At breakfast the next morning, everyone seemed to be discussing the murder.

"That kid looked, like, no more than 10 years old. He could be lying"

"Well, it's over now. Alain's in jail"

"It's so weird. Lysandre, who kidnapped Ash and was almost burnt to death and was caught running out of a police station, disbanded Team Flare the next day. Alain, who won against Ash in the Kalos League, is in jail for murdering a woman who has to be related to Ash in some way, since there's no one else we can find with the same last name. They're all linked to Ash in a way"

"And?"

They looked to see the Professor and Ash standing in the doorway. The dark haired boy didn't look very pleased. Neither did the adult.

"Hey Ash, how old are you? When's your birthday?", Mairin asked.

"I'm 16. May 22nd, 2003", Ash answered without hesitation.

"Is that woman in paper your mom?"

"Yes"

And with that, he left the room while the Professor stayed.

"So that witness kid can't have been Ash, no way he was 16! The officer said he was a kid!"

"But Ash is pretty short, and doesn't really look like a teen"

"What about his mom? He just admitted that woman is his mother. He's not upset about it at all!"

"Maybe he's just hiding his feelings"

Maybe. But he was definitely hiding much more than his feelings.

----------------------------------------

"That woman", Ash muttered as he stared at the burnt down police station, "Poor lady. Her heart could still be beating if she didn't try to-"

His voice was blocked out by the screaming of a middle aged man with orange hair as he pushed the knife deeper into his chest with his foot.

"Oh well. At least now you can see her in heaven"

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'Beheaded body of Lysandre, former leader of disbanded Team Flare, found in sea'

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"Hey, Ash? What did you get for your first birthday?", Mairin asked.

"A bed"

"Your second?", Bonnie joined in.

"A hat"

They continued to ask him about his birthday presents while the others tried their best to be discreet listening in.

"Eighth?"

"...I forgot"

"Really?"

"Yep. Can't remember any birthdays after my seventh"

"Oh, wow. I thought you'd forget the older birthdays first. That's what I do"

"Well, people are different"

"Hey, guys! Lysandre was found dead!"