Victoria sat quietly by Kiki's bed, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
Medicham, who hadn't once gone back into her Pokéball, stood nearby, preparing a small pot of tea on a tray. Kiki lay there, pale and still, her breathing shallow but steady. Victoria reached over and gently adjusted the blanket, tucking it up under her mentor's chin.
They'd made it back to the dojo just before dawn, slipping in through the back entrance so none of the students would see. Kiki's collapse had to stay a secret—if word spread among the students that their beloved Sensei was this sick, they would get worried. Kiki had always insisted on protecting them, shielding them from worry. That was part of the reason why she never went to a doctor, at least, that's what Kiki told Victoria.
Medicham set the tray down carefully on the small table by the bed, giving Victoria a concerned look, "I know…" Victoria murmured, gently brushing Kiki's hair back from her forehead. "I know you want to help her too. I just… I don't know what else to do… it feels like we're running out of time…"
Victoria clenched her fists in her lap, feeling the sting of tears at the corners of her eyes again. Everything, everything, was unraveling. The Meteors, the PULSE machines, and Cal. Cal… her heart twisted painfully at the memory. She trusted him and cared for him. The same day that it all happened, she was planning to confess her feelings. But now? She didn't even know what was real anymore.
Just outside, Victoria could hear the faint sounds of the dojo: students starting their morning stretches, the shuffle of feet, and some playful banter. Victoria had told them that Kiki was meditating today and that they shouldn't disturb her, even if it was a lie.
Lie after lie, just to buy more time.
Her hands trembled as she lifted the tea. She almost dropped it, but Medicham gently steadied her wrist, "Thanks…" Victoria whispered, blinking back tears. She set the cup back down with a sigh.
Suddenly, Kiki's fingers twitched.
Victoria sat up sharply. "Sensei?"
Kiki's eyes fluttered open, weak and unfocused. "…Victoria…?"
"I'm here, I'm here!" Victoria grasped her hand gently. "You're okay, you're back home. Please, just rest now. Don't push yourself anymore."
Kiki gave a faint, tired smile. "I'm… sorry… for worrying you…"
"Don't-don't apologize," Victoria choked out, pressing her forehead to their joined hands. "I'm sorry… I wasn't strong enough to take care of Team Meteor on my own…"
"It's not a crime… to ask for help…" Kiki said, smiling.
Then, before Victoria could say anything, they heard another voice in the room.
"Huh, pretty good advice. Maybe you should learn to take it yourself."
Victoria flinched, and she and Medicham quickly turned in a battle stance. What they saw was a boy, maybe a little younger than her, wearing a red hoodie and red hat. He was sitting on a chair, sipping one of the tea cups. Next to him was a familiar Hypno, who was looking at a bookshelf and had already gone over to take a book and sit down.
"W-who are you?" Victoria narrowed her eyes, standing protectively in front of Kiki. "And how did you get here?"
"Aww, that's quite rude. After everything I did, I even busted my hand for you guys," Ash said playfully as he put the cup down. "Kiki, you know who I am, don't you~?"
Kiki turned her head and gave a surprised look. She didn't even have to question it; she could just tell.
"Yes… D, was it? You were at the mountain… you saved us. I'm glad you're okay. How are your injuries?"
Victoria and Medicham both blinked and looked at Kiki, then at Ash. Victoria's mouth opened slightly in confusion.
"Wait… what?"
Ash gave a playful smile as he stood up, raising his shirt to cover his face,"Here, is this better? I don't have my scarf on me, but yeah, it's-a me~"
Victoria's eyes shot wide. "Y-you're D?!" she blurted out, stumbling back a step.
"Yeah, but my real name's Ash. But don't tell anyone me and D are the same person, that's a secret~" Ash said, putting a finger to his lips.
"Ash…" Victoria whispered, struggling to process it. "…Why are you here?" she finally managed to say, her voice tight. "How did you even get here?"
Ash stretched his arms over his head lazily. "Oh, you know. A little Hypno teleporting, a little sneaking past the courtyard. You're not the only one who can keep secrets." His smile softened just a little as he added, "Besides, I told you I'd find you. Remember?"
Victoria flushed, recalling his whispered promise at the mountain. "O-okay, but… why?"
"Hm, well, I figured you'd want a way to heal up your Sensei, or am I wrong?" Ash shrugged.
"W-wait, what now?" Victoria blinked.
"Oh yeah, I'm a licensed surgeon. Legally allowed to perform surgery. Figured if you don't want to go to a doctor, why not bring one to you~"
Victoria stared at him, her mouth opening and closing like a Magikarp out of water.
"A… a surgeon?! You?!" she finally choked out, voice cracking.
Ash gave an easygoing grin, tipping his red cap back slightly. "Hey, don't let the hoodie fool you. I've got paperwork. It's not my fault more people don't work harder to get degrees."
Victoria nearly fell over, "What?" she gasped.
Medicham looked equally stunned, glancing between Ash and Victoria with wide, questioning eyes.
Kiki gave a faint, amused chuckle, though it quickly turned into a wheezing cough.
Victoria immediately knelt beside her, supporting her shoulder. "Sensei, don't—you need to rest…"
"I'm fine… just… amused," Kiki whispered, giving Ash a look that was both tired and oddly fond. "You… really are full of surprises, aren't you? But there's no need for you to do anything."
Ash's grin softened. For a moment, the playful spark in his eyes dimmed just slightly, revealing something more serious beneath. He walked over to the bed slowly, standing on the other side of Kiki while Victoria kept her protective arm steady around her mentor.
"Look," Ash said quietly, "I know you're trying to protect your students. And that's admirable. But… you and I both know you don't have much time left."
Victoria's breath caught. "Wait… how do you—"
"I can tell, after all." Ash's eyes began to glow a faint blue. "You can't hide things from me."
Kiki's eyes widened. "Y-you can use…"
"Aura, yes. And I'm pretty good at it," Ash said as his eyes faded back to normal. "And that's why I can also tell that you don't need a doctor. Am I right?"
"Wait, what?" Victoria blurted out. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean that Kiki didn't want to go to the doctor because she knew they couldn't help her," Ash said, crossing his arms.
"Haa… I guess you caught me," Kiki said with a humorless chuckle. "It's true… I'm sorry, Victoria. I've been lying to you…"
"W-what… b-but…" Victoria's throat closed up. She shook her head fiercely, clutching Kiki's hand tighter. "No. No, Sensei, you can't—you just need rest, and—and time, and—"
"Victoria."
The quiet strength in Kiki's weak voice froze her mid-sentence.
"Even if I had time… the truth is… my body… it's been breaking down for a while."
Kiki's faint smile held no bitterness, only calm acceptance. "I stayed here… because I wanted to guide you. To help all the students find their strength… including you."
Victoria's vision blurred as hot tears spilled down her cheeks. "But I-I still need you! We all still need you! I'm not ready to-"
Ash quietly moved around the bed, crouching beside Victoria. "You know, you really should wait for people to finish talking before jumping to conclusions~" he said playfully.
Victoria and Kiki both blinked and looked at Ash. "W-what?"
Ash looked at Kiki. "So, you can use it too, can't you? Aura. And it looks like Victoria also has the potential for it. Am I right?"
Kiki gave a slow nod. "Yes… I have the gift… and so does Victoria. That's why I chose her as my successor…"
Victoria's breath hitched. She pulled back slightly, staring at Kiki as if seeing her for the first time.
"M-me? Successor?" she whispered, voice trembling.
"We can get to the mushy stuff after," Ash said slowly, looking at Kiki. "When I look at you, I can see that your Aura is almost poisoning you. You got corrupted, didn't you? That's what's causing this."
Kiki closed her eyes. "Yes… you're right…" she said quietly. "In my younger days, when I was even younger than you both… I was so excited that I pushed myself too hard. And in the process… my Aura got corrupted. I've been paying the price ever since."
Victoria sat frozen, her fingers digging into the blanket, heart thundering. "You… you never told me…"
Kiki gave a faint, almost apologetic smile. "You already had so many burdens, Victoria. You didn't need mine, too. My only regret… is that I won't be around to teach you Aura myself…"
Ash leaned back slightly on his heels. "Yeah, well, that's where you made a mistake. Because corrupted Aura isn't something you just 'accept' or let fester. It's like… poisoning your own soul. But…" He grinned faintly, "lucky for you, I know how to purify it."
Victoria's head whipped around, eyes wide. "Y-you can do that?!"
Ash shrugged, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, it's not exactly easy. And it's definitely going to take a lot out of both of us. But yeah, it's possible."
Medicham stepped forward slightly, watching Ash with a sharp, almost wary gaze.
Kiki looked at Ash carefully. "If you do this… you could burn yourself out, couldn't you? I've read stories about the technique… you could die if you use too much Aura…"
Ash let out a low whistle, his grin crooked. "Wow, you really do know your stuff, huh, Sensei?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, you're right. But hey, I've danced with death before. I mean, I've got a scar on my chest from when I got blasted."
Victoria whipped toward him. "Wait! You can't just throw your life away like that! You barely even know us, why would you risk that?!"
Ash tilted his head slightly, his smile softening into something gentler. "…Because I can do something. It's the duty of the strong to help the weak. Isn't that the entire story of the Aura Guardians?"
Victoria's breath caught in her throat.
Kiki gave a weak laugh. "You remind me… of an old friend I once had. Always rushing to save everyone else… even at his own expense." She paused, eyes glazing over with distant memory, an image of another boy in a red hat, so much like Ash.
"Ha. He sounds like he'd be fun to talk to," Ash said, starting to roll up his sleeves. "You wouldn't happen to know what happened to him?"
Kiki gave a weary smile. "Ah… last I heard, he got married and had a child, but I haven't heard much since. I used to be good friends with him and his wife… but when my illness got worse, I didn't want them to worry, so I left. That was… eleven years ago."
"Hm. Well, maybe you should go talk to them after this," Ash said, flexing his fingers as he prepared. "By the way, Victoria, I'm going to need your help here."
"W-what?!" Victoria snapped out of her trance. She was still reeling, Kiki might live, but Ash might die, and Aura… all the stuff she'd been told about once, then never again. "W-what am I supposed to do?!"
"You don't want me to die, do you?" Ash grinned. "Well, can you share your Aura with me?"
Victoria's heart pounded in her chest. "S-share my Aura? But I don't even know how—"
Ash gave her a lopsided grin, flashing that maddening mix of playfulness and calm. "You don't need to know how. You already have it, I can feel it. I just need you to trust me… and focus."
Medicham let out a low hum, stepping back to give them space but keeping a watchful eye.
Victoria's hands trembled as she looked down at them. My Aura…? She had always thought she was just… normal. Strong-willed, sure. Passionate, definitely. But… Aura? That was something out of old stories, myths, things Kiki had mentioned but never deeply taught.
Kiki gave her a faint nod. "You can do it, Victoria… I suppose this will be your first lesson. I'll guide you."
"I… I'll try…" she whispered, voice shaking.
Ash smiled softly. "That's all I need." He turned, placing his hands lightly over Kiki's body and closing his eyes. His body began to glow faintly, a shimmering blue light of Aura pulsing outward like ripples on water.
"Okay, Victoria, come closer."
Victoria hesitated only a second before sliding forward on her knees, placing her trembling hands next to Ash's. "O-okay," she murmured, trying to calm her nerves.
Kiki spoke gently, voice thin but steady. "Victoria… just focus. To use Aura, you must let it flow like water. Think of your emotions, your worry, your love, your strength. Let them guide you."
Victoria squeezed her eyes shut, her hands trembling as they pressed against Ash's. She thought of Kiki, all the years they'd shared, the lessons, the mornings of meditation, the quiet pride Kiki always showed when Victoria succeeded, the patient hands correcting her stances, the soft voice offering wisdom.
"I don't want to lose you…" Victoria whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks. Her fingers dug into Ash's back, her voice raw. "I… I need you… please…"
"Good… that's it…" Ash whispered, voice strained. "You're… doing great…"
He could feel it, Victoria's Aura beginning to stir, faintly glowing blue. It pulsed toward her hands, shaky but real.
Ash shifted, his hands steadying hers as he added his Aura, guiding her energy into the flow. He was doing most of the heavy lifting, but any help mattered. If he did it all alone, he would die.
A glowing blue orb began to form between their hands, shimmering brighter as they focused. Slowly, they pushed the orb downward, pressing it into Kiki's chest.
Kiki's body glowed, her chest pulsing with the same light, and then the glow faded.
Ash and Victoria exhaled in unison, drained and breathless. They pulled back slowly, eyes wide, watching Kiki.
Kiki looked down at herself, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye.
Victoria's heart sank. She leaned in, voice shaking, "Kiki… I'm sorry. It didn't w—"
But Kiki shook her head. "I never thought I'd be able to breathe without pain again…"
She pushed the blanket off and, slowly at first, then with growing strength, rose to her feet. She looked at her hands, turning them over, flexing her fingers.
"It… really worked," she whispered, "I haven't felt this good in years."
Ash chuckled wearily, collapsing back onto his hands as the last flickers of Aura dimmed around his fingers. His skin was pale, sweat beading his forehead, but he smiled.
"Told you it'd work," he mumbled, breath ragged. "I'm a man of my word, after all…"
Victoria sat frozen, mouth agape, watching Kiki, who just moments ago could barely lift her head, standing tall, steady, radiant.
"Sensei…" she whispered, then broke down in sobs, hands covering her face. "I thought, we thought we were going to lose you…"
Kiki moved fast, faster than she had in months, and knelt beside Victoria, wrapping her in a tight embrace.
"Shh… it's okay. I'm still here. And you helped save me," she whispered, holding Victoria close as tears shimmered in her own eyes.
Medicham exhaled a long breath of joy, bowing its head in gratitude toward Ash.
Ash gave a little wave in return before fully collapsing onto his back with a groan.
"…Okay," he muttered, staring up at the ceiling, "Ow. That was way more Aura than I planned to use today… I'm probably gonna need a day or two to recharge."
"ASH!"
Victoria broke from Kiki's arms and scrambled over to him. "Hey are you okay?!"
Ash let out a soft chuckle as Victoria helped him sit up, his grin faint but warm.
"Yeah, yeah… just need, like, a gallon of Oran juice and a nap. Not the first time I've been this drained. But hey… how else are you supposed to train your Aura if you don't empty your reserves once in a while, huh?"
Kiki smiled fondly and moved to his side as well. "You pushed yourself to the edge for someone you barely knew. This makes it twice now that you've saved me."
"You don't have to thank me," Ash said, eyes half-lidded. "Besides, us Aura users are already nearly extinct. You two are the only ones I've ever met, so I'm not about to let us lose another one."
Victoria took one of his hands gently, squeezing it. "You're insane… but thank you. Thank you so much…"
"Hey, at least you helped. I mean, I've never purified anyone before, so yeah, there was a good chance I would've died if you didn't help me. But I'm alive, so suck it, Death. I'm still here." Ash chuckled weakly.
"I should've stopped you," Victoria murmured, fists clenched. "You were right. I was jumping to conclusions, and if something had gone wrong—"
Ash reached out and tapped her forehead lightly. "Stop that. Guilt's not a good look on you."
She scowled. "Neither is death on you!"
"Touché," he murmured, a tired smirk playing at his lips. "But I guess that's one thing off the list."
"Yes… I suppose you're right." Kiki sighed, her expression sobering. "I guess my life's just a consolation prize, considering the problems we're facing. With Team Meteor taking action… and after Cal's betrayal… we still have much to do."
"Yeah. Here, I'll give you my number. You can call me if you ever find something. I don't want the world to be destroyed any more than the next guy." Ash pulled out his Rotom Phone, which floated helpfully in front of them.
"Um… I apologize, I don't have a phone," Kiki admitted, a bit sheepish. "So I suppose, Victoria, you'll handle that."
Victoria flinched slightly, her face flushing. "I-I, um… okay." She took out her phone and tapped it against Ash's, their contacts syncing with a soft ping.
Ash pocketed his phone and, with a bit of effort, managed to stand up. "But maybe you should deal with your students, tell them, or don't. I'm not a teacher for a reason." He smirked. "And maybe teach Victoria here how to actually use Aura properly. I did do most of the work."
"Hey! Just because it's true doesn't mean you have to say it!" Victoria retorted, crossing her arms. "That was my first time, of course I was inexperienced!"
Then she blinked, her face going scarlet as the unintended double meaning hit her. She buried her face in her hands, groaning. "Not like that!"
Kiki just chuckled, her laughter light and warm for the first time in so long. "Well, you are right about that. So, Victoria… I'll be able to teach you personally now."
She turned to Ash, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "But Ash, I must ask… who taught you? You said we're the first two Aura users you've met."
"I stand by what I said," Ash replied. "I'm self-taught… kinda. I had to learn everything by myself. Been training since I was a baby."
"Really, that's impressive. To not even have a teacher, and you didn't get corrupted yourself," Kiki said, looking at Ash with admiration.
"Yeah, well… I did have a book, but I don't have it anymore. It just told me how to train Aura and how not to get corrupted. Everything else, I figured out on my own," Ash admitted.
"That's… wow… I can't even imagine doing that," Victoria mumbled, wide-eyed.
"Then don't. Don't think too hard about me, either," Ash said, waving it off casually. "Think about yourselves, okay? Like, what are you gonna do now that you're not, well… dying?"
Kiki gave a small sigh, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "Well… besides properly training my students and dealing with Team Meteor… I suppose… perhaps I should try to reconnect with my old friends. I'm sure Delia has thought about me…maybe i could meet her son,"
Ash's smile faltered, just slightly. "Sorry… what was that last part?"
"Oh, Delia," Kiki replied. "She's my friend, the one who married the person I told you about. We used to train together, but I had to leave so she wouldn't worry about me." Kiki sighed, her gaze distant with nostalgia.
Ash stared at her, feeling a cold pit open in his stomach. "Right… and what was the name of that guy?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
He wasn't stupid. He'd always wondered who his dad was, who wouldn't? After he found out that Gary's dad was Blue, he had his suspicions. But nothing had ever been confirmed, until-
—
{Flashback}
A young Ash sat at the kitchen table, kicking his legs as Delia stirred a pot on the stove. He looked up at her with wide, curious eyes, "Mom… who's my dad?"
Delia paused, her back to him, a faint smile curling on her lips. "Ara… so you're finally curious. That's good." She turned slightly, her voice teasing. "Do you really want to know~?"
Ash nodded eagerly, eyes shining with innocent curiosity.
Delia giggled softly, "You know I can't say no to you~. Your father… his name is—"
—
"Red," Kiki said softly, pulling Ash out of his memory, her eyes misty as she drifted in memory. "His name was Red. I truly looked up to him… He was the pinnacle of trainers. It hurts my heart every day to remember what I couldn't do because of my illness…"
"Yeah, Sensei Kiki is always talking about him," Victoria chimed in, nodding. "She shows us videos of his battles so we can aspire to be like him. I would love to meet the man that my Sensei admired so much."
Ash raised his hand slightly, his expression torn between amusement and awkwardness. "Um… yeah, so… Red? Yeah, he's my dad."
Silence.
Kiki and Victoria froze. They didn't breathe. They didn't blink. They just stared at him, wide-eyed and stunned.
"You're… Master Red's son…" Victoria mumbled, her voice barely a whisper.
Kiki stared at Ash, really looked at him for the first time. The shape of his eyes, the color of them, the way his messy hair fell under that cap… and suddenly, the image of young Red, the boy she'd trained with all those years ago, flashed in her mind.
They looked almost exactly the same.