He had teleported right in front of Aurora's house. He gave the egg to Serena, saluted and then teleported back to Marge.

Serena immediately noticed Lucy sitting on the front porch, seemingly waiting for her. Her tail began to wag excitedly when Serena came and approached her. Serena smiled and petted her. Alice looked at the two with a sad smile, knowing Serena likely didn't know her connection to the Lycanroc quite yet. After getting petted, Lucy curled up and sat in front of the house again. Serena thought of this as strange, but didn't question it. She wanted to go to sleep herself.

Alice opened the door for Serena. They both noticed Gordo was sitting on the couch, thinking to himself heavily. To avoid any and all contact with Gordo, Serena quickly hurried to the guest room, placed the egg beside her, changed into more comfortable clothing and fell asleep. Alice noticed how quickly Serena had left her and sighed.

Alice decided to tell him everything Marge told him. He listened intently, scowling when he found out Alice had been spied on, but scoffed at the idea Marge had to encourage Serena's relationship with his grandson. He was frowning by the end of the story.

"Alison… why'd you make so much effort giving that girl that precious egg?" Gordo suddenly asked. His trance seemed to be broken upon Serena going to bed. Alice took the opportunity to sit beside her husband. She gave him a bit of a wistful smile, especially since he used her full name when asking that.

"It's an experiment." Alice admitted.

"Experiment?" Gordo echoed the word back at her in confusion.

"See… I don't know where her true intentions lie either. However, I'm using the newborn as a test to see if she is capable of raising someone someday."

"Really now? That's interesting. That's… also not a good test. A human is different from a Pokémon. You know that."

"Fundamentally, I disagree with you, darling. You're still raising a life to be the best they can be, whether it is a human or a Pokémon. I want to see how she handles having a bit more responsibility on top of trying to pursue her goals. Remember Happy's egg?" Alice said.

"Yeah…" Gordo nodded.

"Aurora ended up showing love and affection to the Eevee I hid for her. She later raised Ash and for the first seven years, Ash was brought up right by her. I wonder if Serena will be the same." Alice continued. Gordo couldn't help but laugh. It sounded ridiculous to him.

"You seem to be way more invested in the girl compared to yesterday. Thinking about how she would be a mother of all things… you think she'll actually be a Ketchum one day?" Gordo asked incredulously. Alice made a small, but embarrassed smile.

"Before yesterday, I would have said no. Serena has proven herself more capable than I thought. I think… I want to interact and observe her more closely from here on in. So far, she hasn't raised any red flags like Delilah or other psychics have and I'm glad for that. I want Ash to be happy. So, if Ash is happy with her, then I'll try to accept it." Alice explained her thoughts.

"I never thought I'd be hearing you say that about a psychic person." Gordo blinked his eyes in surprise.

"She hasn't done anything wrong… yet. I'll try to be wary, but more reasonable." Alice decided. Gordo suddenly appeared annoyed and shook his head.

"I don't think you should be accepting of her so soon. Betrayal always hurts more when you get too close. I'm still very apprehensive about her, but I'll… try… and I'm putting this loosely… to be nicer for your sake. No promises, though." Gordo said with a low growl. He seemed somewhat disgusted. Alice sighed in sadness. She knew he had more bad experiences with psychics than she did. She wasn't surprised to see him more stubborn than her. Gordo gave Alice a kiss on her cheek. He started to walk off, but he turned around and said, "I'm going to get back to patrolling the tree. I had waited for you to return before I would go."

"Darling, it's two in the morning. You should rest, too." Alice said in concern. Gordo shook his head immediately.

"No. I… want more time to think to myself anyway." Gordo declined gently. Alice looked at her husband in sadness. Whenever he was contemplating this much, he was depressed about something, but also knew to give him space when he was like this. Gordo stood in front of the door, but Alice grabbed his arm gently. Gordo looked at his wife, attentive.

"Come back at a decent time, you hear? Love you." Alice gave him a small peck on his cheek herself.

"Love you, too." Gordo said as he moved toward the outside perimeter of the tree. Alice decided to go to sleep herself. Unbeknownst to the both of them, a small pink feline-like Pokémon had been listening to their conversation and appeared in the living room. She seemed concerned for the future, though happy about Serena getting through to Alice.

Mew teleported to a now sleeping Serena. She created an aura sphere in her paw and pointed it at Serena's head. The psychic mythical Pokémon was glaring at the sleeping girl menacingly, but her paw was shaking. She sighed and got rid of her attack. Mew then grew annoyed at herself as she thought, "I need to do this. I normally destroy threatening seeds before they sprout from the ground. And yet…"

Mew was looking at Serena with a mix of emotions. She shook her head and thought to herself, "Ash… if not for your love for her…and had she not shown herself to be innocent during Alice's trial… I wouldn't allow her to continue living after her encounter with her father. Curse attachments. Still… I suppose if I can't kill her… I can at least help her grow into her powers… so maybe she won't side with him."

Mew laughed at how naïve she sounded. She continued in her thoughts, "Blind optimism at its finest… I can't guarantee she won't at some point be corrupted by her father. After all, I couldn't discern he would see her in Hokori until after it happened. Donnivan Kovan... a future sight immune psychic… and a species of human that I thought was destroyed long ago. How obnoxious to see one resurface."

Mew looked at Serena with a sad smile and teleported away from her, deep in thought in how to interact next with Serena.

A/N: I'm not sure when will be the next time I will upload another chapter, so apologies for flinging you all on another hiatus after releasing two chapters at random. Some good news, though: as of me typing this, I am two and two thirds ahead in chapters. I want to update again when I am five chapters ahead. I've been focusing more on my studies as of late so I've been slow working on this story. I'm still brimming with ideas, even though I am slow with them. Thank you all for your patience.

Please, tell me what you all thought of these two chapters. It's always nice to have feedback. I wish you all a wonderful day and a Happy New Years!

Next Chapter: Budding Feelings

~SPG123~