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2017-11-09
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2020-10-20
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An XYZ Catastrophe

Summary:

Sam and Dean hear reports about a dark colored monster with strange eyes attacking people and go to investigate. However, when they get there, they find a young blonde boy in a blue jumpsuit unconscious. But who is this boy? And does he have anything to do with the monster?

Notes:

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or Pokemon, XYZ or otherwise. Both shows belong to their respective creators. Please receive this as a non-profit fanbased story for entertainment purposes only.

A/N: This story came to me out of nowhere, really. One minute I had been thinking about Pokemon and the next, Supernatural. Then I started thinking about what would happen if Sam and Dean met Ash's gang? This was born purely out of a random crack thought (not the drug kind, since I don't do drugs).

- Addict

Chapter 1: Prologue: The Clash of Worlds

Chapter Text

 

Dean leans back in his chair as he stares at his laptop screen. Nothing interesting had been happening all week. The last case they had was a ghost situation several towns away. Nothing was going on nearby, so they went to check it out. It turned out pretty boring and they were heading home before an hour.

Across the table, Sam was munching on a salad while scrolling down his own screen. His hair was somewhat messy and he had slight bags under his eyes. Dean could admit that he probably looked just as bad seeing as they both woke up only a little while ago.

Castiel was gone on a trip which left his usual seat vacant. The thought of his best friend being out of his sight would have been very irritatingly worrying if Dean didn't almost snicker thinking about what he was doing. The angel had left to go see Claire for a while and check up on her. Sadly, the girl was very clever and was probably tricking Cas into doing who knew what for her. She didn't seem as hostile as the last time the two of them met, so that was a plus.

The poor guy needed a break anyway, so who were they to judge?

A poorly muted sound of triumph brought Dean's attention back to Sam. His brother was looking pretty proud of himself as he turned his laptop. The screen was set to dim, thankfuly, so the elder Winchester was spared from having to squint. The headline was slightly blurry, but that was nothing coffee couldn't fix. Rubbing his eyes, Dean ignored the snicker he thought he heard and tried to reread the paper.

Suspicious Animal Roaming The Streets!

Officials are baffled when a mysterious creature suddenly settled into the small town. At first, only sightings were being reported until suddenly people were claiming that the creature started breaking into stores by breaking down doors. One shop owner claimed that the creature walked on four legs and looked vaguely like a lion, but larger. But the real shocker was when he said that all his electric appliances seemed to act up around the animal, claiming that his microwave even blew up, which scared the monster and caused it to flee. The man claimed that the creatures yellow eyes will probably haunt his dreams for a long time.

Dean quirked an eyebrow and looked up at Sam, who was smirking deviously. With an aggrivated huff, Dean dug into his front pocket and rummaged through his wallet. Finding a twenty, he put it on the table as he gave Sam a mocking glare, but the younger Winchester only smiled and took the money into his own wallet.

Deciding that he's had enough of seeing the little twit's smug mug, Dean sharply rose from the table and made his way out of the kitchen to look for a weapon for their mystery creature. If he heard mocking snickering, he ignored it as he made his way to the weaponry.

Sam just sat back in his seat as he watched his older brother stalk out of the room. If Dean hadn't wanted to lose any money, he shouldn't have made a bet with the case finding champion.


The sun had fully set by the time the boys reached the town. It actually wasn't that long considering that it had been resting on the horizon when they left, but since Dean was a little eager, he probably broke several speeding laws along with the speed barrier to get to the town.

Thankfully, the highway had been empty, but Sam was still going to kill Dean if he did that again. When they finally pulled into town and Dean slowed the **** down, they pulled into the closest diner. When they had parked, Sam jumped from the car and whipped around to glare at his brother as if he were one of the monsters they faced almost weekly.

Dean just smiled innocently back.

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

With a snort, Sam turned around and marched into the diner, leaving Dean to lock the car before following suit. When they settled into a booth, Dean noticed the waitress giving them a weary once over and threw her a charming smile. Immediately, the woman blushed and looked away, but Dean noticed that she kept looking up at him from the cornor of her eye.

A cough caught his attention and he looked forward to see his brother giving one of his famous expressions as he quirked his eyebrow.

"What?"

Sam shook his head as he looked at his screen again. "So, get this. The creature apparently appeared about a week ago, but the news only just got word of it yesterday."

Dean groaned. That entire week that they were without a case, one had been sitting under their noses?

"The only description they have of it was from the man who said the creature broke into his store. All we really know about it is that it looks like a lion and gets spooked by explosions and bright lights." Sam looked inquisitive as he looked over the information. His eyes scrolled the page over and over as if looking for any information he may have missed.

"I can't find any creatures in the lore that look anything like it though."

That gained the older hunter's attention as he turned from the woman he had been flirting with. His brother's eyebrows were furrowed in puzzlement. His mouth was in the thoughtful frown it did when he was deep in his mind.

"Okay, great. A new bady? This could get interesting, right?"

Sam shot him a disapproving look. "Dean, this could be borderline reckless if we go into this blind. We don't know anything about it or its weaknesses. How are we suppose to kill something we know nothing about?"

"Throw everything we have at it and see what works." Dean stated in a matter of fact tone.

Sam rolled his eyes at the pure Dean that was in that logic.

"So where has all this been going down at?"

"Well, it started happening close to an old house on the edge of town. It's actually less than a five minute drive away. Especially with your driving."

Dean ignored the jab as he called the waitress over. In less than ten minutes, the boys had full stomachs and were back in the car on their way to the location of their mystery monster.


As predicted, it took less than five minutes to get to the house. When they exited the car and got a good look at the place, it definately looked like a place a monster would like to live. The old house was a two story that looked like it had seen better days back in a World War. Practically every window was busted and the paint job was almost completely gone, leaving splotches of what probably used to be white surrounded by aged and rotting wood.

After the brief assessment, Dean made his way to the trunk of the car and popped it open. Out of all the weapons that lay scattered in a messy and unorganized pile, he grabbed the shotguns. After checking to see if they were still full of ammo and grabbing a few more for good measure, he walked back to the front and handed one to Sam. The taller man still looked unsure, but shook himself and was no doubt telling himself to suck it up.

"Dean, are you sure we shouldn't at least try to call Cas? I mean, this is pretty dangerous."

Dean could hear the uncertainty in his brother's voice. The younger was always nervous when it came to going in blind on a hunt, especially since the last time they did, one of them had been hospitalized (*cough*Dean*cough).

"I'm tellin' ya man, just let Cas do his thing. I'm sure he's having all kinds of fun, right now." Even though he hadn't meant it in a dirty way, his smirk obviously said the opposite.

"You know what? I don't want to know." Sam said simply. Dean let out a chuckle and rolled his eyes playfully. "Get yer mind out the gutter, ya baby." Sam shot him a look before shaking his head and focusing on their current situation instead of his childish older brother.

Together, the two of them approached the front door.

Once they were on the porch, the two of them locked gazes, all humor gone, and with a nod, Dean reached forward cautiously and opens the door. An ominous creaking noise escaped the aged hinges and the brothers' could have sworn that they heard a snapping noise just as the door collapsed and fell inward.

With one final look, the two entered the house.

The inside was just as bad, if not worse, than the outside. The floor, and pretty much everything else, was covered with a good layer of dust. There was a staircase on the far wall that was missing parts of the railing that had collapsed to the floor below.

Dean gave a signal with his head for Sam to take the second floor and with an affirmative nod, the man took the stairs to the second floor. Dean watched him go before turning back to his own floor.

As he walked forward on his search, he catologued everything he passed. The place was practically a carbon copy of the cliche haunted house. Every piece of furniture he came across was covered with a white sheet and there seemed to be some glass from the broken windows, almost like the glass was broken out instead of in. Was that clue?

When he reached a thin hallway, he came across the first doorway. The door was broken in half and lying on the ground in the hallway. There were signs of a struggle as this room had what looked scratch marks on the floor. The bed in the corner was flipped on it's side, the matress flopped on the ground and what was probably the blanket was ripped on the floor. There was a dark dried stain that covered more than half the floor.

Dean gave a little shudder at the thought of what could have happened here, thankful that Sam wasn't there to make front of him.

Going down the hall, he was met with similar sights, doors closed or broken with overturned furniture inside followed by blood stains and more broken windows in the rooms that had any. One room even had what looked like bullet holes in the wall that went just above what Dean would have guessed was Sam's height. It didn't take a genius to see that something big must have come here.

When Dean finally reached the last room, he was expecting it to be like the other rooms. And technically it was, with one minor difference.

There was a body inside.

Dean's stomach dropped.

Rushing forward the broken bed, the hunter knelt to the unconcious form of what appeared to be a child. He couldn't be any older than ten to thirteen and had strangely styled blonde hair. He wore a blue one piece suit with a yellow collar and yellow stripes around his knees and the cuffs around his ankles. His dirty black and white shoes looked worn. The glasses laying next to his face indicated that he probably had an eyesight problem.

Leaning in to check the child over, he discovered that the boy was indeed injured. There was a head injury that was bleeding pretty heavily, but Dean calmed himself when he remembered Sam telling him that was normal for a head wound and didn't mean it was serious.

Looking lower, he noticed slight tears on the one-piece suit the boy was wearing. Dean would have called him a nerd if the situation wasn't so serious. Checking the room for any sign of what could have brought the boy here. He noticed a rather large backpack in the corner and rummaged through it for a moment. However, all he found was a bunch of tools and what looked like a photo of the child along with a little girl that looked like him. A little sister or something?

A groan gained his attention and made him turn back to the boy who seemed to have scrunched his face up in pain. Was there something Dean had missed?

Quickly making his way back over, he checked the unconscious child again. Hi gaze was quickly drawn to a growing stain on the side of the suit.

'Shoot! He's bleeding out!' Dean thought frantically. How could he have missed this?!

Ripping the suit open, he was met with a slightly startling sight. There was a piece of shrapnel in the boys side. By some kind of good luck, the cut itself wasn't actually very deep but it was pretty long. It was going to hurt like who-knew-what in the morning, but the kid wasn't in danger of anything much more than infection.

Taking off his leather coat, Dean took off his plaid shirt as he shouted Sam's name. One call was enough for him to hear his brother rushing back downstairs. It didn't take long for Sam to show up at the door and by the time he had, Dean had already ripped his shirt and was trying to tie it to the boy's side.

"Sam! Snap out of it and help me get him to Baby!" Dean barked.

Sam seemed to snap out of his horrified daze and, before his brother finished his sentence, he was kneeling next to his brother and helping him get the boy onto his back. Dean motioned for him to grab the backpack and glasses and the three made their way out of the room. Sam took the front and kept an eye out for their target. They were able to make it out to the car without incident, thankfully, and Dean set to putting the kid into the backseat as gently as possible.

In no time at all, they were ripping down the road to the nearest hospital.

Unknown to the brothers, three figures entered the house soon after they left.


A large creature walked calmly towards the house with two smaller figures on it back. The lion-like creature paused, however, when it noticed that the door was broken, it paused. What had happened?

Running into the house, it frantically looked back and forth for any sign of intruders, but even with its special vision, it didn't see anyone. That was when it noticed something quite startling.

It didn't see anyone.

Rushing towards the back, the creature ignored its friends calls as it checked the room at the back of the house. It was one of the few rooms with doors that could have protected its charge. However, when it looked in the room, its fears were confirmed.

The boy was missing!

Letting out an angry growl, static seemed to surround its body causing the two smaller creatures on its back to panic. The brown rabbit creature tried to calm the larger creature down, but it seemed too angry. Suddenly, the rabbit's ears started to glow white as it slapped the lion on the back of its head, causing the green creature behind it to freeze in shock.

Surprisingly, it worked in snapping the creature out of its anger. The rabbit continued to reprimand it, telling if that is they wanted to find their boy, they would need to keep their heads. The lion relented and made its way out of the house back outside.

Where was their boy?

 


To Be Continued...


 

Chapter 2: Chapter I: The Boy Awakens

Summary:

Sam and Dean get the boy to the hospital and the doctors take him away. When the boy wakes up, Sam and Dean try to get some answers out of him, but discover that he doesn't remember much, including how he got in that house.

Sam keeps tabs on the news for their target and discovered that the break-ins have stopped. With no activity and an amnesiac boy to look after, what are the Winchesters' to do?

Notes:

A/N: I'm having a serious problem with the whole writing thing. I'm trying to write a story, then I'll get a random idea for another one! Does this happen to anyone else? It's really frustrating, especially since I found a new anime to watch, Oushitsu Kyouri Haine. Story ideas for that one started popping into my head immediately.

Feel free to leave constructive criticism, I thrive on it! Please don't be cruel or flame me. The only flames I like are Axel, and if you're not him, leave me alone!!

-Addict

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 

The waiting was silent except for the sound of Dean's impatient pacing. They had rushed to the hospital as fast as they could without having the police on their tail. When they had arrived, Dean had practically screamed for help until a group of medical personnel finally responded and came out with a stretcher. After the boy had been secured they toted the boy off to surgery.

Ever since, word had been quiet about the boy's condition. Dean was getting more and more impatient by the moment until he had jumped out of his waiting chair and had started pacing. At first people had given him disapproving looks, but had eventually stopped when they noticed that the hunter didn't care and completely ignored them.

Finally, their attention is pulled from their thoughts when a nurse walked through the doors that lead to the back rooms. She called out the false names they had listed on the papers and Dean stopped dead in his tracks. Sam mentally sighed in relief when Dean finally stopped pacing and followed his brother as they made their way to the middle aged woman.

"Are you Mr. and Mr. Smith?" When Dean nodded, she continued, "We checked the child over thoroughly, but the wounds weren't as serious as previously expected. The cut on his side was shallow and didn't get infected, luckily. The blow to the head was likely from something blunt and very heavy, but his skull showed no signs of fractures. It was just a break of skin." She looked physically relieved to be delivering this news.

Dean sighed as his shoulders sagged. He felt the tension leave his body like river over a waterfall, so fast that he felt light headed and almost stumbled. The look that the nurse shot him let him know that she didn't miss that. Sam could understand how his brother felt as neither of them were very happy when children got involved in a case. He rolled his eyes fondly and turned his eyes to the nurse who was now smiling at both of them.

"Can we see him?" he asked, urgency underlining his tone. He couldn't bring himself to relax completely until he was sure the kid was safe. And to do that, he had to see him. He was certain Dean felt the same.

The nurse nodded and answered with an affirmative before turning and leading them into the back towards an elevator. The way to the room was quiet except for the sound of hushed chatter from people visiting loved ones or the staff talking with their patients.

When they finally reached the boy's room (which happened to be on the fifth floor), the nurse made a surprised sound. Dean immediately leaned forward to see what was the matter until he noticed what had distressed the poor woman.

It wasn't as serious as he thought.

The boy had risen from his bed and had moved to the window. The curtains were pulled away as the blonde peered out the window, appearing to be watching the streets avidly. His face appeared to hold a look of puzzlement, as though he didn't quite understand what he was looking at. The nurse rushed forward to move him back to the bed and, with the confused look never leaving his face, the boy silently complies.

After the boy was safely relocated back to his bed, the nurse gave him a comforting smile as she inquired, "Do you remember anything, sweetie?" The boy tilted his head, in what was a surprisingly cute gesture even with his still distant blue eyes, and appeared to be thinking it over. Slowly, his hand came up to point at himself as he whispered:

"Clemont."

His voice was soft, but also slightly deep. It was also raspy with what could only be remnants from screaming. Dean had heard Sam and his own voice sounding the same way too often to not recognize it. What in the world had happened before they found him? The nurse said that the injuries weren't serious, right? So what could have had the boy screaming until his voice broke?

The nurse seemed satisfied with the name and spoke carefully, "Do you remember anything else?"

The boy, now known as Clemont, appeared to seriously think about it. His eyebrows scrunched up shallowly as his mouth thinned slightly. Suddenly, his eyes widened slightly as he says in a shaky voice:

"Bonnie."

Sam and Dean share a glance behind the nurse. Dean had shown Sam the picture he had found in the boy's backpack. So Bonnie must be the name of the little girl who was smiling next to him.

The nurse gives the boy a pitying look before she turned around back toward the brothers. "I'm going to go get the doctor. I'll be right back so don't push him, okay?" When both the hunters nodded, she scuttled out of the room.

Looking back towards Clemont, Dean finds the boy already watching them. His default confused expression replaced with genuine curiosity. Both Sam and Dean are slightly startled to notice just how dull the boy's eyes really are, like a light film was blocking their shine, causing him to have a constantly dazed look. It was honestly unnerving to see such a look on such a young child.

Taking the initiative, Sam leaned down and said to the boy, "Hey, buddy. My name is Sam and this is my brother Dean." The boy seemed to perk up slightly before pointing at himself, slightly faster than last time, and responded, "Clemont." Sam smiled encouragingly, causing the boy to tilt his head again.

They both nearly jumped out of their skins when Dean suddenly made a loud noise. Turning around, they both watched as Dean dug into his pocket before pulling out the picture he had taken from the blonde's backpack. He had a feeling the kid might experience some form of memory loss when he saw that head injury. Handing the picture to the child, Sam and Dean braced themselves for his reaction.

It was instantaneous.

The boy's eyes widened almost to the size of saucers as he took in the picture. His eyes lingered on the little girl's face, her large innocent smile, her bright eyes that were filled with utter joy, and her arms were wrapped around his image tightly. Clearly they had a close relationship.

Suddenly, the boy started trembling. Then the trembling turned into full blown shaking, causing Sam and Dean to give each other alarmed looks. Tears start to stream down Clemont's face as he begins to sob softly, as if he just couldn't bring himself to be any louder, even in the throws of his wild emotions.

Sam gets down on his knees as he places his hand on the boy's shoulder in a comforting gesture. The boy tries to look at the taller man, but keeps having to wipe away his tears that blurred his vision. "Can you tell us what's wrong?" The boy only shakes his head for a moment before he stills.

"...-tack."

His voice was even quieter than before, barely even the low whisper that it was before.  Dean knelt next to Sam and placed his hand on the opposite shoulder his brother had. Clemont finally looked up and looked locked eyes with Dean.

"Attacked. We were attacked." Then his eyes shifted, bringing forth what looked like panic. Dean moved to take Sam's place so that he held the boy's shoulders to keep him from rising off the bed. "I have to find them. They're missing. I have to find them." The boy was getting very close to going into full blown panic, his voice rising in pitch. Dean was considering calling in a nurse to put him under when the boy suddenly froze again.

"Luxray."

Clemont's voice had dropped back down to a whisper, but the brothers didn't miss the fear that laced the tone of the child's voice. It caused them to stiffen as Clemont slumped bonelessly back onto the hospital bed.

Was this "Luxray" thing what attacked Clemont and his friends?


 Sam sat in the hospital cafeteria as he waited for Dean to return. After the boy had fainted, the doctor had finally arrived and had (not so politely in Sam's opinion) asked them to leave. Dean had looked about ready to flip the bird, but Sam had quickly grabbed his brother by the elbow and dragged him out. Shortly after, he left to get something to eat at a restaurant, refusing to eat cafeteria food.

In the meantime, Sam had been trying to find if their mystery monster had done any other attacks. It frustrated him beyond belief when he couldn't find a single report, it was like the creature had suddenly stopped attacking the town. Ironically, the last attack was on the day they had found Clemont. It didn't take a genius to try and put the pieces together and come up with what Sam had.

Their little monster may be the mysterious Luxray that possibly attacked Clemont.

But why would the creature suddenly stop its attacks? Did it notice that Clemont was gone?

Sam felt every muscle in him tense.

Was it looking for Clemont?

He was so far gone in his thoughts and research that he jumped when somebody dropped down in the seat across from him. Dean raised his eyebrow at his younger brother's behavior before asking, "How's the research goin', Sammy?"

This pulled an aggravated sigh out of the moose as he replied, "It's like it dropped off the face of the planet! There aren't any more reports, nothing!"

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would it just up and disappear?" Dean asked. Sam gave his brother a considering glance.

"Well I've got a theory." Sam finally admitted. That seemed to catch Dean's attention as he turned his gaze from the screen to his sibling's nervous expression. What could have Sam so wired?

"Did you see when the date of the last attack was?" Dean nodded hesitantly. "What if the creature stopped attacking because it noticed something of its was missing?" Comprehension started to dawn on Dean's face as settled into a darkened glare. "What if this creature was the Luxray Clemont was talking about? What if it put him there and finally realized he was gone?"

"It's going to have to go through my dead body."

Dean's tone was practically sub-zero, but his eyes held a fire that would melt steel like butter in a pan. He obviously wasn't very pleased with the theory presented to him. The older Winchester had always been against involving any civilians to supernatural situations, especially children. Sam knew he was serious about dying before letting any creature near the boy.

It was one of the many reasons he admired his big brother.

"So, we're taking Clemont back to the bunker?" It was pointless to argue with Dean when he has that stubborn gleam in his eye.

"Obviously," Dean scoffed. "I'm not leaving that kid out in the open for that thing to find him again. You saw what condition he was in when we found him, Sammy."

Sam couldn't really bring himself to argue with that. Just as he opened his mouth to reply when the ringtone on his phone went off. Pulling the cellular devise out of his jacket pocket, Sam checked the caller ID. To say that he was surprised to see the name "Jody" flashing across his screen was an understatement.

Swiping the green answer button, Sam tried to greet the sheriff. Tried being the key word, because the second he put the phone to his ear, he had to pull it away again when a near screaming and frantic voice almost exploded his eardrum.

Slowly bringing the phone back to his ear, he was able to catch the tail end of the frantic woman's rant.

"-get here quick!"

"Jody! Jody, calm down. Lower your voice and repeat that please." When he heard no response, he pulled the phone back and glanced at the screen. Call Ended flashed across the screen before it went blank. He could feel the uneasiness building as he gave his brother a slightly panicked look.

"If we want to get going, we need to kidnap Clemont, right now."

When Dean's only reaction was a bewildered expression and another quirked eyebrow, Sam quickly flipped through his phone and showed him his call log. The effect was instantaneous as he watched his brother's eyes widen and abruptly rise from his seat, startling an elderly couple sitting at the next table. He ignored them, and pretty much everyone else, as he made his way over to the elevator, undoubtedly to break Clemont out.

Sam gave a sigh as he glanced down at the tabletop. The keys to the Impala were sitting in the middle of the table, as if asking him to pick them up. With a huff, he shut his computer, put it under his arm, and grabbed the keys as he made his way to the parking lot to where the Impala was waiting for them.


Upstairs, Dean was being careful not to be seen by anyone, staff or otherwise. Luckily for him, it was near to lunch time and none of the patients were in any dire conditions, which left the halls mostly empty.

When he finally reached the room, it was safe to say that he was quite shocked by what he saw. Clemont was by the window again, this time with it open. He was already halfway through and was dangerously close to becoming street pizza.

Rushing forward, Dean grabbed the preteen by his arm and roughly pulled him back in. Spinning the child around, Dean looked him dead in the eyes as he demanded, "And just where in the world do you think you're going?!"

For once, the boy actually looked ashamed; the most emotion he had shown besides confusion or curiosity. It was actually a little heartbreaking and Dean could feel his anger levels going back down ridiculously fast. That was going to be a problem.

"I-I have to...to...find my friends. They could be...in trouble." His sentences were slow, almost groggy, and slightly slurred. He seemed dizzy just to be standing up (although that could also be because of how hard and fast Dean had pulled him back inside).

"You're not going to be saving anyone if you're a pancake on the sidewalk."

The blond seemed to pale at his words and looked towards the window again in newfound horror, as if just realizing that he was on the fifth floor. Dean just sighed as he grabbed the boy by his elbow, this time taking care to be more gentle.

He could already tell that this kid was going to be just as bad as Cas.


To Be Continued...


 

Notes:

A/N: This took forever to type the actual story. The outline was easy enough, but writing the actual dialogue, actions, and expressions and feelings are very hard. No one told me writing was this hard! Then the freakin' writer's block that likes to mess with me. Wish me luck guys!

-Addict

Chapter 3: Chapter II: The Angel & the Reunion

Summary:

Sam and Dean have successfully helped Clemont escape the hospital and are now frantically making their way to Jody's. While Dean ignores traffic safety regulations, Sam strikes up a conversation with their new 'friend'.

When they finally arrive at Jody's, they are both surprised by what they find there. However, the person they find is more than happy to see Clemont.

Notes:

Next chapter up and ready! I finally got my iPad back so that I could upload this chapter from here. Thankfully, I was able to get my AO3 account password back, but I'm still having problems with my ff.net account.

But I guess it's all good and I'll just have to wait.

You guys know the drill! Reviews appreciated, constructive criticism more than appreciated, and flames not welcome. Have fun with the chapter, guys!

- Addict

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

As the trio are making their way towards Soix Falls, the atmosphere in the car is silent and tense. Dean sat silently at the wheel and kept his eyes focused on the stretch of road ahead. Sam, however, was watching Clemont through the mirror as the boy sat awkwardly in the backseat. He was fidgeting with the cuffs of his one piece nervously and looked just about anywhere else that wasn't in the brothers' direction.

It was kind of a sad sight.

Sam found himself looking to his older brother for help (seeing as Dean was better with kids), but was only met with more silence as Dean ignored him and kept his gaze on the road. The taller could only guess why since there wasn't a single car on the road.

Traitor, he thought.

Turning in his seat slightly, Sam looked back at Clemont. The kid just looked so miserable that it was unfair. Maybe a little bit of conversation would help.

"So...," he started hesitantly. He winces when the child jumps in his seat, clearly not expecting to be spoken to. When the boy's blue eyes settled on him, he continued, "What do you like to do for fun?"

Sam felt like punching himself in the face. The kid had amnesia! What if he didn't remember those kinds of things? Now he just sounded like some insensitive jerk who didn't care.

He was just about to apologize when a thoughtful look came over Clemont's face. He was clearly hesitant to answer, but shortly after, he responded with:

"I really like to invent and build things."

The answer was more than enough to peek Sam's interest. "Do you remember any of your inventions?"

Seeming to be searching his memory, the boy closed his eyes in concentration. Did he remember any of his past contraptions? Suddenly, one machine in particular popped into his mind, a pretty recent one.

"I built a system that keeps track of my sister in case she wandered off somewhere in the Gym without me." He didn't know why he thought of Gym with a capital g, but it just felt right.

Sam, however, was wondering why Clemont would go to a gym since he didn't seem like the type to work out. Maybe more questions would help the kid remember some more stuff.

"Where did you live?" That was a basic question, right?

"I live in Prism Tower in the Kalos Region." This time, the answer was less hesitant, more sure.

However, the answer confused Sam. He had never heard of the Kalos Region before and had never seen anything by the name on any map. "What is the Kalos Region? Is it an island or something?"

Clemont looked sad as he said, "I'm not exactly sure, but I know that it was beautiful." His voice had dropped, gaining a bit of a wistful tone to it that only added to his sudden melancholy mood. Once again, Sam was tempted to punch himself.

In what was a sad and desperate attempt to lighten the mood, the taller Winchester decided to ask a different question. "What about your family? What are they like?" As soon as the question was out of his mouth, he silently screamed at himself. Why did he ask that?! He was usually better at asking about such a delicate situation. Did his years as a hunter completely erase his inner lawyer??

Surprisingly, it seems to do the trick as Clemont once again adopts a thoughtful look, his previous mood completely vanishing. When he finally answers Sam, it's with a slightly more happy expression. It wasn't much, just a slight upturning of the side of his lips. Nevertheless, Sam counted it as a win.

"I have a younger sister named Bonnie that lives with my father in a house near the Tower."

Sam could practically feel himself deflate as he gave a mental sigh of relief. He was kind of happy to know that the kid's dad actually lived nearby.

Unknown to him Dean did the exact same thing. Despite his stubborn silent treatment earlier, he had been listening in on the conversation with rapt interest. That also brought a question to both brothers' mind at the same time:

What kind of parent lets their kid live alone in a completely different building?

It would have been different if his parents were going through a divorce, but the kid hadn't mentioned a mother and his sister lived with his father, so he had to be living on his own. But why would his father let him do that? Especially since Clemont couldn't be any older than thirteen!


The rest of the ride to Jody's was spent with more questions from Sam and Clemont's timid responses.

By the time they pulled up in front of Jody's house, they learned that Clemont was actually one impressive kid despite his age. He was good at not only inventing, but also cooking, designing, mathematics, science, and had a pretty good judge of character. He clearly had more than enough skills to live on his own, even though the brothers still had mixed feelings about it.

When Dean cut the engine, Jody came barging out of her door, a completely stunned look on her face. The man barely has enough time to get out of the car before she had enveloped him in a tight hug. Sam, also noticing her frazzled appearance gets out of the car. Walking over to the distraught woman, he placed a soothing hand on her back.

"What happened, Jody?" he asked. He made sure not to sound too worried as to not rile her up more, but when she moved away from Dean, her face was already looking more calm. She felt better just having the boys here, apparently. But what had put the woman in that state in the first place?

"There's this little girl in my living room. I don't know where she came from! One second we're eating at the table and the next, there's this light. When we went to check it out, there she was! Just standing there!" The woman's voice had began to rise the longer she talked, as if the panic was settling in again.

Sam and Dean share a glance before they hear the sound of the back door of the car opening. All three adult turn to look at Clemont as he climbs out of the backseat. He had a nervous expression on his face as he had his backpack slung over one shoulder. The brothers automatically notice how Jody looks the boy up and down. She payed specific attention to his eyes and hair before looking back at the house.

When she finally gave her attention back to the Winchesters, she looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Would you guys mind bringing your friend inside? I don't want to talk about this outside."

The brothers turn to look at Clemont, as if asking him for permission. When the kid gives a short nod, the four make their way into the house. They don't make it past the entryway before they hear the sound of a girl loudly complaining. The adults don't miss how Clemont seemed to perk up at the sound before picking up his pace to a jog.

When he comes to the living room, he freezes in the entryway.

When Sam and Dean walk up to him to see what was wrong with him, they also find themselves speechless at what they find. In the middle of the living room stood the little girl from Clemont's picture, Bonnie. She appeared to be arguing with Claire about something rather heatedly.

"Look, brat, you can't keep that rat in your bag! Just get rid of it already! It's disgusting!" Claire demanded. The brothers could tell she was trying very hard not to curse at the child. The teen did have quite a mouth on her.

The younger girl only seemed to puff up in defiance as she pulls the bag closer to her chest. She looked livid for a child her age and even Dean was slightly intimidated.

"I will never get rid of Dedenne!" she cried. "Dedenne is my friend and you can't make me get rid of it!"

Castiel just stood off to the side as he watched the argument with his almost permanent expression of confusion on his face.

"Alright, alright! Can somebody tell me what's going on?" Dean demanded. If nobody was going to play mediator, he might as well do it. Even though he had little experience with girls. At least young ones.

Claire speaks up and says in an alarmed voice, "She's got some weird rat or hamster thing in her bag and it shocked me!" The teen looked angry, almost completely livid. Not for the first time, Dean is glad that he doesn't have to take care of her. He loved the kid, but she was a handful.

When he turns to the small girl, Bonnie, he could see that she was also very upset. Her cheeks were puffed out and the Winchester was alarmed to see what appeared to be tears shining in her eyes. He wasn't very good with crying children, although babies were a different story.

He needed to derail this situation now.

"Can you show it to me?" he asked. Bonnie seemed to hesitate, so he added, "I promise I won't touch it. I just want to see."

Still looking slightly unsure, Bonnie loosens her grip on the bag and pulls the top open. From inside, an orange hamster looking creature poked it's head out shyly. It had what appeared to be two large rounded ears on the top of its head. On its cheeks were two antenna as well as two red pouches. While it didn't look harmful and appeared to be rather timid, Dean knew not to underestimate it.

Behind him, Sam had a look that was both equal parts curious and horrified as he asks, "What is that thing?"

Surprisingly, it was Clemont who answered.

"Dedenne, the antenna Pokémon and an electric-fairy type. Dedenne uses its whiskers like antennae to communicate over long distances using electrical waves. It can soak up electricity through its tail."

He answered as if reading from a pamphlet or some kind of animal bio sheet. Even as he finished, his eyes were wide in shock as if even he were surprised he knew that.

It's also in that moment that Bonnie turns and finally notices Clemont. Upon seeing her big brother, her face practically split in half in a wide smile. Running over to him, the young girl buried her face in the elder brother's stomach.

"Big brother! Thank goodness! I was so worried ever since you disappeared after the strange light."

Clemont felt himself tense at the sudden touch. Even though he knew this child was his precious sister, the last twenty-four hours had left his already confused mind in a whirl. However, when he looked down at the top of her blonde head, he noticed something very startling. Her shoulders were shaking and he could feel a wet spot growing on the front of his suit.

Pulling himself from her grasp, the preteen kneeled down and took a look at his newly-found sister's tear streaked face. Her eyes were beginning to puff up, gaining a red hue as tears continued to trickle down her face. The sight caused something deep within him to stir and pull inside him.

"Please," she whispered, her voice much lower than her previous boisterous tone, "don't let them take Dedenne away." Suddenly, her voiced raised again, straining as it cracked with emotion. "It's my first Pokémon! I don't want to lose it!"

Around them, everyone else gave each other confused looks. Clemont had just mentioned the word Pokémon before, but Bonnie had just proved that there were probably a lot more. Her "first" implied that she had planned to get more.

Were Pokémon supposed to be pets?

Clemont himself seemed to share their confusion. His brow was furrowed as he appeared to go into deep thought. A rustling sound caught his attention and had him looking down at the bag hanging across his sister's shoulder. The same creature from before, Dedenne, had flipped opened the top and was now staring at Clemont. Suddenly, it's face appears to light up before it jumps out of Bonnie's bag and onto Clemont's shoulder.

Everyone seemed to tense at the spontaneous movement, especially Dean. Clemont only stares at the Pokémon curiously before it gently starts nuzzling itself into his cheek. The soft fur tickled the boy's face, causing him to let out a giggle, in turn causing Bonnie to giggle as well. The tension seemed to drain away as the Winchesters and their friends watched the siblings laugh together.

However, Clemont's next sentence seems to bring it right back.

"Where did you get it?"

Abruptly, Bonnie's laughter came to halt. Complete and utter shock seemed to have taken over her features as she stared at her brother. It was like she was waiting for him to say that he was joking.

"What are you saying, Clemont?" Her voice was starting to shake again, as if she right back on the edge of crying. "You caught it for me, remember?"

"How did I do that?"

Her eyes began to glaze over with the threat of a new flood of tears. Reaching out, Bonnie took her brother's face between her small hands. Her gaze was almost desperate as she gazed into eyes identical to her own. Clemont almost shivered at how warm her hands felt against his cool skin.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Clemont feels his heart break the more she spoke. While he still had a bit of a headache, he didn't feel like it was anything to worry about.

"I'm fine."

Behind him, Dean rolled his eyes. He was right about this kid practically being another Cas. That was actually going to be a problem if the kid was just as bad as Cas.

"Y-You do know my name, right?"

Clemont nodded and Bonnie seemed to deflate with relief. At least her brother hadn't forgotten her name. Then she remembered the Pokémon he had used to catch Dedenne.

"What about Bunnelby? You remember it, don't you?"

Sadly, the only response Clemont gave this time was a shake of the head. The look on his sister's face was that of a child who had just had their dreams crushed right in front of them.

Dedenne jumped back to Bonnie as it sat on her shoulder. As she cried again, the small hamster-like Pokémon tried to calm her down with a hug. This seemed futile, however, as it only made her wails louder.

Guilt wrenched at Clemont's heart as he watched his baby sister fall apart. It was his fault that she was feeling this way. All he could do was pull her back in and hold her tightly, as if doing so would keep her from breaking any further. Bonnie just threw her arms around his shoulders as she buried her head in his neck, muffling her cries.

"W-What happened to you?"

All Clemont could respond with was a mournful, "I don't know."


Feet pounded the ground as the large lion continued its search. Wind whipped through its mane as it raced down the street, following the faint scent that it had been following for the past twenty-four hours.

It had caught the scent of their boy back in the previous town at a human healing center. It had almost rushed in before it had caught the scent again, fainter, leaving the center again. The kidnappers who had taken it from the building before had taken him again. Immediately, it took off after the scent, not taking much time to rest itself.

The two companions that were still riding on its back were now holding onto its mane for dear life. Their friend was running at an astonishing speed, faster than they had even known it could do! The green creature, which felt like it was about to fall off, begged for its friend to slow down. However, its friend ignored it as it kept on running.

It's legs had begun to burn long ago, it's paws sore and its strength tried to leave it. But it remained determined to keep going, it wouldn't stop until it had found its boy. It had one thought driving its actions.

It had to find him before they did.


The sun had long since set as Clemont had laid his sister to sleep on the couch. The girl had refused to sleep anywhere else that wasn't with her brother, forcing Clemont to share the couch with her. He had refused any of the beds, uncomfortable at the thought of taking someone's bed from them.

Dedenne had long since settled itself in Bonnie's hair, a comforting pressure that - along with her brother's warmth - sent her straight to dreamland.

Clemont was just about to nod off himself when he feels the tingling sensation of being stared at. Looking up, he noticed the man from earlier (who had introduced himself as Castiel) watching the three of them silently from the doorway. Instead of feeling threatened, Clemont noted that he felt oddly calm and watched as the man entered the living room and sat on the edge of the couch at their feet.

"So... How are you doing?" The man's voice was deep and slightly scratchy, matching well with his gruff appearance. The concern in the non-human's eyes appeared to be genuine, showing that he was truly concerned about the children laying on the couch.

"I'm fine." Even as he said it, Clemont wasn't sure if he meant it. His headache had gone down, but it was still throbbing faintly at the back of his skull. It was like a nagging itch that refused to go away.

Cas gave a soft sigh and couldn't help but wonder if this was it felt like whenever he said the same to Sam and Dean. Deciding to shelve that thought for later, he turned his full focus back to the boy before him.

"Do you have any of those... Pokémon... with you?"

He almost gave a sigh of relief when the preteen gave a negative shake of his head. While he did find the creatures interesting, he wasn't sure if he could deal with more of them right now.

"When I woke up, I was alone in the hospital. I don't know if I even have any." Clemont was actually surprised to find himself deeply saddened at the thought. His sudden melancholy didn't go unnoticed by Castiel.

"Do you want me to help?"

His question caused Clemont to perk up. Looking into the man's eye, he couldn't help but sound slightly desperate as he asked, "Can you really do that?" Could this man help him recover the memories he had lost? He could feel hope blossom in his chest when Castiel nodded.

The angel points to his head and explained, "I can look into your memories if you let me. I may even be able to find the memories you don't remember." Clemont barely even thinks before he blurted his answer.

"Yes."

Castiel adopted a concerned look as he took in the sudden change in the child. He still remembered how Dean and Sam had reacted every time he "zapped" them. He didn't know how this would affect a child, let alone one as young as Clemont.

"Are you sure?" he couldn't help but ask.

Clemont seemed to hesitate, suddenly unsure. Why was he so eager to do this again? What if there was a good reason he lost his memory? He didn't remember a lot, sure, but he still remembered how to do normal things. He knew how to cook, clean, and pretty much everything else that he needed to take care of himself. So why did he want his memory back so badly?

Feeling Bonnie shift on his side, he looked down at her sleeping face. It had scrunched up in her presumably unrestful sleep, her brows furrowed and her mouth pressed into a firm line. Unconsciously, Clemont ran his fingers through her hair, careful to avoid Dedenne. Soon, her face smoothed back out as a soft smile took place of her frown. Burrowing herself into her brother's side, she let out a content hum.

Clemont felt like something had snapped into place within him. Just one piece of a puzzle that was yet to be finished. He could only hope that the picture was a beautiful one.

Turning back to Castiel, he put on his best façade of bravado. It would be lie to say he wasn't nervous - heck, he was terrified! But he knew that he couldn't run away from this.

"I want to remember." He turned back to the girl next to him, his gaze fond. "For her."

He and Castiel locked eyes again, his sky blue against the angel's deeper ocean blue.

"I don't want to make her cry anymore."

To say that Castiel was surprised would be an understatement. This boy was showing an amazing amount of maturity for a kid his age. He knew what it felt like to wake up one day with no memory of who you are. He and Clemont were similar in that aspect. And just like he did, Clemont had someone very precious to him that needed him there with them. Someone falling apart without him there, even though they were in the same room.

Rising from the couch, Castiel kneeled next to Clemont. Bonnie still had her back turned to him, dead to the world outside her dreams. Giving Clemont one las reproachful look, Castiel asked one last time.

"Are you sure?"

Clemont let out a shaky breath, but nodded, resolute in his decision.

With that final confirmation, the angel lifted his fingers to the boy's forehead.


When Castiel opened his eyes, Jody's living room had been replaced. All around him was what appeared to be a laboratory of some sort. Machines were scattered all over the floor, unfinished inventions yet to be completed.

It was quiet as he gazed around the lab. After a moment of searching, he found Clemont on the far side of the lab. He was hunched over a desk sketching something with deep concentration. When the automatic door suddenly slid open loudly, Clemont nearly jumped out of his skin.

Turning around to see who the newcomer was, Castiel isn't very surprised to see Bonnie rushing in. Dedenne was on its usual place on her head and two slightly bigger creatures were following closely behind her.

Were they Pokémon too?

He watched the memory play out as Bonnie ran up to her brother and began to chatter excitedly.

"Hey, Clemont!" Even after that run, the young girl wasn't even slightly out of breath. "Can I have some more Pokémon food for Chespin and Bunnelby?" The green creature at her side made a loud noise of approval, its appetite clearly not sated by the previous meal. The brown rabbit next to it simply nodded calmly.

Castiel is surprised when a bright smile takes over Clemont's features, wiping away the last remnants of seriousness from his face. It was a stark difference to how he was acting earlier.

Getting up from his seat at the desk, Clemont made his way over to a large cabinet he had installed when he first moved into the Tower. Opening it, he grabbed and pulled out three cans, one for each of the Pokémon present. Dedenne let out a cheerful cry at the considerate thought of also getting food.

"Make sure not to over feed them, okay Bonnie?" When she nodded enthusiastically, he finally handed her the cans. If it were even possible, she seemed to light up even further. Running over to the door, Bonnie stopped short of leaving and turned back to her brother.

"Do you want to play with us, Clemont?"

Clemont seemed startled by the question before he looks back at the desk, hesitation clear in his actions.

"Oh, come on!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Please? Stop being such a workaholic! You can plan for the Challenger later!" Puffing out her cheeks, she pouted as if it would get her point across. "You've been up here all day!"

Clemont scratched the back of his head bashfully, a light blush settling on his cheeks. "Okay, okay. I guess I could use a break."

Cheering loudly, Bonnie moved the three cans into only one of her arms (although how she was balancing them, Castiel didn't know) and used her other one to loop around her brother's, effectively grabbing hold of him and running out the door. The two Pokémon behind her follow behind making cheerful noises of their own.

Castiel couldn't help but wonder what could have possible happened to such a happy family.

 


To Be Continued...


 

 

Notes:

A/N: If I go any farther, this chapter would probably go on forever. This a wrap on this chapter folks! In the next chapter, we'll finally see the attack on Prism Tower. What were they after? Did they attack Clemont on purpose, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Find out next time in An XYZ Catastrophe!

- Addict

Chapter 4: Chapter III - Attack on Prism Tower

Summary:

Castiel looks through Clemont's memories as he tries to help the boy remember his past. His journey takes him to the day Prism Tower was attacked by a group of people dressed in red. Castiel learns about how Clemont became injured and Clemont's Pokemon.

Notes:

Sorry that this chapter took so long to write, my readers. Frankly, even with the outline, I had a hard time writing this so that it wouldn't seem repetitive. I hope that this chapter will be okay for everyone reading and will tie together these two universes.

-Addict

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 

Castiel mostly finds himself wandering around, following Clemont and Bonnie around Prism Tower as they play various games with their Pokemon. He couldn't help but smile as he watched the children's antics.

"C'mon, Dedenne! You can do it! Just jump!"

Bonnie was trying to encourage Dedenne to jump through a hoop. Where she had gotten it was anyone's guess, but simply watching her try to teach her little Pokemon a new trick was adorable in and of itself.

Dedenne stared at the hoop curiously, but seemed to quickly lose interest in it. Ignoring the hoop completely, Dedenne jumped onto Bonnie's head and settled into her blonde hair. All the young girl could do was pout cutely as Clemont tried to smother his giggles behind his hand.

They're pulled out of their little play session when a loud gonging noise seemed to ring out throughout the entire floor. Jogging over to a nearby monitor screen (there was practically one on every floor) Clemont turns on the monitor by pressing a button on the board under it. The screen lights up, momentarily filled with static before it clears showing what appeared to be the front entrance.

In front of the camera stood two other children that appeared to be close to the elder sibling’s age. On the left was a boy with a healthy tan decked out in a blue and white jacket and dark pants. Next to him stood a beautiful young girl in a pink dress and red jacket.

On the boy's shoulder sat what could have only been another Pokemon. It looked like a yellow mouse, although it was a lot bigger than usual mice Castiel had seen on Earth so far.

The reaction from Clemont and Bonnie is immediate, huge smiles growing on both of their faces. The creature seemed to spot the siblings first, since the two kids were talking amongst themselves, and called out excitedly. Its sudden cheer caught the other two's attention as they turned and waved at the screen happily.

It's Bonnie who answers Castiel's silent question when she greets them enthusiastically.

"It's Ash! And Serena! And Pikachu, too!"

The boy, Ash, smiles widely as he addresses Clemont.

"Hey, Clemont! It's been a while, huh? Would you mind lettin' us in?"

Clemont punches another button, this time on the wall beside the screen. The sound of the mechanical doors opening comes from the screen. Cas isn't able to see much else because Clemont cuts the screen off and rushes over to the nearby elevator, Bonnie and their Pokémon close behind.

Castiel was slightly concerned as he watched the two small ones almost get caught in the elevator door. Then the group was heading down to the ground floor to meet their friends.

When they finally reach the first floor, all four children rush to greet each other. Hugs are exchanged between them as well as warm welcoming from the blond siblings. Their Pokémon also greeted each other, but somehow they all ended up in a pile on the floor. This caused the children to laugh merrily as they watched.

It's Clemont who finally stops laughing long enough to start talking again.

"So, what are you guys doing back in Kalos, Ash? I thought you went back home. And Serena, I thought you went to the Hoenn Region."

Ash and Serena both look slightly sheepish, both blushing slightly. Even Castiel wasn't completely dense and knew that something must have happened between the two of them. Although what it probably was, he couldn't say.

"Well, we missed you guys. Isn't that a good enough reason?" Ash asked shyly. Serena, however, seemed to blush harder at his words, proving that that obviously wasn't the only reason they returned. Bonnie noticed the reaction from the girl and grinned widely, an evil glint coming to her eyes that just promised embarrassment.

"Oh? Are you sure that it has nothing to do with Serena giving you that kiss before she left, Ash?"

At her accusation, both teen's faces erupted into blushes, going from pink to an alarming shade red. If they got any hotter, they may even risk frying their brains. Although, judging by their stuttering, they probably already did.

Castiel could only watch silently from the side as the four friends interacted. Clemont had started scolding Bonnie, but the girl didn't look the least repentant as she continued to smile. Neither Serena nor Ash seem to able to look at each other anymore as they avoided each other's gaze, staring embarrassingly at opposite sides of the room.

They seemed so much like just a normal group of friends that Castiel dreaded to find out what had even happened that had ruined this serenity.

Just as that thought passes through his head, a sudden explosion rocks Prism Tower. It startled the children out of their peaceful atmosphere, replacing it with a seriousness that spoke of them dealing with something like this before. They frantically scan the room, looking around as if the source of the noise was going to make itself known.

"Uh...Clemont?" Ash asked warily. His voice was uncertain, hesitant with caution. "Please tell me that was another one of your experiments."

Clemont also looked nervous as he shook his head, denying the notion. Quickly moving to another monitor, the young man powered the machine up. Unlike the monitor upstairs, which only had one screen, this one had multiple screens. As each one turned on, they showed different places throughout the Tower. One showed what looked like a field with a circle in the center, another showed a large room filled with half-finished machines, several showed different hallways, and one showed the front entrance.

Looking over the multiple screens, Clemont pales when he finds the horrifying source of the disturbance.

"Clemont?" Serena called concernedly.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ash inquired worriedly. Nothing much usually rattled Clemont. The only things he had seen Clemont really show any open fear towards were cameras and girls. So what in the world was causing the inventor to be having this kind of reaction?

Gathering around him, the three other children look at the screen. Curiosity getting the better of him, Castiel also walks over to see what the problem was. But what he sees makes his blood freeze solid in his veins.

Multiple people dressed in red uniforms were storming into the tower in droves. They seemed to have been able to infiltrate the Tower by blasting a hole in the outer wall near the back, more than the likely the cause of the explosion they had heard earlier. Every camera they came across, they destroyed, causing one screen to go black right after another.

"What is Team Flare doing here?!" Ash demanded. Anger was clear in his voice, stating they had less than perfect history when dealing with these individuals. Just how dangerous were these people?

Ash's angry shout caused Clemont to jump, snapping out of his horrified silence. Turning back to his friends, the leader inside him seemed to take control of the situation.

"Get ready for a battle, guys. Knowing Team Flare, they aren't going to just let us leave. And us escaping isn't going to be very easy either with how many there are."

Ash and Serena nod seriously, clearly accepting responsibility as trainers. Bonnie, however, seemed way less sure. Her eyes started to glisten with tears, fear taking control of her mind, telling her how badly everything could go wrong.

Clemont notices his sister's reaction and kneels before her, taking her trembling hands into his own with a determined expression on his face.

"Don't worry, Bonnie. I swear that I will not let anything happen to you." His eyes seemed to burn with a type of inner fire that only fueled his determination. "They'll have to go through me first. I promise."

Even with the tears still threatening to stream down her face, Bonnie was able to give him a watery smile.

Sadly, the warm and tender moment was broken when the door that led further into the Gym exploded outward, sending the electric sliding door flying across the large room. In a split second, Clemont was back on his feet and using his body as a shield and barrier between her and the enemy. Ash and Serena were quick to flank his sides, further hiding Bonnie from the intruders.

"I don't know why you're here, Team Flare, but you better leave before I throw you out!"

Castiel was slightly surprised by the firmness in Clemont's voice, the hostility that had been absent until now, faced with his sister's supposed past attackers. Not that it was out of place, considering their current situation. Castiel knew he wouldn't be too fond of seeing any of Sam or Dean's attackers again. Although, to be fair, they usually ended up dead.

Before them, the leader of the group took a few steps forward. Unlike all the other brightly dressed people, she was dressed a little differently. She had short purple hair that was combed back and what appeared to be purple visor-like glasses over her eyes, effectively concealing them. For a moment, the angel actually wondered if she could even see through it.

"Sadly, we're not leaving until we have what we came for." Her voice was confident and practically dripping in arrogance.

Her tone effectively put the group of friends on edge. Ash is the first to speak up, his anger getting the better of him.

"Squishy is long gone! We set it free back into the wild a long time ago! You'll never find it this time!"

His response has the opposite effect that he had obviously been hoping for when the woman threw her head back, obnoxious laughter ripping from her mouth like a plague poisoning the air. When her laughter finally subsided, she gave the preteen the most conceited smile Castiel had ever seen. And that was saying something sense he had known Meg for quite some time before they had formed that strange bond of friendship.

But Castiel shook his head, dispelling the thoughts and focusing back on the memory playing out before him.

"We're not here for Zygarde, you silly boy." Her words, along with her very much too cheerful tone, had all the children tensing again. Raising her hand from where it rested against the top of her shorts, she pointed directly at a confused Clemont.

"We're here for Mr. Smarty Pants over there."

Clemont's eyes widened in surprise as he took a dumbstruck step backwards. Even Castiel was confused by the woman's declaration. By the sounds of it, these strangely dressed people had been looking for some creature named Zygarde, but had changed their minds to target a seemingly innocent child.

"Xerosic has taken quite an interest in you, kiddo. He thinks that you would make the perfect assistant if we want to restore Team Flare. After all, with Lysandre under lock down along with most of our members, we're going to need a temporary leader. But if he's going to act as leader somebody else needs to take over as Head Scientist."

After her short speech, the woman grabbed what looked like a ball from her waist and threw it into the air. Before Cas could question what was going on, the ball popped open and light poured out. The light stretched out towards the ground before it took a solid shape. When the light cleared, a giant pink and purple creature stood in its place.

Ash and Serena responded to the threat by moving closer to each other to shield both Bonnie and Clemont. Serena was the one to speak up this time, her own indignation becoming apparent by her grim tone and terse words.

"If you want our friend, you're going to have to go through us first!"

As if to prove that she was more than serious, Serena grabbed a ball of her own before throwing it in the air. Similar to what happened before, a creature appeared before her out of a beam of light. This creature was different, however, down on all fours with pink, blue, and white coloring. The second it saw its opponent, the creature moved into a defensive stance, growling protectively.

Next to her, Ash calls out to his Pikachu and the mouse-creature jumped from his shoulder into a battle stance beside its friend. It also began to growl threateningly as sparks crackled from its cheeks. Both Pokémon obviously meant business and were prepared to protect their Trainers.

"Clemont, take Bonnie and run!"

Clemont seemed to finally snap out of his stupor as he shot an incredulous look at his friend. Ash was looking over his shoulder with a look of stubborn determination etched into his tanned face. However, his own hesitation froze his body in place, his uncertainty clear on his fear-stricken face.

If he ran away, he was leaving his two best friends vulnerable. They would need help to defeat Team Flare, especially with that scientist here now.

"If you get captured here, how are you supposed to look after Bonnie?"

With a jolt, the blond boy turned to look back at his little sister. The poor girl was near tears as she looked up at him with a pleading expression, not wanting -practically begging- him not to be taken away from her. It was a mien that had him cracking under the heaviness of it.

With a new resolve, Clemont's face hardens as he turns back to Ash.

"You guys be careful."

Ash and Serena smile grimly before turning back to their opponent. Quickly, before his newfound resolve could dissipate, Clemont grabbed Bonnie's hand and ran back towards the elevator they had originally come from.

Sadly, the Purple Lady was determined not to let her target escape and set out to take immediate action.

"Drapion, stop them with Pin Missile!"

The command was answered as the claws of the Pokémon's giant pincers began to glow before multiple projectiles shot forward, speeding towards the fleeing siblings. In a desperate (and futile) attempt to save the retreating children, Castiel cried out, shouting Clemont's name. However, the memory continued to play out as the missiles hit their mark, roughly knocking the young inventor to the ground. The angel felt his chest clench at the cry of pain the boy gave out.

Back with Ash and Serena, the two tried to run to their fallen friend, only to be stopped when the other grunts called forth their own Pokémon and surrounded them. The two tried to call out to Clemont as the Leader made her way over to them.

Bonnie was crouched in front if f her brother, his head resting in her lap as she called out to him, shaking him and trying desperately to awaken him. However, when she saw the Purple Lady coming towards them, she doubled her efforts. With tears streaming down her face, she screamed and pleaded, begging her brother to run with her.

When the woman finally reached them, she stood smugly as she watched the little girl crying. After a moment, she finally reached forward, ready to snatch the boy away and take him back to Xerosic so he could do who-knew-what to him. But before she could touch the child, lightning struck down between them, forcing her to jump back.

Surprised, both Castiel and the Purple Lady looked up to see what had come to the kids rescue.

From the upper floors something dropped down into the space between the woman and the children. Now that it was closer, Castiel was able to get a good look at this new Pokémon. It was large lion-like creature that stood almost five foot. It had a large mane and black, blue, and yellow fur and a star on the end of a long tail.

But what made the woman nervous was its striking yellow eyes that seemed to look through her. It growled threateningly as sparks seemed to come off of its body.

"Luxray!"

The creature turned back to Bonnie and peered down at her and Clemont. Its eyes narrowed when it took in the older blond's appearance, his rumpled clothing and unconscious state. When it turned back to the woman, the electricity surrounding its body seemed to intensify as it growled louder.

For the first time, Purple Lady was finally showing signs of anger. Her mouth pinched as her shoulders scrunched up in irritation.

"Drapion, use Pin Missile and get that annoying punk out of our way!"

The Drapion was quick to follow orders as it shot the projectiles at the new opponent. However, Luxray was prepared and shot a charge of electricity from its body to intercept the missiles.

Suddenly, Luxray lets out a ferocious roar as the electricity surged around it, covering the entire room in its current. The entire room sparked as it was covered in an electric field. With another roar, the lion charged the giant scorpion. Not for the first time, Castiel was glad he didn't live in this world.

As the two battled, something else caught the angel's attention. Looking across the room, he couldn't help but notice that the machines were starting to act up. The screens were going haywire and they were starting to go up in a frenzy of sparks.

Just as Castiel called out again, the entire room went white as it was enveloped in an explosion.

 


To Be Continued...


 

Notes:

A/N: This chapter was pretty fun and was both enjoyable and irritating to write. I think I might actually be a little proud of this chapter. That's good, right?

-Addict

Chapter 5: Chapter IV: The Runaways & The False Lion

Summary:

Castiel blacks out after the explosion and Clemont panics, thinking he did it. He wakes up Bonnie and the two of them flee outside and run into the forest. Sam and Dean come downstairs and find Castiel unconscious. After they find out what happened, they try to pursue the siblings. But something might reach them before they do.

Notes:

Finally! A new chapter is uploaded! For those who are still reading this:

Thank You!

You guys are awsome and I thank you for your feedback. Please keep the constructive criticism and well wishes forward. If you have a way you want the story to go, why not go ahead and tell me in your review? I'm more than willing to take in new ideas from my readers. Especially since I have no idea where this story is going anymore.

- Addict

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The living room remained silent as Clemont watched Castiel's pinched expression. The man had seemed to be distressed for the past few minutes, completely absorbed in the memory he was watching. It obviously wasn't a good one. It almost made the boy want to know what the elder was seeing.

Almost.

Suddenly, the angel tensed, causing Clemont to stiffen as well. His brows furrowed together in a deep groove and his mouth became a thin line as he breathed heavily through his nose. It was clear that the situation in the memory had worsened.

The inventor almost flinched when a shudder seemed to ripple through Castiel's body. Just as quickly as it happened, the non-human went limp and fell to the living room floor.

Clemont's brain promptly shut down.

Did I just do that, he thinks apprehensively. Suddenly, the panic seemed to override all his other mental functions, causing his eyes to go wide as his heart raced in his chest.

What just happened?!

What's going on?!

Then another set of lovely thoughts decided to make themselves known.

Will Sam and Dean blame me for this?

What will they do?

His heart seized in his chest.

Will they take Bonnie away?

Had Clemont been more in control of his mental facilities, he might have teased himself for being so afraid. However, his fears were taking over, overriding his rational thought. It didn’t take too long before there was only one thought on his mind.

They needed to leave.

Turning back to Bonnie, he couldn’t help but feel his heart crack as he looked upon her sleeping form. She was entirely relaxed, all sign of past unrest cleared from her face as she snuggled into the couch cushions. Her little hands gripped the blanket, clutching it close to her body as she snoozed away. He really didn’t want to wake her, but also knew that they could no longer stay.

With clearly hesitant actions, Clemont reached out and gently shook her shoulder. At first, she merely mumbled sleepily and curled into herself even more – which Clemont probably would have found cute if he hadn’t been so scared. But, seeing as he was afraid of when the two adults would wake up, he was able to work up the effort to shake her again, this time a little harder. Finally, her soft blue eyes cracked open as she gazed groggily back at him.

Clemont could only guess that some of his distress must have shown on his face because the second she saw him, all sleepiness seemed to leave her. With a quick few swipes to her eyes, the young girl was sitting up and gave her big brother her full attention.

“Clemont, what wrong?”

Her voice was painted with concern, her eyes scanning his face as if it would answer her question. When she didn’t seem to get the answer she was looking for, she turned her gaze to the room. Her face scrunched up in confusion when she noticed that the man from before was crumpled on the ground. With a surprised squeak she turned back to her brother, the question obvious in her large, innocent eyes.

What’s wrong with him?

Feeling a lump trying to form in his throat, Clemont gave himself a mental shake before he settled his hands on her shoulders. He did his best to convey how serious he was, keeping a straight face to hide the fact that he felt like he had just done the worst thing in the world.

“Now, Bonnie, I need you to listen to me. We have to leave, okay? Like, right now.”

For a moment, Bonnie just seemed confused; her eyes searching and her head tilted in question. However, instead of reacting like he thought she would (refusing to do anything without explanation), she instead immediately nodded her head.

Rising from the bed, the two of them quickly went about grabbing their meager belongings, Bonnie with her little bag and Clemont with his bulky backpack. Reaching up, Bonnie gently moved Dedenne from her head and relocated it to a comfy spot in the bag.

The two of them had slept in their clothes last night, too tired to put on their pajamas, so they didn’t have to worry about getting dressed besides putting their shoes back on. Quietly, the blond siblings made their way through the dining room to the back door. Clemont found himself pausing and looking back at the rear door. Silently, he sent an apology to Castiel before grabbing his sister’s hand and walking off into the night.


 Upstairs, Dean stirred from his light sleep.

For a moment, the hunter laid there, listening without really opening his eyes. The room was silent except from the sound of Sam snoring on the bed. Waiting for a moment, he couldn’t bring himself to hear anything different in the house. The quiet was spread throughout, everything still as it was supposed to be during the night.

So, what had woken him?

Deciding to investigate, Dean rose from his cot on the floor until he was standing. With a good stretch, he felt the bones in his back and shoulders give with a satisfying pop. A tired sigh huffed past his lips as he turned to the rooms other occupant.

Unlike his older brother, Sam was sleeping heavily on the bed. Normally, he was as much of a light sleeper as Dean, but tonight was very different.

Moving over to the side of the bed, Dean grabbed a hold of Sam’s shoulder and shook harshly. While he usually was so rough waking his baby brother, once he was sleeping that hard, there was almost no waking him. Kid could have slept through both apocalypses without a single problem.

Luckily, the one shake was enough to startle Sam awake. His eyes were slightly unfocused in sleep, but already sharper than most would be after just waking up. Running a hand through his messy bed hair, he gave his partner a wary glance.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure, but something doesn’t feel right.”

Those words were all that was needed to be said as whatever was left of sleep seemed to leave Sam’s body. In a flash, he was up and grabbing his gun from under his pillow and rising from the bed. Grabbing his own gun, Dean lead the way as they made their way out of Alex’s old room and into the hallway.

As they made their way through the darkness of the home, Dean still couldn’t find whatever it was that could have woken from his sleep. Every room they checked only revealed the other sleeping members of the house completely undisturbed. With the top floor cleared, the two make their way downstairs.

When they reach the floor, the first room they move to check is the living room. However, it’s what they find there that has them both screeching to a halt.

With a silent curse, Dean rushes forward to check on his fallen friend. Sam was almost close to following him when he noticed that the children were missing from the couch. Reluctantly, he pulled back to check what remained of the house, leaving Dean to deal with their friend.

“C’mon, Cas! Wake up!”

At this point, Dean didn’t really care if he woke up either Jody or Claire. Not while his best friend was unconscious on the ground and not responding to anything he did or said. No matter how much he called out to him or shook him, his friend didn’t open his eyes, didn’t even twitch.

After a while, Castiel finally responds with a grunt, much to Dean’s relief. Moving his hands to Cas’ sides, he helped the angel move out of his crumpled form and into a more comfortable position.

“You’re all right, buddy.” Dean could feel his heart gradually calming down from its earlier jump start as he took in his friend’s disheveled, but unharmed appearance. The only side effect of whatever had happened seemed to be tiredness that seemed to ooze from his friend in waves. Thankfully, he didn’t seem nauseous or like he couldn’t see straight, just wary.

“What in the world happened, man?” Dean asked earnestly. If something had broken in here that was strong enough to incapacitate an Angel of the Lord, he would very much like to know what he was getting himself into.

For a moment, Castiel didn’t respond, seemingly trying to put his mind back together. After a short stint of silence, he finally spoke up.

“I was…looking through the boy’s memories…” he began. However, once he got that sentence out, it was like the trail went cold. He appeared to be trying to find what was missing but kept coming up with nothing.

Sadly, Dean didn’t have much patience. “Well? What happened after that?”

“I-I…I don’t know. I just sort of went blank.”

Just as suddenly as Castiel had said that, his eyes widened in alarm, panic finally showing on his face. He took a quick glance at the couch he was laying next to and his panic seemed to grow.

“Dean, where are the children?!”

The hunter almost felt like rolling his eyes, but couldn’t really bring himself to since he was also concerned. But it really was just like Cas to worry about someone else when he had just blacked out. Was whatever did this to Cas take the kids with it? Or was he missing something?

“Well, I don’t know what to tell ya. When me and Sam came downstairs, they were already gone. We don’t know what happened to them.”

The look that came over Castiel’s face was enough to cause Dean to feel very uneasy. The angel had paled, and he looked about ready to jump up and go looking for them. Dean probably would have let him if the guy hadn’t just been in dream land not even ten minutes ago.

Before he could ask what was wrong, Cas was pushing himself up off the floor and into a sitting position.

“We have to find those children, Dean. Now.”

Just as he tried to stand, Dean had a hand on his shoulder and was pushing back into a sitting position.

“Woah, okay. Cool you’re jets, zippy. You want to tell me what’s going on here?”

It’s at this point that Sam reentered the living room. He hadn’t been able to find any sign of the children, although by the quick glance at the chair opposite the couch, it looked like their bags were also missing. However, Cas’ next words are quick to catch his attention.

“Those kids are in danger. We have to find them.”

“What kind of danger?” he asked. Well, more like demanded, but could you really blame him? Cas is practically saying that the amnesiac kid they had found in an abandoned house was being hunted like a mouse. And he thinks he knows who the cat is.

Cas shifted uncomfortably as he tried to explain.

“There is someone hunting them. Clemont in particular. They want to use him for some kind of scheme.”

The Winchesters share a bewildered and alarmed look.

What had they gotten themselves into.

With another curse, Dean moves to finally help Castiel off of the floor. When the angel didn’t topple over, the three of them make their way towards the back door. While they had known that Clemont was in some kind of trouble, they never thought that it was bigger than just some monster looking for the kid. Now they find out that he’s also being tracked down by some psycho who wants to use him for something that they didn’t know about.

They may have no idea where the children were, but they were positive that they had to find them.

No matter what.


 Clemont watched silently as Bonnie ran ahead of him. She had previously picked up a stick and was now swinging it around playfully, pretending to fight off some invisible foe. Earlier, she had just been skipping and humming a song he didn’t know. When she had found the stick she swung at bushes for a while before she suddenly claimed to be a Pokémon Ranger and had started battling some imaginary person who had been poaching Pokémon.

A while ago, Dedenne had awoken and was now sitting on his shoulder as they watched her battle her enemy. Even though her swings were all over the place, she fought valiantly and even stumbled as the ‘poacher’ landed some blows as well.

Quite frankly, she was adorable.

Dedenne called from his shoulder, encouraging Bonnie on as she continued to battle. About half an hour later, Bonnie gave a victorious shout, signaling that she had won the duel. Quickly, Dedenne jumped down and ran over to her as the two cheered for her victory.

Clemont couldn’t help but smile, happy to see the two having fun.

He couldn’t keep back the yawn that worked its way up his throat. In the past twenty-four hours he had barely had any sleep, too confused by the events going on around him to really find it in him to relax long enough to do so. Even as the sun began to set the sky on fire, he almost felt like finding a soft surface to sleep on. Surely, they were far away enough from the house to try.

Although, looking back up at Bonnie, he had a feeling she wouldn’t be laying back down for a while.

He would just have to wait.

Suddenly, Bonnie stopped. The stick she had been holding had dropped from her grip and she was staring wide-eyed at something he couldn’t see. Dedenne had gone from playful to defensive as it sat on her head and electricity sparked from its cheeks threateningly.

Clemont found himself running to catch up to her, a feeling of unease settling into his stomach. By the time he was less than three feet from her, he quickly figured out what had made her stop.

Just before them was a downward slope that wasn’t very steep, but enough so that one would have trouble making their way back up. But it wasn’t the downhill path that caught his attention. It was the person standing at the foot of it.

The person appeared to be a woman. She was quite youthful in her appearance and had short green hair and black sunglasses with what looked like green pixels flashing on the darkened lenses. She had a strange smile on her face that greatly unsettled the inventor. She was decked out in a red outfit that for some reason was setting off some kind of alarm in his head. The boy could feel the hair standing up on the back of his neck.

He didn’t wait for her to say anything before he grabbed Bonnie’s hand and immediately ran back the way they came.

He would much rather deal with his probably angry caretakers that this lady.

Clemont heard what sounded like a shout, but didn’t bother looking back as he ran as fast he could. He could feel Bonnie running right next to him, having almost no trouble keeping up with him. Fear gives your feet wings, or whatever the saying was.

The trees whipped past in a blur, everything mixing together in swirling covers. That voice in his head screaming at him to run refused to quiet, telling him that the danger was far from gone. Maybe if he could make it back to the house, he could beg for forgiveness. Or maybe even convince them to keep Bonnie.

Then something hit him.

Hard.

One minute he was running and the next he was sprawled on the ground with a weight pressing down on his back. He felt his heart rate spike when he registered the warmth missing from his hand.

Where was Bonnie?

Before he could look up, a orange boot came down not even a foot away from his head. His eyes hesitantly made their way up past the boots, the shorts, the torso, until he was staring into a pair of advanced goggles staring back at him. Her green lips were pulled back into a sneer, something that Clemont found frighteningly familiar.

“Did you really think that Kalos really had a prison strong enough to keep us locked up, kid?”

The woman crouched down in front of him before she grabbed his chin in a secure vice, making him flinch. She was still smiling maliciously, proud of her success in capturing her target.

“Just wait until Xerosic sees you,” she said snidely. “He’s been itching to get his hands on you for a long time.”

Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed what looked like a perfume bottle. Before Clemont could try to hold his breath, the lady sprayed it straight into his face, causing him to take a deep breath. Suddenly, the world seemed to shift, gravity becoming irrelevant as his body began to float. As desperately as he tried, Clemont found his consciousness drift away from him, right through his metaphorical fingers.

“Put him with the others, Bisharp.”

And then darkness enveloped him.  


 Run.

All she could think about was running.

Everything was still so clear in her mind.

Clemont being held to the ground by a Bisharp.

A Liepard growling at her when she tried to go to him.

Clemont being taken away.

She could feel the burn as tears blurring her vision. The world around her was nothing but background noise as she continued to run.

She needed to get help.

She needed to save Clemont.

And she knew exactly who to go to.

She just hoped they would help.

 


 To Be Continued...


 

Notes:

A/N: Well, that’s all for this chapter! Just tell me what you guys think in the reviews and help me to make this story even better.

Sadly, I actually stopped going by the outline around the point that Sam and Dean found Cas and left the house. That being said, the outlines that I had for the next two chapters has been considered moot. Thankfully, its in a good way, because I now know how to involve other characters and the mystery behind that house that Clemont was first found in. Also look forward to an explanation as to how they made it into another world.

The next chapter is when things get really interesting.

Gotta Catch ‘Em All!

-Addict

Chapter 6: Chapter V: Spoiled Reunions & The Girl

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Dean silently swore that whatever had taken the kids was going to suffer a very painful death.

Sam and Cas were walking closely behind, talking about something that Dean just didn't feel like listening to. It was probably just Cas telling Sam something that he saw in Nerdy Boy's dream or whatever.

He might regret it later but, right now, he was a man with a mission.

The night was silent, not a single peep or rustle besides the constant chirping of cicadas and the occasional hoot of an owl. The night was unnervingly still and the calmness of it was putting the hunter on edge. Every time in the past, the calm only proceeded one hell of a hurricane coming to rip them apart.

Walking through the trees, the three continued to follow the dirt path. Two kids alone in a place they don't know were certain to follow a path instead of walking around blindly. At least Dean sure hoped so. The last thing he needed was to find the kids' corpses because they decided to go off into the trees. Having walked quite a distance, the possibility of not finding them alive was growing by the minute.

Just as he was about to suggest turning around and heading back to Jody's for Baby, he heard the suspicious sound of leaves being crushed with hurried footsteps. With the relative silence around them, it was like a sharp sound that was impossible to ignore. And it was coming from just further up ahead.

Dean raised his gun, ready to shoot the second he saw what come from over the hill. Behind him, he could hear Sam doing the same and Cas bringing out his knife form wherever he stashed it up his sleeve.

Their weapons were deemed unnecessary, however, when they saw just what finally decided to reveal itself.

Bonnie came over the hill, looking frantic and covered in dirt with twigs in her hair. Her eyes were running over with tears, almost bloodshot with them.

There was no sign of the smart kid.

Dean's heart dropped.

Without a second thought, Dean found himself rushing forward to meet her. She seemed to spot him as well, increasing her speed as if desperate to reach him (which she quite obviously was).

When they were within a foot of each other, Dean dropped to his knees and, without missing a beat, the crying girl threw herself into his arms. Now that she was closer, he could hear her frantic breathing, the rapid rise and fall of her chest as she seemed to struggle for breath.

Gently pulling back, just enough to see her face, and nearly felt his heart shatter. The desperation on the little girl's face was one he was forced to see far too often. A child who was, for all efforts she put forth, was once again separated forcefully from a loved one.

Another noise of distress had him looking down and noticing the creature he had completely forgot about. Dedenne was also crying, though not as heavily as Bonnie. Clearly it was upset with the situation, but its main concern seemed to be Bonnie and was trying to put on a brave face. It disturbed Dean to see so much emotion and personality in a non-humanoid creature.

Behind him, Sam and Cas shared a disquieted look. Both of them knew personally that there was no way Clemont would leave his little sister alone in an unknown place.

Turning back to Bonnie, he carefully lifted the girl into his arms. Gently arranging her so that she was situated comfortably against his shoulder, Dean had just risen back to feet when he heard something that sounded suspiciously like a growl.

With only a surprised shout from Sam being his only warning before he was staring stupidly into a pair of hypnotizing bright yellow eyes. Stumbling back, Dean tries to put some distance between him and the monster, pulling the girl closer to his chest protectively as the feline beast continued to growl at him. However, with a flash of tan, the beast was obscured from his sight.

"Cas!"

The angel was standing firmly between the two and, despite the monster's furious gaze, he did not bow down. Dean's bewilderment only grew when two smaller creatures hopped off its back and glared up at the angel. One looked like a hillbilly rabbit while the other looked like a child on crack in a costume.

Suddenly, the larger creature started making noises, nothing like any creature he ever heard before. Almost like words in a language only it knew.

"Dean is not a thief!"

What?

"Cas," he said breathlessly, "you can understand this thing?!"

His friend didn't turn away from the creature as he answered,"Our guest seems to think you've stolen something from him. He's quite adamant about it."

As if angered by his words, the other two joined in, shouting at Cas with clear accusatory expressions on their faces. Dean knew that look, the same one that his brother gave him when he was upset about something he had done. He could feel Sam behind him, a reassuring presence at his back as the taller puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

What the hell was even going on?

While Cas and the Pokémon continued to argue like broken records, Bonnie seemed to stir from her dazed state. However, the moment that she saw the Pokémon, her eyes once again glossed over. Before Dean could try to calm her down, she squirmed from his grip and almost face planted on the ground. Scrambling to her feet, she rushes toward the larger Pokémon.

"Luxray!" The cry ripped from her throat, raw and broken from crying. Just on the edge of a renewed panic attack.

Both Sam and Dean tensed.

This was Luxray?

In front of them Bonnie continued to weep as she glued herself to its torso and buried her face in its fur. The large lion-like creature made a noise disturbingly close to a croon, lowering itself to the ground and forcing Bonnie to her knees. The two had been arguing with Cas seemed to suddenly find them unimportant as they also flocked to her side, flanking both of her sides as they stroked her back comfortingly.

As the brothers watched the four interact with each other, they couldn't help but wonder if they had bitten off more than they could chew.


When Clemont came to, he was freezing.

The floor below him felt like it was made of ice and the chilled air seemed like it was trying to paralyze his muscles, making it hard to move. The wall just behind him wasn't much better, either. For a moment, all he could do was lay there, the ache more of an annoyance than actual pain. That was until everything that happened came rushing back, making him jerk back into full awareness.

Where was Bonnie?

Craning his neck to see more of his surroundings, the first thing he noticed was the bars just barely five feet in front of him. It made his skin itch, giving him feeling of claustrophobia and he felt his breathing become shallower, his lungs refusing to accept any oxygen.

His sister was missing and he was kidnapped by some weirdos in bright orange clothing. How could this day get any worse?

He should have stayed with those men from before.

Had Castiel woken up?

Had they found Bonnie?

Suddenly, he could the rustle of moving cloth just to his right, making him flinch. However, his slip up seemed to somehow encourage whatever had caused the sound to come closer. If his muscles weren't so numb, he would have tried to curl in on himself; anything to protect himself from the inevitable pain.

Clemont jolted as he felt something touch his arm. Though it was gentle, it was very unexpected. He almost pulled away until, quite suddenly, another hand gripped his other arm and, still as gentle as the first touch, the mystery person carefully lifted him and set his back against what felt like more bars. The sudden vertigo made his head spin and his vision go blurry.

By the time he was able to get his bearings, he was slightly frustrated to realize that his eyesight seemed to remain poor. Squinting only seemed to hurt his eyes and he was forced to squeeze them shut as a headache threatened to form.

Suddenly, he felt something being placed on his face. He almost jerked backwards in surprise before he opened his eyes. The blur that had taken over his vision had finally vanished, his sight returned to him along with his glasses, now snugly sitting on his nose.

Turning to see who had given him back his eyewear, he was suddenly hit with another strong sense of deja vū. A young girl about his own age sat next to him, looking at him worriedly. The concern on her face was obvious and her eyes roved over him as if checking for any injuries she may have missed before. Unconsciously, he found himself doing the same.

The girl was wearing a pink dress and a red sleeveless jacket with a red hat and brown boots. She was probably even colder than he was, if the slight tremor to her frame meant anything. Something about her was just so familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He felt a strong pull, like he had when he saw Bonnie. It was almost familial, so they had to at least be good friends. Bonnie hadn't mentioned any other siblings.

"Serena?"

The name seemed to spontaneously pop into his head, and if the smile that spread brightly over the girl's face meant anything, he was correct.

"Clemont, thank goodness," she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. It was comforting, if still a bit awkward. He was used to Bonnie being the only girl who hugged him, but something inside confirmed for him that they were close friends - almost family even. It just seemed to click into place.

It was more a feeling than a memory. The warm sun gently washing over him and a pleasant breeze seemed to ruffle his hair as the smell of ramen seemed to fill his nose. It was faint, almost a whisper, but he could hear the sounds of laughter and playing. It almost pained him when he realized one of the voices belonged to Bonnie. It seemed like the only thing he's made her do since he reunited with her was make her cry.

He felt himself slipping, a fog settling over his mind. Sleep seemed to claw at him and drag him further down and, quite frankly, he couldn't really bring himself to resist. The last thing he heard was Serena's alarmed voice calling him before he slipped into darkness.

 


 To Be Continued...


 

Notes:

A/N: Chapter five is finally finished!

Does anyone else hate when you had a boatload of ideas for a story, but the second you start writing it, all those ideas seem to disappear? All those ideas run dry and it hard to keep the ball rolling. That's exactly what happened here. I had so much planned for this story, but then, it all just seemed to disappear or I just didn't know how to make it happen.

But the story will continue until I can find a satisfying conclusion. I don't want to half-ass it. But I'm also getting ideas for a Trico!Cas and Claire story.

You see my problem?

-Addict

Chapter 7: Chapter VI: The Trainer & The Officer

Summary:

While Serena worries about her friends and what will happen to them, Ash wakes up in his own cell and finds himself meeting more friendly company. But before he can see his friends, he needs to get out and find them. How can he escape from a place where revealing his Pokémon to the wrong person might find him on the wrong side of the law?

Notes:

This chapter took awhile because my computer stopped working and I hate typing on my iPad. Even when my laptop was fixed, I needed to wait until I bought a new charger for since I couldn't find mine. So now that everything seems to be in order, I've taken up on writing this story again. I refuse to start another story until I finish this one and I thought today was the perfect day to post the new chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

For a moment, Serena almost panicked when she felt Clemont go slack against her. Once the even breathing registered in her ears, she felt herself calm. The inventor had only fallen asleep. Settling him back against the floor, she let the boy immerse himself in dreams.

Settling back against the bars next to him, the performer tried to put everything back together. Bonnie wasn't with Clemont, so that meant she was safe somewhere else. She hadn't seen Ash since she arrived in this world, alone and separated from everyone else. She was captured by Team Flare not even a day later when she ran into Aliana with her Mightyena.

Even though she had beaten her in battle before, the older woman had the element of surprise on her hands, giving her the opportunity that she needed to get the jump on the young trainer. She couldn't have been locked away here for more than three days.

When she first arrived in this world, it was quite obvious that Pokémon most likely didn't exist here. Where there were Pokémon everywhere in their world, she hadn't spotted a single one since waking up in the forest. It was frustrating!

She could only hope Bonnie and Ash were safe.

Wherever they were.


With a groan, Ash pried his eyes open. Exhaustion made him want to close them again immediately and roll over and go back to sleep. However, the persistent licking at his cheek roused him caused him to give another groan and gently shove the perpetrator away. He was met with a sound of indignation until the licking was back, this time on both of his cheeks. Giggling lightly, Ash was forced roused completely back into full wakefulness and forced him to open his eyes, confronting his would-be tormentor.

Crowding around him were his trusty partners: Pikachu (the licking culprit), Lycanroc, Toracat and Rowlet. When he had been taking a break from Alola to revisit Kalos - inspired by his trip to Kanto with his classmates - he hadn't really expected to take anyone but Pikachu, his trusty partner, and the tag along Lycanroc, who he had intended to introduce to Serena. However, the others were insistent about coming along since they had wanted to see the region he had visited before coming to Alola.

Things had been going so well.

So how had everything gone so wrong?

Lifting himself up, he decided to take a look at his surroundings. He was met with what looked like a prison cell, complete with a barred window and single prison-esque door that he never learned the name of. While he had been in trouble with Officer Jenny before, it had - thankfully - never bad enough to really land him in the jailhouse.

Officer Jenny didn't play any games.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps started towards the cell from somewhere down the hall. Thinking quickly, Ash pulled out his Poké Balls and recalled his Pokémon. One by one, they disappeared in a glow of red light to their respective balls, Ash was hit with a sudden thought.

How am I gonna hide Pikachu?!

Turning to his partner, he was met with a similar look of distress. Pikachu hated it's Poké Ball with a passion. There was no way he could force it inside.

Suddenly, he was struck with an idea. Quickly unzipping his jacket, he held it out to the mouse Pokémon with a quietly murmured, "C'mon buddy." Seeming to catch on, Pikachu smiled and jumped into his arms, letting out a content noise when Ash wrapped the jacket snugly around it and gently cuddling it to his chest.

By the time the footsteps finally came to a stop in front of his cell, Pikachu had thankfully stopped moving. And when Ash looked up, he was surprised to see a blonde woman with an unfamiliar police uniform standing outside the cell. She looked nervous, but also happy to see him awake. And strangely without a partner.

"Thank goodness, kiddo! You really had me worried for a second there, didn't ya?"

"I'm sorry?" Ash couldn't keep the uncertainty out of his voice as he took in the chipper woman. Glimpsing around, he noted that no other officers appeared to be with her, which was odd.

"Where's Officer Jenny," he intoned curiously. She was the officer he was more familiar seeing. Along with all of the other Jenny. The woman looked confused for a moment before finally speaking up.

"There's no Officer Jenny working here," she said as she smiled at him. "Sorry, buddy."

Ash felt like a rug had been pulled out from under him. No Officer Jenny? Basically, every police office in very region had at least one Jenny. What was going on here? And where was this officer's Pokémon?

"Where's your partner?"

The woman looked surprised again, but just gave the answer that Ash was still partially expecting. "I don't have a partner. At least not a permanent one."

Huh?!

“How could you be an officer and not have a partner,” the boy exclaimed. “Every officer I know at least has a Growlithe!”

The officer looked nonplussed for a moment before she finally spoke up again, her tone incredulous, “What the heck is a Growlithe?”

Ash was shocked into silence. How could an officer not only have a Pokémon, but not even know what a Growlithe was?! They were the Pokémon most often used by officers in almost every region he’s been in. They were loyal to a fault and the best partner that any of the law enforcement officers could ask for.

“Do you have any Pokémon?” Ash demanded. “It’s not safe for an officer to be running around without one. What if you ran into some criminals?”

“Okay, kiddo, lets calm down,” the officer soothed. She still looked confused and a little alarmed, but she was obviously trying to keep her cool. “You mind telling me what you talking about first? What's a Pokémon?”

How can you not know what a Pokémon is?!” he shrieked. By this point, Ash was about to hyperventilate. Where the heck was he?!

He didn’t notice when the officer called out to him, forcing himself to focus on his breathing. His lungs seemed to be refusing any form of oxygen as they squeezed in his chest. First, he didn’t know where he was. Second, he didn’t know where the rest of his friends were. Third, he was in some unknown jail cell who-knows-where in a place where Pokémon didn’t exist!

He thought he felt something grip his shoulder, shaking him and trying to get his attention, but his inner turmoil only seemed to grow stronger along with the claws that were squeezing in his chest. He thought he heard a scream or a yelp, but then everything seemed to speed back up when he felt something warm against his cheek.

Coming out of his panicked state, he looked down to see that Pikachu had squirmed out of his coat and was now nudging his face. The sight of Pikachu’s worried face snapped him back to the present and, wanting to reassure his partner that he was alright, he snuggled Pikachu against himself, hugging it close. He hated when he made Pikachu worry about him.

Pulling back, he smiled at his lifetime partner and, seeing that its trainer seemed to have recovered, Pikachu smiled back. However, their moment was cut short by another yelp.

Looking over, he was surprised to see that the officer from before was inside of the cell, but had pushed herself back against the furthest wall. Her face was pulled into a terrified moue, her eyes widened in panic and her hands pointed some type of weapon at them.

“What is that?!” she screeched, her voice several octaves higher than when she had last spoken. Her fear was obvious in her voice as it cracked in her hysteria. She looked like she was going to have a full-blown panic attack of her own in less than three seconds.

Rising cautiously to his feet, Ash made sure he moved just enough to put himself between Pikachu and the unknown weapon. While he had never really seen anything like it, he was certain that, whatever it was, he didn’t want it to hit Pikachu.

Trying to defused the suddenly escalated situation, Ash attempted to calm the lady down.

“This,” he said placatingly, “is my partner Pikachu.” He watched as the weapon remained raised, but her face seemed to twitch as she recognized the way he phrased it. “He’s been my best friend ever since I started m journey.”

Finally lowering her weapon, she seemed to be mentally putting the picture together.

“So, when you asked me if I had a partner, you meant…” she trailed off uncertainly and gestured towards Pikachu, who had moved to peek cautiously over his shoulder.

“Well, yeah…” he laughed nervously. While he was grateful that she had lowered her weapon, he wouldn’t be completely comfortable until she put it away. The blonde officer, though, seemed to catch on to his discomfort and finally put it away to what looked like a harness of some kind attached to her belt.

With the threat now gone, the trainer slowly turned back towards her, careful with how fast he moved around her. Pikachu also turned its attention to the homely woman, sniffing curiously at her. Without warning, Pikachu leaped at her, causing her to squeal in fright.

“Pikachu!” Ash shouted in a reprimanding tone. However, he suddenly understood why Pikachu had jumped her when it immediately turned tail and jumped back to him. Cradled in its hands was a powdered donut. Before he could stop it, the yellow mouse seemed to inhale the confection, downing it in one bite. Not seeming to see what it had done wrong, it let out a sound of bliss as it slumped down onto his shoulder.

Looking back towards the officer, fully expecting to see her having drawn her weapon again, he was surprised to see her with a wide smile on her face. She suddenly seemed fascinated, completely enraptured by the strange small creature. 

“So, this…is a Pokémon?” she asked giddily.

Ash couldn’t help the smile that came to his face at her excitement. It was such a stark difference to her earlier fear. She had gone from being completely terrified to completely enamored with Pikachu. He could count that as a win.

“When every trainer starts their journey, they are given their first Pokémon. All of the typical starters had been taken by the time I got there, so I wound up with Pikachu. I don’t think I could have ever gotten a better partner.” Pikachu seemed to agree with that sentiment as it nuzzled into his face again, this time more enthusiastically. Its fur tickled, causing the pre-teen to burst out laughing.


The officer watched for a moment, mesmerized, as she watched the strange creature and young boy together. She was stunned by the affection the two obviously shared with each other, as obvious as the giant mouse’s fur.

“Okie dokie,” she said under her breath. She needed to get this kid out of here before more officers showed up. She knew that most people wouldn’t exactly react well to a yellow mouse that was far bigger than any mouse had the right to be. They would probably shoot it on sight.

“Hey, kiddo,” she called, reluctantly interrupting their moment. When the kid turned his attention to her, she finally introduced herself, holding out her hand. “My name is Donna Hanscum. What’s your name?”

The kid grinned widely as he took hold of her hand and answered enthusiastically, “My name is Ash Ketchum. It’s great to meet you Donna!” Her heart warmed at the sincerity in his voice.

They needed to get out of here.

Now.

Tightening her grip on the young boy’s hand, she gave a tug, pulling him along with her as she quickly made her way out of the cell. Ignoring his surprised yelp and his questions, she walked briskly, careful not to run and attract any unwanted attention. She hoped she didn’t run into any other officers, but she was certain that there was still quite a few around.

Making her way to the garage, she silently prayed that the guard wasn’t there. He was usually pretty lazy and didn’t pay much attention, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to take any chances. Stopping in the hall just before the garage, she turned back to her new friend(?), making him come up short before he could run into her.

“Okay, buddy,” she started quickly, “listen up. Most people aren’t going to react to well to your friend, so I'm going to have to ask you to hide it somewhere until we reach my car.” Nodding, Ash untangled his jacket from the messy bundle in his arms, not having the chance to put it on when Donna had dragged him out of his cell. Holding it up like a blanket, Pikachu didn’t hesitate before jumping into it again, letting Ash once again cover it up and hold it to his chest.

Giving an approving nod, Donna went to go around the corner and-

-froze.

Before her, almost all of the officers were gathered together in a large huddle. They were talking in hushed whispers, words flowing from their mouths in rapid fire conversation that she didn’t think she could keep up with if she tried. And while she was sorely tempted to go over and ask what was going on, she really needed to hurry up and get this id out of here before his little friend suffocated in that jacket.

Walking steadily so as to not draw attention, she made her way towards her car. Silently, she prayed that none of the other officers noticed her. That hope was shattered when she heard the sound of a fellow officer calling her name.

“Hey, Donna,” the officer called. Donna almost wanted to grind her teeth when she recognized the who the voice belonged to. Oh, she knew that voice very well. Turning around, she was met with the face of the one officer she couldn’t stand who should’ve been in his own town instead of here.

“What do you want Kontos,” she barely kept herself from snapping. After Jody gave her the courage to stand up for herself, she had found herself growing real tired of Doug’s bullying. Even though she was Sheriff, it didn’t stop him from picking on her occasionally. If anything, it seemed to increase his animosity towards her. Nothing really seemed to deter him for long.

“You guys had a break-in last night. Apparently, somebody’s going around breaking into police departments. Any idea how that could have happened?” He seemed to be sneering at her, mocking her competency as a sheriff for not noticing something so minor.

“Gee, I don’t know. Seeing as how yesterday was my day off, I have an excuse. What about you?”

Her snippy reply seemed to shut him up. Usually, she tried her best to be civil with him, especially in a work environment, but sometimes he just said things that made her inner Jody jump out. Or maybe it was Claire?

“Now, if you don’t mind, I have to take this minor home.”

Turning back around, she marched towards her vehicle, forcing Ash to scramble after her and leaving a stunned Doug behind. With a little more force than necessary, Donna swung her door open, barely remembering to unlock the other door, before nearly slamming hers shut. Ash was quick to take his seat before he finally let Pikachu out of his jacket. The Pokémon shook its fur vigorous shake before giving a pleased sound. Smiling, Ash only just shut his door before Donna was pulling away and out into the street.

Settling back in her seat, Donna let herself unwind as she let the tension bleed from her body. Boy it felt good to shut that creep down. It irritated her to high heaven and back that that jerk actually came all the way down to her town just to pick on her for nothing. It didn’t even involve him!

She almost jumped out of her seat when she felt something warm move into her lap. Looking down, she saw that the boy’s Pikachu had crawled into her lap and had curled up. Turning over to Ash, she was met with a nervous smile.

“I hope you don’t mind,” he said nervously. “Pikachu could tell that you were upset. I guess it just wants to make you feel happy again.” He had a wide smile on his face as he cheers, “It always works for me!”

Donna smiled as she puts her foot to the gas, earning a surprised, happy shout from Ash as Pikachu rested on her lap, looking like it was about to slip off into dream land.

Time to go to Sioux Falls.

 


To Be Continued...


 

Notes:

Okay, so Donna was a little out of character, but I really wanted to see her get back at her ex-husband so badly when they first showed him that I took some creative liberties. Her friendship with Ash and Pikachu was because I see her being a very open-minded person who would find Pikachu adorable after she got over her initial fear. Plus, I just can't see her hurting a child, even if she did think they were a supernatural monster. Even Sam and Dean have trouble doing that on occasion.

Chapter 8: Chapter VII - Escape Plans & Rescue Parties

Summary:

Serena and Clemont plan their escape and the best way to get out undetected. Mable and Aliana were strong and, without his memories or any Pokémon, Clemont fears that he may be a hindrance to Serena’s escape.

Meanwhile, Dean and the others decide to go after the people who took Clemont and gear up for another hunt.

Notes:

At long last, I give you Chapter VII. (I'm sorry to the beta reader that I was supposed to be contacting today. I waited for a couple of hours, but I needed to get back home.)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

When Clemont awoke again, it was to the gentle sound of humming. Something about the tune soothed him and it seemed to ring with a vague sense of familiarity. It chased away his uneasy dreams that were filled with flaming red and gleaming eyes. Against his bodies wishes, the young inventor forced his eyes open and was met with the now familiar sight of their disturbing accommodations.

Forcing himself to open his eyes, he looked over to his side and was immediately met with the sight of the girl from before he fell asleep. Serena, his mind supplied. A friend that he couldn’t remember. Before he could speak up, the performer finally noticed that he was awake and cut of her tune, much to his disappointment.

“Good morning, Clemont,” she greeted uneasily. It appeared that this place was also taking quite a tole on her as well. It was probably why she had to go as far as humming to herself to soothe her own nerves.

“Wh-what was that song?” Even though his voice protested, cracking from misuse, the boy just had to know. The tune was too familiar, meant too much to him for him to just let it go.

Serena only smiled somewhat sadly as she answered, “It was Bonnie’s favorite song. She used to sing it all the time to Squishy whenever it was feeling down. Do you remember who Squishy is?” Her expression was hopeful and Clemont hated how quickly it vanished as he shook his head.

Squishy, Squishy

You're oh so very soft

Squishy, Squishy

You're oh so pretty green

Before he could really stop himself, he found the words tumbling from his mouth. A forgotten tune that his sister loved and sang gently. A voice filled with anguish and a final goodbye.

Squishy, Squishy

The prettiest I've ever seen

You're happy sleeping in my bag, Squishy

He heard Serena as she joined him, singing along gently as she settled against his shoulder. It was a small gesture, but one that brought him much comfort. Settling against each other they continued to sing softly together. A quite duet that soon faded back into silence, aching and lonely. Suddenly, Clemont really wished he could be anywhere else right now. Preferably with his baby sister. He also found himself wondering about that name again.

Luxray.

The name seemed to be tied to the eyes from his dream. Instead of feeling threatened, though, he couldn’t help but feel safe under its piercing yellow eyes. It brought a sort of relief when he thought of it. He knew his fear at the hospital, that soul-gripping fear hadn’t been because he was scared of it. He was scared for it. It only made him more frustrated that he couldn’t remember everything. It was all a torrent of emotions – guilt, fear, anger, worry, hysteria – that left him dizzy and begging for the relief of oblivion once again.

But just as he was about to fade back into sleep, Clemont found himself abruptly tilting to the side. Startled, he just barely brought his hands up to keep himself from smacking his face against the concrete. Looking up, he found that Serena had risen to her feet and was pacing irritably. Her eyes had taken on a hardened look and Clemont was taken aback by the desperation etched into her face.

“We have to get out of here,” she shouted. Clemont almost flinched when she turned to him, her face flicking between emotions as complex as his own. Apparently, she was also going stir crazy to get out of here. “We can’t just sit here doing nothing while Team Flare is out there doing who knows what!”


 Serena’s vision was almost turning misty, her eyes just on the verge of tears. She was a very open person, but she tried her hardest to keep herself together. Clemont obviously had some kind of head injury, if his hard time recognizing her was anything to go by. She knew that she needed to be careful not to cause him any more distress than he was probably already dealing with. But she also knew that they needed to be out here yesterday.

Looking around, she tried to find something to give her some clue. Thankfully, the bars weren’t electrified, so they could at least touch the bars. But there was also a slim chance they would be able to get through with the spaces being so narrow.

And with her Pokémon still injured from their last battle…

The sound of movement caught her attention, distracting her from her thoughts and making her turn back to her fellow captive. Clemont was running his hands over his suit, seemingly looking for something.

“What are you doing?”

The question made him look up, an almost desperate look on his face as his hands frantically went over his clothes. Finally, the boy seemed to find the opening to one of his pockets and dug his hands in deep, searching for something. With a small cry of either triumph or surprise, the inventor pulled out a Poké Ball.

Serena couldn’t keep her own look of surprise off her face as she watched Clemont look over the ball in his hands. Team Flare either seen Clemont so much of a non-threat that they didn’t bother checking him or they were just getting plain careless.

Clemont could only stare at the ball for a moment as he felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity. The weight of the ball was a comfort as he held it in his hands was much more welcome than the wrongness of it being empty. With a bit of déjà vu he felt his body move on its own and threw the ball through the air.

“Magnezone,” he found himself calling, “I choose you!”

The ball burst open, bright white light erupting from it taking the vague form of some kind of creature. Suddenly, the light dispersed, revealing a creature with a giant metal body that took up most of the cage. It let out a triumphant call, its voice loud enough to almost have Clemont covering his ears as he winced.

After the creature seemed to calm down, it appeared to give a confused look to its surroundings before turning around and catching sight of Clemont and Serena. Its eyes, sitting above the two magnets that acted as a strange replacement for hands, lit up as soon as it spotted its trainer. Before the inventor could prepare himself, Magnezone had pressed him up against the bars as it cuddled into him.

For a moment, Clemont almost felt like panicking, but that was before the dizzying wave of familiarity seemed to wash over him again, leaving him lightheaded and a little limp. Letting the feeling control his movements, he felt his hands come up to stroke the smooth metal of the Pokémon’s skin and felt himself smile as he heard it make a reverberating sound of approval.


“Master Clemont?”

The Gym Leader turned to look at his assistant with small sound of curiosity, his mind still mostly on the project he was currently working on.

“Is something wrong, Clembot?”

The question itself wasn’t a serious one. While some machines did need daily upkeep and several checkups, they all should be in perfect order. And with the Pokémon all healthy during their last check up yesterday, there couldn’t be anything wrong with them, either.

“I believe this is something you may want to see for yourself, sir.”

Well, that was cryptic, the young leader thought.

Pushing himself up from his work desk, he followed the robot out of the lab and towards the stairs leading to the lower levels. Apparently, the elevator would have been too slow for the robot. However, after they reached downstairs to the Gym, he found himself pulling up short.

Floating in the middle of the Gym was Magneton. The poor Pokémon was freaking out and running back and forth like a panicked Torchic being chased by a Swampert. Several of his other Pokémon were there also, trying their hardest to calm it down. But it seemed like their efforts were in vain as it seemed to refuse to listen.

Finally stepping forward, Clemont moved until he was in Magneton’s path, forcing it to come to a screeching halt. Before it could run (or float) in another direction, the boy put his arms around it, pulling it gently, but firmly against his torso. It kept letting out distressed noises as all three of its eyes looked on the verge of tears. The inventor found himself growing greatly concerned over what could possibly have his Pokémon acting like this.

Turning back to Clembot, he couldn’t help but voice his thoughts.

“What in the world is going on?”

“It appears that Magneton is distressed because its about to evolve,” was the robots quick reply.

“Huh?!”

Before the robot could repeat itself, Magneton began to glow brightly. With a small shout of alarm, Clemont released his hold and watched in amazement at the transformation taking place before him. The glow seemed to morph, the Pokémon changing shape as its three heads merged together into a larger form.

Suddenly, the light dispersed to reveal the result of its transformation as Magnezone let out a mighty cry. It was quite larger than Magneton and definitely looked tougher with its bulky body and its giant magnets.

That image, sadly, was completely ruined as it started crying again.

“What’s wrong,” Clemont asked helplessly. He couldn’t understand why Magnezone seemed so distressed with its evolution.

Thankfully, Clembot decided to fill him in.

“It would seem that Magnezone thinks it looks ugly.”

The explanation threw Clemont for a loop and, for a second, he could have sworn he heard wrong.

This was his life.


Cemont couldn’t help but smile at the memory. It had taken forever to reassure Magnezone that it wasn’t ugly at all. It thought that it would scare Bonnie and that she wouldn’t want to play with it anymore. That Clemont would no longer use it in Gym Battles against challengers.

Those fears had been squashed pretty quickly when Clemont had said that he thought it looked cool. When Bonnie had come over from their father’s, she had practically pounced Magnezone and had praised it for looking awesome. If a giant fossil Pokémon couldn’t scare his baby sister, Clemont knew for a fact that Magnezone wouldn’t.

Turning to Serena with a new confidence, Clemont grinned.

“You ready to get out of here?”


Sam and Dean were sitting on the couch as they tried to think up a plan on how to find Clemont. The kid had been missing for most of the day and the only clue that they had was knocked out.

Dean looked over to look at the child and saw her still curled up against Luxray’s side, cuddled into its fur. The other two were tucked closely to her body as if their closeness could make all of her distress disappear.  

There were still dried trails on her face from tears, but she didn’t seem to stir from her sleep. At first, she had been tossing and turning, much to the Pokémon’s worry as well as the Winchesters and Jody’s. But after a bit of angel mojo sleeping pill, she had been out cold.

Shifting his gaze to said angel, Cas appeared to be in deep conversation with the giant emo lion. While their introduction had not been under the best of conditions, the two had eventually warmed up to each other after the whole situation had been explained.

Apparently, Luxray had been looking for the kid ever since they took him from the house. After Cas had apologized for the misunderstanding and told it everything, the creature had greatly calmed down, though it did seem irritated that its master had gone missing again.

This situation was just way above their pay grade. But since they were hunters, they didn’t really get one anyway. So, did that mean they could back out?

Dean sighed. He knew they couldn’t back out, not before they saved Nerd Boy. Every time he closed his eyes for more than two seconds, he saw that boy laying on a mattress, his side painted with his own blood. A voice that had quacked when he had finally spoken after waking up. It certainly didn’t help that they had found out that the people who were after him have finally caught up to him.

There was no way Dean Winchester was just going to abandon some poor hapless child to whatever some group of kidnapping psychos had in store for him. Not a snowball’s chance in hell. Looking over at Sam he found him already looking at him, a similar look of conviction on his face. Neither of them planned on backing down.

Not until they saved Clemont.

Abruptly, Dean shot up from his chair, his brother not far behind. Their sudden movement had startled both Luxray and Cas, surprising them into silence. When Luxray had jolted, its sudden movement startled Bonnie back into wakefulness. She rubbed her eyes before she joined everyone else in staring at the eldest Winchester.

“We’re going after the kid. Cas, you stay here with the kid and the,” he hesitated, “whatever – animals – and we’ll try to be back as soon as possible.”

A loud displeased sound made it pretty clear that the Pokémon either didn’t agree to the plan or was insulted by the man’s words. If Dean had to guess, it was probably both.

“I don’t think he agrees with you very much, Dean,” Cas said nonchalantly.

Obviously.

“Look, Cas, we need to go after them now before they decide to move. We've already wasted a lot of time just sitting here.” Sam was trying to be the mediator, but he could also understand why Luxray was so reluctant to stay. If Pokémon and Trainers were anything like what he had seen between Bonnie and Dedenne, then Luxray and Clemont were probably even closer. Besides Bonnie, Luxray had been one of the first things that the boy had remembered in the hospital.

However, judging by the way that the lion-looking Pokémon was glaring at them, it had absolutely no intention of staying here. Giving a sigh, Sam instead turned his attention to Jody. All she had to was look at his face before letting out a resigned breath. She knew what he was going to ask before he even opened his mouth.

“You guys go and look for the boy. I’ll look after Bonnie until you guys get back.”

Giving a nod, the brothers went upstairs to pack their bags and grab their guns. If they were going to fight, there was no way that they were going to leave their weapons. These people most likely also had Pokémon, so they were going to need more than their machetes.

By the time they had gotten outside, Luxray was waiting next to the Impala, clearly impatient to get to its Trainer. Dean could only hope they weren’t too late.


Elsewhere, an explosion shook the building...


 

Notes:

A/N: Finally! Chapter Seven has been completed! This should not have taken me so long, but I was going through writer’s block, an existential crisis and a religious breakdown all at the same time (don’t ask). So, I'm really sorry to everyone who was waiting for this.

I feel like I really shouldn’t have a beta reader because I would just give them a headache with how many times I pull stunts like this. I really am sorry and will try to finish stories before uploading them from now on. I'm used to writing one-shots and have only written one other multi-chaptered fic before this one and you guys see how well that went.
Please forgive me.

-Addict

Chapter 9: Chapter VIII: Reunions & A Battle

Summary:

Clemont and Serena are in the process of escaping and Sam and Dean are their way to rescue their young friend along with his loyal Luxray. Will the two groups reunite?

Meanwhile, Jody and Bonnie encounter a little trouble. How will they get out of the dangerous situation they find themselves in?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It was almost ridiculous how easily the plan had gone. Clemont felt so giddy that he almost giggled, but decided against it so that he didn’t look crazy in front of Serena.

They had used Magnezone’s Flash Cannon to blow a whole into the side of the building and into the forest. Then, after the alarms had gone off and Team Flare had come back, he had called his Pokémon back into its Poké Ball and the two had hidden inside the crates next to the cage. After they had heard the women curse and the sound of feet on dirt and gravel, they had rushed out of the room and had made their way to the front door.

Thankfully, Team Flare’s overconfidence had let them keep their bags and other belongings, so they didn’t have the problem of having to stay to look for them. They wanted to put some distance between this place and them as quickly as possible.

Even though they couldn’t have been captured for more than a few hours, at least for him, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia as they looked up at the night sky. Clemont closed his eyes blissfully as the gentle wind tousled his hair.

For a moment, he could see a different view. A city of lights that looked breathtaking as he watched it from his balcony in his tower.

He quickly shook the feeling off, however, knowing that now was not the time to let his mind wander. Their escape wasn’t quite yet complete.

With that thought in mind, the two ran off and disappeared into the eerily silent night.


Dean cursed under his breath as they drove down the dirt path. While it was plenty big enough for Baby to not get scratches from the surrounding brush, he knew he would have to give her a very thorough washing later.

In the passenger seat, Sam was more focused on watching the creature that was running just behind the Impala. While Dean was definitely gunning it, the creature didn’t seem to have too much trouble keeping up with them. It didn’t really help his amazement when the Pokémon didn’t show any sign of exhaustion.

Very interesting creatures indeed.

Castiel was sitting in the backseat, leaning against the window. While he had been able to hide his own tiredness before, the angel wasn’t able to make a second trek again so soon after whatever happened to him before.

Sam just hoped he would recover soon. The poor guy had already taken a lot of hard hits lately what with the whole being possessed by Lucifer and then tortured by his insane Aunt Amara.

And now this.

But, right now, they had to focus on finding Clemont and saving him from his abductors.


As the two Trainers ran, the sun had long since set, casting their surrounding in shadows. The night was no longer silent, filled with the sound of music created by something that sounded almost like a Cricketune’s music. Instead of a calming effect, it only put both of them on edge. 

The trees around them stretched tall into the sky, blocking the stars from their view and concealing their light. It made the hairs on the back of Clemont’s neck stand up and his uneasiness only grew. If they couldn’t see, how could they tell how far away from the compound they had gotten? They had run non-stop since they had gotten free, but it wasn’t doing them much good if they couldn’t see where they were going and wound up going in circles.

With how his muscles seemed to be protesting, he wasn’t sure he could keep up with their pace for much longer anyway.

A surprised shout from Serena had him looking up just in time to see the girl fall forward. Running forward, the inventor was met with a familiar sharp downward slope that lead into a clearing, the performer sprawled at the bottom.

Carefully, as to not slip, he slid down the slope and quickly made his way to Serena’s side. Even though she had already pulled herself up and seemed okay, Clemont couldn’t help but look her over for any sign of injuries. He gave a sigh of relief when he was unable to find any.

Unexpectedly, everything seemed to hit the young boy. The situation he was in, the crazy people chasing them, losing Bonnie and Dedenne, his lack of memory, his frustration…

His muscles gave out, going slack as he slumped next to Serena. This caused her to let out a concerned shout, but Clemont couldn’t really bring himself to move. He was just too exhausted to really care anymore.

Just as he was about to lose himself to unconsciousness, an unknown sound seemed to rattle his ears. His eyes shooting open, he looked to Serena, hoping he wasn’t the only one who heard it. Thankfully, he could tell by the look on her face that he wasn’t.

His attention was taken from her when lights seemed to filter through the trees. The two were forced to squint their eyes when two bright orbs descended their light upon the clearing, almost blinding them as the rumbling (that inventor now recognized as an engine) assaulted their ears.

Just as quick as it was all there, it was gone. The lights dimmed and the engine abruptly cut off throwing everything into silence once again, only for the sound of doors slamming shut to take its place. The sound of rushing footfalls slamming into the ground had Clemont scared that, for a moment, the scary women had found them.

Closing his eyes, he was prepared for the women to drag them back to the warehouse and shove them back into another cage. However, he was thrown for a loop when the hands that grabbed him were larger than he expected and definitely weren’t dragging him away.

“Hey, hey. Are you okay?”

The voice that asked that was most certainly not female.

Opening his eyes, he was met with the sight of the man from the house looking at him with a very stern face.

Oh no.


Jody watched as Bonnie looked out the window, staring in the direction the boys and the weird lion-looking creature had left in. Dedenne was cuddled up on her shoulder and snuggled against her neck, trying to somehow comfort the girl. 

The two, however, were not helping at all. Bunnelby and Chespin were also looking out the window morosely as if they had been abandoned and left for dead. While she could understand their eagerness to go and find their boy, she also knew that moping wasn’t really going to do or change anything. No matter how strangely cute they were.

Just as she was about to call them into the dining room for a snack or something else to distract them, she saw a large vehicle pull up outside.

And it definitely wasn’t the Impala.

She walked over to the window and grabbed Bonnie, who had perked up in curiosity at the new arrival, and tried to gently lure her from the window. She didn’t miss how Dedenne had started growling in its high-pitched voice. While it was far from intimidating, the sparks coming out of its cheeks were another story. The other two Pokémon also looked very hostile as well, Bunnelby’s ears straight up and Chespin’s spines suddenly looked much sharper than they had a moment ago.

Jody barely had a moment to register all of this before the door was knocked almost off its hinges. Crap! While she had been distracted, whoever had pulled up had actually made it all the way to the door without her noticing. The sheriff would have pulled her gun if she hadn’t left it on her bedside table.

She pulled up short at the odd people who came through her door.

It was two women dressed in some – quite frankly – ridiculous-looking attire. She felt the need to arrest them just for the offense of blinding her with their horrific bright-orange clothing. Each of them also had terrible hair-styles that looked like they tried really hard to look good, but it only ended up with them looking like clowns.

The one on the left had blue hair with ridiculously large loops and was wearing a visor that glowed a lighter shade of blue than her hair. She was wearing a short skirt that Jody was glad she wearing shorts under, because otherwise there would be nothing to hide. She also wore high-heeled boots that were just as offending as her clothes.

The one on the right at least had a more normal hairstyle, short and combed back, but it was also a dark shade of purple. Unlike her friend, she wore short shorts with leggings and relatively normal-ish boots that were still the same color as her friend’s. She also wore a visor, but it glowed a bright purple.

It basically looked like she was about to get robbed by a couple of eccentric strippers.

What was her life?

One of the women (the blue one) took a step forward, but stopped when she heard the Pokémon growl collectively. Chespin and Bunnelby had moved from the window to stand in front of Bonnie and Jody and were both looking more aggressive than before, their faces pulled into scowls as they bared their teeth.

This didn’t seem to deter her, though, as she gave out a mocking laugh that made Jody want to punch her in the face.

“What do you two think you can do? Trying to protect this little brat in the other brat’s place? We already caught him, so you might as well give up. What could you two possibly do without your Trainer, huh?”

Her words, instead of deterring the Pokémon, seemed to have the opposite effect and riled them up further. While they had been suspicious that Team Flare had reached their Trainer before them, the confirmation only made them feel more determined to get him back.

Seeing that the Pokémon weren’t going to back down, the woman’s smile disappeared and was replaced with a look of irritation. Reaching behind her, she pulled out what looked like a red and white ball. Before Jody could wonder what the heck it was even supposed to be, she tossed it in the air and light erupted from it. The light converged together as it took shape and the light dispersed, revealing a very vicious-looking dog with large horns poking out of its head.

Suddenly, every ion in Jody’s brain was sending a single message to her body.

Without a moment of hesitation, Jody grabbed Bonnie and ran out the back door. She didn’t have to look back to know that the other two would have followed her, the women’s enraged shouts were enough for her.

Sadly, she didn’t get very far down the path before a column of fire shot right past her, startling her enough to have her fall over. Thankfully, the fire only singed her shirt a little, but no serious damage had been done. Looking down at Bonnie, she found the girl relatively unharmed except for what looked like a scrape on her knee. She looked a little shaken, but a quick scan revealed anymore injuries and Jody almost let out a harsh breath of relief.

Turning on her back, she was face to face with the devil dog from before as it growled at her, a clear warning to not try to run again. Just behind it, the women finally caught back up and Blueberry was smirking darkly.

“Good job, Houndoom. Keep them there.”

The woman walked forward again, this time without Jody or the other Pokémon to stop her. When she reached the two of them, standing beside her own Pokémon, she gave a condescending sneer to the sheriff.

“Who’s going to save you now?”

Before Jody could snap anything back at her, the woman reached down towards Bonnie. This caused Jody to hug Bonnie to her tightly, a last-ditch attempt to keep this strange woman from taking the child from her.

What she forgot about, however, was the other protector that the child had resting on her head.

Dedenne gave a sparky warning before, with a valiant war cry, it shot forward and bit into the Blueberry’s hand. The unexpected attack had her giving a cry of surprised pain before her face twisted into an ugly scowl of anger.

“You disgusting vermin!”

Grabbing the poor creature, she harshly pulled it off her hand and threw it away from her. Dedenne gave a pained cry as it collided with a nearby tree, slumping to the ground as it whimpered pitifully.

Before Jody could really register what had just happened, Bonnie had managed to free herself from her hold and had taken off after her Pokémon. Just as she was about to reach it, however, Blueberry finally noticed and snagged her wrist harshly and yanked her sharply back towards her.

“You're almost more trouble than you're worth,” the woman spat vehemently. But Bonnie wasn’t paying any attention to her, her eyes still fixated on her fallen friend.

“Dedenne,” she cried hysterically. Her eyes were filled with tears as her partner didn’t respond, staying where it lay as it quivered in pain. “Dedenne, please get up! Dedenne!”

Jody felt like her blood was set aflame as she listened to the girl’s desperate cries. How can anyone be so heartless to a child and an innocent animal? She found herself wondering where the other two had went and why they weren’t helping. If it wasn’t for the Pokémon right in front of her looking like it would rip her throat out if she moved, she would have jumped up and beat the woman until she was a bloody pulp.

Maybe she was letting Dean and Claire influence her too much.

Her heart sank as she watched helplessly as Bonnie was dragged away.


Mable started to drag the little girl away, but Bonnie was proving that she wasn’t going anywhere without a fight, squirming and twisting in a desperate attempt to get loose. There was no way she was going with the woman who had hurt her big brother. And Dedenne still didn’t respond no matter how many times she screamed.

“Bunneby!”

The cry had her turning to look as her brother’s trusty Bunnelby rushing towards them, its two large ears glowing bright white.

Double Slap!

The Pokémon swung its ears as hard as it could, striking the woman twice in the face, startling her into releasing Bonnie. Instead of stopping there, it went in again and landed two more hits, striking her again before it felt something sharp digging into its leg and toss it aside roughly. Bunnelby hit the ground rolling but was able to regain its footing as it turned to face its opponent.

The Houndoom was growling at it, standing between it and its master. It was clearly displeased that Bunnelby had attacked its master directly while it was preoccupied with the other human. Bunnelby growled right back, showing that it wouldn’t be cowed just because its opponent was bigger.

The two Pokémon stared each other down, neither making a move against the other unless the other moved first. That choice was abruptly taken from them when they heard something coming up behind them.

“Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!”

The familiar command was followed by the Houndoom’s cry of pain as it was enveloped in electricity. The one hit proved enough to knock it out as it fell unconscious to the ground. Mable gave an enraged shout as her Pokémon was defeated. When she saw who had shown up to the fight, she paled and gritted her teeth.

Not this kid again!

Bonnie gave a delighted shout as she saw Ash run up the path from the house, Pikachu proudly standing by his side. She had managed to grab Dedenne during the scuffle and cradled it gently in her arms as she watched her friend glare at Team Flare.

With a curse, Celosia ran off into the trees, leaving her teammate behind. Mable looked between the brats and her partner abandoning her. Then, with one final baleful glare, she recalled her Pokémon and ran away as well.

As soon as she was out of sight, Bonnie’s view was turned into a field of white. Looking up, she was met with the sight of a teary-eyed Jody hugging her close to her. The woman looked half scared out of her mind and, making sure to keep her hold on Dedenne, Bonnie hugged her back with her free arm.

Her attention was turned back towards Ash when she heard another pair of footsteps running up the path. A blonde woman she didn’t know was standing next to him with a worried look on her face. The second she saw them unharmed, her face practically split in half in a smile.

“Hey, Jodes,” she called excitedly. “Looks like I wasn’t the only one who picked up a weird kid, huh?”

Bonnie could feel Jody sag in relief against her.

“Donna,” she breathed.

The happy reunion didn’t last long when they heard the sound of Bunnelby making distressed noises. Bonnie looked to the side and gasped, horrified by the sight that greeted her. Bunnelby was crouched next to Chespin, who was laying on the ground with a nasty burn mark on its back. It occasionally let out a pained grunt, but it was obvious it was trying really hard to hide its pain. Bunnelby had some minor burns, but a terrible bruise forming on its leg where Houndoom had bitten it, but its full attention was on its friend.

Ash ran over to the two of them dropping to his knees in front of them, the others not far behind him. Carefully, he picked Chespin up and into his arms so that he could examine the burn and he could already see that it wasn’t very good.

“What’s wrong with it,” Jody found herself asking. “The rabbit got hit by the fire, too. Why is it hurt this bad?”

“Chespin is a grass type and Bunnelby is a ground type,” Ash answered shakily. “Houndoom was a fire type. Bunnelby has a strong resistance to fire, but Chespin is at a disadvantage. Fire is its strongest weakness and any burn would hurt it way more than any other type.” The Trainer felt like pulling at his hair as he watched his friend’s Pokémon flinch in pain. “Of all times for there to not be a Pokémon Center around,” he growled.

Jody almost found herself asking, but decided to save it for later. It was obvious that these animals needed treatment immediately. Moving forward, she picked up the rabbit, careful to not jar its leg. It didn’t really seem to mind being picked up, its eyes still fixated on its friend.

“I guess that means we’re going after Sam and Dean.” When everyone turned to look at her, she continued. “They were going to find Clemont after Bonnie came back without him. They went up the trail in the direction they left in.” She didn’t want to believe that Clemont had been caught like the lady said earlier. She probably just said that to anger the Pokémon.

Ash nodded as he rose back to his feet, tucking Chespin’s head in the joint between his neck and shoulder. The Pokémon cuddled closer and Ash was careful to hold it close while he avoided its burnt back. Pikachu jumped up, purchasing on his opposite shoulder as he turned to Donna.

“Miss Donna, can you drive? If we find Clemont, he's the most likely to have medicine with him. He's a bit accident prone, so he always carries some with him.”

Donna was quick to nod and they all rushed back towards the house. They needed to catch up to Sam and Dean and then, hopefully Clemont will be close by if they hadn’t already found him.


To Be Continued...


 

Notes:

A/N: It took forever for me to get this chapter done. I can’t even really say that it was writer’s block, it was more like I couldn’t keep up the motivation. I had so many ideas for this AU when I first started this, but now, it seems to take on ideas of its own without my consent, sometimes.

I decided to finish the story before uploading the rest of the chapters, so I hope you guys won’t be too upset with the lack of uploads I've had for a while now. Thank you to those who were patient.

-Addict

Chapter 10: Chapter IX: The Boy, The Beast & The Villian

Notes:

Clemont and Serena have been found and finally reunite with their friends and allies. Clemont is scared that Castiel, Sam and Dean will be angry with him. Will the air finally be cleared or will it only get worse? And why is that large Pokémon staring at him like that?

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Clemont could only watch as the men from the woman’s house approached him and Serena. While they did seem to show some interest in Serena, they seemed to quickly dismiss her and focus their attention on him once more, much to his relief. The inventor didn’t want her to get in trouble too.

His relief was cut short as the older of the two brothers raised his voice.

“Do you have any idea how stupid of a stunt that was?! You don’t just run around in the woods when there are people trying to hunt you down!”

Clemont flinches, surprised both from his raised voice and his tone. It only registered a split second later just what the man had said and he could only wonder how he had found out about the scary women. However, much to his dismay, this is when Serena butts into there conversation, not able to just sit and watch this unfamiliar man yell at her friend.

“Hey, it was Clemont who was the one to figure out how to escape,” she shouted defensively. She ignored Clemont’s horrified glance and kept going. “Who even are you guys anyway, huh?!”

Dean pulled up short as he looked at the girl with a surprised look. While he was no stranger to people talking back to him, the only other young girl to ever talk to him like this was Claire. While he had gotten used to the spitfire teen, he found himself genuinely hoping this girl wasn’t like her. There were only so many lippy kids he could take.

While Dean was stunned into silence, Sam and Castiel also took a closer look at her. Serena seemed to finally realize that it probably not a good idea to yell at a grown man she didn’t even know and found herself tensing. She didn’t know how these men knew Clemont or if they were as bad as Team Flare or not.

“Hello, Serena,” a gravely voice intoned. 

Starting in surprise, the young coordinator locked eyes with the man in the long coat. He was scruffy looking and seemed like he had seen better days, but he was looking at her with…fondness?

“How do you know me,” she found herself asking. There was no way she knew this man, practically impossible. So how in the world did he know her name?

“I’ve seen you in Clemont’s memories. Along with another boy named Ash. The two of you are friends with Clemont, am I right?” His voice held no hint of malice or ill intent, sounding surprisingly soft for a voice as deep as it was.

Serena only seemed more confused and was beginning to feel just the tiniest bit overwhelmed. Clemont’s memory? How in Arceus’ name had he been able to look into Clemont’s memories? None of this made any sense and she could tell by the man’s sympathetic look that it showed on her face.

While everyone was paying attention to Serena, Clemont was trying not to have a nuclear meltdown in his mind. Was he in serious trouble? Did they find him just to take him back to that house and punish him? While he was sure he was probably overreacting, the past few days were seriously proving that anything could happen.

The child could feel himself starting to freak out, his panic rising to a whole new level at his errant thoughts, when he hears a sound very akin to a purr. His head snapped up just in time to see Castiel gracefully step aside, moving out of the way to reveal a large Pokémon with piercing yellow eyes that seemed to stare right through him. Instead of the fear he was expecting, the second his sky-blue eyes clashed with the Pokémon’s, a sense of relief and peace seemed to flow through him.

Before the young inventor could do anything, the Pokémon was right in front of him, not even an inch of space between them, as it crouched onto the ground and nuzzled its muzzle against his face. It purred loudly, going back and forth between just nuzzling and licking his face, almost knocking his glasses of his face.

Clemont felt himself go lightheaded as he was suddenly berated by more images and memories.

He couldn’t have even been ten yet as he cuddled with a Shinx on a couch, neither wanting to be far from the other after a long and exhausting day of work and play.

A Luxio that has lost all trust in him over a terrible misunderstanding that he valiantly tried to fight to when back and the relief he felt when it finally did.

That same Luxio evolving into a Luxray after he risked his life to save it as if trying to prove that it could protect him too.

The time they spent together after their journey was over, most days just sitting around the tower enjoying each other’s company as they got ready for the next challenger.

Clemont found himself coming to with tears already streaming down his face. He was sure Bonnie would probably call him a crybaby, but it suddenly felt like one of the major pieces of his memory had finally been returned, the biggest mystery from the time he woke up alone in the hospital finally solved.

Raising his arms that had previously been limp at his sides, he reached forward and pulled the Pokémon impossibly closer. He was sure he was calling its name, his voice hoarse as he let all of his feelings from the past few days overflow and wash over him.

He finally found his partner.

Serena, Sam, Dean and Cas just watched as Luxray and its beloved Trainer were finally reunited.


Ash was trying to keep his calm as he held the injured Chespin close to his chest. Pikachu was also in his arms, cuddling Chespin close as they both leaned against his chest, cuddled closely in the warmth of the vehicle. Every now and then, the poor Pokémon would let out a mild sound of pain, sometimes barely a whimper, only to fall silent when Pikachu nuzzled its face and a calmer look would come over its face. It frustrated Ash that all he could do to soothe its pain was to hold it and he cursed himself for not carrying medicine like Clemont always did.

Looking to distract himself, the Trainer found his gaze meeting the rearview mirror as he took in the sight from the backseat. The woman from earlier – Miss Jody – was sitting in the back seat as she ran her hand down Bunneby’s back. The ground type was sitting on her lap sideways its injured leg facing the front and looking all for the world as calm as it always was. Only the slight twitching of its leg seemed to give away its pain, but it seemed to ignore it as it kept switching between Bonnie and Chespin, ever the vigilant protector that it made itself out to be.

Ash couldn’t help but let a small grin come to his face at the sight. However, that grin was wiped right back off his face as he took in Bonnie’s face.

The young girl had her side pressed up against Miss Jody’s body, sitting so closely there was no way there was any space left between them. Her eyes were red and her cheeks smudged with dried tears as she sniffled quietly. Even if she had stopped crying a while ago, that didn’t change the fact that the poor girl was still a wreck, her brother still missing and now her partner was injured with now way for her to help. The soothing patterns that Miss Jody was rubbing into her arm seemed to do little to comfort her as she held Dedenne as gently as she could to her stomach.

Ash could see his similar frustration reflected in her face, his heart reaching out to her.

The thought of his other companion entering his mind, Ash found himself wondering where Serena had gone after that bright flash. The only thing he could hope was that she was with Clemont when they found them. 

A muffled noise from the backseat brought from his thoughts as he brought his gaze back to the back seat. Miss Jody had pulled Bonnie closer than before and was now running her fingers through the girl’s blonde hair. The girl looked like she was going to protest, but eventually caved and allowed the sheriff to do as she pleased.

The sight brought a smile, this time a little bigger, to his face.

It was at that moment that Miss Donna slammed on the jeep’s brakes, causing Ash to tense reflexively in his seat. In his arms, he heard Chespin give out a surprised and pained cry as he tightened his grip. Pikachu, thinking quickly, had grabbed its Trainer’s shirt in a tight grip as to keep itself from being flung through the windshield, even though Ash had also tightened his grip on it as well.

After a short, dumbfounded moment, Ash looked over at Miss Donna and found her looking out the windshield with a similar look of surprised alarm as her passenger. She was looking dead ahead as if no one else in the world existed besides what she was looking at.

Following her gaze, Ash felt like his face was going to split in two from the most wonderful sight he had ever seen in his life.


Castiel watched contently as Luxray was held close by its emotional Gym Leader. The angel couldn’t help but smile at the two before turning his attention to the other Trainer, Serena. Walking the short distance over to her, Castiel crouched beside her and felt a short amount of guilt mixed with amusement when she jumped and looked at him with a somewhat fearful. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable around him.

“Thank you,” he said, trying to mimic the tone he'd seen the brothers use when talking to witnesses. “I was worried about him after Bonnie came back alone, but I'm glad you two found each other again. The chances had certainly not been in your favor.”

Serena seemed surprised by his words, so Castiel reasoned, “Being tossed into a different world can be jarring and the chances of you all landing so close together is nothing short of a miracle. I'm glad Clemont was able to reunite with a friend and that you both were able to escape.”

As if she had somehow been able to sense his sincerity, the young coordinator gave him a warm smile. While it caught the angel off guard that she had warmed up to him so quickly, he found himself smiling back.

They are both surprised by the sound of Clemont shouting and turn to see that Luxray had somehow managed to knock the boy over and was currently licking face far more enthusiastically than before. Sam and Serena laugh while Dean hides his laughter by ducking his head and turning his face to the side as he gives out a short, abrupt snort. Castiel, not one for really laughing out loud, merely grinned at the sight.

Everything is brought to halt when the small valley seemed to suddenly find itself flooded with a bright light. The lights cut off, revealing a dark colored jeep on top of the steep slope. Castiel rose to his feet as Sam and Dean hands started moving towards their guns. The sound of an unfamiliar voice, a child, had them stopping in their track as a boy jumped out of the passenger’s side door as he ran towards them. Not caring about the slope, the boy seemed to make down easily and not slipping once. Even Dean could admit he was impressed.

Completely ignoring the brothers, the child ran straight past them, seemingly uncaring about the two of them and more focused on what was behind them. Sam and Dean turn to see he had run up to Clemont and Serena and currently had the girl pulled into a one-armed hug. It was also at that moment that they realize the Pokémon from before cradled in his arms along with another one they were unfamiliar with perched on his shoulder.

Before the two can say anything, they hear another voice calling out to them, this one they knew, calling to them from the jeep. Turning back towards the vehicle, they are greeted with the view of Donna getting out of the driver’s seat with Jody and Bonnie getting out of the back. The older women made their way down the slope with Jody helping Bonnie so that the little girl wouldn’t fall or trip, making sure to keep a firm hold on the hillbilly bunny the whole time.

The second Bonnie’s feet hit even ground, she was off like a shot, running up to her brother and friends with fresh tears running down her face. All the adults could bring themselves to do was watch as the children reunited. As expected, there were more than enough tears, cheers and hugs to go around. Unsurprisingly, it was the hug between Bonnie and Clemont that lasted the longest, the siblings elated at finding each other again so soon after he was taken.

It was at that moment that Chespin, who had been trying to reach Clemont this entire time was finally able to get his attention when Bonnie pulled away, calling out from Ash’s arms. When Clemont looked up to give it his attention, everyone noticed how the boy went pale.

Oh, my goodness! What happened?!

Even though the situation was a little serious, Dean almost snickered at Clemont’s tone and the way his voice pitched. The boy was obviously panicked, though, so the man pulled himself together. Instead, the man watched as the inventor took Chespin from Ash’s arms and cradled it gently to his chest as he frantically checked its burns. A quick glance over at Jody showed that Bunnelby wasn’t as hurt and everyone could practically feel the boy’s shoulders slump in relief.

Settling the grass type in his arms, Clemont made his way over to his bag and sat next to it, dutifully pulling out a med kit filled with healing items. The world natives watched in curiosity and anticipation as they observed the child take one of the bottles out of his kit.

“What is that,” Dean found himself asking.

“Oh, this? It’s a Burn Heal. You use it when your Pokémon get burned in battle,” the inventor explained.

With a soothing pat on the head, Clemont sprayed the burn heal onto Chespin’s back, causing the Pokémon to let out a pained whimper. Whispering reassurances into its ear, the boy finished the treatment and pulled out some bandages and wrapped the Pokémon’s torso. After he was done, he sat Chespin on his knee as he took in the Pokémon’s relaxing face.

“Feeling better,” he asked gently.

Chespin let out a loud cheerful sound, causing everyone to let out an almost sigh of relief. Those items sure awfully convenient.

It was then that it was Bunnelby’s turn to receive its treatment as well. However, when Chespin refused to leave Clemont’s lap, he was forced to give the Pokémon its medicine while Jody held it in her arms. Unlike Chespin, Bunnelby took its treatment with barely a wince and let out a happy noise one its leg had been neatly wrapped.

Movement on his side caused him to turn and see Bonnie, the little girl holding up her injured partner. The poor girl looked like she was going to cry again despite her earlier happiness. A quick look over revealed a small bump on its head, but no other injuries. Giving her a reassuring smile, the blond dug through his bag again, this time pulling out an Oran Berry and dangling it over the rodent’s nose. Bonnie gave a slight squeak when Dedenne’s nose twitched and its eye cracked open.

Nearly everyone could see how she just deflated when the Pokémon finally awakened and nibbled on the berry. Giving out a happy noise, it began to eat with more gusto, the berry was gone in two seconds flat. Dean found himself connecting with the creature on a spiritual level at that point and found himself smirking, his brother beside him also cracking a grin. Bonnie just cheered happily as she pulled Dedenne back and snuggled it to her face, laughing in delight that her partner was okay.


Now that all the Pokémon had been healed, Dean shared a look with Castiel. They still needed to find out why Clemont ran away and how they escaped. Castiel walked up to the boy again as he knelt next to him.

“Clemont,” he asked. The boy jumped but turned to face the angel, his smile disappearing. Castiel felt a pang in his heart at the sight, but concern drove him to keep talking. “Why did you run off in the first place? It isn't safe to run off like you did.”

This time, the boy’s face was taken over by an ashamed mien, his eyes downcast and his cheeks warmed pink in the cool evening air. “it’s just – I – just that -,” the boy stuttered incoherently. Seeing his friend looking on the verge of hyperventilating, Ash came over and rested a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder. With a grateful smile, Clemont took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the natives.

“I-I just felt guilty about making you pass out,” he started nervously, looking up into the angel’s surprised face. “When you dropped like that, I just…panicked, I guess. I thought you guys would be mad at me. That you would…take Bonnie away…or something.” His voice died down towards the end, his nerves killing his earlier courage and reducing him to whispers as his eyes seemed to gravitate towards the ground.

It’s a hand to his head that has him looking back up sharply. The younger, but taller brother had rested his large hand in his blond hair, ruffling it softly. He had a smile on his face that just seemed to ooze understanding.

“It’s okay, kid. We get it, seriously,” he said in that voice that just screamed ‘you can trust me.’ Clemont found himself listening to that voice as he relaxed under the gentle gesture.

“You probably shouldn’t have run off on your own, though,” Dean spoke up gruffly, though not harshly. “It’s not safe to be out at night, especially with your little entourage following you around.”

The young boy gave a start as he looked at men in front of him, wondering just how in the world about how they knew about that. Dean smirked before he made a vague notion towards Castiel and Bonnie who were standing next to each other, answering his unspoken question. The angel himself looked a little abashed and maybe a little guilty himself for being the reason the child ran.

“You really had us worried when you ran off. We thought something would have happened to you before we found you,” the angel darkened slightly, “though, I suppose that it actually did.”

Clemont felt himself practically deflate with relief, somehow able to tell that the non-human’s anger wasn’t towards him.

They had actually been worried about him. He felt his face color for a different reason. Feeling a nudge on his shoulder, he turned to look at Ash, the boy smiling brightly as if to tell him that he was a dork for overthinking like he had. That same smile that told him that there was nothing to worry about and that everything would be okay.

The inventor found himself grinning widely back.

“Not that this isn't a very touching reunion and everything,” Jody butted in with her no-nonsense mom voice, “but we should really be finishing this conversation back at the house. Ya’ know, where it’s safe.” She gave the brothers a pointed look at this causing them to chuckle as they started to follow her back to the car.

Castiel rose from his couched position as he dusted himself off. Extending his arm, the angel offered it to Clemont. The preteen just stared at his hand for barely a second before he smiled again, taking it in a firm grip as he was assisted from his seated position on the ground. He made sure not to jostle Chespin as he stood. Looking over his shoulder, he saw his friends weren’t far behind, having grabbed their bags and looking ready to find a bed to sleep on for the next several days.

The group didn’t get very far, however, before the valley was once again flooded with light.

It was safe to say that Clemont was officially annoyed with being blinded by bright lights. However, the annoyance was quickly followed by dread. Sam and Dean hadn’t said anything about being followed or any backup coming to help. So, who could possibly be here now?

When the lights dimmed, he heard a voice he had forgotten, but had never wanted to hear again.

A voice that reminded him of a nearly destroyed Lumiose City.

Of a giant Pokémon and his tower being used for the opposite of what they were built for.

A friend’s sacrifice to fix everything.

“So, this is where you ran off to, boy.”

Xerosic.

 


 To Be Continued...


 

 

 

 

Notes:

It took me far too long to make this chapter. I didn’t even spend all this time working on multiple chapters or even over new ideas. All this time for one chapter? I'm a terrible author, but I also feel like a can’t just give up this story without a satisfying ending. From now on, I'm never going to upload another story unless it’s finished. I'm sorry to everyone who’s expecting a multitude of chapters because of my note in the last chapter. Please just be patient with me, I beg of you.

- Addict

Chapter 11: Chapter X: The Inventor vs. The Mad Scientist

Summary:

Xerosic has shown up to reclaim what he believes to be his, but he's in for more than he than he thinks when he's met with an obstacle he wasn’t expecting: the Winchester Clan. And no one is backing down without a fight.

Is Clemont ready to do what he needs to get him and his friends back home? Can he step up to the plate and retake his place that he doesn’t remember even really having.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The Winchesters could only look on in bafflement as they watched their new party additions, not understanding how they could have missed the sound of three vans pulling up. The pasty man with the red tuft for hair smirked down at them in a way that seriously rivaled Crowley’s leering grin. The dude was so pale that his skin was practically a greyish hue that made him look sick.

It was quite the disturbing sight.

Clemont felt his heart jump with fear, even as Castiel moved between the two, obstructing the man’s view as well as gaining his attention. The angel looked the man dead in the eyes, seeing straight through his goggles and into the horrid soul he found there. There was no way he was going to let this man near these children if he could help it.

“If you even so much as touch these children,” the angel said, his voice lined with a glacial undertone, “I will personally make sure you will regret ever coming to our world.” And that was just the kid friendly version he could say in front of the children.

The sneer never left the man’s face as he stared down the angel as if he had already won some kind of battle. It irritated Castiel beyond words with how similar the man was to Crowley. Both the demon and the human’s disgustingly pompous attitudes pressed every wrong button the angel had and, unsurprisingly, it shows quite clearly on his face.

The man’s smirk never left his face as he addressed the angel in the most condescending voice the Winchesters had ever heard (and that was saying something considering all the enemies they fought in the past that had thought themselves unbeatable).

“And just who do you think you are to stand in our way, vermin? Our drive is to create a better world by wiping it clean and starting all over again. We won’t let a couple of miscreants off the street to get in our way.”

‘God,’ Dean though irritably, ‘not only did this guy love to hear himself talk, but the dude’s voice was just so grating.’ The older Winchester hadn’t felt like wanting to pummel someone into a pulp this bad since the whole ordeal with the angels nearly a decade ago. He just hoped Cas let him shoot him.

Castiel was quiet, unsurprisingly. The angel had never been one for monologuing or humoring his enemies, even if was just with a response. Instead, the angel kept eye contact as he glared balefully at the scientist, making sure to get the message across that he did not like the man’s tone or his stupid rant. In place of his response, the angel responded in kind by flaring his grace, causing his eyes to give off and eerie glow.

There was no mistaking the threat held in his gaze.

The Winchesters, having noticed their friend’s irritation, smirked to one another. If the angel was really serious, they both knew that the man would be dead before his body had a chance to hit the dirt. Cas was terrifying when he wanted to be and they took a form of sick satisfaction as they watched the man’s smile wavered and they could just picture it as his eyes widened behind his hideous goggles.

How the dude even saw through them was anyone’s guess.

Their joy, however, was cut short when the smile returned. Sharper and far more malicious than before. Xerosic was looking at Castiel like he had just won the lottery. When the dwarf spoke again, he voice seemed to have a sick sort of glee in it, like the man just couldn’t believe his luck.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here? I would very much like to study you.”

Dean couldn’t help but believe that this guy must have a death wish.


While everyone was focused on Xerosic, Clemont felt like he was about to have a freaking panic attack. The boy had remained silent as he tried to think of a way that he could possibly get them out of this situation. This entire thing was probably his fault since the man had obviously been looking for him for one reason or another. He should have known that his escape was too easy and that it was too much for Team Flare to forget about him and Serena after they left. They wouldn’t let the children they were searching for get away so easily.

But with his memories still scattered, he couldn’t remember why all of this was even really happening.

And now the people who had helped him and his friends were also in danger.

Wracking his brain, the preteen tried to figure out just what could have possibly happened to put him in a situation. What was it about him that made him a target? What made him so special to make him the target of such a dangerous group of villains?

He tried to find some piece of his memory that could somehow tell him more about his life before all of this craziness happiness and everything seemed to just go down the drain.

The boy found his vision suddenly swam as visions filled his mind.

A large tower in the center of Lumiose City and the Pokémon he left behind during the explosion.

His laboratory filled with his inventions that he worked on almost constantly.

The many generators he designed being put to use to help Electric Type Pokémon that lived in the city.

The day he met Ash as he saved his falling Pikachu and how Serena joined their little group after Ash won the Bug Gym’s badge.

The experiences they all had together and the things he learned during their journey.

Even with the fear pumping through his veins, Clemont felt like a piece had just snapped into place. He knew he had to do something to protect his friends, both old and new. Everyone was so busy glaring at Team Flare that seemingly none of them noticed the young genius’ shift in mood.

Taking a deep breath, an insane plan in mind, the boy shouted at the scientist.

“I challenge you to a battle!”

Whirling around, Dean gave him an incredulous look like he had just lost his marbles. Maybe that was true, but if this plan worked, then he would gladly accept his newfound insanity.

Dean opened his mouth to object only to have Castiel hold up a hand to silence him. Ignoring the hunter’s betrayed look, Sam’s not too different (had their friend lost his mind?), the angel addressed the child beside him.

“Clemont,” he asked softly, “are you sure you can do this? You might not get a second chance.”

Mustering up a determined mien, Clemont could only hope that his face held more confidence than he felt. The angel seemed to give him a look, as if he could read his thoughts, before finally giving a nod and moving out of the way. Even thought they looked reluctant, the brothers followed their friend’s lead and moved away.

With a feigned look of courage, Clemont once again turned to the goggled man once again. The scientist grinned in a way that seemed to be calling his bluff, but Clemont refused to cave just yet. There was too much riding on how this all ended.

“I challenge you to a battle, Xerosic! One on one!”

The grin turned into an outright sneer, the man’s cockiness practically exuding from him like a toxic cloud that almost stifled what little defiance Clemont had.

“That’s just fine with me,” the man simpered. “You’ll lose anyway in the long run, kid.”

Clemont could practically feel Ash bristle behind him along with the brothers. Serena and Castiel remained quiet, while Castiel watched the pudgy man with hard calculating eyes that seemed to be foretelling something ominous if the angel got his hands on the man after the battle. Jody and Donna stood further away, closer to the incline they came from while the two of them held a nervous and scared Bonnie back, not wanting her to be standing to close when the fighting started.

Not knowing what possessed him, the boy found himself snapping back vehemently.

“That’s not what I remember happening the last time we battled.” 

The sneer was immediately replaced with a scowl, all the overconfidence the man had suddenly being taken over by irritation and anger. For some reason, though, Clemont found himself eerily calm, as though most of his fear had evaporated. While it still wasn’t gone, he felt proud of himself for having wiped that smile off the man’s face. And with his friends by his side standing around him in solidarity, he felt like he might be able to pull this plan off.

Whatever sense of confidence he had seemed to swell as the enormity of what he was doing hit him. All of their lives were on the line and it all depended on this one battle.

Now wasn’t the time to be hesitant.

Turning to the side, he was met with the sight of Luxray standing right next to him. The Pokémon was giving him a look that was hard to define, but Clemont felt he had a good idea.

“Will you fight by my side, Luxray?” 

With a cry, the lynx ran forward and placed itself between the man and its partner. Its eyes glimmered with poorly contained animosity for the man before it, the man that had caused its boy so much pain and confusion the past few days.

They were going to win this battle.

Together.

 


To Be Continued...


 

 

Notes:

I usually update on Saturdays, but since today is my birthday, I decided 'what the hell' and went ahead and updated this instead. It's been far too long anyway.

Chapter 12: Chapter XI: The Battle & The Sacrifice

Summary:

Clemont finally has his final battle against Xerosic while the Winchesters are forced to watch. Can they all get out of this in one piece? Or will everything end with them all being taken by Team Flare?

Notes:

Because of my lack of inspiration for this story, I plan to end this story within the next few chapters. With only three chapters left, these last few chapters will be longer in order to wrap this story up in a satisfying way.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Dean could feel himself scowl as he watched Clemont stare down this weirdo wannabe mad scientist. While he wanted to do something, it felt like this was just way out of his field and far past his understanding. He didn’t feel like he could actually do anything to really help the kid. It wasn’t like he could shoot the guy in front of all these kids, they were already traumatized enough from the past few days.

All he could do was grit his teeth and watch while he wondered just what was going through Cas’ mind to just let the two fight.

Then the fight began.

“Luxray, use Electric Terrain,” Clemont called out.

With a mighty roar, Luxray followed his Trainer’s command. Electric seemed to build around its body before it surged outwards, covering the field with the bright glow of electricity.

At first, the Winchesters were startled - silently panicking before they realized that the electricity didn’t actually hurt. They could feel a light tingle, maybe a bit of numbness that quickly went away, but no actual pain.

Xerosic didn’t seem to be very intimidated, merely flashing a crooked grin and reaching down to his waist for a Poké Ball from his belt. With a half-hearted toss, the scientist summoned his own partner, Malamar. The Pokémon didn’t seem to bothered, itself, just staring straight at Clemont and – at least for a moment – completely ignoring Luxray before turning its gaze towards its opponent.

Clemont had to fight down a shudder from the look. Every time he had a run in with a Malamar, it was like it looked into his soul. But, with a rough shake of his head, he shoved the feeling to the back of his head. Now wasn’t the time to let nerves get the best of him. Everything was riding on the outcome of this battle and he couldn’t afford to be intimidated or back down.

“Luxray, use Thunder Fang!”

With a mighty roar, the Pokémon obeyed and rushed forwards.


To say that Dean was upset would be an understatement. He couldn’t help but feel frustrated about this entire situation and helpless that he couldn’t help the boy in anyway. He knew that he knew nothing about Pokémon Battles and absolutely had no idea how to fight against the creatures. However, Dean had never wanted to deck someone in the face as much as he wanted to do to the freak than he had in that moment.

Shifting his gaze towards Cas, the older Winchester couldn’t help but wonder what could have been going through his friend’s head for him to think that this was ever an okay idea. The angel looked as stoic as he usually did when he was serious about something. If Dean didn’t know any better, he would say that Cas had gone back to being an uncaring soldier. The one tell that Cas was more affected by the situation than he was letting on was the tightness of his clenched fists. The angel’s knuckles were practically turning white.

The angel was seriously trying hard not to just smite the pompous butt-face where he stood.

Dean could admit that he shared the sentiment.

His attention was called back to the current situation when he heard like the kid shouting out a command. Returning to the battle, Dean almost flinched if he hadn’t frozen at the sight he was met with. Electricity seemed to have built up in Luxray’s mouth, making its fangs appear even larger than they already were as they sparked.

As it charged the weird tentacle creature – that looked like something almost straight out of a porno in Dean’s humble opinion – it was able to bite down right on one of the larger tentacles that the creature used for arms. The second it bit down, the electricity seemed to course through its body. While it did make the larger Pokémon to flinch, it didn’t stop it from lifting its bitten arm back up and flinging Luxray back towards its Trainer.

Sam and Dean shared a nervous look.

It looked like this might be more complicated than the Winchesters thought it would be.


Ash and Serena watched from the sidelines as the battle began to get underway.

While the attack seemed to do some damage, they both knew this battle wasn’t going to be easy. Serena moved to grip Ash’s hand, the unease that she felt clearly displayed on her face. Sensing her unrest, the young Trainer gripped her hand back tightly, obviously trying to reassure and comfort her.

While they both knew that Clemont was quite the strong Trainer (having given even Ash some trouble during his Gym Battle), it didn’t quite stop the feeling of unease that they both seemed to be feeling.

Xerosic was planning something.

Why else would he agree to a battle he had already lost before?


Clemont watch Malamar closely as it leered down at Luxray. While it was true that neither Pokémon actually knew a super effective move against the other. While Electric Terrain did indeed give Luxray a boost to its electric-type moves, neither Malamar or Luxray knew any super effective moves against one another. Luxray didn’t know any Bug or Fairy moves and Malamar didn’t know any Ground moves. At this point, it would mostly be strength and stamina, who would outlast the other that would determine who would win.

Determined not to lose his nerve, the Gym Leader decided to go on the offensive.

“Luxray, use Wild Charge!”

Cloaking its body once more in violently sparking light as it lunged once more at Malamar once more. The attacked landed once again as Luxray forcefully headbutted Malamar. This time, the attack sent the Pokémon back a few feet. The sneer that Xerosic had on his face was quickly wiped from his face at the display, anger quickly replacing it. if Clemont could see his eyes, he was certain the man’s eyes would be ablaze.

“Malamar, use Psychic,” the man called, outraged.

The Dark/Psychic Type’s sneer seemed to widen as it poured forth its power, its psychic abilities causing its eyes to shine brightly with it. Using that power, the opposing Pokémon surrounded Luxray with a strange glowing blue energy as it made it levitate up into the air.

Clemont felt his throat constrict as he watched his partner struggle.

“Now slam it into the ground,” Xerosic ordered. Gleefully, Malamar did just that, bringing Luxray back towards the ground with enough speed and force that it nearly gave everyone watching whiplash. The resounding thud that echoed throughout the clearing made Clemont wince. He had to bit his lip to keep himself from crying out. If he showed how worried he was – if he caved into the pressure – he knew that the evil scientist would use that against him.

He refused to buckle now and he certainly wouldn’t give the man the satisfaction of seeing him distressed in any way. Even as he felt blood begin to flood into his mouth, he paid the injury no mind as he focused on Luxray. While slightly slower than usual, the Pokémon was able climb back up onto all four paws – injured, but most certainly not out. Clemont could see the bruise forming on the back of its leg and knew that the longer this battle went on, the more it was going to hurt.

He needed to find a way to speed this up.


Jody felt the pressure around her hand increase and looked down at the little girl she had taken in. Bonnie was standing directly in front of her watching the battle with a keen gaze. At some point, the girl’s hand had moved to squeeze the one that Jody had rested on her shoulder. It was obvious that the child was trying to stop herself from running to her brother’s side.

The sheriff felt her heart go out to the young girl as she turned back to the battle herself. She hoped the kid would come out of this okay, if only for his sister’s sake.


“Luxray, use Swift,” Clemont called. With a brief glance towards its Trainer, Luxray seemed to catch on to what Clemont was planning and gave him a subtle nod. Jumping up into the air and twisting its body into a flip forward into a roll, the Pokémon used the momentum to send a barrage of bright stars from its tail. The stars hit their target dead on – slamming into Malamar with force – while some landed on the ground in the surrounding area, the impact kicking up dust. The dust hid both Malamar and Luxray from view and Clemont almost grinned when he heard Xerosic make a sound of frustration.

Luxray now had one major advantage that Malamar didn’t.

“Use Wild Charge again!”

With its all-seeing eyes locked onto Malamar – the dust doing nothing to obscure its vision – Luxray charged its body with electricity once more and charged itself forward. It slammed into Malamar and the blinded Pokémon made a sound of surprised pain. Clemont finally let himself grin as he heard a surprised shout also come from his opponent.

“Funny isn't it,” the teen teased. “Luxray are well known for having such good eyesight that they can see through solid walls. For a Pokémon like that, seeing through this dust is nothing.”

And with Malamar unable to see their attacks, it wouldn’t be able to brace itself to lessen the damage it would take. Surprise attacks always hurt more than an attack one could see coming.

“Use Wild Charge!”

Clemont could barely make out the faint glow of electricity before Luxray charged again. Malamar gave another wounded cry as the attack hit head-on that was immediately followed by the faint noise of Xerosic’s frustrated growl. The man was getting angrier as the battle went on, frustrated that he wasn’t winning as easily as he thought he would.

“Malamar, use Dark Pulse!”

The man’s enraged shout was followed by a dark energy launching itself through the dust cloud – having missed Luxray because of its newfound blindness – and striking a nearby tree, knocking it over. Clemont could almost feel the orange-clad scientist grinding his teeth in his anger.

“Use Wild Charge again, Luxray! Keep it up!”

Quickly following its Trainer’s orders, Luxray charged forward once again, quickly followed by another pained shout from Malamar – louder than before. Clearly, it was a critical hit.

Finally seeming to get annoyed at Clemont’s advantage with the dust cloud, Xerosic seemed to decide that he was done playing fair. Turning to Celosia, the purple-haired woman gave a wicked grin as she nodded back. Pulling her Poké Ball and called out her Drapion gaining everyone’s attention, including the young Gym Leader. Ignoring Clemont’s startled reaction, both her and Drapion turned their gaze towards the crowd watching before their eyes locked onto a certain blonde-haired little girl.

A look of realization came over Clemont’s face as the horror of what was going to happen seemed to set in.

Before he could turn around and scream to run, Celosia gave the order.

“Drapion, use Pin Missile on the girl!”

Pinchers glowing brightly as the Pokémon obeyed, launching multiple glowing missiles towards the shocked girls. Jody and Donna didn’t have enough time to do anything other than the former pulling Bonnie closer to her as the two of them squeezed their eyes shut, waiting for the impact.

The moment seemed to slow in Clemont’s mind as he heard a shout from what sounded like Dean before his gaze was obstructed by a wall of tan. The boy stared as the missiles struck Castiel directly in the back. The attack launched his body forward into Jody and Bonnie, causing the little girl to let out a surprised scream. Jody frantically maneuvered the angel off of them as she tried to gently lower him onto the ground as Sam and Dean rushed to their fallen friend’s side.

For a moment, all Clemont could do was stare. His mind just seemed to be having trouble registering what exactly was happening at that moment. One of his new friends was now on the ground, taken down by an attack that had been aimed at his own little sister. Everything seemed to go fuzzy, the Winchesters’ frantic voices becoming muffled, no longer really hearing them as images flashed through his mind again.

Bonnie crying hysterically as Squishy, now an ominous red instead of its usually calm deep green, destroyed their city.

Serena trying to hold off two Team Flare scientist by herself – and actually holding them off pretty well until Malvo showed up to back her up.

Ash disappearing after being taken by Team Flare and returning later with an explanation he would only give them in the privacy of the Tower after the attack.

Alain trying to save a Chespin that wasn’t his from a giant stone Zygarde so that Marin would stop crying.

Lysandre being taken away in a cop car as the city makes an effort to rebuild itself.

Xerosic trying already to kidnap him once before Ash made the decision to leave for Alola.

With his head feeling like it was crawling through molasses, he turned to look at the man who caused all of this. In his distraction, he hadn’t noticed that the dust cloud had since cleared. All he saw was the man’s sneer and the Malamar already having a Shadow Ball charged. Before his sluggish brain could catch up or react, he was hit head-on, the attack violently forcing him backwards. The boy could barely hear his friends call before he fell roughly to the ground, his head cracking against the unforgiving earth. 

Clemont, Bonnie, Serena and Ash deciding to travel together after Ash won the Bug Gym Badge.

The four of them camping together and laughing around the fire as they told stories.

Clemont and Ash’s intense battle that they had both trained hard for that Ash inevitably won.

Their final goodbye at the airport and he and Bonnie watched his plane flew away.

Their reunion at Prism Tower before Team Flare stormed and attacked.

Clemont squinted his eyes, refusing to close his eyes as his brain continued to pound against his skull. He could hear what sounded like Ash, Serena and Bonnie calling to him as he tried not to stay awake. Pushing himself up onto his elbows, he painfully propped himself up to see the scientist smirked victoriously at him.

Before the man could move a step towards the downed Gym Leader, Luxray stepped solidly between them as it growled viciously, its hackles raised and teeth showing in a clear threat to not come any closer.

With a smirk, Xerosic made a gesture towards Malamar. Sneering sinisterly and gleefully, the Pokémon began to glow once more, causing Luxray to give a sound of distress as it was – once more – lifted into the air by the psychic type. Instead of stopping at just a few feet like last time, the Pokémon lifted Luxray up higher – about ten feet – before slamming it back down with much more force than last time.

This time, Luxray didn’t rise back up.

The Pokémon lay on the ground as it quaked in pain – its muscles spasming sporadically – occasionally letting out a weak pained sound. The Pokémon seemed like it wanted to get up and continue battling, but the pain was too much and made it impossible for it to handle while standing at the same time. It was clear that the older man had landed a critical hit.

Clemont felt sick by how pleased with himself Xerosic seemed to be. The man crowed, loud enough to echo throughout the clearing as Clemont clenched his teeth. He knew that he shouldn’t have expected the mad man to play fair in a battle with so much on the line. Team Flare was too twisted for that.

The man began to walk towards him with the swagger of a man who knew he had won. Clemont could only bring himself to glare defiantly, refusing to let the fear that was racing through his veins show on his face. He didn’t want to give this monster that satisfaction of seeing him give in. He may be scared out of his mind, but he refused to let this psycho know.

Just as the man was about five feet from him, a plume of flames came rushing his way, causing the man to jump backwards with a shout of alarm.

“Well, well, well. What are you doing out of your cell, Xerosic?”

The voice came from right behind came from jus behind the Gym Leader, a mischievous tone to it as it taunted the scientist before him. With pain limiting his movements, the boy tried to look behind him to find the source of the voice.

And came face to face with a Houndoom.

With a startled yelp, the boy collapsed to the floor when he tried to move away. His body couldn’t currently hold his weight and his head was still killing him. He could hear the sound of someone settling down next to him and turned to the newcomer. He couldn’t help but gawk when he saw who was crouching next to him.

“Malvo!”

The ex-Team Flare member spared him a quick reassuring grin before it turned mocking as she turned back to the older scientist.

“What are you doing here, traitor?!”

The man was livid, almost vibrating like an angry hive of Beedrill and his face as red as a Darmanitan. Clemont was almost impressed if he wasn’t so confused himself.

“Are you not happy to see me,” the woman teased. She knew that every extra sentence out of her mouth – every sarcastic jibe – was just fuel added to the fire. If she kept this up, Clemont was almost certain that the man’s head was going to explode.

Xerosic looks beyond furious and opens his mouth again – presumably to yell insults at her – when a loud roar cuts him off. When everyone turns to look at the interruption, they see something that throws everyone but a certain trainer for a loop.

Standing just ahead of the trees of the clearing was a giant white lion that looked like something straight out a sci-fi movie with a dragon that looked like it wanted to rip Xerosic apart. Standing next to them were a couple of people that didn’t look much happier with the man. The older person was a man with dark hair and an outfit that looked like something straight out of an anime that Dean had seen once (once, okay). The younger was a girl with long blonde hair decked out in skating gear who looked about Clemont’s age, maybe a year or two older even.

“Alain! Korrina! Solgaleo!”

It was Ash who broke the tense atmosphere as he called out to them. At the sound of the Trainer’s voice, the two turned in the group’s direction, all the previous animosity leaving their face and being replaces with smiles. They looked more than happy to see the boy.

“Can someone explain what’s going on?!”

The two gave the older Winchester a startled look before they seemed to look almost embarrassed.

“Oh. Sorry, um…my name is Alain and this is my partner, Charizard,” the young man said. The orange dragon next to him gave a soft rumble in agreement, snorting out a small puff of flame from its nose.

“And I'm Korrina, the Shalour City Gym Leader,” the bubbly girl said.

Dean wondered how she could move around in skates on all the dirt, grass and rocks, but both he and Sam took a particular interest the way she said it. Hadn’t Clemont mention something about a leader of a gym in his own city?

While she found the whole interaction amusing, Malvo knew what they were here for. Turning back to the man who was glaring at them all she addressed him again.

“Did you really think you would get away with kidnapping a Gym Leader? Especially from Lumiose City?”

While her tone was calm, there was an underlining layer of ice that betrayed her fire type specialty. Her face had gone carefully blank and – for a brief, scary moment – Xerosic remembered why she had been such a respected member of Team Flare before her defection. He begins to pale as it finally dawns on him that he and his colleagues are truly cornered.

Without another word, both Malvo and Alain reach for their Mega Stones as they call to their respective partners.

“Houndoom!”

“Charizard!”

The two Pokémon both gave calls of affirmation before they were enveloped in a bright light that covered them. When the light dispersed, the Winchester Clan could feel the wave of power they let out. A tingle seemed to run up their spine at the pure energy that sizzled through the air, giving a sense of heaviness to the atmosphere.

In the place of what had already been dangerous looking Pokémon were creatures that oozed power and heat.

The once devil-looking dog now seemed to embrace the true meaning of the title of hellhound, its horns growing in size – curving and shooting straight up – and bone had grown over its torso to look more like armor. The pointer on the end of its tail had gotten larger and now had a split down the middle and bony guards on its legs had also split down on the front.

The dragon looked just as intimidating. What was once orange scaly skin was now dyed a deep black as its tan stomach turned blue. The horns on its head had also grown longer while the flame on its tail turned blue along with the fire that was now constantly spewing from its mouth. Its wings had slightly changed shape, looking a bit more curvy than sharp.

They looked more than a little intimidating.

“Houndoom -,”

“Charizard -,”

Flamethrower!

The two Pokémon gave equal calls of approval before they both opened their jaws wide. The brothers and Sherriffs watched in amazement as fire began to pool and take form in both of their mouths, one molten orange and the other a mesmerizing blue. For a moment, everyone seemed to hold their breath before the two launched two powerful streams of fire loose, aiming directly at Team Flare.

The man didn’t have time to call for his team to retreat before they were engulfed in fire, the impact strong enough to cause an explosion. The sheer power almost knocked Donna and Bonnie to the ground, kicking up enough force and wind to rustle the trees all around them.

Yeah – Dean was glad he didn’t live in the Pokémon world and he was certain that his family agreed.

When the fire subsided and the dust from the explosion cleared, Team Flare was shown to be unconscious on the ground – their clothing a little charred and maybe some singed hair, but alive. Sam and Dean were more than shocked that they weren’t charcoaled husks, but decided that it was probably better not to ask. At least it meant that the children weren’t going to be any more traumatized by this experience.

But it did make them wonder what the people of their world were made of if they weren’t killed by the force of the flames.

While Alain and Malvo began to walk forward and put handcuffs on the crooks, Korrina ran over to Clemont and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

“Oh, Clemont! I was so worried when I heard that you had been kidnapped! I'm so happy you're okay!”

The girl continued to cheer loudly, her enthusiasm completely blinding her to Clemont desperately trying to escape and breathe as the girl crushed his wind pipe. If the scientist didn’t know any better, he would think that he could hear Sam and Dean chuckling at him.

However, he's distracted from Korrina when he feels a weight collide heavily with his stomach. Looking down, he was met with the sight of Bonnie sobbing into his chest. Feeling his both heart warm and constrict at the sight, Clemont stopped flailing his arms and pulled his sister closer to him, trying his best to comfort her. The young girl just burrowed further into his warmth in response.

While the siblings were busy hugging each other, there was a groan from Luxray as it finally regained consciousness. It valiantly tried to rise from its fallen position, but it didn’t get far before it fell back to the ground.

The three children jumped up from the ground as they ran over to the injured Pokémon. Settling on his knees next to his fallen partner, Clemont gently began to thread his fingers through its thick mane of fur.

“You were amazing, Luxray,” he murmured. “I could never ask for a better partner. I'm so proud of you.” The boy could hear his voice crack as he fought back more tears. The gravity of what could have happened finally hitting him – what could have been if Malvo and Alain hadn’t shown up. The sheer amount of relief he felt in that moment seemed to rush over him like an explosion from one of his failed experiments. He could feel the tears pouring down his face, his and Bonnie’s sobs mixing together as he rested his upper body against Luxray’s head.

Luxray merely purred in response, content now that its Trainer was safe.

Korrina, Malvo and Alain just smiled at the sight as they the three interact.

Cas! C’mon, man!”

The moment was broken at the sound of Dean’s frantic shout. Clemont’s head shot up as he looked over to see the Winchesters and their friends surrounding the fallen angel. With a quick murmur, he recalled Luxray into its Poké Ball before rushing over as well with Bonnie right on his heels.

Kneeling down next to the man, Clemont felt himself suck in a sharp breath. He was still unconscious and his breathing – while not labored – was uneven. But, what had Clemont nearly breathless in horror was that the man was roughed up badly, several tears in his overcoat that was now soiled in blood.

For a moment, Clemont panicked. There weren’t any Pokémon Centers in this world and items had never been meant for humans, so he didn’t even know if they would have helped if he had any more in his bag.

If Castiel was even human.

Just as he had that thought, a kind of light drew his attention to the man’s injuries.

A light blue glow permeated from his wounds, pulling a surprised gasp from him. He had certainly never seen a human do that. turning to look at Ash and Serena, he was met with equal looks of shock. Turning back to Sam and Dean, the older had moved Cas’ head onto his lap and was leaning over him. He was holding onto his prone friend’s hand firmly and seemed to be whispering encouragements frantically under his breath.

Sam had also taken the man’s other hand into his own large ones, a look similar to Dean’s on his face.

After a moment the light died down and disappeared and the angel gave out a low groan. The sound was received with the Winchesters as well as Clemont and his friends all slouched in relief. With some gentle coaxing from Dean, Castiel finally opened his eyes.

The peaceful moment didn’t last for long however.

“You stupid son of a-!”

Startled, Clemont watched – stunned into silence – as Dean proceeded to lay into his friend. His shouting echoed through the clearing, disturbing the silence of the night. He went into a tirade about ‘stupid stunts’ and ‘idiot angels,’ leaving their guests baffled while Jody gave an exasperated sigh and Donna gave a strained chuckle. Sam just looked equally amused and done with Dean’s reaction.

Shaking off his surprise, Clemont shuffled forward, gaining the angel’s attention and causing to Dean to stop and color slightly, most likely remembering that they were still in the presence of four children.

“I'm so sorry, Castiel,” he nearly stuttered. While everything had turned out all right, Cas had still gotten hurt protecting his sister. His concerns, however, were brushed away when Castiel merely gave him a warm smile.

“Believe me when I say that I have had far worse injuries than this.”

Clement could practically feel Ash perk up behind him, but the Trainer wisely remained silent. Alain himself also stepped forward from behind the kids, looking a little contrite as well.

“I would also like to apologize. We couldn’t get here fast enough before anyone got hurt.”

“Hey, man,” Sam cut in gently, “we’re just glad you got here before the worst could happen.”

“Maybe,” Jody raised her voice, “this would be better discussed somewhere not out in the open? Let’s head back to my place. The kids need some rest.”

As if response, both Ash and Pikachu gave out really loud yawns, causing the Trainer to blush when Serena and Bonnie tried to hold back a giggle.

Everyone agreed and slowly made the trek back to vehicles so they could make their way to Jody’s house.


To Be Continued...


 

Notes:

This chapter should not have taken several months to outlay. During the end, I suddenly got several ideas for how the story could end and wound up becoming indecisive over how I wanted everything to finally just be done. The ending might seem anticlimactic and you have my serious apologies for that. I had originally planned on letting Clemont getting hit again and gaining his memory back that way, but I couldn’t bring myself to let go of a chance at some Castiel Whump.

My apologies again and I will sincerely try to never do this again. From now on, I'm keeping my promise of finishing stories before uploading them.

- Addict

Chapter 13: Chapter XII: Goodbyes & Returning Home

Summary:

A night of respite before the return to their world, Clemont and his friends enjoy a traditional Winchester welcome. Castiel and Clemont recover from their injuries while the others enjoy the night before their departure tomorrow.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

After all five Team Flare members were arrested and tied up, Malvo and Alain put them up onto Solgaleo’s back and secured them in place. They weren’t taking any chances. They were just lucky that the only members here were Xerosic and his scientists. It would have taken several trips if everyone that was in that room had been sent here.

After they were secure, the two older Trainers turned to their young friends.

“What are you guys going to do,” Malvo asked. She seemed genuinely curious since Solgaleo’s back was very obviously full. If they were coming right back, they needed to know if the kids were going to stay here and wait or if they should meet them somewhere else when they returned.

Alain stepped up beside her as he gave out his input.

“I think it’s best to leave them here to recuperate. They must be tired be exhausted by now.”

“Hey! I’m not tir-,” Ash started out offendedly before he was cut of by a large yawn, the last fourty-eight hours finally seeming to catch up with him. When he was done and looked back up, Alain had his arms crossed and his eyebrow raised teasingly.

“Ash, you need to sleep,” Serena chimed in. “What if you fell asleep on the way back and fell of Nebby’s back? Who knows what world you’d end up in!”

Clemont found himself speaking up as well.

“They’re right, Ash. There might be more dangerous worlds out there. We got lucky this time.”

With a sheepish smile, Ash finally caved and backed down.

Alain turned to give Malvo a question-filled glance, silently asking for her own input.

Malvo made a big show about thinking it over, tilting her head dramatically and humming as if she was having trouble deciding. The act earned her a giggle from Bonnie and a small grin from Alain before she sighed dramatically.

“Oh, I don’t see the harm in it. You kids’ okay with that?”

She was met with multiple sounds of approval before she turned to Korrina. While the young Gym Leader didn’t say anything, she latched onto Clemont’s arm resolutely and seemed to stare back in defiance, ignoring Clemont’s surprised sputtering. She was making it very clear that she was staying too.

Clemont could feel his face being set ablaze as heard what sounded like Dean chuckling. He could barely see the brothers turning away to hide their mirth and could feel the embarrassment in him double at the sight.

With a content smile, Malvo turned and made her way back to Solgaleo and – with a quick wave – Alain followed close behind her. The two climbed onto Solgaleo’s back and then they were gone through the portal, which collapsed behind them.

It didn’t take too long after that for Jody to start herding everyone back towards the vehicles to make their way back to her place.

The ride itself was peaceful; with Korrina, Clemont and Bonnie riding back in the Impala while Ash and Serena rode with Jody and Donna. Once they arrived back at the and pulled into the driveway, everything seemed to finally come into perspective, reality deciding to finish sinking in.

Team Flare was gone, most likely for real this time. There was no way Officer Jenny was going to give them another chance to escape, so it was virtually impossible for them to get out a third time.

The relief that flooded through the blond in that moment had him almost falling over from lightheadedness. The only thing that really stopped him was that Korrina had caught him when he had started to list over to the side.

Dean was quick to jump out of the driver’s seat and come to the back. Despite Clemont’s embarrassed protests, the man lifted him into a bridal hold and began to make the rest of the trek to the front door. The guilt of running away and making them worry along embarrassment mixed together into a concoction that had his face boiling.

The boy raised his head, another apology just on the tip of his tongue, but pulled up short when he was met with the older man’s green stare. Pulling the boy’s head to his shoulder – and ignoring the startled wince it earned him – the hunter ruffled his hair. The bewildered look the boy gave him had Dean chuckling.

“Don’t worry about it, kid,” he rumbled lowly. “No need to apologize. We all kinda screwed up today.”

Sam came trotting over from the passenger’s side and fell into step next to his brother.

“We understand why you ran, you know,” the younger interjected. “It’s not like we never had to make a break for it when we were younger.” The man grinned teasingly as he bent down and whispered loudly in Clement’s ear, not really trying to be discrete. “Dean used to steal from the grocery store.”

“And you always had your face buried in a book and studied all day,” Dean cracked back good-naturedly.

The two wound up trading a bit of classic brotherly banter as they made their way up to the front door, still left open from the earlier invasion, and filed inside with everyone close behind. Once they were in the living room, Dean was quick to set Clement down gently onto the couch before then backing away to continue the non-argument with his brother.

Clemont could only smile at the sight as he noticed everyone looking similarly amused.

Seeing something move in front of him, the boy moved his gaze from the bickering brothers to the person who placed themselves before him. Castiel was in a similar position that he had been that night as he smiled reassuringly.

“Would you like me to check one more time, just in case you’re still forgetting something?”

After what happened last time, Clemont was honestly surprised the man wanted to go inside his head again. When he said just as such, that earned an amused chuckle from the older man.

“Trust me,” he murmured, “I’ve been through worse.” He seemed to hesitate before he continued, “I’ve had amnesia before and understand how confusing and scary it can be.” He seemed to give a quick guilty glance towards the brothers before quickly turning back to Clemont. “Not knowing who to trust and doubting everyone around you isn’t very fun.”

Clemont caught on to what he was saying and couldn’t help but return the angel’s sheepish expression.

A soft nudge had him turning to face Korrina.

“Maybe you should do it just in case,” the skater intoned. “Just in case any other important memories were missing.”

The girl’s voice seemed to change at the end, taking on tone that the Gym Leader wasn’t quite sure how to place. It caused his face to flush with uncertainty. Was there something else he was missing?

He turned to the man before him again before giving a nervous nod. It was better to be sure than to risk missing something.

Bringing his hands up to the child’s temples one last time, the angel was careful to be as gentle as possible as he felt his grace respond. It flowed through him, causing his eyes to glow a bright blue as the grace flowed from his fingertips into the boy’s mind.

Korrina and Bonnie watched in amazement as Clemont’s eyes flared as well before they slipped closed. The two seemed to freeze in time, remaining completely still as if the world around them had melted away.

Their little display didn’t go unnoticed, everyone in the living room also turning to watch. Everyone seemed tense as they waited silently to see what would happen.

After what seemed like a short eternity, Clemont seemed to abruptly come back to himself. With a startled gasp, his eyes flew open before he seemed to settle down as he sighed with what appeared to be content. He felt a million times better (if a bit tired) and he couldn’t feel any of his injuries anymore.

The angel finally let his hands fall and – while he didn’t collapse this time – his shoulder slumped in exhaustion; his depleted grace pushed to its limits. Despite the growing urge to just let himself fall to the floor and go to sleep for millennium, the celestial being still worked up the energy to give the girls a genuine smile and a happy nod.

The girls’ faces lit up before both of them gave a delighted cheer, tackling the boy to the couch in a double bear hug. The scientist could only yelp in surprise as his face turned tomato berry red. He would have tried to get away, but he couldn’t bring himself to when he saw both girls looking so happy.

Swallowing down his embarrassment, he brought his arms up and hugged them closer.

“What just happened?”

Dean looked down to see Ash giving him a questioning look. The boy looked as confused as he did happy, like he didn’t really know what he was supposed to be happy about.

It was Sam who answered with, “Cas just confirmed that your friend has all of his memories back.”

Now it was Ash’s turn to start beaming as he made a move to jump forward into the hug.

Luckily, he was stopped by Serena grabbing onto the back of his jacket like he was naughty child. When the boy turned to give her a Lillipup look, she dug in her heels.

“Ash,” she reprimanded, “You can’t just run in and squish our friends.”

Pikachu – who had been on Ash’s shoulder this whole time – also chipped in, seemingly admonishing its Trainer.

Ash let out a defeated noise, but when he turned to look at his friends happily cuddling, he couldn’t bring himself to be truly upset. With one final smile, he moved with Serena towards the kitchen table.

“Alright people,” Jody announced while clapping her hands together firmly, “what does everyone want for dinner?”

“I still have enough for pizza if everyone is okay with that,” Dean volunteered.

His offer was met with many sounds of approval, but the children only gave him a curious look.

He couldn’t wait until they tasted it.


By the time the pizza arrived, everyone (all ten of them – not counting Pokémon) were seated around the table.

Ash had a look of utter bliss as he ate his slice while Serena ate happily, but far more calmly next to him. Korrina seemed to have a hearty appetite while Clemont had a face similar to Ash’s and Bonnie chowed down enthusiastically on hers, forcing her brother to occasionally wipe her face (though he didn’t seem mind).

The kids hadn’t had much to eat in the past forty-eight hours. The past few days had been much more hectic than they were used to.

The two groups exchanged stories, with most of them exchanging friendly jabs at each other.

Clemont flushed with embarrassed when the Winchesters told the story about how they met and how out of it he was. Ash almost busted a gut when they also told them about him almost falling out of a window.

Korrina just scooched closer o him, laying her head on his shoulder; thus, making Clemont blush. It didn’t help that Sam and Dean gave him those strange smiles; even Ash was giving him the look now, too! The boy quickly stopped when Serena gave him a stern look, causing Dean to let out a snort. Even Bonnie tried to hide her smile behind the brim of her cup she was using to cover her face!

The poor boy’s face was boiling at this point!

Serena seemed to sympathize with his embarrassment and leaned over to land an affectionate kiss on Ash’s cheek. The boy’s face immediately seemed to catch fire as the Sam and Dean threw their heads back in laughter, Serena herself giving out a giggle.

Things calmed down and dinner continued with tamer stories.

Ash told some of his stories about his times in Alola and the Winchester clan learned more about their world. It wasn’t much of a surprise that Sam showed the most interest while Dean down-played his own curiosity by feigning disinterest.

Claire and Bonnie had started their own conversation, this time civilly and without the yelling and crying. The two were getting along a lot better despite their rocky start. Claire even fed Dedenne some of her salad that Jody had brought out of the kitchen for Sam, herself and her girls. The teen had warmed up to the little girl, so at least that meant there shouldn’t be any more fighting any time soon.

Since so many children were present, the alcohol had remained in the fridge and was replaced with things like orange juice, tea, soda and water.

Don’t wanna traumatize the kids, right?

The rest of dinner passed uneventfully with some short stories before it was time to hit the sack for the night. All the kids were laid out in a giant matt in the living room floor made from spare blankets and pillows. The adults could hear them giggling amongst themselves from upstairs before it was replaced with soft snoring.

It apparently didn’t take long for them to conk out, finally allowed to rest in peace after the stressful past couple of days.

Sam and Dean shared an amused look from their spots in the guest room. Claire was settled in Annie’s room since the girl was still working and Jody and Donna were in Jody’s bedroom.

Dean just knew that she was going to have a ball explaining this to Annie when she got home.


By the time they rose the next morning, there was a sort of solemn silence.

Everyone had gathered together outside as they waited for Officer Jenny and Alain to make their appearance. The sky was still painted by the purples and yellows of the barely risen sun. The children had all of their things packed and ready as they conversed lazily with their hosts.

Sam and Dean stood nearby as they watched the proceedings and kept an eye on the surrounding area.

Just because the bad guys had been arrested, didn’t mean that something else could happen before the kids were picked up. That would be the Winchester luck, wouldn’t it?

Sam notices that Korrina has finally stopped constantly having Clemont in a bear hug and was now standing next to him, even if a little close. So much teasing material, yet he wouldn’t have the chance to use it.

“Ya know,” he said, canting his head towards his brother, “this was not how I was expecting to spend the past few days.”

Dean cracks a smirk, though he doesn’t take his eyes away from looking at the surrounding area.

“I don’t think either of us were really expecting to play babysitter,” he snarked back.

The two share a laugh before they’re almost blinded by the familiar light from before. In the middle of the street, the white funnel portal from last night appeared again. The brothers took it as a signal to move so that they were standing beside the young guests.

With a mighty leap, the white lion from before – Solgaleo, Ash had called it? – appeared and landed with a solid thud that shook the ground. The two from before had also returned with it, the woman waving happily from its back.

“Alright, kids,” she called, “it’s time to go! Everybody take a seat!”

Dean was a little startled by the announcement. While he was surprised that they were leaving right away, he supposed the kids were more than ready to leave.

The kids, with Alain’s help, started to climb up onto the Pokémon’s back.

Sam perked up when, instead of joining his friends, Clemont trotted up to them with something in his hands.

“You guys,” he started, looking unsure. “I-I just want to say how grateful I am that you saved me the other day.”

Suddenly, he thrusts out his arms as the material in his hold made a clacking sound. The items appeared to be two strange phone-like devices. They looked a bit bulky, but were relatively slim.

“This actually isn’t the first time we’ve been to other worlds, especially Ash. He’s the expert at going to other worlds. Though,” the boy donned a contrite look, “it’s usually not like this.”

With a shy smile he hands one to Dean.

“I spent most of the night making it, so I hope it works.”

The brothers look at the device in awe. How had Clemont built it so quickly and hadn’t woken up any of the adults?

Before they could ask, the inventor gave them a happy wave the boy ran back towards his friends as he left one parting message.

“Be sure to call us sometime!”

Alain quickly helped the boy up as Jody, Donna and Claire waved from the sidewalk. The kids waved back, Ash being the most enthusiastic.

It was then that Castiel walked up to the otherworldly guests.

“I pray you have safe travels homes,” he said simply. He brought his hand up to stroke Solgaleo’s warm body. “I a wish you the best of luck as well. Make sure they get back home safe, okay?”

The Sun Pokémon gave a rumbling purr in response and Castiel took that as his que to step back.

Solgaleo gave another roar, its body appearing to glow as it lurched forward, running full speed before leaping into the portal. The portal quickly collapsed once they were through.

And as quickly as that, their guests were gone.

Everyone stood there for a moment before they finally turned to head back inside. Sam and Dean stayed long enough to pack up some food before making their way back to the bunker.

They had a feeling that this was going to be an experience that they were going to remember forever.

 


The End...?


 

Notes:

A/N: It took way too long to write the draft for this. This was literally the chapter that was giving me so much trouble and was taking me the longest to write. I still can’t believe that it took several months just to write this draft. At this point, I just didn’t know how I exactly wanted to end this and wanted to move on to other stories. I've been meaning to write a sequel to another story that I wrote a while ago. But I also swore not to start another story until I finish the one I'm currently on.

- Addict

Chapter 14: Epilogue: Keeping In Touch

Summary:

It’s been several weeks since the incident with the kids from the other world when one of the machines that Clemont had given them begin to go off. They gather around the table in the War Room to before they decide to answer it.

Their more than a little surprised with what happens.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

With an exhausted sigh, Dean dropped into a chair in the War Room.

He and Sam had just gotten back from a hunt that had ended in having more vamps than they had thought. It was just supposed to a singular witch case.

Sitting the beer he had gotten out of the kitchen on the table in front of him on the table, Dean placed his elbows on the table and let his head fall into his hands. He was more than just exhausted at this point and the idea of a date with is bed was sounding more appealing by the second.

He had just begun to move to get up when a strange ringing stopped him in his tracks. The tone was unfamiliar and wasn’t the one set for either Sam or Cas or anyone else in his phone.

Reaching cautiously into his pocket, he pulled out the device that the young inventor had given him several weeks ago. Not once, no matter how long he had waited, had the device rung. It had been completely unresponsive since they went back to their world.

Now it was lit up and ringing shrilly.

“Guys!” Dean shouted loudly; his voice risen in growing hope.

The quick call was enough to have both of the bunker’s other two residents come running. His voice must have sounded as desperate as he felt, since the two of them were by his side like a shot. Sam was breathing heavily from his sprint while Cas’ breathe was barely labored, but both were looking at the machine with the same look on their faces as Dean’s.

With both of them securely by his side, the eldest Winchester pressed the biggest button near the center. Immediately, there is a loud static feedback. It didn’t take long for something resembling a voice to start coming through.

“-lo? H-lo?”

The voice was warbled and barely making much sense with the interference, but Dean also notices that Cas perks up next to him; a smile forms on the angel’s face.

The warbling continued for a moment before they finally started getting a real voice.

“H-llo? Sam? De-n?”

It didn’t take much for the boys to identify the voice and both shared a surprised smile of their own. Dean could already tell that Sam was itching to ask the boy how he was able to get a connection from another world. Dork.

“Kid? Is that you,” Dean called back. His face felt like it was going to split with how wide he was grinning. So, he had missed the kid. Sue him.

The response was immediate. Clemont’s laugh is bright, full of happiness and relief at finally getting through while the brothers could hear a squeal in the background that was most definitely Bonnie. Dean feels Sam give him a rough pat on the back, obviously happy to hear the children again. Cas was standing still next to him, but didn’t bother to quell the gentle smile on his face.

“So, what are you kids doing?”

Actually,” the kid starts, “we’ve been trying to get through to you guys since we got back.

The inventor’s explanation is ended with the sound akin to a loud explosion. Sam and Dean startle, though Cas doesn’t look too alarmed.

“What was that,” Sam demands. The last thing they need is for there to be another attack on the kids’ home. The voice that comes back over the radio is more sheepish than scared, however.

Tha-that was just Clembot. He’s,” the boy sounds like his voice is trying to shrink. “He’s the robot I built to take on Challengers so that I could focus more on my inventions. I kind of had him take this one so that I could make this call.

That’s when Bonnie decided to enter herself into the conversation.

Clemont’s been going crazy trying to get the device to work so that he could get a hold of you guys! He's been getting up super early to-!” The girl’s boisterous voice suddenly cut off. The brothers could hear her making indignant noises and tried to hold in their laughter.

Bonnie! Don’t just tell them that!

The boy sounded far beyond embarrassed, almost like he was trying to talk around a lump in his throat. Dean turned his head away as he gave out a loud snort before he was smacked upside the head by Sam. The effect and message didn’t exactly stick when the man was trying to hold back his own laughter. Even Cas let out a startled laugh.

They all could picture what was going on on the other side of the phone.

Anyway,” Clemont shouted over his sister’s struggles, “what are you guys doing?

The rest of their afternoon was spent mostly talking with the two children until it was time for dinner. They learned that Ash had apparently left for the Galar Region and Serena had decided to further her career by going to the Sinnoh Region.

I can’t wait to talk to you guys again,” Clemont said. His voice had a slightly sad tone to it, but all of them knew that it was time to eat. They had been talking for hours and Dean had already been hungry before they had even walk through the bunker door, but his stomach was almost roaring by the end of the conversation. He had no doubt that was why Clemont finally decided to cut the call short.

“Yeah,” he found himself saying, his voice starting to sound a little thick. He hadn’t even hung up yet and  he already missed the kid. “Yeah, we’ll talk soon, okay?”

Yeah!

The boy sounded more than happy that the Winchesters were okay with continuing the phone calls. They heard Clemont and Bonnie give an excited “goodbye” before the interdimensional phone cut off. The three spend a moment just staring at it before they sat it down and they all seem to give a mutual sigh of relief. They had been wondering how the kids were doing and were beyond happy to find out that they were doing okay.

The sound of Dean’s stomach growling brought them back to the present, causing Sam to chuckle.

“Hungry?” the man teased.

“Shut up, bitch,” Dean snapped back, though it contained zero heat and he couldn’t really hold back his chuckle.

The three head towards the door to get their dinner.

Notes:

A/N: Finally! The end of XYZ Catastrophe. I finished this on the twentieth, but my phone won’t let me use my hotspot to upload, so I guess I’ll just have to upload it on the twenty-second. I seem to have a thing for even numbers, both for chapters (if not a one-shot) and upload dates.

I'm pretty sure that it should not have taken so long to write this story. It was like I just couldn’t finish this story because my motivation just kept leaving and it felt like my brain just didn’t want to cooperate. Every time I tried to write, my brain would just take a vacation and would go blank and I would just struggle.

I'm not sure if I’ll ever write a sequel, but I do have other Supernatural and Pokémon. I'm currently more into other fandoms at the moments, which might be why it was so hard to finish this. I have a different sequel to write and a Death Note and Pokémon crossover to finish.

- Addict